Mourad

Lovely atmosphere, very good flavors, and attentive service...at times TOO attentive.

I was in town for a conference and decided to just have one solo, quiet meal to take a break.

It's just the right noise level - bustling enough to feel safe and comfortable, but not so loud as to not be able to hear myself talk.

The food was quite good. I loved my lamb dish. But the kale I got on the side was inedibly salty. I ate a few bites but couldn't keep going. Usually the wait staff would have asked if I didn't enjoy it or something if a dish was barely touched but here they did not, and just took it away.

They did, however, spend almost 3 minutes recommending and describing half the menu. It was too much, especially because I didn't even ask for recommendations. I was also trying to relax with headphones in and watch a video while eating my meal, but the server kept coming by to ask me how everything was when I clearly had headphones in.

The Sesame dessert was interesting and excellent!

We’ve been patrons of Mourad since 2016, consistently delighted by our experiences. Yet, our visit last night transcended all previous ones. The culinary execution was simply sublime. Every dish, from the sumptuous milk bread to our staple order of short ribs, was impeccable. The flavors and textures have always been impressive, but this time, they were exceptional. The addition of dashi to the salmon and barramundi enhanced these dishes and elevated the dining experience even more so. The couscous is simply out of this world.

Managed to get a table with no reservation on a weekday. Even though I only had 2 dishes, they were absolutely divine. The lamb tartare complimented with the smoked oyster emulsion really nicely, while the Duck Basteeya had great flavors from the fruit & nuts and spices.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the food at Mourad is of Michelin quality. I would definitely want to return again should I return to San Francisco.

As someone who loves trying new restaurants, and in a dynamic food city with an ever-growing list of notable spots, I find myself limited in time and resources to revisit even some of my favorite experiences. One such example is Mourad, an upscale and modern Moroccan restaurant in SoMa from chef Mourad Lahlou.

Mourad opened his eponymous space in early 2015 to high expectations after already establishing a name for himself with Michelin-starred Aziza. Mourad restaurant was a hit and quickly received a Michelin star that year.

I fondly remember two visits in those early years. The grand tree root sculpture at the entrance, the suspended glass wine cellar, the stylish bar, and of course the food! I couldn’t forget cutting into that flakey duck basteeya and being embraced by the intoxicating smell of the warm spices.

I also remember the tender octopus, and the large format entrees accompanied by the simple, yet highly satisfying four sides. And the presentation of the food was both bold and elegant, like the restaurant. After those strong meals, Mourad would be my go-to recommendation for out-of-town guests. I also found that the larger space was easier to book compared to other similarly trendy spots.

Fast forward to last month, and I had the opportunity to finally revisit Mourad, and what a magnificent return it was. The food was as strong as I recalled, the space grand, and the service was absolutely wonderful. Some highlights included make your own Hokkaido uni toast, pillowy milk bread with a trio of butter, the refined “eggshuka”, and the chocolate dessert with sumac ice cream and olive oil.

The meal was accompanied by a bottle of bold, leathery 2012 Rovellotti Ghemme "Chioso dei Pomi”, selected by wine director Jose Delgado. And wine fans should definitely request a look at their wine cellar “bridge”.

After this meal, I can gladly reiterate my long-standing recommendation of Mourad as a great example of modern Californian menus that San Francisco does so well.

A right mix of Fine Dining and San Francisco :) Many Michelin restaurants serve multi-course meal in sometimes boring setting. But this restaurant feels casual. And fun! The food is great to share. The cod and duck were delicious! I had 2 cocktails and they were really good. The waitress was attentive and gave great recommendations. I will come back the next time I’m in SF.

The food is amazing! The duck wrap is so beautiful and delicious. The ribs are so tender and juicy. The desert is the only thing that's less impressive.

We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. The place itself was beautiful and the menu was uniquely interesting. The hit of the table was the duck pastry, but honestly, everything was superb! The short ribs were rich with flavor and melted in your mouth. Highly suggest the stone fruit burata as it was just an explosion of flavor and felt everyone should have had their own. The family style chicken platter was absolutely stunning visually and so tender and flavorful with the harissa kale chips and cipollini onions. The uni app was good but probably the least favorite of the table. Overall, we walked away feeling like we just had a very special dining evening enjoyed by all!

The ambience, the service, and the wine set the tone at this fine dining experience. An extensive wine listing, the servers never let our glass remain empty for more than a few moments…

Our server mentioned the halibut is cooked & prepared so you can tackle the whole body with just a spoon, and they were not kidding. So good.

The salmon and scallops weren’t exactly what I was expecting but still were good.

The puffs were delicious, I hardly had room to eat them though.

The short rib was incredible!

We went to Mourad to celebrate our anniversary and had a great meal!

We started with Eggshuka, which comes with hen yolk, shakshuka, and is paired with flatbreads. Their Eggshuka is truly delectable, featuring the flavors of paprika or harissa. The hen yolk adds another layer of texture and flavor to this dish.

For the entree, we decided to go with the lamb. We also tried the La'acha, a Moroccan family-style dining option, and chose the short rib!

As for the lamb, it's a duo of cuts with red kuri squash, cocoa nib, and chili pepper. I particularly enjoyed the braised lamb cut, which was incredibly tender and flavorful with a medley of spices like thyme, cumin, clove, cinnamon, and paprika. These spices complemented the lamb's flavor without overpowering it, achieving a perfect balance.

On the other hand, the other cut offered a bolder lamb flavor that was equally delicious, juicy, and tender.

Next came our short rib, accompanied by little gem lettuce, gochujang tahini, furikake, and bone marrow. The short rib was indeed juicy, tender, and flavorful, pairing well with the three dipping sauces provided. However, the rich flavor of the short rib was already so satisfying that the dipping sauces were more of an optional addition.

To top it off, the waitress surprised us with a sweet treat for our anniversary!

Great ambience and service. Really enjoyed the basteeya, I’d say it’s Wellington steak just with duck, but the puff on the outside is perfectly crispy as I like. Filling is awesome with nice fragrance. For main lamb is perfect as well with huge portion - took my two sep meals to finish. Friend enjoyed squab too. As for dessert we choose Marrakesh gold, which is basically carrot cake with whipped cream and hazelnut golden milk poured over. A little bit too sweet for me (didn’t really taste the yuzu flavor) but in general a legit dessert.

Absolute fine dining experience 😍 I really loved the aura here as my close friend surprised me for birthday dinner. I couldn’t have imagined more than this!
Food was absolute stunner, hospitality 5 star, after all you are visiting Michelle star restaurant!

The staff was keeping a constant check on us if we were doing good. We had so many items that I just cannot list it out!
Their wine is amazing, food is hell yeah amazing, but overall you get that awesome feeling when you are in San Francisco😍

Lobster chicken carrots eggs pecans olives lamb couscous kale drinks service wow! Everything was top notch. So good. We had reservations for six on a Thursday at 8:30 and they took us upstairs. The menu was explained and the food started flowing. Good wine selection with a story about the vineyard and farmers in Italy.

Some of the most delicious bites I have had in San Francisco
Presentation and flavors 100/100

The level of service really seal the deal for a 5 star rating here. We had the pleasure of having Ben Z as our server. He had the right amount of attentiveness - wasn’t overbearing and didn’t make us felt abandoned either. We really appreciate his knowledge of the menu and random facts.

We ordered the oysters, hokkaido uni, tartare, and the short ribs. Finished our night off with this dessert that had yuzu. The bearnaise sauce added a nice creamy touch to the oysters, but we wish the oysters were a little bigger. The uni and brioche combo was interesting - quality was good too. The short rib was really soft and tender.. don’t forget to use either of the 3 sauces they provide! A lot I can say about the food but y’all should just come and try.

Atmosphere was fun and welcoming. Food was well presented and very tasty. Service was flawless and accommodating. The only minor snag was the cocktails we ordered, both of which were not prepared well. We switched to wine that was phenomenal.

Michelin Star Moroccan Cuisine- I think that says it all. A modern interpretation of a cuisine deeply rooted in the past. Menu is extensive and seasonal to a particularly high standard. Can’t wait to return and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for somewhere to eat in San Francisco 🌸

Mourad was an incredible dining experience. Picking what to order was easy because the menu is simple. We just went with a lot of small plates, a few entrees and we made sure to put in an order for the chicken early on with our server as that one takes a long time to prepare. We started off with cocktails- I was a fan of the Desert Bliss (I like mezcal) and the Black & Chrome. Out of the starters my favorites were the Tartare and the Basteeya. The chicken was very good, cooked tenderly with a lot of natural flavor. I recommend speaking with their resident sommelier for wine pairings.

Our servers were very professional, they helped us split all the food equally in to go boxes for each group on the table. There were moments where the service was a little slow, but we were in no rush and having a good time. Overall this was a fantastic dinner, definitely worth it!

Wonderful restaurant, fantastic food, great experience! Michelin Star well-deserved!

It was busy and the vibe was casual.

Octopus - By far the best dish and the best octopus we have had anywhere else. It was a brilliant combination of beef marrow with all the dressings that went really well with the octopus.

Basteeya - Great presentation, excellent balance of spice and seasoning

Beef Cheek - Super tender and delicious, full of flavour

Lamb - Very nicely cooked, soft, slightly crispy on the outside and really good combination of sauce and dressings

We had a glass of rose and a glass of pinot noir to go with our dinner.

Too bad we did not have room for dessert.

The only thing was the wait between starters and entrée, it took a little while which kind of broke the flow of the experience.

I definitely recommend Mourad for anyone who is in San Francisco and looking for an excellent culinary experience.

Excellent food. Excellent service. Treat all their customers well. The food was a wonderful mix of flavors- some expected and some not but made for flavor extravaganza. Made this foodie very happy. However their menus do not list all the ingredients so if you have food issues check first. Do make reservations.

Great restaurant. The cocktails were absolutely perfect - thanks to our virtuoso bartender from Mexico city who created a number of cocktail menu items himself! Our food was nice and very creative. Reasonably priced for the quality of food.