Bistro 10UN

Great place for a fancy 3 course meal prepared by students for cheap ($ 15)! You’ll have to set aside at least 2 hours though, as this is a place of learning. They are also only open Thur and Fri during lunch hours. Great place to catch up with a good friend (s) and enjoy a nice meal if you have the time and happen to be in the Civic Center area.

I had heard about this place and thought it sounded pretty damn cool. Finally got the chance to check it out for a co worker’s retirement party. The location is crappy. Well not the inside but just the outside. Even the 30 second walk from my work building was daunting. That sick fountain with the dirty water spraying, sticky ground, foul smells and unsavory characters. BUT worth it. The food was great. Salmon and Israeli cous cous was delicious. The flour less chocolate cake was money. The prices were definitely affordable for what you are getting. Cool little spot.

This restaurant is delivered by upcoming chefs at the SF Culinary of Arts College. While I did not enjoy my food at this restaurant– mediocre at best — I give the students praise for putting together BEAUTIFUL plates (so they have the «eye» appeal down!).
I ordered the wedge salad, fried chicken and flourless chocolate cake for dessert. The price was fantastic, $ 15 for a three course meal which is impossible in SF.
If you are not a FOODIE and just want cheap eats in SF, then this might work for you. For me, there are a TON of fabulous restaurants of all different price ranges that are leaps and bounds better, so I wouldn’t choose to go here.
I was especially disappointed because I had an «out of town» guest and thought this place would really highlight SF cuisine, but unfortunately the students are still learning, so that didn’t come through.

Very decent food in a very good price ($ 12 for 2 courses and $ 15 for 3courses). What you can ask for in civic center area for lunch with this unbeatable price with high quality!!! I ordered steamed mussels for first course and grilled iron flat steak for second course. Both of them taste very good and decent. My fds said their steaks r salty while mine is abit tasteless. But my steak is fresh n juicy so I still enjoyed it alot.
Beware the service here is kinda slow. It probably will take you 1hr 15−30mins for lunch. Also, their reservation system is suck. We booked thru open table and called to confirm before we come. However, when we arrived, the host still told us they didn’t get our name but only the number of party. It deducts one star from the rating. Overall this place is a good try in the area.

The new semester’s treats are in and are they ever good! From the attentive service by Betty, our waitress to the potato-​garlic soup followed by the hanger steak with crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, potatoes and a perfect arugula salad. I ended my meal with the chocolate pecan cake, shhhhhhhh, don’t say anything while I’m drooling! All the above washed down with their Arnold Palmers and complimented by their homemade breads and sea salt accented butter. All I can say is what a great way to start your day!

Right outside Civic Center BART, you can dine in style, for a «song» at this delightful place. Right by the big fountain, you will see the 10 United Nations building (fronting on Market). It’s a little odd checking into a school building at the security desk and going up the elevator with the art students. But it is a very, very fine restaurant.
Three course lunch served Thursdays and Fridays only from 12 – 2 and only when school is in session. And the word is out that it’s great. So be absolutely sure to reserve ahead on Open Table.
The menu changes each academic quarter and includes about six choices each of starters, entrees and desserts.
The apple/​fennel/​walnut/​goat cheese salad was just the perfect fall salad, fresh and deliciously dressed. The salmon was the best I have ever had anywhere. A moist interior with a nice crusty sear on the outside, with a light citrus sauce. Served over flavorful whipped turnips and nicely prepared broccollini. Just superior food.
I found the desserts not as stellar as the rest of the meal, but they were fine.
Servers are well versed in all the food and its preparation, as they are also culinary students. Perhaps not as polished as some, but hip, helpful and energetic.
You won’t find another place to have a 3 course lunch of this quality in SF for $ 15 – guaranteed. Wonderful!

Restaurant is run by a cooking school and its students. Cheap prices for good American style cuisine. A well kept secret. Very nice décor. Nice view of mid market from the sixth floor of the building. Makes you forget you are in the mid market area. I ordered the Greek meatballs and feta, roast leg of lamb, and espresso cream brûlée. All items were pretty good. Well made. Bread service, consisted on warm toasted bread with salted butter. Roast leg of lamb was cooked perfected. The Espresso cream brûlée was fabulous. The top of it was thin, crispy and caramelized, underneath it was soft, slightly sweet, and creamy. It was very well made. I will definitely come back again. They are closed during the first three weeks of the school semester and only open for a couple of hours on Thursday and Friday. I set up my reservation with Open Table and got a visitor pass from the security guard to get to the six floor. I took pictures.

Today I had the pleasure of dining with my friend Irv at Bistro 10UN in UN Plaza!
What a meal! Let me start that this is only open for lunch on Thursday and Friday and the staff and cooks are SF Culinary Art Students from the Art Institute Culinary School.
For $ 15 you get a First Course, a Main Course and a Dessert plus tax and gratuity or skip the dessert and only pay $ 12 plus tax and gratuity (Gratuities provide financial assistance and educational dining out experiences for the students).
The dining room holds about 15 – 20 tables, the ambiance is light and airy but comfortable. The dining guests are anywhere from casually dressed locals to business men and women having a nice affordable lunch.
Our server was the lovely Ms Betty who had a permanent smile during our dining experience, she started us off with Arnold Palmer’s (Lemonade and Iced Tea) and followed up with fresh bread baked in house. I would have paid the money for the bread alone, yes, it was that good! The butter used for the bread had a sprinkling of red sea salt which somehow made the butter «pop» and enhanced the bread even more.
First Course: I started out with the Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Lemon-​Brown butter.
Two medium sized raviolis were filled with ricotta and spinach and cooked in brown butter. I liked the presentation, simple and inviting, the ricotta spinach was light and fresh, the ravioli was a bit tough for my liking but it still was delicious.
Main Course: I chose the Pan Seared local Cod with a Cauliflower — Leek Purée, a sprinkling of spring vegetables mostly to color the plate and a drizzle of Tarragon Oil which brought the flavors together. The fish was perfect, a little bit of a crunch but just on the edges from the pan searing, the fish was moist, not fishy and very tender. I would order this again.
Dessert: Macadamia Strawberry Shortcake, Crystallized Ginger Cream. When I think of Strawberry Shortcake I see that 6 pack of spongy pre made cakes you buy at the grocery store, sliced strawberries and cream from a can, this was not that dessert! The short cake was firm but had give, the cream was thick and creamy and strawberries picked just when they were ripe. The surprise for me was the crystallized ginger because it tied together all of the flavors.
All this for $ 21 each including tax and tip!
Would I come back? Try to stop me!
I recommend you make reservations because the manager of the dining room said they haven’t had an open table available in weeks.
Bön Appetit!

i missed the previous menu, but made it to the seating of the current menu.
it was busier, so service was slower and not as attentive as the previous time, but still not bad.
Sliced Baguette
— soft in the middle
— chewy exterior
— when i have money, i should scout for a personal baker/​pastry chef from their baking program
Grilled Shrimp w/​Soba Noodles in a Miso Broth
— 5 jumbo shrimps with a charred smokey flavor, but it did look a little on the dark side and perhaps a little over done
— not a fan of soba noodles in general, but it was okay
Hanger Steak w/​Potato
— tough
— cooked to slightly above medium though medium well was asked
— well seasoned potatoes
Cod w/​Potato Purée and Peas
— should be boneless, but when i took a piece, i got 2 bones in that small piece
— a lot of butter was used in the purée
Macadamia Strawberry Shortcake w/​Ginger Syrup
— didn’t taste the macadamia nut
— very red strawberries but very tart (not their fault though)
— saw the slices of ginger soaked in syrup
— got some saltiness from the shortcake, tartness from strawberries, and sweetness from syrup, but i wouldn’t say that it was balanced
Chocolate Orange Cake w/​Candied Pecan
— dry and crumbles easily
— can taste the orange
Profiteroles
— ice cream was already in a puddle when it reached the table
1.5 hours needed to dine
website
— layout fixed
— menu is up to date

As a foodie the place rocks-​nice lemonaid great portions and excellent service. Too bad their only open on Fridays but thats where I’m going when I can. Huge portions and great desserts

I am really excited to have discovered this restaurant recently. Unfortunately, it is only open for lunch two days a week which makes me sad because I like it so much I am bummed that I can’t have dinner there, too.
The outstanding feature of this restaurant is not the great food, but the fact that this is the quietest and cleanest dining establishment in the entire Civic Center area. I love the fact that I can hear my dining companions without straining. I am actually relaxed after eating here. And the dining room is sparkling clean. As an added treat, the restaurant uses actual white linen table cloths and napkins. The room is spacious enough that I am not always getting bumped by other diners or servers walking by. You can even appreciate how nice Market Street looks from that high up.
And on top of all this, you get really good food! I have had the tomato and bread soup twice now, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it both times. It arrives beautifully presented in a soup bowl placed on top of a nicely arranged linen napkin and then served on a larger plate. They make fresh lemonade for their Arnold Palmers. The chocolate pot de crème is creamy decadence. Coming from someone like me, who doesn’t normally like chocolate flavored foods, that is a big compliment.
If you get a chance, stop by, eat here and support the students. It turns out that working at this restaurant is a class offered to the more advanced students at the culinary institute.

I had an excellent lunch here a few weeks ago. I found it while searching Unilocal at a Starbucks a block away. Luckiest find ever! I highly recommend coming here for lunch. Be aware that they are only open Fridays from 12−2pm and you need a reservation. There is a limited menu that changes every so often, so definitely check out their web site before you go.
You enter through the Art Institute and have to get a visitor pass. If you’ve made a reservation they will have your pass printed and waiting for you. You take an elevator up and walk straight into the bistro. It’s got very nice contemporary décor.
The service was excellent and the food was out of this world! Even though everything is wonderful and you’ll want to eat it all, make sure you leave room for the third course — dessert! Loved it and I will definitely go back next time I’m in SF on a Friday!

You would not believe that this food is made by culinary students if the restaurant was not located in the Art Institutes of California. The meals are amazingly priced; $ 12 for two courses and $ 15 for three. The menus are seasonal and are only prepared when class is in session. Make sure to check to make sure they are open and make a reservation. If this is the future of the culinary world, I am all in.

House-​made lemonade + crushed ice + free refills = happiness. Oh, and the food was absolutely delicious as well. But somehow the lemonade made my day. I’ll be going back. Often.

Right now, the location is only open on Thursday and Friday. You can make reservations on their website
. They are closed between quarters at the school, so you should call the school itself just to check on it’s status: 415−865−0198
It’s $ 15 for a 3 course meal. Each quarter the students change the menu to include seasonal foods. I believe during Summer quarter in a few weeks it’s going to be $ 12 for 2 courses with optional desert for $ 3. I’d say it’s totally worth getting the desert, though.
The house made lemonade is RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS! So amazing in fact that I literally drink a glass and a half if not more with my meal and I almost NEVER have drinks when I eat. Not even water really. Yet there I was, trying to stop myself from drinking more than that glass and a half I already downed…
Also, I’m a fan of small, chewable ice in my drinks and they have the balled up ice! I LOVE it.
The food itself is anywhere from decent to OMG AMAZING! My asparagus salad was decent, then the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin made my want to cry tears of joy it was so good. The hints of garlic and rosemary, with bacon and more pork that was so juicy and tender… wow.
And the deserts! I had a fresh fruit desert that was scrumptious, and one of the folks I ate with had a chocolate type of desert (sorry, can’t remember the names!) that was to die for.
The fact that the menu will change is so exciting. I cannot wait to see what else they come out with.
Also don’t forget to tip, as all tips go towards a scholarship funds for the Culinary program!
I am definitely going to be a regular at Bistro 10UN.

Student-​run bistro at the Art Institute at the corner of 7^th & Market. Good food, 3 courses — $ 15/​per person. Selections are great. Location is somewhat of a downer and timing on the three courses could be long since the food is prepared by students still learning to cook as well as wait tables. All in all great value if you have about an hour or hour and half to spend on Thursday or Friday afternoon.