Cafe Jacqueline San Francisco - Buy Reservations

The soufflés were the best I've ever had. The mushroom and prosciutto delicious and we had the lemon soufflé for dessert. The wait staff was so attentive and efficient. They did a great job with the pace of the meal. This is an experience, so you need to enjoy the people you are with. Definitely a must try.

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Fresh soufflé, made to order. Amazing.

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After all our years of coming to San Francisco, I can't believe my husband and I only now have experienced Cafe Jacqueline. From the warmth and understated humor of the waiters, Matthew and Chris, to the starters prepared by staff in the tiny kitchen, to the delicious souffles lovingly made by the Grand Dame herself, our meal was one for the memory books! We knew from reading other reviews that the meal would take several hours because each souffle is made from scratch. We enjoyed a salad and the fabulous onion soup and (perhaps a bit too much) the warm, crusty bread. The wine list is modest, yet has a number of very nice and well-priced wines that accompany the food quite well. From the first bite to the last, our savory souffle was delicious, and though we were feeling quite full, we did our best to finish the dessert souffle because it was SO good. Worth the wait! They are making magic at Cafe Jacqueline, and because the restaurant is small, only a few people are able to experience it each night. It is a special place. We will definitely return!

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The food, service and ambiance are always outstanding at Cafe Jacqueline. We try to dine there at least once a quarter. Highly recommend this restaurant! The soufflés, both savory and for dessert, are unequaled! A must in San Francisco!

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Soufflés are excellent here though definitely really over-priced. You can't just do desserts here anymore so you'll need to have dinner to get to their famous soufflés dessert.... think $25 for Onion Soup, $55 for 6 escargots, $22 for a simple spinach salad... and dessert soufflés for $72 for their famous Grand Mariner soufflé ... delicious and definitely the best but also the most expensive soufflés i've ever had. Service is definitely what Yelpers have already expressed... grueling reservation process, cold and luke warm service at best, and the server will refuse to take a picture for you... simply by walking away, waving his hands (for no) and rolling his eyes while walking away when asked. *puzzled look*Ambience is a very cute, small and intimate restaurant in a busy and vibrant neighborhood, but the restaurant feels tucked away and quieter in the North Beach, San Francisco neighborhood. The decor is classic and old school, with dimmed lights with old world charm.Now on to the meal and timing... well, they only have one main chef, so any and all dishes will take at least 90-minutes to arrive (yes even your salad). Expect to spend 3-4 hours here... notice I didn't say a 3-4 hour dining experience because there's no "experience" to be had... you're just waiting, and waiting. So don't come hungry or you'll definitely be hangry at this place. Oh and don't even think about rushing the waiter unless you want your dining experience to go (more) downhill from here. Overall - the soufflés are definitely, definitely the STAR at this restaurant... but does not make up for the (lack of) service, the extremely long wait time, and the hefty price tag. The whole dining experience here leaves much to be desired.

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I had seen this quaint restaurant when I took walks in the North Beach neighborhood any number of times, when it was closed during the afternoon. I always thought it had the look of a charming French country cafe. Cafe Jacqueline has a reputation for being a San Francisco treat, specializing in made-to-order souffles. I am not sure of the exact meaning of the expression "slow food", but I can say Cafe Jacqueline fits my idea of relaxed dining. I finally went there with a friend about five years ago, and we have been getting there to dine about five times per year since, COVID permitting! It is our favorite restaurant experience.Please know that they do reservations through their phone, and that it can take a few days to hear back. I find this personal touch a pleasure, versus the online Open Table.Cafe Jacqueline is a white-table-cloth restaurant, with widely-spaced tables---a luxury in itself---with spot-on service. It has calm lighting and very soft music, so it is a preserve of peacefulness in a rushed, noisy world. It makes me feel good about life for days after having dined there.They have first course salads in classic French presentation, simple but perfectly executed. My friend can vouch for the excellence of the French Onion soup. I have tried both the two spinach salads, and the endives-roquefort salad. They are served on chilled plates, a pleasing touch. Their vinaigrette tastes like a nut oil and French vinegar preparation. I never regret the prices, because I know I am being treated to an increasingly rare and wonderful evening, at Cafe Jacqueline. They are competitive with many restaurants that, to my mind, don't deliver nearly the experience.We have tried many of the main course souffles and can attest to their impressive presentation and unfailingly fluffy texture and deeply savory taste. We have enjoyed the leek variety especially, but also mushroom, either button or shiitake.After some experimentation with dessert souffles, we have settled on the surprisingly citrusy and juicy lime variety. The house coffee is as delicious as all the food offerings we have had there. There is no weak link in the two-hour-long experience of three courses at Cafe Jacqueline.If this sounds appealing, if you like to slow down, and savor a French dining experience, I cannot recommend Cafe Jacqueline highly enough. Thank you to the venerable Jacqueline, who is reportedly in her eighties, and who prepares all the souffles herself; and to the maitre d', who obviously is devoted to running the restaurant in a way that keeps it humming and peaceful. Service is excellent.Mike

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Deal with it whiners. lol The old schooliness of this place is unparalleled. And I love it. The waiters aren't rude they're just tired of everyone's bs and entitlements. Staff is friendly and fun AF. You just have to know how to be nice, empathetic and patient. Food is off the hook. I cannot get enough of this place and its lime soufflé. Definitely, a place to recommend and I will be back for more laughs with Chris and Matt. Thank you Jacqueline!

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Cafe Jacqueline is one of those restaurants that you either get it or you don't. They are old school and don't have a website, so you would call in and leave a message for a reservation. I happen to get lucky a few months earlier and called before the restaurant opened and was able to book dinner without playing phone tag. Yes- to enjoy good food, you will have a 3 hour dining time and will wait about 1.5 hours for your soufflés to come out. If you are frustrated with the wait time, this is NOT the place for you. If you are only coming here for dessert, this is also not the place for you. This is a 3 hour sit in dining where you go through the courses of soups, appetizer, main and dessert. You either get it or you don't. You either you like it or you wont.This place deserves 5 stars in my book. From the moment we walked in, we were told, sit anywhere! There were 9 tables total and 3 were taken already. We sat by the wall on the right hand side. The atmosphere is dim with a romantic vibe. We had 2 small lamps hanging down from our table and a vase of pink roses. The 2 waiters served the whole dining room. They worked hard and catered to our needs. It was a casual atmosphere, not stuffy at all, you can just be yourself here.We started with French onion soup one each and a cucumber salad to share. A loaf of French bread came with butter. I would say slow down on the bread as there is also bread in the soup. Pace yourself but there is quite a bit of waiting time here. We ordered the brie & broccoli soufflé and it came about 1 hour 40 mins. Plenty of time to chat with your loved one, check out the interior, enjoy the ambience and even chit chat it up with the waiters. When the soufflé came, it was cut up nicely for us. It filled us up quickly because it was savory with brie! It was one of the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. Soft, warm, and just soo amazing. It was comfort food for sure. The dessert didn't take as long, another 30 mins and out came the lemon soufflé. It was so light, with a tart lemon flavor inside with texture of a soft cake. Surprised to have eaten more on the dessert since it was lighter to digest. We had leftovers to go and ate it for breakfast the next day. I can not rave enough about this spot! One of those rare restaurants that's low key and good food. Thank you Jacqueline for creating magic in the kitchen after all these years! I am humbled and grateful to have tasted your delicious food!

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One cannot find a more charming , romantic restaurant than this! From the washed and swept floor boards to every "tres mignon" detail on the walls and tables. Madame Jacqueline's souffles are famously delicious and the butter lettuce salad is perfection. If you are lucky, you will meet the cheerful Madame, cracking eggs, on your way to the bathroom!

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Madame Jacqueline, you are AMAZING! My wife and I traveled back to SF from Scottsdale just to have another perfect meal at your restaurant. You didn't disappoint. First, our great waiter Matthew (a total rockstar that has waited on us for years) kicked it ALL night long. Your French onion soup was 10/10. You've ruined us. We can't/won't eat it anywhere else. The soufflé's Mushroom/Chocolate were a pillow of love and happiness-wrapped in a warm fleece blanket on a brisk SF night. I hope you know we think about you and your restaurant often. You are truly a GEM. Much love and appreciation. Lisa and Cindy.

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Watching her work in the kitchen on all those soufflé orders is inspiring. Service was attentive and impeccable. Can't wait to come back.

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After several attempts we were finally able to make a reservation at Café Jacqueline. It's been a place I've wanted to visit for the longest time but could never make the time to... I was in pure ecstasy when the day finally came around and I could try the lovely soufflés.We had a reservation at 5:30pm which was perfect as Café Jacqueline just opened up their doors--we were the first customers there! It was great because we got the opportunity to soak in the coziness and hominess in peace. It's definitely great for a romantic date here. After scoring the menu, we decided to grab:- Onion soup- Soup du Jour (which was asparagus)- White Corn, Ginger, & Garlic Entrée Soufflé- Seasonal Fresh Fruit Dessert Soufflé (which was strawberry!!)Your dishes and soufflés do take some time to come out so do take it chill and enjoy the ambiance and your companions! We were greeted with warm bread and butter shortly after placing our order which was divine--definitely remember to save your stomach for the rest of the dishes but the bread also made sure you didn't go hungry waiting. I had the onion soup which was piping hot (the server mentioned this) but also so rich and flavorful I just couldn't get enough. Our Entrée Soufflé eventually was served and my oh my was it beautiful--the perfect unison of fluffiness and lightness. I've never had restaurant soufflé before and I've got to say it was a wonderful experience. It might've just been me overfilling myself with bread and soup but the Entrée Soufflé got a bit overwhelmingly cheesy and heavy. Obviously that didn't stop me from our Dessert Soufflé. I was eyeing the Strawberry soufflé for soooo long I was so happy it was in season. Everything about that soufflé was also perfect... the balance of sweetness, lightness, creaminess... Man I'm still dreaming of that taste to this day--it also passed the jiggly test! Every bit of that strawberry soufflé was consumed without a single bite left behind.I had a wonderful experience at Café Jacqueline I really can't wait for the next visit! Do try to make a reservation and taste these lovely soufflés yourself!

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