Saison

A must-have fine dining experience in the world. Saison received its third Michelin star in 2014 and was one of the first two restaurants which earned the highest rating in San Francisco/Bay Area. The current food and service is no doubt a 3 Michelin star restaurant. It is listed as one of the worlds 50 best restaurants in 2023. Congrats Chef Rich and the entire Saison team! Excited to see what the team brings in the near future.

So good - this is so far my favorite Michelin two star restaurants in the world, the flavors are elevated but also invoked longing of comfort food - like smoked carrot paired with brown butter rolls. Uni toast reminded us of the crispness of toast. Also loved the flower tea with honey before the meal. We sat at the bar salon and added two courses. It was fantastic and nice view of the kitchen too. Highly recommend !

The food was amazing (loved the Uni), cocktails very well done, and the service was top notch. It isn’t affordable unless you don’t care, but the experience is a thing. I remember this warehouse district from when I worked in Soma years ago, so it didn’t feel very special or particularly unique in terms of a space. It sort of sits between Arzak and Providence.

I have only done a handful of truly fine dining experiences in my life and while I have pretty consistently enjoyed the food and attention to service, Saison went a step beyond in a few ways. First off, the entire meal is an experience through and through - you’re facing the open kitchen and getting to see the chefs and staff at work, the courses are presented in a really interactive way whether it is watching as they unfold kelp to reveal caviar, or allowing you to choose your knife from an antique box full of unique knives. Second - it was the least stuffy fine dining service I have ever received; the staff acted like real humans and appeared to be having some level of fun with guests. Often when I have done fine dining I feel a little anxious because everything is so perfect and meticulous that I am afraid of “messing up” as the customer which was not the case here. If you’ve made it this far I’ll just finish by simply saying that in addition to all of the above, the food and the wine are EXCELLENT, but that’s honestly just the expectation at a place of this caliber. If you’ve got the money and a reason to celebrate then I can’t recommend Saison enough; I can’t wait for my next reason to return.

Great dining experience. Worth the Michelin pricing. Staff is courteous and attentive. We did the bar saloon seating. The space was a bit confined but intimate. Food wise, the pacific black cod really stood out as it melted in our mouth. The caviar was different and very savory with the seaweed flavor. The goat milk sorbet dessert was controversial if you are not into goat milk (you don’t taste the goat milk until the end of your bite). One thing I did not get to try (and I really wish I did) was their wine collection…when I say they have an expansive wine collection, I really mean it…I mean. Romanée-Conti Burgundy…?!?! That was probably the first time I’ve ever seen it on a menu in my entire life

What an incredible experience. From the moment you enter saison you know you are somewhere special. The 2 Michelin Star Saison dinner is a journey of food that is served as elegantly as it taste. The 7 course dinner was plenty of food, but adding the caviar that is prepared table side is a definite must! For those who don’t care for caviar or the ones who do, trust me, this is very different than what you expect caviar to be-and, as the server stated-will ruin caviar anywhere else for you. The highlight of my meal-was the caviar. A close second was the Dungeness crab which is closely tied with the halibut with gooseberries. Another star of the evening for me was the duck heart. The 3 hour journey of food and wine was one of the best dining experiences I have had.

Saison was one of the coolest dining experiences that i’ve had yet. One of my favorite parts of the experience was all of the table-side presentations and cool drops of food that they did. It was very unique to be able to try duck heart and gizzard with the main duck course. My favorite dishes had to be the carrot, crab, wagyu, and the creamsicle! It was so kind how they gave me a delicious birthday dessert as well as a handwritten card, it made my birthday celebration so special. The desserts were incredible, I enjoyed each one but the mandarin creamsicle hit a soft spot for me, it tasted exactly like the ones that I used to eat as a kid! The apple sunflower dessert had a very cool tableside presentation and I loved that the meal ended with buckwheat caneles and tea. We also had a perfect view of the kitchen and were directly next to the lobster tanks which made the meal even more memorable. Thank you to everyone at Saison for a wonderful birthday celebration!

Saison is an "experience" rather than a meal. The restaurant strives for perfection, to the very last detail, and it was evident in every single bit, minute, from entering to departing. Everything had been thought through and yes, at this price point, you'd expect so. Saison however goes beyond. The executive chef and his team definitely is not shy about flaunting their Asian origins. "Influence" is a weak word as pretty much every single dish has a Korean flair to it, obviously with modern interpretations. The courses are almost designed like a textbook, extracting the essence of what might make a bone marrow both flavorful and executing it in a modern San Franciscan way. Some of the courses hit perfection - the ingredients, composition, balance of flavor, texture and the visuals. For example, the sashimi wrapped in greens or the steamed cod that literally melts in your mouth. Even the dessert courses were impeccable: the mandarin orange hinted shaved ice with milk cream or the chewy bread topped with dried persimmon. And then there were some courses that failed to strike perfection. The dried carrot was chewy like a sweet potato but the puree went just a bit over on the carrot-ness. The brioche bread was great but a bit uneventful. The uni toast was a bit off balance with the saltiness and toast just too far apart in the palate. And the wagyu missed a hint of salt. Don't get me wrong, they are fabulous by any standards. Just a speck of blemishes given Saison desperately strives for perfection and the 3rd Michelin star. Overall, Saison is an experience to be had. We left wondrous and enraptured in the chef's creation. The service was beyond perfect. We felt welcomed, hugged, spoiled, and nourished. We will absolutely return. Can't wait to see how Saison evolves.