Bistro Unique SF

My grandpa was a French chef so French food is something that brings me back many memories of his cooking. This place was a very quaint and small restaurant (AKA a bistro…) that was long & narrow. The interior is classy & not too fancy & the service is great. It’s sad that Bistro Unique closed down because it was where I celebrated my NYE’s when I got together with my previous BF. It was here that he tried his first ever smoked salmon (their appetizer). It’s been too long for me to remember what I got as an entrée but I recall thinking that the appetizer tasted better than both the entrée & the dessert. I tried a rich chocolate dessert here that I got sick of pretty fast because it was too rich.

Steak au plover better than avg for a typical French-​style thin steak. Not overdone. Goat cheese salad was different & good. The hostess is the only one not with a French accent, but she’s still hot

Perfect place to have a Sunday brunch. Warm, hip enviornment. My date said that her salad nicoise was the best that she has had. And my blue cheese, bacon burger was excellent. The only complaint & it’s not that big a deal was the dessert We ordered the sorbetCheck it out.

Escargot
Cassoulet
Beet salad
Poulet cordon bleu
Love French food. Love this place. Can’t go wrong with escargot and a classic cassoulet. OMG. Hubby had the beet salad and poulet (chicken) cordon bleu. Nothing left of the plates… I’m assuming he enjoyed his dishes.
Always on the lookout for authentic and delicious French cuisine. You won’t be disapointed with Bistro Unique.

This is the very first authentic French restaurant I have ever stepped foot in and this place is very cozy and comfortable right when you walk in. The owner is super nice and so are their staff!
To start off, I had the escargots, which I’v never had before! I was pretty scared to try it to be honest but I did nevertheless and it was pretty GOOD. The butter and garlic with parsley made it super tasty and I had 3 that night! I also had the Tarte which was also pretty interesting!
I had a bunch of main course meals which I don’t recall what they are called but they were ALL superb! Frech cuisine never seem to appeal to me because of their extremely small portion given the price BUT this place exceeds my expectation.
Each dish is quite filling with an appropriate size amount and it definitely give a warm homey feeling. I had a great time eating at this restaurant and I recommend everyone to try this place out! You won’t be disappointed.

My friend and I went here with a Groupon deal, exhausted after exploring the Renegade Craft Fair all day, and had a great time.
The waiter was very French, friendly minus warmth, but attentive and quick to refill our glasses.
My chicken cordon bleu was wonderful, served with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans. My friend’s bouillabaise was extremely fishy, which if one likes that kind of thing then that’s the kind of thing one likes. The bread was fresh and hot, almost worth returning for just the bread alone. We had the chocolate ganache, served with cherries on top and crème, for dessert. Rich and creamy.

A solid meal — this was a nice spot for a girlfriend and I to catch up. Glad I came, but nothing was so astounding that I’ll find it necessary to come back. I’d gotten a Bloomspot deal and was glad to have an excuse to explore the marina some more (being a Russian Hill resident), but I ended up using it 3 days after it expired so they would only let me use the face value of the deal. Ah well, I still had a nice time.
* Salade de fromage de chevre chaud — 3.5 stars
(Warm goat cheese in brick pastry paper and a roasted red bell pepper coulis. $ 9)
The cheese was nice, with a thin crispy outer layer and warm and soft on the inside — not so overly melted that it makes a mess, but still solid enough for you to cut with a fork and knife and distribute it in your salad. Speaking of the rest of the salad, it was a bit plain.
* Bouillabaisse — 3.5 stars
(Monkfish, calamari, scallops in a saffron scented fish broth with potatoes, braised leeks and fennel. $ 24)
A nice soup — the saffron was a really nice touch to the flavor, and all the seafood was well cooked and fresh. But now looking back at the menu, I don’t think it was worth $ 24. I’d say $ 16 at best.
* Risotto — 3 stars
(Vegetarian, with truffle oil)
Not their best dish. The risotto itself was on the oily side, and a little too heavy on the cream and oil. It was surrounded by veggies, which I found to all be overcooked and soggy. I dont’ remember tasting this so called truffle oil.
* Marquise au chocolat — 3.5 stars
(Dark chocolate ganash served with brandied cherries. $ 8)
This is fine if you like chocolate. It’s like a slab of dense, dark chocolate in a vanilla-​type cream. Good, especially if you like intense chocolate desserts, but not memorable by any means.
A note on the décor (besides being low key & warm — like you’re in someone’s living room) — they have the exact same piece of art up in the hallway across from the restrooms as in the main dining room. They’re not even that far apart — you can be standing in front of the restrooms and see both. Just thought this was odd.

I took my boyfriend here as an early birthday dinner on a Saturday night. Although I made a reservation for 8pm, it was not that necessary. There were at least 4 – 6 tables for us to choose from.
Let me warn you though, parking is terrible! We spent a good 15 – 20 minutes circling for parking so if you’re meeting someone, I’d suggest arriving early.
The restaurant itself is very romantic. It was dimly lit and each table had a candle. It was an intimate setting for us to celebrate his birthday and he seemed to be impressed!
We ordered a bottle of wine, a Zinfandel for $ 43. There was only one bottle of wine that was under $ 40 and that was a Sauvignon blanc for $ 26 but my boyfriend was having steak so we wanted a red wine. It would have been nice to have a greater variety of wines with variations of prices. Regardless, we enjoyed our wine.
We started with mussels and there were a lot! That kept us full before our actual entrees came. My boyfriend had rib eye steak that came with French fries and a salad. The portion was big but the presentation wasn’t very nice. I got seared scallops with ratatouille. It was good but it wasn’t seared (or at least not enough that I could tell). We ended with a chocolate ganache… Yum!
Service was wonderful too! The bus boy was very attentive. The waitress had a French accent and checked on us often. It really made me feel like the restaurant was French because she made everything sound so beautiful.
Overall, I spent $ 120 on this dinner of an appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert. Felt pretty pricy but I’m sure if we didn’t get wine, it wouldn’t feel so expensive. I feel like I’ve had better French food at other restaurants but this was pretty decent. The portions are definitely bigger than usual. I was torn between 3.5−4 stars but still, it’s a nice date night place!

I wanted to love this place so badly, and went in with really high expectations based on reviews. On first look, I loved the space and the staff, and continued to have a great experience with the waitress, who was extremely sweet (hence, two stars). However, it seemed like something was a little off with everything I ordered.
1) our mussels, while butter soft, didn’t have a whole lot of flavor. And one of them was closed, meaning it was dead before cooking. It means the dish was plated without much care for what they were giving us, which is frightening when it comes to seafood. Or any food…
2) I ordered the salad nicoise with seared ahi tuna. While the tuna had great flavor, it was far from seared. Instead, it was cooked all the way through. I did actually really like the salad and everything in it, but beware: it’s really heavily dressed. I happen to like just a little salad with my dressing so this was right up my alley, but I’m not sure that’s for everyone.
3) at one point, my boyfriend noticed a fly… In my wine glass. My amazing glass of Pinot, by the way (again, the review isn’t all bad!). I’m not sure when and how it got there, but once I was paying attention I did see something buzz by my boyfriend’s head in the dim light. Why are there flies?
4) the dessert, the apple pie, was plated with such extreme laziness that I felt a bit insulted. A slab of pie down the middle with an unappetizing pool of sauce on one side that filled half the plate and three swirls of whipped cream on the other. My boyfriend’s ganache was a chcocolate brick surrounded by a pool of something light and yellow. Again, lazy. I plate better-​looking dishes at home. It was amazingly delicious, yeah, but the restaurant wasn’t cheap and the plate shouldn’t have looked so sloppy.
Before our Groupon (and I start to wonder if these subpar dishes were a result of having a Groupon, as it was noted on our reservation), the meal came to over $ 100. It certainly didn’t feel like a fair price for the meal quality. I can’t blame management because honestly, I didn’t speak up and say anything. Maybe if I’d pointed out the errors, they would have done something to make it right? Who knows. Still, I don’t think we’ll be back.

Bistro Unique is a small and quaint restaurant. We came here for a Sunday brunch since it has a great deal – bottomless mimosas for just $ 10! There was only one waiter and at first he seemed very busy so it took him a while to attend to us after we go seated. I think he made up for it when the mimosa refills kept coming. I had the norwegian benedict and my hubby got the burger with blue cheese. Nothing really special. I’m thinking of trying out their dinner menu mainly because of the reviews that I’ve read. but if I don’t eventually end up doing so, I don’t think I will miss alot.
I didn’t like that they added a mandatory 20% tip even if there were only two of us.

Excellent service, presentation, and quality.
Yannick, the proprietor, is very friendly, attentative and obviously proud of his creation for San Francisco.
The evening we dined, a very attractive, personable young lady that just arrived in The City with her boyfriend just a month ago from Francais, greeted us with impeccable charm and grace. She obviously spoke with an accent but her English was remarkably good considering her brief arrival in the USA. Her name is, Caroline, and I highly recommend that you experience her service before her visa expires !!
Yannick was very warm, cordial and helpful in assisting Vera select a wine for her scallops. From appetizer to their mouth wateing desserts our dining experience was enjoyable, delicious and one that we will experience again soon !!

I came here with a couple of friends and a Travelzoo that covered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. The food was homey. The restaurant was quiet and not very crowded. Service was good.
They had run out of a couple of our top choices, mussels and scallops, so we ended up with:
* Goat cheese in pastry crust with red pepper coulis
* Chicken liver mousse on brioche
* Cassoulet
* Braised short ribs with polenta
My favorite dish was the cassoulet. (I like cassoulet and don’t see it on menus often.) The other dishes were okay. Overall, Bistro Unique was fine but not memorable.

I barely go out in Marina, but this place had high rating and enough reviews to trust.
We ordered 3 appetizers — escargot, foie gras mousse, and pig feet and foie gras terrine.
Escargot — I guess ok, but way overpriced for 4 snails on the plate.
Foie Gras Mousse — was hard and served with pieces of 4 white pieces of Wonderbread… but eatable.
Pig Feet and Foie Gras terrine — was blend, and nothing special.
For main course my husbad had ribeye — tiny piece of meat looking and tasting like new york steak — chewy, thin and lean, plus it was way overcooked for my med rare loving meat eater.
I had Ribs — the only dish we both ate.
Verdict — 2 starts and never again.
P. S. Table next to us ordered mussels appetizer — smelled like a drain from the tub — very nauseating.

I think 5 star reviews are the most daunting to write, which is why I’ve been lagging on my Bistro Unique recap. How terrifying to reduce such an immaculate evening to mere words! «It was a perfect night» is one way of summing things up, or I could say «it’s like having dinner in Paris, without the jet-​lag.» But in true French form, beauty is in the details, so I’ll expound…
Atmosphere is crucial, and Bistro Unique exudes an effortless charm, capturing all the best things about French dining: cozy confines, soft lighting, zealous servers, sultry accents, and of course… the most exquisite flavors that will ever meet your lips. All of these elements make for a subtle, but infectious romantic aura, turning regular old date night into mini fireworks and easy flirtation. Special occasions are made sufficiently special here.
We were greeted by the owner, and perhaps because it was V-​Day or maybe because my beau speaks the mother tongue, he brought us complimentary Kir Royales. Bubbles are the best way to start a meal, so I knew we were in good hands. We then indulged in the incredible prix fixe Valentines Day menu, a la salmon cakes, foie gras with toasted brioche, mushroom soup with truffle oil, halibut with lentils, cabbage chutney and the most ridiculously savory sauce; pastry wrapped filet mignon with ratatouille, lobster risotto, white chocolate mousse with raspberry coullis, and a chocolate ganache cake with brandied cherries and crème anglais. Yes, somehow we consumed all of that between the two of us, and still managed to feel sexy afterwards. Incroyable!
And let me just say, words cannot quite capture how delectable and impressive the food was. With a few traditional French staples and some novel twists on the classics, Bistro Unique would be suitable for even the harshest Euro-​cuisine critic.
Also worth noting, they have a super reasonable wine list with bottles from $ 30 – 100 and the staff can make expert recommendations in their bewitching Franglish vernacular.
The brunch menu has similar provisions, plus $ 10 bottomless mimosas or bellinis, so don’t wait for a special occasion… let Bistro Unique create one for you.

I really want these guys to do well. Union Street needs a thriving bevy of independent restaurants like this. But as of now, they just aren’t hitting on all cylinders. Here’s my family’s review of tonight’s dinner:
Décor — 4 of 5 stars
Noise — Very loud during prime time, 2 of 5 stars
Service — could not be more friendly or efficient, 5 of 5 stars
Food — soggy fries, mediocre steak au poivre, very nice chicken Cordon bleu, nice presentation on all, 2 of 5 stars
Price — A bit high, but within competitive range. 3 of 5 stars.
Wine — Yuck! At least on the wines by the glass, even the old world choices were laden with heavy oak, like licking a 2X4! On the plus side, they were kind enough to open two bottles and provide tastes. But best bet is to bring your own, and suffer the $ 18 corkage fee. 1 of 5 stars.

Bonsoir!
I was going to use my $ 20 for $ 40 Google Offers deal (
) but when I arrived, I saw that there was a Scoutmob equivalent — 50% off, max $ 20. Used that instead, just because it was free and I figured I’d come back and use my Google Offers. After I used it, by the way, I received another Scoutmob for 25% on my next visit. IT NEVER ENDS!
On to the food…
The onion soup was one of the better ones I’ve tried in awhile. You get a larger than average proportion and the soup had a good onion/​cheese/​bread to soup ratio. It was a tad over-​salted, though. I still prefer Café Claude’s onion soup.
Friend and I split the braised short ribs and steak frites. The braised short ribs came with a tasty polenta, I only wish they had more of it. The short ribs aren’t the most tender I’ve had. This dish reminds me of the braised pork shoulder dish and the crispy polenta side dish at Luella. In comparison, Luella’s pork dish is more tender and has more layers of flavor, and its polenta dish was just a tad tastier (and as a side dish, you get pretty big portions).
The steak frites had one of the lesser cuts of meat I’ve had with steak frites. They could’ve done better. On the other hand, they do pile on a salad with the fries… you will not go hungry here. I asked for aioli with the fries, and I forgot to follow up and ask them what was in it, but it had the taste of boiled lobster shells. Not something I dislike, but I don’t want it in my aioli.
Too stuffed for dessert, but I am definitely curious about their bourbon bread pudding with crème anglaise (dessert du jour), and the tarte tatin (regular menu).
Service was very friendly, the owner/​manager/​host was charming. Three stars because unfortunately, I have had better (two stars), but service was good (one star), and I plan to return to try desserts.

We came here to celebrate landing my new jerb. Orin and I got the pig feet and foie gras terrine (appetizer special), cassoulet and tripe bourguignon (special). Our group shared the poached pear, chocolate and apple tart desserts.
The place was surprisingly empty, considering the location. I think they’re still establishing their reputation in the neighborhood. They have real French people there, as I heard the waiters conversing with some patrons in fluent French. Definitely make the place seem more classy.
The pig feet and foie terrine was almost like head cheese and so good! It’s nice and gelatinous with big chunks of meat and foie. It’s probably a bit too «exotic» for most people, but if you’re adventurous, definitely give it a try and you won’t regret it.
The tripe bourguignon were both very good, although a bit on the salty side. The tripe was buttery and didn’t smell at all. They even had a few other entrails in there (I couldn’t quite figure out what they were, nor did I really want to) and some chunks of fingerling potatoes. Certainly a filling dish for a cold day. My boyfriend liked his cassoulet, although he said it was a bit salty.
For dessert, I thought the apple tart was cooked to the point to an apple sauce. I didn’t think it was all that great. The chocolate ganache was so rich, not quite my thing, especially since I don’t like chocolate all that much. The poached pear was the big winner of the night. Not too sweet and well balanced. If you’re a pear fan, it’s a must get.
All in all, I like the atmosphere at Bistro Unique. I think they’re struggling a bit because they’re on savored, a 1000 point table on opentable and doing coupons on groupon/​livisinsocial/​bloomspot/​etc. I hope they make it because the food is good and the prices reasonable.

Boy bought a google offers deal $ 20 for $ 40 since this place got good ratings.
Right on Union Street– cute little place. Really liked the ambiance here: romantic and cozy but not so dim that you can’t see your food.
Service is very attentive and nice.
Wine selection is pretty extensive– about 6 or 7 choices of wine by the glass for red and white. As well as a whole page of by the bottle.
Good choices in food and we ended up getting:
Onion Soup– very yummy but a bit on the lukewarm side
Bouillabaisse– lots of a variety of seafood. Very flavorful
Noix de coquilles saint jacques a la provencale (aka scallops and risotto) — Scallops were very tender and fresh.
I really liked how the food was a decent amount so that you’re not still starving after having a french meal.

One day I was looking for a new restaurant to try in San Francisco and one of my Unilocal friends recommend this place. So I gathered my friends and headed here for the night and I was amazed. The food was incredible delicious. And for the quality of food, the price was amazing. I ordered the foie gras, the scallops, and a glass of the cab. There was not one thing i could complain about. Plus they let us know they make all their sauce in house! And the service was amazing as well. They were very attentive. One of my friends excused themselves to go use the restroom and when they returned the staff had folded their napkin into a pretty design. So will I be returning? Absolutely!

3.5 STARS
THE NEWEST FRENCH BISTRO TO HIT THE MARINA
French cuisine is my favorite cuisine or maybe it’s the sexy French accent that always gets me. I will never tell.
Bistro Unique is a new French bistro to join (opened Tuesday, 11.22.11) Gamine and Café Des Amis in the Marina. The menu reminds me of Chez Maman and Gamine (but with no burger on the menu). Bistro Unique, however, is the bottom of the three in my book. Though the owner was warm, charming and very friendly, the food is definitely a «work in progress».
F O O D
Everything was mediocre across the board. Keeping in mind, this is causal bistro fare, compared with Chez Maman and Gamine, all the dishes we had at Bistro Unique lacked finesse and refinement both in execution and presentation.
*WARM GOAT CHEESE IN A BRICK PASTRY PAPER w/​Roasted Bell Pepper Coulis ($ 9)
Like an egg roll filled with cheese, the pastry paper shell was crisp but oily. The goat cheese was fluffy with a nice pungency but more room temperature than «warm».
*FRENCH ONION SOUP w/​Melted Emmental Cheese ($ 8)
WHERE’S THE CHEESE??? This was what we were thinking upon being presented with the bowl of soup. The best part of French Onion Soup is the avalanche of melted oooeey gooey cheese encrusting the ceramic bowl which Bistro Unique didn’t have. Aside from this, the broth was rather bland and lacked a rich, complex beefy and sweet flavor.
*FOIE GRAS & CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE w/​Toasted Brioche & Brandied Prune ($ 10)
As a foie gras lover, this dish was rather disappointing. The mousse was cold and hard. Like cold butter, it was difficult to spread it onto the brioche (more like Texas toast) which was burnt around the edges. The prunes tasted like Sunsweet prunes and had no brandy flavor.
*PAN SEARED BLACK PEPPER CRUSTED RIB EYE w/​Cognac Demi Glaze & Salad ($ 26)
I was a bit taken a back when the rib eye was served to me as a big slab of meat covered in sauce. People eat with their eyes first and the dish looked daunting especially for a French bistro dish.
The rib eye was a thin cut and although it was cooked to a perfect medium rare, it was a bit tough and chewy. I think this had more to do with the quality of the steak itself. The cognac demi glaze was creamy with a slight sweetness but overwhelmingly rich because the steak was suffocating in it.
S E R V I C E
The French staff especially the Owner/​Manager was very warm and welcoming. The dishes were well-​paced.
A M B I A N C E /​D E C O R
Contemporary sheek with mustard color walls, exposed kitchen, bright red furnishings and black and white photos. The wooden crate barrels and brick beams gave it a rustic touch. Bistro Unique is a great date place. Tables aren’t too close to to others so it allows for some privacy.
P A R K I N G
Street parking which can be difficult at times. Nearest garage is at the corner of Union/​Buchanan.
Considering, Bistro Unique is in their infancy stage having just opened and the staff was really friendly, I’m rounding up my rating to 4 stars. However, unless improvements are made in the execution and presentation of the food, Bistro Unique will have a difficult time surviving in this volatile restaurant industry. This is just my overcritical opinion which my guy friends say I have (yes, this is WHY I’m dateless and will be pushing my Pom in a stroller in the future).
By the way, «Unique» in its name doesn’t have anything to do with differentiating itself with other French bistros which I had initially assumed. Rather it’s a play on the owner’s name, Yannick.
P. S. — Hours of Operation is listed incorrectly on Unilocal.Bistro Unique is open for dinner only: Monday — Friday, 5:30 PM — 10:30 PM and Saturday-​Sunday, 6 PM — 11 PM. Phone number is (415) 218‑4136.