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Cafe de la Presse
Cafe de la Presse

Cafe de la Presse Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.cafedelapresse.com/
  • Phone: (415) 398-2680
  • Hours of Operation: Breakfast: Sunday - Saturday: 7:00am - 11:30am; Brunch: Saturday - Sunday: 11:00am - 4:00pm; Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:30am - 2:30pm; Dinner: Sunday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: French, Continental
  • Executive Chef: Mr. Patrick Albert
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Delivery, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Catering: Depending on the number of people and the type of party, we can tailor a special menu and provide some advice.
  • Private Party Facilities: We can provide semi-private parties; private accommodations may be possible by closing the downstairs dining room. Please call the restaurant for details.
  • Private Party Contact: Manager (415) 398-2680

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Bush St.
  • Parking: Public Lot
  • Parking Details: There is a public lot nearby on Bush St. There is also valet parking through the Hotel Triton.
A word from Cafe de la Presse
For centuries, cafes the world over have provided patrons with entertainment that draws on all walks of life. In these gathering places of art, politics, fashion, and everyday events, cafe-goers partake in a unique convergence of eclectic culture and traditional cuisine. Parisian-inspired Cafe de… la Presse continues the trend with international literature, classic fare, and the age-old pastime of dining, relaxing, and conversing in a vibrant atmosphere.Continued
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Diner Reviews
  • "Server was friendly and attentive. Food was good - great downtown location - love the French feeling and magazines rack!"
    Dined on 4/16/2014
  • "We asked friends that know San Francisco for a good place for dinner. This is the one they recommended and we're glad they did. It's in an area close to some pretty highbrow shopping so fellas, get a map and maybe you can figure out a way to avoid them. There were 4 of us and we all came out with the promise that we'd be back again. Creme Brulee and Cappuccino for dessert were the best."
    Dined on 4/14/2014
  • "I enjoy this French restaurant, with newspapers and magazines to peruse, breakfast, lunch or dinner wine and cocktails, very convenient, and food is good. My husband was disappointed with the stark tartar, it was good, but not what he expected."
    Dined on 4/13/2014
  • "I dined here with a business colleague who was here from out-of-state. We had a completely positive experience - from the wine to the food to the service. We were able to talk a little business without having to shout. And the wait staff were attentive but not hovering. While we ate inside and there were just two of us, the outside dining area looked very inviting, and I noticed at least two large groups nearby who appeared to have been served in a timely way. I'd definitely return!"
    Dined on 4/9/2014
  • "As a native San Franciscan, I've walked by here many many times thinking it was a cheesy tourist trap. I came to lunch here with a colleague and was presently surprised. I had the quinoa salad and it was so tasty and fresh! I'll definitely be back!"
    Dined on 4/8/2014
  • "Dinner was good, wine recommendation excellent. Waiter outstanding."
    Dined on 4/3/2014
  • "This used to be one of my favourite restaurants however the recent changes to the menu have left me looking elsewhere. The food is now very bland and very ordinary. The service remains outstanding, but the quality of the food is now lacking the flavour I have come to expect from this restaurant. I may return one more time to see if there are still any redeeming options left on the menu, but the last visit makes me wary of going back."
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "I asked the waiter her recommendation between rabbit and the duck entre w/port reduction sauce. She immediately told me that a white wine would go best with each dish. Since I ordered the duck w/port, I asked for a pinot noir. When our food arrived, my guest received what she had ordered and I received a confit of duck. The dish was removed and my companion had almost finished her entre by the time I received the correct dish. No apology!"
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "good food/over priced; great location/touristy; we'd go back for lunch, but not dinner."
    Dined on 3/21/2014
  • "Whenever we want good food in a relaxing atmosphere to just enjoy ourselves Cafe de la Presse always comes to mind."
    Dined on 3/17/2014
  • "It was a nice day with a friend, and Cafe de la Presse proved to be the right spot for lunch. Although the tables are a bit close, it all somehow works. I was feeling adventuresome and tried two new things: a salmon tart that was fantastically flavorful, followed by steak tartare, cooked to perfection. (ahem). The wine was a blend, not overpriced, and perfectly suited to my meal. aaaaaah, the waitress was attentive without being obtrusive. She handled my silly comment (only one) that the steak tartare was over-cooked with just the right appreciation and smartness. Breakfast the day before was less pleasurable. While the eggs and espresso were good, the service and seating were not."
    Dined on 3/13/2014
  • "Cafe de la Presse is my "go to" lunch spot in Union Square, and I have recommended it to many friends. Food is usually very good and sometimes excellent. Not so this time. My mouclade (mussels in lightly creamed curry sauce) was OK, and I liked the touch of diced fresh apple scattered over the top. But the sauce was a little too thin, didn't really cling to the mussels, and ended up being not only pallid in flavor, but insubstantial. I have eaten here far too many times to give up after one subpar meal, but were this to become a trend ...."
    Dined on 3/13/2014
  • "The service is great, food is delicious, and the space is as close as you can get to Bouchon in Yountville. I like it!"
    Dined on 3/12/2014
  • "This place is great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, or a quick bite. I really like this place a lot and frequently visit when I am in the city. Trust me you can't go wrong here and won't be disappointed. On nice days you can sit outside facing the entrance to china town."
    Dined on 3/7/2014
  • "We were greeted by the French maître d' and shown to a nice table in the downstairs area, which was more pleasant than the frenetic street level part. Service was prompt and friendly. A bay-shrimp salad with avocado, oranges and radicchio. All was good except the avocado was not ripe, it was hard. This is not hard to get right, you just buy avocados in time to let them ripen. The sea bass was just OK, but had very little flavor in spite of the basil beurre-blanc sauce. I might go back."
    Dined on 3/5/2014
  • "Beef Bourgignant was delicious. Paella delicious also."
    Dined on 2/26/2014
  • "We ordered the filets, both medium rare. One came back medium. Béarnaise sauce was fantastic as were the fries. The service was a bit slow off the start. I've eaten here several times and this particular experience was perhaps the worst. So I will certainly come back. Perhaps just an off night."
    Dined on 2/23/2014
  • "Amazing plates. All what you need when you miss France!"
    Dined on 2/19/2014
  • "Cafe de la Presse turns out consistently high level food. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the dishes are very well prepared and use high quality ingredients. Service this particular night was spotty, which was surprising given the number of active tables. The hangar steak that I had were cooked exactly as I like (medium rare) and the accompanying frites were hot and crisp on the outside, melt-in-your mouth on the inside. My dining partner had the duck, which she reported as superb. Drinks were good. Decent and affordable wine selection. Good coffee from La Colombe."
    Dined on 2/18/2014
  • "Service was great. We had steack frites sauce Bordelaise, lapin and shrimp salade! Food was amazing! You can also buy your French magazine. We will be back!"
    Dined on 2/17/2014
  • "My husband took me there for Valentine's Day lunch. We were seated not long after our reservation time, had a wonderful table, found the decor enjoyable and the food wonderful. We will definitely go there again, especially for a special occassion."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "This place is so bright and charming. The vibe is energetic in a soothing way. Everything is prepared and presented effortlessly in a way that makes you feel extremely at ease. This was my third time at this restaurant and every time each dish I've ordered has been perfect. The Bouef bourginon, lavender creme brûlée and Norwegian eggs Benedict are sublime. There is something so wonderful about such an effortless and fuss-free ambience accompanied by very high quality food. If you are fussy about your French food but don't need to wear a cocktail dress to dinner, this may be the place for you."
    Dined on 2/9/2014
  • "Great food & great atmosphere. Just about as close to a Paris bistro as you can get and you don't have to deal with the indifferent Parisian server! Highly recommend this Union Square gem. Will be back often."
    Dined on 2/13/2014
  • "If you want a decent meal right near the entrance arch to Chinatown then this is a good place to go. The food was average. The atmosphere was good. On the down side we had a table with a stranger sitting about 2" from me on the bench seat. Our service was very bad with many long waits between visits from the waiter (I even ended the meal with an empty water glass with no refills offered after our carafe of sparkling water was gone). Also, FYI, the cost of the sparkling water is $9.25, Draft beer is $5.90 and a glass of house wine is $11 (you will not see pricing on these on the menu)"
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "Truly comfortable eatery that always pleases with good food/svc/atmosphere at a reasonable price. Always enjoy what they do and feel comfortable returning time and again."
    Dined on 2/2/2014
  • "We were given an excellent table and the menu was full of very excellent choices. My host really enjoyed your wine list and the waiter's helpfulness in selecting an appropriate wine."
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "Just great food and service. We are definitely going back."
    Dined on 1/31/2014
  • "I met a friend from out of town for breakfast there as it is very convenient and close to my appointment in Union Square. I ordered a latte and a fruit platter as I did not want to eat too much. Well, I guess I did not get much either for the $11 fruit platter... a few slices of strawberries, bananas, oranges, and a lot of grapes. No melons, whole strawberries, papayas or any of the better fruits. I got a "cheap fruit salad" swimming on a platter as the fruits are not even arranged nicely like in most restaurants that charge that kind of prices. How hard is it to leave the grapes in bunches? or arrange the orange (and other fruit) slices together? The restaurant aspires to be French, but it is totally disappointing."
    Dined on 1/29/2014
  • "A friend and I met for lunch and Cafe de la Presse is just always delicious. The onion soup with melted cheese you just can't beat and the quinoa salad with beets was surprisingly filling. Our server, Evelyn, was delightful. So sweet and helpful."
    Dined on 1/25/2014
  • "From the very brusque but charming maitre d to the menu and the international periodicals on the wall rack, this is so much a French cafe...and you are at the Gate of Chinatown! lovely salads, attentive waitresses and a lingering lunch amid the bustle."
    Dined on 1/22/2014
  • "We've enjoyed Presse for years, and this last was no exception."
    Dined on 1/19/2014
  • "Cafe de la Presse is a great place for authentic French bistro food. While the quiche and sandwiches are excellent, my favorite is the tarte provincial, a light tomato basil pizza on filo pastry. Service is always friendly and quick. And on a nice day the sidewalk tables are fun. They also have delicious profiteroles if you feel like desert!"
    Dined on 1/17/2014
  • "My husband and I had dinner for the first time at this cafe and loved the food, atmosphere and wait staff. Food was prepared extremely well and delicious. Our waiter was excellent, answered our questions about the menu and made recommendations. He popped in with us regularly to see how we were doing. We will return to this little gem close to Union Square."
    Dined on 1/18/2014
  • "We came for the Wednesday special, the "couscous". It was well prepared, the grains detaching beautifully, the meats well done. Innovation, eggplant in part of the vegetables. Chickpeas included in the veggies, unusual. By and large, very satisfactory experience."
    Dined on 1/15/2014
  • "This is one of our go-to French restaurants in SF. Near Union Square, theaters, shopping, so very convenient. Food is always great, as is the service, and the ambiance is very reminiscent of French cafes. The food is country style...simple and delicious. The duck breast, in a pomegranate reduction sauce, is my favorite dish there, although I've never had anything there that I didn't like. Definitely worth a visit."
    Dined on 1/16/2014
  • "Atmosphere, service and food reflect its venerable status as authentic French bistro in San Francisco, Cafe de la Presse never disappoints when one needs a dose of Parisian nostalgia"
    Dined on 1/16/2014
  • "Charming, fun, fabulous! A bit of Parisian charm has fallen onto Grant Ave. Wonderful service, great food. Charming hosts and on top of that the best magazine stand in town! Perfect for breakfast, delightful for lunch and romantic for dinner. A go to spot for a bite in the middle of shopping in Union Square . The staff is always warm and welcoming, efficient and they bend over backwards to make your dining experience an event. And this is good to know, if you are a party of one there is plenty of room to sit at the bar and eat or a high-top. But if you prefer a table that is not a problem the staff at Cafe de la Presse are happy to seat you anywhere. Great sidewalk cafe seating too. My favorite restaurant in San Francisco. Don't miss it."
    Dined on 1/12/2014
  • "We went to Cafe de La Presse on Christmas day for dinner. We had a reservation at 7 PM and e were seated about 20 minutes late. The place is not very big, so it is a great idea to make a reservation. The food is great. I had the onion soup and was very good. My wife had the duck terrine which was unremarkable. My son had the escargots, and were good, but we had to ask the waiter to bring us the snail fork. For main course I had the duck, which was good, my wife had the steak and frites and my son had the flatiron steak, both said the meat was good and enjoyable. The wine list is very good, with a large selection of french and California wines, as well as many wines from other world regions."
    Dined on 12/25/2013
  • "Excellent French onion soup and beef bourgignon! Great atmosphere in downtown San Francisco...want to go back and try breakfast!"
    Dined on 1/9/2014
  • "Wonderful food with a european flair across from the Orchard Garden Hotel. Feels like dining in a cafe in Paris with an interesting menu, good service and prices that I would expect in the city. Our dinners were wonderful and the service very good. The entry level is very cafe casual and lower level dining room a bit more formal. I could have eaten there every night."
    Dined on 1/3/2014
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