Alta CA

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Address:
1420 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

Neighborhood:
Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

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Cuisine:
American

Price: $31 to $50

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Alta CA Details

Dining Style: Home Style
Website: http://www.altaca.co
Phone: (415) 590-2585
Hours of Operation: MON-FRI: 11AM-2AM
SAT & SUN: 5PM-2AM
Please note, we serve a limited menu from 3PM-5PM and from 10:30PM-1AM.
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: American
Executive Chef: Yoni Levy
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Getting there

Cross Street: Van Ness and Fell
Public Transit: Muni lines: F, J, K, L, M, N, 6, 71
Parking: Street Parking
Parking Details: Star Park (lot) at 101 Hayes Street and Liberty Park (lot) at 116 Hayes Street (Both open 24 hrs)

A word from Alta CA

A neighborhood restaurant and gathering place.

Foodspotting photos

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Diner Reviews

"On the plus side, the food and atmosphere at Alta CA are very good. The open kitchen turns out some very flavorful dishes like beet salad, goat cheese on toast, and buckwheat porridge. Unfortunately, the cocktails and service leave much to be desired. Outside of the kitchen, the staff is rather green and not well versed in fine dining etiquette (in one example of this plates were removed prematurely whilst diners were still chewing). It's a great location, and an otherwise fun experience, so hopefully they invest in additional training for the staff."
Dined on 7/24/2014
"Been there twice. The first time everything was outstanding, service too. The beef tendon puffs are a must. The second time was good, but our server was slightly surly, and the braised beef was just ok. My friend ordered a glass of wine, tasted it, thought it was off, and had me taste it. It was definitely off - undrinkable. It's ok, it happens. We told our server and her response was "it's unfiltered." It might have been unfiltered, but it was also corked. To her credit, she took it away and removed it from the check. When both patrons say the wine is bad, don't make excuses, just get the customer another glass. The chicken was fantastic, and the pickled devils eggs were great! The soft serve ice cream for dessert is a must."
Dined on 7/17/2014
"A very pleasant surprise in this "up and coming" stretch of Market -- the service was attentive and helpful, the timing was perfect, and the dishes we had were inspired and delicious. This is the kind of place you want as a reliable standby to which you'll return frequently (especially since it has late hours and is a great option for after a movie or performance). There are plenty of bar seats, and the restaurant seating is arranged around the bar and in front of a wall of wine & liquor bottles creating an interesting visual (though they might want to tweak the bottle wall arrangement for seismic safety!) The volume of the music / chatter was also just right (too many restaurants are too loud for conversation)."
Dined on 7/5/2014
"We were *very* pleasantly surprised by our visit. The food was top-notch, the service: very attentive (and extremely knowledgable about the menu and options, working around food allergies), and the atmosphere was fun for the foodie set. We'll DEFINITELY be back again. A few things of note: the deep-fried beef tendons are to die for, the wine list is extensive and notable, and the (full) bar seemed to be hopping. Our server let us know that they were open very late, too--we'll be taking full advantage of this, as we live across the street! A true neighborhood gem!"
Dined on 7/2/2014
"Very convenient for pre-theatre dining. The food is absolutely delicious! Cannot wait to go again and again!"
Dined on 6/28/2014
"Great date night spot, although the surrounding area leave something to be desire. Fiancé and I came for our Friday date night. This was a version of modernized more foo foo Jewish deli. The bialys were a delight with flavorful sautéed onion bits. The thinly sliced pastrami was a little disappointing. The Curious George cocktail was a refreshing lovely spin of whisky sour. The best dish of the evening was the pea pierogi with a flavorful sauce. It was not dense and heavy tasting."
Dined on 6/27/2014
"The food was good, the service was fine, but ---- I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone except, perhaps, the Twitterati. The bill for the 2 of us was $85 for 3 small plates and 1 large, one glass of wine and a beer. Frequently restaurant portions are too big --- here, they were on the small size and we left hungry. The prices for wine were ridiculous ---- $11 and up for a single glass AND the pour was quite small. When I asked for bread to accompany the food, the waiter pointed to the Bialys on the menu, which cost $6. I can't remember going to a good restaurant where they charged for bread. The best restaurants seem to have Acme sourdough --- here they had only bialys, which are great for brunch, but at dinner?"
Dined on 6/26/2014
"Patterson's food at ALTA CA is top notch: sophisticated, but not overly tricky and seriously delicious. The staff is super friendly, but so many people help with each table that some requests (such as more water) got lost in the shuffle. The music was schizophrenic - some tracks had a great groove and others were just too loud and cacophonous. The block on Market is nasty, but that will be short lived. I'll definitely be going back."
Dined on 6/21/2014
"The food was memorable, the wait service was as well, but for less than stellar reasons. unique flavors and creative dishes. Service was somewhat arrogant and lax. Felt like we were annoying the staff by our mere presence on thier turf and they did not seem to be loving their job (did I see her roll her eyes?). Smile - I am paying for service, as well as food - and you might even help generate bigger tips, it's a win/win!"
Dined on 6/21/2014
"I was looking forward to trying Patterson's approach to cuisine. I would say that the food was well prepared and tasty... but the service was sadly lacking. My friend arrived early and asked for a tea list. The server then came over, asked her if she wanted something to drink and my friend told her that she was waiting for the tea list. The server said "OK" and walked away. The tea list never arrived. When I arrived (I ordered wine in case she worried this was a "cheap meal"), the server recommended that each of us order 2, but preferably 3 dishes. My friend is a very slim petite woman, I am slim-average sized and we could never have eaten 6 dishes. It seemed the server was trying to get us to order a lot of food to run the bill up."
Dined on 6/14/2014
"Delicious plates served by attentive warm team. Braised beef and salmon are favorite dishes. Cocktails perfectly compliment the menu. Beautifully designed space. Will make this spot a habit."
Dined on 6/7/2014
"The lunch menu offers variety--a few standards like the burger (which we ordered), but a lot of thoughtful items we're not used to seeing like bialys with smoked fish (which we also ordered) and confit chicken. We also had the deviled egg appetizer and chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Each item was a cut above what we were expecting, and this is typical of Daniel Patterson's restaurants, where great thought seems to go into re-imagining and refining dishes until they're perfect. The late lunch vibe is very low key. We had an extraordinary meal, took our time savoring all the goodness, and had an experience that was relaxing as well as satisfying."
Dined on 6/6/2014
"From the outside, the space is nondescript and if you didn't know if was there, you could walk right by. Inside, the space is funky, warm, and clever with a solid menu to match. Menu options abound with several well prepared proteins accompanied by nice veg/starch options. The lunch and dinner menus are both well curated and there are a lot of interesting options. Highly recommend the deviled eggs and puffed beef tendon as appetizers. The smoked pork trotter w soft egg and brussel sprouts is my favorite dish I've had so far - great balance of textures and flavors and a nice presentation as well. Highly recommend. "
Dined on 6/6/2014
"... Good Tasting Food ... Interesting Cocktails ... Small Portions A couple who doesn't mind coming out hungry after $80 to $100 on food alone might like this tapas place. Given that Twitter is right across the street, maybe there's a baked-in clientele. But take a group of 5 or 6, and you'll scavenge plates for tiny morsels to ensure that all have minimal food to absorb the alcohol consumed. We ordered the shaved asparagus/beet salad. At most it had 1 1/2 stalks of asparagus on the plate, maybe 8 almonds, and about 4 beet halves (beets used were smaller than golf balls). TWO of these would be a minimalist's delight. Mushroom porridge (tasty) was probably 3/4 cup of food if not spread out. And, no bread. But flavors/prep were exc. "
Dined on 6/4/2014
"Food, cocktails, service, cleanliness, atmosphere- Fantastic! Only complaints are: Very loud (was packed!) and they had music booming, too. Chairs were hard wood so not very comfortable. "
Dined on 6/3/2014
"Love the fact that my Van Ness/Market neighborhood has another great restaurant offering terrific food and excellent service at a reasonable price. "
Dined on 5/31/2014
"Would def come back. Wonderful food, great service. "
Dined on 5/30/2014
"After hearing Daniel Patterson interviewed, I was anxious to try one of his restaurants, and I was so glad we did. It was every bit as good as I expected. The food was inventive and delicious, and the cocktails superb. We had just enough service and suggestion to keep our evening special - well done!"
Dined on 5/29/2014
"The food was very fresh, delicious, beautifully presented and innovative. It made a memorable experience for our friends from Canada; they couldn't stop talking about their dinner."
Dined on 5/29/2014
"Had a lovely experience with my company.... The food and the service service was wonderful. "
Dined on 5/28/2014
"Had dinner with two others and ordered a number of items. The beef puffs were really weird. I just could not get past the greasy texture. Also, according to our waiter - everything is "delicious". Hmm, not really. I had the beef and another person had the chicken. Tasted the same. Same spices used. The vegetarian option was gross. And don't get the olives unless you like them heated. Again, very strange. I had a green light - could not drink it. I love cilantro, but this was just strange tasting. The highlight is the soft serve ice cream. Served with a paper spoon, but good anyway. Not enough of that - and not enough for the price. All in all, I would not go back."
Dined on 5/27/2014
"Very simple menu variety-wise but with very unique dishes. Like the ambience and design of the place. Service is great"
Dined on 5/25/2014
"My wife and I visited Alta CA to celebrate the last night of our honeymoon in San Francisco. The menu was a lot of fun-- the place is modeled on kind of a tapas concept, where all the dishes are easy to share. Their house cocktails were fantastic as well. Our server was Stefan, and he really made the experience what it was. At every turn he helped guide us to some great selections, and his bright and positive attitude was infectious. After we mentioned offhand that we were on honeymoon, he even surprised us with celebratory prosecco at the beginning of our meal and brought a delicious port over with our check. He made us feel at ease and welcome, which is no small feat in such a busy, obviously popular spot. Thank you Stefan and Alta CA!"
Dined on 5/24/2014
"The food was great. Ambiance cool, lighting good, but music was way too loud (for the record I am 39 yrs, w no hearing issues). We asked to have it turned down twice. I could tell the kitchen guys/ girls took great pride in their food. The asparagus and beet salad was crisp and refreshing, the cod was delicious. Eventhough the desert menu is limited, the soft serve ice cream and (amazing!) chocolate chip cookies are a fun idea. Had one of the most amazing cups of coffee. The service was ok. I didn't really see any staff smile. The food runner pretty much just put the food on the table in a rushed fashion. I would try to go back, but the loud rock music made me feel like I was in spin class. It distracted me from savoring great food. "
Dined on 5/23/2014
"Limited but interesting menu. Very friendly service. Ideal for a non staid pre symphony dinner."
Dined on 5/22/2014
"We came at 5pm. Were seated promptly, because the place was largely empty, and we were left by ourselves for a considerable duration, and I had to summon help to take our first drink order. The wine prices are too high, averaging $12 for skimpy servings of wine. The wines are very good. The food concepts are a mix of avant garde and home style cooking. The food was generally tasty and well prepared. Portions were reasonable. Later in the evening the service picked up and was much better."
Dined on 5/20/2014
"I hate it when the overall dining experience is marred by the attitude of the server but the curt, unfriendly attitude made interaction unpleasant. The food is interesting and very tasty so hopefully the service staff (at least the woman that waited on us) will be better in the future."
Dined on 5/17/2014
"Would go back, but not easy to find unfried food on the menu. Great ginger beer. "
Dined on 5/16/2014
"excellent food and service. the wine list was eclectic and our server was very knowledgable. Patrick the host was OUTSTANDING! "
Dined on 5/10/2014
"Food was great, service was a bit rushed, they kept clearing dishes or attempting to, before we were finished"
Dined on 5/10/2014
"One of the worst dining experiences I have had in San Francisco. From the underwhelming interior to the unpleasant staff, it was a disappointing, and frankly unpleasant, experience. I will not go back."
Dined on 5/9/2014
"Consistently good experiences here. Much better value for your money than Coi."
Dined on 5/7/2014
"Creative, well executed lunch menu. Portions reasonable and fairly priced. Wine by the glass; a good pour and excellent vintners. Trotters, oxtail and tendon puffs all a must try. Did a great job on the ambiance given what they had to work with. "
Dined on 5/5/2014
"The décor is very interesting and fun. Their menu is meant to share, which is a great way to try a variety of different dishes. We were underwhelmed by the food, though. Only one of the more than ten dishes we ordered was memorable. Also, the service was extremely slow. It was worth trying once but I don’t need to return."
Dined on 5/3/2014
"I went to Alta Ca. twice in two weeks for lunch. The first meal I had the deviled eggs and the burger ($16!). Both I really liked. I like the atmosphere and the service and it is close to work. Next time I got the eggs again, still good. I ordered the Cod, small portion, came with a tiny bit of veggies. I was starving afterwards. I guess that is how they get you to buy the ice cream. The cod was so undercooked it was like gelatin, I hardly ever send dishes back but the texture was so bad I had to. They barely cooked it up and sent it back to me so I had to choke it down. I know that Cod is not a firm fleshed fish but it was almost inedible. Sticky toffee Ice cream was yummy but served in a paper cup with a wooden spoon!"
Dined on 5/2/2014
"Though both food and service were barely passable at this new upscale spot, it remains a bright spot in still gritty mid-market. Lunch service was barely operational and the food was only meh, but the restaurant was tranquil and had a naturalistic feel with lots of yellow smoky glass and wood furnishings. Watch your bill though, they gave us one from another table. I will return only because its so close to my office and because there is nothing comparable for blocks."
Dined on 5/1/2014
"Fantastic food, great service. Truly a great place to enjoy wonderful local food, beautifully prepared and presented. It is not inexpensive, but it is a good value."
Dined on 5/1/2014
"One of the best restaurants I have experienced in SF. We did not want to leave. We had to try everything. Everything affordable and unique."
Dined on 4/30/2014
"Food was awesome. Squid, pork, smoked fish all amazing. Server forgot dishes twice and was a ghost. I will go back, because the food is so good. "
Dined on 4/29/2014
"We came to Alta after just hearing about it from a friend. Used the new app Cover to pay for the meal - made it easy and convenient do dine and not have to worry about the check because it was sent right to our phones! The food was amazing: split two apps - including the beef puffs - AMAZING! Also had the trotter - try it if your open minded, its delicious. Dessert was just enough and hit the spot. Great place! "
Dined on 4/28/2014

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