San Francisco 4-Course French Meal for $84｜The Much-Hyped Mijoté

We drove into the city specially for our anniversary dinner, but maybe my expectations were set a little too high 😅 The restaurant was quite hidden — no obvious sign outside, just a small "Mijoté" plaque by the street entrance. Inside, it felt like a classic French bistro — cozy, with maybe a dozen tables seating around thirty people. The center featured a full-service bar where plates were assembled and served. Sitting there would’ve given a full view of the kitchen action, but we were seated at a regular table, which made for a more romantic (though less interactive) atmosphere 🍷🕯️. 1️⃣ Halibut, Kohlrabi, Cardamom Raw fish to start — the halibut was fresh and glistening, paired with a light sauce and crunchy kohlrabi. Solid dish, generous portion ✅🐟 2️⃣ Scallop, Eggplant, Soupe de Poisson Scallop + eggplant + warm fish soup. The soup was the biggest surprise — rich with mushroom aroma, perfectly savory. Dipping warm sourdough into it was pure comfort 🥖🍲❤️. 3️⃣ Octopus, Heirloom Tomato (+$28) An extra grilled octopus course — not my favorite. Felt slightly undercooked, lacked smokiness and aroma 🐙🤷‍♀️. 4️⃣ Lamb, Carrot, Pomegranate (I swapped for hanger steak since I don’t eat lamb.) The steak was served nearly rare — too undercooked for me. I only ate the edges. Glanced at the neighboring lamb — even redder and rawer… 🥩😬 5️⃣ Pear, Goat Milk, Pistachio The only dessert option — pretty presentation with crunchy biscuit on top, but the base was goat milk ice cream 🐐🍦. If you’re not into goat dairy, be warned — the distinct flavor wasn’t for me. Despite mentioning our anniversary when booking, we didn’t even get a simple “Happy Anniversary” — service felt polite but detached. A friend who visited two weeks earlier even had a candle on their dessert… Total for two: $270 — not overly expensive for SF, but the experience felt average overall. Some highlights, but nothing truly wow-worthy. I still miss that little French spot that closed last summer 🥹. Hoping someday I’ll find that “love at first bite” French meal again. #100RestaurantsChallenge #BayAreaEats #BayAreaWeekend #BayAreaLife #GlobalFoodies #SanFranciscoFood #SFExploration #SanFranciscoFrench #SanFranciscoDining #FrenchCuisineSF 🥘