One of the city's best hidden secrets. It's hard to find a better dining experience. Food ...amazing. Experience ... amazing. Service... out of this world.
Audrey
It's always a pleasure to dine here. Food is fantastic, and the service is even better. We celebrated my birthday and everyone had an amazing time!!!
Alexander Christensen
This place is absolutely incredible! I walked in not knowing what to expect — it was my very first experience with Sri Lankan cuisine — and it ended up being one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. Every dish was beautifully presented, like a work of art, and somehow managed to taste even better than it looked. The flavors were complex, vibrant, and comforting all at once.
What really stood out was the service. The staff was warm, attentive, and genuinely excited to introduce us to the food. They guided us through each course, sharing background on the spices, the ingredients, and the cultural significance behind the dishes. It felt less like a dinner and more like a guided culinary journey.
I’ve already told so many people to come here, because Sri Lankan food is something I rarely see offered — and certainly not at this level. This place elevates it to something inspiring, memorable, and truly special. If you’re looking for a unique dining experience that expands your palate and leaves you thinking about the flavors long after you leave, this is the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quinn Li O'Shea
Such a special restaurant! Every course is clearly so thought through, with incredible flavor and beautiful presentation. Love the chef’s upscale take on Sri Lankan food and honestly the owners are the NICEST people. Will be back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca
My experiences at 1601 have been exceptional. The staff were very attentive - I very much appreciated them waiting with me for my cab on a very quiet evening. The food is excellent. The chef prepares the food is such a unique way: its looks beautiful and yet tastes like you're eating a traditional home-cooked Sri Lankan meal - I've seen few places do this. Highly recommend for a rare experience and a great evening of delicious food.
Anna Rimpf
Best kept secret in SF, rarely have I had such good food in the city. Truly every dish was a highlight. Glad I chose this restaurant for my boyfriend's birthday. Such a great place if you have something to celebrate
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tom
This is a great place for a special meal. Excellent service and amazing food. They are in a location with parking but a bit off the beaten path so don't have any walk in customer. But definitely worth the trip. Will be back.
Violet Weera
I came here for my birthday dinner, and it was everything I hoped for — and more. The food was absolutely incredible, easily the most authentic Sri Lankan I’ve had outside of home. Every dish was bursting with flavor, beautifully coursed, and left us completely stuffed. The service was warm and attentive, and the ambiance made the whole night feel special. Truly a perfect experience — I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
cullen reilly
Can’t knock a single thing about the food or service. Perfect tasting menu and amazing experience 👌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Taj Poudel
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 was amazing!
This is a hidden gem in San Francisco. Do not miss this place! It's a prefix tasting menu that is perfectly timed, diverse & delicious! It's the perfect amount of food...not too much, not too little. Guaranteed you will walk out very satisfied. Service is incredible as well.
Tyler Roach
Just visited SF for the weekend and found this place on the Michelin website. The food, wine and service are world class. In a city filled with great restaurants, this was the highlight. Loved it!
Sahan Paliskara
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 Lankan cuisine.
Mark Briscoe
So this review is kinda split into two sections. Food and service versus price.
Food and service were excellent. Great flavors. Great presentation. Great fusion.
Price was $150/person. That's too high. If you don't care about price, the food is great.
Hsin Yi Wei
We had an amazing dining experience at 1601 Bar & Kitchen on New Year’s Eve, which was also my daughter’s 3rd birthday.
The restaurant serves a Prix Fixe menu inspired by Sri Lankan cuisine, and every dish was flavorful and unique.
The staff went above and beyond with their service, making us feel so special. They even prepared a lovely birthday surprise for my daughter, which made her day unforgettable.
The warm and thoughtful gestures, combined with the delicious food, made it a perfect evening. Highly recommended for a special occasion!
One of the city's best hidden secrets. It's hard to find a better dining experience. Food ...amazing. Experience ... amazing. Service... out of this world.
It's always a pleasure to dine here. Food is fantastic, and the service is even better. We celebrated my birthday and everyone had an amazing time!!!
This place is absolutely incredible! I walked in not knowing what to expect — it was my very first experience with Sri Lankan cuisine — and it ended up being one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. Every dish was beautifully presented, like a work of art, and somehow managed to taste even better than it looked. The flavors were complex, vibrant, and comforting all at once.
What really stood out was the service. The staff was warm, attentive, and genuinely excited to introduce us to the food. They guided us through each course, sharing background on the spices, the ingredients, and the cultural significance behind the dishes. It felt less like a dinner and more like a guided culinary journey.
I’ve already told so many people to come here, because Sri Lankan food is something I rarely see offered — and certainly not at this level. This place elevates it to something inspiring, memorable, and truly special. If you’re looking for a unique dining experience that expands your palate and leaves you thinking about the flavors long after you leave, this is the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a special restaurant! Every course is clearly so thought through, with incredible flavor and beautiful presentation. Love the chef’s upscale take on Sri Lankan food and honestly the owners are the NICEST people. Will be back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My experiences at 1601 have been exceptional. The staff were very attentive - I very much appreciated them waiting with me for my cab on a very quiet evening. The food is excellent. The chef prepares the food is such a unique way: its looks beautiful and yet tastes like you're eating a traditional home-cooked Sri Lankan meal - I've seen few places do this. Highly recommend for a rare experience and a great evening of delicious food.
Best kept secret in SF, rarely have I had such good food in the city. Truly every dish was a highlight. Glad I chose this restaurant for my boyfriend's birthday. Such a great place if you have something to celebrate
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a great place for a special meal. Excellent service and amazing food. They are in a location with parking but a bit off the beaten path so don't have any walk in customer. But definitely worth the trip. Will be back.
I came here for my birthday dinner, and it was everything I hoped for — and more. The food was absolutely incredible, easily the most authentic Sri Lankan I’ve had outside of home. Every dish was bursting with flavor, beautifully coursed, and left us completely stuffed. The service was warm and attentive, and the ambiance made the whole night feel special. Truly a perfect experience — I’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Can’t knock a single thing about the food or service. Perfect tasting menu and amazing experience 👌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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 was amazing!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This is a hidden gem in San Francisco. Do not miss this place! It's a prefix tasting menu that is perfectly timed, diverse & delicious!
It's the perfect amount of food...not too much, not too little. Guaranteed you will walk out very satisfied.
Service is incredible as well.
Just visited SF for the weekend and found this place on the Michelin website. The food, wine and service are world class. In a city filled with great restaurants, this was the highlight. Loved it!
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 Lankan cuisine.
So this review is kinda split into two sections. Food and service versus price.
Food and service were excellent. Great flavors. Great presentation. Great fusion.
Price was $150/person. That's too high. If you don't care about price, the food is great.
We had an amazing dining experience at 1601 Bar & Kitchen on New Year’s Eve, which was also my daughter’s 3rd birthday.
The restaurant serves a Prix Fixe menu inspired by Sri Lankan cuisine, and every dish was flavorful and unique.
The staff went above and beyond with their service, making us feel so special. They even prepared a lovely birthday surprise for my daughter, which made her day unforgettable.
The warm and thoughtful gestures, combined with the delicious food, made it a perfect evening. Highly recommended for a special occasion!
Loading...