after showing up with no reservation and being sweetly greeted and accommodated to a wonderful table in the back room, we thought we were in for a treat. our server was playful and involved... More

after showing up with no reservation and being sweetly greeted and accommodated to a wonderful table in the back room, we thought we were in for a treat. our server was playful and involved and made lots of suggestions so it seemed like the right choice for dinner. it started with the cornbread brought with a little honey and butter. the texture is incredibly moist with little pieces of jalapeno, except from the first taste, it seemed like it had gone bad....? i was trying to think of any ingredient that would give it this bizarre foul stink but all i could compare it to was old meat or bread. the server apologized and told us it was just made today but i am still worried i've eaten something bad. i can still taste it hours later. the salads weren't the biggest issue, although one pictures a tomato carpaccio being much different from thick slices of tomato laying on radiccio, underwhelming and nothing special drenched in olive oil and balsamic reduction. i took one bite of my tilapia dinner and wanted to leave. flavorless fish atop a pile of gooey oyster mushroom risotto that completely missed whatever they were trying to achieve. they were kind enough to comp it and the server apologized abundantly. they actually really seemed willing to allow some dialogue about our displeasure and i have no complaints about the service whatsoever. once again i was trying to figure out why this place was full of people and why it is one of the top 50 restaurants in the city. i hope no tourists go here because it hardly represents what is so great about this city! Pros: pleasant service Cons: inedible food, expensive
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This was the worst dining experience i've actually ever had. I've lived in SF for 9 years and always heard about this wonderful neighborhood restaurant, Cafe Kati. We were not served for almost an... More

This was the worst dining experience i've actually ever had. I've lived in SF for 9 years and always heard about this wonderful neighborhood restaurant, Cafe Kati. We were not served for almost an hour, and only 2 of the 6 dinner entrees came out. The 3 steaks were cold with cold potatoes, and my girlfriends risotto looked like rice stir fry. The most amazing thing was that the waitress (supposed manager) took the steaks back and promised us they would get new entreees - they took over 45 minutes to bring them out! The ribeyes were laughable, almost half fat. They barely apologized, comped us for the steaks, and the head cook literally walked out the front door 4 times during our meal. He would occasionally stop at a table and tell awkward stories or complain about "training" his staff. I would expect this place to go out of business by the end of the year, it was a joke and i'm sorry that we had to pay at all. Pros: NONE Cons: Service and Food
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Never have I had an experience quite like this restaurant. We made reservations a week in advance - showed up - ordered a bottle of wine, appetizers and our dinner....looking fine. Well -after our... More

Never have I had an experience quite like this restaurant. We made reservations a week in advance - showed up - ordered a bottle of wine, appetizers and our dinner....looking fine. Well -after our appetizers - we were told to "GET OUT". We wondered about all the pots and pans crashing in the background but were shocked to get our bill and told to gulp the wine!!!! UNBELIVABLE! So - we were shut out and starved! It turns out the Chef was having a melt-down but COME ON! Don't wreck our evening and other patrons. Just shut down the place for good. Cons: Ahh...the kicked us out???
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I used to love this local place - thought it was unique, food was good, and prices reasonable for a nice dinner. After my experience last night (a Friday night), I don't think I'll go back. ... More

I used to love this local place - thought it was unique, food was good, and prices reasonable for a nice dinner. After my experience last night (a Friday night), I don't think I'll go back. Service was SO slow, took forever to get our order, they were out of so many items it was ridiculous, and despite the couple next to us arriving and ordering AFTER us, they were finished with their meal and paid the bill while we were still asking the waitress what was going on with our food. She came back 20 minutes after we ordered to tell us they were out of items. Did the same thing to the table next to us, but then brought their original order. Huh? Overheard them next to us say they didn't even want to leave a tip. And Kirk was just hanging out in the hallway (smoking no less!) and kept going outside and wandering around. Could have used his help in the kitchen. Fortunately I was enjoying hanging out with my husband and talking and just tried to be patient and not care. Not sure what happened there, but definitely off my list. Pros: no longer has any Cons: service, lack of menu items, overall experience
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The last time I stepped into Cafe Kati will be my last. Not only were we told to wait for our 8PM reservation but we were left stranded at the bar with no service. We were told several times it will... More

The last time I stepped into Cafe Kati will be my last. Not only were we told to wait for our 8PM reservation but we were left stranded at the bar with no service. We were told several times it will be just another minute and Ill be right back and then the few people working just disappeared. We finally were seated at 8:45! And guess what? There were about a half dozen open tables that had been that way since we arrived. On the way to our table in the backroom, we walked by the kitchen. Just as we passed, someone inside threw, yes tossed in the air, a metal pan against a wallthe sound almost gave me a heart attack. And then we sat, and sat, and sat. Finally, we ordered and remarkably, the food appeared in average time, but what came was atrocious. A Cesar salad that had partially browned. It was served with a mustard sauce and tons of beats. No croutons or anything else that resembled a Cesar. The signature Dragon Roll was a shadow of its former self. The entrees were worse. We both ordered a fish dish that was supposed to come with a porcini risotto and a few others odds and ends. We got nothing of the sort. Just some fried fish on top of mashed up cherry tomatoes and some plain brown rice. At this point, we were just astonished. We entertained ourselves by listening to the voiced misery of another nearby table where someone proclaimed the meal to be one of the worst of their lives as they also pointed out all the things in their dishes that were missing. Hearing someone else say should I leave nothing for a tip made me realize that we were all in this together. What happened to Cafe Kati I will never know, but be forewarned, this may be a restaurant that is on a steady downturn from which it may not be able to recover. Pros: intimate, good wine list Cons: noise, bad service, food quality doesnt match price and arrives different than menu
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My sister and I visit various restaurants in the city whenever she visits from Sacramento and have never had an experience as bad as this one. The service was horrible, the food was borderline bad... More

My sister and I visit various restaurants in the city whenever she visits from Sacramento and have never had an experience as bad as this one. The service was horrible, the food was borderline bad and we were ignored when we complained. I would never recommend Cafe Kati to anyone and will never return. Pros: none Cons: expensive, poor service, crowded
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We could hear the chef yelling in the back and throwing things around. They were out of several menu items, and the waiter forgot to tell us the specials, which we over heard him telling another... More

We could hear the chef yelling in the back and throwing things around. They were out of several menu items, and the waiter forgot to tell us the specials, which we over heard him telling another table seated after us. The medium-rare steak my friend ordered came out well and it came out 5 minutes before my entree. There were only 2 of us and we were the only people in the restaurant when we ordered. They should've been able to time it better. Aside from having to send the steak back, the food was tasty, but the service and lack of menu did not stand up to the reputation. Pros: Tasty Cons: Parking, lacks professionalism
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i have to give it 4 stars because the dishes were not consistent. i tried a halibut that was dry and overcooked. however, there are definitely some dishes that were brilliantly composed and very... More

i have to give it 4 stars because the dishes were not consistent. i tried a halibut that was dry and overcooked. however, there are definitely some dishes that were brilliantly composed and very creative. entres are in the 22-28 range and appetizers 7-10, which is definitely worth it. the service was a bit slow.
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We were really excited about the restuarant. The menu looked great and we went inside and asked if we would be seated if we came back in about 30 minutes. The chef assured us it would be fine, so... More

We were really excited about the restuarant. The menu looked great and we went inside and asked if we would be seated if we came back in about 30 minutes. The chef assured us it would be fine, so we went back to our hotel and changed clothes after a long day of apartment hunting. Went back to Kati, were told 5 minutes, and 45 minutes later got up and left. While we were waiting, another couple who had been seated before us came out and said the service was so bad they couldn't stay. Tried again the next day with similarly disappointing results. The service here was so disorganized and inattentive, we couldn't even get in to try the food! Pros: food is apparently delicious Cons: SERVICE
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My husband and I have been here once recommended by a local. It is a tiny restaurant in a neighborhood. They have very different dishes, putting together flavors you would never think would go... More

My husband and I have been here once recommended by a local. It is a tiny restaurant in a neighborhood. They have very different dishes, putting together flavors you would never think would go together but taste wonderful. The presentation of the dishes are nice. The prices are high and the service was okay. Very busy place.
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