Bar Jabroni — Restaurant in San Francisco

I discovered Bar Jabroni through SF’s Best Restaurants list, and let me tell you, it absolutely lives up to the hype—and then some. Walking in with sky-high expectations, I was floored by how this spot managed to exceed them. The food here is exceptional, and honestly, I have zero criticisms about the dishes themselves. If I had to nitpick, the only downside would be that there’s just one restroom, which can lead to a bit of a wait when the restaurant is packed (and it often is).

We made our reservation a month in advance for a 5:30 PM dinner on a Saturday, and it was worth every bit of planning. For the two of us, we indulged in the following dishes:

Beef Tartare, Kuri Squash Mayo, Pickled Bartlett Pear, Toasted Hazelnut, and Shiso Oil (4.5/5) This dish was artfully composed, with the tartare perfectly complemented by the sweet and tangy pickled pear and nutty hazelnuts. A near-perfect starter.

Fried Japanese Sweet Potatoes, Cured Egg Yolk, Crème Fraîche - Caviar, and Miso Brown Butter (5/5) The standout of the night. The sweet potatoes, glazed to perfection and dipped in a luscious mix of cured egg yolk and miso brown butter, were divine. Every bite was a revelation, and I would order this again in a heartbeat.

Grilled Romanesco Cauliflower, Harissa, House Yogurt, Charred Dates, and Carrot Vinaigrette (5/5) Another must-try. The cauliflower was grilled to perfection, and the combination of harissa and charred dates brought an explosion of flavors. I couldn’t stop eating this dish.

Spring Onion and Date Pancake, Golden Sesame, Whipped Feta (4/5) This pancake was a creative take on savory-sweet, with the whipped feta adding a creamy richness. It was delicious but not as mind-blowing as the other dishes.

Gnudi, Mushroom Duxelles, Broccolini, Butternut Squash, Taleggio Fonduta, Pickled Mustard, and Chive Oil (4/5) Rich, hearty, and perfectly balanced. The gnudi was pillowy soft, and the flavors of the mushroom and taleggio fonduta made for a comforting dish.

Kuri Squash Basque Cheesecake, Winter Citrus, Brown Sugar Crumble (4/5) A delightful end to the meal. The cheesecake was creamy and flavorful, with the winter citrus adding a refreshing brightness to the rich dessert.

If I weren’t so full, I would’ve ordered an encore of the Fried Japanese Sweet Potatoes and Grilled Romanesco Cauliflower—they were just that good.

Bar Jabroni isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience. The thoughtful, creative dishes and exceptional flavors will stay with you long after your visit. Just make your reservation early, as this spot is in high demand—and for...

Their service is friendly and attentive. The same front of house staff has worked there for a while which is always a good sign. I visited for the second time last night and the food was very good, we had the focaccia, beef tartare, chicken, black cod and both the cheesecake and cobbler for desert. There was a small miscommunication and we had intended to order 2 chicken dinners but only received one to share. The portion was large enough to share and they offered to make a second one but our reservation was the last seating and we elected to share instead. Other than that the food was delicious but the cobbler was a bit cold in the middle and the portion of vegetables with the chicken could have been more substantial for the price. I think the menu has gotten smaller and the prices higher since the first time I dined here which would deter me from returning again soon. We also noted that we were celebrating a graduation last night and we were slightly disappointed it wasn’t acknowledged, but only since it was a prompt when making a reservation online. Not a...

We’d been hearing about Bar Jabroni forever but finally snagged a res and WOW. Every single thing we ate was unreal.

We kicked it off with the beef tartare (Szechuan peppercorn, kumquat, like, yes??), then tore through the house focaccia with whole milk ricotta. That bread was gone in seconds. The romanesco cauliflower was such a surprise hit - charred, nutty, saucy, crunchy - all of it. For mains, we got the strozzapreti with pork sugo (so rich and cozy) and the black cod pil pil, which was buttery, flaky perfection with these crispy potatoes I still dream about.

The wine? A+++ no notes. Perfect pairings, super interesting list. We wanted to try everything.

Vibe is laid back but cool, like a wine bar and a bistro had a hot, fun baby. Honestly the whole thing was a 10. We’re already planning to go back and order everything we didn’t get...