Octavia

Regrettably forgettable given the hype. The restaurant is contemporary earthy (i think that’s the way to describe it) and oozes hipster, including standoffish, almost snobbish, service served alongside bites of alternately over– and under– seasoned food.
Sad that the best dish here is essentially a soft-​boiled egg covered in cayenne pepper. Tried the squid-​ink spaghetti as well, i typically dislike chilled dishes… i still do. really can’t remember what else i ordered. i do remember that they own, or are related to, a winery and that the wines i tried were enjoyably crisp.
not worth a trip into sf but if you live nearby like i do, it’s worth swinging by to check it off the list and tell your friends how much you disliked it ;) really too bad because i’m typically quite easy to please when it comes to overpriced fancy foods…

I had high hopes because Tiffany, my partner for the evening, is well-​ensconced in the San Francisco food scene, working at one of the city’s popular eateries in the Mission. She had wanted to try Octavia so we took a 5:30 pm reservation, which what was available. We were well greeted and quickly seated at at table against a side wall. The tables are a beautiful natural wood, thick and sturdy and the dish ware, at least some of which is crafted for the restaurant by an obviously gifted ceramicist, is beautiful. But despite some high points along the way, the experience went downhill from there.
The waiter, who ran down the menu, was rather abrupt and cool, snobbish is the vernacular. He wanted us to order all at once, rather than start with the deviled egg while we reviewed and discussed the menu. So we complied. We made our selections, which we decided to share, so have served family style.
The wine list is robust, with a wide selection, but as one who lives in the provinces so to speak, in Sonoma County, the prices were very high. We gave him our order and then asked about wine, saying we were looking for something light that might match our order and that we had just come from an intensive tasting of big Italian wines (the Slow Wine event). He said something to the effect, well this (his suggestion) is French. It seemed to imply it was therefore better and the tone fatally turned us sour on the waiter. But we took his suggestion, which proved to be good. The 2012 Domaine Jean Claude Regnaudot PINOT NOIR ‘Les Clos Roussots’ 1er Cru Maranges France, in 500 ML carafe for $ 44 was perfect for our diverse array of dishes.
The meal started with two tiny dishes: a Deviled Egg ($ 3.50) with some fresno chili relish. It was cooked very well, with a wet yoke in the center, but warm still. A nice way to begin. The egg was delivered with Roasted CAULIFLOWER Salad, Meyer Lemon, Medjool Date, Toasted Almond ($ 7.50). It was perhaps the best dish of the evening. Nice contrasts between the roast vegetable and the date. The dressing was not too lemony, but had creaminess to it that made it long on the palette. A short wait later and we received the SHELLFISH BISQUE, Shrimp Boulettes, Espelette, Lime & Crème Fraīche ($ 12) and the Stinging Nettle TAGLIATELLE, Grana Padano, Meyer Lemon, Pangrattato ($ 14). This where the meal crashed. Both were too salty and the bisque tasted too much like crab guts. It was overpowering. Both Tiffany and I have eaten and made plenty of shellfish soups and this was simply too strong. We did not finish it despite the fact that we split one bowl. The Nettle dish was also way over salted and killed what would have been a delicious I think. It was beautiful to look at, but I could not fathom wanting more than the first moderate helping I took. I think Tiffany found it more acceptable to her taste, but agreed it was over salted. We ended the meal with the Five-​Dot Ranch PETIT FILET, Toasted Farro, Cipollini Onion, Trumpet Mushroom ($ 35). It was actually also very good. I love farrow and it was cooked to perfection as were the onions, mushrooms and the medium-​rare filet, which was cut into three narrow ovoid tubs, perhaps four or five inches long.
So, three of five dishes were good, the wine perfect for the meal, but the snobbish head waiter and two bad dishes, given the price ($ 157 all in for basically one full meal) would make it hard for me to return, given the many great places in the city. Too bad, because it is a beautiful restaurant and I really like Melissa Perello’s food and her other wildly popular place, Frances.

I just finished dinner here. Resies are highly recommended but not impossible to get a table via walk-​in. Hubby went to put his name down at around 8 and we were seated around 9:30. Thankfully we live nearby so we didn’t leave the abode until 9:15 to walk over.
The most memorable dishes of the night were:
Squid ink spaghetti: small dish but big on flavor. It may be a bit too much on the seafood flavor but I relished that. The surprising part is it is a cold dish, but that just made it feel refreshing.
Cauliflower salad: salt and zest combined for a very well-​balanced dish. The dates with the cauliflower balanced in texture — crunch with chewiness. It’s a winner!
Shellfish bisque: very Very big on seafood flavor, but a dish i would order all the time though I did wish it was warm. The hubby didn’t like it as much so definitely not a dish for everyone. But if you love sipping the juice from a crab head, a lobster when you break into its claws, or a clam, then you’ll love this bisque because it tastes as though someone gathered all those juices into a bowl.
Tagliatelle: this made it onto this list not because it was good, but because it was memorably disappointing. The pasta had the perfect texture but it just tasted overwhelmingly green — must be the nettles.
We also had the beet burrata, and deviled egg. Both good dishes to try but the first three above are in my book.

The seemingly quiet storefront belies the fact that this restaurant is a tiny bustling island in the Lower Nob Hill area. A daily changing menu means that you most likely won’t see the same thing twice, though it does seem that some things stay on longer than others. Service was attentive, if slow, so grab a drink as you wait it out. And with that, the food portion of this review!
In descending order of happiness with the dishes:
Roasted Duck Breast — Great texture, medium rare was recommended by our waiter and definitely well worth the wait. ⁸⁄₁₀
Cavolo Salad — Flavor profile reminiscent of a good Caesar, the garlic croutons were tasty without overpowering the salad. ⁷⁄₁₀
Turnip Greens Salad — Good flavor combinations, the lady got a funky tasting chunk of Meyer lemon and passed on the rest. ⁷⁄₁₀
«Deviled Egg» — There’s a reason it’s in quotation marks on the menu — it is definitely not a deviled egg; what came out was a single poached egg sprinkled with red pepper and plopped in a blob of red pepper sauce. ⁰⁄₁₀

Chef Melissa Perello’s, known for Frances (1 Mich star in the Castro), opened Octavia back in April 2015 — replacing Baker and Banker. As expected, reviews have been consistently high, and reservations (at normal times) are tough to snag, so I came in with high expectations. I was fairly disappointed in Frances, and I was worried this would be a repeat: an over-​hyped American (new) restaurant.
Let me tell you. The hype is real guys, Octavia is awesome and IMO better than Frances.
APPS
* Complimentary sparkling — Woohoo!
* DEVILED EGG — 4.5 STARS: A single perfectly poached, runny egg topped with a delicious spice mix. Scrumptious.
* CHILLED SQUID INK NOODLES — 4 STARS: A really interesting, unexpected combination.
* GRILLED BEETS AND BURRATA — 4.5 STARS: This burratta is pastier than usual, but worked well with the grilled beets and chips. Will order again!
* Complimentary bread & butter — 5 STARS: De. Licious. Bread.
PRIMI:
* TAGLIATELLE — 2 STARS: Tasted fishy, and not in a good way. Very buttery. Weird pasta texture, and not rolled thin enough.
* DUCK — 4.5 STARS: Really tender, delicious duck
DESSERT:
* CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE — 4.5 STARS: Molteny chocolate cake with an amazing cookie-​like crust.
My only gripe is that it took 30 – 40 minutes between apps and entrees. Overall, most everything was just incredibly delicious and I can’t wait to come back.

My expectations and enthusiasm were through the roof when we became the first-​in-​the-​door dinner guests on a recent Friday night. Melissa Perello has dazzled crowds for years at Frances but I’ve always thought it was too packed and too loud to really engage in the kind of artistic appreciation the food deserves. Here, Perello has a lot more space, as do her patrons, and the results are impeccable in every way.
In lieu of entrees, my wife and I took the tasting route, fitting in five different smaller plates and a dessert for maximum menu coverage. This plan proved to be a stroke of genius by the end, when we were stumped at the thought of trying to pick favorites. The first two arrivals were a beautiful (ok, all the dishes were works of art) roasted cauliflower salad with Meyer Lemon and Medjool dates and toasted almonds. The cauliflower was crisp outside and soft inside, and the date purée (along with a few whole dates) added a fun and sweet complement to the tart lemon. Along with this salad, we received sauteed prawns on a flavorful, deep green bed of broccoli and cavolo nero. The prawns were done just right, and the bowl (each piece here is handmade for the restaurant) was encircled with a stream of earthy, fabulous pumpkin seed pesto.
Next came heartier, more robust courses. The soup started with a mound of roasted kuri squash, poured over with a creamy broth of red lentils in a fragrant Madras curry and then doused with a drizzle of whipped yogurt. This is my kind of comfort food. This was balanced by sharp, tangy bites of spinach tossed in rapini pesto with provolone and taggiasche olives, all topped off with crunchy garlic toasts. Finally, another deep green delight unfolded itself with the tagliatelle constructed of stinging nettles nicely finished with grana padano, lemon, and a superb flurry of toasted bread crumbs (pangrattato) that added unique taste and texture.
Sometimes a meal is so good you have to push yourself to have dessert because you know they’ll just kill it, and we were right. We received a lovely round brown-​toasted angel food cake, surrounded by chunks of pink lady apple and smooth brown butter (evoking caramel) ice cream. All about the plate were delicate traces apple sauce that helped bring everything together decadently.
There is gorgeous, rustic, natural décor abounding here, and a full open kitchen is always a treat. The spacious area in front of the kitchen is a great stage for watching food emerge, wine (or cocktails — the house special is a real find) being delivered, and hot bread being wrapped and carried to tables. And every server was delightful. I’m already recommending this experience to others.

Had their duck breast which was amazingly tender. Cauliflower, deviled egg, and broccolini soup was all very good. Only the dumpling dish was very doughy to me… felt like a ball of dough with no texture.
Parking here is horrific!

We dined at Octavia on New Year’s Eve, when, like many restaurants, they served only a prix fixe menu ($ 90 pp) with limited choices. I assume this is intended to make things easier for the kitchen on such a busy night, but given the high tariff, I do not believe the restaurant should be held to a different set of standards than any other night.
That’s why it was so disappointing to be served a meal in which not a single one of my three courses — a seafood bisque, a gnocchi, and a beef dish with petit filet and short ribs — was delivered hot. Each dish was lukewarm at delivery, which meant that even though I consumed each dish as rapidly as could be expected of anyone in a fine-​dining restaurant, each dish was cold before I finished it.
When I consider that I can order food at home from Sprig’ and have it delivered from God-​knows-​where and arrive piping hot, it should not to too much to expect food delivered from the other side of the room to similarly arrive hot.
I should note that my partner only complained about the lukewarm soup: his other two courses were apparently hot. The service was fine, as would have been the dishes themselves if I had not had to consume them at a breakneck pace to try to finish them before what little heat was there disappeared.
It left me feeling a bit like my food had been mass-​prepared and scooped out of a cafeteria bin. (And perhaps it was.). I did not complain to my server, as I didn’t really want to wait while my food was taken away and microwaved; it wasn’t inedible or gross, it just wasn’t hot. I’d expected more from the folks behind Frances, and for $ 90. Probably won’t return.
I’m wavering between two and three stars. Serving hot food seems so basic that I kind of think it should be two stars, but I’m going to be kind and give three.

I really, really wanted to like Octavia. I swear I really do. I was so looking forward to going here, but I’m thinking I just really ordered everything wrong.
We were greeted quickly and seated right away by the hostess. The place was lovely and very relaxing to me with the dark wood throughout. The menu looked great and I was really excited as I’ve heard great things about the food. Unfortunately, it just didn’t really work for me. I started with the oysters. My oyster was very salty, almost briny, and may have set the tone for my meal. The deviled egg was good, I think the highlight of my meal. I enjoyed the sunchoke soup that my friend ordered and wish I ordered that instead of the roasted cauliflower salad, which was good as well, but I still had a salty taste in my mouth from the oyster apparently and things just tasted slightly off to me during the whole meal. For my entrée, I had the malfatti ricotta dumplings. I guess I was thinking of some ricotta dumplings that I recently had else where, because I was disappointed at how dense these dumpling were. I was hoping they were more on the light or fluffy side. Dessert did help finish the meal with a high note. The eton mess was different, but delicious.
In regard to service, our server was ok, but we were seated next to another table of 4 that had a different server who was more engaging and entertaining. I really wished we had him instead as our server wasn’t really as engaging or descriptive as he was. She didn’t really offer much when we asked for suggestions on the menu and I noticed that the other tables were being served bread, which we eventually got after I asked her for it. Again, she wasn’t rude or anything like that, just not much initiative to offer things.
I do think Octavia is worth trying again eventually. With so many places to still try though, it may not float to the top of my list right away.

Dinner review.
Deviled egg — ⁴⁄₅
Petit filet — ³⁄₅
Ricotta dumplings — ⁴⁄₅
Snapper — ³⁄₅
Duck breast — ⁴⁄₅
Angel food cake — ⁴⁄₅
Crumb pudding — ³⁄₅
Overall, «I’m a fan.»

Beautifully presented, innovative takes on straightforward classics from Melissa Perello.
Upon entering Octavia, diners will immediately feel welcome. The natural wood, pale walls, and large windows seem to say, «Welcome home.»
The menu is as unpretentious and well put together as the dining room. An interesting appetizer is Perllo’s interpretation of a deviled egg ($ 5): poached then brined, it is perched atop a good-​sized dollop of fresno chile relish and coated with marash pepper and spices. Combined with the heat from the peppers, the runny yolk is just delicious. Toped with bottarga and served with fennel and lemon oil, the chilled squid ink noodles ($ 7) were tasty, but a little salty. With a refreshing hint of lemon, the linguine al pesto ($ 14) is cooked perfectly al dente and paired with winter greens, a serious helping of parmesan and fennel.
The food is great, but the staff makes the dining experience even better: from Samantha, the hostess, to the servers and bussers, everyone is awesome.
House wines, a Paul Hobbs sauvignon blanc and chardonnay blend and a Gros Ventre Sonoma coast pinot, are available by the glass, carafe or bottle at reasonable prices. In addition, the list boasts numerous other gems available by the glass and by the bottle.
There is no doubt in her abilities: with Octavia, Perello has done it again.

4.5 stars — yay! octavia! congrats on the one star! came in with a friend on a tuesday evening and the place was packed! such good ambiance though — i also really loved baker and banker at this location previously. the restaurant is really open with a good view of the kitchen — such warmth! we were immediately seated for our 730 reservation and offered water.
the menu is simple and straightfoward — small bites, appetizers, and entrees. i obviously wanted to try EVERYTHING — so we ordered close to that. started with: deviled egg, squid ink noodles, continued with roasted cauliflower, turnip greens, and got serious with petit filet and duck breast. my friend also got a dessert concoction (the float?) that he really liked, but i got a glass of yummy dessert wine — miraflores semillon. also — the selections are amazing! literally i think there is something for everyone! we picked a great red from the new world section and were super pleased with it.
to be honest, i wasnt super impressed by the bites — egg or noodles (which seem to be overwhelmingly popular! both were a tad too salty for me, and. i guess i dont really like cold seafoody noodles? who knew! the turnip greens, on the other hands, were deeelicious! they were my fave dish beside my entrée. cauliflower was also yumms — the gremolata paired just perfectly. THEN my duck entrée! OMG! soooo good. and i’ve had my fair share of delicious duck entrees. but this was cooked just so perfectly, so juicy and tender and i want to eat at least 18 more pounds of it. nod nod. the bread they served was also great, warm with salted butter yayyy. i’d come back again in some time.

Have been a fan of Melissa Perello’s and I love Frances. The food here at Octavia was great as well but nothing blew me away.
Best dish of the night was the shrimp tagliatelle.
We arrived on time and still had to wait about 15 minutes for our table.
Service was good. I mentioned that we were celebrating a birthday on Opentable and they did follow through with a candle on our dessert at the end. I do however wish they explain what the dish is when they bring the dishes to the table.
The space was a lot more open than when it was Baker and Banker but tables are still really tight. We have to move the table to get in and out. It was a cold night bit the restaurant was really hot even with the door open.
Aside from the tight space, my only gripe is really not having enough non-​alcoholic drink options. The only soda option was Izze and only one flavor. Would love to see house made sodas.
Overall a great meal but I prefer Frances over Octavia.

My boyfriend and I celebrated our 2^nd anniversary at Octavia. Awesome dining experience!
Morro Bay, Grassy Bar OYSTER, «Gazpacho» Mignonette ($ 3.50) — We ordered 2 oysters. This was very fresh! Ingredients was on point with the oysters.
DEVILED EGG,” Fresno Chile Relish, Marash Pepper & Spice ($ 5.00) Ordered just one for my boyfriend because he can take the spice. He liked it and definitely recommends it to people who appreciates spicy dishes.
Chilled Squid Ink NOODLES, Cortez Bottarga, Fennel, Lemon Oil ($ 7.00) — My second time having squid ink noodles. This was definitely an appetizer dish because it was so little. It was good and wished it was more.
Grilled BEEF TONGUE «Picadillo,» Crispy Potato, Sultana Raisin, Spiced Jus ($ 8.00) — MY FAVORITE! !! I loved this dish! I’m starting to like beef tongue, thanks to Liholiho Yacht Club. This was so tender and flavorful. All of the ingredients just blends together. I will order this item again!
Brandt Farms Beef RIB-​EYE, Roasted Cauliflower, Pickled Chile, Gremolata ($ 38) — My boyfriend ordered this dish. This was just okay for him. He actually preferred my entrée lol When I tried it, it was decent. I mean it wasn’t overcooked so that’s always good.
Grilled Long & Baily PORK CHOP, Braised Escarole and Chanterelle Mushrooms ($ 32) — I ordered this dish. My boyfriend loved the pork chop. By this time, I was getting a bit full and they give you plenty of meat. I was surprised when our server came to our table with our entrées. I was like, «OMG, that is a lot of meat!» At that time, I wasn’t digging it. I mean I was super full. I ate 25% of it and ordered it to go. I ate my leftover pork chop the following day and that was the time when I appreciated the flavor. It was really good! Loved the vegetables, especially the grilled mushrooms!
Warm Chocolate Soufflé TART cocoa nib brittle, salted caramel ice cream ($ 9) — Octavia customized our dessert. It was delicious! Loved the chocolate soufflé with salted caramel ice cream. Few of my favorite sweets in one plate! I will definitely order this dessert again.
Overall, I had an amazing time at Octavia. I would like to thank the entire staff for making it a great experience for my boyfriend and me.
I recently had a shitty service at House of Prime Rib. I informed them that it was a surprise birthday celebration and the lady who does reservation guaranteed that they will give him a cake with a candle, sing to him, and take a souvenir photo. None of that happened. No one greeted the birthday boy, no cake with a candle, and no souvenir photo. I was sooo disappointed with my experience with them so I was soooooooOo pleased that Octavia takes care of thier customers especially with their personal requests.
Food was delicious and customer service was outstanding! From the reservation, Samantha, the host, our server, and many servers that assisted us, thank you so much!
I will come here again and I will definitely recommend Octavia to others!

You meet an old friend for dinner at the corner of Octavia and Bush. Over glasses of sauvignon blanc and thoughtfully plated dishes, you catch up on the last two years that has somehow flown up.
Maybe the Lychee Citrus Crush from happy hour had something to do with it, but my friend and I were a bit infatuated with the place as soon as we gazed into the restaurant. The cool and modern ambiance, the low but warm lighting, open kitchen, and rustic décor all wrapped together very nicely — kind of like the living space of my dreams.
I am a huge fan of a simple menu. It tells me: here’s what my chef was inspired to create today. Here are the highlights for me:
Local Halibut Crudo — delightfully refreshing pieces of halibut paired with avocado and fresh tomatoes. The toasted pistachios were unexpected but more than welcome.
Bodge Bay Black Cod — aside from the tender and flaky cod, I have to say the charred tomatoes really stole the show here. A must order.
Wildflower Honey Crumb Pudding — I was expecting more of a bread pudding but the texture was more of a nice wheat bread, and the crème fraîche and toffee added the perfect balance of sweetness and texture. Loved this dish for sharing.
Topped with the endearing service, reasonable price points, curated drink selection, on and on, I was sold.
If you’re looking for a modern, chic spot to catch up with girlfriends, a place to step up your date nights, or a treat to pamper your family, this is it.

Every party needs a pooper and in this case, it’s me. Sorry guys!
I love runny egg yolks and I had high hopes for the Deviled Egg. The egg was cooked really well but the spices just didn’t work. I felt like I was eating a Chinese Yang Rou Chuanr (Mutton Kebab) while I was biting into the egg.
Our next dish, the Halibut Crudo, was refreshing, delicious, but super duper tiny.
My friend liked the beef tongue appetizer and it was very tender. Unfortunately, it was not very flavorful.
After 3 ok starters, I was not feeling too great. Luckily, the ribeye redeemed the meal. The steak was a winner because of the lovely tomato-​based sauce on top of it. Honestly, I prefer my steaks without a lot of extras because I want to taste the flavor of the meat but I was just happy to finally like a dish.
The meal ended on a positive note with with the rich, decadent Chocolate Soufflé. The caramel ice cream that came with the soufflé was excellent.
Without any standouts, I can’t see myself wanting to come back again.

One of my favorite things about going out to new restaurants is when a restaurant can convert me into loving something I previously was skeptical of or didn’t like. Having read so much about Octavia in the SF press, my friend and I committed ourselves to going awhile back since reservations are fairly hard to come by for a reasonable dining hour during the week. Aside from the beautiful pasta and protein plates that are all over the Internet, the one thing my friend wanted to get was the breaded eggplant. My experience with eggplant has always been neutral to general distaste; I certainly avoided it if it were presented to me in its raw and unadulterated form. That being said, and trying to open myself to trying new things, I had one bite of that eggplant dish and was an immediate fan. Here’s a rundown of what we shared that night:
«Deviled Egg,» Fresno Chile Relish, Marash Pepper & Spice: We each got our own egg, which was a good idea since sharing this would have been awkward. While the presentation of the egg was beautiful, there was a little too much of the chili pepper and spices on the egg. The egg was cooked perfectly, but I was only so-​so on this.
Crisp Eggplant, Miso Butter & Charred Sungold Tomato: As previously mentioned, this was probably my favorite dish of the evening. The breading and miso butter on the eggplant was what made this an absolute home run of a dish for me.
Saffron Tonnarelli, Fino Sherry, Tomato, Toasted Garlic & Fennel: The pasta itself was cooked perfectly and I loved the fresh tomatoes that came with the pasta. The saffron wasn’t overwhelming, but it seemed to play second fiddle to the garlic on the dish. This was the perfect amount of pasta to share between two people!
Local King Salmon, Anson Mills Farro Verde, Green Olive, Purslane, Avocado: After some mulling over on whether or not we share an entrée or get our own, we decided on sharing the salmon. I’m pretty glad we did too since this was a generous serving of salmon! I loved loved loved the purslane and avocado that came with this. While salmon isn’t always my first choice of protein, I’m glad that I decided to get a little adventurous and step outside of the land animal box too.
With all of the items we ordered, we had to pass on dessert and called it quits before getting to the «too full, can’t talk» realm. Service wise, our server was an absolute gem and was great in his recommendations and his advice on how to approach the menu. Everything came out at a fairly leisurely pace, and while we were by the kitchen, it never got overwhelmingly loud or uncomfortable. I definitely think that Octavia lives up to the deliciousness that everyone talks about, I would definitely like to come back here if given the chance!

I have to admit it’s been a long while since I’ve been to Frances. Id been meaning to hit Octavia since they opened but time has not been on my side. Recently there was a special dinner that a friend organized so I went to check it out. We split a ton of dishes amongst a group to get a good idea of the spread. We ended up with:
–Chilled Squid Ink NOODLES, Cortez Bottarga, Fennel, Lemon Oil
–Mushrooms «A LA GRECQUE» with Grilled Levain
–BEEF TONGUE, Piracicaba Broccoli, Toasted Garlic, Marrow Broth
–Chilled Early Girl TOMATO SOUP, Burrata Cheese & Garlic Toast
–Brandt Farms Beef RIB-​EYE, Eggplant Caponata, Nardello Pepper, Confit Tomato
–Marin Coast King SALMON, Farro Verde, Green Olive, Purslane, Avocado
–Arbuckle GRITS, Sweet Corn, Ricotta, King Trumpet Mushroom, Blistered Padróns
–Long & Baily PORK CHOP, Grilled Zucchini, Creamed Corn, Roasted Mission Fig
All delicious across the boad. Id argue that I like Frances a bit more as it’s a more focused menu (that I remember) whereas Octavia has a much more global influence. The other thing would be price/​portion size/​performance. of the entrees are pretty high. but then Im willing to pay more for quality, which Octavia has in droves. The staff are super friendly and that’s a good draw for your dining experience. I remember the Baker and Banker space looking more formal and definitely more brightly lit. Definitely more candidate for date night than large groups unless you plan on taking over the PDR downstairs. 4.3 stars

Another great addition to the SF restaurant scene. The chef came from Frances and didn’t disappoint.
Deviled egg — fantastic. Not super English but has Californian notes with tomato and the freshest herb/​ingredients. Nicely done. Visually appealing.
Pasta with corn and cucumber — nice and light. I think it’s on their special menu. Liked this a lot.
Rib-​eye: expertly cooked and I actually like the fact that they retained a ring of fat on one side of the ribeye to give more flavor.
Ricotta dumping: I was never a big fan of balls of mozzarella and this one reminded of that. This is only for die-​hard cheese fans. The tomato was just not enough to overcome somewhat bland ricotta dumpling.
I tried the Octavia signature Pinot Noir blended from three different vineyards in Sonoma coast and it was very good. Wide selection of wine by glass or wine by carafe (500ml).

Dare I say that Octavia is better than Frances. Yeah and I totally did during the entire meal. Repeatedly. A lot. And probably enough to annoy my husband but what do I care — he is married to me and stuck with me. I’ll be as bold to say it’s the best restaurant right now in SF (and totally better than the overhyped State Bird Provisions — which is good but not GREAT).
We tried to recap what we liked the most, so here it is in the order of MY favorites (different than my husband’s):
Beef tongue: Apparently beef tongue is fatty, delicate, and pulled-​pork like in its consistency. It’s not at all chewy. This stuff just melted in your mouth. I had no idea that beef tongue was so delicious. I was always grossed out by the concept, but this dish totally converted me into a beef tongue fiend. Forget the steaks. Cut off all their tongues and give me their milk. Also, I now have a mental note to go to fancy butcher shops and buy a lot of beef tongues to cook.
Chocolate torte (dessert): I thought this would be a standard fare but was feeling the idea of having dessert. I was delightfully wrong. I went to Liholiho for their baked Hawaiian (which is EXCELLENT) but this actually outdid it. It was chocolate HEAVEN. Best of all, the salted caramel melted into the hot torte… and then there were crunchy chunks of dark chocolate around it (yay for food texture!). I kept making awful jokes to my husband (that were pretty serious in nature) that I wanted to kidnap the baker and bring him/​her home with us. Then lock them in a room with an oven and cocoa.
Romano beans: Had thought of not getting it. So glad we got it. Flash fried so it was very lightly crispy and then there were small fried onion bits on top of it. Second favorite starter.
Halibut crudo: My husband’s favorite. For sushi and tartare lovers. Halibut was raw and silky, avocados were buttery and firm, and the crisps were (duh) crispy.
Saffron tonarelli: Tomatoes were fresh and acidic. Saffron was present but not overwhelming. Dish had just enough oil. So good.
Butter beans and garlic with mushroom soup: Buttery. Creamy. Delicious.
Deviled egg: Poached egg with melty yolk and a lot of hot spicy stuff. Very good. Surprised it wasn’t my favorite dish — the egg specials are usually my favorite at every restaurant I go to. Goes to show the caliber of Octavia. Soooo good. This probably would have been my favorite at any other restaurant.
Chilled squid ink noodles: Excellent but not as memorable as the other dishes.
Oysters: Good.
Also the complimentary bread was served perfectly warm, the butter was fresh and light. Everything was perfect. Wine was excellent (I think it was the Tenuta 2010). Service was attentive and on pointe. Really have nothing bad to say about the restaurant. Ranking the dishes was incredibly hard. Please take all my money.