What is it? A contemporary Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in the SoMa neighborhood, housed in the Intercontinental Hotel.
Why we love it: Everything on chef Dennis Efthymiou’s spring tasting menu was geared to surprise visually and tastewise. Each course arrives in a unique vessel: a duck foot stand for the quail Scotch egg amuse bouche, or a “meteorite” (as the server termed it) that held beautifully plated dessert components. Our favorite dish was startlingly realistic-looking strawberry sculpted out of white chocolate and stuffed with truffle mousse, served with elderflower and basil ice cream and a Kalamata olive shortcake. I started with a passionfruit margarita and switched to a suggested Riesling to pair with the Spring Awakening course, which was a literal miniature garden with tiny spears of white and green asparagus “planted” alongside tendrils of pea appearing like plants meeting the sun.
Time Out tip: The tasting menu consists of 11 courses, many of which have multiple components. Come with an appetite—like “I haven’t eaten in months” levels of hunger. If you book a room at the Intercontinental, you’ll have an easy elevator ride up to a spectacular panoramic city view as your digestive system works on the issue at hand.
Address: 888 Howard St, San Francisco, 94103
Opening hours: Thu–Sat 5:30–9pm
Expect to pay: The spring tasting menu is $175 per person with a $115 wine pairing.