It broke my heart when I saw the old Compass Rose bar closed and boarded up in the lobby of the St. Francis Hotel. It was on of California's great bars. Then Michael Mina opened in the space and all... More

It broke my heart when I saw the old Compass Rose bar closed and boarded up in the lobby of the St. Francis Hotel. It was on of California's great bars. Then Michael Mina opened in the space and all is forgiven. The room and setting spell class and the food is tops. It's a hot spot for pre-theater, but I don't like to dine against a clock or a curtain time. So, I go later and take my time. For a full report on this and other great California restaurants, go to www.atLarrys Pros: Food - setting - location
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The service we received was fantastic! Every time we drank a little from our water glass they would come and fill it. The bartenders were very friendly and the hostess was nice. I tried the lobster... More

The service we received was fantastic! Every time we drank a little from our water glass they would come and fill it. The bartenders were very friendly and the hostess was nice. I tried the lobster pot pie after getting recommendations and it was amazing. The food is a bit pricey but worth it.
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Michael Mina is one of my top 5 fav SF restaurants. You can chose 3 or 5 course meal. They offer a tasting style menu ie: If you order prawns for your main course, the chef will prepare prawns 3... More

Michael Mina is one of my top 5 fav SF restaurants. You can chose 3 or 5 course meal. They offer a tasting style menu ie: If you order prawns for your main course, the chef will prepare prawns 3 different ways, if you order chocolate for dessert- they serve chocolate 3 different ways ie: choc cake, moose and ganache. So, you get to try lots of different things. YUM!!!
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My boyfriend and I went to Michael Mina the last night we were in San Francisco. We were staying at the St. Francis, so we figured we had to try it. The meal cost us over $450 and was not up to... More

My boyfriend and I went to Michael Mina the last night we were in San Francisco. We were staying at the St. Francis, so we figured we had to try it. The meal cost us over $450 and was not up to par. The desert was the only good thing I really remember. Go only for the chocolate chip cookies. The next morning I felt horribley sick from it. Would not recommend going. Pros: Chocolate chip cookies Cons: Food made me sick
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This is an excellent restaurant, Michael Mina is a world class chef, you could order anything off the menu and be happy here. He also has restaurant in Las Vegas as well

This is an excellent restaurant, Michael Mina is a world class chef, you could order anything off the menu and be happy here. He also has restaurant in Las Vegas as well
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This is one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. My husband and I splurged on our trip to San Francisco this past June. I was feeling silly about spending that kind of money on a... More

This is one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. My husband and I splurged on our trip to San Francisco this past June. I was feeling silly about spending that kind of money on a dinner, but it was soooo worth it! I thought I had tasted a great cut of beef before. Then I ate at this restaurant and realized what I had been missing. Really the whole experience was pretty superb. Service was very attentive. Almost too attentive! I get a little nervous when my server asks me if everything is to my liking too much. It is a very playful dining experience because of the three different preparations of each dish. The scallops were especially divine! It definitely feels a little stuffy there, but I guess that was to be expected. We were the youngest couple in the room and I think we got a few stares because my husband was dressed pretty casually. Although the bar crowd is more lay back than the dining room. You will pay a hefty price for your meal at Michael Mina's, but I can safely say to you that you should not hesitate. If you only get the chance to splurge a handful of times in your life on great food, this should be one of them! Pros: Amazingly playful dining experience. Cons: Expensive but worth it!
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this is my first time to dine at MM and i can say it is definitely not the last for a special occasion at least (pricey but worth it), a bit surprised that it is actually at a hotel lobby but that... More

this is my first time to dine at MM and i can say it is definitely not the last for a special occasion at least (pricey but worth it), a bit surprised that it is actually at a hotel lobby but that did not overshadowed how impressed i am with the service, the ambiance was nothing but romantic, and the food, food was just spectacular. the complimentary appetizer was just to die for, the oyster just melts in your mouth, (best tasting oyster i've ever had). love the idea of each course prepared in three different preparations, which gives you different flavors, very tasty!!! love the duck breast i ordered and the lamb my boyfriend ordered are both tender, just perfect! and to top it, the dessert was just delicious!!! yum!!! you can't go wrong with a chocolate, and yes, you can't go wrong with Michael Mina! overall, this whole experience was topnotch! it was a wonderful night... Pros: food, food and food... Cons: restroom
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My wife and I ate our Christmas Eve dinner at Michael Mina?s restaurant in the St Francis Hotel this year. We made this choice because the restaurant had garnered three Michelin stars. Given all... More

My wife and I ate our Christmas Eve dinner at Michael Mina?s restaurant in the St Francis Hotel this year. We made this choice because the restaurant had garnered three Michelin stars. Given all this our expectations were high, too high as it turned out. The dishes were excellent in their imaginative combinations as well as in preparation and in presentation. Of ambience the less said the better, the place is a little like eating in a boiler factory. The room is much noisier than it was as a cocktail lounge. On top of all this sound someone in management thought it good to play recorded music. The poor service put us off even more than the noise. The dinner was to be presented in three courses. We waited and waited for that second course. Our waiter assured us that our food would be forthcoming soon; he was mistaken. My wife and I rarely take dessert and because we wanted to try as many of Mina?s dishes as possible we asked if we might each eat one of his classic dishes in place of the sweet. The waiter said that there would be no problem. When we examined the bill later we found a charde of $30 for ?Open Food.? Now, I will grant that $30 is not a large part of a $500 tab but we were curious. We went back to the restaurant on the day after Christmas, presented the bill and asked for a clarification. Not even management, knew what it was all about. We agreed to stop back later that evening for an an explanation. e. We were charged the $30 because we did not eat desert. I can understand that what we substituted might have been more expensive than the sweet but I would have thought it appropriate to have had this charge explained to us when we asked the waiter if we might make the substitution. This, then, is what Michelin thinks is three star dining. I wonder if this experience tells us as much about Michelin?s ability to judge American, or at least San Francisco, restaurants as it has told us about Michael Mina.
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My wife and I arrived late on a Friday night for their last seating. We were quite impressed right from the beginning. We liked the choices of the ?by the glass? wine list. We also ordered a great... More

My wife and I arrived late on a Friday night for their last seating. We were quite impressed right from the beginning. We liked the choices of the ?by the glass? wine list. We also ordered a great Pinot Noir from the bottle list. The dinning menu was really well balanced; we wished that we could have a bit of everything. We each chose the three course menu. What we really found interesting about the food was not only the wonderful flavors but the balance and chemistry between the courses. We loved the little hints of different flavor combinations that really complimented one another quite nicely. Our server was always one step ahead of our needs and desires. I would highly recommend that you fine yourself there one evening to really appreciate what this phenomenal restaurant has to offer! Please tell them that your were recommended by Edward Skupien of Frank Family Vineyards. Enjoy!
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Yum! My friend took me out for dinner here a few months ago and we were absolutely blown away with the food. We loved the bite sized tastes (roughly 7-9 different heavenly concoctions with each... More

Yum! My friend took me out for dinner here a few months ago and we were absolutely blown away with the food. We loved the bite sized tastes (roughly 7-9 different heavenly concoctions with each course). The only drawback was the noise from the lobby area as Mina's is located in the Westin St. Francis hotel. Other than that, it was wonderful. Pros: Wonderful variety of tastes in each course, great wine list, excellent service Cons: Noisy because of the proximity to the hotel lobby
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