Swell

Great food and wonderful service. It’s small so call ahead or be comfortable with sitting at one of the bars (fun area). Wife and I had crab cake and salmon. Both were fabulous! Would eat either again in a heartbeat.

I am so disappointed that this place closed it’s doors!
We really love their food!

Although Swell is branded as a French seafood restaurant, it is not hard to notice the strong Japanese influence from choice of ingredients to the dinner format. The combination of the two culinary traditions were flawless. Swell is neither a Japanese Izakaya restaurant nor a French bistro. Dining at Swell is a truly unique experience in a class of its own.
The menu is fairly simple. There are raw plates and warmed specialties. Keep in mind these are not your normal appetizers and entrees. The entire dinner format is tapas style. The dishes are meant to be shared and the portions are small.
For dinner of two we have ordered the large Chef Tasting Platter which includes 4 half size raw plates on their menu, Aji with Bamboo Shoots which is their special of the day, Hamachi Kama, Miso Glazed Black Cod, Dungeness Crab Cake and their Trio of Crème Brule for dessert. It was a fulfilling but light dinner. If you have a bigger appetite, I would recommend getting more warm plates and some side dishes.
Everything I have tried was not just good but great. There were not a single thing that I wouldn’t consider excellent. The fish was top quality cut and the garnish really complimented the texture and taste. The sauce were heavily Asian influenced but more innovative and non conventional. The miso sauce lost the over the top sweetness, the kimchi lost the pungent sourness. I love the complexity in the combinations of flavors in each dish. You will often find sweetness, sourness and savory all in one bite. As strange as it may sound, everything just works in perfect harmony.
The restaurant really took pride in what they put on their menu. Dinner was great from beginning to end. I could not recommend any one dish because they were all fantastic.
If you like raw fish and could appreciate the art of finer culinary, you will love this place. Try this place out. Order everything on the menu to share! Dinner wasn’t cheap but it is worth every penny.
My only complaint is probably the size of the restaurant. It is really tiny and the ambiance is more cozy casual than classy. Service was excellent so that made up for it. There are only a handful tables and bar seats available. Don’t forget to make a reservation or plan to arrive early.

Swell tries really hard to be modern, but unfortunately the flavors are off and the execution is heavy handed.
The menu is pretty limited and surprisingly not much jumped out at me, ‘cept for the uni, which was presented on a tempura nori cracker & had a bit of fresh jalapeño.
There were many lows: the scallops lacked acid, the risotto was mushy, & the tartare was amateur at best.
The kama was okay, a little fishy & maybe overcooked a bit.
Cute cozy space and I liked the loft dining upstairs. Good service and food was attractively presented. The location definitely attracts a less talented palate: the tourist.

Crossword clue: What’s a five letter word for a series of waves? Tsunami? That doesn’t fit. Another clue. Second letter ‘w’, and an adjective to describe something that’s first-​rate. Sweet? Unless a surfer can say, «I caught a nice sweet» I don’t think it applies.
Stumped?
It’s ‘swell’. And Swell is ‘swell’ and serves things caught in the swell. My heart swelled at the tasty little oceanic bites they serve, my belly didn’t swell because they’re small bites, and my wallet sure thought the scoutmob discount was a swell deal.
I adored Bar Crudo when it was in this location-​loved the coziness at the bar as well as the small perch upstairs, but had not been to Swell. When my friend and I showed up a little early, we were able to be seated upstairs. The service is tres congenial, tres francais. A glass of bubbles is the perfect amuse for my bouche, followed by the chef’s tasting platter of raw delicacies. Hokkaido scallops with yuzu-​oui oui. All of the raw treats were impeccable-​they zinged in my mouth with the creative flavor combination The vol au vent and dungeness crab rolls were good-​but paled in comparison to the raw dishes. At Swell, raw is what’s up.
For dessert, a tasty trio of crème brûlée (miso, ginger, and espresso) is a fantastic accompaniment, and I lied, I did swell up a little. There’s nothing like a good deal and delicious seafood to make my heart swoon.

I want to give Swell four stars for their service and because their space is so unique. But my reviews are ultimately about food, and in the Bay Area if I am not wowed, I can’t give four…
There were moments of greatness, like the uni cold dish, which was a delicate layers of pear, jalapeño, tempura shiso, and uni (sea urchin). The trout was good. Beef cheeks were good but a bit heavy on the sauce. The overarching theme on the flavors was that all were a bit too sweet or strong. But overall, enjoyed the meal and loved their staff.

SWELL… swell indeed!!!
Nestled right next to Tunnel Top (HH goers know where this is). Might be hard to find it if you don’t know the exact location.
Such a cute little house/​loft restaurant. Tho probably not a great place for a party over 4… the waitress is sweet and attentive!
Here’s our menu for the evening:
–Dozen oyters,
–Crab soup (little salty but great if you dip the bread)
–Half crab (tasted even better than Pier 39 signature crabs) VERY tender and the garlic sauce. YUMM!
–Chef Platter ($ 22 for 8 pieces) Presentation was unique, colorful and tasty. (Uni with a crunch, tuna with avacado, squid with crunchy cucumber and i can’t remember the last flavor… but hey: 3 out of 4 is great enough)
–ran out of Beef Cheeks so we opted for the Pork Belly Ramen (being Asian… ramen is ramen so it was just ok for me)
Place has only been opened for 8months but food wise: better than a lot of well-​known restaurants. Foodies must give this place a try, happy tasting!

This is going to be one of my harder reviews, I have been pondering my dinner here since for about three days, and trying to find more ways to like it, because I really really wanted to like this place.
3 Stars for the overall restaurant
4 ½ Stars for the food itseld.
My friend found this place on the Dine Around Town site and since it was close to his work, we decided to give it a try. So we made a reservation. I read the reviews here and Unilocal,and was prepared for it to be small, although to be completely honest, when I walked up the stairs and saw how truly small is was, I was still a bit surprised. We got seated right away. The guy at the host stand was very friendly, and the one who brought us to the table was as well. Then came our server…
She was impatient with us. We weren’t taking a particularly long time or anything, but she explained how the place was much busier than they were expecting that. She actually told the table next to us that they had to leave, because another group of people where here for that table. They didn’t look or sound to pleased. When we asked her questions about the food or menu she would quickly blurt out an answer while never making eye contact with us.
The food itself, was pretty good. We had the yellow tail raw plate, the miso cod, the salmon and the beef checks. Everything was prepared nicely, and had a lot of nice flavors. The Miso cod and the yellowtail, definitely my favorites. The server told us the beef checks were her favorite, but both of us agreed it was what we liked the least. They were good, super soft, and salty, but the fish (it is called Swell and has a fish on it’s logo) was better.
While the place itself it pretty cute, I am not sure it’s a must go… sorry Swell, I tried, I really tried.

The food is delightful tasty.
The restaurant kept running out of items: the black cod, the sea urchin. It also took 3 reminders for them to bring another bread basket. Also we had to wait about 30 minutes for the table (though we had a reservation), and then switched tables.
Almost all can be forgiven with how good the sea urchin is.

OMG YUM!!!
Thanks to other Unilocalers for recommending the Miso Black Cod, it melts in your mouth. I’ve never had fish so tender.
We also loved the scallops with granny smith apple, yuzu aioli, and wasabi tobiko. The combination was unique, and altogether spectacular.
The trio of Crème Brulee (ginger, miso, and espresso) were perfect.
The staff were Français et absolument charmant!
One of the best dinners we’ve had in the city in ages. Thanks so much! I can’t wait to come back.

Sitting at the top of the stockton tunnel, Swell’s floorspace mimics the claustrophobia in the neighborhood with diners sitting no more than a foot from each other.
The food, following the theme of a lack in space, had a Japanese flair. Our appetizer courses included uni, a dozen oysters, and scallops. We ended with the risotto and skirt steak and washed everything down with champagne blends.
It’s a bit hard to believe, but such a small restaurant proved to have one of the most savory risottos and perfectly cooked skirt steak I’ve had. The lesser of the dishes was the uni appetizer, as the fried vegetables that sat as a base overpowered any taste and texture of the uni. Uni is hard to screw with, but they made a valiant effort.
Great service, always attentive and full of suggestions.

I looooooove San Francisco.
More than just SWELL, this is another great SF location for dinner or even just happy hour alone.
Swell is located atop San Fran streets Bush & Stockton, close to Chinatown, cute shops, cool bars, and other great eateries.
This French inspired restaurant offers a cozy, romantic ambiance, delectable goodies, and wonderful, personable service.
Happy hour specials (5:30−7pm on Tues-​Thurs) consist of:
*$ 5 wine
*$ 8 ceviche
*$ 1 oysters from Pt. Reyes
*$ 8 tuna tartar
The crème brûlée trio of miso, ginger, & espresso was a perfect ending to our meal. It was the right amount of creamy.
Simply delectable.
Bottom line: I absolutely looooooved the oysters, especially doused with a dab of tobasco, lime, & shallot vinaigrette. Delicious.
I’ll be back.

A date walks into a small cute frenchy restaurant with a fish in their name logo and sits at the table next to mine. Upon reviewing the menu, 2/​3rds of bears the word ‘raw’, and hearing the specials — the woman orders the tuna tartare. I enjoy a plate of oysters and these amazing butterfly scallops that were a roulette (stuffed with green apples). The table opposite mine receives their food. The late 20s woman sort of takes a gasp and asks the very kind waitress «this tuna tartare… its not cooked» which really was more of a statement and left the poor french waitress staring back in bewilderment. The man asks to remove the plate of uncooked fish from the table.
Startled by this unprecedented event, the waitress very graciously takes back the ahi and says she will return with a menu. Me? I’m shocked and speechless and laughing like a mad man on the inside. Had I had more wherewithal I would have asked for that plate of tuna as it flew by me in a totally uncouth «you gonna eat that?» move.
Really, I wonder how often this strange but true story takes place here. This is a raw bar with a very few cooked items. Everything was fantastic all the way to the trio of crème brules (ginger, miso, and espresso). The service is friendly and attentive but rather slow in its execution and I wish they had coffee to finish the meal (only tea). The fish doesn’t get much fresher. And please… if you bring a date… make sure she’s ok with eating raw fish, uni, oysters, or whatever they might dump out of a fishing net and put on a plate.

Sometimes you want French, but desire a departure from rich, creamy and heavy dishes. Celebrating the French coast, Swell offers some traditional French fish dishes, raw bar favorites and sashimi innovations. However, they should add Lobster Thermidor to the menu!
Miso Black Cod Brûlée: I ordered this dish because it promised to be sashimi meets the widely popular miso cod crispness. Sadly the exterior was not nearly as crispy as the fully cooked dish you can get at so many places nowadays. The fish itself was great though with a slight soft char.
Beef Tartare: It’s awesome that a raw bar serves raw beef. Like a standard beef tartare but with an added kick of jalapeño. Fresh tasting, though could have had more spices mixed in.
Bouillabaisse: Not fully bouillabaisse since there was no crostini, rouille or cheese to be found. A nice variety of filet, calamari and shrimp though. Very nice broth, wish there was more of it.
Baby Octopus: Very basic. Baby octopus on lettuce near tomatoes and some mild tomato sauce. Too simple as a main for my tastes.
Trio Of Crème Brûlée: Their only dessert; a perfect ending. The brûlée was freshly seared and crisp, which is sadly sometimes not so crispy at other places. I really liked the ginger since it was biting me back. The miso was a nice salty meets sweet, but a bit overwhelming after a few bits. The espresso was tasty, but it’s texture was too pasty compared to the other two.

Holy wow. A charming restaurant near Union Square that serves delicious raw and cooked small plates. It’s not big; the old school rowhouse style architecture allows the seating of only about 20 in an upstairs loft, along with a handful at the downstairs bar.
We came here inspired by Dine About Town, then realized that we just might come out ahead (and be able to score the dishes Unilocalers loved) by ordering a la carte. Our server seemed very knowledgeable about the menu when we told her we had to have the miso cod brulee, so we threw ourselves at her mercy for the other selections. She (or the chef?) was BANG on as everything she recommended ruled! Dishes:
— The miso cod brulee: OK we were going to order it anyway, but yeah it is a super buttery fish (like steamed sea bass or something) with some onions and creamy sauce underneath, with a sweetish sauce on top that is torched a bit. Magic creamy richgasmic.
— Scallops roulade: raw scallop wrapped around finely sliced apples with a spring of parsely inside and some other subtle spices that combined into a rush of holyshitgood. Do it.
— Beef tartare: probably my favorite! At first you mostly taste the jalapeño spice that’s in there, but as you work through it you taste something sweeter. Perhaps something about the quail egg and the lemon aioli that’s in there… whatever it is it works… something about great tartare — it almost tastes vegetarian… super fresh and light and bursting with flavor. Gosh I wish I trusted myself enough to try this at home.
— Salmon filet: magical, but not in the way I expected. Being a French place, I expected the best part to be the sauce. The (quite briny) sauce was certainly enjoyable, but it was the filet itself that was the real star: totally raw in the center (with a great sashimi like flavor) but beautifully cooked on the outside with just enough toasted skin to add a rich layer of sinful flavor. Probably the best cooked salmon dish I’ve ever had.
— The ginger /​miso /​espresso crème brûlée dessert: yes you read that right. They serve you a trio of crème brûlée dishes with a recommendation to enjoy them in the order listed. Did we ever. The ginger was a refreshing start, with the flavor (surprisingly) striking me more exotic than clashing. The miso was reminiscent of salty caramel (perhaps the most underrated dessert flavor in the world), and strikes me as the one most likely to stand on its own without the others. The espresso was the perfect finish; it seemed like someone added a perfect blend of crème and sugar to an espresso rather than espresso flavoring to crème brûlée.
The only downer? They are changing their menu next week. But with such well-​advised recommendations and a strong kitchen staff, I’d easily risk going back. Service was attentive and prompt, with our small water glasses never nearing empty. Similarly, the complimentary bread and butter (useful for mopping up their delicious sauces) stayed full at all times.

This little restaurant screams San Francisco. Well, perhaps «scream» is too aggressive an adjective for this perfect little restaurant. Instead I’ll say that Swell strongly embodies San Francisco, with a French accent of course.
I sat at the counter, enjoying the last bit of sunlight coming over Nob Hill. I lazily leaned on the impeccable stone counter, watching the sidewalk’s traffic. There is a small upstairs dining area that looked perfect for an intimate meal but alas I was only in for a quick bite and glass of wine.
Flawless service, I was given the details on happy hour and anything else of which I inquired. If I questioned a dish either to order or out of curiosity I didn’t receive a stock answer, I’d be asked my preferences and experience so it could be discussed on my level.
I soaked in the upbeat yet casual music, admiring SF architecture as I do. What a perfect location. This really is one of the most attractive restaurants I’ve seen, maybe it’s my own personal taste. I relaxed, all while the staff kept my bread bowl and water full without pause. The food was amazingly high quality.
When I envision San Francisco I think small unique restaurants atop hills, tucked away amid the bustle of downtown, one of a kind services and experiences. Swell is that exact definition, to the letter.

Like an ocean swell, Swell created some pretty big waves of flavor but also had some lulls in between. I’d give it 3.5 stars. It’s a promising new restaurant that will probably only get better.
I went for the DAT (dine about town) deal and ordered the spicy tuna tartare for the appetizer, dayboat scallops as the entrée, and finished with the crème brûlée for dessert. The best part of the DAT meal was the spicy tuna tartare; it was excellent. The dayboat scallops were quite good but the bed of lobster risotto they sat on was very mushy and really bland. The crème brûlée assortment was decent. The only issue I had with the DAT meal was it’s value. I didn’t really feel like I received any special value for the three, rather small, items.
I also tried the seafood offered in the sampler (sea urchin, salmon carpaccio with salmon caviar, and scallops roulades) as well as a few oysters. Of the sampler platter I surprisingly enjoyed the sea urchin the most. I was actually a bit apprehensive at first to try the sea urchin as the last time I had fresh uni at a Japanese sushi restaurant wasn’t a very pleasant experience, but here the sea urchin was nothing short of excellent. The oysters were quite good as well and I’m not a very big oyster fan, though they are slowly growing on me.
I noticed that Swell has happy hour specials so I’ll probably come back at some point to check that out.

(See pics)
For my 700^th review, I’d love to dedicate this to the special someone, once again, who has nurtured me not only on so many levels of food and music, books and life philosophy, but has made my heart dance and sing, and that life is really not just about career, it’s about celebrating what we have, how lucky we are and everything we have, a life that is filled with surprises and laughs.
So we had a special evening and I made a reservation at one of the raw seafood places that is French style and not Japanese.
After a play, we were rushing over as while they said they close at 10:30pm, I felt bad of having to be there around 10:15pm.
They were so nice to call and check in earlier in the afternoon about the time as well as around 10pm trying to confirm our reservation.
Onto the cuisine. Every dish was phenomenal. Fresh and crisp refreshing. We had spicy tuna tartare, ceviche, uni, Kampchi Sashi, scallops, mackerel bruschetta and bouillabaisse. All with the perfect pairing of the mineral and crisp Sancerre (something I learned from this dinner too!) Every bite was divine. It woke me up and showed me what raw food is all about all over again. Simple and elegant, love and reunion of food and wine, and everything in life.
We left well beyond 11pm. Their service was impeccable. Not only were they friendly and never rushed us (fortunately they had a few friends hanging around.) This makes you feel its intimacy of the place, that it’s not just about food, it’s about people, about experience, about who you are with, about a spectacular evening to remember.

Great food plus terribly slow service averages out to «swell» in my book. I know that wasn’t their intention when they picked the name, but play along.
We got lucky, considering how small this place is, scoring a reservation for 6 on a Friday. Seriously, I’ve seen bigger closets, but they do great things with the space. Walking in, there are two little counters where you can sit, personally I wouldn’t enjoy dining there unless it was for a quick appetizer and drink. Upstairs, there are about 6 four-​tops. Be forewarned that seats close to the window are a bit drafty.
We were starving when we arrived and anxious to get some food and drinks in our bellies. Unfortunately, our server wasn’t on the same wavelength. While very nice, she was not very attentive. Getting water took a long time and when we got it, we got half-​full high balls, which took us all of two minutes to finish. It was quite some time before she came back to get our drink order, by then we were all starting to get a bit cranky. Service during our meal improved, only to drop off again when it was time to settle up; very inconsistent for a place that wasn’t even very busy.
We shared the spicy tuna tartare and the ceviche to start. I had commented recently that I didn’t think tuna tartare was my thing, since I found it a bit bland, but this won me over. The tuna was fresh and there was no shortage of flavor, it was definitely a crowd pleaser. The ceviche was ok, the weaker of the two; served as a maki-​like quartet with different types of roe on top. Prior to our meals arriving we also received little shot glasses of white bean soup and fresh bread.
For my main I ordered the pan seared Loch Duart Salmon with green beans and ponzu-​butter sauce. The salmon was excellent, cooked just right; light, yet buttery and flaky. The other dishes at the table also got high marks: butternut squash risotto, bouillabaisse, kampachi, and the lobster risotto with pan seared scallops that was on special. Of all our meals, the lobster risotto was the standout, more of us had wanted to order it, but there was only one plate left.
Prices are extremely reasonable, especially for a seafood intensive menu. I don’t think there’s an item over $ 20. They also have an impressive wine list. I only have two complaints about the menu. First, it is not clear that many of the items listed on the menu are small plates. The kampachi dish, for example, was very small, a disappointment portion-​wise if you’re making a meal out of it. Second, the dessert menu is lacking. There are only two items crème brûlée and mochi, neither was all that appealing to me.
If I lived in San Francisco, I’d definitely make a return visit. It’s a cute, cozy, intimate little space; they just need to improve the level of attentiveness.

I was staying across the street from Swell for almost an entire week before I ventured in.
The specials board beckoned with each new item but I resisted, too busy visiting other restaurants, in this staggering land of food fabulosity.
On the night we ate, the special was a warm lobster salad that causes a slight buckle in my knees as I recall the succulent simplicity of it all. White beans, arugula, fresh lobster and pure love united to make my tummy a warm and happy place.
I could talk about the perfect wine, chic setting or skillful service but all that mattered was that plate, so nectarous it was almost spiritual.
I don’t think the name does it justice, perhaps Swellegant?