Such a wonderful dining experience at Sorrel! We had the 5-course menu and it was exceptional quality at a very reasonable price. The wine pairing was spot-on and the service attentive and friendly. Great spot for a date night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elizabeth Leweling
Due for a 2nd Michelin star. 10/10, would return. Strong work!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Avani Nagda
We went to Sorrel, to celebrate my husband’s birthday and a close friend’s recent engagement. All four of us are vegetarian, and unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing Michelin-star experiences I’ve had (and I’ve been to many one-, two-, and three-star restaurants).
The vegetarian tasting menu was very underwhelming, the courses felt like random ingredients put together rather than thoughtfully designed dishes. Flavors were missing, the portions were extremely small, and overall it didn’t feel special or satisfying. For a Michelin-star restaurant, I expected creativity, depth, and balance, but it just wasn’t there.
What made the evening even more awkward was the way the “celebration treat” was handled. At the end, the staff brought out a small chocolate/dessert for three of the guests, leaving me (one of the people hosting the celebration) without one. At other Michelin restaurants, they usually extend the celebratory gesture to the whole table so everyone can share in the experience. Here, it felt strangely incomplete and a little thoughtless, which left everyone uncomfortable.
I truly appreciate the effort that goes into fine dining, but this experience fell far below the standard of other Michelin-star restaurants we’ve visited. For vegetarians especially, I would not recommend Sorrel, there are many other places that offer a more creative, flavorful, and inclusive tasting menu like Bird Song, Californios, Merchant Roots, Lazy Bear, Anamoly.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Scott Thornburg
Incredible. They did this whipped Mt Tam cheese and tomato dish that blew my mind.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
bleep bloop
A superb fine dining experience. Had the privilege of enjoying the summer tasting menu. The staff was on point throughout service. The kitchen staff worked like a military unit. Everything was prepared and presented with care and class. Especially loved the focus on ingredients over flash, no over the top garnishes like gold flake or out of place caviar for the sake of a price hike. Just quality cuisine prepared with passion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cristobal Leal
We had Sorrel at Outside Lands and it gave me food poisoning. It was also tasteless and terrible. Unfortunate since the restaurant is so great but it ruined our day.
Food: 1
Rachel Deng
Food was mediocre and salty. The premium wine pairing was fantastic according to my partner. The short waiter was very indifferent. I never saw him smile for one moment and he tried to convince me pregnant women could eat raw seafood, which shocked me. Chef made so much noise in the kitchen that I doubted if the staff had a fair work dynamic here. Parking was easy. A lot of street parking.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Tyler Ung
Phenomenal service, food and atmosphere. Made a special day feel more special. Reasonable price for a Michelin starred restaurant in San Francisco. Definitely recommend
Edgardo De Leon
Best dishes are the ravioli, the lamb chops, black cod, and tuna tartar. The appetizers and dessert were great. The least favorite plate was the fruti di mare. For a Michelin star restaurant, pricing is reasonable.
Amina Ahsan Haque
5/30/2025 - Table for 2
This has been on my list for years… finally got a reservation and was disappointed. The food was beautiful but flavor was lacking. Not worth the price.
Service - Too good? So many check ins that we could not have a quiet conversation. Too many waiters going back and forth for the small space. They were a distraction.
I had a disappointing experience at Sorrel. While the ambiance was nice and the staff appeared attentive, the food unfortunately didn’t meet expectations — it was underwhelming for the price and lacked depth of flavor.
What made things worse was the awkward moment at the end. After I expressed that I didn’t enjoy the food, the server took the bill immediately after I signed it — while I was still at the table — and looked at the tip amount right in front of me. This felt intrusive and made me extremely uncomfortable, as if I was being monitored or judged.
At a high-end restaurant, I expect discretion and respect, especially when the dining experience itself wasn’t satisfying. Sadly, this interaction left a sour taste and overshadowed the evening.
I hope management will better train staff to handle feedback professionally and create a more respectful environment for future guests.
LG
This is an exceptional restaurant! We are here visiting from Australia and decided to celebrate a birthday at Sorrel. From the moment we were greeted the staff were kind and attentive. We absolutely LOVED the food. We will be back! Please trust us and give this restaurant a try it is so special
Louis Dupuy-Roudel
Disappointing Service Experience That Didn’t Match the Food
We recently dined at Sorrel in San Francisco expecting a Michelin star standard. While the food itself was good and the kitchen staff were warm and professional when they came out to serve the dishes, the overall experience was unfortunately overshadowed by poor service.
When we arrived, the staff barely acknowledged us. There was no warm welcome—just a quick check of the reservation and a quiet escort to the table. The service throughout the evening felt cold and awkward. We often had to ask questions just to understand the menu or how things worked, and the responses we got were vague or unclear.
There were also a few missteps that added up. Our cocktails were forgotten and only brought out at the same time as the wine pairing. We asked for two oysters, received three, and were charged accordingly—seemingly because our server hadn’t listened carefully. On top of that, we couldn’t help but notice a few exchanged looks and expressions between staff that gave us the uncomfortable impression our table was being talked about.
The food itself was enjoyable, and we appreciated the kitchen team’s care, but the level of service simply didn’t match the standard one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. It felt impersonal, inattentive, and at times, unwelcoming.
To add to the disappointment, after leaving a modest tip that we felt reflected our experience, we overheard staff making negative remarks about it—while we were still nearby. That kind of behavior is unprofessional in any setting, and particularly surprising at a Michelin-starred restaurant. If staff feel the need to comment, that should happen privately and only after guests have left.
Overall, while the food was a highlight, the service left a lot to be desired. Coming from the industry and being well-acquainted with fine dining standards, we found the experience surprisingly subpar.
Krystel A.
I recently celebrated a milestone birthday at Sorrel, and it was absolutely everything I wanted and more. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm, inviting, and elegant—perfect for an unforgettable evening with my girls.
The food? Incredible. Every dish was a masterpiece of flavor and presentation. Honestly, I could have used a bit more food on the plate, but isn’t that just a testament to how delicious everything was? I wanted more of everything.
The service was impeccable—attentive without being intrusive. Every member of the team made us feel celebrated and cared for.
+10000 to the chef and the entire crew for creating such a phenomenal dining experience. Sorrel truly made my milestone celebration one for the books. I can’t wait to return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yves F.
Best high end restaurant tried so far in the city (and we tried quite a few!). Food, wine, service, ambient: everything was just perfect for us to celebrate our special date! Thanks Thomas, Natalie, Roanin and all the rest of the Sorrel team! We’ll definitely come back (likely for a cheese cake dessert at the counter! 😉)
Such a wonderful dining experience at Sorrel! We had the 5-course menu and it was exceptional quality at a very reasonable price. The wine pairing was spot-on and the service attentive and friendly. Great spot for a date night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Due for a 2nd Michelin star. 10/10, would return. Strong work!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went to Sorrel, to celebrate my husband’s birthday and a close friend’s recent engagement. All four of us are vegetarian, and unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing Michelin-star experiences I’ve had (and I’ve been to many one-, two-, and three-star restaurants).
The vegetarian tasting menu was very underwhelming, the courses felt like random ingredients put together rather than thoughtfully designed dishes. Flavors were missing, the portions were extremely small, and overall it didn’t feel special or satisfying. For a Michelin-star restaurant, I expected creativity, depth, and balance, but it just wasn’t there.
What made the evening even more awkward was the way the “celebration treat” was handled. At the end, the staff brought out a small chocolate/dessert for three of the guests, leaving me (one of the people hosting the celebration) without one. At other Michelin restaurants, they usually extend the celebratory gesture to the whole table so everyone can share in the experience. Here, it felt strangely incomplete and a little thoughtless, which left everyone uncomfortable.
I truly appreciate the effort that goes into fine dining, but this experience fell far below the standard of other Michelin-star restaurants we’ve visited. For vegetarians especially, I would not recommend Sorrel, there are many other places that offer a more creative, flavorful, and inclusive tasting menu like Bird Song, Californios, Merchant Roots, Lazy Bear, Anamoly.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Incredible. They did this whipped Mt Tam cheese and tomato dish that blew my mind.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A superb fine dining experience. Had the privilege of enjoying the summer tasting menu. The staff was on point throughout service. The kitchen staff worked like a military unit. Everything was prepared and presented with care and class. Especially loved the focus on ingredients over flash, no over the top garnishes like gold flake or out of place caviar for the sake of a price hike. Just quality cuisine prepared with passion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had Sorrel at Outside Lands and it gave me food poisoning. It was also tasteless and terrible. Unfortunate since the restaurant is so great but it ruined our day.
Food: 1
Food was mediocre and salty. The premium wine pairing was fantastic according to my partner. The short waiter was very indifferent. I never saw him smile for one moment and he tried to convince me pregnant women could eat raw seafood, which shocked me. Chef made so much noise in the kitchen that I doubted if the staff had a fair work dynamic here. Parking was easy. A lot of street parking.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Phenomenal service, food and atmosphere. Made a special day feel more special. Reasonable price for a Michelin starred restaurant in San Francisco. Definitely recommend
Best dishes are the ravioli, the lamb chops, black cod, and tuna tartar. The appetizers and dessert were great. The least favorite plate was the fruti di mare. For a Michelin star restaurant, pricing is reasonable.
5/30/2025 - Table for 2
This has been on my list for years… finally got a reservation and was disappointed. The food was beautiful but flavor was lacking. Not worth the price.
Service - Too good? So many check ins that we could not have a quiet conversation. Too many waiters going back and forth for the small space. They were a distraction.
The bread was the best part! Loved it
Restaurantji Recommends
I had a disappointing experience at Sorrel. While the ambiance was nice and the staff appeared attentive, the food unfortunately didn’t meet expectations — it was underwhelming for the price and lacked depth of flavor.
What made things worse was the awkward moment at the end. After I expressed that I didn’t enjoy the food, the server took the bill immediately after I signed it — while I was still at the table — and looked at the tip amount right in front of me. This felt intrusive and made me extremely uncomfortable, as if I was being monitored or judged.
At a high-end restaurant, I expect discretion and respect, especially when the dining experience itself wasn’t satisfying. Sadly, this interaction left a sour taste and overshadowed the evening.
I hope management will better train staff to handle feedback professionally and create a more respectful environment for future guests.
This is an exceptional restaurant! We are here visiting from Australia and decided to celebrate a birthday at Sorrel. From the moment we were greeted the staff were kind and attentive. We absolutely LOVED the food. We will be back! Please trust us and give this restaurant a try it is so special
Disappointing Service Experience That Didn’t Match the Food
We recently dined at Sorrel in San Francisco expecting a Michelin star standard. While the food itself was good and the kitchen staff were warm and professional when they came out to serve the dishes, the overall experience was unfortunately overshadowed by poor service.
When we arrived, the staff barely acknowledged us. There was no warm welcome—just a quick check of the reservation and a quiet escort to the table. The service throughout the evening felt cold and awkward. We often had to ask questions just to understand the menu or how things worked, and the responses we got were vague or unclear.
There were also a few missteps that added up. Our cocktails were forgotten and only brought out at the same time as the wine pairing. We asked for two oysters, received three, and were charged accordingly—seemingly because our server hadn’t listened carefully. On top of that, we couldn’t help but notice a few exchanged looks and expressions between staff that gave us the uncomfortable impression our table was being talked about.
The food itself was enjoyable, and we appreciated the kitchen team’s care, but the level of service simply didn’t match the standard one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. It felt impersonal, inattentive, and at times, unwelcoming.
To add to the disappointment, after leaving a modest tip that we felt reflected our experience, we overheard staff making negative remarks about it—while we were still nearby. That kind of behavior is unprofessional in any setting, and particularly surprising at a Michelin-starred restaurant. If staff feel the need to comment, that should happen privately and only after guests have left.
Overall, while the food was a highlight, the service left a lot to be desired. Coming from the industry and being well-acquainted with fine dining standards, we found the experience surprisingly subpar.
I recently celebrated a milestone birthday at Sorrel, and it was absolutely everything I wanted and more. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm, inviting, and elegant—perfect for an unforgettable evening with my girls.
The food? Incredible. Every dish was a masterpiece of flavor and presentation. Honestly, I could have used a bit more food on the plate, but isn’t that just a testament to how delicious everything was? I wanted more of everything.
The service was impeccable—attentive without being intrusive. Every member of the team made us feel celebrated and cared for.
+10000 to the chef and the entire crew for creating such a phenomenal dining experience. Sorrel truly made my milestone celebration one for the books. I can’t wait to return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best high end restaurant tried so far in the city (and we tried quite a few!). Food, wine, service, ambient: everything was just perfect for us to celebrate our special date!
Thanks Thomas, Natalie, Roanin and all the rest of the Sorrel team! We’ll definitely come back (likely for a cheese cake dessert at the counter! 😉)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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