Pres a Vi

I am perplexed by the bad reviews. I have been here four times for Sunday brunch in the past six months. Every time has been great. A few of the things have been smaller portions than I like but they can’t help the fact that I am a pig!
As far as service goes… last time the manager noticed they brought the soup out a little to close to my entrée so they comped it and apologized profusely. I have not been wowed by the service but definitely not disappointed

Disclaimer: I came here for a small private wedding reception and I had more to drink than I normally do (one glass) so my food reviews are a little disjointed, confused, muddled with all the merry making.
I had heard the mixed reviews for Pres a Vi but wanted to go in with an open mind. I had no idea how big the restaurant is. It has a bar, lounge, communal table, wine cellar, outdoor deck, two private dinning rooms…
The private room for the wedding was decorated so beautifully with gorgeous flowers everywhere (Pres a Vi didn’t do this.). Our host handed me a glass of champagne and it was delicious. But again, it wasn’t off of Pres a Vi’s selection-​he bought it himself from D&M after surveying that none of their champagnes were up to par. Hmmm, this is not looking too good.
We started off with a hamachi sashimi with some interesting tempura. These dishes were tasty but I don’t think that a traditional sushi chef would ever place hamachi over a hijiki salad. The sweat pea raviolis were very good, in fact they were my favorite dish. The day boat scallop (oh that is not a typo-​there was A scallop on the plate) was well cooked however the «corn pudding» it was sitting on was simply pureed corn. On top of that, the whole things was sickeningly sweet. The hangar steak was a little too done for my taste but had delicious mushrooms accompanying it.
The cake was fantastic-​rich moist and layered with a chocolate ganache. However, that too was not a product of the Pres a Vi kitchen.
So when it comes down to it, Pres a Vi provided a great place to have a wedding but the best things to eat were from outside sources.

what better way to experiment with a restaurant than with dine about town? Pres a vi is a great little spot with comfortable accommodations and nice décor. The wine flights were great and accompanied the meal perfectly. The prix fix menu definitely had items I wouldn’t ordinarily order, but again. great opportunity to experiment. Would I come back? yea, why not., there’s plenty of alcohol here…
menu:
Rock Shrimp-​Avocado ‘Lumpia’ Petite crispy Filipino spring rolls, ponzu and wasabi-​orange cream
Grilled chicken with green papaya salad
Grilled Hanger (Butcher) Steak with wild mushroom ragout, sautéed Bloomsdale savoy spinach and pomme frite
Prawns with spagehtti with artichokes in light cream sauce
strawberry shortcake with ginger bits on a crispy puff pastry
chocolate purse with vanilla bean ice cream

Located in the Presidio’s Letterman Digital Arts Center, this beautiful restaurant serves up a delicious brunch and provides a gorgeous atmosphere in which to enjoy it. We took in a view of the Palace of Fine Arts and the bay beyond it as we feasted on Dungeness Eggs Benedict, Hawaiian Ahi Tartare and Lamb sausage. Other interesting offerings included a goat cheese omelet.
Pres A Vi bills itself as a wine bar offering global cuisine. I found the service to be very accommodating and the staff extremely nice. My 7-​year-​old accidentally knocked over a glass and broke it at the end of our meal, immediately four staff members were there with broom, dust pan and rags to take care of the situation. One guy was so sweet telling my daughter not to worry as he managed to break six glasses the day before so one was no big deal!
This establishment felt very «San Francisco» to me. I could imagine Herb Caen dining there working out his next column for the Chronicle over a nice glass of wine and a plate of something scrumptous. I think it could be destined to become a classic.

I was so excited for this place to open as there’s a lack of great restaurats in the immediate area. However, for the price you end up paying I’m not impressed at all. The place itself is actually really sexy and fun to hang out if you want to slap on a pair of heels and go out with the girls, or on a hot date, for a couple cocktails and maybe some appetizers. But that’s it. Walk out after that. I’ve had dinner here twice and have been so dissapointed by the lack of flavor and quality of their dishes. It’s just so unforgettable and who wants that when they go to a nice restaurant and pay at least $ 40/​pp.
They must have spent all their time and energy in selecting their wine list and creating their cocktails they had nothing left when it came to the meal preperation.

I’ve always wanted to check out Pres a Vi, but once I did, I was honestly very disappointed.
We planned a 20-​person bachelorette brunch at the restaurant. The place was pretty empty on the sunday afternoon. We had the option to sit outside on their patio, or inside in their private room — both great options until we realized half of the outdoor heat lamps weren’t all functional.
We were assigned only one waitress for the entire 20-​person table. Every once in a while other waitstaff would deliver food, but honestly our waitress could hardly cater to our entire group alone.
When we arrived we started ordering bottles of champagne, only to learn that they «had a big night last night and were running low.» Honestly, the the least expensive wine options were all unavailable. Or maybe there is one bottle of this and another of that, but we couldn’t just all have the same wine. This is a 20-​person bachelorette brunch — how could they be so unprepared?
The brunch itself was pre-​fixe: fruit (lots of melon and a few other items) and cottage cheese starter, various breads and rolls, and a main course. I chose the breakfast burrito for my main — it looked fabulous but lacked any sort of flavor. A friend had a *much* tastier eggs benedict.
The bill was outrageous. Yes, we drank our fare share but in the end, the whole experience at Pres a Vis was not worth it. I’m not planning to return anytime soon.
Luckily, the party on the whole was a success, aided by our friends at Bin38 and other marina establishments.

I knew this place was familiar when my df and I got there. I’ve ran by it during the Nike Run Club training runs in preparation for the Nike Women’s marathon. I’ve always been curious about this place because it’s so beautiful. I was finally able to experience Pres a Vi during a retirement party last weekend. Boy, it was great!
We were seated in our own room in the back and there were about 60 people (including Christine T), I’m guessing. Wine was served at one corner of the room. Servers came in with appetizers of lumpia and spring rolls. I think i liked the lumpia better than the spring rolls. Dinner was served family style and we had the following: beet salad, crab cakes (super yum), potatoes (i never met a potato i didn’t like), ratatouille (yum), hawaiian style ahi tartare (it was ok. could’ve had more flavor), grilled iron flat steak (cooked to perfection), and alaskan black cod (loved the fish!). Everything was delish!!! Even the presentation was beautiful. It looked too pretty to eat. I thought the service was very attentive. and friendly — they kept my wine glass and water glass filled. I was very impressed.
Definitely a romantic spot or even a great spot to have happy hour.
I want to go back and have lunch on the outside patio with a beer and some pomme frites — I saw them on a couple tables in the main dining room and they looked so yummy! I’ll be back!
Yummy food, beautiful location and venue, great service. I guess we were lucky that night.

Space: Fabulous wood lined ceilings with fancy lighting for a romantic mood. Makes you wanna film a porno here.
Service: The waiter ALWAYS made sure we were well taken care of. Kinda tall, sorta hot.
Food: There is where it goes a bit downhill. I’ve been here before and I must say it’s the appetizers that get me all excited and then when the entrée comes, it’s rather disappointing. Lunchtime is a mess of grease covered breads. Dinner time is filled with rather bland and unexciting dishes. And did you know it was supposed to be asian fusion? Really? I mean, it IS a wine bar, but for what they charge for the food, it should at least be more than fancy diner food.

Had dinner here last night for a private event. Company X was fabulous enough to stage a buyout. The ol company holiday party. Tis the season. They did a great job hosting. I love the atmosphere here. It’s a very large restaurant with multiple dining sections, a beautiful wood bar, and windows galore. The service was very attentive for our party of about a hundred. At the end of the night the bartenders took time to pour some samples of dessert wine for me and write down recommendations. A great place to host a private party.
Pres a Vi means something in Esperanto, the universal language, which perhaps speaks to the food we had. I believe the food is Asian Californian. The mingling featured several beautiful sushi and sashimi pieces. The food here is served family style, with a menu of multiple courses. We started with a tempura ahi role, a fuyu persimmon salad with prociutto, and a shot of butternut squash soup with an Indian flavor, which is an amuse bouche, soup in a shot glass.
Our second course was crab cakes, flank steak, and risotto. We also had sides of ratatouille, spinach, and potatoes. I love family style dining because it gives you the opportunity to exceed regular portion size, which I tend to do.
I sampled a few of the desserts which were laid out elegantly. A great place for a party because the atmosphere is spacious and well laid out, the staff attentive, the wine list top notch, and the food unique and served in an accessible manner.

Kanpachi carpaccio with Hijiki in a vinegar dressing???
Tuna tartare with sunomono cucumbers!!!
Served with Herb Ciabatta bread!!!
I’m sorry, I rarely give a place one star, but the menu of this place is plain ridiculous. It does a very bad job of combining ingredients that were just not meant for each other. I’m fearing that people would go here thinking this is actual fusion food (combining which cuisines, I do not know)… I seriously had a tough time understanding their concept.
The venue is gorgeous but the interior is horrid. This place is the epitome of bad American taste.

I haven’t had a full meal at Pres a Vi yet but everything I have sampled has been delicious! I first became acquainted with Pres a Vi when they generously participated in a fundraiser I was organizing for work. Each restaurant brought appetizer-​sized portions to share with the ticketed guests (about 250 people!), and everyone raved about Pres a Vi’s dishes. Their duck burgers are to-​die-​for and I don’t even like duck! Both the delicious roll they are served on and the duck itself melts in your mouth! Their shrimp skewers are also really yummy as are their salads.
To continue their philanthropic dedication, they invited us to host a meeting in a private room of their restaurant. They provided us an extraordinary deal on their food and allowed us to bring our own wine without corkage. Great citizens and great eats; there isn’t much more I could ask for!
They were super helpful in getting me a cab too although their warning that it might be a little bit of a wait since we were in the Presidio was definitely correct…

It’s good to know that a dining experience over 13 months later still yields the same quality results as my first visit. In a still-​relatively elegant setting, Pres a Vi serves great small plates, great wine, and prices to match the pocketbooks of undemanding foreign tourists with the exchange rate on their side. I’m afraid that’s what will continue to prevent me from giving Pres a Vi five stars — the food is awfully good but not quite grandiose enough to justify the ka-​ching.
My friend Maggie and I came here after work without a reservation. The look of disbelief on the face of the maitre d’ was followed by a patronizing finger toward the bar as our only option for dining. Since there were no open seats at the bar, we figured it was his way of giving us the finger, so we decided to walk out. Just as I touched the door handle, we were called back with the option of waiting fifteen minutes for a table in their front area. Our mutual shrugs provided him with the approval necessary for his makeshift contingency plan. After strolling the sloping grounds of the Letterman Digital Center, Maggie and I came back to be seated at a nice little table for two.
Things picked up with a fine, well-​informed waitress. We went the small-​plate route again, and they were all quite good (see my photos). For starters, I like their bread basket with all the shapes and sizes popping out of it, especially those «cookies». The Hawaiian Ahi Tartare and Heirloom Tomato Salad were both delicious. A pleasant surprise was Caggianno’s Italian-​Style Sausage in a bed of savory lentil beans, although the best dish came with the Seared Dayboat Scallops with Basil over a mound of Mushroom Risotto.
Same as last time, the dessert menu never thrills me here. We went for a Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with a dollop of coffee ice cream. It was topped with black cherries, and the consistency reminded me of grandma’s fruitcake after it had been passed to the in-​laws. It just seems like a disappointing end to a fine meal… that is, if you don’t count looking at the check.
FOOD — 4 stars… still classy, still top-​class, still pricey
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… nice, elegant if a bit loud with the semi-​drunk after-​work crowd in the large bar area
SERVICE — 4 stars… snooty maitre d’ followed by an excellent waitress
TOTAL — 4 stars… I’m sure I’ll be back… but alas, not too often

Finding the restaurant was half the battle. A little tip: if you’re self-​parking, don’t go up the elevator that’s by the payment machine. Go to the Valet and up that elevator. I wandered around the gorgeous ILM campus for about 10 minutes trying to figure out where the heck the restaurant was located.
Once I got there, I had a blast. Very pretty view (too chilly to sit outside, but I imagine it’d be quite nice). We had drinks & dinner at the bar — their bubbly flight was awesome. Service was exceptional. Our waitress, upon seeing how we didn’t quite like the 3^rd flight, brought us a taste of one we did like. Attentive, but not overly so.
The food is called «fusion». Fairly pricey — around $ 25 for an entrée, small portions, but really well-​prepared. I highly recommend the tuna tar tare and mahi mahi in curry sauce. YUM!

Pres a Vi — 3 star average? Man… that definitely wasn’t my experience. Maybe our waiter was trying to take on all the low rating Unilocaler’s himself.
My friend and I went on Friday eve without a reservation. The friendly hostess sat us immediately, and our waiter arrived soon after. We weren’t starving, so we peaked at the wine and flight lists first. My friend went with the Bubblicious flight, happily or sadly enough to get her «smashed» depending on how you look at it. I ordered the Riesling flight. Go with either one and you won’t be disappointed.
We also ordered a bunch of appetizers.
We started with the Hamachi Teradito, and based on what I’ve read in other reviews, it seems to be a popular favorite.
The Duck Buns, omg… those are so damn tasty and amazing. It’s like going to New Castle but for Pekin duck confit with hoisin sauce… exactly! Yummm.
The next arrival were a couple shots… of asparagus. What? That’s right, apparently you don’t have to order a cup, or a bowl of soup anymore. You can order a shot at $ 2 a pop. If you can appreciate the idea, then you’ll want to order the Brentwood asparagus soup shots, it was smooth and warm… just like patron, but not. :)
Last but not least… the Pommes Frites, and no that’s not what the french call fries. Just call them french fries damnit! What’s so damn fancy about fries that we need to change the name? Anyway, order them… seriously, order them. The louie dipping sauce should be bottled up and mass produced, it would single handily reignite the child obesity problem in America… no joke. The sauce is dangerously tasty.
Food? Check.
Waiter…
Our waiter was very attentive, and even the manager dropped by a couple times to see how we were doing, I think he even brought the fries, I mean Pommes Frites to our table.
Maybe some of the Unilocaler’s are neglected by the wait staff because they are over at our table talking with us about Paris or Burning Man. Don’t be jealous, they just like us more. When we’re done with them, we’ll be sure to send them your way.
We had a great evening, and enjoyed Pres a Vi. We’ll be headed back there for entrees soon, and likely request the same waiter… if i can remember his damn name. Steve? Michael? Isiah? Fuck.
Pres a Vi — 5 stars… don’t fuck it up!

This restaurant would probably be considered a great place to eat in any market other than a culinary one. We were at the table a good 5 minutes before our server appeared. We were still looking at the menu, which almost every item looked appetizing. The server came back after another 5 minutes and we told her we were going to split pommes frites, duck buns and a mahi burger. After the server gave the kitchen our order, she came back and told us the burger came with pommes frites, and gave us a choice of different salads to go with the burger. We chose a green salad that was over dressed and too salty to eat
The fries arrived first, followed by water and a bread basket. The server that brought the water and bread also gave us a plate with some green sauce and butter that clearly had something in it and something black on it. He did not explain the four different types of bread or the sauce or the butter. The duck buns arrived and I asked that server what was in the butter and what was the green sauce. After he explained it, I asked if we could have more water.
The burger arrived whole on one plate. It’s been my experience, that restaurants at this level will split the dish in the kitchen and serve it on two plates if they know the order is being shared. That did not happen here.
The pommes frites had great flavor, but were way to salty. The duck buns were fine, but I wouldn’t order them again. The mahi burger was also too salty and the bun was charred to the point that when you took a bite of the sandwich you tasted burned bread. I would give the kitchen on May 23^rd at 1:00 two stars and the servers one star.
Will I go back? Probably not.

The weekend of our wedding celebration/​gluttonous eating commenced on Thursday evening at Pres a Vi. My mom’s oldest and dearest friend loves this restaurant and suggested that we all meet up for dinner.
The restaurant itself is a bit tricky to locate. Don’t use the valet parking services. You can self park in the same underground garage literally 10 feet from the valet area and save yourself $ 5.
The interior is amazingly beautiful throughout. There’s a flat screen TV in the bar, which really doesn’t work with the setting and I really didn’t understand its presence in such a nice bar. The drink list is large and inventive and the wine list is HUGE. Try the Ginger in Spice cocktail, it’s delicious. Our bar waitress was a bit scattered and brought my step-​dad the wrong glass of wine that he ordered and then almost argued that he really had ordered that glass of wine when he hadn’t.
The dining area is beautiful with large windows that open out onto the Precidio. It was dark and rainy the night we were there, so we weren’t able to enjoy the view.
Don’t miss the shot of lobster bisque which is served in a shot glass. You can also order a cup of it, but it’s really rich and just a shot is enough. The duck buns are also a tasty appetizer. I had the grilled raddicho salad which was flavorful and just the right portion. The ricotta butternut squash ravioli was a little disappointing only because the pasta was a bit too al dente for my taste, but the butternut squash filling was very flavorful.
I would give Pres a Vis 4 stars if it weren’t for the inconsistent service. Our busser was very unfriendly, actually on the verge of surly which really took away from what could have been a near perfect dining experience. The waitress was knowledgeable and friendly, but forgot to put in my hot chocolate order at the end of the meal.
Pres a Vi, you could be that much better if you could put more emphasis on train your staff. We had three unfavorable experiences, all related to various wait staff. You’re not a sports bar, remove the ugly flat screen from the bar!
On a high note, the Sommelier was very knowledgeable in his wine choices and worked with us on some good wine and food pairings that went well with everyone’s individual dishes.

After getting lost from trying to find this place hidden inside the Presidio buildings, you’ll be delightfully surprised by the wooden arches in the ceiling and the bright décor from the open windows. Unfortunately, the food only matches the ambiance in terms of presentation. The highlights were the different types of warm bread, biscuits, and crackers.
As for flavor and execution, the food seems to lack seasonings of salt or a sauces that hold the dishes together. For example, the endive salad have a milky white watered-​down taste that made it difficult to finish. Moreover, the lobster bisque was served too early before the alcohol was cooked off. Finally, the butternut squash ravioli was overwhelmed by the butter sauce, which did not enhance the flavors. Although service was good, parking in their underground garage for $ 6 an hour does not make me want to come back.

If my friend hadn’t told me about this restaurant, I would have never known about it. It’s hidden inside the Presidio. If you’re going for the first time, note that you can’t drive right up to the restaurant. Parking is underground, accessible via Letterman, drive up to the security guard and tell him you’re going to Pres a Vi, then proceed right and down to the underground garage where you can either valet or self park.
The restaurant was very classy and beautiful. In a certain area of the restaurant, you could view the Palace of Fine Arts. Our server recommended we try several dishes from the first and second course instead of the entrees. From the menu, we picked the following:
2 bowls of the lobster bisque, Sake Poached Foie Gras Terrine fruit condiments and brioche points, Hamachi Teradito Peruvian style sashimi with anju pepper aioli, micro arugula, and blood orange oil,
Tuna Tataki Sashimi grade tuna, hijiki, soy, yuzu and lemon oil, Butternut-​Ricotta Herb Ravioli (4) with sherry brown butter, pecorino romano and fried sage, and Dungeness Crab Cakes with citruc butter, aioli and avocado. We also tried the wine flights: Aromatic (White Wine) and one from the Reds. The price for the flights were reasonable. I’m not a fan of Red Wine, so I didn’t try that. However, from the Aromatic, I liked the Lee Family, Verdelho, Alta Mesa, California, 2006 the best. It was on the sweeter side and not as strong. For dessert, we ordered the one of the dessert flights with the chocolate soufflé (hot & cold).
I never had Foie Gras before so it was definitely an experience. I think the food was okay. it didn’t «WOW» me like Gary Dankos.

I recently attended a swanky bridal shower held at Pres a Vi. I know the lovely ladies who hosted the party spent quite a bit of time and money on this affair, and I was really excited to be a guest at this event. Unfortunate that the quality of the food didn’t hold up.
We tried at least eight different dishes for lunch, where each course was shared amongst four or so people. Ahi tuna tartare was mushy, and while there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with the steak and mashed potatoes, or the grilled salmon, the flavors just weren’t interesting. The chicken papaya salad actually reminded me of a similar dish I’d once eaten at a chain restaurant– not good, but not horrible either. Not exactly what I’d expect from a restaurant with such a pricey menu.
they were super generous with the dessert course– we each got our own plate of 4 mini treats, and while I do admit I’m easy when it comes to anything involving sugar, everything was really good. I can also say that the service was absolutely outstanding.

Yes this place is new and trendy so of course I ended up on a date here. We get ther about 20 minutes before our reservation and the hostess tells us they are running on time and we should get a drink so of course we do. The restaurant is full of dates, groups of friends, everyone is happy, social and looks good.
Twenty minutes later we are sitting at our table contemplating what we should eat, we take our time, completely into the conversation with each other, the waitress doesn’t rush us but takes our drink order and brings us 2 flites wine. When I look at it I know we’re in trouble, there are 3 basically full glasses in each flight and we each had a martini before dinner. Well this is off to great start and it can only get better.
I suggest meats on the menu, I would like to stay somewhat sober and be able to continue with the great conversation. We decide on a an appetizer that was the days special and the lamb and steak for the main course. The appetizer was OK, but at that point I was just happy to get some food in me. The lamb was great, very tender and cooked just right, but the steak wasn’t so great. It was so chewy that at one point I thought I was going to choke as I tried to speak and eat at the same time, I should really know better, I actually have very good table manners.
The restaurant has a great ambiance and very relaxed, no one tried to get us to leave the table or rush us and we could hear each other talk even thought the place was completely packed. The wines are great, try the flights, either pinot noir or south of the border, or as we did, both. Well of course we finished our wine and food, the dessert was some chocolate thing, nothing too memorable, but it being a date we both felt we should get dessert. But the meal overall was good and not too big, so I felt satisfied but not overly full. The great thing about small plates is you can order a few and order more if you get hungry and end up trying more dishes and have more of a variety.
My date and I ended up pretty much being one of the last to leave, when we got up to leave the place was nearly empty and when I looked at the time I realized why, it was almost 11:30pm. We got up to leave and found ourselves a bit tipsy, but luckly I wasn’t the one driving and he had a convertible, so I was looking forward to the fresh air and then the kiss good night. I think about an hour into the date I decided he was a keeper and definetely wanted to kiss him. I have to say the date was much better then the food, sometimes it’s the other way around.