Gary Danko

“One of the best fine dining experiences we’ve had recently. We chose this restaurant to celebrate our 6th anniversary, and both the food and service were outstanding. We loved that the 3-course and 4-course menus let you choose any dishes from the menu instead of following the traditional appetizer, entrée, and dessert format. The service was attentive and thoughtful throughout the evening. When our last course took a little longer than expected, the staff apologized and even treated us to cocktails and an extra course. They also surprised us with a dessert plate and candle to celebrate our anniversary, which made the evening feel extra special. Highly recommend the grilled oysters,Lobster Risotto, and the jasmine-strawberry cocktail. We had a wonderful and memorable night and will definitely be back.”

“Absolutely loved our experience here. It is one of those upscale restaurants that you wouldn't mind going back again (unlike some really high end 2&3 Michelin star restaurants). The restaurant and vibe is fabulous. You definitely feel special once you walk in, and we felt pampered with the service. The food was excellent.”

“Amazing experience celebrating with my husband. We ordered the chefs tasting menu and 5 courses and then shared it all. Gary Danko's has been around forever, and you can tell they are going to be around based on the quality of the ingredients, the inspired dishes, and the attentiveness of the staff. It's know as one of the more romantic restaurants...with it's low lighting and intimate seating. I'm still dreaming of the glazed oysters with osetra caviar, leek fondue, zucchini pearls, and lettuce cream. The lemon pepper duck breast with duck hash, celery root puree, bacon braised endive, and apple ginger chutney was a delight with essentially duck prepared two different ways.. a textural treat! The cookies with the ice cream were a surprise! Some of the best shortbreadish cookies I've ever had! I'm not usually a cheese plate type of gal- but the cheese monger had some wonderful suggestions and made my husband and I question every thing we know about cheese. brebitousse D'argental.. what a treat!”

“I went to Gary Danko on a cool evening in San Francisco, not really sure what to expect beyond hearing that it was a “nice place.” From the outside, it feels understated, but once you’re inside, it’s calm and a bit old-school in a comforting way—soft lighting, quiet conversations, nothing flashy. Service stood out right away. The staff were attentive without hovering, and they explained the menu in a way that didn’t feel scripted. It made the whole experience feel more relaxed, especially since the menu itself can be a bit overwhelming at first. What I liked most was the flexibility—you can mix and match courses instead of committing to a fixed tasting menu. I ended up trying a few different things, and while not every dish was unforgettable, everything was solid and well-prepared. The flavors leaned more classic than experimental, which I actually appreciated. It felt like the kitchen wasn’t trying too hard to impress, just focused on doing things right. One thing that surprised me was the cheese cart at the end. I didn’t think I’d care much for it, but it turned out to be one of the more memorable parts of the meal. It gave a nice, unhurried ending to the night. If I had to point out a downside, it’s the price—it’s definitely a place you go to for a special occasion rather than a casual dinner. And while everything was very good, I didn’t have that one dish I kept thinking about the next day. Overall, it felt like a reliable, refined dining experience rather than something trendy or cutting-edge. I left satisfied, not blown away, but glad I went.”

“We had a lovely anniversary dinner at Gary Danko. The service was wonderful and the team brought us some complimentary bites with happy anniversary spelled out on them. Some of the dishes such as the scallops were outstanding. Others were good but not fantastic. It seems as if they've made the decision to try to move more people through the restaurant on a nightly basis, which is probably why they can afford to serve top quality food at reasonable prices, but also probably the reason they do not have a Michelin star. The tables are very close together, in some cases requiring you to sit next to your partner instead of across the table from them. When the cheese cart is out, it is impossible to pass through the aisles near it. At our table, this resulted in many people squeezing up between our table and the cheese cart and rubbing their butt over our table as they passed. Not what you would expect in a first class restaurant. The decor also seemed a bit dark and dated to us. So not perfect, but a good experience, especially if you're a new new to fine dining and want to see what a near-Michelin experience looks like at a not-crazy expensive price. Seems like a good balance for trying to build a viable business in a tourist-heavy location. The 7% health care mandate hidden in the bill is way out of line. The whole idea is ridiculous, but most restaurants in SF, with far lower average tickets, seem to get by with 3% (and plenty don't charge anything).”