Totally unassuming local gem! What a pleasant surprise! I have walked by here for years and never stopped thinking it was just a wine bar. A friend invited us so the three of us had the 3 course dinner & pairing on Saturday night. All of the choices made my mouth water with anticipation. The dinner was amazing, the service was attentive, the wine was great! We highly recommend you try it. We will definitely return.
John J.
Classificação do local: 5 Mountain View, CA
San Francisco offers thousands of opportunities to dine out. One hopes always for the great dining experience. Quality + value. This time, it worked perfectly. Les Clos is rhe real thing. Les Clos presents itself with basic honesty: a pleasant, small dining space where they clearly devote great attention to the food and wine and consider customer satisfaction paramount. My wife and I had read about the place in Michael Bauer’s CHRONICLE review and it all seemed right. And so it was. Three courses with paired wines for $ 48 is outstanding value. First, before we ordered dinner we started with two different, three-ounce pours of champagne, not knowing the vintners’ names. It didn’t matter. The results were excellent and the three-ounce pours the appropriate amount. Our food was just right – I had the scallops as a starter, my wife the beet salad, with an austere French chardonnay(the just-right three-ounce pours, once again). Both of our choices were terrific – the three sea scallops were seared precisely right, with an avocado ‘cream’ base that complemented them well. I don’t ‘do’ beets but my wife pronounced the salad spot on. The French chardonnay contrasts interestingly with the high-alcohol, sometimes over-oaked California chardonnays(not complaining, I like them too). For the mains, my wife had the filet, medium rare. Perfect. I had the chicken breast, with spinach base. Both were just as one would wish. The wine pairing, a weapons-grade rhone, worked well with both dishes. We both had the profilerole for dessert, and it was rich and slightly moist, unlike some of the wooden concoctions one sometimes finds – you could(and we did) cut it with a fork, easily. The wine pairing(I forget the source) matched the dessert’s sweetness flawlessly. By this time I was confident that we were in good hands. This is a pleasant, comfortable and friendly place. Our server, clearly a co-owner, was highly knowledgeable about his wines(check out the selections in the cooler and you will find some very interesting labels, and the walls are lined with some remarkable reds that do not need to be chilled). He made us feel very much at home and showed us the appealing lunch menu that was like a list of favorite choices. We were so glad we had chosen to go to Les Clos and we will fulfill the ultimate definition of a customer: someone who comes back.
Nita C.
Classificação do local: 5 San Francisco, CA
This place is absolutely amazing! 3 course meal with wine pairing for a incredibly affordable price. The best thing is that they change their menu every week so it’s a pleasant surprise to see what the menu is like for the week. When I went I had the beets salad over watercress, filet mignon with truffle butter for the main course and the crème brûlée for dessert-AMAZING! The filet mignon was cooked to perfection and it simply melted in my mouth. Definitely coming back!
Blerime T.
Classificação do local: 5 North Hollywood, CA
My friend and I were fighting a windstorm to go to another bar just down the street last night, when we happened upon this little gem of a wine bar and light eatery. We looked through the window and were halted in our steps, charmed immediately by what felt exactly like we were looking right into a local bar in Paris. Walking in, we were met by a rustic but modern L-shaped bar that looked like it had been made directly from a fallen tree. Racks and racks of wine were chilling at the far end in the air-conditioned open floor, surrounded by small, black café tables. The only slightly nippy temp might be less desirable for those with thin skin, but don’t fret! All can be solved, as was made obvious by the impeccable owner, who immediately offered me a blanket — yes, a blanket! — to keep me warm at the bar. Chivalry is not dead, apparently. All this was accompanied by an explanation that the temperature had to remain low to ensure his stash of incredible French wines remained pristine. Who can argue? And why, when you can simply imbibe the incredible list of reasons you should«chill» and be happy, one by one? The wine list was perfect. I had the Chardonnay from Burgundy(’13) but could have as easily had the Chablis from St. Martin(’13) — it had slightly more fruit and definitely more mineral, which might have paired even better with the cheese board we ordered, but I can never say no Burgundy it seems. My friend ordered the Château-neuf, which, as expected, was beautifully rich, full of fruit and balanced. We’d already had dinner so, per my gal pal, we only ordered a carefully curated cheese plate, brought to us with a beautiful little explanation of each one. The design was thoughtful, if not a bit cute, but who can say no to cornichons, nuts and quince jam arranged to look like a flower — or not?! Who cares when it all tastes so damned good. The music in the background was like getting a good mixtape from that friend you have that seems to know everything about what’s cool in the music scene before everyone else. Somehow, the volume was just right, too. Perfectly balanced for listening and talking. Without request and perfectly timed, the owner poured us water backs after we had finished. I chatted away, and when I turned, I realized he had slipped in like a comfortable fog, and had poured us both another short taste of Château-neuf just for kicks. His interjections were polite and mild-mannered, engaging us in conversation without being intrusive, and he told us a bit about when he had lived in Paris. It was the perfect place for a cozy chat between friends, some time alone with a beautiful glass of cheer and a book, or an intimate rendezvous spot for couples wanting to vacate the buzz and connect. A big recommend for those visiting, or living in, SoMa!
Theresa C.
Classificação do local: 5 SoMa, San Francisco, CA
this place is awesome! cozy, quaint, quiet ambiance– great for dates or group catch-ups! you can come for brunch, dinner or just drinks! they also serve sight glass coffee! there are comfy couches at the back for drinking wine. there is really cool map art on the walls the thing I was most impressed with was the cheese plate! I got the petit flight and I was expecting just three small slabs of cheese but I was really pleasantly surprised to see a huge platter of cheese, breads, nuts, jams, mini pickles, dates and more !!! so delicious and filling. the bone marrow and Lamb was also super delicious. i don’t drink wine but i imagine this place is heaven for wine lovers. the beer was good and came in mason jars. there is a set menu where you get app, entrée, and dessert all with wine pairings for $ 48 the owner /waiter was so nice and helpful and went the extra mile with us. I’m so glad we found this place. it will be a go-to spot for catch ups with friends or dates !!!
Alice W.
Classificação do local: 5 Manhattan, NY
I love Les Clos(French, pronounced as ‘le clo’)! This is a fantastic French restaurant/bistro and wine bar with traditional dishes that reminded me of the time I used to spend in Burgundy and Paris. We did the tasting menu with wine pairing and everything was delicious! I’m not a wine expert but the Chardonnay and Pinot we had were exceptional — great nose, easy to drink and at the right temperature! I’m definitely highly recommending this little Bistro and will be returning often.
Jenn L.
Classificação do local: 5 San Francisco, CA
They serve Sightglass coffee, an amaaazing Croque Madam(I get it without ham), and they have a whole wall of wine. They also have cheese and charcuterie and salads. I love coming here with a book or a laptop(during off peak hours). The service is always friendly.
Yi Z.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
There are so many trendy and overpriced places in the City that I almost forgot that charming, unpretentious spots still exist. I stumbled upon Les Clos’ Unilocal listing as I was searching for a restaurant nearby that serves brunch on Saturdays and is not overly crowded. I met up with friends right when Les Clos opened at 10am and studied the brunch menu. I tried the Smoked Salmon Tartine served with crème fraîche and capers for a very reasonable $ 12. It was delectable. My two friends ordered the Pain Perdu and Croque Monsieur on Croissant. There was a bit of a mix up on the order of Croque Monsieur but we still had a great meal. I’m looking forward to coming back to try their 3 course meal with wine pairings for $ 48. The LA in me would still think that’s pricey but the SF girl knows that’s a great deal. Les Clos is a little out of the way on Townsend but come try it out!
Nina Y.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
This was the last meal of restaurant week I’ve had. It was a delicious way to end it though — three meals with some wine pairings! The wine pairings were smaller sized glasses of wine, but that’s okay because I normally don’t finish the entire glass even when I do have a wine pairing. We started with the fromage and the foie gras. I got the boy bestie to try some foie gras and even though he dislikes how foie is made, he did enjoy the dish. His cheese plate was pretty good too. Interesting cheese chosen. Next we got to the duck confit and poulet basquais. The duck was amazingly tender; potatoes delicious! The poulet — I’ll admit I didn’t know what to expect but it was pretty good. The couscous was great, and I do love shishito peppers so that was a great addition. Kind of Asian flair to the dish. The chicken was tender and moist too! Finished off with another profiterole and crème brûlée. I’d probably say these were average at best but I do love to end meals with a dessert. The restaurant was pretty empty so service was great!
Jenny L.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
This is my go-to-place whenever I’m near Caltrain in SOMA. You have tables with outlets and wifi to lounge around and work as well as great food and company. I like the pâté, French onion soup, and just about everything, but you should definitely come here if you like wine. Service is friendly, helpful, and fast. Parking can be tough on the street.
Stephanie L.
Classificação do local: 3 San Francisco, CA
I discovered Les Clos via SF restaurant week and I decided to dine here with the great reviews on Unilocal. For SF Restaurant Week, Les Clos offered a 3-course $ 40 prix fixe dinner menu with wine pairings included: 1 app, 1 entrée, and 1 dessert, all courses came with a glass of wine. What a deal right?! For all courses they have two options: Appetizer: 1. Cheese plate/Fromage or 2. Foie Gras Confit + white wine pairing Entrees: 1. Duck Confit or 2. Chicken/Poulet Basquais + red wine pairing Desserts: 1. Crème Brulee or 2. Profiteroles/Cream Puff + dessert wine pairing The benefits of dining as a couple is that we were able to order everything offered and shared. Of the appetizers, the foie gras was ok, it had a nice creamy texture, but the liver flavor was lacking. The cheese plate was much better with 3 delicious choices of cheese, a creamy brie, a nuttier cheese that tasted like asiago, and a goat cheese(the best of the 3). The entrees weren’t as good as the appetizers. The presentation and smell were on point. But the chicken lacked in flavor, was there even salt? but it was at least juicy and not dry(or at least the piece I had). The shishito peppers could have been charred more to give it more flavor and chew instead it was more soft and soggy. The bed of couscous was perfect. The duck confit was definitely the better of the two. The duck had a nice crispy skin and peeled right off the bone, but the gravy was on the salty side. The potatoes had a steamy pillowy center. yum, but was not seasoned. It went perfect with the gravy. For dessert, we were very impressed with the crème brûlée. The bf said it’s the best he’s ever had. The sugar top was torched to a perfect crisp and complimented the smooth cream center. It wasn’t too sweet and the sugar top added just enough sweetness for a perfect compliment in each bite. The cream puff was a bit disappointing. The pastry puff had no nice crispy outer layer, was tough to break apart and chewy. As the ice cream started melting, the pastry gets soggy. It was also drenched in whipped cream. The toffee bits were delicious however and added a good texture to the soggy wet ice cream pastry puff mix. The wine pairings were a nice addition. They don’t give you much tho. My favorite was the white wine with the appetizers and I’m not a big fan of dessert wine as it’s usually too sweet for my taste. Service was wonderful. A very welcoming and friendly duo. We were checked on often and food came out in a timely manner. This place is a great place for a nice date night, located in Soma right on Townsend near AT&T park. It’s small and has an expansive wine collection in the back. They have tables as well as bar seating. It was basically empty when we went, but then again our reservation was at 9:30pm. Literally the last batch of restaurant week diners for them. Last seating on the last day! I would return for a nice GNO or date night for wine and cheese/charcuterie plates and some crème brûlée.
Jon L.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
We were really fortunate to grab lunch at Les Clos despite not having a reservation during restaurant week. Seated in a cozy sofa section at the very end of the restaurant, we can’t wait to go back to that same spot for happy hour. Arguably the best offering during restaurant week, we got two course plus wine pairings for just $ 15. Really enjoyed my pâté baked in a pastry crust to start with lovely paired with a bright salad, cornichons, and olives. The croque madame was a lovely surprise since Les Clos uses a flaky croissant in lieu of the typical sliced bread. Hey, any reason to squeeze in more butter the better right? It was a substantial meal without bogging us down but the wine tasting really made us want to stay on those couches forever… you know call it a day and start happy hour early. Service was extremely personal and attentive and we can’t wait to be back. It’s a charming and comfortable space. A trip to Les Clos for restaurant week turned into a serendipitous happy hour find.
Natalie L.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
Came here on a double date for SF Restaurant Week. Made reservations around 6PM and got seated. Inside was very bright and comfy and the play pretty interesting french films, some were quite ratchet, but entertaining. It was a three course meal and each meal pairs with a wine, I chose the: 1. Foie gras: My favorite, some of the best foie gras I have had. Super fresh and it came with beard, mustard, olives and a vinegar raspberry. Probably the best part of the meal, great with wine. 2. Duck Confit: Good portion and the skin was quite crispy. Duck was kind of dry. Good with the red wine: D 3. Profiteroles: Crème puffs, you can’t go wrong with sugar overload. It was drizzled with whip cream and chocolate + ice cream inside. Definitely got a sugar high. Enjoyed the dessert wine! 4. Crème Brûlée: My boyfriend ordered this one, wasn’t hot enough, but pretty good and smooth Overall, pretty decent place, I would definitely come back for a wine night with foie gras. $ 40 was worth the dinner deal here, portions were reasonable.
Kristi L.
Classificação do local: 4 Palo Alto, CA
Les Clos was a gem that my friends and I found through SF Restaurant Week. With a $ 15 preset menu and wine pairings included, Les Clos indeed had the best deal this year. Because the restaurant week deal was such a catch, they were booked for the entire weekend except at 10AM. At first, I was a bit concerned with eating a lunch menu at 10 but when I sat down and looked at the menu, the lunch menu consisted of breakfast items. My friends and I all ordered the same preset meal– French Onion Soup and Croque de Mademoiselle. For a chilly morning in SF, the soup was perfect. The melted cheese and soaked bread matched well with the saltiness of well caramelized onion. The Croque de Mademoiselle was not my absolute favorite but very well done. The thinly sliced ham in a buttery croissant provided a good contrast with the sharp cheese. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by the small side salad– lightly salted with an excellent vinaigrette! All in all, I hope to come back for dinner.
Ilana B.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
Came here with my roommate one night and realized I pass by this place ALL the time but never knew what it was. Such a quaint and cute little spot. French food + wine bar = perfection. There were only two other couples sitting in the restaurant — it is pretty small. DRINKS: We ordered a bottle of something red I cannot remember the name of but it was deeeelicious. The server was helpful in our decision making process. FOOD: we ordered the french onion soup to share… maybe the best french onion soup i’ve ever had. Wowza. Then we ordered a charcuterie plate with cheese, fruit, nuts, bread, you name it. YUMMMMM. So good. We also ordered the bone marrow. Not usually something i would order but my roommate insisted we get it, since that’s what they’re apparently known for… so i did it. It was really tasty but the texture kinda freaked me out a little not gonna lie. To finish off the meal we obviously had to order dessert. We were already going all out so why not? We ordered the Profiteroles — a cream puff with ice cream in the middle and lots of chocolate. SOSOGOOD. We must have stayed there for at least 2 hours. Before we knew it, the server(only guy working there) came over with a bottle of some other wine and filled our glasses a little to try a different kind of wine. OKAYYY thank you Les Clos. We really appreciated this. THEN he came over later and did it again with another kind of wine. So so nice! The wine was great. I will most definitely be back very soon.
Rita L.
Classificação do local: 4 Monrovia, CA
Randomly found this place and it fit the bill perfectly. We were looking for dinner, wine, and just a cozy place to relax. They stay open til pretty late, 11pm! There weren’t too many other diners when we arrived, like maybe 3 other tables and people at the bar, so it was pretty quiet. The atmosphere is super quaint and the bf said it reminds him of his time in Paris. The guy behind the bar came over to seat us and take our orders. He was pretty friendly and helpful when explaining some of the dishes and beers. Food was decent. The marrow was kind of on the stringy side, like it was hard to scoop out with the utensil without the help of another person. The poulet was tasty and the portion size rather generous, but it was $ 26 for a chicken leg and veggies. Still, we enjoyed a nice quiet, romantic dinner date.
Seema U.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
I’ve been to Les Close twice, both times on a Friday evening, and enjoyed it both times. I do kind of wish the menu had more on it, as I feel like I have tried most of what sounded really interesting to me and it was not cheap but I think you get what you are paying for in terms of quality. No hard liquor– just wine and beer– wine is mostly French. The recommendations I have gotten for wine have been pretty good. The menu is mostly small plates– cheese, oysters, charcuterie, pates, salad, and such. They also have a few larger things each day such as duck confit with potatoes. I’ve tried the frisee aux lardons– frisee with pork belly vinaigrette and a poached egg, which was good although a bit too acidic by the end. Also had a couple of the pates, which I liked a lot and the french onion soup which was good. I wouldn’t say the french onion soup was the best I have had, but I did enjoy it. I think Les Clos is a good option for wine and some small bites though I personally would not find it a completely satisfying dinner option. They do have a few larger plates but I personally like to have more options and variety. I would still come back though as I have liked everything I have had here and the service has been good as well. The lunch menu sounds pretty interesting as well, and they also have a standard coffee/espresso menu and serve affogatos.
Jessie L.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
TLDR — solid brunch spot, nothing super special but no wait! If you’re anything like me and absolutely cannot stand the idea of waiting hours for food, Les Clos is the brunch spot for you. Sure, the menu isn’t particularly extensive and doesn’t quite have the traditional brunch options, but it’s a quiet, charming restaurant with affordable food and, more importantly, no wait time. And unlike other brunch spots, the food tends to be more on the lighter side(in terms of portion size at least) Les Clos is a wine bar so I’m pretty sure there was more on the wine menu than on the food menu, but my friend and I only tried their food. He got the DUCKCONFITEGGSBENEDICT($ 16), which I’d definitely recommend if you like duck. Super tender, super flavorful. I was thinking about getting the croque madame, but ended up going with the SMOKEDSALMONTARTINE($ 12), which was basically a slice of toast topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon and capers, cut in half, and a side salad. Honestly, there was nothing special about it at all and I could’ve easily made it at home for much less with stuff from Costco, but I’m a sucker for smoked salmon so despite the simplicity, I still enjoyed it. It was at least a pretty generous portion of salmon. Kind of wish I tried the croque madame though. Next time!
Jess C.
Classificação do local: 3 San Francisco, CA
I came for dinner and then discovered this cute French café is best suited for appetizers and drinks than for dinner based on the limited food options. I would be open to coming back for drinks, but none of the food dishes stood out, and everything was pricey for what it was. * Pâté — way too hard. Bread was meh. * Salmon Salad — the highlight of the meal, super fresh slices of salmon. Left hungry but will definitely be back for a glass of wine!
Garett T.
Classificação do local: 5 San Francisco, CA
It started with a playlist… They had a mix of some fantastic modern pop songs on, but the ones that stood out most for me(at least 5!) were all by Australian band Empire of the Sun, from both of their releases. It’s rarer to hear their second album, so I was already jived up. Please allow me to backtrack… Once I found my other half inside this hidden French gem, we could then get our delicious meal started! Lemme tey’ll yew somethin’, darling — this place might be owned by the same folks as Saison nearby, but I enjoyed my time here a li’l better! Onto our meal: –Oyster Variety: Raw Mignonette /Broiled with Seaweed Butter –Manilla Clams, chorizo, chervil –Poulet Basquez, padrons, cous cous –Le Peré Jules ’12, Pear Cider Brut Every single item was fantastic, from the glass of pear cider on down — there were so many wines there, you could catalogue just their collections alone without discussing food for novella! Really was surprised how addictive oysters broiled with seaweed butter were — we had less of broiled than the raw mignonette kind. Try everything at least once! ALWAYS get chorizo in SF if on the menu, no questions asked. *THE* best item, hands down, was actually the chicken poulet! The crispy skin was so flavorful and spicy, atop the cous cous within a clay bowl. Scrumptious, juicy and unique! We did not have tummy room for dessert, and kindly stood our ground when they came ’round to inquire! Very great service. Do hope there will be a next time, as it was 100% bliss there.