San Francisco’s New No-Tax, No-Tip Charcoal French Restaurant 🍂🔥

Just blown away by this October newcomer in Glen Park! Went for the “no tax, no tip” policy and open-fire charcoal cooking — but stayed for the incredible flavors. Highlights of the night: 🐷 Fromage de tête (Head cheese terrine) 🐇 Râble de lièvre farcie (Charcoal-grilled stuffed rabbit) 🦆 Foie gras vol-au-vent (Foie gras in puff pastry) The restaurant — La Cigale — focuses on Southern French cuisine. The chef shared that their philosophy is “family-style, meant to be shared.” 🥂 Their wine list also highlights Southern French regions. They offer a 3-course menu with three options per course — so go with friends and try the whole menu! 😄 The menu changes daily (you can check their Instagram), though weekdays see smaller shifts. With accompaniments, you’ll enjoy around 7-8 dishes in total. We added the foie gras — if you see it, ORDER IT! And yes, even extras and drinks are tax-free and tip-free. Throughout the meal, the chef kept feeding the charcoal grill and occasionally put on a little show with his tools — engaging and full of passion! 🔧🔥 A few special touches I loved: 🥣 The olive oil in the vegetable soup was the most fragrant I’ve ever tasted — from an unidentified new variety, sent to UC Davis and Spanish labs with no prior records. La Cigale is the first Bay Area restaurant to serve it! 🥩 They never buy pre-cut meat — only whole animals. All the pork we ate that night came from one pig named Betty… Let’s all say THANK YOU BETTY! 🙏 🍷 Loved their wine glasses — the chef shared that he’s been collecting these vintage pieces over the past five years. Overall, a truly memorable experience — I’ll be back when the menu changes! Before this, my top French spot was Bistro Jeanty in Napa, but how can you resist a restaurant that tells a story, uses stellar ingredients, crafts creative dishes, and delivers exactly what it promises — with no hidden costs? 💯 📌 Reservations are not taken by phone or online, but they open a waitlist at 6 PM sharp. You can also arrive before 6 to leave your name and number — you’ll get seated faster! #BayAreaEats #SanFranciscoRestaurants #RestaurantsWorthRevisiting 🥖🍷