Amazing food.

My dinner at Frances was one of my all time favorite meals ever!! Every item had complex flavors and was presented beautifully!

Creative, attentive. Ordered Salmon and it was a bit too salty ... and slightly over done. Had to ask for bread and they only gave us one slice at a time

Always perfect.

My friend and I had a fun experience trying this restaurant and enjoying many interesting combinations of flavors. Noise level was good when we arrived at 5:30, became too loud by 7:00. We loved the bacon beignets and garbanzo fritters. The pasta with eggplant wasn't a dish that personally appealed to me and the salmon didn't have a combination of ingredients to make it a dish I'd order again with a few pepper slices and cherry slices and a small amount of farro. The corn soup was good and the peach pavlova was tasty. I am glad we dined there and if I lived closer I'd return to try all the appetizers with a glass of wine.

Frances is the best — they were so kind to bring us a treat for my sister’s birthday. We’ll be back!

Very friendly relaxed service and clientele! The food was excellent and it was a fun time eating and chatting with nearby tables!

The place is a little crowded and noisy, but the food is spectacular and the staff friendly and attentive. Close enough to the Castro and the Mission if (as we did) you are going to events after dinner

One of my best meals ever. Great local community feel with highest levels of execution.

Joe, our server, was very professional and helpful. His recommendations were spot on. The Quincy sauve blanc from France was crisp and delicious as advertised. He knew what he was talking about. Chef did a tasty job on our salmon and buvette. Purchased a gift certificate for our
SF friend so he can share the beauty of Frances with his bestie.

Excellent food and service definitely will go back
JC

Food way too salty- all dishes, and everyone in my party of four thought so. Great concept with the House wine- pay what you drink- more restaurants should adopt this (and both the white and red were good). A little crammed inside although service was fine.

Fabulous meal! Enjoyed the summer salad with nectarines, and risotto with summer squash paired with a delicious Wilamette Valley Pinot Noir and finished off with an amazing chocolate pot de creme! The food tasted fresh from the garden, the service was impeccable-efficient, friendly yet unassuming and the ambience was perfect for a summer evening out. Will definitely return! Wanted to try the tasting menu also!

As good as ever. Prices have drifted upwards with mains hovering around $30. The food is right on and service is impeccable. Tables are still too close together and essentially provide an individual communal table. If you want to escape that experience, there are only three table options: one of the two adjacent to the kitchen wall or the one all the way in the back. The circular window table used to be good but is now scrunched into the window making it a game of chess for window-side diners. Requesting a specific table at reservation time provides no guarantee you will get it. I still like Frances but the experience is getting a bit weary. Unfortunately, if they did a more spacious layout the prices would go through the roof. Not a great situation to be in so enjoy it while you can because I predict diner fatigue as some point.

Amazing food! Loved the variety of dishes and the excellent ingredients. Between the two of us, we had the begneits, corn soup, pork chops, salmon, and pavlova. Everything was very good! We especially loved the market shots- a cocktail made from whatever fruit they pick up at market as well as the wine by the oz- you pour the wine from the carafe to your glass and you are charged for however much you actually pour into your glass. Both those ideas are genius!

Excellent food and wine. Had high expectations and the restaurant delivered. Enjoyed the detailed personalized service.

Everything was 👌🏻! Romantic, quintessential SF setting. Amazing food - seriously you cannot go wrong. And pay what you drink house wine. 😋
I now 1000% understand why it’s tough to get a rezo here. Will be coming back.

Food was good but heavy on creams and sauces.

Service a bit slow and couldnt provide burgundy glasses for a nice vosne romanee.

One can always depend on the food at Frances to be consistent, creative, pleasing to the eye with flavors that open up the palette. I have eaten at Frances many times and have never been disappointed with the food, the service or the ambiance.

It was fabulous, as always!

The best salmon I have eaten. It was a gourmet-american food experience , unique. The 4 step Had The perfect size.

Frances was recommended by a friend and we enjoyed every last bite! Amazing food!

My wife and I chose this restaurant based on reviews. They were dead on. The food was excellent, wonderful choice of appetizers, my wife had the wild salmon, I the risotto, both were delicious. Great place for a wonderful meal.

This was our second trip at Frances, this time for our anniversary. We had a reservation for early on a Friday evening, and it was not nearly as crazy or crowded (inside or outside) as we expected. Everything was wonderful, again.

We shared a bottle of the house red, which was a good deal. We started with the Panisse Frites chickpea fritters, which were really simple but awesome. Not a huge serving, but a nice starter. We followed with the Tagliatelle alla Caponata. I told my wife that one thing I like about Frances is that every course is exciting and memorable--nothing fades from your mind after. This was enough for two, though I could have devoured it all myself. I made sure to ask for a few pieces of bread so I could sop up the sauce. For the main course, she got the salmon and I got the risotto, and both were excellent. I paused a couple of times so that I wouldn't eat too quickly.

The people-watching is stellar, and while the place is hustling and bustling, you don't feel rushed.

Great mid week dining experience

Frances is simply marvelous! Not to be missed. The menu is classic and timeless.

This was one of the finest dining experiences I have had in SF!!
Delicious food, terrific attentive service. I hope to dine again at Frances.

Waiter was snarky, and it was loud, but food was great!

We loved this restaurant. Tables are close together but other diners were very friendly. Food was really delicious, perfectly prepared and we were really satisfied. Had to try the bacon croquettes-- they were surprisingly fluffy and, of course, delicious. Also really liked the octopus. The risotto was delicious, as was the pork chop-- we shared both. And the blueberry dessert was delicious, but I confess buyer's remorse, wishing I had had the lemon meringue... definitely so glad we went.

Would be good to ‘lighten up’ a little and smile from time to time when serving - we are at the bar and at times, the service reminded us of the jet blue terminal at JFK (lifeless or taking itself too seriously). Some may see the service as patronizing.

Example:When I was asked if I wanted sparking or still water, I graciously asked to wait for my partner to return from the bathroom so she can select - In return, the staff raised the eyebrow as if I asked for the restaurant to change their menu. It’s just too much and over serious. This isn’t Lyon, France and even there they stopped doing this.

The counter staff service was as lively as a robot made by IBM.

It’s not the first time we are there (we are local) and it’s the same story again. I decided to write as your food is stunning and the place is charming.

Lighten up and have fun with your customers. Doesn’t take too much. Owners, please read this.

Great service, warm and very classy but not stuffy presentation. The food is phenomenal, especially the beignets and the steak. Everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection. Good portion sizes, and very very flavorful.

Great overall experience

We go to Frances every 2-3 months, each time is a hit. The food is simply delicious, the staff is great. One of the best restaurant in SF, no doubt.

Exquisite food - one of the best meals I’ve had in months. The unique touches, such as house wine by the once and a daily market fresh infused drink make Frances both homey and refined at the same time. Love this place!

Frances is a very popular restaurant in the Castro neighborhood. Dined here a few times. The food is just getting better from each experience. We had the beet salad and grilled calamari as the appetizers. The calamari was perfectly cooked with a light dressing. The beet salad had some surprise favor, from the dehydrated beet pollen. Both were refreshing. For the entrees, we had pork chop and the fish. Both are perfectly executed.
The star of the night is the server. All the staff were very friendly but our waiter danced around the tables to take care every table. He provided wine recommendations but did not make the customers feel uncomfortable. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Beautiful ingredients so deftly prepared and integrated. Strong in every course and dish. Attentive but unobtrusive service was right on point. Loved it.

Frances is one of my favourite restaurants in San Francisco. The bacon beignet are a must have, so are the panisse frites, and the ever changing mains and deserts are always delicious. 9/10 times ill order the vegetarian main, not because im vegetarian, but its genuinely the best vegetarian food in the city. On our recent visit my husband and I shared the spring pea risotto and the pork chop with corn, peach and basil. We usually go for the house wine by the ounce for fun. Lovely staff and simple but beautiful interior make it the perfect spot. Thanks Frances team! You are a San Francisco treasure.

Great atmosphere and service

Love the food and service at this neighborhood gem. Just wish I didn’t always feel I was sitting right on top of other guests every time we visit. Last time had us at a two seater against the wall which allowed a little more space, but still crowded and noisy. Great menu, excellent unique wine list.

A wonderful restaurant if you want a try California cuisine style meal. Fresh, perfectly cooked, and creative. Not sure I've been to a better restaurant ever!