La Mediterranee

Very mediocre food quality. We got the large combo appetizer, the Mediterranean plate, and the kebab. Everything tasted like food you can buy at trader Joes and heat up yourself. I’m from Israel and I’m always surprised by how low the standard is set for «Mediterranean» restaurants…
Aside from the food, the restaurant seemed nice and homie and the service was good. But for me it comes down to the food…

Pretty great food, very fresh and comforting. Seasoned lightly, but still good.
Definitely recommend the salads here.

Everything we ate here just seemed mediocre and borderline bland.
We each got a glass of wine — my boyfriend the Côtes du Rhôné and I got a white. Those were each okay.
We started with the falafel appetizer. It was $ 7 or so for two medium-​sized pieces and two small pieces. They were pretty good for falafel, but a very small portion.
My boyfriend got the lamb kibbeh, which was basically like a meatloaf without the sauce. It was almost flavorful but it didn’t quite achieve it. It was too much for having only salad on the side — could really have used a small side dish.
I had the baked fillo pastries — one of each kind: chicken, lamb, spinach & feta, and potato with herbs. The chicken was pretty forgettable, the lamb was good as well as the spinach. The potato one was good, although the cinnamon made it taste sweet (in a good way).
Overall, we were just very underwhelmed. Maybe we should have gotten other dishes, but we had already decided we don’t need to come back. It seems like other people like it though, so maybe take this with a grain of salt.

This place doesn’t get the attention the other restaurants do on Market (Café Flore, Squat and Gobble, etc.) but I think it’s far better in terms of food quality. The plates are really good with a great mix of different choices (chicken pomegranate, spinach and feta, etc.). The fact that it’s super reasonable in price makes it one of my favorite places to go in the area.

This restaurant has been a favorite of my parents since they lived in the Castro 25 years ago. I was excited to try it out and experience what they had experienced!
The restaurant is a good size, has dim lighting, and appealing décor. I was surprised at the emptiness, although it wasn’t unwelcome. However, more people started to file in near the end of our meal (we sat down around 7 pm). I also got the vibe that this wasn’t really a restaurant for children. It wasn’t super fancy, but it’s size and quietness made me think that loud young children would be unwelcome.
The food here was awesome– it totally met the expectations my parents set for me. I got Le Billet Doux, which gave me a chance to sample both their delicious vegetarian quiche and Levant sandwich, both of which were light, healthy, yet filling. I would definitely recommend going here if you’re vegetarian, they have a great selection. My friend got the pomegranate chicken, which was also tasty but very filling (she couldn’t finish it).
Next time you’re in the Castro, check this place out for a healthy, filling dinner!

Superb. Reliably tasty and always with the nicest service! We usually order to go and last night I called them just under the wire — and they couldn’t have been nicer about it. I appreciate them being in the neighborhood! In particular I love the avgolomono soup.

Terrible service. The restaurant was loud and so we were talking to hear each other. We were told to be quite and I felt completely judged. I’m embarrassed that I attempted to take my mom to this place. She felt scolded and uncomfortable. I do not recommend this place. Get over yourselves. Turquoise pants… Your time is done.

The food and wine here may be typically Mediterranean in flavor, but look out! Because the flavor is realllllly strong and tart. The one in Berkeley I think is a bit better.
The red wine is so intense, we tried to different kinds and they were both pretty bad. Again not sure if this is typical Greek or Mediterranean wine. But I can’t imagine anyone liking this?

You will never a find a more friendly staff anywhere. Period. I think I go there just feel treated like a king. Not to mention, the Pomegranate Chicken is marinated and the most tender you’ll ever have. If you appreciate the rareness of excellent service, then La Med is the place for you.
I lived in the Castro area for the first eight years here in San Francisco. With that said, I tend to choose restaurants, for dining in, based on outdoor foot traffic, word of mouth and rating. La Mediterranee happens to be in a heavily-​trafficked area of San Francisco, and a place you go to be seen, which I couldn’t care less about being seen. That is why, for the past 18 years, I’ve only ordered carry-​out. Oddly enough, you won’t find many tourists here or suffer a long wait.
Thank you for all the wonderful years, La Med!
PS Please don’t bring small children, as you will quickly see clientele leave in droves. Be prepared for an intimate dining experience with few loud voices.

Expectations were high and, sadly, unmet. Very disappointing especially having been to the Fillmore location where each dish was outstanding and ON POINT. I can say that this location paled in the comparison.
Small combination appetizer: Hummus and baba ghanoush were very good but the tabuleh was pretty mild in flavor. I’m used to (and prefer) a tabuleh with stronger herb flavors but this one was heavier than in bulger than it was herbs.
Falafel appetizer: Small portions, dry.
Lunch special: Comes with three items along with your choice of soup or salad and rice pilaf. I chose my favorites: the pomegranate chicken, lule kebab, and decided to try the chicken cilicia. The chicken pomegranate is usually falling off the bone but this time it was very dry. The lule kebab at the Fillmore location is super juicy and booming with flavor, but at this location it’s lackluster. The chicken cilicia is shredded chicken and chickenpeas inside filo dough, topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar. It was strange, especially served at room temperature. Perhaps it would taste better warm?
Kibbeh: My fiancé loves kibbeh and this one was just downright disappointing! All we could taste was lamb and flour. no hints of seasoning whatsoever. He was starving yet ended up only eating a quarter of it. For his side, he chose the cream of cauliflower curry soup for his side and at least that was tasty.
We really wanted to love this location since it’s closer to home but I highly doubt we will be returning. The extra distance to Fillmore is worth it for higher quality food!

I think this place is great. I lived in the mediterranean for a few years and I’m forever looking for authenticity.
Get the meze sampler. You need more than one person but you get a bit of everything. The dolmas are excellent. If you don’t like grape leaves, I will totally eat yours.
The spreads are nice. Good hummos but the pita bread definitely tastes store bought. I would have rather had some homemade, fresh tasting bread. There is one dish that is SUPER weird but really good. It’s chicken rolled into flakey crust, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. The greeks use alot of cinnamon in savory dishes so that doesn’t bother me, but the powdered sugar was a bit weird. At first I thought I was eating a dessert, but then there was chicken inside.
The lamb meatballs are THE BEST. Please get them. And if you don’t like them, I’ll eat them. Also notable dishes are the pomagranate chicken legs, cooked perfectly and unfatty.
Slight downside, the sangria isn’t great. It’s incredibly sweet and doesn’t feel very boozey.
Also, the bathroom is through the kitchen. I actually loved this because I could see the chefs making entrees. You could see how clean the kitchen was, but I could see how if it were crowded or unclean, this would be offputting.

This place never makes any trendy best of lists, but every time I go a local always leans over to say «this place is excellent.» So now you know, this is where the locals go. We love to come here when we want great food at a good price and don’t want to wait in long lines. It’s our go to neighborhood spot (although it’s not EXACTLY in our neighborhood, but close).
Must haves:
pomegranate chicken — fall off the bone tender chicken legs basted in a tangy pomegranate sauce.
The Avgolemino is outstanding (avgolemino is a greek version of a cross between the chicken soup and hot and sour soup). It’s lemony chicken broth blended with chicken and rice and then egg whites are added to give it a creamy consistently without it being heavy like a dairy cream soup).
We also love the Armenian potato salad. Just boiled potatoes smashed with olive oil, lemon, and mint. Cool and refreshing!

Talk about family restaurant. This place feels like home! I came here with my friend on a Saturday for brunch, and we were quickly seated in the middle of the restaurant. I’m happy about the fact that this place is pretty big but they don’t pack tables too close together just to serve more people. All the waiters and waitresses are so nice. We did not feel rushed to make our food selection, and they checked on us a good amount of times.
They have a weekend brunch called Champagne Meza for $ 13.50pp (with a minimum of two people) so I might have to come back just to try that when my appetite is bigger. For the time being, I ordered the Quiche Du Jour ($ 9.45) which comes with two slices of quiche and a choice of side. This time they had the cauliflower quiche. It was my first time trying that kind of quiche, and it was WAY better than I expected. So delicious, I’m thinking about getting more right now. For my side, I ordered the Avgolemono Soup, which is traditional Greek lemon, chicken, and rice soup. Very tangy and fresh! Would recommend. The Quiche Du Jour also came with hummus and pita, as well as some greens and chunks of fruit.
La Mediterranee serves just the right amount of food and is reasonably priced, especially if you are looking to get brunch somewhere in the Castro District. Not ridiculously popular, which is nice. I’ll definitely be coming back here again!

This adorable restaurant exceeded my expectations. There is outdoor seating, at a cute corner in the Castro. I got the lunch special, where I could choose 3 options to try. The service was friendly, and gave great advice about which 3 to order. :)
The food was beautifully arranged on the plate, was a perfect portion, and was delicious.
I’ll be back for lunch!

Hummus is pretty much inedible if you forget to include pita in the order, La Med. For what you’re charging for hummus, both the hummus and the pita should be a) there, and b) fresh.
The hummus I had today tasted like canned stuff. One star.
Your food usually tastes pretty alright, though, so I’m bumping you up a star.

Awesome Mediterranean place.
The name sounded French to me but it’s definitely Greek, Armenian, Lebanese, Middle Eastern style food, NOT French or Spanish food (where you can eat Mediterranean food too!).
We had the Meza including the 10 specialities. Wow, soo much food! It was awesome to be able to try samples of everything and share with our party of 6.
My favorites were the Spinach and Chicken Fillo.
The chicken legs served were very moist and you could taste well their marinade.
We had a pistachio tart for dessert. Very tasty. The baklava looked delicious too.
The staff was very friendly.
I highly recommend this place!

Meza meza meza. I LOVE the meza for both brunch and dinner.
I’m a really picky eater and I also suck at making choices sometimes so when a friend first introduced the meza option I was all for it.
Meza is basically all the dishes in single portions and you get to try the main dishes of the food without having to commit to just one option.
It’s filling and incredibly satisfying!
The food overall is delectable and super flavorful (mouth currently watering for more). Service is also great and waitresses and very sweet!

Cute little Mediteranean restaurant on the edge of Castro and Noe Valley (Duboce Triangle).
We started with the large combination appetizer plate with dolmas, olives, babaganoush, tabouleh, hummus, veggies and pita bread (fresh and tasty). I ordered the Lebanese Kibbeh (like a lamb meatloaf with cracked wheat and toasted pine nuts — a bit dry), and a cup of their chicken, rice and lemon soup — yummy). Overall, a mixed review: some good and some just ok.
Good service and moderately priced. Some outdoor seating as well.

Hummus was too acidic. Baba ganoush was bland. Tzatziki straight up tasted like cream cheese. Spicy hummus was delicious. I enjoyed the warm pita bread.
My chicken kebab was overcooked. A bit dry. The rice pilaf was flavorful. The salad was overdressed (I forgot to ask for dressing on the side) but the waitress so kindly replaced it with a fresh salad.
I liked their desserts — the chocolate mousse was delicious. The coconut crème brûlée was ok.
Overall, it’s a nice place to have a chill, catch up dinner. No wait. Pretty affordable. I’d probably go back.

During recent travels in Berlin I swooned over many a Mediterranean meal. It was probably the cuisine I consumed there most frequently, all the while wondering why San Francisco has such a dearth of similar offerings while Germany has such a bounty.
It’d been years since my last visit to La Mediterranee. In my head it was the home of tasty Mediterranean food, well priced. It was an outpost for a casual date or a spot to meet up with a girlfriend before going out and doing something else. In today’s terms I’d compare it to The Grove, with a differently focused menu.
A return visit to La Med revealed that she has aged (who hasn’t?). Her interior looks a little worn and a bit cheap. Prices remain reasonable and food remains satisfying but in my head I kept comparing her to similar places in Berlin and she didn’t measure up. While not everything in life needs to change it seemed that the menu offerings hadn’t changed a bit and what was good 15 years ago could perhaps use some tweaking. Mind you, I exited as a member of the clean plate club but still felt that this food could use some refreshing. Perhaps more pickled vegetables would evolve the plates into the current year.
Prices remain very reasonable which, I suspect, is a big factor in La Med’s staying power. The most expensive menu item is $ 16.95. My Salad Mediterranee was a plateful of Hummos, Baba Ghanoush, Tabuleh, Armenian Potato Salad, Lentil Salad, and Green Salad and it was under $ 12.
When I suggested eating at La Med my dining partner remarked that he’d once gone through the kitchen there (required to reach the restroom) and noticed that they seemed to plate food straight from their refrigerator. Perhaps this accounts for the thing that bothered me most on this visit: rather than smelling restaurant food I kept smelling what I kept thinking was dishwater, a scent which didn’t enhance my enjoyment. Perhaps it’s because much of the food is pre-​made or that the restaurant had only a handful of diners but something should be done to ensure that scents emanating from the kitchen are desirable, not off-​putting.
New restaurants come and go and it’s astonishing to think that La Med, with its multiple outposts, endures. It clearly continues to fill a niche that isn’t being otherwise met in the City. I’d still recommend it for the same reasons as years ago but I’d do so with the caveat that you seat yourself as far towards the front of the house as possible.