Best Restaurants for Anniversaries in Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

My husband and I decided to have our Thanksgiving Dinner at Bobo’s this year. I hadn’t been in years. I had the New York Steak and he had the Filet Mignon. We ordered a lovely bottle of wine, Caesar salads with the Macaroni and cheese, delicious. … Our waiter Jose, made ordering fun and ensured us that our steaks would be as we preferred. Both were exactly as ordered. We were seated in a lovely booth for two upstairs with a curtain for privacy if needed. Throughout our meal, Jose was extremely attentive. We enjoyed his customer service skills and his sense of humor. Bobo’s is still as interesting as ever with its unique decor and colorful waiters. The bar is intimate with a bartender who’s quick to take your order. Good food, good background music and a fun old school vibe. What more could you ask for! Thank you Bobo’s.

Trestle is an exceptional dining experience, not just for the food but also for the incredible service! For $45, you get a beautifully curated 3-course meal, and we added the $12 supplement—worth every penny. We started with the persimmon toast with pâté and the butternut squash soup with Brussels sprouts and pomegranate seeds. Both dishes were hearty, flavorful, and a perfect way to kick off the meal. The clam pasta supplement was outstanding—rich, buttery, and zesty. Definitely a highlight! For entrees, we had the cod with celery root and the duck confit with blood orange. Both were perfectly cooked, with incredible attention to detail in flavor pairing. Dessert wasn’t my favorite, but that’s only because I was so full by the end! On top of the amazing food, the service was flawless. Everyone who served us was so friendly and pleasant, making the whole experience feel warm and welcoming. We also learned that the menu changes weekly to highlight seasonal ingredients, which makes me even more excited to return. Trestle is a must-visit for delicious food and fantastic service—highly recommend!

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.

Isa is, BY FAR, the absolutely best deal in SF Restaurant!! I have never found another option with the quality and number of choices for the price, so this is the only place I go during restaurant week. For example, my meal last night: 1) delicious, intense lobster broth(more like a bisque) with several shrimp; 2) dungeness crab salad with lettuce and apple; 4) duck breast with sauteed apple and greens; 4) amaretto semifreddi. How much did those 4 delicious courses (substantial in size) cost? $65.99!! If you miss this deal in Restaurant Week - go anyway! You can get the same items on their a la carte menu, and they have a smaller prix fixe option on weekdays. Highest recommendation!