Benu Restaurant - San Francisco, CA

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Benu
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Benu

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Address:
22 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Neighborhood:
SOMA

Getting there ›
Cuisine:
Contemporary American

Price: $50 and over

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Benu Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.benusf.com
Email: reservations@benusf.com
Phone: (415) 685-4860
Hours of Operation: Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Executive Chef: Corey Lee
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Beer, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Catering: Please contact us for further information.
Private Party Facilities: Benu offers a customized private dining experience for parties of all sizes. Reservations can be made up to a year in advance for anytime. Please contact us for more details.
Private Party Contact: Kathryn Douglass (415) 685-4860 x116

Getting there

Cross Street: Howard
Parking: Valet
Parking Details: Valet parking is available at the restaurant for $15.

A word from Benu

Benu is a small restaurant housed in a historic building in SOMA. We aim to distill fine dining down to the elements we find most important: precise and thoughtful preparation, exceptional products and caring service. We offer an a la carte menu and a chef's tasting menu that is globally inspired,… personal and comprised of the best products we can find. We ask that you give us prior notice of any dietary restrictions or allergies.

Benu offers a Tasting Menu and an a la carte Menu Tuesday through Thursday. The Tasting menu will be the only menu served on Fridays and Saturdays. Continued

Benu

4.5

224 $50 and over restaurant

Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerBest Service
Diners' Choice WinnerFit for Foodies

Featured Reviews

More Reviews ›

Reviews from OpenTable Diners Learn More

203 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Outstanding) 4.5 / 5

Food

(Outstanding) 4.5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4.6 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 4.1 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

203 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Outstanding) 4.5 / 5

Food

(Outstanding) 4.5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4.6 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 4.1 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

Filter Reviews By:

Diners classify this restaurant as:

fit for foodies(162)
special occasion(141)
notable wine list(85)

romantic(63)
hot spot(25)
neighborhood gem(19)

Current OpenTable.com Diner Reviews (203)

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

While we hoped for a great

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/12/2012

2004

Dined on 04/12/2012

2004

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"While we hoped for a great meal we never expected an almost four hour extravaganza.
We had the tasting menu and shared a "beverage service." While all the service staff is incredible and
knowledgable when sommelier/beverage director Yoon Ha explains his pairings and the course we are about to experience,
it adds another element to the meal before you. From start to finish Benu is well orchestrated machine and we had a hard time comprehending just how many people were involved in our meal. We continue to sing Benu's praise and will be back!"

Dined on 04/12/2012

2004

Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

We had a fantastic experience

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/13/2012

2005

Dined on 04/13/2012

2005

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"We had a fantastic experience at Benu. I have been there once before and ordered the a la carte menu which was great but not fantastic. We wend back this time and we did the full tasting menu, the experience was much different.
From it's presentation to creativity of the dishes , ambience to services.. I'd rate it a 5 star. Very well deserving of the newly rated Michelin 2 star. Now be mindful, it is expensive, but if you can justify with a special occasion, it is very well worth the trip. Good luck."

Dined on 04/13/2012

2005

Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Tradition meets Innovation

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/10/2012

2006

Dined on 04/10/2012

2006

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"Benu features a host of Western and Asian influences, brought together in innovative ways, and decorated in a restrained fashion with occasional flourishes of modern technique. The standout savory course was spaghetti with wood-ears and grated fermented pepper-cured egg-yolk (which has complex flavors of spice, cheese, sulfur, and other earthy notes); profoundly strange, and tasty in a "you just have to try it" kind of way. The desserts brought together interesting flavor combinations (one was "rhubarb, quinine, rhubarb, lavender", the other "caramel, coffee, cashew, prune") in a way that showed some flair, while fine-tuning each element to work in harmony. For photos of the meal, see: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjzuDBSr"

Dined on 04/10/2012

2006

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Outstanding special occasion dining

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/07/2012

2012

Dined on 04/07/2012

2012

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Outstanding food. 18 course tasting menu - each course was very good or excellent. Very creative.
Portion sizes were reasonable considering the number of courses.
Attentive service and very high ratio of staff to diners. (Including kitchen, probably at least 1::1.)
Comfortable but not opulent dining room. Carpet and opening in the false ceiling kept noise down.
Location is the (heavily renovated) former home of (the fondly remembered) Hawthorne Lane and Two.
Customers dressed more casually than expected
and younger than expected. (Ages ranged from 20s to 60s.) 3+ hour dining experience.
Very expensive - special occasions only."

Dined on 04/07/2012

2012

Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

We did the tasting menu on

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/07/2012

2001

Dined on 04/07/2012

2001

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"We did the tasting menu on a Saturday night for a birthday. The 17-course meal was full of surprises with items that are not typical on fine-dining menu -- foie gras xiao liang boa, sea cucumber stuffed with shrimp, monkfish liver and velvet chicken with abalone. It was an evening of treating your palette to texture as well as taste. The attention to details is impeccable. Wonderful presentation of food... no wonder Chef Cory Lee is the many lists of Outstanding New Chef of 2012"

Dined on 04/07/2012

2001

Special Features: fit for foodies

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Wonderful food, interesting

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/06/2012

2004

Dined on 04/06/2012

2004

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Wonderful food, interesting atmosphere. Small space which felt somewhat intimate but could overhear the entire conversation at the next table which are very close together and your experience can be influenced by who you end up sitting next to! Worth the trip up to the city for and especially for a special occasion."

Dined on 04/06/2012

2004

Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Amazing. The oyster, pork

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/06/2012

2011

Dined on 04/06/2012

2011

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"Amazing. The oyster, pork belly, kimchi bite was the best bite I've ever had!"

Dined on 04/06/2012

2011

Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

More than just dinner, Benu

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/06/2012

2012

Dined on 04/06/2012

2012

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"More than just dinner, Benu is an experience. The creativity and presentation are phenomenal."

Dined on 04/06/2012

2012

Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

The food at Benu is innovative

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/06/2012

2010

Dined on 04/06/2012

2010

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"The food at Benu is innovative and fantastic. Each dish was delicious on its own and worked together for a very satisfying evening. We had the wine pairing with the tasting menu and it worked perfectly. Given the unique ingredients in the dishes, most of the pairings were not what you would typically find but worked surprisingly well like a Belgium Ale with foie gras. The service is attentive and friendly. The atmosphere is sparse and sometimes the noise levels crept up. Overall, wonderful!"

Dined on 04/06/2012

2010

Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion

0points

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service was some of the most

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/04/2012

2012

Dined on 04/04/2012

2012

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"Service was some of the most courteous and professional we have ever experienced with personnel very knowledgeable about the food. Food is prepared and presented with great care, and somewhat specialized, we thought. Portions, even for the a la carte menu, are small, requiring the ordering of more dishes, most of them expensive."