Cafe du Soleil

A bite of Paris in the heart of Downtown SF. Breads are fresh, meats are plenty, and the love in the preparation of the food is felt at each table. The menu was as joy to browse over to see what I will come back to get next. Thank you Chef Michael for the wonderful meal!

If you are looking for lunch the proper French way, this place is it - cozy cafe with a small menu, everything cooked to order and served by the chef, and dining without looking at your watch. Had the Tarragon Chicken Sandwich as recommended by the chef and was blow away. The bread was just too good. Not a place for a quick meal if you come in during lunch rush, but we'll worth the wait.

A gem in an unexpected corner of the city. You can't go wrong, every item is delicious. I order ahead of time and take a walk from my office to pick it up for a welcome respite from fluorescent lights.

Regit french style, all foods are really good. I had Croque Madame here and bread, cheese, and ham all ingredients are so fresh and high quality! Recommended!!

I was really perplexed when I received the food. I didn't say "to go," and I mentioned that I would be eating here, but they served the food in disposable containers. I asked the owner again if they might have misunderstood "to go" and given me the food in disposable containers by mistake, but he said that this is how it is done in this country. This country's way? I've been to San Francisco many times and visited other restaurants, but this has never happened before. I can only think it's racist. I'm very disappointed and shocked with the service.

probably one of the coolest cafes in lower haight. quiet and a great place to study or work. when the sun shines in through the giant windows, chefs kiss

Stopped in while at Moscone for a conference and the Croque Monsieur made me weak in the knees. My goodness it was buttery cheesy crunchy heaven. The blueberry smoothy was very tasty. Spotless, very cozy indoor seating with only 3 tables so I assume mostly takeout. However, if you have the time - sit down and eat the food hot, you won’t regret it.

Had a brunch there today. A friendly owner and delicious food! Fresh ingredients, sweet watermelon, and the combination of baguette, salmon, cream cheese, and onion was tasty! I like the ambience, eventhough it was small, I still felt comfortable and relax while munching my food.

Stopped by here for lunch after returning our rental car at a nearby National. I'm glad we stopped by on a whim because this easily became one of my new favorite restaurants in the city. We got a Niçoise salad with smoked salmon as well as the Chicken Tarragon sandwich. Both were perfectly seasoned and delicious. The bread on the sandwich was incredible - crunchy crust but still maintained a softness throughout. Just note that the food can take a bit of time. I noticed the chef puts a lot of attention/effort into preparing the food so it was well worth the wait.

The sandwiches, salads and soup are fantastic. Everything is perfectly prepared with only the finest and freshest ingredients!!! My absolute fave is the mushroom soup when it's available - don't miss it. In addition to the great food - service is above and beyond!!!!

I was really perplexed when I received the food. I didn't say "to go," and I mentioned that I would be eating here, but they served the food in disposable containers. I asked the manager again if they might have misunderstood "to go" and given me the food in disposable containers by mistake, but he said that this is how it is done in this country. This country's way? I've been to San Francisco many times and visited other restaurants, but this has never happened before. I can only think it's racist. very disappointed with the service and pretty shocked about the way they treat customers.

Very small, cute. Like the outdoor seating (which is very minimal btw) The server cashier guy is really really nice!! My bf said the roasted chicken sandwich was "pretty gas". This is crazy because he inhaled it like a wild bear was running down 3rd street to come snatch it out of his hands. Safe to say he loved it. The Caprese Tartine was DELICIOUS although a little hard to eat but I think that's a skill issue on my part . Wonderful food and atmosphere. Would def recommend giving this place a try!!

Food here is always plentiful and good. It's a small venue but there's a few tables inside and out. Cute place and owner is super friendly. Happy to support them and keep the business going as it's the best place close to my work! A little expensive but you get a lot!

Amazing!!! This place is so cool! I had the caprese toast and it's super yum! The side salad portion is huge and filling! They are extremely accommodating. I can't eat blue cheese and they were super nice and made me a new salad without blue cheese. Their coffee is really good! I recommend this place

such a cute cafe perfect for a rainy day! I live nearby so I come here often! the food here is amazing and always hits the spot. Michael is very nice & helpful.

Went there today for bfast, but there was a sign outside saying the place was closed temporarily. Waste of time

What lovely food & service! Ordered online to pick up while doing a trade show at Moscone. The food was ready quickly, it was delicious and well priced. My salad was HUGE and filling. Great spot in SOMA.

Such a great small business. The owner (Michael) is a very friendly man that had to close down for over a year and has tried to revamp his offerings (additional brunch options). You can tell he is high touch with all his customers and offers conversation and warmth while you are ordering your food. The food (especially the fruit) is fresh, the chai tea latte was nice and warm and the ambiance was well kept. We sat outside, the tables were clean and dry (it was sprinkling a little bit and we had no issues). Please come out and support your local businesses!

If you are looking for a tasty and satisfying lunch, Café du Soleil's lunch combo sandwich is the perfect choice. With its fresh ingredients, perfect portion size, and super good taste, this sandwich is sure to satisfy your hunger and cravings.

Wow, what a gem. Best lunch I've had in a long time. I got she half sandwich and salad. When it came, I thought they made a mistake and gave me a fully sandwich. It was much bigger than I expected. The prosciutto and brie sandwich was AMAZING! The house salad was delicious. This place is quite small, three tight tables inside and two outside. I came at 12:30 on a Tuesday, and got a table, but I have no idea how. This place should be packed with a line around the corner. Once word gets out, no way this place won't be inundated. Simply amazing. Thank you so much for the wonderful meal!!!

That's are no places that I would come to for lunch except this one! Michael is a sweetheart and will have your order ready for you! The coffee will wake you up! It's strong and will put hair on your chest. Get the mangoes in a cup. Sweet cubes of deliciousness! The salads are large! The Chicken salad has orzo in it, and it's seasonal only made in the fall. The ingredients are fresh. The sandwiches are good, but it may give you a rough roof of your mouth.

Lovely little shop right between my place and Ben's place! I can't believe I never stopped in even though I've probably walked by it a hundred times!! Probably because this place is pretty popular during lunch time! Really yummy spot for lunch or a sweet treat! Stopped by today and the gentleman at the front (maybe the owner?) was super kind and friendly...he actually stopped to ask about my day and my experience...which is the type of experience that warms my heart! Definitely recommend their sandwiches and their cookies are of the thin and chewy variety (which is my absolute favorite)! Snickerdoodle...mmmm, so good!

Stumbled upon this place while looking for a quick takeout lunch near the Caltrain station. It's a cute little shop with 5-6 small tables inside and out. I ordered the Mango Chicken Salad and the portion was large, but it was almost $20 which feels like a bit too much for a salad. It tasted great and the service was nice, but I wish the mango chunks were cut smaller. Otherwise, I got a generous serving of chicken, avocado, and fruit. The dressing was also great!

Best cafe still open downtown. Sandwich's are big and soooo tasty. A little of everything. Owner is the nicest person on the planet. Support local businesses!

If you need a swift spot for lunch in the area, Cafe du Soleil handily handles the major categories: soup, sandwich, and salad. There may be a line out to door when you arrive (assuming we're in non-pandemic times), but the friendly folks behind the counter keep it moving. Your best bets are to stick with simple options like the Turkey & Avocado or Ham & Gruyere sandwiches, or the Caesar or Chicken & Orzo salads (petit is actually a nice size). I think the Chicken Basil Bisque was the only soup they had on, but you can't go wrong there either. I love that you can get a (choose 2) half sandwich/half salad/cup of soup combo too, because tasting more stuff from a place that offers high quality, fresh food is always a win. I personally wasn't enamored with the croissants they've got, but maybe I'm a croissant snob, I dunno.

Parked across the street for a Giants game and after a quick search for breakfast spots in the area Cafe Du Soleil was the obvious choice. We were lucky enough to arrive just as someone was leaving so we were able to sit inside at one of the 3 tables. So glad we did! Husband had a portobello mushroom sandwich and had pastrami added to it. He says it was the best sandwich he's ever had. I had a croque monsieur which was amazing too. So happy to have tried this spot!

Delicious! Enjoyed the salad for lunch. My friend had the sandwich with soup. Owner is super nice and kind . Will come back to try their other items.

What a surprise!! Ordered the house salad and the turkey and Swiss sandwich. Both priced around $14. The salad had a ton of fresh greens (well dressed), egg, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, bleu cheese. Excellent!! Sandwich was huge on an amazing roll. Lots of thinly sliced meat. With pesto, melted cheese, and tomatoes. Super happy with the quality! Got our order to go but will take the time to sit next visit. Small cozy interior.

Such a cute lunch spot so glad we stumbled upon this place very close to our hotel. We had the ham and Gruyère sandwiches with broccoli cheddar soup and nice sized portion chicken salads. Everything was homemade and fresh and healthy. The owner takes very great pride in his establishment and it shows in his food. Only 4 tables inside very warm and cozy. Definitely come check this place out if you are in SoMa!

They're not too many items on the menu that appealed to me, but I found one and it was wonderful! The Chicken Orzo Salad was a the perfect blend of lettuce, pest chicken and tomatoes. The honey vinaigrette was a nice complement to the dish. If ordering at lunch time it can take a while for your order but it wasn't too bad waiting outside because it was nice out. I also had the croissant for dessert I'd that was the highlight, just the right amount of flake and the color was that golden brown you see in all the french food magazines. Customer service is truly 5 star, you can taste the TLC put into every dish.

I can sum up our visit in one word: delightful. In the city for a work trip and was searching for fresh, wholesome food to fuel ourselves. Saw this little gem was within walking distance. The cafe itself is petite and I felt bad that I'd brought seven people in to order, but the owner graciously greeted us. He was also extremely patient with my broken French--as I have few opportunities to practice. We placed a large order and waited outside. He brought out some small bites of a tasty chocolate delicacy for us to nibble on while we waited, which was a very kind gesture! Our food arrived very quickly and it was sooo good. You can tell the kitchen takes care in sourcing and preparing their ingredients. Every dish hit all of the notes and we were well satisfied with our lunch. Will return when I get the chance!

Amazing place!! They were nice enough to sub out the cream cheese on the smoked salmon tartine with egg since I can't eat lactose. The man talked me into getting a smoothie which I rarely do because they usually taste unhealthy and fake but this was high quality with great flavor balance! Best of all, though, was the side of fruit! I love fruit but honestly often throw away the fruit sides at traditional cafes bc of the low quality. The mangos and strawberries here were excellent!

I've probably glanced at this sliver of a place as I was walking by after work, but it's not open in the evening so I never considered it as a dining option. But alas, I happened to be walking home from an appointment on 3rd Street in the middle of the afternoon. I didn't get to eat lunch, so I was in a particularly vulnerable state to gorge on something chemically orchestrated. As I glanced up this time, the door was open and the menu taped to the door (photo: http://bit.ly/2MCupVp). Their focus appeared to be on their catering business, so I sheepishly entered the empty cafe and asked them if they were still serving lunch. They said yes, and I decided to have a $17 Large Niçoise Salad, a nicely composed plate of organic mesclun lettuce, haricot verts, capers, Niçoise olives, roasted red peppers, fingerling potatoes, avocado slices, and chunks of vine-ripened tomatoes topped with a hearty cut of seared ahi tuna accented with a fresh tapenade and a hard-boiled egg half. It was drizzled lightly with a red wine vinaigrette (photo: http://bit.ly/2Bud10S). The result was hearty, healthy and merveilleux. I also ordered a $6 cup of the Chicken Coconut Curry Soup, a creamy bisque with a bit of a spark that was well complemented by slices of a French baguette (photo: http://bit.ly/2BueVP7). It was a true Parisian-style dejeuner among the unappreciative tech heads of SoMa. It makes me want to talk like Emmanuel Macron wagging his finger at Trump for the new U.S. tariffs. Quel dommage. FOOD - 5 stars...among the top Niçoise salads I've had though I'm no Francophile AMBIANCE - 4 stars...cute space but really petit so plan accordingly SERVICE - 4 stars...accommodating considering how busy he and his assistant were TOTAL - 5 stars...you can tell I loved it as I showed off my high school French in this review RELATED - If you're looking for other dining options in this part of SoMa, here's a list of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2MGkdey

This place is awesome! great coffee, great people. near the Thursday office so I come here all the time

michael the owner is wonderful- as well as everyone working there- 100 percent service and quality! everything is fresh, fast and easy! secret gem in the city! best to get mocha or expresso and watch the city go by!

This place has AWESOME salads and is run by the nicest French guy you'll ever meet. Mango chicken salad is a go to, but I recently had the nicoise with salmon (lox style) and was blown away. Every ingredient is so fresh and ripe. This place has been closed for so long due to covid but is back up and running with the same great food. Please support this great local business run by great local people!

I'm really glad that my FAVORITE cafe is open again!! They have the best salads and sandwiches with the freshest ingredients. The chicken, avocado & mango salad is my favorite! The owner, Michael is super friendly and the sweetest. He will go above & beyond to make all his customers happy.

Please don't come here. The owner doesn't care about food safety. He gave me food in a reused cardboard box (I was very speechless.) He's also argumentative when I asked him about why. I try not to think this is because I'm Asian.

Mango salad is my go-to! The half portions are huge, A++ fresh ingredients with A++ service. So fresh and clean dressing. It's really busy during lunch, people lining up for take-outs or seat downs. Top-notch lunch spot!

Authentic! Fantastic service and a 'hidden' gem. Once you know, no longer hidden of course. I had managed to miss it, glad I stumbled onto it. Excellent.

The portions size of their petite salad are ridiculously worth the price of their salads. I got the Niçoise salad. The portion of ahi tuna was great and the salad itself was delicious. I ended up having half for lunch and the rest for dinner. It was good and the combination of other offered salads will likely get me to revisit. I also got a cut up mango, which was a bit overripe. Definitely do not recommend just showing up to order during your lunch hour. Order takeout to save yourself a crammed line and a wait.

We were looking for lunch close to SFMOMA and found this little place on Yelp. The great reviews were accurate! Cute restaurant with friendly staff. I had a delicious hummus avocado tartine with fruit. I recommend!

$10 for a 'small' chicken mango avocado salad. 1. It's not small 2. It's so good I think I found my new salad lunch spot!!!! The place is really small with just a handful of tables inside and out so I noticed most people ordering to go but staff are friendly and service is quick.

Normally, the only salads I'll ever eat are from Sweetgreen, but I am SO GLAD I decided to try this place for lunch. It's a small hole-in-the-wall cafe near Yerba Buena, but as soon as I walked in, I was greeted by the owner himself! Very impressive, considering that he was also busy preparing a bunch of to-go orders. I ended up getting the petit nicoise. (Pro tip: the petit size will be plenty!) Overall, there was nothing really to complain about the food. The salad greens were fresh and crisp, the tuna was seared to a perfect rare, and the simple salt and pepper on top made everything taste so delicious. Will definitely keep this place in mind whenever I'm craving something simple yet healthy!

This place is great: sandwiches, salads and soups are delicious. I've come here several times for lunch and I also ordered catering from them for a lunch meeting. The owner - Michael- is very friendly and his staff is very nice too. I honestly have nothing but praise for this little gem on 3rd Street.

Love this place! The petit salads are huge and the staff is super friendly. I've also tried the sandwiches which are amazing. Skip Proper Food and Specialties and make Cafe du Soleil your go-to for soups, salads and sammies!

Wowwwww very cute. Also delicious. Also super nice and accommodating (to two noisy children, sorry). Also very French. Coming back for the Brie and prosciutto sandwich. Also probably other sandwiches.

Definitely surprised at how good the food is here! I was in the area and called in an order for the lunch combo - half the Nicoise salad and half of the prosciutto/avo/brie hot sandwich. The total was $16 for the lunch, but I would say the half salad itself was already a hearty 2 big portions for me!!! Win. Which made my sandwich my third meal later in the day. $16 for a possible 3 meals? Triple win. Everything was absolutely delicious. Nicoise salad: packed with veggies, the tuna tasted fresh (no fishy odor or anything), half an egg, half an avocado, plenty of tomatoes and not too many olives. Perfect. Just writing this out makes me want to eat it again! Prosciutto & Brie sandwich: bread was amazing - crunchy crust and the softest/most dense inner dough. Brie was perfectly melted and definitely enough avocado. I do wish the prosciutto was less salty - I wasn't able to finish all the meat. Would definitely come back for the Nicoise salad many many times. One of the best salads I've ever had!

I would come here for lunch very often if they were to be in Santa Clara square! Super yummy sandwiches and salads. Workers were super friendly. Do not order their latte/capucino if you have high standards of your coffee like me.

They are always so pleasant here, I love grabbing a coffee here in the morning or lunch later in the day. They are appreciative and friendly.

Just an incredible place. Extremely clean, friendly and the food is delicious. We travel in for Giants games often and this will be our new "go to" place to grab a sandwich, salad, or soup to take with us to the game. They make it right in front of you with the freshest ingredients. They pack it in a nice box that fits easily in your back pack or bag. When we ate it the last time, everyone around us asked where we got it in the ball park, we had to share the secret with them that Cafe Du Soleil is the spot about .5 miles from the park. We have very very high standards for food and we are especially critical of to go food. This place beat all our expectations. Turkey swiss sandwich is on point! The bread is thick, the pesto is fresh but not over powering, and we love the greens they add on top. They cut it in half and it is just the perfect amount of food. Ceaser Salad was really good. Had a generous amount of dressing which I like. It is a TON of salad, at least the to go portions. We split it along with splitting a sandwich and could not finish it. Mushroom Bisque - Havent tried but I will next time. He said this is Grandmother recipe and the only soup he offers because it is so perfect. Here is the one of the most impressive experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. We went there for the first time about 2 weeks ago. The owner, Michael, was there with who I assume is his son or younger relative. When I entered for the first time Michael was so welcoming, explained his menu and after I selected he said, "I am personally going to make you your meal" I waited outside and grabbed it 5 minutes later. He was very thankful that we visited and hoped we would return. 2 weeks later we are here for SF vs SD and we were so excited to go to Cafe Du Soleil to take into the ball park. When we entered there was another customer he was helping but still welcomed us to his cafe. We were wearing masks as he was. We had SF hats and SF jerseys so total dime a dozen fans going to a game. Michael then looked back up at my husband and said, "David?". He was confused and said, "How do you know my name, I havent ordered anything yet." Michael then said, "No, I remember you from the last time you where in" We were both speechless and almost couldnt believe it. Did he jsut guess??? No, Michael said I like to remember all my customers name so I can invite them back. We chatted some more, learned his family is from France and also spent time in Canada before coming to the Bay are. The whole experience was just awesome. Thank you Michael and we will be back! Melissa and David

Delicious! Spectacular service by the owner himself, Amazing, fresh salads. Sandwiches and soup were delicious as well. The bread had THE perfect crunch! Definitely a must try when in San Francisco. Small dining area so great for takeout.

The sandwiches are fantastic. I got the turkey avocado on a baguette. It's a small shop with nice character.

Another excellent opportunity to practice my French in The City! The only aspect missing here is well.. France. It's almost as if someone picked up a small Parisian café and dropped it in FiDi. Typical Buddha lounge music playing in the background, with a few French classics thrown in here and there. The short menu offers a selection of fresh soup made daily, fresh baked croissants, and regularly brewed coffee. If you're in the mood for a little sweetness the fresh strawberries, Nutella and Marscapone will do the trick! Très European! Hot sandwiches or cold, salads or soup. The portions are big enough for two. Even my half sandwich and salad was more like a full salad and sandwich. You won't be hungry after this meal. Once I put my order in I had just enough time to write this review. So I'd say a wait under 10 minutes or so. Great place to go for a healthy lunch with fresh ingredients. Plus, the owner takes your order and ..he's French! Voila!

In a world of the $12 to-go salad, Cafe du Soleil is pretty par for course but a decent option for lunch if you're not in a hurry. Often a line of folk at lunch waiting for their food. There are a few seats if you want to dine in but I've often found the sharp smell of acetone from the nail salon next door to be a little overbearing. Pretty standard fare of salads and sandwiches. They have a half and half combo for $13 if you want some variety. I typically get the asparagus and smoked salmon salad. While the half order (~$8) will suffice for lunch, you'll easily find yourself hungry very shortly after. You probably just need to go for the full size. The ahi tuna sandwich is pretty decent too. There are probably faster grab and go places around but if you come at odd hours or have some time for a more leisurely work lunch, Cafe du Soleil will do the trick.

What a lovely little cafe just around the corner from the SFMOMA. With only three tables inside and several outside they do a good takeout business. We ate there and if I lived in SF I would come back weekly. The chicken and orzo salad was moist and flavorful and large. I also had the soup of the day, a tomato soup that tasted divine. The owner is a kind man who takes the time to speak and know his customers.

The food is really good here. Yelp has 85 characters minimum, so adding text. Thanks.

Excellent service and great food, the whole stuff are very friendly. I like the spanish tortila and a latte.