Spruce

Posh Local Fare with International Flair in San Francisco

Review by Bill Russell

“An impressive quality of service, presentation and taste that delivered to all senses.”

Summer melon and fall fig salad with black pepper yogurt and clover honey vinaigrette

One of the top restaurants in San Francisco located in a former auto body shop? It’s a delicious surprise. Spruce is based in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights neighborhood, elegantly inhabiting a voluminous space that used to be filled with dented cars. Knowing this, it’s all the more exciting to walk through the wrought iron gates and see three separate, stylish entrances. One, flanked by espresso-brown velvet curtains, leads to Spruce’s in-house coffee bistro. One leads to an active bar. The third opens upon the grand dining room.

Here, a vaulted ceiling and a glimmering Baccarat crystal chandelier help set the stage for upscale dining magic. There are plush velvet banquettes for seating, white linen tablecloths, silver flatware and silver candle lamps. For all its glamour, however, there is nothing pretentious about it. There’s an air of professionalism here that makes you sit up and take notice. My wife and I thought it had the feeling of a European dining experience, thanks to Spruce’s extensive wine list, considerate service, elegant menu and fine attention to detail on the part of the servers.

We began our meal with sparkling water and an order of cocktails, as the bar at Spruce is known for its twists on classic and modern cocktails. My wife ordered the Vesper, a smooth martini of gin, vodka and Lillet (replacing the vermouth) with a dash of bitters and substantial twist of lemon. I tried the East Side: Hendricks gin with floral infusions muddled with refreshing dashes of mint and cucumber. Two servers delivered these and proceeded to shake them vigorously at our table, then they synchronized two perfect pours into our glasses. It was cocktail theater and a fun way to begin a meal.

I chose from the a la carte menu while my wife ordered the Harvest prix-fixe lunch of three courses with wine pairings. Her appetizer was a forested mushroom tart enriched with Taleggio cheese, fresh pea shoots and sherry vinaigrette. The tart was fresh, light and delicious. I went for a velvety pumpkin velouté-style soup finished with toasted pumpkin seeds and sage creme. The server poured the steaming soup right into a warm bowl in front of me. More theater. We loved it.

My wife’s entree was pine nut pesto gnocchi with sautéed scallops. The pesto was creamy and full-bodied, the gnocchi light and airy, expertly balancing rich scallops that were perfectly cooked. Topped with Grana Padana cheese, this dish was a superb blending of flavors and textures.

For my main course, I went the route of two dozen mussels in a Pernod-infused broth. These were elegantly arranged on a silver platter, topped with a stack of local Acme crostini for soaking up that fragrant, complex broth.

We shared the dessert that came with the prix-fixe lunch. Called Orange Blossom Tropezienne, this was puff pastry with caramelized pears, apple compote and blueberry cream, whimsically arranged to look like a small burger. Housemade vanilla ice cream with a wedge of candied orange completed the delicious dessert and presentation.

Spruce Restaurant served us a superb lunch that exceeded our expectations. It was an impressive quality of service, presentation and taste that delivered to all senses. Don’t miss this experience.

Location: 3600 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94118   map
Phone: 530.894.3463 
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