SFReview
Included In
Zuni Cafe is the San Francisco restaurant that gets talked about with the same reverence as Greek gods, or you after your first time seeing Hamilton. Which makes sense—it’s a legend. Since Zuni opened over 40 years ago, it’s had a big part in defining California cooking. In the past four decades, the restaurant world has changed around this place, and in some ways, surpassed it. It’s been a long time since Zuni was making the most exciting food in San Francisco, but we’ll continue to come here until we no longer have a pulse. And, probably for a few weeks after.
We last reviewed Zuni in 2014, back when the Giants won their eighth World Series and Google Glass was trying to take over our lives. It’s been our highest-rated restaurant (9.5) since, which is why you may notice that we’ve taken Zuni down a few notches. The reason is simple - the food doesn’t always live up to the restaurant’s legendary status.
photo credit: Krescent Carasso
Zuni’s most iconic dish is a wood-fire roasted chicken served over a warm bread salad. This thing has achieved a level of fame even outside the restaurant, and it’s the reason why, when you visit during the holidays, you’ll find the Christmas tree covered solely in poultry ornaments. The menu warns you it’s going to take 60 minutes to cook - and it really does take about an hour—during which time the anticipation builds. But on our recent revisits, when the chicken finally landed on our table, we were disappointed. $64 is a lot to spend on a chicken that’s sometimes too dry, or too salty. Even if it is the famous Zuni chicken. Other dishes, like the roast rabbit leg or lamb with Merguez sausage, are made with textbook precision—but they’re not the kinds that you’ll wake up thinking about.
But there are moments when the food still shines. The Caesar is a perfect mix of anchovy, cheese, romaine, and dressing. It continues to be one of the best salads to ever touch a plate. The burger is served on a piece of grilled rosemary focaccia and is so good that it could bring a Pixar writer to tears. Small dishes like the house-cured anchovies with olives and celery, and the blood oranges with Marash pepper, highlight how great the simplest things can be. It’s those things that Zuni does best.
photo credit: Krescent Carasso
There’s another big reason why this restaurant’s been going strong for over 40 years, and will probably be around for another 40. Zuni has such incredible staying power because there are so many ways to do this place right. The impressive two-story glass triangle is an ideal backdrop for big moments, like anniversaries, birthdays, and dinners with the in-laws. We also love casually dropping in for wine during the day (which always turns into a long lunch involving oysters or burgers), or grabbing martinis at the copper-top bar after work. At night, the big open space becomes warm and intimate, and you’ll want to have deep conversations with friends over small plates in a room upstairs. Everyone can find their perfect time to come here and experience this San Francisco classic. As long as Zuni keeps being Zuni, we’ll keep coming back.