398 Brasserie

The food was DELISH! We had a small hiccup, but the manger fixed that immediately by taking a large percentage off our bill! Therefore, the food was even better!

Great place. I was concerned with 3 ½ stars but I was pleasantly surprised. My breakfast choice was the egg sandwich. I changed it up a bit and asked for Brie instead of cheddar. I also added avocado and asked for the eggs over medium. Everything was fresh and delicious. My husband got the eggs with hash browns and homemade apple chicken sausage which was the best I ever had. Nice ambiance and was in and out in 18 min. We were staying at the Westin St. Francis so it was a convenient 2 min walk for us.

Brunch here was such a disappointment that it brought me out of my 3 year Unilocal hiatus. My boyfriend and I went yesterday morning after the restaurant we planned on going to had an unexpected plumbing problem. Everywhere else in the area was packed with lines out the door but we were able to get into this place without issue. We should have taken this as a warning sign but we were hungry and decided to stay.
Now, the menu here is not cheap. Everything was $ 12-​$ 16 which is par for the course in San Francisco. I ordered the Poached Eggs and Merguez ($ 14) and he ordered the Smoked Salmon Benedict ($ 16). I also had their coffee ($ 3) which was fine but was served in what seemed like a 6 oz mug. Our food was ready pretty quickly which was the one good aspect of our experience at 398. The issue is, the food wasn’t good. The hollandaise sauce on his Benedict was so salty and heavy, my boyfriend said he almost threw up eating it, Mine was bland and greasy. The hash browns that came with both entrees tasted like they came out of the freezer and at a place charging this much for food, I expect much better.
Surprisingly, however, the food was not the worst aspect of the meal. The service at this place was BEYOND horrible. It is possible that they were short-​staffed but that is no excuse for the way that every single table was served. I had to wait 20 minutes for a refill on their 6 oz mug of coffee and when my boyfriend had drank all of his water and waited the whole meal for a refill, I finally had to reach over for the water pitcher on the waiter stand and refilled his water. The table next to us were brought their check without a pen (keep in mind they waited 15 minutes to get their bill and another 10 to have their card ran). It took our waiter LITERALLY 10 minutes to find a pen. I know, a restaurant without a pen is absolutely ridiculous. How else are they going to sign… blood? We watched as multiple parties were waiting to be sat for at least 10 minutes when at least 50% of the restaurant was empty; obviously most of them left realizing what a disaster this all was.
In summary, I understand that this is a place aimed at tourists but seriously, there are MUCH better options in this city (hell, even in Union Square) for the same price and with far better service. I have no idea how this place is open but seriously, steer clear.

Disgusting, bad service and mediocre breakfast place. It fathoms me how a place like can stay in business. The only thing going for this place is the modern, airy and abstract décor. But the essence is out the door! I give this place less than a year and they will be closing their doors soon.

It was our last day in SF and we’ve literally tried every food we could think of so it was either this place or The Oak Room restaurant in the Westin where we stayed at.
Three people in our group voted (myself included) here so we walked a few hundred feet here to try some «French» cuisine.
Sigh the disappointment, we went at around 7 pm and the place did not look busy whatsoever, the hostess stood around chillin’ on her phone so I was expecting some great service. Our server set up the table and brought us out the menu promptly, however after that he roamed around taking care of other guests and didn’t acknowledge us for a good 40 minutes. I’m sure he saw us because I kept on looking and waving.
We ordered the tomato bisque, lamb pasta and raw oysters.
–The tomato bisque was okay, not much flavoring and had a strong tomato taste, sour and spicy.
–The raw oysters were good, they were extremely tiny for $ 2 each and tasted somewhat fresh, but it’s okay, that will suffice
–The lamb pasta was the best out of the three dishes, very tasty and flavorful. The lamb goes really well together with the seasoning and pasta. However, the portion was small, not enough to satisfy my dates tummy.
We payed $ 90 (tips included) for everything AND we went to jack in the box next door to fill ourselves after. You can come and try it out cause it’s always nice to try new places but I don’t think I will be coming back.
The ambience and decorations are well done.

Visited here twice during a weekend trip to San Francisco. Came here for drinks, which were perfectly mixed, and so delicious! The bar was very unique and had a great atmosphere. Really interesting décor, posh vintage walls and ceiling crumbling away to reveal industrial framework beneath. Really really cool. Super friendly and accommodating staff as well!
Came here the next morning because we heard that it was one of the best spots for breakfast in SF. So good! I had the green eggs and ham, which I highly recommend. The green chili grits were amazing and they were surprisingly large portions. I wasn’t able to finish it all, though I desperately wanted to.
Don’t miss this place!

Highly recommend! I went to the bar for a drink on Friday night (Angeline cocktail omg!) and loved the atmosphere. I came back for breakfast and I had the bacon wrapped shrimp and grits which was delicious. Love this place!

OUTSTANDING! From the décor to the Huevos Rancheros which were SPOT ON, we loved our breakfast there this morning. We’ll definitely be back. I asked the waiters separately which was their favorite, and both of them said the Huevos Rancheros. How could I not order it? Excellent choice. It did not disappoint and the interior décor was cool and chic, especially the pillars and the ceiling. We’ll be trying it for dinner next! Thanks 398 Brasserie for starting our Sunday off right!

Possibly one of the best breakfast spot in Downtown SF.
Great staff. Great ambiance. Great food.
Went over for Monday morning breakfast with a buddy. We got 2 items for us and another item to share. He got the smoked salmon benedict. I got the special order of egg whites omelette with ham/​mushroom, no cheese. We both shared the almond french toast with seasonal fruits and whipped cream.
OMFG. AMAZING! The omelette tasted so good. I got to steal some of his smoked salmon benedict. It was so delicious. To top everything off, their almond french toast is so perfect. Never had breakfast this awesome for a very long time. We just got spoiled at this place.
The ambiance and interior décor is modern with a classic twist. I love their chandeliers. It’s pretty amazing how they created such a posh restaurant. I’m definitely raving on this hot spot and will surely come back to get some other delicious treats!
Our waiter was very attentive and prompt. Great service overall.
Don’t take my word, just go and enjoy. You won’t regret it.

Nice, easy place to eat breakfast near Union Square. We were staying nearby and it was super easy to walk over and have breakfast on a Sunday with no wait.

Service was horrible. Went during a time that was not busy at all (around 3:30 pm), just 2 girls sitting at the opposite end of the bar.
Took 5 minutes to approach us, 20 minutes to make what the bartender called a «speciality cocktail» (which was a Moscow Mule), & 5 more minutes to get the bill (we told him we just were getting one drink & was in a hurry… plus we had to ask for it multiple times).
Why did it take SO long for everything?!! Oh, the bartender (William) was flirting with a couple of girls and taking shots with them. Instead of getting our bill, he decided that it was more important to take a shot with a couple of girls.
2 cocktails + 30 minutes of wait time + T-​minus 3 minutes to drink = $ 27.11 bill
NOT WORTH IT AT ALL.

We came here for a last minute holiday dinner with the team, and pretty much ordered everything on the menu.
Highlights:
Bone Marrow = ⁵⁄₅ (There’s rock salt around that was very addicting)
Fois Gras = ⁴⁄₅ (The sauce was over powering the Fois Gras a bit)
Scallops = ⁵⁄₅
Ribeye = ²⁄₅ (Very dry and a bit overcooked for medium rare that I’ve requested)
Salmon = ⁵⁄₅
Escargo = ⁵⁄₅
Service: ²⁄₅
The service was very unattentive, and they had the floor manager that walks around to manage the floor. However the floor manager doesn’t seem to like pay attention and just prefer to walk around. When we finally got his attention, he was a bit snobby and reluctant to get our additional orders.

Very Good French Restaurant… everything was good… The only thing is that, their waiter could have explained more of what we were getting on the table since it was New Year’s Eve Prix –Fix Course…
I Definitely recommend this place…

Came here on Sunday morning. Found it after searching for «breakfast» on Unilocal!It was just a few doors down from my hotel.
Very cool interior with quotes on the wall on one side and cocktail recipes on the wall above the bar. Because it is a corner restaurant, windows are on two sides.
Once seated, C and I had to wait about 7 or 8 minutes to get our menus, even though the place was only moderately busy. We ordered mimosas right away, but it took about ten minutes to get them. Our waitress was obviously inexperienced (she was a bit tentative and nervous), but she was friendly. With a few weeks under her belt she’ll be a really good waitress.
For our meal, C ordered the salmon benedict, but with wheat toast beneath instead of English muffin. I ordered traditional eggs benedict. When our meal came, C discovered that she didn’t have the wheat toast as ordered, but the waitress had already disappeared. I found my eggs to be just a bit under-poached…they could have used another 30 seconds. Despite slight disappointment by each of us, we forged on with our meal without having to flag down the waitress. The eggs benedict came with hash browns, which were cooked nicely. Just the right amount of crunch without being overdone. And not too greasy.
We will be back. Not everything was perfect, but the food was okay, the vibe was good and the location was great.

I love the stunning restaurant interior décor. I love the modern cool chic vibe with the worn in light fixtures and aged interior beams. The tall pillars complemented with the beautiful church-​like chandeliers. The Mexican tile near the entrance gives this place character. It is a convenient place to gather with friends and family. 398 Brasserie offers a gourmet bistro style menu, daily specials and house specials.
It is located in the heart of Union Square, is a chic yet approachable modern dining destination, serving «Euro-American”-inspired dishes with high-​quality and fresh ingredients.
Started out with:
Mason Board ~ 3 cheeses, 3 cold cuts… you can choose the Geary Board which has 5 cheeses, 5 cold cuts, 1 pâté for larger groups
Crab Salad ~ crab & avocado was good
Lobster Bisque ~ creamy lobster soup
Pork Rillettes slow cooked pork pâté grandmothers’ recipe ~ delicious!
Beef Tartare ~ hand-​cut beef tenderloin is always a treat for me
Specialties:
Roasted Poussin– stuffed with vegetables similar to a stuffed Turkey (another favorite dish of mine). It was extremely juicy with amazing herbs and flavor!
Duck Leg Confit ~ mushroom fricassee purple potatoes
Lamb Chops ~ roasted, potato confit nicoise sauce ~ I am a lamb lover so I was so happy with this dish
Filet Mignon ~ my favorite cut for steaks
Cleanse your palate with these dessserts:
Chocolate Fondant
Cointreau Soufflé
Apple Thin Tart
Ask one of the bartenders for a Peter Rabbit, it’s got mezcal, Chartreuse and agave or just tell them your likes and dislikes, and they’ll whip something up on the fly. I also liked the Red Robin ~ bergamot vodka, raspberry-​becherovka cordial lemon, egg white, allspice dust. I tasted the Yerba Buena cocktail my friend had with vodka, imbue bittersweet, lemon, gum syrup lemon verbena a good drink.
The menu includes a large selection of pates and terrines, love it… perfect to share for large groups, cheese and charcuterie boards, salads, pasta, fish and meat dishes so let’s just say there is something on the menu for everyone.
Food is good not spectacular, so I’m giving it 4 stars but the ambiance and convenience of location makes up for all that. I found the dining experience wonderful. The restaurant’s gorgeous interior, this place is bright and airy, with massive windows, high ceilings and towering Corinthian columns. A good and safe bet that you will have a great time at 398 Brasserie, a hidden gem in the Union Square area. Everyone will leave happy after a dining experience here! 4 stars!

398 is an underrated gem that I randomly discovered after drinks at Benjamin Cooper. It’s upscale and a bit expensive, but good.
* Beef cheek — 5 stars: Unctuous, rich, and fork tender. $ 32 — ouch, but so good.
* Caesar Salad — 2 stars: Bare and dry, don’t get it.
* Asparagus — 3 stars: It tasted fine but 7 stalks for $ 7 is ridiculous.
* Pot de crème — 5 stars: Wowwwwwww. So good

Located in the heart of Union Square, this trendy restaurant serves up a mix of French and American dishes. I was walking around downtown with my friend and stumbled upon this place.
FOOD:
We ordered escargot for our appetizer. I never had escargot before, but to my surprise I ended up liking it. It tasted like chewy scallops covered in garlic and parsley butter. For my entrée, I ordered the Croque Madame, a classic French ham and cheese sandwich smothered with béchamel topped with a fried egg. It was a messy, but delicious sandwich. The sauce wasn’t overwhelming, the egg was cooked perfectly, and the buttery bread was a nice golden brown.
DECOR/​AMBIANCE:
The restaurant has a mix of urban chic and rustic styles. Walls are decorated with San Francisco quotes, grandiose chandlers hang from its high ceiling, and a giant chalkboard cocktail menu. The unfinished pillars and dimly lit lights gave the place a romantic, and cozy atmosphere.
SERVICE:
The service here is OK. There wasn’t a long wait, but it took awhile for our waiter to get us water refills, take our order, and give us our check.

We had just checked in to the nearby hotel and wanted something to eat. On our way towards Union Square we came upon the 398 Brasserie.
The dining area had a cool décor of modern mixed with rustic style. Everything was clean with a very open feel. Service was good. I think we had several different waiters but they were all friendly.
I chose the Croque Monsieur. It was kind of like a fancy grilled ham and cheese but so much better! Bake ham and cheese with velvety bechamel inside. Absolutely delicious! Of course we couldn’t skip dessert. I chose the Café Gourmand. It’s an espresso paired with 3 petit desserts. Perfectly done!
With good service and good food, I would love to stop here again!

La nourriture est correcte pour un déjeuner conventionnel. Par contre, le service est pourri. Ils sont désorganisez et le service est long. Une dame à côté de nous est rester assis au moins 20 minutes avant de demander à un serveur de prendre sa commande. Il est allé aviser la serveuse attitrée. 5 minutes après, elle n’était toujours pas venue voir la cliente. Elle a regarder la cliente et a pris la commande d’une table qui venait d’arriver. Imaginez que la cliente est partie frustrée.

A coworker and I decided to check out 398 Brasserie after visiting Benjamin Cooper. It was Tuesday, May 26^th and I had made a reservation through OpenTable for 7pm. The restaurant was about a quarter to a third full. Very chill night as it was the Tuesday after memorial day.
Drinks:
*The showgirl: scotch, amaro montenegro, vermouth, lemon, hibiscus ($ 12)
*Sauvignon blanc, ancient peak, Paso robles 2013 ($ 9 glass)
*Cabernet sauvignon, rock and vine, napa valley 2012 ($ 12 glass)
I started off with the Showgirl. Beautiful cocktail, but a little too sweet for me. I still enjoyed it though. Switched to cabernet after our second course which paired well with all our rich choices.
Food:
*Burgundy escargots: snails in garlic and parsley butter ($ 12)
*Pan seared foie gras: berry sauce ($ 17)
*Bone marrow: shallots, parsley, pain de campagne ($ 17)
*Grilled octopus: black rice, corn, squid ink ($ 19)
Our waiter was really sweet and ended up coursing our dishes since we did everything family style. But I kind of wish he either redid the order of the dishes or just brought everything as it was ready. Since we were both busy talking, we took a long time finishing each dish and by the end, we were too full to enjoy the foie.
We started off with the bone marrow. Yum! Can’t go wrong with meat butter! Next was the grilled octopus. It was tender, had a nice char and chew. We both enjoyed this daily special. (Sorry for the picture quality as I didn’t check the image before we dug into the dish.) The escargots were also delicious! I love a good garlic parsley butter! And finally the foie. This was a huge piece! Creamy, fatty and just sooo good! I kind of wished they had brought this out second or third and ended with the octopus. The foie could have easily been my favorite dish were it not served last.
We were supposed to be a party of three, but one of my friends backed out last minute. Maybe I’ll be back to try more items. I had my eye on a few more things. Next time!

My favorite thing about dining out in San Francisco is that it’s totally cool to dress kinda schlubby and still go out to eat at pretty swank places like 398.
So dressed in my finest cat tee, army jacket and jeans I met a group of friends for pre-​theater drinks and bites at this lovely establishment.
In typical me fashion, I was late but still managed to steal a bite or two of the world’s cutest pickles and some damn delicious octopus off the specials menu.
When looking for a cocktail, be sure you check every nook and cranny of 398 because while the table menu is home to some mighty likable libations, you’ll also find a selection of classic cocktails and twists written practically on the ceiling of 398 surrounding the center dining area.
Our group threaded through their wine, beer, and cocktail menu and I think each of us were mighty impressed with our selection (s) beyond expectation as was the service.
For my meal I ordered the scallops. There’s 3 and it’s something to the the tune of $ 32 but they’re outstanding and while it wasn’t as filling a meal as I would’ve liked, I wouldn’t bat an eyelash about ordering it again with a lighter fare dish alongside it.