Red Window — Restaurant in San Francisco

Red Window is a busy North Beach spot, right on the hill of Columbus and one of the area’s liveliest corners.

There are a few outdoor seats plus a lean-to style covered section that feels like a leftover from the Covid days. Sitting outside can get windy, even in summer, so worth keeping in mind when picking a table. Inside the vibe is buzzy, though the decor feels a bit eclectic without quite nailing the boho look it seems to be going for. Service is where they shine: the hostess at the door was fantastic, really welcoming and clearly the face of the venue, and the staff throughout were polite and efficient.

The food and drink themselves are fairly average, mid-level tourist fare, but the energy of the place and the service lift it.

The patatas bravas came out in a slightly unusual style, more like wafer-thin duck-fat potatoes that had been twice-cooked and cut into neat shapes. I’ve seen that approach before, but never in a bravas. It worked fine, though I imagine a few Spanish purists might be shaking their heads!

Best reason to go? On Friday and Saturday nights they host a funk band at the front, which is brilliant fun and makes the whole visit feel like much...

So many of my friends raved about this place, so I finally went randomly for dinner and it really did live up to the hype! First of all, the place is beautiful. I love the painted glass windows, and we even asked if we could get seated at the corner booth (even though it's just two of us) and they said yes!

For drinks, we got the spiked hot chocolate (this didn't even taste alcoholic and they used housemade whipped cream on top) and a festive holiday spritz which also tasted pretty good.

Then for appetizers, we got the crusted paella balls, which I've never had as a ball form, but it was so easy to eat and came with a delicious sauce. For the mains, we ordered the short ribs and lamb pasta. The short ribs are an absolute MUST ORDER. So tender and came with crispy potatoes (no need to order the patatas braves if you get this) and some broccolini. The lamb pasta was okay; nothing too stand-out, but the pasta noodles did pair very well with the short ribs.

Overall, on a weekday, service was so fast and the vibe was super chill. Very date night worthy!...

The Red Window is a Spanish restaurant that opened in North Beach this March. It offers creative takes on classic tapas, features a low-proof cocktail bar, and has plenty of outdoor seating. At one point, it had a rolling bar cart, but I'm not sure if that's still the case.

For those familiar with North Beach, this location used to be the former Caffe Delucchi, making it easy to find.

Their sangria is excellent—so good, in fact, that it can make a cold and breezy North Beach evening feel mild and pleasant! I particularly loved their Patatas Bravas and Sliced Jamón Ibérico. I also enjoyed the Queso Fundido, though I don't remember much else thanks to the sangria. However, I do recall that their Crema Catalana is delicious too! Fortunately, you won’t have to rely solely on my memory; the Red Window menu is filled with delicious tapas, including pintxos.

Here’s an important detail: next door is Little Red Window, their takeout window that serves Spanish, Mexican, and Argentinian empanadas, along with house-canned cocktails—including sangria. What are you...