Quince — Restaurant in San Francisco

Dinner 2024.05.02. (Celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary).

"Downgrading" to average 4 stars. I tried to be very objective and not let the 6 star experience from 5 years ago affect or unreasonably set my expectations too high that any imperfections would be blown out of proportion.

The food was excellent. But there were minor subtle things. The service was great. But there were minor subtle things. The atmosphere was not on par to previous to the renovation.

Food: excellent food. Minor: one of the asparagus dishes. The main asparagus served from the infusion glass pot was slightly over cooked.

Service: The principal server was great. Professional, polite, friendly. One of the non-principal servers (think his name was Juan) was MOST excellent. After almost every serving, he would explain the cutlery, the plating, where they came from, pointed out the unique features and/or subtle artistic nature of them. He really made us feel welcomed and engaged. By far, he was the most memorable server for the evening. We learned he had been with Quince since the beginning and even with the owner at a previous place. Obviously, he really enjoys what he does. He even gave us a special "gift" book when he learned that we had been going down one by one a series of Michelin Star restaurants and enjoyed traveling. "TRAVEL BOOK Venture Further" (Relais & Chateaux). People are human and nobody is perfect, but with the asparagus dish, the server didn't get a good grip on the asparagus, so when they tried to place it on the plate, it kind of jumped onto the plate. We felt bad for how he must have felt. Another situation, pretty sure it was unintentional, but we were served the lamb plate and servers left and we started to eat. Then a server arrived a minute later with a small cauldron (something like that) with an amazing piece of fireplace roasted lamb (with crispy skin. Wow, that was absolutely delicious). But it felt like something wasn't coordinated as one would expect that it would arrive immediately after the plate.

Atmosphere: The downgrade here was dress-code. One guy had a sleeveless shirt, One had a collarless sweat shirt. Another had a t-shirt and jean jacket. Some people were wearing running shoes. I'm not a fashion critic. The very 'casual' wear took a bit of the 'shine' off the experience.

Dinner 2019.03.30. (Celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary).

Absolutely amazing experience. The food, service, ambiance was excellent. 5 stars across the board. If I could give 6 stars, I would. Manresa, in Los Gatos, was our favorite go-to place for special celebrations, but it may just have been de-throned. We do have a reservation with Manresa in a couple of months, so it will be fun to see, maybe memory fades. At Quince, the creative presentation of the food (not just what it looks like, but what it's served in, the captured 'smoke' scent as they removed the tray upon tray of starters (I called it the upside down Devo hat but in white)) was very cool to experience. The different styles of plating was cool. The whole experience was great for the eyes (fishing for white asparagus), the nose (infused smoke hidden between layers of serving plates), the sounds (yes, we could hear the kitchen and what sounded like faint happy cheering), the taste (OMG, so many variations and creative combinations that worked VERY well (at some other places, the variations were different, but didn't quite work out for us). And finally, a special treat... Totally unexpected, but for our dessert course, they invited us to have it back in the kitchen in the middle of all the activity. Wow, just WOW !! We were literally in the middle of it all. An unforgettable experience. Thank you Quince!! We can't wait to go back again !! Again, 6 stars !!! For service, for food, for ambiance, for experience. Taste, sight, smell, sound... The only thing missing was touch, otherwise, this experience "touched" on...

Gin, Brandy, and a Quince Memory By Hiten Dave Quince, San Francisco — September 19th, 6:12 PM The moment I stepped into Quince, Eric, the bartender, caught my eye. His face lit up in recognition. “You must be from the neighborhood,” he teased, “just decided to stroll in again?” We both laughed — the kind of easy laughter that happens when familiarity begins to take root. I asked Eric to make his version of a Negroni, and something in his expression shifted — the spark of a craftsman about to share his art. He leaned forward, explaining that they were using a special gin sourced from their farm in Bolinas, and that he intended to soften the drink’s characteristic bitterness with a touch of rum. Before mixing, he offered me a small quarter ounce of the gin to taste on its own. The flavor surprised me: strong yet elegant, layered with botanicals that lingered delicately. When the Negroni arrived, I lifted the glass slowly. The first sip sent a gentle tingle across the tip of my tongue, followed by a sublime, lingering depth that was both familiar and entirely new. It was as if the drink had shed its sharper edges and revealed a quieter, more poetic side. “The Negroni, glowing softly under candlelight — Quince.” I hadn’t planned to eat, but as I sat at the bar, watching servers glide past with beautifully plated dishes, a quiet hunger stirred. Eric noticed. With a warm smile, he apologized that food wasn’t typically served in the bar area, but added, “Don’t worry — I’ll bring you something.” Moments later, he returned with a small plate of house-made condiments, each one a small masterpiece: • Olives — perfectly balanced, neither too salty nor too sharp. • Curried walnuts — deeply flavorful, with spices that revealed themselves gently rather than shouting. • Breadsticks — baked fresh each day, brushed with a light dusting of Parmesan. • And my unexpected favorite: house-made potato chips, so crisp they crackled softly between my fingers, seasoned with nothing more than a whisper of salt and fine pepper, letting the potato’s essence shine through. A New Perspective on an Old Fashioned For my second drink, I asked Eric to make his version of an Old Fashioned. His eyes brightened again — this was clearly a story he loved to tell. He explained that during the Prohibition era, whiskey was scarce and expensive, so many turned to homemade brandy. The original Old Fashioned, he said, was not whiskey-based at all but brandy-based. He went on to describe the nuances of citrus rinds, how lemons evolve through early, peak, and late seasons. That evening, he chose a peak-season lemon, pairing it with their house brandy from Bolinas. Before I could take a sip, Eric offered a ritual: “First, look at the drink for two to three minutes. Really see it. Then smell the citrus. And only then… taste.” I followed his lead. For those quiet moments, I became entirely present — visually, mentally, and sensorially absorbed. The first sip unfolded like a slow revelation, the flavors opening in delicate layers. “An Old Fashioned reimagined with Bolinas brandy and peak-season lemon — a quiet ritual in a glass.” The drink wasn’t simply something to consume; it was something to experience. As I sat there, wrapped in the warm glow of the bar, I realized that what made the evening memorable wasn’t just the craftsmanship of the cocktails, but the way Eric invited me into the story of each one. It wasn’t service; it was theater. It wasn’t just a drink; it was a memory in the making. Every time I come, Eric makes me taste the newer versions of of the Gin's their farm in Bolinas produces i.e. an ever-evolving gin with the different season citrus added to...

After a magical wedding ceremony, my husband and I decided to celebrate our new nupituals at Quince. We booked the reservation several weeks in advance and I notified the restaurant a week before our reservation that my husband does not eat seafood. When we arrived at the restaurant, we received customized menus with our names printed on them. My husband noticed that his menu included seafood. Our server, Gregory, seemed unaware of his dietary restrictions.

We were served a glass of champagne each while awaiting our first course. We assumed this was on-the-house, in celebration of our wedding; however, upon receiving the bill, we saw we were charged $96 for the champagne. This was not verbalized ahead of time. After a 30-minute wait with nothing served, Gregory returned to refill our champagne glasses and apologized for the lull in service. The remainder of the meal seemed to flow more efficiently and we enjoyed the sommelier & the wine pairings. We were disappointed that one of the courses was literally three pieces of bread, something given to you freely at just about any restaurant.

Although the service was not great, what happened in the following days was disrespectful. At the end of our meals, our server, Gregory, told us that our bill was settled. We assumed that the remainder of the balance was charged to the credit card we used for the deposit when booking the reservation.

The following morning, my sister reached out to me asking about our wedding dinner. She asked if we enjoyed the surprise at the end of the meal. When I was unsure of what she was referring to, she told me that she & my parents paid for our wedding dinner at Quince. My sister had completed the online form provided by the restaurant, which included a personal message from the family, and submitted all the info they requested to surprise us with this amazing wedding gift. Quince COMPLETELY DROPPED THE BALL and NEVER told us our meal was a wedding gift from my family and never delivered the message. My sister was very upset, as she was unable to attend the wedding & felt it was her way of sharing in our celebration that day.

We reached out to Quince about this the following day. We had to call them three days in a row, talking to different people, all the while being told that someone would contact us to resolve this. We didn't receive a call and had to keep calling until finally getting in touch with a person named Dan. He told me that his server, Gregory, claims to have told us at the end of our meal that it was paid for by my family. THIS IS A LIE. Dan told me that he believed his server and that we are lying. After many days of back-and-forth, his resolution for ruining the wedding gift from my family was to take off the involuntary 18% gratuity (the final bill for 2 people was almost $1,700.) COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.

Quince is not the first 3-star Michelin restaurant we have been to, but it is the ONLY one that we will NEVER return to. I'm confident any lessor restaurant would have resolved this matter both more expediently and to our satisfaction. HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING AND NOT WORTHY OF 3-STARS (or any, for...