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Exterior shot of Zuni at twilight - Zuni Cafe, San Francisco, CA
Award-winning

Zuni Cafe

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Visa Dining Collection

4.6 (8061)
$31 to $50
Modern European
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 89 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Charming
Zuni Café opened in San Francisco, California on February 15, 1979. Our daily changing menus are inspired by seasonal organic ingredients and incorporate traditional French and Italian cuisine. As Zuni continues to evolve, in its own distinctive and delicious way, it strives to remain the way it’s always been: at the same time rustic and cosmopolitan, audacious and familiar, intimate and convivial.

RESERVATIONS ARE TAKEN UP TO 4 WEEKS IN ADVANCE.
TABLES ARE RESERVED FOR A 2 HOUR TIME LIMIT.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Modern European
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri–Sun 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Gilbert Pilgram; Anne Alvero CdC
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Cross street
    Between Franklin & Gough
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Entertainment
    Piano
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 8,061 people are saying

Zuni Cafe reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Francisco

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Zuni Cafe, a San Francisco staple, is beloved for its "fantastic service" and iconic roast chicken. It's praised for its "delicious, seasonal food and classic California cuisine." The atmosphere is "great," with a "warm, convivial vibe." Despite being "pricey," it offers a "wonderful dining experience" with "excellent cocktails" and "attentive staff."
8,061 Reviews
  1. Zélia

    San Francisco Bay Area11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    It was great! Clearly a San Francisco staple for a reason. Loved it.

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  2. Dana

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley31 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I have been to Zuni Cafe in the past, but it had been a long time. I love the atmosphere and all the little nooks and crannies with tables, upstairs mostly I think. We were able to look right down on the oven which was kind of fun! I wouldn't say the food was stellar, although it was very good. Duck confit was cooked perfectly, cherry sauce was a little underwhelming. And the Gateau Victoire was a dry chocolate cake, that was disappointing. The whipped cream it came with was great, however! I don't have a problem with the 5% add for health insurance, etc. I DO have a problem with a mandatory 20% tip requirement, no matter your party size. You have no choice, so if your service is less than, you still pay. I feel this defeats the point of the "tip." Because it's mandatory, I am not inclined to tip anything additional even if service was above and beyond. And if it's mandatory, just include it in the price of the food, and say no tip required. Although the food is quite pricey as it is. So be prepared to add 25% to your meal right off the bat. We ate at a different restaurant the next night, had stellar service and tipped more than 20%, which was not required at that restaurant.

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  3. Raintree

    Houston1 review

    3.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    We were really looking forward to eating at this restaurant. I have the cookbook and saw that many famous chefs attribute their culinary creativity to this café. It did not however live up to its reputation. The portions were very small, the food was overly fatty with both butter and oil. The famous Caesar salad was overdressed. And our cod was incredibly boring. Overall, for the price, it’s maybe not worth it.

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  4. Linda VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent as always ‼️ Very accommodating for a wheelchair user. Always love going to Zuni. Staff are kind, friendly and very experienced. Everyone is good humored.

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  5. Susan VIP

    San Diego11 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    We have been coming to Zuni for many years every time we are in SF. This time, it was a miss. First we were seated upstairs and seated next to a table of 8 people that were not speaking loudly -they were screaming. This was not the fault of Zuni. The hostess could not have been nicer and she moved us to a small room which was lovely. But at that point, we had a server that was not friendly and just going through the motions of her job. The Caesar salad had way too much dressing on it. We also ordered the "famous" chicken for two. The bread underneath barely had any currants in it and the chicken was just kind of an oily mess. I believe it was somewhat overcooked as well. I could barely cut it. On top of all of that, they added a 20% tip on for two people. I usually tip more than that, but since the server was not nice to us, I would have left 18%. Apparently, I didn't have a choice in the matter. I did look on line at the menu and to be fair, that is stated on there. I just didn't catch it. The only positive thing I can say is the hostess was very welcoming.

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  6. Rena

    New York City3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Salad was not very cohesive, but the components were good separately.

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  7. Diane

    San Francisco Bay Area19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From the moment we arrived we were treated like honored guests. We shared two appetizers, a pasta and the famous chicken. Our server warned us that we wouldn’t be able to eat it all and we knew he was right but we enjoyed every bite and will enjoy the leftovers!

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  8. JON VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    San Francisco staple. Always good food and service. The dinning room can sometime be noisy but the upstairs was pleasant and we could carry on a conversation without any issues. The chicken for two was the highlight of the meal but the desserts were spectacular - Pavlova was the best. Also the heirloom tomato salad was excellent.

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  9. minu

    San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very expensive for the variety and the sophistication level of food

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  10. Francis VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area135 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My 3rd visit in June for dinner at my favorite restaurant in SF for 30 years. Three of us had a quiet table on the 2nd floor. White nectarines with mulberries, croutons, and goat cheese appetizer and the gnocchi were fantastic. Vegetarian entree came from the wood-fired brick oven. Pleasant, knowledgeable service.

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FAQs

Zuni Cafe is rated 4.6 stars by 8061 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. San Francisco
  5. Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 89 times today
Google Map for Zuni Cafe

1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross street
    Between Franklin & Gough
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri–Sun 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Modern European
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Gilbert Pilgram; Anne Alvero CdC
  • Entertainment
    Piano
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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