L’Olivier

great food and service, look forward to going back soon!

The 3-​course meal from their prix fixe menu is an awesome bargain!
I enjoyed their sauteed trout w/​Amandine sauce, half tomato filled w/​salmon mousse and French Napoleon dessert. Looking forward to my next return. The wait staff — very nice.
Look forward to my next return.

Absolutely superb!!! BIG BIG Thank you to L’Olivier restaurant, owner Zina and her family and great staff for making my wedding delicious, beautiful and memorable. L’Olivier catered my reception at City Hall for 50 people and, the following day, we hosted a big Russian party at L’Olivier restaurant for 100 people — both events were flawless and amazing. Zina is professional and personable — it was very easy to work with her on all the details leading up to the big day. I received SO many compliments from all the guests about the food — it was beautifully presented and, most importantly, tasted fantastic! L’Olivier was amazing and important part of my wedding — THANK YOU!!!

They are so good and so politeness. Eat is very delicious. All of guys so fast and so good. And you know, try the profitrolly (it’s kind of desert). It’s yami-​yami!

Took my brother here for Christmas. It was really not that great at all. Maybe our expectations were too high. The kids’ pasta was better than the adult dishes. Our server was very sweet, maybe I would give it another go on a non-​holiday because the service was pretty good, but our Christmas dinner here was really blah. We had some pumpkin bisque which was not great, lamb Wellington which was bland, and filet mignon which was overcooked. We spent maybe 10 minutes debating whether the mashed potatoes were dehydrated or fresh. My daughter’s chicken Alfredo was probably the best thing they brought out, and even that was not that great. Could have been an off day but it wasn’t just one dish, it was pretty much all of them.

Mediocre at best. The dessert was pie from Costco! Costco makes good pie but this is silly for a supposedly fine restaurant. Every main course had the same vegetables, one of which was unidentifiable. I never leave vegetables on my plate but I did here.

I haven’t been back here in a long time. Today we had our office lunch here. For $ 22+ you can order a 3-​course meal from their prix fixe menu. I got the bacon frissee salad, chicken marsala and cheesecake.
I really liked the bacon in the salad! It tastes just like jerky. The chicken marsala was also pretty good. Service was attentive. They offer free warm french bread and it was the best carb I have ever downed! I also ordered a lemonade which didn’t taste like it was shot from a vending machine. It was tart and it tasted really good!
They sat us in a private banquet room. It was all very nice.

I had my Birthday party there last Friday night. The food was delicious, service was exceptional and overall ambiance is great! The owner, Zina, makes you feel special, comfortable and makes you feel like long time friends. I recommend this place for small or big parties!

Bonjour! I finally made it here after several years of wanting to try this place and it was as delicious as I could imagine.
The service was nice and friendly, as well as they are quick and efficient. The décor was nice, but a little outdated.
This place is great for parties any where from 2 people to a big party (in one of their banquet rooms). And if you feel like eating at home instead, you can order pick-​up from here (
)
I recommend the Liberty Farm Duck Breast! Bön Appétit!

Okay, 3.5 stars, but I’m rounding up to 4.
I’ve walked by this restaurant a hundred times and never taken note. So, when I was invited here for lunch I thought it a great opportunity to try something new.
Pros:
Smells like Europe when you walk in the door. I wondered — is all the furniture from a now defunct restaurant in France?
The place was empty at noon on a workday — i.e. no wait to get seated
The food was generally good (but not great)
For a sit-​down served place in the FiDi, $ 22 for a 3-​course prix fix meal ain’t bad
Portions are reasonably sized for a healthy male (i.e. not skimped nor gigantic)
Cons:
The food was generally good (but not great).
I ordered the prix fix meal and chose the smoked trout appetizer, the mahi mahi, and the apple torte with vanilla ice cream for dessert. The smoked trout came with crushed egg and olive on slices of potato. Both interesting and tasty and probably the best of the three items I ordered. The mahi mahi was fine, but a bit overcooked, so it was dry, and covered with an uninspired mango salsa. Overall just okay. It came with a nicely presented stack of steamed vegetables which were as expected for the description. The whole plate was something I could make at home on an average day — healthy but not memorable. The apple torte was also fine, but nothing to write home about.
Overall, it was a nice, eccentric place to have a business lunch, and a good alternative to Osha Thai at this price point if you want to try something new. I’m thinking I would go back and give it another shot on food. At least I know I won’t have to wait in line…

We had eaten here several years ago and were pleased with our meals and atmosphere. So we had made dinner reservations to celebrate our 45^th wedding anniversary on our return visit to SF expecting the same. That did not happen. We walked in and stood waiting for someone to acknowledge us for at least 10 minutes. Waiters and hostess walked by several times and never asked if they could help. There were several large parties in progress and obviously we were not part of them yet the staff ignored us. Finally one of the staff stopped and asked if they could help and we said we had dinner reservations; they looked at their computer and told us they didn’t have any for us. (I had called several days before leaving on our trip.) They decided to sit us and took our drink order. In the meantime the very large party at 3 long tables that we recognized as Russians. There was another party of Russians in the front room and another in a side room. We thought this was a French restaurant which it was when we last ate there! While we waited for our drinks the little children from the large party came out on the dance floor and starting running around and playing. That’s when we decided to leave AND NEVER RETURN! As we left we noticed that they had posted a sign on the entry that it was closed for private parties!

We celebrated here a birthday party and what can i say it was amazing!
Food: great culinary experience. The dishes are big, interesting, yummy and the presentation is beautiful!
Service: The waiters were super friendly and nice. Quick and efficient service.
Overall: Great place for dinner or any celebration!

Had my Bday party there last week, it was great! The food was great, service was awesome! 5 stars with no doubt!
I strongly recommend this place for big parties!

We came here for a private family venue and we couldn’t be happier about this place and what we got. This place specializes in French cuisine. The service and staff are really nice and sweet. The food is omg amazing. There are three courses. The first course is appetizers, the second course is main dish, and the last course is dessert my favorite. The produce is fresh, and as you bite into the food you get a mouth orgasm in every bite. The presentation of the food is modern and beautiful. I had the scallops which looked perfectly on my plate. It really does feel like you are in France. They pair the food with the best wines and they match the food perfectly. This place also has a full bar if you want something more on the spirits end. The service is amazing, the waiters at this place take care of the customers every need and are very accessible. We were here on a Saturday and it was busy however that did not delay the service. The restaurant has a singer and a dance floor so in between meals you are able to dance with family and friends. Our family had the best time here and this place is definitely worth coming to again. We will be booking another party soon.

This restaurant is one of my FAVORITE French cuisine restaurants in SF. The food is absolutely delicious. They throw private parties for you and your guests! They serve 3 main courses for your party: Appetizers, main entrees, and desserts. Everything is delightfully delicious and the presentation is beautiful. The detailing of the restaurant inside feels like you’re in France! They have a dance floor with great singers and even a band performing. The events I have attended were a lot of fun! After we get done eating we hit the dance floor and dance the night away! I had a delicious plate of rack of lambs, fresh steamed veggies, and mashed potatoes, yummm! It was super delicious! This place is great for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and the best part WEDDINGS! I absolutely love this restaurant for some wine & dining.

Hmmm. Ok so a mixed bag here.
Initial things to note: we managed to get a reservation at late notice for valentines day. Quite a nice ambiance, if a little ‘stiff.’ Prefix menu for valentines, not full menu.
I’ll just start from the beginning.
So we arrived quite late due to horrendous traffic and they were very gracious about seating us regardless. However it wasn’t very busy.
We sat down at a nice corner table and waited a few minutes… we were in no rush but no one even came to bring us water for at least 5 minutes, and oh yeah, they weren’t busy! The waiter finally came to bring us water and our complimentary champagne. I gave a hearty ‘hello!’ And the waiter spilled one of the glasses over the table, and some of it on me. He was very embarrassed. He insisted on trying to change the tableware and cloth in front of us while we were seated there. I suggested moving but he said he could do it fast. We ended up moving… I was wiping champagne off my arm and chest (glad my new dress wasn’t long sleeve) and was kind of uncomfortable. No harm done.
The food: because it was Valentine’s Day there was a prefix menu. The selection was ok. I had carrot ginger soup, spinach salad, lamb and crème brûlée. My boyfriend had lobster ravioli. All in all it was pretty good, tender, if a little plain. I’d have liked some more of the aromatic sauces and french onion soup that is on their regular menu. The highlight was probably the ravioli and lamb. However, something from dinner gave me food poisoning the next day and I have no idea which dish.
I really wanted to like this experience more!
Probably won’t be back for dinner… I hear their lunches are good though!

Ate lunch here. It’s a pleasantly decorated place where you could be dressed casually or formally and either way, wouldn’t look out of place.
Had the mussels and filet mignon.
The waiters were very accommodating and cheerful. The food was delicious (I asked for medium rare and it was). The bread was hot and perfect for dipping in the sauce that came with the mussels.
Price-​wise and taste-​wise I thought it was far better than some of the more expensive French restaurants in SF.

What a disappointment
I’ve worked in San Francisco for almost 4 years now, and so far my restaurant experience has been primarily Asian cuisines, Italian, and Seafood. I was very excited to finally explore what appeared to be an upscale French restaurant in the Financial district for a business lunch. All my prior experience with French restaurants have been either in Manhattan or in Paris, so it’s possibly my standards are too high.
This place was a joke, and looking back I can see why the establishment had 75% of their tables open during the lunch hour.
Décor:
Not remotely French. The décor was nice, but it reminded me of the sort of ambience you’d find in the large restaurant of a Catskills resort. In the 80s.
Food:
I had the prix fixe menu (which the waiter mispronounced) so options were limited but I ordered the cream of broccoli soup and Mahi Mahi.
The soup was lukewarm and complete free from any hint of taste or flavor.
The Mahi Mahi was sorely disappointing. Such a fish should be served seared for one thing, but this steak was sauteed in butter to the point of tasting like chicken, and the outer layer of the fish was nearly rubbery from the excessive butter + overcooking.
I will never ever go here again and I would be shocked if they stay in business.

I had never heard of L’Olivier and was introduced when I came to the restaurant for a work lunch with a large group. Our group was seated in a cute separate room with a long banquet table to which you could still see inside the main part of the restaurant. I opted for the prix fixe menu which was a pretty good deal. I ordered:
— Appetizer: I can’t recall the name of the dish but it had polenta and goat cheese. It was good but I thought it could have had more different textures.
— Entrée — Cassoulet De Toulouse: This dish was hearty with the beans and meat but very flavorful.
— Dessert — Crème Brulee: A very thin crème brûlée but it was perfectly sweet.
Overall, food was good, service was courteous, and my water glass was always full.

I came here for a Russian Jewish wedding on a Saturday night. By their name, I thought it would be French food, but they handled the Russian food very well! It is a small restaurant with eclectic décor and they were closed to the public for this intimate affair.
When we walked in, the main dining room had about 8 tables and a good-​sized dance floor. Tall centerpieces and white tablecloths graced the tables which were laden with cold appetizers. The band was setting up on the stage. The guests, however, were shepherded into a smaller dining room on the left for cocktail hour. We enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
After cocktail hour, we moved into the main dining room and settled down. The menu had about 15 cold appetizers and a schedule of hot appetizers coming out, then main entrees, and cake over the course of three hours. Cake wasn’t coming til 11pm! Whoa. We tried to be nice to our friends getting married and telling the waiter not to bother opening up the 6 bottles of liquor and wine on our table as we would not be drinking all of it and his was response was, «It’s a Russian wedding. It will all get drunk.»
Apparently, for a Russian wedding there is food, introductions, dancing, more food, more dancing, more food, shots, more dancing, more food, more dancing, and then cake. I was so tired by the end since I’d flown in that day and was avoiding alcohol so I wouldn’t totally crash. It was a lovely reception, the wait staff was very professional, and the Russian food was solid.