I don't typically write long reviews, but the food in this place is simply awesome. I have eaten at many different fine dining restaurants in San Francisco, and this is one of my favourites :) I... More

I don't typically write long reviews, but the food in this place is simply awesome. I have eaten at many different fine dining restaurants in San Francisco, and this is one of my favourites :) I love that their chef's tasting menu is not that pricey and it comes with wine pairings, how many michelin starred restaurant offer that in less than $100? it's such a good deal i've also just heard from a friend of mine, she has this fundraiser deal from the restaurant (insider deal), you can get the 5 course chef's tasting menu at $90 with tax and gratuities included. Normal price is $75 without the tax and gratuities, so it's about a 15% discount. Not bad for a michelin starred restaurant! this deal only works if you present the coupon at the time of your meal.. you can contact her at cortezsanfrancisco@gma... and ask her for more details.. I've already gotten a pair for myself when i tried the restaurant out! =) Pros: Best Deal Cons: can't think of any yet
Less

Good place to meet for dinner and cocktails. I had fish for dinner, which I usually dont order but it sounded really yummy so I went with it and was happy with my meal.

Good place to meet for dinner and cocktails. I had fish for dinner, which I usually dont order but it sounded really yummy so I went with it and was happy with my meal.
Less

My parents came into town for the weekend last friday and i took them to Cortez. this was one of the best dinning experiences i have had in San francisco to date. we walked in and were emediately... More

My parents came into town for the weekend last friday and i took them to Cortez. this was one of the best dinning experiences i have had in San francisco to date. we walked in and were emediately greeted by a lovely hostest who sat us promptly with our reservation. the service was amazing all the food came out in a very timely mannor. the food its self was amazing. my parents loved that the menu had small plates and entrees as well. i had the green garlic ravioli. it was great! my mother said she would recomend the faro dish to anyone, and my father raved over the hanger steak. to finish the night we pick two of the many deserts to choose from and they both held true to the rest of the night, AMAZING. i recomend the molten chocolate cake. all and all it was a great experience and i will return often. THANK YOU CORTEZ!
Less

Why do I bother? After previous Valentines night dinner debacles at Shanghai 1930 and other alleged ?romantic? SF eateries, we ate last night (Feb 14, 2008) at CORTEZ. Now, wasn?t Cortez (Hernan... More

Why do I bother? After previous Valentines night dinner debacles at Shanghai 1930 and other alleged ?romantic? SF eateries, we ate last night (Feb 14, 2008) at CORTEZ. Now, wasn?t Cortez (Hernan Cortes) the murdering invader who brought disease and oppression to 16th Century Mexico? And didn?t his most famous victim, Aztec King Monteczuma spawn the euphemism ?Monteczuma?s Revenge? for an unpleasant stomach disorder? I digress. The ?special? dinner last night was a $350 melange of unprofessional service and poorly-executed food. It started badly, with us being kept waiting 20 minutes before we were shown to our reserved table, and went downhill from there. The Chef?s canapes were untidy and unpleasant, Jersualem Artichoke & Lavender Soup was reminiscent of an elderly Victorian?s handkerchief, the Scallop and Uni caused Monteczuma to stir, the Beet salad tasted like a shovel-full of earth, the Kurobuta Pork Belly with pickled red onion marmalade clashed with everything we?d already tasted, and so on. The wine ?pairing? was a joke, seeing as not one of the 5 wines arrived with its advertised companion. When we were served our Muscat (supposed to be with the scallop) along with our Beet, we complained and got marginally better attention, but that just meant glasses were piling up around us. I know I'm comparing this tasting menu and wine pairing with the much-missed Elisabeth Daniel and the still-here-still-great Farallon and Coi, but the chef and staff at Cortez have to be prepared for such scrutiny. We left before dessert, but after paying about 3 times what the meal was worth. My wife has told me to send her this review so that next year, just before Valentines night, she can play it back to me and convince me that we?d be better off dining at home that night rather than put up with sub-standard food, shabby service and a slapped-together, overpriced experience at one of San Francisco?s most overrated restaurants. Pros: Parking Cons: Everything else
Less

We had a great time in SF until we ate at Cortez. Rude service from the moment we walked in. We had reservations but the hostess acted like it meant nothing. Waited at the bar where we were... More

We had a great time in SF until we ate at Cortez. Rude service from the moment we walked in. We had reservations but the hostess acted like it meant nothing. Waited at the bar where we were ignored for the first 10 minutes even though the bar was empty. Seems that chatting with the other staff was more important then waiting on the customers. Then the bartender insulted us by laughing at us when we ordered a special drink.. We asked for a manager but NONE WAS AVAILABLE!!! Even emailed the management afterwards and recieved no reply. There are too many fine restaurants in SF to waste your time on a place treats their customers like this. Completely ruined our trip. STAY AWAY!!!!! Pros: None!! Cons: Worst service ever, salty food, ignored by management
Less

In short "WE ALL GOT SICK EATING HERE". Enjoyed the service, bread and atmosphere, but did not enjoy sitting up all night on the toilet. The bar atmosphere was nice, a little crowded but served... More

In short "WE ALL GOT SICK EATING HERE". Enjoyed the service, bread and atmosphere, but did not enjoy sitting up all night on the toilet. The bar atmosphere was nice, a little crowded but served good cocktails with a warm ambiance! This place needs help with there strange menu and not so fresh food. Its truely a shame considering the beauty of the place. I would never eat here again!!!!! Pros: Good looking singles Cons: Stock up on TP
Less

Cortez was sadly unimpressive. For such a high-end restaurant, I was disappointed. The food was perfectly good, but the only thing we found fabulous was the beignets... and a meal ought to impress... More

Cortez was sadly unimpressive. For such a high-end restaurant, I was disappointed. The food was perfectly good, but the only thing we found fabulous was the beignets... and a meal ought to impress diners prior to dessert! Tapas choices were moderately inventive, but executed in average ways; I've had better tapas at Picarro in the Mission. We had reservations, so wait wasn't an issue, but I agree with others that the overall attitude of service is less than perfect.
Less

Being from Los Angeles, I'm used to some level of attitude from hosts, but not usually at nice / expensive places. That being said, the hostess on 2/13 was so rude / bad at her job that I decided... More

Being from Los Angeles, I'm used to some level of attitude from hosts, but not usually at nice / expensive places. That being said, the hostess on 2/13 was so rude / bad at her job that I decided to write my first review ever...however I see that I should have just checked the site before going, given I'm not the only one who has had a poor experience. In short, we waited almost an hour over the time given to us and was avoided by the hostess time and time again as she sat other parties that arrived after us. On top of the wait, my friend and I sensed a snobbishness that made the situation much worse. While still waiting, we were famished, and decided to order from the bar / lounge area until our table was ready, however the waiter forgot to put our order in and came back 10 minutes later to ask again what we were having (he was a nice guy, and I'm sure it was a honest mistake, but you can see how our overall experience was hampered by the poor overall service). Just before the table was ready, the hostess came up to us and gave us what I considered an insincere and almost condescending apology for making us wait? The food was okay, but I?m certain others can speak much better to that than me. Must say the vibe overall (lighting, decor, crowd) was very good, however I would never recommend Cortez to a friend given my experience.
Less

You need a reservation, but this is my favorite restaurant in the city. Service is outstanding and all of the wait staff know the menu (food, wine and cocktails) so well that they can tailor your... More

You need a reservation, but this is my favorite restaurant in the city. Service is outstanding and all of the wait staff know the menu (food, wine and cocktails) so well that they can tailor your order based on learning your preferences. This is a great place to go with a date and share 5 or 6 small plates. Definitely try the beat salad and the milkshake shots. Pros: Great cocktails, food and excellent, attentive service
Less

? romantic ambience and good for group too. A little bit too dark for my tastes. I barely could read the menu' but at the same time I enjoyed sitting right in front of the kitchen where 5 young... More

? romantic ambience and good for group too. A little bit too dark for my tastes. I barely could read the menu' but at the same time I enjoyed sitting right in front of the kitchen where 5 young cooks where creating their tasty plates. We started we two tapas, delicious prawns perfectly cooked and fish of the day chevize so good that it melted in our mouths. I had salmon as a main entree and my husband had lamb well prepared as well. Desserts were delicious I enjoyed the apple smith with yogurt sorbet and my husband had a waffle banana with incredible tasty ice cream. ?Just a remark, our wine glasses werent' clean. They had sticky fingers all arund them. It seems to happen more and more in San Francisco, what is gong on? if you have the same experience please write it in your reviews so that maybe restaurant's oweners will start paying more attention to wine and food presentation ! Pros: ambiance, young talented cooks Cons: parking
Less