1601 Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in San Francisco

I took my sister here for her 21st birthday, and it was honestly one of the most meaningful dining experiences we’ve shared.

We’re Sinhalese American, and the food here authentically reminded us of our childhood—even more so than more traditional Sri Lankan restaurants in the U.S. Many dishes creatively reinterpreted classic Sri Lankan flavors in refreshing ways, like presenting kiri bathe (milk rice) as an airy foam or using coconut milk to accompany raw scallops. It also thoughtfully addressed common culinary pitfalls (at least in the area we grew up); for example the meat dishes retained their signature bold flavors while being perfectly cooked and remarkably tender, and the majority of the meal wasn’t rice 🫠)

Nostalgic standouts like the cutlets and egg hoppers felt like elevated versions of our favorite childhood classics—beautifully executed and deeply nostalgic. The atmosphere was intimate, and the service matched Michelin-level tasting menus I’ve experienced elsewhere.

It’s pricey, but absolutely worth it if you’re in the market for a fine dining esque experience. The portions are generous (come hungry!), and each course genuinely feels too good to miss. Highly recommend for anyone seeking a memorable dining experience that truly captures the heart of Sri...

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...

The food here was phenomenal! The meal was broken into 3 rounds plus dessert, with each round having a number of items in it. The first 2 rounds, the bites and the appetizers were our favorite. They had some of the best fine dining dishes I have ever eaten. Everything was so delicious and inventive, there was a spicy coconut cream soup cappuccino thing that I’m going to remember forever!!!

It was a LOT of food, some of which we didn’t finish but this was probably the only time I’ve eaten at a fine dining restaurant and not woken up hungry the next morning!

It is definitely very pricey and I think the combination of the location and the price is going to deter a lot of people out of trying or returning. But the food...