Amazing tasting menu! Definitely will come back again
Selene Wilkes
Wonderful food with unique and local ingredients. Authentic Japanese yet San Francisco experience. We sat in the outside courtyard, and even though it was a windy day, we were comfortable and warmed by the heaters. We opted for the tasting menu which had most of the things we had wanted to try. The sashimi was exceptional, as delicious as the fish market sashimi in Tokyo. I loved the Chiizu Tori Katsu, cheese being such an unexpected twist to the dish. Tsukuni skewers were likewise very flavorful with the tare dipping sauce. The mabodofu don was so comforting and delicious to end the tasting menu. I would love to return.
vvvs
Nothing here was particularly mind blowing besides the Panna cotta and yal took insanely long to get our next dish out after the sashimi. 350 for 4 , unreasonable
K Tse
Was able to reserve a table for two on a Saturday evening by booking a month prior. Make a reminder alert to get a good time and indoor seating.
For birthdays they stamp a little party hat on the octopus featured on the paper menu as a souvenir.
Tips to order: 5-7 plates are recommended if you order a la carte for 2 people. Seasonal set menu is $85 per person as of 5/2025. If you choose for this option, the whole party must opt in.
Food and Service: Food was fresh and presented aesthetically. I personally found multiple dishes too salty. The servers are attentive, describing each dish, and how to eat each dish - when You finish one plate, they clear it shortly after, and deliver the next.
Cleanliness: There was a black speck in the pitcher of water the brought to the table. Once they were made aware, they promptly replaced it. Also, there was an employees who was making fresh udon noodles in the back room. Mid process he dropped the rolling pin on the floor. It made a loud noise. He then picked it up and without cleaning it, proceeded to roll out his udon dough.
Check: sharing 7 plates for two came out to $190, including the 20% gratuity which is already added.
Leisha Ishikawa
The skewers, oden, and croquettes were reminiscent of Japanese street food. Rintaro does a very tasty rendition that is comforting and savory, yet refined and dainty. I will definitely go back to try the sashimi, udon, and get the hojicha panna cotta again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, Maguro No Yukke, Oden Moriawase, Chicken Skewers
kn s
Probably the worst SF food experience I have had. 20% required service charge for no service, we had to pour and refill water ourselves. Food was acceptable but not 200 usd for 3 people, maybe worth 30 usd per person. Speed was extremely slow, took 2 hours to serve 6 tiny dishes? Waitress kept asking every table, are you sure this is enough food? If you need to ask, that means you are skimping on the portions, and the quality is nowhere near a tasting menu. Maybe equivalent to fastfood quality in Tokyo? I guess any better is expecting too much of a dingy restaurant in a sketchy spot. Do not recommend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Shawna Shawna
Have been to many Izakayas and heard great things about rintaro, but was quite a disappointment…Great service; Great drinks; Amazing tonkatsu, but honestly everything else was either bland (carbonara), ridiculously tiny (cod), or unmemorable (tsukune). Fun to try, but not if you’re not willing to spend $70+ just to walk away hungry (I had to fill myself up with rice which also came in tiny portion).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Randy F.
SF Izakaya ?
Nestled in the Mission, Rintaro is a California inspired Japanese izakaya that’s been a hit since opening
I’d been meaning to try the spot for a few years and finally was able to snag the still popular reservations that open ~21 days out
The spacious space is bustling with every table filled and an atmosphere that feels warm and inviting
Craft cocktails and a focused but varied menu ensure that every meal will be delicious and memorable
Our favorites for the night were the gyusuji (slow simmered beef tendons in oden broth), tsukune with raw egg, the chilled udon with duck and dipping broth, and the mapotofu don…also the amazing hojicha dessert
Lovely meal and stoked to finally check Rintaro off my hit list
? Yosedofu $15 / San Ten Mori $45 ~ blue fin, hamachi, halibut sashimi / Oden Gyusuji $14 ~ long simmered tendon with oden broth, Furofuki daikon $8, Rintaro Hanpen $14 / Yakitori Sasami $10 / Yakitori tsukune $12 + raw egg $3 / Kurobata tonkatsu $25 / Kamojiro Udon $25 ~ Chilled dipping udon with duck / Mabodofu Don $17 / Hojicha Panna Cotta $12 / Yonashi Budo Zero ~ poached Bartlett pear in grape jelly $18
?Rintaro (San Francisco, CA)
Dining is indoor only and reservations are recommended on Resy. Credit cards accepted.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, With Sliced Liberty Duck Breast and a Clay, Yakitori Tsukune
Peifong Ren
The food here is outstanding—fresh, delicate, and crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Although our waiter had a bit of an attitude, it didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the meal. Our group of five ordered 14 dishes, and while we were quite full, we couldn’t resist ordering dessert—and it was absolutely the right choice. The Hojicha Panna Cotta and Japanese Soufflé Cheesecake were both exceptional, easily the best we’ve ever tasted.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Lisa Lo
Pricey but definitely one of my favorite restaurants in SF so far!
Amazing food, even better atmosphere. The staff was so friendly and took great care of us, while giving us reliably heavenly recommendations. The fish quality was top tier, the yakitori was so juicy and perfectly seasoned, and the sake pairing was the cherry on top. The udon was nice and refreshing, sesame sauce was such a nice surprise with that. One critique was on the tomatoes with yuzu mayo. I thought this was underwhelming
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, Yakitori Tsukune, Tuna Sashimi
Cara Erskine
Incredible interior and hand-cut and joined woodwork. Amazingly detailed and careful staff. Host, Server and other servers were very careful and communicative about my celiac disease and buckwheat allergy. High level professional service and the food was just astonishingly delicious. Will return. 11/10.
Dietary restrictions: They were very communicative from the host stand onward about my celiac disease and buckwheat allergy. Just great communication all around which contributed to my incredible experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, Chicken Wings, Chicken Skewers
Daway Chou-Ren
Excellent. The chicken cartilage skewers, the fried anchovies were memorable. The panna cotta with hojicha syrup blew us out of the water. The cheesecake also was agreed to be the best we’ve had (group of 5).
Very pleased to have four very memorable dishes in the same sitting. Nothing (12 total dishes) was “bad”, at worst just ordinary but most ranged from very good to sublime.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta
The West Experience at PMZ
Had to cancel my reservation on short notice, they were so kind about it. We will definitely come back and I recommend them for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shelley
Fantastic skewers! Loved the entire experience. Each dish was delicious, and we happened to be dining the night Amex had free goodie bags for each table.
Amazing tasting menu! Definitely will come back again
Wonderful food with unique and local ingredients. Authentic Japanese yet San Francisco experience. We sat in the outside courtyard, and even though it was a windy day, we were comfortable and warmed by the heaters. We opted for the tasting menu which had most of the things we had wanted to try. The sashimi was exceptional, as delicious as the fish market sashimi in Tokyo. I loved the Chiizu Tori Katsu, cheese being such an unexpected twist to the dish. Tsukuni skewers were likewise very flavorful with the tare dipping sauce. The mabodofu don was so comforting and delicious to end the tasting menu. I would love to return.
Nothing here was particularly mind blowing besides the Panna cotta and yal took insanely long to get our next dish out after the sashimi. 350 for 4 , unreasonable
Was able to reserve a table for two on a Saturday evening by booking a month prior. Make a reminder alert to get a good time and indoor seating.
For birthdays they stamp a little party hat on the octopus featured on the paper menu as a souvenir.
Tips to order: 5-7 plates are recommended if you order a la carte for 2 people. Seasonal set menu is $85 per person as of 5/2025. If you choose for this option, the whole party must opt in.
Food and Service: Food was fresh and presented aesthetically. I personally found multiple dishes too salty. The servers are attentive, describing each dish, and how to eat each dish - when You finish one plate, they clear it shortly after, and deliver the next.
Cleanliness: There was a black speck in the pitcher of water the brought to the table. Once they were made aware, they promptly replaced it. Also, there was an employees who was making fresh udon noodles in the back room. Mid process he dropped the rolling pin on the floor. It made a loud noise. He then picked it up and without cleaning it, proceeded to roll out his udon dough.
Check: sharing 7 plates for two came out to $190, including the 20% gratuity which is already added.
The skewers, oden, and croquettes were reminiscent of Japanese street food. Rintaro does a very tasty rendition that is comforting and savory, yet refined and dainty. I will definitely go back to try the sashimi, udon, and get the hojicha panna cotta again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, Maguro No Yukke, Oden Moriawase, Chicken Skewers
Probably the worst SF food experience I have had. 20% required service charge for no service, we had to pour and refill water ourselves. Food was acceptable but not 200 usd for 3 people, maybe worth 30 usd per person. Speed was extremely slow, took 2 hours to serve 6 tiny dishes? Waitress kept asking every table, are you sure this is enough food?
If you need to ask, that means you are skimping on the portions, and the quality is nowhere near a tasting menu. Maybe equivalent to fastfood quality in Tokyo? I guess any better is expecting too much of a dingy restaurant in a sketchy spot. Do not recommend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Have been to many Izakayas and heard great things about rintaro, but was quite a disappointment…Great service; Great drinks; Amazing tonkatsu, but honestly everything else was either bland (carbonara), ridiculously tiny (cod), or unmemorable (tsukune). Fun to try, but not if you’re not willing to spend $70+ just to walk away hungry (I had to fill myself up with rice which also came in tiny portion).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
SF Izakaya ?
Nestled in the Mission, Rintaro is a California inspired Japanese izakaya that’s been a hit since opening
I’d been meaning to try the spot for a few years and finally was able to snag the still popular reservations that open ~21 days out
The spacious space is bustling with every table filled and an atmosphere that feels warm and inviting
Craft cocktails and a focused but varied menu ensure that every meal will be delicious and memorable
Our favorites for the night were the gyusuji (slow simmered beef tendons in oden broth), tsukune with raw egg, the chilled udon with duck and dipping broth, and the mapotofu don…also the amazing hojicha dessert
Lovely meal and stoked to finally check Rintaro off my hit list
? Yosedofu $15 / San Ten Mori $45 ~ blue fin, hamachi, halibut sashimi / Oden Gyusuji $14 ~ long simmered tendon with oden broth, Furofuki daikon $8, Rintaro Hanpen $14 / Yakitori Sasami $10 / Yakitori tsukune $12 + raw egg $3 / Kurobata tonkatsu $25 / Kamojiro Udon $25 ~ Chilled dipping udon with duck / Mabodofu Don $17 / Hojicha Panna Cotta $12 / Yonashi Budo Zero ~ poached Bartlett pear in grape jelly $18
?Rintaro (San Francisco, CA)
Dining is indoor only and reservations are recommended on Resy. Credit cards accepted.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, With Sliced Liberty Duck Breast and a Clay, Yakitori Tsukune
The food here is outstanding—fresh, delicate, and crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Although our waiter had a bit of an attitude, it didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the meal. Our group of five ordered 14 dishes, and while we were quite full, we couldn’t resist ordering dessert—and it was absolutely the right choice. The Hojicha Panna Cotta and Japanese Soufflé Cheesecake were both exceptional, easily the best we’ve ever tasted.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Pricey but definitely one of my favorite restaurants in SF so far!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing food, even better atmosphere. The staff was so friendly and took great care of us, while giving us reliably heavenly recommendations. The fish quality was top tier, the yakitori was so juicy and perfectly seasoned, and the sake pairing was the cherry on top. The udon was nice and refreshing, sesame sauce was such a nice surprise with that. One critique was on the tomatoes with yuzu mayo. I thought this was underwhelming
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, Yakitori Tsukune, Tuna Sashimi
Incredible interior and hand-cut and joined woodwork. Amazingly detailed and careful staff. Host, Server and other servers were very careful and communicative about my celiac disease and buckwheat allergy. High level professional service and the food was just astonishingly delicious. Will return. 11/10.
Dietary restrictions: They were very communicative from the host stand onward about my celiac disease and buckwheat allergy. Just great communication all around which contributed to my incredible experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta, Chicken Wings, Chicken Skewers
Excellent. The chicken cartilage skewers, the fried anchovies were memorable. The panna cotta with hojicha syrup blew us out of the water. The cheesecake also was agreed to be the best we’ve had (group of 5).
Very pleased to have four very memorable dishes in the same sitting. Nothing (12 total dishes) was “bad”, at worst just ordinary but most ranged from very good to sublime.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta
Had to cancel my reservation on short notice, they were so kind about it. We will definitely come back and I recommend them for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic skewers! Loved the entire experience. Each dish was delicious, and we happened to be dining the night Amex had free goodie bags for each table.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hojicha Panna Cotta
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