Le Central

Located in a tiny street. This is the go to restaurant if we are in this neighborhood. The food is always good and not overly crowded. So many great dishes here that can satisfy diverse taste. Extremely pleasant wait staff. Truly enjoyable dining experience. Low key, relax and yummy.

Iconic San Francisco establishment. Scott our sever is the best of the best. Romantic ambiance. Best beef bourguignon. Delicious escargot. French onion soup beyond compare.

It was so good to be back to France!
The flavors, the taste, the atmosphere, the way their dishes were prepared was just a perfect souvenir from France.
My wife and I enjoyed the moment.
The cassoulet was amazing. The real taste of this so famous traditional dish.
I highly recommend the place.
What to say about our host: Olivier
A French nice and funny gentleman.
I’ll go back there anytime to be able to visit all the menu.
Merci et bon appétit à tous!

We made a last minute reservation and had a perfect lunch. I started with a glass of champagne and my 19 year old and I shared the escargots, beet napoleon, and the Niçoise salad. All were perfect and delicious. I paired the salad with a glass of Sancerre. We finished with the seasonal buche de Noel which was light and delicious.

Le Central is our go to French restaurant when we are near Union Square.

Loved this place. Very authentic French food, warm cozy atmosphere, nice bar area. Plan to return again soon!

Amazing food, amazing service! We visited during Restaurant Week April 2023 and had their 3 course meal with french onion soup, cassoulet, and the lemon tart and creme brulee. Plus had their Monday wine special (half off bottles). Some of the best French food I've eaten! Definitely would go back.

First time visiting, and we were very satisfied . Our waiter was great and the food was amazing. The Cassoulet was outstanding, and the duck was juicy with crispy skin. The Ratatouille was savory and delicious. Great place 👌 we will be back!

Quintessential SF power restaurant. Great environment and superb fare. Some of the best French food in the city.

We were hungry on a slow Tuesday night and after being turned away from another French place that closed early, Maria welcomed us in and took impeccable care of us! Salads were tasty, the frites were salty perfection, cassoulet was soul warming but the stand out was the beef Bourgogne!

My husband and I finally got a chance to try this restaurant after the pandemic and we were so glad we did! They just reopened and you can definitely tell that the owners took the time to renovate to create an ambiance to make the guest(s) feel welcome. We got to try many of their dishes including their onion soup, crab cakes, truffle fries, cassoulet, beef bourguignon, and vanilla creme brulee! We were not disappointed and got to sit at the famous Willie Brown spot and enjoyed the beautiful downtown view. Would definitely recommend and come back! Thank you, Paul! He definitely made us feel welcome and was very down to earth! I wish we took more pictures of the food!

We arrived late and they only had a few tables left eating but they graciously seated us. our waitress Maria was amazing. so kind and welcoming because we felt bad for arriving so late. Luckily the food was perfect and fresh. Highlights were the escargot, onion soup, cassoulet, and bourguignon. highly recommend for a classic french meal.

French food at its best - in the heart of San Francisco

Even though it was early on Friday evening the restaurant was bustling with customers when we arrived. We were ushered into a lovely table and given some time to peruse the menu.

My partner began with Soupe à l’oignon with French onions, croutons, gruyere and herbs. The gooey cheese was lovely and there were lots, it was pleasantly salty with lots of onion flavour. My partner was very happy.

I went for L’escargot bourguignon – snails in garlic butter topped with shavings of toasted cheese. The garlic richness of the butter was perfect for the meaty chewiness of the snails. I used plenty of bread to mop out the butter after I'd eaten the snails.

For mains my partner had pan-roasted halibut with maitake mushrooms, roasted summer squashes, Japanese eggplant and saffron. The fish was perfectly cooked for Drew, the mushrooms were crisp and tasty and the sauce was delightful.

I had been waiting the six years since our last visit for the Le Central cassoulet a rich well cooked cassoulet with white bean stew with duck confit, Toulouse sausage, lamb and pork. The beans picking up the rich meat sauce and each element of meat tasting very distinctive, rich and generous - a warming welcome back to San Francisco, excellent.

Ask for Lindsay! Fantastic food recommendations and wine pairings. Service is top notch and friendly. You won’t be disappointed if you love French Food! ❤

Le Central is great spot for a quiet respite from the busyness of downtown, or as a destination on its own. The service is very good and the menu a variety of delicous French cuisine. Whether you come for deviled eggs and a martini for happy hour at the bar, a Sancerre and a Salade niçoise for lunch, or a beautiful French dinner, you will have a relaxing, refined experience. Don't miss out on this gem that has been a favorite of SF dignitaries from past and present.

Dinner was excellent! The fillet minion perfectly prepared and actually rare. The escargot was very nice and the wine fantastic. Olivier was an excellent server. Very attentive and a great sense of humor. Highly recommend!

Considering that it is delicious upscale impeccable food, atmosphere, and service, I would say it's amazingly affordable at that high level of quality of everything.

I ordered the scallops. As great as the scallops were, the butternut squash was even more memorable for it's perfect texture and seasoning!

The best meal I had in the USA so far! This one is in the top league even for restaurants in france. The food lookes gorgeous and tastes very good! The next time I will visit San Francisco I will come back.

Went for the 💝 Valentine's Day Prix Fixe Dinner. 4 choices for appetizers. My husband had the Escargot and I had the Shrimp in Sauce. I should have taken notes as the sauce was exquisite. Entrees we selected were a New York steak and stuffed sole. Again delighted with the selection. I paired my dish with the recommended white wine, delicious and buttery. Deserts were a chocolate flan and poached pear., paired with a Sandeman port. It was a wonderful and romantic dinner for this couple 39 years married.

Excellent food, playful but chill atmosphere, wonderful friendly staff.
We started with oysters and Moscato, she had scallops, I had the sole, we had a nice glass of white wine, a couple beers and then we shut down the restaurant after espresso and chocolate mousse.
Talked with our server as we finished up, he was very friendly and personable.
Overall a fantastic dining experience.
We had many bad meals on our vacation BUT Le Central was the only AMAZING meal we had. I was so happy with it I pretended I was in Paris as I ate. So happy I found a hidden gem of a restaurant.
10 STARS

We ordered the rainbow trout and the petrale sole with a butter sauce. Perfectly presented and very delicious. Top notch service. Highly recommend!