Trestle has been an SF staple since I moved here and luckily survived the years by offering an innovative 3 course fixed meal with limited choices on a rotating basis. The food is new American so you get elevated classics like fish or chicken to choose from with lots of veggies and garnish.
The first time I visited Trestle years back I remember being impressed but this time around I was a little disappointed. While the food was good and tasty, it did feel like the portions have gotten smaller (for example my sea bass dish only had a small filet and lots of cabbage) and the quality has slightly gone down especially if you’re expecting something on the level of other fine dining.
The staff was nice though and service was well coordinated for our group so no complaints there. They also have a cool guest book they pass around with the bill you can sign and leave a note.
It’s worth a try if you’re visiting SF or have never been, but I most likely won’t be back again.
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Overall: A good place to try out. Definitely a good deal and experience!
Would I come back: Yes Indeed
The extended review…
Food: 4/5 - It’s a three course meal with the option to do a supplemental course. It is a very well balanced meal with an app, entree, and dessert. Everything is tasty and well cooked.
Service: 4/5 - Friendly and attentive service.
Ambiance: 5/5 - A very nice ambiance inside and you don’t feel cramped at all.
Visited for one of their special prix fixe menus. The theme was corn the night we visited. Every item you could tell was careful picked and prepared. We enjoyed the prefixed menu because we were able to try every item at a decent price. Decor made dining here a pleasant experience. Not sure if it was just the guest next to us or the space in general but it got pretty loud inside. Made it a bit hard to hear each other or talk without having to yell. There was only one bathroom which made it difficult to use without having to wait for others. Overall great experience and will recommend.
Me and my boyfriend have been here a handful of times this place is really neat. Staff is very vibrant and courteous to its clientele.
It has a very soft and comfy ambiance. You feel like you are at home.
If you're in the neighborhood pop on by and check it out.
Salute
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Trestle is truly a one-of-a-kind dining experience! Located in on the corner of Jackson and Columbus in SF's North Beach district, Trestle offers $42 three-course fixed menu (starter, entree, and dessert) built around seasonal ingredients.
This menu changes on a weekly basis and you can view the week's offerings on their website, or just waltz right into their establishment if you prefer to be surprised. They also offer two pastas as supplements ($12 each) if you decide you're on the hungry site and want a bit more to eat; they estimate that 1 pasta dish can feed two individuals.
I dined at Trestle on July 21st, and we made sure to make a reservation well in advance. The restaurant itself is definitely on the smaller side, which admittedly does make for a very cozy ambiance; however, given the limited seating making a reservation is probably your best bet if you want to dine here. One thing to note is there is a limited amount of time each party may be at the establishment whether you're eating or chatting at the table - the time limit depends on the number of people in your party. For example, for my party of 3, our time limit was 1 hour and 45 minutes (if I recall correctly), and the staff will prompt you when your time is up as there are other parties waiting. When you get your bill the service charge is already included, so you won't need to worry about tipping!
Now on to the food. Thought a bit difficult to comment on seeing that their menu is ever changing, but I would like to emphasize that the flavor and quality of their food is unlike anything I've ever tasted before. Every item was well-seasoned, well-cooked, and absolutely delicious, definitely worthy of their Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. If you have room to spare I highly highly recommend giving their pasta a try, as delicious as their fixed menu is their pastas are absolutely to die for (especially if you're a carb fiend like me). Since we had a party of 3, we decided to go ahead and order both pasta options, which I am very happy we did as it allowed to try their entire menu that day.
If you're looking for a cute dinner spot in SF that makes all the decisions for you so you can just focus on the food and your company, then this is definitely the place for you (just don't forget to make a reservation in advance)!
A great experience all around! The food was excellent in each course, my whole group was raving about the food. The service was wonderful, warm, and professional, and it is a small and intimate place as well which means it doesn't get too loud. I thought the price point was very fair given the quality of the food as well. I definitely recommend it!
If you are a picky eater don't come here. If you love food this place is a fantastic adventure well worth the price. It's a 3 course meal, with 2 options per course with a supplemental course choice from two for just a few dollars more. A well rounded beer and wine menu will give you lots of options off the normal beaten path and you won't miss your craft cocktail with their superb selection.
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TLDR: Good food, but subpar service.
Food:
$42 prix fixe menu for a 3-course meal with the option to add a $12 supplement (2 pasta options).
I went to Trestle with 2 of my friends and one of them was vegetarian. Even though most of their menu items included meat or fish, the restaurant was able to accommodate our friend's dietary restriction.
Among the three of us, we were able to try most of their prix fixe menu items.
Of the two appetizers, the butternut squash soup was better than the falafel salad. The soup was creamy and delicious, but the salad was okay. The salad looked underwhelming, and it came with very all pieces of falafel.
Of the two supplement pastas, the roasted carrot rissoto was better than the creamy cauliflower fusilli. The risotto was savory, creamy, and well seasoned. The cauliflower in the fusilli was a bit undercooked, so the crunchiness of the cauliflower didn't really go well with the rest of the pasta.
The crispy duck confit was decent. For a main dish, the portion was definitely smaller. The sauce that it came with was good.
Butterscotch pudding was the highlight of the dinner, and it was one of the best butterscotch desserts I've had. All the elements of the dessert paired well. I could have easily gone for 2-3 more servings of that. The white chocolate corn cookie was a nice touch, and it really complimented the butterscotch flavor. The dark chocolate cake had too much going on, and we could barely taste any dark chocolate. The cardamom flavor was more prominent than any other flavor.
Given the small seating area, it was very noisy the whole time, and we were having a hard time listening to each other.
The staff was very pushy. I believe that the restaurant has a 90-minute time limit per table. Instead of constantly checking in on us to see if we are done and taking our plates away while we are still eating, they should have focused more on reducing the 10-15 minute wait time between each course.
Note: The bill already includes the tip, so please keep that in mind when you get your check. There is a paid parking garage right next to the restaurant so parking shouldn't be a problem.
This way an amazing dining experience. Our waiter Andrew was just perfect on every count. Service was fast and friendly, food was excellent, portions were decent sized, we took two extra pasta plates for the table to be able to taste everything on the menu and it was amazing. It's a small restaurant and the noise level was a bit high but it didn't bother our conversation. Definitely would want to come back here and would recommend it to everyone.
Small but mighty restaurant with a rotating menu of prefix options. The value is incredible for the quality of food and service. They typically have a few options, so if your table is open to sharing you can try everything! The soup was fantastic. Parking, not so much. Great neighborhood to grab a drink before or after dinner.
A wonderful dining experience with accommodating, thoughtful and attentive staffs. The hostess did her best to seat us before our reservation time. Set 3-course menu with the option to add pasta dishes (highly recommend doing so). Asked if we had food allergies. Seasonal set menu, all dishes were creatively curated, balanced, and delicious. Efficient service. All dishes were explained when served. They have two seatings (at least 2 table turns each night) and we went around 7pm and did not feel rushed. Plenty of time to enjoy each course; and to go from cocktail to a bottle of wine. Thank you for a great evening.
We had great food at Trestle but we will not come back because of the hospitality and the atmosphere. We got there a bit early and didn't feel welcomed - the hostess asked us to wait outside, seemed a bit lost and we didn't get a table until almost 15 minutes past our scheduled reservation. The restaurant is fairly small and the acoustic is not very good, which makes the place pretty noisy.
Amazing staff and food was top notch quality. Portions were tiny though so would recommend getting the pasta (+12$) and don’t forget to ask for complimentary bread :) Their menu changes weekly and we’ve come back twice already!
If you're looking for excellent service paired with impeccably prepared food, Trestle is a must try in SF. For the service and quality of food, this SF fixe prix is an absolute bargain. Each of the dishes that came out were bursting with flavor, perfectly prepared, and quite innovative. While the portions seemed small, everyone in our family left feeling just full enough and completely satisfied. The restaurant is trendy and comfortable to linger in, and at no point did we feel rushed during the meal. This is a fantastic place to enjoy a quiet date night or small gathering of good friends. We're definitely looking forward try more from this delicious and innovative restaurant.
We came here only a little before closing, but the service was prompt and they were very nice about everything! I have been to Trestle a long time ago so I thought I would give it another go.
I started with the green garlic soup, and got a pasta supplement for the table. The soup was really flavourful and the pasta was probably an 8/10. The entree was alright, probably the least impressive dish of the ones we got. The chocolate brownie was simple yet pleasant to end the meal, with a generous portion. Overall, the food was okay, but I think the value is pretty good.
In the future, I would definitely check the menu before making a reservation to make sure that the prix fixe options are appealing to me!
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12-4-2022 – Loved their pre-fix. What lovely ambiance, great service and gourmet meal for only $39/person (3 courses). I opted to get the extra course ($12 extra) and it turned out to be too much food.
Make sure you order their bread (served by request only). It was served hot with butter. I could have gone home after that very happy.
- Citrus & Cashew Salad – Amazing flavors. Each bit was something different
- Carrot & Ginger Soup – The presentation was very stylish. They bring the bowl with some vegetables and pour the hot soup on top at the table.
- Roasted Parsnip Risotto – So buttery and yummy
- Roasted Black Cod – Cooked perfectly and loved the vegetables
- Apple Cobbler – Like the fact that the fruit was not all mushy.
- Dark Chocolate Cake - Was not able to do justice to this as I was stuffed by this time.
Basically between my hubby and me, we had almost everything on the menu. We both had Cod as the main as the other option was Duck and we are not great fans of Duck.
Will go back when the next seasonal menu come in.
Delicious first course! The wait staff was very attentive and helpful with pairing wines to the courses. The mains left a bit to be desired in terms of flavor combinations and portion. Overall a very nice experience.
Delicious, well prepared and presented food, with great service. That you could get all of that, over three courses, for just $42 is a complete steal.
It's a Prix Fixe menu, with two options per course (and an optional Pasta course), but the menu is clearly well thought out and I would have happily eaten anything from it. They seemed very amenable to alterations to suit specific diets.
Will definitely be back.
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