monsieur benjamin Corey Lee Monsieur Benjamin

Monsieur Benjamin Menu

451 Gough St. (Grove St.)
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-403-2233
Map
Cuisine: French / Bistro
Chef-owner Corey Lee presents modern French bistro cuisine in tony Hayes Valley.
Openings: Dinner Wed.-Sun., Lunch Sat.-Sun.

Features

Monsieur Benjamin, San Francisco, CA


Monsieur Benjamin Restaurant Review:


Monsieur Benjamin, a modern French bistro from chef-owner Corey Lee (Benu, The French Laundry), is located in tony Hayes Valley near the Civic Center and performing arts venues. A red fox appears on the neon sign out front as well as the menus and plates. (It's a nod to the literary character Reynard, who was initially considered as a namesake for the restaurant.) Environs are sleek, urbane, sexy and approachable, with glass-heavy décor offset by old-school French design touches, such as the white paper covering the wood tables. There's seating on either side of the central marble-topped bar, which connects to the open kitchen. Guests can also opt to dine on the patio. Executive chef Jason Berthold (RN74, The French Laundry) presents a variety of appetizers and small plates to start with, including oysters, fried frog legs, sweetbreads Grenobloise and seafood sausage (highly recommended). Among the main courses, duck confit with sausage is served with a saucière of au poivre sauce. Wrap up your meal in true French fashion with the Époisses toast before something sweet, such as the palmier ice cream with Calvados caramel. Pastry chef Courtney Schmidig, another alum of The French Laundry, creates the desserts for both Benu and Monsieur Benjamin. To be expected, the wine list is primarily French. There's also a concise selection of beers and cocktails like The Ace, which is made with rye, Calvados, sloe gin, honey, lemon and rosemary. The service is professional and efficient.