The Abbot’s Cellar

Although the Abbot’s Cellar closed long ago, I nevertheless appreciated its attempt at taking the gastropub concept up several notches with multi-​course tasting menus paired with beers from around the world.
Alas, while each dish sure sounded and looked elaborate, nothing really stood out on its own, whether a starter of pork terrine, an intermediate course of squash and apple panzanella, a meatier albacore dish, or a final dessert of lemon chiffon cake. What I did appreciate, however, was the extensive, almost encyclopedic beer selection, attentive service, and elegant décor, with added touches like menus built in to the table. Moreover, from a selfish perspective, the beer pairings were simply easier on the wallet than, say, high-​end wine pairings.
Here’s hoping more establishments take note of what Abbot’s Cellar attempted by recognizing the fact that gourmet tasting menus can pair well with beer, not just wine.

I am still not over the loss of you, my dear sweet Abbotts Cellar. You were the perfect mix of an amazing beer AND wine program, knowledgable, friendly staff, amazing food (and even a super cute line cook), and a stunningly gorgeous space with high ceilings and the perfect mix of homey and elegant design. Your chefs counter was one of my happiest places, up with even Quivira in Sonoma. I brought all of my favorite people to experience you. Know that while I don’t understand a lot of the change in my neighborhood, I really, really don’t understand why you closed, you are dearly missed. I will always remember the great times that we had, and hope that there is still enough soul left in the Mission for some other restaurant sometime to make me feel close to the way you did.

3.5 *
Great design, great service, great vibe, good menu — on paper. On the palate, OK, but not that great. Still better than many

My boyfriend and I ate here on NYE, each getting the 5 course prix fixe menu.
Maybe this place is better when serving an a la carte menu, because the food was pretty disappointing!
All the sauces and sides were fine… but almost invariably the main focus of the dish was poor. The scallops were overcooked, the duck was tough and flavorless, the rib eye was gristly. And the desserts were total disasters. I’m not sure if someone was subbing for the pastry chef, or if said chef baked everything two days in advance then went on vacation. The cakes that were the center of each dessert were so dry as to be inedible. The «brown butter» had nothing in the way of caramelization and resembled buttercream frosting more than anything else.
The ambience was lovely and the service was excellent, but given the quality of the food, it certainly didn’t merit the $ 115/​person price tag.

Just WOW! I really enjoyed my night with old friends here. The atmosphere was amazing, the waitress was very attentive and the beer selection was never ending! The food choices are minimal, but the taste made up for it. I gave 4 stars only because they’re wine by the glass selection is very poor. As a wine drinker I was hoping for a better selection since SF is so close to wine country even. I did put into consideration that the restaurant is geared towards beer, but they should step up their wine game.

Monk’s Kettle was great for beer, but it was a hard to have serious conversations there (more bar atmosphere), so for ladies’ night, we decided to go for Abbot’s Cellar. Plus, they take reservations here. Still, it was surprisingly empty the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
The drinks are definitely beer focused, but I was sad they didn’t have the same glossary of beer terms as Monk’s Kettle. I think it’s because this place is less bar/​pub like and more focused on food. I thought the wines by the glass were actually better here, and I loved my Willamette valley pinot.
We started with scallops to share with the table. They were seared nicely but over salted, even for me. The hen of woof mushrooms and spinach were nice, but even the satsuma oranges couldn’t balance out the salt, and I LOVE salt.
For my entrée, I had the pork loin, served over soft polenta, with trumpet mushrooms and bacon, kale, and roasted apples. I love fruit with pork, so the apples were great. The loin itself was actually very lean, slightly dry, but the bacon helped balance that out.
We shared a sticky toffee pudding for dessert — it was definitely rich, so perfect for 5 girls.
We had a booth in the back, so it was nice for catching up and hanging out, and they never rushed us. If only I were more appreciative of their beer selection.

OVERALL: I’d always walked by and wanted to come here. Turns out they’re a fancy gastropub with this huge beer menu (that’s built into the table and slides right out!). The food is all great and I loved all the autumn hints in the dishes, but they were a little pricey, as are the beers (though everyone loved what they were recommended).
AMBIANCE: Really nicely laid out — a long room with really high ceilings. Sleek, smooth lines, naturally stained wood. Romantic and a nice place for a date or a relaxing catch up dinner with friends.
THE WAIT: They weren’t too busy at all on a Sunday night. Their OpenTable might not show too much available, but I called at 6:30pm to put us down for a table for 3 at 7:15pm. It was pretty quiet and there were plenty of tables open all night.
THE SERVICE: Great, professional, friendly, prompt. Very knowledgeable about beers, and my guy friends both LOVED what they got. The first sour beer our server brought out though was $ 39! He did warn us before opening it and was completely understanding that my friend didn’t want it anymore. But for a nice beer you’re more than like to spend $ 15-​$ 20 for a bottle. Our server was also very up for the challenge of finding me, someone who’s never liked beers, something I might enjoy. He was close with the Trappistes Rochefort (and was willing to take it off our bill if I didn’t like it!), but I still gave it to my bf to finish. He thought it was amazing.
DRINKS
* Hawaiian Madamia Nut mead (Heidrun Meadery, Point Reyes Station, Ca. macadamia nuts, orange peel, honey) — 3.5 stars
Smells amazing — the honey definitely comes through strongly! But taste-​wise, it’s not as complex and is still a little on the sour side (I’m really picky though). I made sure to enhale deeply as I drank more and that made the honey even stronger, so I enjoyed this more and more as I went.
STARTERS
* Day boat scallops, delicata squash, jimmy nardello peppers, vanilla gastrique ($ 16) — 4 stars
pic:
Really nice, and complemented well by the autumn flavors! I liked the squash (though my bf thought it was a weird pairing), and the scallops seemed fresh and were seared just right.
ENTREES
* Pork loin, sweet potato purée, braised collard greens, fresno peppers, roasted apple ($ 26) — 4 stars
pic:
Two big chunks of juicy, tasty pork, with layers of fat that contributed well to the overall texture. The greens didn’t have too much pepper, I was surprised at how spicy the peppers were, and the roasted apples were once again a nice autumn touch. The sweet potato purée was amazing!
* Duck breast, duck fast roasted potato, trumpet mushrooms, braised cabbage, mustard ($ 31) — 4 stars
pic:
Also really great, but this was expensive! The duck was very tender — the suggested we get it pink and this was the way to go. The potatoes were soft but roasted just enough, and
Dinner menu:
DESSERT:
* Sticky toffee pudding, marcona almond shortbread ($ 9) — 4 stars
pic:
Very nice! The shortbread comes out in a small cast iron pot, surrounded by (still boiling!) toffee. As you dig in, the toffee seeps into the shortbread. It’s sweet and rich and really impressive. However, I wished there was more toffee, as it all soaked in really quickly and the latter half of the dessert was a bit dry!

Came here when Everyone’s Favorite Place to Wait for a Table, Monk’s Kettle, was closed for renovations. Since they are sister gastropubs, I somehow expected a similar experience.
Sort of.
Monk’s kettle is lively and crowded, and serves orgasmic combos of creatively crafted foods and hard to find beers. There are wood finishes in the bar. I think the wood is just claimed. Abbot’s cellar is open and airy, and serves generally less awesome food… but with a huge selection of beers. I think the wood in their finishings is reclaimed.
Anyway, we had a few beers and a bunch of small food plates to share. But only the St Ambroise Stout and the tomatoes with burrata were real standouts. Which is why I concluded that roughly 50% of the tab was to fund the awesome airy dining room and reclaimed wood. Because knocking 50% off would have brought it into a reasonable range.

The vibe in this place is trendy with farm house urban feel. I loved the space, the service was friendly and attentive and the food almost great but not quite.
Whether you’re a beer lover or not, give it a try, you will find one you like and it will be served in a chilled glass that’s fit for it, I had the aphrodite and I never drink beer and loved the dark and rich ale.
The food:
Salad: nice but nothing exceptional, the dressing could be better
Tagliatelle pasta: great sauce but the pasta was awful, thick and undercooked
Dungeness Crab Risotto: this was one of my favorites, great flavor, rich and well paired with beer
Duck breast: great prep and sides, the duck was tender and lean, would have been nice to have some cherries paired with it
This place has potential and hopefully will improve over time. The portions are too small and the prices a bit too high.

So close to being a great place to dine at…
The beer selection is fantastic. I came here with a couple of Germans and even they were impressed by the selection and quality of beer. The restaurant carries Samuel Adams Utopia!!!
The food is very good too.
So here is the problem — the entrée portion is too small, so there is not enough food to soak down the beer. I ordered appetizer and entrée and was only half full.
Restaurant is located in the mission district — so target customers will likely drive to get here. Many of the beers are higher in alcohol content, so even finishing one drink can be too much.
Please offer bigger portions so the patrons can soak up the beer with food. At least serve some bread.

This is San Francisco’s best kept secret.
For my boyfriends birthday I struggled to find where to take him or to get reservation to restaurants I knew he wanted to go to. A male coworker told me that his gf took him here for his bday and they got the beer pairing dinner and it was a winner. So I copied his gf and took my bf here for his bday and I won too!
The food was delicious. The beers were delicious (and I don’t even like beer) and the service was great. And my bf felt right at home in the atmosphere including dark woods, exposed brick, dark colors. Very manly.
I also recommend their coffee… now I am obsessed with four barrel coffee.

Let me just come right out and say I am not a fan of beer. I’ll drink it if it’s what’s available or what everyone else is doing but for the most part I avoid it. Abbot’s Cellar is a place I simply leave that attitude at the door. They do fantastic food and when you allow the servers to pair the beer with it it all becomes that much better.
The room is long and gorgeous. Recessed wood throughout. Great looking kitchen with a beer glass display to prep you for what is to come next. Lighting fixtures were rustic and went well with the entire design. You really have to come just to see this place. Next to maybe Bar Agricole and Ramen Shop is one of my favorite restaurants to enjoy aesthetically.
I experienced the tasting menu of sorts as we shared 4 entrees with a number of apps as well. We had beer paired with almost every dish as well. My memory is not serving me well as we drank a lot of beer by the end of the night (not to mention a pre dinner stop at my favorite bar in all the land Trick Dog”. The food came fast and furious and each dish was beautifully plated and tasted just as good. The highlights for me were the Dungeness Crab salad, Albacore Tune w/​crab, and this cheese cake with no crust which was as light as crème fraîche. Come to think of it, it was probably made with it. None the less one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
Service and staff was excellent from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave. Anyone who worked there that laid eyes on us greeted us in some way shape or form. Our waitress/​beer expert was a literal encyclopedia of beer. I’ve heard a lot of beer experts talk but for the most part they bored me. She on the other hand was entertaining and informative. She’s a true spokesperson for this genre of alcohol. Her pairings were perfect. Even better than wine parings in some cases.
In the end if you love beer well this is a no brainer. If you love food then they’ll get you good. If you love food and beer you’ll never want to leave. I can’t wait to drag my beer connoisseur friends here and introduce them to one of my new favorite restaurants

4.5 STARS
I’ve never Unilocaled a restaurant with so many mixed reviews as Abbot’s Cellar. There are so many 5 star and 1 – 2 star reviews, kinda like a woman’s mood swings. I have my good days where I want to lovingly spend 3 hours after a long day at work making his fav of Kalbi Jim for his lunch for the week, then I have those raging lunatic, screaming banshee days…“WTF, you brought me KFC… I don’t eat KFC, I ONLY eat KFC…[K]orean [F]ried [C]hicken!!!” Of course, he should of known this because men are supposed to be mind readers right? Poor men. *sigh* I apologize to you men, on behalf of all raging lunatic, screaming banshees like myself, when Aunt Flo comes careening through our door.
Thankfully, we went to Abbot Cellar’s on one of their good days because we had a fantastic meal and service to boot. It’s been over 4 months since we dined here (sorry, I’m behind and have over 50 places to review) but I still remember our dinner there. Initially, I really didn’t expect much since I had a terrible experience at their sister gastropub/​restaurant, Monk’s Kettle. I would have rounded up to 5 stars had dessert been good at Abbot’s Cellar.
* ~ * F O O D * ~ *
Abbot’s Cellar has a rotating, seasonal menu with about 10 – 12 items or you can opt to do a 4-​course tasting menu for $ 55 (+$ 20 for beer pairings). We choose to order a la carte.
*Amuse Bouche: fried gnocchi w/​accompanying beer pairing — 4 STARS
*Day Boat Scallops w/​celery root purée, brussels sprouts, bacon & roasted pear ($ 15) — 4.5 STARS
*Short Ribs w/​polenta, fried torpedo onion & arugula pistou ($ 13) — 4 STARS
*Duck Breast w/​shiitake mushroom risotto, broccoli rabe & huckleberry reduction ($ 27) — 4 STARS
*Petrale Sole w/​dungeness crab, flageolet beans, heirloom carrots & buddha’s hand ($ 28) — 4.5 STARS
*Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Pave ($ 9) — 1 STAR
Loved the fried and creamy gnocchi amuse bouche to start. I loved it even more that it came with free booze and I got to chug Mr. NSS’ share since he doesn’t drink. For our shared apps, $ 15 for two scallops was pricey but they were very well executed; perfectly seared crust with a delicate interior. The shortribs were über tender and the accompanying fried onions gave it a nice contrasting crunch.
For our entrees, the duck breast was a perfect medium rare but could have been seared at a higher temperature to caramelize and crisp up the skin more. The accompanying creamy mushroom risotto added a nice earthiness to the dish. Cooked more successfully was the petrale sole which was flaky and moist. The crab was fresh and sweet but I wish there was more of it.
The only disappointing part of our meal was the terrible dark chocolate & hazelnut pave. It tasted nothing like chocolate or hazelnut and more like bitter coffee. Oddly, the texture wasn’t creamy either. It was also overpriced at $ 9 for a tiny sliver.
* ~ * S E R V I C E * ~ *
I was a bit concerned that the staff would be like the staff at Monk’s Kettle (hipster attitude), however, they weren’t. The staff at Abbot’s Cellar were professional and refined but super friendly and down-​to-​earth. Our waiter was attentive and checked in with us multiple times as did the hostess.
Food service was very well-​timed.
* ~ * A M B I A N C E /​D E C O R * ~ *
I liked the causal, large open space (compared to Monk’s Kettle) with an open kitchen, chef’s counter seats, and high vaulted wooden ceilings. It’s literally like eating inside a cellar. We didn’t have an issue with noise nor did we have to scream across the counter/​table, so it’s a good date place.
* ~ * P A R K I N G * ~ *
Difficult street parking. Valet available after 6 pm. The nearest garage is 4 blocks away on 21^st and Bartlett at the corner of Lolinda.
Hopefully, you visit Abbot’s Cellar on one of their good days. If not, I guess that’s what their extensive beer list (over 100) and huge wine pours are for!

Stopped here on the way home after picking my daughter up at the airport and we couldn’t have made a better choice. I was a little surprised because I was expecting a pubbier atmosphere, but the somewhat more elegant surroundings didn’t deter us at all.
I love the beer menu that slips out from a slot in the side of the table. Nice surprise, and it keeps you from either having to flag down the wait staff all the time, or having to figure out where to stow a big beer list.
The food was wonderful. The portions were not so big they bust your gut like at a lot of beer-​centric places, which is good because that leaves a lot more room to fill up with their incredible beer selection.
Since the beer list and the food menu change quite regularly it’s kinda pointless to highlight specific choices we made, but suffice it to say that between three of us each having three course and several beers we did not hit a single off note.

Four stars for the food, five stars because of the extensive beer list. Menu is small but very good. The beer selection is amazing.
Restaurant is industrial modern like most places being built new.
Great if you love beer and want a very good meal.

Superb Team Dinner.
Prix Fixe Meal + Beer Pairing for a party of 7 geeks.
One of the geeks ordered a $ 37 beer from NZ because he thought the price tag was ridiculous and b/​c the tab was on our boss. I finished it for him.
I also finished all the left over tastings of beer that the other geeks couldn’t finish.
The food was amazing and we devoured every single bite. The geeks did not leave any left overs. The Salmon and chorizo/​fava bean salad was my fave.
I was the only female geek in the group who was sober at the end of the meal. LOL
I can’t wait to come back!

I had a wonderful (and expensive) dinner here with my friends the last time I was in San Francisco. I happened to pick it because 1) they take Open Table reservations, 2) I had a $ 50 gift certificate for Open Table, and 3) it was close to my friend’s place. She had actually been here before so she and her boyfriend were excited to go back. Along with the delicious beers (it’s an endless list!) we ordered pretty much 1 of each appetizer. That’s the way to do it! I’m sad to say I don’t remember everything I ordered because it was a couple of months ago. But for my main dish, I had the pork chop and it was the best thing at the table! It was cooked perfectly, was very juicy, and paired nicely with whatever beer I was drinking. Plan on spending about 20 minutes just deciding on what beer to order!
I really enjoyed this restaurant.

It is a very beautiful and expensive restaurant that appears to be high end, but the food just doesn’t live up to the prices or décor. The beer selection is great and the employees were nice. I had a pork loin dish that was ok. I asked if the dish could be done without mushrooms and the server said of course and then he brings my dish out with a bunch of mushrooms all over it. My boyfriend got the halibut dish and he was sick as soon as we got home.
It’s a 2 star restaurant with $$$$ prices.

Abbot’s Cellar, like its sister restaurant Monk’s Kettle, serves up a large selection of beer. The servers are happy to recommend beer pairings for any dish you order. The food menu changes daily, with the option to do a tasting menu or order a la carte.
The bf and I shared:
* Duck leg confit — $ 14 (I think)
* King salmon, broccoli di ciccio, padron peppers, sweet corn purée — $ 26
* Pork loin, apple, caraway spaetzle, lacinato kale — $ 25
Everything on the menu looked like fairly standard «new American» food, so Abbot’s Cellar isn’t a place to come for super innovative dishes. However, the dishes we tried were really good. All the meats were perfectly done, and the vegetable ingredients were fresh and delicious.
It was easy to get a reservation here, and service was really good.

Situation
— Sunday dinner with a friend
— Ordered a Pork Chop
Pros
— Excellent beer
— The Pork Chop was pretty good
— The service was really good
— They take credit cards
Cons
— A little pricey