Best Family Style Restaurants in Financial District / Embarcadero

Back at Empress by Boon which is on our regular rotation when in San Francisco. The food was exquisite as always and every course a real delight. We ordered the optional duck dish which was so good we ordered another instead of dessert. From the greeting at the door by Sean and Jim to the professional service provided by Natalie, Jorge and the young Colombian gent, it was a wonderful time. Throw in the beautiful view of the city and Coit Tower and it is an evening to remember. My wife is from Penang, Malaysia one of the food capitals of SE Asia and enjoyed it as much as I did. Chef Boon (also from Northern Malaysia) came out and we had a very nice chat. What a great evening. Cannot wait to be back.

Small authentic Italian spot hidden in Belden Lane. We felt like guests at an extended Italian family party. Appetizers and pasta courses before entrees served family style were delicious and a big hit with our large party (8). Entrees from Short ribs to salmon were universally loved. Finishing off with the namesake Tiramisu for dessert was sublime.

Beautiful restaurant. Mixed experience on the food quality.

Love this restaurant. Food is delicious and the food presentation is beautiful.

An excellent experience all around. We sat on the patio with the heaters and were comfortable the whole time. The chickpea hummus was excellent, as were the blistered peppers. For man courses, we had the track of lamb and the scallops. It's so nice to have lamb in a restaurant that understands how to prepare lamb. Mine was seared on the outside and juicy rare as I ordered it- absolutely perfect. The scallops were prepared beautifully and tasted great. The staff was attentive without hovering. We'll definitely be back!