Barcha

Ambiance nice. Service decent. Salad good. Avoid the leg of lamb kebab. It’s like dog meat

Ordered their «Classic» Shawarma to go during lunch. Good quality. Fast and Friendly Service.
The Shawarma (made with Veal and Turkey) was skimpy and underwhelming. I will say their house made Turkish bread wrap is very good… but I’m not ordering a Shawarma for the bread. After I finished, I felt like going to get a real one elsewhere because it didn’t satisfy my craving. Maybe I caught them on a bad day.
Glad I finally tried Barcha but there are better lunch options in the area.
Based on the quality, I’ll be back during dinner to try the small plates.

We came here after work and had the grilled duck kefta, potato & sheep’s milk feta croquettes, crushed California avocado and the spicy pork turnover.
I loved the kefta and the croquettes the most because both were seasoned really well.
Their crushed California avocado is like a super fancy, super grown up version of chips and guacamole!
I didn’t really care much for the spicy pork turnover because I thought it had too much pita bread for my liking.
For drinks, I had and loved their white sangria. The drink’s presentation was awesome; orange peel garnish with a huge ice sphere inside. It was so freaking good that I had to order two!
Our server was very attentive, knowledgeable and extremely nice!
Very nerd like, but I felt like a Jedi waving my hand to flush the toilet! It was sooooo cool!
Even though, I think their small plates are on the pricer side, I definitely recommend coming here to try the place out!

It’s a great spot, nice ambiance, easy to sit and chat with friends and feel comfortable. Service was attentive.
The food is nothing special.
We came for happy hour which is simply a few wines with a dollar knocked off. You order everything else off the regular menu
We had lamb meat balls, the duck dish which also reminded me of meatballs, the hummus with this great warm soft flatbread, falafel, and roasted potatoes with two dipping sauces.
The food is all good, no clunkers, but it’s nothing you swoon over and want to come back to eat again.
Very convenient after spending time over at Super Bowl City,

Wait times can get CRAZY! So get here early or call in. For a light lunch, I’d recommend one of their *more fulfilling* salads i.e. Orzo salad. Came with my favorite sun-​dried tomatoes.
Also great choices include shawarma plates/​hummus/​falafels. Enough to share or have on your own!

I Went there during my lunch and they were busy but still able to provide the proper level of service. Had a glass of white wine and the classic shawarma and my coworker had the shrimp and lamb dish and it was flavorful and affordable.

Just went here for lunch; it was busy, but I got great service and was seated within 5 minutes. Food was awesome and I’m not much of a foodies, you won’t hear me say that food is awesome too much. The hummus might have been the best I’ve tried in SF.

Amazing pork shawarma sandwich! The meat is tasty and plenty, the «bread» is more like a wrap but so much better. Every delicious for $ 18. The chef’s plate is 2 meats with all the sides, and essentially the deconstructed sandwich, for $ 23. I wish there were more lunch options though. Oh and always make reservation.

My wife and I came here for lunch recently and had a good experience. We didn’t have reservations (I’d recommend to get them as the wait was 15 – 20 minutes) so instead we sat at the counter in front of the kitchen. It was a great spot to see how everything was prepared.
We ordered the falafel. It was good and moist but lacked any real punch of flavor. For our main meal I had the classic shawarma which was delicious. My wife had the chopped salad with classic shawarma meat.
Everything was delicious but it was a very expensive lunch to say the least. If it was less expensive, I could see myself eating here more frequently.

TLDR — trendy spot with good food and ambiance; recommend getting a bunch of tapas to share!
Love this new spot in FiDi/​SOMA! Pretty trendy, lively, energetic ambiance. Good for HH, girls night, friends, coworkers, a date. anything really.
I’m generally a huge fan of tapas, despite the tiny portions and high prices, because I love trying a little bit of a lot of dishes, and Barcha does them pretty well. Some left more of an impression than others, but solid overall. Unfortunately, nothing was amazing enough to make me dying to come back, but I’d definitely visit again.
I came with a reservation for 2 on a weeknight and it was pretty busy. Not sure if the reservation was needed but doesn’t hurt to make one. We opted to share a bunch of tapas/​mezze instead of ordering entrees:
–LOCAL LAMB MEATBALLS ($ 13) — 4.5÷5
[tomato sauce, chickpeas, feta, mint]
Yum! The tomato sauce wasn’t special but the meatballs were very tender
–GRILLED MONTEREY BAY CALAMARI ($ 12) — ⁵⁄₅
[farro, frisée, olives, romesco]
Also yummy! The calamari was a good texture, not too chewy, and had a slight smokiness. Loved the romesco/​red pepper sauce! Lots of flavors in this dish that went well together.
–WARM RATATOUILLE ($ 7) — ⁴⁄₅
Served with 2 pieces of Turkish flatbread, which were soft and fluffy, kind of like naan. The ratatouille was pretty good but not that spectacular.
–CRUSHED CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ($ 10) — 3.5÷5
[poached egg, salsa verde, crispy chicken skin, pimente d’espelette]
Not bad, but this really just tasted like normal guac to me. We mixed in the egg (poached nicely with a runny yolk) but it didn’t really make the guac any different. Came with 2 pieces of that amazing Turkish flatbread.
–HONEY POACHED PEARS ($ 10) — ³⁄₅
[crottin cheese, ras el hanout, arugula, candied almonds]
Really sweet for an appetizer. I would’ve preferred it as a dessert or with less honey. I think the cheese was supposed to help balance out the sugar but I wasn’t really a fan of that kind of cheese.

We tried this place out last night. My partner’s friend from college was in town for work and we wanted to take him to a restaurant that offers more unusual dishes and that is within walking distance to his hotel and so, check & check!
When we arrived, at around 7pm, the place was rather empty, with only about 2 tables occupied. Soon after we were seated, our server asked us if we wanted to order any drinks. We asked for a little time to get acquainted with the menu. Within a few minutes, while we were obviously still discussing food choices, he was back again about the drink order. At that point, we felt pressured to look at the drink menu and make a decision. When we did, we were dismayed to see that the font for that menu was a size 8 or 9, too small for aging eyes, especially in combination with very dim lighting. We finally settled on a carafe of very dry Turkish wine. But the whole experience up to then was not exactly pleasant, with a server that is gruff and impatient. Fortunately, after our drink order, the rest of the evening flowed better.
We ordered the following dishes: Crushed avocado, olive oil poached tuna, duck kefta, hummus and crispy new potato side dish. My favorite items from all the dishes turned out to be the flatbread that came with the avocado and hummus and the potato side. The flatbread was sooooooooo buttery and perfectly garlic-​y. The potatoes were exactly as described, and the simplicity of it is divine! While everything else is good enough, there was nothing outstanding to make me want to come back for more.
And while our experience with our server ended in a neutral note, I would advise the management to keep closer tabs on the staff in general. For example, we noticed an employee (trainee?) knock down a jacket hanging on a customer’s chair while passing. Instead of picking it up, he turned his head to observe what he did, then continued on! Also, though the restaurant was less than a third full by the time we were wrapping up and there seemed to be a good amount of people working, they were so behind in bringing out food that the chef got involved in serving! With so much competition, these little details can really affect the rate of repeat customers.

I’ve been for both lunch and dinner, and would be excited to go back to Barcha for special occasions when I’m feeling a bit splurgey. Here’s why…
The good: Barcha is lovely, with sumptuous French-​Moroccan décor that feels both classy but comfortable, like a sexy café. The food is mostly delicious, with all my favorite Mediterranean flavors. Plus, the service is quite attentive and polished, so you feel well taken care of. Bonus: they offer both 3 oz and 6 oz glasses of wine, handy for lunchtime sipping.
The not so good: portions are tiny and prices are not. This is more of a spendy spot, especially if you end up ordering lots of small mezze plates to share (at $ 8 – 10, these small bites add up). Portions could be a bit more generous for the price, I’d say. But, they are right next to Soul Cycle and Salesforce, so perhaps their clientele isn’t as wallet-​conscious as I am.
Spending aside, Barcha is a lovely dining experience with an exciting menu. Ideal for a business lunch or dinner!

This is a new spot and I plan to be back for sure. Really enjoyed the ambience and the food a lot. The food was really delish. Everything from the lamb meatballs to the croquettes to the chicken and the tuna. The chocolate tart was rich and hmm hmm good. Service was alright, efficient but almost curt.

I ordered the pork sharma and it was really darn good and tasty, just very flavorful… Not too dry. Also came with a side of either salad, rice or potatoes. I would order the potatoes, baked really well.
I think it was a little pricey for $ 17, but worth trying. The service was fast especially during lunch time !

I was pleasantly surprised by this new mediterranean restaurant in the FiDi. A group of eight from work had a holiday lunch at the restaurant. We were seated at the communal table in the back and it was perfect! Service was very fast, despite the restaurant being full and busy during the lunch time rush.
Everything was delicious. We ordered several of the grilled flatbread and hummus appetizers. The flatbread was amazing! We also ordered the olives and the Potato & Sheep Milk’s Feta Croquettes w/​rouille, which were spicy and great! Several co-​workers ordered the Chef’s plate and said it was very good and flavorful and was served with flatbread and dipping sauces. I had the kale caesar salad and added in grilled shrimp. I loved it and would order it again.

2.5 STARS
I miss working in the FiDi. Lots of eye candy in suits. All they’re missing is holding a pup a la Tom Hardy style. *swoons*
Seriously, is there anything better than a handsome guy and an adorable pup? Ok, maybe delicious food and booze.
My friend and I wanted to do a pupdate so I suggested that we check out the newly opened Barcha since they have outdoor seating. Having been to their sister restaurant Sens, I kept my expectations low; other than the amazing view, the food was underwhelming. I read that Barcha’s concept is casual Mediterranean so I was looking forward to having, you know… Mediterranean food. Disappointingly, the dinner menu is more New American with a touch of Mediterranean influence. For all you alkies, sorry, there’s no full bar.
Maybe we went on an off night but everything we ordered sounded good on paper and beautifully presented, except it was less than mediocre (my friend who is not picky agreed). The Mediterranean spices were absent and some of the flavor profiles just didn’t work for us.
~ * ~ F O O D ~ * ~
*Potato & Sheep Milk’s Feta Croquettes w/​rouille ($ 8):
Crunchy, fried, plain mash potatoes but where’s the cheese? We didn’t taste any.
*Pastrami Smoked Salmon w/​fromage blanc, coriander honey, pickled onions ($ 14):
Basically lox and cream cheese but nicely plated. Hard to mess up.
*Crushed California Avocado w/​poached egg, salsa verde, crispy chicken skin, piment d’espelette ($ 10):
So enticing on paper and it looked fantastic but this was just a suped up guacamole. It was very bland, needed salt, spice, citrus, chilies, something. The yolk was decadently creamy but the whites of were still raw and jiggly. The best thing of the night was the accompanying Turkish flatbread. It was like a naan and flour tortilla hybrid – so good!
*Oven Roasted Australian Sea Bass w/​braised leeks, preserved lemon, chanterelles ($ 28):
Crisp skin but dry and overcooked – ended up tasting like tilapia, not a rich, buttery cut of sea bass. Chanterelle sauce was more apt for a steak dish.
*Grilled Angus Shoulder Fillet w/​parsnip purée, cranberry, grilled endive, balsamic ($ 28):
Another beautifully presented dish but the steak wasn’t rested enough before slicing. It was dried out and tepid. The parsnip purée was excessively sweet and with the tart cranberry sauce, it ended up being an unappetizing pairing with the steak.
*Walnut Baklava w/​orange blossom chantilly, spiced poached quince ($ 7):
Although there was a thick filling of walnuts, there were no flaky layers as the top phyllo layers were smooshed into one. Also, the walnuts were burnt.
*Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart w/​orange caramel, whipped cream fraiche, pistachios ($ 7):

It was rock hard and dry, like it had been sitting in the fridge for days.
~ * ~ S E R V I C E ~ * ~
I know they’re new so I’m not docking them for service but adequate training is needed. I made online reservations at 5 pm. The restaurant called me the day before to confirm my reservations at 5 pm. I get there several minutes before 5 pm and was told, «We don’t open until 5:30 pm». The hostess was very nice but there was no apologies for their mistake. She did agree to sit me early outside as I waited for my friend though.
My friend had a sip of her wine but didn’t like it (I didn’t like two of the wines I ordered but I was not about to let booze go to waste). When clearing empty plates, my friend kindly told our server she can take away her wine as well. Usually servers ask if there’s anything wrong if you’ve barely touched your order but she didn’t ask (and we didn’t want to complain). We were charged for the $ 12 glass of wine.
Then, came packing up our leftovers. The busboy asked what we wanted packed up and we told him the apps and the fish. He took the apps away and we never received the leftover apps. Our server then brings us a box for the fish entrée. So do customers pack their own leftovers or does the restaurant?
~ * ~ A M B I A N C E /​D E C O R ~ * ~
Open, bright, and airy with an open kitchen. We sat outside which had good lighting but no heat lamps. The music was loud and the selection was strange for a Mediterranean restaurant – drum & bass, techno, then salsa music?
~ * ~ P A R K I N G ~ * ~
Easy street parking on the weekends. This is not a destination restaurant but rather a restaurant for a company paid lunch for FIDi peeps.
After spending nearly $ 100 pp, we left unsatisfied and disappointed. I highly recommend heading to Kokkari instead for legit Mediterranean food or spending a little more and having a Michelin experience at Mourad. Hello, life-​changing $ 145 short ribs!

I really enjoyed the grilled flatbread and hummus appetizer. Also, I went with the braised beef as an entrée which was plated nicely with cranberry and a parsnip purée.
PROS: It was not crowded on the Thurs night that we were there. Waiters were attentive. They kept the wine flowing. Food was pretty good. I think I liked the appetizers best. We also got the Calamari, which was grilled, not fried.
CONS: Parking can be an issue, but it’s SF, what do you expect. The menu is a bit limited and to be honest, I was hoping to find something that might blow me away. Everyone has a favorite dish at a restaurant. I think the selections for me, really were not ample enough to keep me coming back.
OVERALL: It’s a Mediterranean bistro with Parisian influence. I think that comes through in the food. It’s worth a visit.

The food here is amazing… Love the shrimp tapas the chicken dish also tasty！the interior design is really warm and relax I come here almost every week, that’s how good they are !!

Imagine my embarrassment in getting lost trying to find this place, especially since I used to work at 425 Market for a number of years. By coincidence, I had scheduled lunch with a colleague who happens to come from the Middle East, Iran to be exact, and I thought why not try this place since Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines have a lot in common. Right? After discovering that this restaurant took over the space previously occupied by Tully’s Coffee and a convenience store, I was surprised how well it was transformed into a more upscale, somewhat exotic dining destination by owner Kais Bouzidi.
He also runs Sens at 4 Embarcadero, a popular happy hour spot for FiDi working drones. Sens? I was never too impressed with that spot, so the credentials didn’t impress me, yet the lunch menu here did a good job of wooing my palate with a mix of mezze, salads, sandwiches and rice plates (photo:
). We decided to share the $ 6 Hummus with Cumin and Olive Oil, which was creamy and tasty and nicely complemented by the grilled Turkish flatbread that came with it (photo:
). We both went for the $ 22 Chef’s Plate, which granted was much higher than I usually spend on lunch, but we felt this would give us a true sampling of what they served.
My colleague decided to mix the classic shawarma of slow-​roasted, free-​range veal and heritage turkey with a half-​dozen Grilled Wild Gulf Shrimp nestled on a bed of spicy bulgur with mixed greens and pickled onions on the side (photo:
). I also went for the classic shawarma but with the Grilled Local Lamb Leg on a skewer (photo:
). Both the lamb and shrimp were delicious, but it was the shredded veal-​turkey shawarma meat that was the standout. Both of us got even more of the grilled flatbread, still warm from the oven, with a trio of sauces — garlic yogurt, cilantro salsa verde, and harissa — on the side (photo:
).
Since we didn’t have a reservation, we sat at the bar which gave us a bird’s-eye view of the vertical rotisseries as well as the comings and goings from the kitchen. The bartender Mariah entertained us with her good cheer as she shared what the owner was envisioning for the space. I’d say Bouzidi has a hit on his hands considering how bustling business was after only three weeks in operation. I’m definitely coming back for dinner with Jamie W. even if it is a bit premium priced since they offer $ 6 Turkish pizza (Lahmacun) which was quite a roadside treat when I went to Turkey a few years back. Definitely a solid find.
FOOD — 4 stars… the classic shawarma is the standout item not to be missed
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… nice Turkish touches in the décor, a marked improvement over what was there before
SERVICE — 4 stars… Mariah was a peach
TOTAL — 4 stars… impressive new Mediterranean spot may not be completely authentic but it doesn’t lack for big flavors.

I brought my colleagues here for lunch last week. Service was great for a place in its first week of service.
The four of us started with hummus and falafel, both were fragrant and delicious.
For our entrees, two of us ordered the chef’s plate, one butter salad, and one orzo salad.
Overall the food was great! The chicken skewers were my favorite. The pork was a bit too fatty so I will try something different next time.
Also, would love to see more seafood options on the lunch menu.
Definitely looking forward to coming back and trying more stuff!