1601 Bar & Kitchen

1601 is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco. The food is excellent. If you’re looking for fine dining, it checks all the boxes. If you’re looking for authentic Sri Lankan flavors, it checks the boxes. If you’re looking for something interesting or just good… it’s got it all. An egg hopper with good sambol is something everyone should try (at least once). Excellent wine list to pair with the food. Reasonable prices on the wine and food. Plus the team behind it treats customers extremely well, like friends. I go back again and again.

I found 1601 Bar and Kitchen as a result of a google search when trying to plan my fortieth birthday. I was on the hunt to find a restaurant where I could reserve a large table for a sophisticated, intimate and delicious dinner with 8-10 of my closest friends. When I looked up the reviews, saw the photos and read the menu I knew it would be an amazing experience for my party. When that reservation turned into 14 , Yuliya was cooperative, understanding and so professional. When we arrived, the ambiance was even better than what I had hoped for and we were greeted with wine and the menus even had “happy birthday” printed on them, which really helped to make the evening even that much more special. The Chef’s menu was a hit with all of my friends with every dish and we are still raving about the “sticky potatoes!” The team evenly separated the leftovers into individual to go containers so we all could taste everything we had that night again the next day. My friends and I left that night feeling satiated and happy. To be fair, there was also a lot of wine consumed that evening. We will remember that evening forever. It was perfect. Give these people all the stars, they are amazing and the food is LITERALLY something to write home about!

Absolutely Brilliant! My partner and I tried almost everything on the a la cart menu, and everything was superb! The setting was intimate and chic, and the staff was so kind and accommodating. I could not recommend this place more! (Picture is of the chicken and rice, with potatoes and carrots baked in honey!)

1601 Bay & Kitchen is a hidden gem among so many over rated restaurants in SF. We spent most of our Saturday night here enjoying the chef's tasting menu which featured modern twists on classic Sri Lankan flavors. The duck leg curry was the star of the menu, but we enjoyed everything from the savory uni ice cream to the traditional egg hopper. At 110pp, it's also probably one of the best value tasting menus I've had in a while. The wine pairing felt like a bit of a miss at times, but I appreciated the variety including beer & sake with some of the courses. The restaurant was quiet, service was never rushed, and we enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the chef and owner throughout the evening.

Tasty food! We tried chef's tasting menu and had pleasant surprises, savoury ice cream was delicious and something new. Tomatoes sorbet was heavenly. The dishes worked well individually but as a tasting menu for $250pp it did not work well. The accompanying wine pairing did not work for me at all, needs more work and polishing.

We follow the Michelin guide to this restaurant. It turns out become one of the best dinning experience in the SF. There are two choices you can do here. One is the chef tasting menu, the other is family style dishes. Some of the dishes from the tasting menu could be chose when doing the family style (egg hopper, okra, and chocolate custard) Each of the plate taste balance and still innovate. Also, highly recommend trying the egg hopper. It’s a special and tasty side. Last but not least, the server is polite and always taking care of your need.

The tasting menu is incredible. Brian and his team deserve not just a Michelin bib gourmand but a star. This is worth a special trip. The egg hopper is a reliable component of the menu. The mulligatawny soup (in it's various invocations) is delicious. The duck breast is better than you could have hoped for.