Best Contemporary American Restaurants in Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

It is always a wonderful experience to dine at the Rotunda! Kathrine was so fun as our server and it is sweet to be remembered by Willie and Marian at the front desk. The food was great; I had to order the well reviewed burger and it was as good as they said!

We went to The Brixton for a Valentine’s Day dinner, and while we have seen this place in the neighborhood for a few years, and longer, this was our first time dining here. They gave my wife a rose, which was a VERY nice touch and this place was packed and everyone was also here for a Valentine’s Day dinner, as to be expected. Being packed, I think, absolutely affected the food quality. It wasn’t bad, and it wasn’t great either. We ordered cocktails that showed up quickly and we’re very tasty. Our appetizers were a spinach and artichoke dip, which was very tasty. The kale caesar salad with lima beans was good. My wife ordered the baked chicken which was lovely. I ordered the filet mignon - medium rare. It came out medium well. Despite sitting literally next to the kitchen, I saw how backed up it was and didn’t have the heart to send it back. The back-of-house resembled an episode from “The Bear”, because it was that busy. I just wish I got a steak knife and our server was so swamped, I couldn’t catch her to get one. I would like to point out that our server was as sweet as can be, along with the other staff handling our food. I think the biggest miss of the night was when we ordered dessert, and it was the sundae. I think it took us anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to get it. I mean we didn’t mind because it allowed us to stretch out our date, yet didn’t The Brixton want to turn over our table? They could have easily asked us if we wanted more cocktails while we waited, and we would have absolutely ordered more, because why not?. This would have resulted in ordering something with higher profit margins and they could have then comp’d us on the sundae for the long wait, which would have changed the trajectory of this review, and of the immediate possibility of giving this place another try. Would I go back to The Brixton? Maybe. I’ll give them a little grace for being busy. Just a few miscues altered my overall impression & experience.

We enjoyed an early valentines dinner around 7:45pm. We were worried about the temperature in the outside seating space but the experience was very pleasant. We felt cozy under heaters and was nice to be outside during the rain. For dinner we enjoyed the “Chef’s Choice” - a family style 4 course meal that included several shared dishes. Each dish was delicious! Would be hard to pick a favorite. We left 1000% satisfied with the food and overall experience. Would recommend anyone looking to explore a cool restaurant.

We got lucky getting the best table in the restaurant, across from the bar in a nook under the stairs, so we easily heard each other! We chose a plant forward menu and our waiter Kai (sp?) decided on the order of the dishes. I’d trust his judgment again because we had a great time. The pigs head hid a shaved fennel and pear salad underneath. I delightfully learned how different parts of fennel tastes when shaved so finely. The Hokkaido scallops were soooo good and fresh and compared to a sushi restaurant, a very good value. My partner normally doesn’t like shellfish but he loved the scallops. We ended the savory portion of the meal with the seaweed noodles and the grilled cabbage with dill pickle butter and roe. Both plates had amazing, complimentary sauces and Kai brought us some bread to savor the last drops. The One Punch Man cocktail complemented entire the meal so well with its fruity yet creamy flavor. We got the chocolate semifreddo for dessert for the texture. It had a toasted umeboshi meringue that tasted like dates if they were slightly pickled. I left food drunk and with very happy tastebuds. I loved the restraint in all the flavors. I think a lot of dishes could’ve easily gone sideways in less capable hands, or even the meal because this menu had a lot of citrus and pickled items, and instead they nailed it just right.

Open and friendly staff. The hostess brought our pup treats! So sweet! The patio is warm (on a chilly night) and the lighting divine. The food is delicious. A hidden gem. Book a table on the patio, invite friends and have a lovely evening with great service and kind vibes.