Rhett Burden

Walking into Zuni Cafe feels like stepping into the heart of San Francisco itself. This beloved institution has been serving the city for decades, and you can feel that deep connection to community the moment you settle into their warm, bustling space. The soaring windows flood the restaurant with natural light, while the open kitchen and multi-level dining room create an energy that’s distinctly San Francisco sophisticated yet approachable, polished yet genuine. The menu is a love letter to California cuisine, showcasing the kind of seasonal, locally sourced cooking that made the city famous. Every dish reflects a commitment to quality ingredients prepared with skill and care. The famous roasted chicken, cooked in their wood-fired brick oven, is nothing short of extraordinary crispy-skinned perfection. But what makes Zuni truly special goes beyond the exceptional food. Their partnership with Compass Family Services through the chicken dinner program shows how a restaurant can be a force for good in its community. Knowing that every chicken dinner sold contributes $1 to supporting families in need adds a layer of meaning to an already perfect meal. It’s the kind of thoughtful community engagement that makes you proud to dine here.

+10

Vivien L

We arrived at our reservation about 20 min early and they were able to seat us right away. The staff is attentive without being overbearing; they refilled water without being intrusive, timed the courses perfectly, and even split our dishes onto 2 plates because we were a party of 2 couples. They were constantly present (working around the floor) without us feeling pressured to order or finish our food faster. I believe we were there for about 2 hours. Every single dish we ordered was exceptional. All the ingredients for the salad and appetizers tasted so fresh and had so much flavor, especially all the various dipping sauces, dressings and toppings that were served with each of the dishes. We ordered the melons & prosciutto salad, tomato herb and crispy polenta salad, fritto misto (calamari & fried fish), polenta, roasted chicken and salted caramel ice cream with peach galette. Pro tip we observed from a neighboring table - order an extra side of the bread salad to go with the chicken! That one also comes soaked in chicken juices with the currants and pine nuts mixed it with additional spring mix on top. Parking - it looks like mostly street parking but we took a rideshare in to avoid dealing with the traffic and parking situation.

+1

Sydney

Wow. My mind is blown by everything I tasted. The Summer melon salad with shishito peppers, ricotta WAS amazing. I took one bite and had to snap a picture so I can remember this dish. The rest of the meal fell right in line with that same hype. Just wish they had a 1/2 portion of their famous chicken, but the side of bread salad made up for it.

This was more for the ambience and service since my son and I only tried two dishes. He had a kids meal pasta with Parmesan and I had mushroom polenta (it was delicious).\n\nWe arrive Friday night wi…

This was more for the ambience and service since my son and I only tried two dishes. He had a kids meal pasta with Parmesan and I had mushroom polenta (it was delicious).\n\nWe arrive Friday night …

This was more for the ambience and service since my son and I only tried two dishes. He had a kids meal pasta with Parmesan and I had mushroom polenta (it was delicious).\n\nWe arrive Friday night …

This was more for the ambience and service since my son and I only tried two dishes. He had a kids meal pasta with Parmesan and I had mushroom polenta (it was delicious).\n\nWe arrive Friday night …

Terrific meal last night! Fish and chips were pricey, but so amazing. Cod was tender and the crust was probably the finest I've ever had. Started with artichokes, prosciutto, burrata and raisin dish.…

Terrific meal last night! Fish and chips were pricey, but so amazing. Cod was tender and the crust was probably the finest I've ever had. Started with artichokes, prosciutto, burrata and raisin dis…

We arrived a little bit early and the hostess asked us to wait at the bar. We had just enough time to order a glass of wine from the friendly bartender. It was so great to see the restaurant full o…

We arrived a little bit early and the hostess asked us to wait at the bar. We had just enough time to order a glass of wine from the friendly bartender. It was so great to see the restaurant full o…

Great food, great drinks, the service was fantastic, especially Leah. Thanks for a great dinner Leah.

Great food, great drinks, the service was fantastic, especially Leah. Thanks for a great dinner Leah.

Great food, great drinks, the service was fantastic, especially Leah. Thanks for a great dinner Leah.

Went to the Zuni for a birthday and had a wonderful time! Wilmer was our server and he was amazing! Can't wait to go back :)

Came for the chicken and bread salad and it did not disappoint! We loved the building and ambience. Such a cool, classic style that doesn't try too hard. The chicken is phenomenal, and the crispy…

Incredible food and service from start to finish. We got a roasted vegetable appetizer, the famous chicken (worth the wait) and the chocolate cake for dessert paired with a Lillet. The building is …

How does one describe ZUNI CAFE? Iconic. An institution. Classic. Teddy is the best of the best. Here's how I do it. wine/champagne with oysters. Split the Caesar salad because it's humongous a…

How does one describe ZUNI cafe? Iconic. An institution. Classic. Teddy is the best of the best. Here's how I do it. Wine/champagne with oysters. Split the Caesar salad because it's humongous a…

How does one describe ZUNI CAFE? Iconic. An institution. Classic. Teddy is the best of the best. Here's how I do it. Wine/champagne with oysters. Split the Caesar salad because it's humongous a…

Zuni cafe is a French restaurant, and that is almost all you need to know. French cuisine almost never misses. It is uncanny. I have been fortunate enough to visit Paris twice as a young tourist on…

Great dinner! We loved the interesting food choices, the gnocchi was the best. The service was very very good, and the light and airy restaurant was very relaxing. A real gem.

We shared the famous chicken dish, and really enjoyed it. The service was attentive and moved our appetizers and drinks along at a good pace before our chicken was ready, as it does take an hou…

Melissa Eisner

Everyone raves about Zuni Cafe, and while it hit many high notes for me, there were one or two niggles that kept me from giving 5 stars. Obviously the star of the show was the roast chicken and salad, and it’s way more than two of us could eat. Great flavor and crispy skin, hit loads of high notes. We also got the little gems salad and the dressing was tangy and creamy, with the hazelnuts it was super balanced. Nice selection of wines by the glass. The cons? Our table was right on the window which meant we were super cold as there isn’t much insulation. And then because of being right on the window we were also directly facing another table that was almost on top of us. No real privacy. All around a great meal but would definitely find different seats next time.

Jenna Hall

Excellent martinis. You must go, and you must get the chicken for two. It has bread inside that has soaked up all of the chicken juices it’s amazing. The fries are also so teeny matchbook stick size! You can skip the anchovies and the bread the butter comes out pretty hard.

+4

Jenny Xu

Came here with a friend without a reservation and we got seated immediately at 1pm when it was super busy. Good: - The portions are small and expensive but the food quality is great - I liked the spaghetti dish a lot - the noodles had a chewy texture and was super tasty - The flourless chocolate cake was good! Wasn't super sweet and the whipped cream was so good - The mint tea was a nice touch after the meal - The servers were very nice! Bad: - The wait time for each dish was very long - we were here for 1h30 min and waiting for most of the time for each dish - Expensive overall! Overall this was a nice find and I enjoyed getting to spend a lazy lunch afternoon here catching up with a friend.

Richard Salgado

The main reason I visited was for the chicken bread salad, but I learned that it’s made to order and takes 75 minutes. I did not want to wait that long. The menu felt both limited and all over the place. Nothing really stood out and I wanted a salad but the only protein option was shrimp or anchovies. That said, everything else I had was really good, just think it’s a little overpriced. Service was good, worth checking out but lower your expectations.

Bill Tang

Really fresh vegetable appetizers (Caesar salad and burrata with heirloom tomatoes), chicken had great smoky flavor but many pieces were quite dry (thigh and leg were juicy). Was it worth the price? I’m not sure if it is so much better than cheaper rotisserie chickens

Amina Ahsan Haque

6/15/2025 - Dinner - Table for 2 We came for the roast chicken. It did not disappoint. Although I wish it came with some gravy. Service could be better. Wonder if it was due to the fact that they have a mandatory service surcharge built in ?

Will Martin

Had heard good things about this restaurant and finally gave it a try. The best part in my opinion was the atmosphere. We got the corner seat surrounded by large glass windows, so it was quite bright even though it was cloudy outside. The service was also very good, they split our dishes into two so we could share them. Also FYI, there is a 25% gratuity charge automatically included in the bill. The food was good, we had the burger and the vegetable spaghetti, along with the fries. The burger was pretty good and definitely on the fancier side being served on focaccia, however it was slightly overcooked and not particularly interesting. The pasta was very good. The fries were decent, however they could have been crispier and were not as delicious as I expected.

Had a fun dinner with the wife. I really liked the use of space. ambiance was smart casual and service was attentive. The broccoli appetizer was outstanding. Wife had the duck and I had the steak b…

Had a fun dinner with the wife. I really liked the use of space. Ambiance was smart casual and service was attentive. The broccoli appetizer was outstanding. Wife had the duck and I had the steak b…

Zuni is a staple to the restaurant scene in SF. We went for lunch on a Sunday without a reservation and was sat right away. We both ordered the burger with a side of fries. The fries are the true s…

Came to at 7 Zuni Cafe on a Sunday evening with a 7:30 reservation and got seated right away. We got seated in the very corner of the upstairs section which I didn't mind at all. \n\nAs a fry conno…

Mot as good as our previous dinners. My wife and I both had a cod fish dish with some vegetables and a little sauce. Mine was a little fishy, surprising for $46. I probably should have sent mine back…

Mot as good as our previous dinners. My wife and I both had a cod fish dish with some vegetables and a little sauce. Mine was a little fishy, surprising for $46. I probably should have sent mine …

Recommend by Neil Perry (one of our most respected aussie chefs) and while it was good, it wasn’t great. Staff good. Wine list adequate. Food delicious. Interesting that the chefs etc didn’t use glov…

Recommend by Neil Perry (one of our most respected aussie chefs) and while it was good, it wasn’t great. Staff good. Wine list adequate. food delicious. Interesting that the chefs etc didn’t use gl…

Recommend by Neil Perry (one of our most respected aussie chefs) and while it was good, it wasn’t great. staff good. Wine list adequate. Food delicious. Interesting that the chefs etc didn’t use gl…

Recommend by Neil Perry (one of our most respected aussie chefs) and while it was good, it wasn’t great. Staff good. wine list adequate. Food delicious. Interesting that the chefs etc didn’t use gl…

Very mixed bag with the food, inexperienced service, noisy and overpriced. What else could be wrong. We live in the bay area and visited for a special dinner for a party of 5. We ordered the fam…

Very mixed bag with the food, inexperienced service, noisy and overpriced. What else could be wrong. We live in the bay area and visited for a special dinner for a party of 5. We ordered the fam…

Zuni has lots of eating spaces on multiple levels, which gives a large restaurant an intimate feel. The service, food, and wine were all excellent, and the staff was very accommodating finding spa…

We had the famous roast chicken with bread salad for lunch. It did not disappoint, but there is so much of it that it could be better shared with 3 people instead of 2. An order of the shoestring p…

We had the famous roast chicken with bread salad for lunch. It did not disappoint, but there is so much of it that it could be better shared with 3 people instead of 2. An order of the shoestring…

Here's an honest review for Zuni, which had been on my list for over a year, but I tried my best not to get myself hyped up after reading some reviews beforehand. Loved the vibe of the restaurant, and it was more spacious than we had expected. We were taken upstairs and around to a room that was tucked in, which we didn't even know existed. The interior is beautiful & inviting! Service was highly attentive with just the right amount of politeness and formality. They refilled our glasses with water frequently and was quick to cater to our needs. Now, these definitely matter, but I've mainly come to enjoy a good meal. A great meal if I'm splurging. Based on the reviews, we ordered: • Shoestring potatoes: I personally didn't understand the hype. It's good, but it's really just thin fries at the end of the day, nothing mind-blowing. • 18oz Ribeye: mid rare steak cooked to perfection, very creamy mashed potatoes, & roasted veggies were absolutely delicious. We were really glad to have tried this dish, which they had split it for us without having to ask. • The famous roasted chicken: we ordered it pretty much as soon as we sat down, considering the 75min wait the menu & all reviews mentioned. Not sure if it's because we were already a bit full from other dishes we had while waiting, but it was quite underwhelming and disappointing to have waited so long and spend $75 on a dish that unfortunately did not seem anything special. The salad on top is fine (can't mess that up), but the chicken was actually little dry and the bread hadn't soaked up all the chicken flavor as expected. The value seemed questionable. • Pavlova w/ citrus + pistachio dessert: my favorite order of the night! It was light, not too sweet, and loved the citrus + nutty pistachio combo. Absolutely recommend. Overall, I appreciate the vibes, services, & even the dishes, although personally, I did find it a tad too salty (for all the dishes except for the dessert) for my tastebuds, but that could be subjective. Fyi, 20% gratuity & 5% mandate is already included in the bill. I recommend trying the place, but you can skip the chicken. RT Rotisserie or Bosque or Costco nearby can help satisfy that craving for better execution & cheaper value.

Lavendrous

Everyone knows already how delicious is the Chicken! But please let me talk about the Zuni Bloody Mary!!! It was one of a kind! Lastly, to the Zuni’s owner! Please take care of your employees and pay for your employees’ healthcare, instead of charging your customers. Next time, I am not going to pay for what is your responsibility! Took two stars off for this!

Viktoria Weizel

Before anything else, visitors should know that Zuni automatically adds 25% on top of your bill — 20% tip plus an extra 5% for “healthcare.” As a European, I find this quite extreme. While a 20% tip can still be tolerated, being forced to pay an additional 5% to cover employee healthcare is something that should clearly be the employer’s responsibility, not the customer’s. This alone is a definite reason for a star deduction. The restaurant itself is stylish, with attentive staff and a good atmosphere. The whole roasted chicken with salad is delicious and definitely the highlight. Just keep in mind that it takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to prepare, so it’s best to order it right away. We also ordered the olives as an appetizer, but the portion consisted of extremely tiny olives — so small that they were difficult to pick up and felt more like leftover bits than a proper starter. We then tried the Shoestring fries. Yes, they are labeled as “Shoestring fries,” but I genuinely didn’t expect them to be that thin. They were hard to pick up with a fork, awkward to eat with your hands, and overall not very satisfying. The cocktails we had were fine, but nothing particularly memorable. Overall: a nice restaurant with very good chicken and solid service, but the mandatory 25% surcharge and some disappointing sides — definitely impact the overall value and are the main reason I’m giving it 3 stars instead of 4.

+2

Tom Klaber

Great service. Nice atmosphere. Ok food. Not sure the chicken is worth the wait. If you like chicken, then you will like the chicken, but it is only chicken, so do not expect some transcendent take on chicken -just chicken with a salad and soggy bread. The tomatoes starter with pesto was the best thing we had.

+16

Zuni Café was recommended to us by a friend who works in a Michelin starred kitchen here in San Francisco. The restaurant speaks both casual and class, a place where you can come after an afternoon s…

Super cute restaurant that gives NYC vibes, especially on a cold weekend. \n\nOur first stop was the bar and the bartenders were all fabulous. They knew their drinks and mixology. We would definite…

This is a very popular restaurant. It was tough to get in\n\nFood was excellent. Chicken was perfect. \n\nGood ambiance. \n\nService (waitress) was actually rude

This is a very popular restaurant. It was tough to get in\n\nFood was excellent. chicken was perfect. \n\nGood ambiance. \n\nService (waitress) was actually rude

I came without a reservation, and they were still able to seat the two of us later in the evening, so we were fortunate not to have a long wait. You can grab a drink at the bar while you wait, …

I came without a reservation, and they were still able to seat the two of us later in the evening, so we were fortunate not to have a long wait. You can grab a drink at the bar while you wait, whic…

I haven’t been to the Zuni cafe in many years. It remains a comfortable, friendly place with a good SF vibe. The food, with a few exceptions, however is very ordinary which is disappointing. The pr…

3.5 Zuni Café San Francisco Wide open spaced seating Friendly staff Cheeseburger was okay Lamb stew was uninspiring Place is overpriced, especially with San Francisco taxes Lost some of its …

The food at Zuni was really nice. We had the famous roast chicken with bread salad. It was good. 15 years ago, I would have been amazed but this kind and quality of food is far more prevalent. I…

I ordered olive ($7), San Francisco Cocktail ($15.5) and steak the one that has a price of ($46). The bill arrived with $93.02. As a tourist I was not able to argue or discuss it. I am overcharged. Btw waiter was nice and friendly but welcoming lady was trying to get rid of me. She put me next to the bar although there were empty places I asked but she said no which was not nice.

The worst dining experience of my life, including fast food establishments. We were seated in a store window. The only way to get to my seat was to place my body into the stranger next to me. When I …

The worst dining experience of my life, including fast food establishments. We were seated in a store window. The only way to get to my seat was to place my body into the stranger next to me. Whe…

Sorry, but the famous chicken was dry and flavorless. I am not joking when I say that the $5 chicken at Costco is significantly better. The waiter was pleasant and a joy. However, the food is hig…