Magic Flute Garden Ristorante

Where do I start? The plates were uninspired, rich, and greasy, but with little flavor. Maybe brunch is better, but lunch was lackluster.
The server was extremely unfriendly. Won’t be back.

This note pertains solely to brunch on Sunday. No idea how it is other times and I won’t be finding out.
If you like the taste of boiled water, you’ll love their coffee!
I give this place (that others, including my eating companion love) a zero for service, a 2 for food, and a 3 for ambiance.
As for the food, uninspired at best. The service is less so. For one thing, they bring bread but you have to ask for butter. It comes as a small, frozen brick. Why restaurants freeze the butter so you can’t spread it is beyond me (seriously, if any knowledgeable restauranteur knows the answer, I’d love to hear it). Then if you get on your knees and beg, they’ll bring you jam. It’s already in its own ramekin so why didn’t they just put it on the table or ask YOU if you’d like some. And if you want your coffee refilled, be prepared to beg again.
All in all, bleh.
And one more thing — they need a rule against diners using their cell phones!

We stopped in here on a lark one night in San Francisco after visiting the coveted 24 hour Starbucks, and were pleasantly surprised!
It was a quiet night… We just wanted dessert, and the server was very hospitable, letting us choose our seat and immediately showing us their dessert options.
We got an amazing dessert. It was a plated dish which show cased a slice of, at first glance, looks like a cheesecake. But oh no! It is pistachio sorbet, on top of a cheesecake crust, topped with a delectable layer of marzipan.
We did not eat dinner here, but, if the service during this time was anything like it is normally, it would be a total treat to have lunch or dinner here.
Highly recommended!

I know this place is more popular for brunch because of the nice patio ambience though the food is disappointing if you get something «complicated» like poached eggs. But, I’m writing this review on their dinner service, which is on a whole new level of bad food. In short, AVOID. We went here on a friday night because one of our friends, who is new to the bay area chose it. We were hesitant at first since brunch is already so meh, but in the end decided to give it a shot. As soon as we showed up to the restaurant, we knew it was already a bad decision… the restaurant was practically empty. I ordered the steak ($ 28), and instead, what I got resembled a microweavable TV dinner. No joke. Service was okay, but wow… that was probably the worst meal I’ve had in SF in a long time, and to top it off, it was expensive.

What a great place to have brunch. I love the back patio area. I had an amazing bowl of mussels with fries, classic. The beignets were really good, especially dipped with the fresh cream.

We ordered the chicken hash & the bacon apples sauce French toast. Omg. With one strong Bloody Mary it was a perfect Saturday morning. The server was a bit funny, but in SF, personally is worth a star.

I was the first person to arrived at the restaurant for a baby shower. I had my baby in an infant car seat and I wanted a chair to put my child’s infant car seat on instead of the floor in their patio. The waiter said they can’t because they were booked. I’m looking at the empty restaurant thinking, «are you serious?!». He didn’t even bother to find another way to accommodate me.
I had their chicken hash with poached egg, it was good but a bit salty.
The garden atmosphere was nice especially when the day began to warm up.

It’s all about the brunch. Whether it’s a brunch for two, a small intimate girls’ brunch, or large bridal or baby shower brunch, Magic Flute is an excellent option that takes rezzies and doesn’t require you to wait for an inordinate amount of time.
The service is attentive, responsive, and prompt, which was no easy feat this past weekend when 20 girls descended on the restaurant in honor of our friend that is about to explode, I mean, give birth to her firstborn.
Our hosts ordered calamari appetizers, which were fresh and lightly breaded with some delicious aioli. The entrée choices were steak sandwich or smoked chicken hash. I heard the steak sando was good. But, I really enjoyed the smoked chicken hash, even though it was a tad salty for some. Also, the waiter was nice enough to allow me to substitute poached eggs for eggs over-​medium just like I like it!
Dessert was either double fudge cake or something ridiculously chocolately, or a fancy apple pie a la mode with carmelized pecan crumbles. I’m not a huge fan of sweets, but there’s something about warm apple pie with melty ice cream that I simply cannot resist!
I don’t have any occasion to host an event in the near future, but I definitely would recommend it for others.

Brunch aficionados will agree that The Magic Flute is Magical.
Pros:
Great for dates.
Garden Patio
Great Brunch
Attentive Service
Great for showers and bachelorette parties (we saw one happening)
Cons:
None

We went there for the Sunday’s brunch.
Food was good and served quickly. The venue is interesting with a nice patio.
We were not very happy with our waiter. All of us had the impression he a bad attitude.
One final note: probably because he heard us not speaking English he thought that highlighting the «suggested» tip was a good idea. Which is not, it’s just rude.

Suchhhhh a cute restaurant and such good food! Went here with my two best girlfriends and we had a lovely Romantic dinner.
Atmosphere: OMG the outdoor patio is so beautiful. I felt like we were in a magical paradise garden. When we first walked in, I thought it was empty because no one was sitting inside, but then the patio was where the party was at. Jk it was mostly families/​couples and was really quiet and Romantic.
Drinks: Got a bottle of Cabernet which was delicious. I don’t remember which bottle but it was what the waiter recommended.
Food: first of all, the free bread was sooo delicious and warm. We got three baskets For starters, we got the caprese salad which was delicious and the prosciutto pizza. I liked the pizza but the prosciutto was domestic, not Italian, so it was more ham-​like and kind of weird. The pizza was good, but not amazing. For the main courses, we got shrimp fettuccini and the salmon special that came with spinach and mashed potatoes. Both were delicioussss. I especially loved the salmon, it was perfectly crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. The mashed potatoes were really creamy and smooth.
Service: Really great and attentive!
Overall: would definitely come back, and would love to come here on a date. I would probably only come during the summer so I could sit outside on the patio.

3.5 stars really. Great back patio, decent service, good menu with so-​so starters and good mains for brunch. If you want to dine outside in the Marina’s Noe Valley equivalent, Laurel Heights is your ‘hood.
Started with the calamari and it was just so-​so, needed lemon and the dipping sauce fell short. My wife’s carrot soup was also fairly bland. Our mains were considerably better: I had the quiche and it was deliciously decadent, so was my wife’s order of French toast with crème.
Service was good but a bit stiff.
Would maybe recommend trying for brunch but it wasn’t good enough for us to return.

Service lagged a little, our waiter looked stressed.
Cute patio.
The crowd? Seemed to be the marina crowd, just a lil’ older, settled down, and not so many yoga pants. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Lululemons, just an observation.
Organic carrot soup was lacking… needed crème fraîche, something, to give it LIFE.
Then, the brioche French toast happened, and I fell deep, yo. Fresh whipped mascarpone cream, strawberries, and maple syrup. Amazing from start to finish. Bam, just like that, I vowed to return.

Walked in on Mother’s Day at 12:15pm without reservations and the owner was nice enough to seat us in their patio area. My husband’s friend from Norway came into town and we started with some mimosas and a glass of Chardonnay. The Chardonnay was light and buttery and fitting for this beautiful Mother’s Day. I tasted my husband’s mimosa and it was extremely refreshing with fresh squeezed orange juice. The server came by quickly and took our orders. I ordered the vegetable omelette, my husband ordered the quiche and our friend had the Bay Shrimp Salad. Our food came quickly and my omelette came with a few pieces of fresh fruit and some potatoes. Since I didn’t have breakfast I was quite hungry and the portions were quite perfect. The eggs were fluffy, the vegetables were fresh and the cheese was not too overpowering. The potatoes were seasoned nicely and the cantaloupe and orange were extremely sweet and fresh. After my meal I didn’t feel overly stuffed which was a nice touch. The patio area is quite charming and it’s nice to enjoy this delicate San Francisco breeze.

Deceivingly large restaurant that extends to the backyard. Sat outside, which has more of a Brooklyn-​esque feel. Cute with strung lights and greenery.
Orange juice comes in a wine glass, which is always a plus for me. Beignets were some of the best I’ve had – the lemon curd, cream, and strawberries go so well together. It’s no wonder this has been on the menu for years.
Restaurant has been open for 33 years. Here’s to another 33.

Its a lovely place, excellent service and food. We were there for Bachlorette brunch.
Prefer to ask for patio seating in the back, its very pretty and relaxing. Food is delicious and service is very good. We orders salmon egg scramble, salmon Benedict, mussels, French toast and mimosas.

Food = Good. Fresh ingredients. Presentation = excellent.
Most of us were impressed with the quiche and French toast, moreso than anything else that the rest of us had ordered (eggs benedict, chorizo scramble, pizza, etc.) Yes, food envy!
Seasoning was hit or miss for my spicy chorizo scramble. Their potatoes = good. Spicy chorizo = boring.
Got a sweet tooth? The Brioche French toast with marscapone cheese and compote = to die for!!! Must try!!!
Service = Efficient. Not friendly.
Prices = moderate.
Outdoor seating in the back = win. Heaters, large umbrellas (if needed), ivy covered wall, and if you’re lucky, you’ll have a beautiful blue sky with white clouds to gaze at.
Note on their service upcharges: We were a big group with reservations (they are very strict with the no-​show policy and will charge your card per person for each no-​show,) As there were three birthdays being celebrated, I bought two cakes from a nearby bakery. The restaurant charges $ 4.50 per slice if they cut/​serve the cake, or $ 20.00 per cake, if you cut it yourself, and they provide the plates and silverware.

Went to Magic Flute for lunch the other day — ordered the prosciutto wrapped dates and salmon sandwich. The salmon is really fresh and the sandwich was tasty, but nothing I’d rave about as far as the combination of flavors.
The owner was really nice, but I was less than impressed with our server. I kept asking to have my water refilled (after the second request he should have been more on top of filling it). I feel like he was irritated because there were two babies in our party (who we kept quiet/​took out if they started to fuss so we didn’t disturb anyone else) and he knew there were six people, automatic tip. Based on his snootiness along with the meal that wasn’t out of this world, its safe to say I’m not going back.

5 of us came from brunch on a Saturday morning. We made reservations but did not need them as the restaurant was completely empty at 10am. Which is why I was so surprised that they squished all 5 of us at a 4 top table. Additionally, the sun was shining right in our eyes so the people on one side of the table were all holding their menus up to block the sun. The waiters (emphasis on the multiple) saw this and said/​did nothing. We asked them to move the umbrella. They said it wouldn’t solve the problem but didn’t offer any other solution. We finally asked to be moved to another table which after much grumbling they accommodated.
And in case you were wondering, the restaurant was less than ¹⁄₃ full when we left so they weren’t holding tables for reservations. The much larger 6 seat table directly behind us, in the shade, stayed empty the entire time. Ok, rant about the squished table over.
The food was just ok and portion sizes are small. We got the presidio scramble, hunters scramble, and special of the day chorizo scramble. I can only speak to the chorizo scramble which was grossly oily. I did like the bread they brought us to start and the coffee. Service seemed indifferent but the busboy who refilled our beverages was very attentive.
As far as décor, the inside is nothing special but the patio is really cute. (Reminded me of Squat and Gobble in the Marina.) I guess you go for the atmosphere, not for the food or service. Or maybe brunch is not their thing. I probably won’t return to find out.

With so many choices for brunch in the city, restaurants need to offer something to draw people in. Ideally, that «something» would be great food, but good looks aren’t bad either. It’s like with dating — real substance wins in the end, but you can get by with the superficial stuff. Well, for a little while at least…
As soon as you make your way to the back of the restaurant, it’s evident that Magic Flute has the «superficial» nailed down. The dining room inside is nice, but the back patio is fantastic. Its cute, cozy feel is perfect for brunch with a date. Or with friends, especially those who want to split dishes to try as much as possible.
– WILD SALMON SCRAMBLE with Farm Eggs, Artichokes, Sour Cream, Green Onions, and Tomatoes with Potatoes and Fresh Fruit…$ 16
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The salmon was great and I liked how it wasn’t drowning in eggs. At the same time, the dish was also underwhelming. The fish may have been fresh, but the rest of the scramble didn’t have a lot of flavor outside of the sour cream.
– SHENSON CORNED BEEF HASH — Farm Fresh Poached Eggs, Bell peppers, Red Onions, Potatoes, and Hollandaise Sauce…$ 15
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I only tried a couple of bites, so I can’t say much. From those two bites though, I thought the corned beef was a little dry and under seasoned. Ironically, the rest of the hash was fine, which directly contrasted with my scramble.
– GRILLED SPICY LAMB BURGER with a Cucumber-​Yogurt Sauce and Country Olives…$ 14
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This was the best thing I tried. I didn’t sense much spiciness (or gaminess), but the yogurt did a good job of cutting through any there might have been. Perhaps too good though, as it was a little overpowering at times. Just fine otherwise.
– STEAK SANDWICH with Caramelized Onions, Red Pepper Aioli, and Mixed Greens…$ 19
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The steak wasn’t tough and overcooked like how I had feared, but I didn’t find the flavors all that compelling. The aioli was nice, but the steak and onions weren’t much on their own. Simple is fine, but only when they’re done well.
Given how much I liked the ambiance for both of my meals, it’s a bummer that the food simply fell short. There was nothing notably bad about anything I tried, but there wasn’t anything notably impressive either. Still, between the area’s relatively easy parking, lack of a crowd, and the patio area, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was back at some point, date or otherwise.

Beautiful patio. Get the beignets!