Diners' Choice: French restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall French cuisine in San Francisco Bay Area? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Cote Ouest

4.9

4.9 (818)

$30 and under

French

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

Côte Ouest Bistro is a contemporary French bistro led by partners Laurent Monchicourt & Martin Sarrailh. In April 2021, the pair transformed the former Baker Street Bistro into a modern 21st century neighborhood gem. At the heart of Laurent and Martin's partnership lies a shared dream: to create a restaurant that embraces guests like family, offering a haven where they can delight in delectable food and wine, surrounded by warm companionship.

Nestle into one of the bay window seats and enjoy conversation over a plate of charcuterie with the perfect glass of Bordeaux. Chef Sarrailh prepares seasonal specialties as well as favorite French classics like Steak Frites and Duck Confit. The custard-soaked Croissant French Toast is not to be missed if you stop by for brunch on the sunny terrace.

Côte Ouest Bistro has been featured in Forbes magazine and The Infatuation and was named one of the "Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in the Nation 2024" by Open Table.

Top review

MargueriteVIP

Dined 1 day ago

LOVED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD JEM! Spent the day in the city starting with lunch here. It was a beautiful day . We sat outside. The French onion soup was perfect. The quiche was so good and light & delicious. Will come back for sure..

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Popular dish

French Onion Soup

Popular dish

French Onion SoupSoup of the day

Popular dish

Boeuf Bourguignon

Le Parc Bistrobar

4.9

4.9 (315)

$31 to $50

French

Financial District / Embarcadero

About the restaurant

Le Parc Bistrobar is a delightful French restaurant in Union Square, San Francisco, nestled within the Galleria Park Hotel. Led by the renowned 2-star Michelin Chef Bruno Chemel, this bistro offers a culinary escapade that perfectly complements the city's refined tastes. The menu at Le Parc Bistrobar is a tribute to classic French cuisine, featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients that bring out the rich, traditional flavors in every dish. The lounge bar provides a wide variety of wines and cocktails to enhance the gourmet experience.

Top review

Auclair

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent hospitality, service top notch and incredible French cuisine, finally a real French restaurant in San Francisco.

Walnut Creek Branch - La Sen Bistro

4.8

4.8 (1258)

$31 to $50

French

Walnut Creek

About the restaurant

On Mother's Day, La Sen will only be offering the Dinner Menu and Special Menu all day.

La Sen Bistro in Walnut Creek is serving the parallel French-California classic samples of duck confit, rack of lamb, escargot, beef bourguignon and mussels - just to name a few. These great samples were recognized by the Diablo Magazine, San Francisco Chronicles, Contra Costa Times and San Jose Mercury News. In addition, these samples were also recognized by the Michelin Guide in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Come join La Sen Bistro for a glass of wine and a taste of French-California cuisine. Cheers to good food and great companies. Bon Appetit!

Top review

ScottVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Our waiter, Adam, was great. The vol-au-vent was one of the top dishes, of any variety, that I have ever had. Good dining value in a nice location with top notch staff throughout.

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Popular dish

Escargot de Bourgogne

4.8

4.8 (49)

$31 to $50

French

Palo Alto

About the restaurant

Bistro Elan serves French dishes created mainly from ingredients obtained from the local farmers. The cozy interior is ideal for a date night or a small celebratory dinner with friends. The open kitchen offers a homey feel where you can enjoy an apple salad or La Quercia Prosciutto before moving on to an entrée of local Petrale sole or a Sonoma duck leg confit. Bistro Elan offers outside seating. Dine on a pan-seared Scallops or Flat Iron Steak in the open air.

Bistro Elan has a modest international wine list that has been carefully chosen to pair well with each dish. Finish the evening meal with a dessert like Coffee ice cream, roasted strawberry ice cream, caramelized Valrhona chocolate mousse or a slice of Almond cake.

Top review

CoreyVIP

Dined on Apr 10, 2025

We love it here. Excellent small restaurant with a very attentive staff. The perfect place to be a regular.

Chapeau

4.9

4.9 (3762)

$31 to $50

French

Richmond District

About the restaurant

Discover the essence of French culinary excellence at Chapeau! SF, a beloved bistro nestled in the heart of San Francisco since 1996. Celebrated for its warm ambiance and impeccable service, Chapeau! offers a delightful dining experience featuring both prix fixe and à la carte menus.

Indulge in our weekday limited prix fixe menu at $55 per person, or savor the $75 prix fixe menu available every night, allowing you to select any appetizer, entrée, and dessert. For those who prefer flexibility, our à la carte menu is also available anytime.

Chapeau! SF is dedicated to serving authentic French cuisine with a modern twist, curated by our expert chefs. Join us at 126 Clement Street and let us transport you to the heart of France with every bite.

A bientôt!

Top review

CHARLENE

Dined on Apr 11, 2025

The delicious food beautifully prepared and presented by stellar staff make this a destination that never disappoints. Excellent vol au vent, stellar scallop dish, & the sauce in the pork loin makes it and the accompaniments really sing. Great for the relaxing evening I needed this visit but also for celebration dinners. J’adore!

The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil

4.9

4.9 (4902)

$50 and over

French

Rutherford

About the restaurant

With 17 consecutive Michelin Star awards, The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil provides a memorable feast for the eyes and the senses. Nestled within a sun-lit hillside overlooking lush vineyards and distant mountains, the spectacular vista views from the intimate dining room or the expansive outdoor terrace serve as an idyllic backdrop for one of wine country's most renown fine dining experiences. Showcasing fresh, seasonal ingredients, sourced from local purveyors, the Mediterranean-inspired menu is complemented by an extensive selection of international wines from the hotel’s award-winning 15,000 bottle cellar.

Enjoy a two- or three-course prix fixe lunch or your choice of a multi-course prix fixe or chef's tasting menu at dinner. Advance reservations required.

Top review

ian

Dined 2 days ago

Amazing experience looking forward to coming back!

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4.9

4.9 (3428)

$31 to $50

French

The Castro

About the restaurant

French Bistro serving traditional and authentic fare in a cozy atmosphere.

Top review

glennVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Great little gem in the heart of San Francisco. Country French flare with a neighbour feel to it. Make reservations due to its popularity.

Amélie Café and Wine Bar

4.8

4.8 (74)

$30 and under

French

Fairfax

About the restaurant

the Marin edition of Amelie
with large patio, enjoy our baked organic French goods: croissant baguette tarte
our french chef prepares a farm to table brunch, lunch and dinner
and a wine list curated by French sommelier and winemaker offering many options by the glass and bottle with a focus on French wine

Top review

Elizabeth

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

As always, the food was terrific! I was skeptical of the combination of ingredients for their Easter Sunday Salmon Bowl option, but was so blown away by the depth of flavor. YUM!

Reve

4.8

4.8 (2634)

$50 and over

French

Lafayette

About the restaurant

RÊVE is not that snooty, splurge-on-your-anniversary kind of French restaurant. Au contraire.
This is your classic, everyday neighborhood French bistro run by Chef Paul Magu-Lecugy & his wife, Laura. That kind of cozy little place you’d imagine in Saint Michel or Saint Germain. Not smack dab in the middle of the 'burbs. But lucky for you, that’s exactly where 5-star chef Paul Magu will be paying homage to the French comfort food that he fell in love with as a boy growing up in Paris. We’re talking authentic French onion soup. Steamed mussels. Steak frites. And don’t forget creme brulee… 2021 -2024 Michelin recognized Open Table "Diner's Choice" 2017-2024

Reservations available for 8 or less people until May.

Top review

WilliamVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Superb French bistro food with friendly , efficient service and excellent drinks and wine ( highly recommended!

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Popular dish

Poulet Façon Coq au Vin

4.8

4.8 (31)

$50 and over

French

Los Gatos

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of downtown Los Gatos we are a cozy French restaurant offering beautiful but approachable cuisine, wine, and champagne. Our restaurant offers everything from brunch on the weekends to Oysters, Caviar, Boeuf Bourguignon, and the Best Burger in LG. Featuring over 100 wines in our conservative space we have assembled a modest but excellent collection of offerings. Please come and enjoy our Bistro for an experience you will not soon forget.

Top review

BrandonVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Epernay is always consistent, high quality, and has friendly service. Great choices in wine and champagne, with authentic French cuisine. Love coming here.

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