L'ArdoiseDuboce Triangle French BistroL'Ardoise, a small French bistro in the Duboce Triangle area, is a great find for tasty French cooking. The lamb chops with potatoes landaise were decadent and delicious. Our dessert of chocolate bread pudding was also quite nice; a rather rare exception to the all too frequent observation that good entrees and good desserts don't seem occur together all that often in one establishment.
The wait staff were professional and attentive and, apparently, mostly French.
Reservations are a must as the space is small and fills up even during the week.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMA great neighborhood placeWe live near L'Ardoise and have never been able to get a reservation. We'll we finally got our act together and had a certifiably wonderful experience. Delicious food (I'm still thinking about those potatoes!) and attentive, friendly service. Can't wait to go back.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMOur favorite SF restaurant so farWe have now been to L'Ardoise three times. Each time it was excellent food, service and ambiance. Just the right place for us.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMRomantic dinnerGreat spot for our anniversary dinner. The food outstanding, cozy but lively atmosphere, great friendly service. I found the menu broader and more accessible than a lot of French restaurants. Highly recommend them.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMhidden gemGreat food, service and ambience. Definitely worth checking out. Don't tell too many people, though - it's busy enough as it is! ;)5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMSF meets ParisAlways enjoy L'Ardoise, charming restaurant, old French feeling in a hip charming neighborhood. Very nice food, excellent , warm friendly Service. Thierry Clement is a delight.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMFrench Dining in The CastroL'Ardoise is the perfect French bistro where you are guaranteed an excellent meal in congenial surroundings. Much cheaper than flying to Paris for dinner and possibly better food! The menu is not too big and of course the steak and not frites are divine. Also the duck confit is a winner. I miss the fois gras of course but their salads and other starters are always fresh, interesting and delicious. And don't forget to leave room for the definitive chocolate cake dessert. The wine list is simple and not too pricey but has good choices. As always the maitre d' and staff are welcoming and friendly and seem to really remember you from previous visits even if more than a year before. A very popular neighbourhood restaurant and rightly so.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Neighborhood GemWe had escargots and ravioli entrees, flank steak and frites, coq au vin, it was truely authentic and delicious with great service in a great intimate atmosphere and very reasonable prices for 5 before wine it was around 200 dollars which i consider extremely reasonable. Parking is best to get there a tad early, you have to park around the streets of the neighborhood. Otherwise very easy access and really great strolls to be had.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMIt's wonderful!I'm a fan of L'Ardoise. It does not disappoint. Its staff is genuinely friendly and personable; the space is intimate (though not crowded); the ambience transports you to a fab experience; and the food is impeccably prepared. There are no bad seats at L'Ardoise. I'm as happy dining at the bar as I am at a table. I also appreciate the staff's knowledge and friendly assistance when I decide to venture towards a new (to me) grape varietal. I've taken friends to L'Ardoise, and they often ask, "when are we going back?" L'Ardoise is truly a neighborhood gem. C'est merveilleux!4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMDubuce Triangle DelightMy partner and I had a delightful dinner. The service was attentive and the food was delicious4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMNeighborhood GemGreat French inspired food with San Francisco friendliness.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThey love their clienteleTheir coq au vin is luscious. Be sure to get the tiger prawn ravioli, and the warm flourless chocolate cake.
Impeccable, friendly and happy service from native French people who clearly love their restaurant and their clientelle.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMI enjoy meals here becauseI enjoy meals here because the staff is always warm and welcoming. The service is attentive without being overbearing. The food is always well prepared and nicely served. L'Ardoise has become a favourite place to dine and to recommend to friends.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMA touch of Paris right in S.F.My boyfriend and I love this place! Every time we're here we feel like we were somehow transported to Paris. Walk through the doors at L'Ardoise, and you're no longer in San Francisco! The atmosphere is totally French. The waitstaff are charming, helpful, and friendly. The menu is excellent. Everything we've had here has been cooked to perfection (and the potatoes that come with the filet mignon are to die for!!). We need to visit more often as there are so many things on the menu that I want to try!
We love that whenever we feel the need to escape our normal lives, Paris is practically around the corner!3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMOur friends recommended thisOur friends recommended this restaurant to us, and I'm glad they did. We would never have found this out-of-the-way restaurant, and we would have missed out! The food was amazing, a really nice casual wait staff who knew their stuff.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMabsolutely loved this place.absolutely loved this place. Super cute, amazing food, good wine, and polite service. Will be back!3/20/2013 12:00:00 AMA great restaurant.A great restaurant in a safe and comfortable setting. I highly recommend the experience.3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMBistro perfection!We really appreciated L'Ardoise. Could've been at a neighborhood bistro on the Rive Gauche. Atmosphere was very inviting. Service attentive but low key. Wine list prices very reasonable. Tables are close but this added to the feeling of neighborhood and warmth. Just so comfortable, delicious, and enjoyable all around.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMThe quality of the bread (inThe quality of the bread (in this case, the baguette) served at a restaurant is always telling. L'Ardoise is no exception and starting off with their buttery version was a sign of what was to come.
Splitting the wonderfully-prepared hangar steak and perfect pomme frites was a great way to get in a larger portion of delicious greens in our meal: the shaved brussel sprouts salad and the warm goat cheese crouton, tomato and lettuces were fabulous, and not the typical fare.
The tarte tartin and floating island desserts were an indulgent end to a great meal. Can't wait to come back!3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMA Great Dining ExperienceThis was our first visit to the Castro area of San Francisco and to L'ardoise. We very much enjoyed our meals. The atmosphere made us all feel like we were in a Parisian bistro with lots of French being spoken by staff and diners alike. The service was excellent. We started off with a basket of fresh cut French baguette. Our excellent appetizers included butter lettuce with olive oil and anchovies, and brussel sprouts salad, Our mains were arctic char, and coq au vin and they were also to die for. The wines we had by the glass were ample and very good for the price paid. We will definitely return.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMOnce again an awesome diningOnce again an awesome dining experience at L'Ardoise. The service was as always, friendly and impeccable. The food was outstanding, as was its presentation. A wonderfl place to dine!3/7/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a good restaurantThis is a good restaurant for a special occasion. We were celebrating a friend's birthday and the menu had something to please each of us. It was well prepared and served. We had a most enjoyable evening.3/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGenuine French Cuisine!The food was fantastic ... genuine French cuisine!! We went there for the first time and the experience was nothing but absolute positive, which includes the food and service. We plan to return again!2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM