Rintaro San Francisco - Buy Reservations

Let's just agree that this may not be the best neighborhood but the moment you walk in, you are transported to a world worthy of "Memoirs of a Geisha" sceneries. The terrace is lovely, minimally designed with just the right rustic touches. Inside, the booths are positioned to get a view of the amazing kitchen staff who yield beautiful culinary creations that makes me that much more eager to return to Kyoto. Go for the tasting menu if it's your first time and trust that it was assembled to allow you the most wonderful experience, then order a couple of a la carte dishes that tugged on your heartstrings. Absolutely worth a stop on your SF itinerary...I can't wait to return.

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Overall an amazing experience with a generous portion of "fancy" comfort food. We paid the same price for a set menu at a fancy French place several weeks prior, but I had a much better dining experience here with both the food and the atmosphere! Maybe because our palates are more adapted to Asian cuisines, and the vibes here are way more relaxed, fun and intimate. We had more than enough to eat. Super glad to have come here for a special occasion (my freshman year roommates and I's last dinner together before our official college graduations).My friend called to make a reservation for omakase. Monday showed up as closed on Google Maps, but they actually still open for omakase by reservation. Will come back to try the "regular" restaurant yakitori and izakaya sometime.A cute enclave in the Mission district with outdoor patio vibes and cool indoor seating options. The booths were very intimate, and they get super dark later in the evening with some candles and skylights. Would try sitting at the bar if I come here alone or in a party of 2. There were string lights and lanterns hanging across the walls.Here are the courses for the seasonal omakase menu on May 16, 2022:Zensai, ranked (refreshing, tasty)1. Monterey Abalone with Flowering Rapini2. Wadaman Sesame Tofu with Half Moon Bay Wasabi (pudding-like, not salty)3. Santa Barbara Spot Prawn with Tosazu Zeri (remember to eat the brains haha)4. Smoked and Grilled Sonoma Liberty Duck Breast (very interesting flavor, a little bland)Owan: Spring Chawanmushi with Riverdog Farm Eggs, gulf shrimp, sugar snap peas, asparagus and fava beans (not usually a huge fan of steamed eggs, but this actually tasted like a pudding. the beans and peas added to the texture -- crispy, naturally aromatic and succulent)Sashimi: Ehimi Sakuradai Sea Bream and Kuromaguro Bluefin with Half Moon Bay Wasabi (can't go wrong with this -- bluefin = both tuna and fatty tuna)Agemono: Soft shell crab and chrysanthemum greens tempura with ten tsuyu, grated daikon and ginger (yummy, crispy, juicy yet still light; don't forget to use the dip!)Yakizakana: charcoal-grilled California king salmon yuanyaki with meyer lemon (this was okay; could have been more tender. it looked like Sablefish)Okowa (was pretty full by the time this was served so we packed most of the rice to-go)- rice cooked with California bamboo shoots and shiitake with ume sesame (extremely delicious, comforting yet so unique. probably favorite dish of the meal)- Miso soup with Rintaro tofu and roasted Maitake (i usually don't like miso soup but i enjoyed this)- Karashi daikon, Rintaro umeboshi and takana pickle (mix it into the rice!)Dessert: parfait with bing cherry ice cream and langues de chat (very refreshing, melts-in-the-mouth sorbet, light cookie, sour & sweet cherries)

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Food is a big part of my travel plans, and usually I will structure itineraries around places to eat and then plan other things around that. Since I had never been to SF before this trip, I consulted a few "best of" lists to find the hot spots in the city. Rintaro appeared on a few lists - the food and reviews looked great and it fit perfectly with my desire to try good Asian spots. That being said, I booked a table for our first night in SF and off we went.Rintaro looks unassuming from the outside - it almost has a diminutive entrance, though once inside you're greeted by a lovely courtyard which gives way to a sizable dining area. We arrived shortly before our reservation time, though we ended up waiting close to 30 minutes past our reservation for a table - kind of annoying, but the staff was super apologetic and provided a great service recovery to make up for it. The decor is simple but effective and gives off Japanese restaurant vibes - lots of medium wood tones and touches of color here and there - nothing too over the top, which worked well. The menu is mostly small plates to share, and is mostly divided by type of dish in an order that is recommended. They offer set menus which give you a variety of plates from the menu, though you may also order a la carte. Since there were dishes we wanted to try that were not on the set menus, we decided to order a la carte. But first, a drink - they have barrels of plums in the dining area which they are fermenting to make wine, so we decided to try some. It was great - strong and included a boozy plum which lived up to the adjective. For food, we got the following dishes: teba no karaage (chicken wings), kama tama udon (the noodles were prepared almost carbonara style), hanetsuki gyoza, chiizu tori katsu (chicken stuffed with cheese), yakitori sori, kabocha korokke (potato), ika no nuta (squid), and fried anchovies (don't remember the Japanese name ;-). My favorites were the chicken wings, udon noodles, the tori katsu, and the ika no nuta. If I'm being honest though - they were all so good it's hard to choose standouts. The chicken wings were full of flavor, the noodles were creamy without being too heavy, the cheese in the tori katsu elevated the chicken, and the ika no nuta was served chilled with a tasty mustard sauce mmmm. Service was excellent - everyone we encountered was super friendly and our server especially was totally on top of it. She got us excited for the menu and made excellent recommendations. Overall, I had an excellent experience at Rintaro and would definitely return if I'm ever back in SF.

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FYI: Courtyard seating is still inside the restaurant walls but outdoors. If you find yourself freezing your ass off (like me), ask for a blanket from the waiting staff. They have them available for unprepared people like me.WHAT WE GOT: Kabocha korokke, yakitori aka momo, dashimaki tamago, kama tama udon, and maguro no yukkePROS: The husband and I came here after we signed our lease to our new apartment in the city in preparation for moving cross country from Philly. The vibes on the inside were super nice and felt almost like we were transported to a small little Japanese courtyard with the surrounding decor. Fast and friendly service with delicious food. The portion sizes of everything was just big enough for us to get satisfied. My favorites of the night were definitely the kabocha korokke and the maguro no yukke. The creaminess of the pumpkin paired really nicely with the crispy, fried exterior of the korokke, and the flavor and ingredient combinations for the maguro no yukke were classic but top notch. Nice quality fish too. Amazing food with amazing ambience.CONS: Their wall heaters in the courtyard could maybe do with some adjusting in terms of heating range. Realistically, only the people sitting directly next to them could feel the heat while those sitting on the outside edge tables (us) could barely feel them. If the range can't be adjusted, then they need at least 2 more standing heaters in the courtyard cause I was freezing. Thank god for the waiter who came by and noticed me shivering. They offered me a blanket to use which made things a touch better.

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Was very disappointed to be treated like thin air by the hostess. We visited the restaurant, was informed there'll be a table in 1-1.5 hours, left our number, and was never called. It is now 4 hours after. I even called the restaurant twice, and was put on hold for 5 min+ for the first time and the second time no one picked up. This service does not meet the standards of any serious restaurant.It is not unusual to have busy evenings; most top restaurants in large cities do. But when a guest leaves their number with you for you to call back for a table you say will be ready, please call them back.

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The restaurant itself is in a sketchy neighborhood but once inside the restaurant it was very nice. All the food was creative and I have had the food since they did pop-ups. My only disappointment was the katsu. The batter fell of once you cut into the pork. It was a nice restaurant experience overall.

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Just perfect casual, intimate atmosphere but also attentive service. Everything was good, but the stars were the smaller dishes. We had sequoia sake, and the umeboshi plum cocktail (just like salted plum lemonade I used to make as a kid, but boozy!) and the cucumber one, both delicious. Highlights were the anchovies, the Kabocha croquette and the squid salad. Good but not memorable were the tuna with garlic on rice and the king trumpet skewer. Definitely make this a date night go to.

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We came here when there was a pop up - super fun! They offer some really legit yakitori options. Also love their covid bento boxes.

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We went here with friends who were visiting. We went with the tasting menu, which is a great way to go. The food was great and we had saki and champagne at various points. My favorite dish was desert, a gelatin dish that was beautifully presented and tasted great!

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Food ok, service top notchThis is my 3rd time to rintaro, unfortunately the my experiences here have left me a little underwhelmed but last night was probably the most comprehensive meal I've eaten here (tasting menu vs. A la carte). The price point is quite high for what it is. Though dishes are unique and innovative, most are are not memorableThe great- green tea Panna cotta with hojicha syrup- halibut katsu in broth- chicken skewers- tuna sashimi- duck saladThe just ok- sesame tofu- steamed egg and daikon- grilled bluefin tuna- sunomono with cod- striped bass sashimi- yellow tail sashimiThe bland- udon- mapodofu Don- fishcakesService is always top notch and excellent. One of the best service you can receive in the city, better than some Michelin star restaurantsOverall after 3 tries, I cannot fully say I recommend this restaurant. If you're looking for a fancy experience, this is the place to be but I'm honestly looking for super tasty food instead and most dishes here don't cut it

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I’ll keep this experience in mind for a long time! Food is so fresh and well prepared, service is warm and friendliness, and the restaurant itself is very cosy and comfortable! Great spot!

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We got the set menu and it's definitely on the pricier side. I gave an overall 4 stars because i thought that the food took way too long to come. Our reservation was at 9pm but we still had to wait a bit to get our table. Quaint little restaurant, felt very japanese.The yosedofu wasnt like those regular silken tofu you get at the supermarket. This was had more texture and I really liked it. Sashimi was very fresh. I usually dont like white fish but the stripped bass was very refreshing. The chicken yakitori was very tender and juicy. It tasted like these pork skewers you would get on the streets in thailand. Nothing too special for the last dish and dessert:Udon was chewy and fish tofu was good. Mabofofu was pretty average. Panna cotta was creamy and nutty, better than the ice cream but this because im not a big fan of sorbet.

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