Fringale

A restaurant serving French food with good service, fresh ingredients, consistent preparation, and reasonable prices. The lunch portions are generous. It is a couple of short blocks from the Caltrain depot on King Street, and makes a great stop for dinner before going to an event at the new Chase Center nearby, which is only 2 Muni light rail stops away or just an easy 20 minute walk.

I quickly run out of adjectives to describe this marvelous French restaurant: stylish, service-oriented, delicious, economical... all fit. It had been over 20 years since my last visit, and I had forgotten how great this place is. Amazinqly generous portions for bargain prices--as far as fine dining in San Francisco goes. Plus table clothes and salt and pepper shakers! Two of my pet peeves that should be in every good restaurant. With 28 years of history, Fringale is a top choice for comfortable, traditional dining.

Business meeting for 6 people who were not acquainted with each other in advance. The setting was social but not too loud. The wait staff was professional. Let me repeat that-- these guys took their job very seriously. Our server was meticulous and attentive without being obtrusive. That is a lost art form for so many in this industry. Many others have commented on the quality of the food, but I just wanted to share that our experience with the framework of the restaurant was impeccable.

We went to this restaurant during the SF Restaurant Week. They had a 3-course set dinner for $40 and I was amazed especially with my main dish (more details later). The cooking is country style French with delicate enhancements: Decent presentations, straight forward taste without complex flavors, and good texture control. The area that may need some work would be the fragrance of dishes. We were a party of 4 and tried to order different dishes. None of the dishes we ordered gave mouthwatering fragrance. Restaurant is not big and they try to put as much tables as possible, feel a little strange for the crampiness in a French restaurant. All in all, I'm happy with the food and probably will revisit. Beware of the street next to the restaurant as it is a dead end street. If you park there, you probably have to backout when you leave. My wife loved her shrimp appetizer, however, I think it was overcooked a little. I ordered the Sauteed petrale sole. The sole was done perfect, probably was pan-seared. The risotto underneath gave the smooth chewy texture. The Squash puree is a great plus to the dish, giving the color as well as a glue between the fish meat and the risotto. I love it.