The Barrel Room

From the cheese croquettes to the cocktails to the burger…everything was absolutely delicious. The service was top-notch: professional, discreet, and very attentive. The whole place feels intimate and a bit hidden, which makes the experience even more special. Highly recommend, I’ll definitely be coming back!

Hosted a company event for ~50 attendees here last night and everything was incredible. The food was delicious (try the bacon wrapped dates!), the space was beautiful, and the staff were fantastic - warm, welcoming, and easy to work with. Special shout out to Niki, one of the managers, who was absolutely lovely and added a great presence to the event. Highly recommend the Barrel Room

The lamb, the pork chop, and the cocktails were super legit. Service was pretty hit or miss though. Our server was spread very thin; until she completely disappeared and someone replaced her who was also preoccupied with a large party. Price was a bit steep. As good as the food was; there’s still work to be done here. Cheers!

Came here with a group of 10 and it was a fancy experience! Good: - I enjoyed the appetizers a lot, especially the croquette - very flakey and crunchy with tons of flavor - Truffle fries were very addicting, not too oily - I liked my mushroom risotto fish with pancetta dish a lot, chewy and good texture Bad: - Harder to flag down servers to get our food orders in - Expensive place! Overall good casual but upscale vibes for a group!

Fantastic place with tremendous food and service. The wine flights and the food made this fun and special. Look at the size of this charcuterie board!!

Come for the unique wine tasting experience, stay for the delicious and well prepared food! What a novel concept! A restaurant with a rotating wine list and menu, featuring the wines and accompanying cuisine of a different region of the world four times a year. We heard The Barrel Room was known for its wine list and had won awards for their rarified wine selection and educational experience uncommon beyond the confines of wine country so we had to give it a try. This was their ‘Basque’ menu so the featured wines were from the South of France - interesting. We were given a blind flight of 3 white wines with the concept that we would decide which we liked best, then scan the QR code presented to us to learn the origin of each of the wines - an interactive and fun experience. The servers were super knowledgeable and proceeded to educate us on each of the wines we’d been served. The food was equally amazing. The standout for me was probably the mouthwatering Petite Filet Bordelaise - a perfectly cooked prime filet mignon, Hen of the Woods mushroom, and creamy & super savory mashed potatoes in a yummy French style gravy. Another highlight was the unexpectedly unique Cauliflower Gratin, which was oh so delicious and used multicolored spiral shaped cauliflower drowned in a cheese sauce of Gruyère and manchego, with slivered almonds and herbs - definitely an appetite ruiner. Always curious to try croquettes so we ordered their Comte and Mushroom Croquettes, which came drizzled in a garlic tarragon aioli with herbs for a starter, pairing well with the flight. To keep it authentically French we opted for the mussels, the Moules Frites, which were served in a bright yellow saffron cream sauce with herbs and a huge side of French fries with aioli. And finally, the Garlic Prawn Provençal Angel hair pasta with green olives was a totally solid pasta with a rich and tangy tomato sauce and perfectly cooked buttery prawns. We definitely plan to return to take advantage of the rotating wine list and new menu drop each quarter (or as often as we can.) Overall, an elevated dining experience especially tailored to the wino or just those looking to culture themselves in the ways of wine, without having to skimp on dinner!

This was my first visit to the Barrel Room. We ordered some wine, of which they have a wide selection. We also ordered quick bites. I wasn’t happy with the burrata toast: the bread was very hard, seeming like it was a week old, and the veggies tasted like they were just boiled, lacking flavor. The service was good, though the only staff working was the bartender; I didn’t see any other personnel. The table we sat at seemed a bit greasy. I would come back only because of the good variety in their wine selection.

Enjoyed a fun evening at The Barrel Room, it was lively and bustling but not too loud. Sampled starters & mains and all were excellent. The pork chop and bavette steak were exceptional. I would happily return and recommend it.

I had a hard time finding a private dining room for a small number of people for a dinner event, but this restaurant had the perfect spot. The service was super friendly and helpful, the food was good, and the room itself had great ambiance and fit the bill for 8-12 people.

Came here with a group of 10 and it was a fancy experience! Good: - I enjoyed the appetizers a lot, especially the croquette - very flakey and crunchy with tons of flavor - Truffle fries were very addicting, not too oily - I liked my mushroom risotto fish with pancetta dish a lot, chewy and good texture Bad: - Harder to flag down servers to get our food orders in - Expensive place! Overall good casual but upscale vibes for a group!

Food was delicious, the mushroom pasta needed an extra pinch of salt but overall was creamy and full of delicious mushrooms! The short rib with green peas mash was exquisite, the meat melted away, the dates were a well balanced combo of sweet, tartness and sweetness! The fries were crisp and the open sesame drink highly recommend! Our server Valentina was sweet, answered all our questions and was attentive! The ambiance and decor of the place is tastefully done!

TLDR: Get the Brussels Sprouts and Croquettes for your apps, get the Pork Chop for your entrée, and finish the night with their flourless chocolate cake or their lemon bars. Really pleasantly surprised by this place. Came for a private event in their wine cellar for their $85/person three course meal, and it was actually phenomenal. Everything I tried (and I tried almost everything on the menu) was really good -- and it surprised me given the Yelp rating on this place. Very importantly, the wine that I had for the night got added to my list of favorites. It was the Boundary Breaks Medium Dry Riesling and it's SO pleasant and so drinkable. Service was not great which is why 4 and not 5 stars, but honestly, I'm totally coming back here again. ------ FOOD: 1. [MUST TRY] Pork Chop (5/5) - This was a huge serving that could easily be shared by two people and it was delicious. Not too dry, and the various garnishes paired perfectly. 2. [MUST TRY] Fried Brussels Sprouts (5/5) - The sprinkled bacon bits are optional but they are so good with this dish if you opt in. The parmesan, pesto, and lemon all coat the Brussels so well. I order Brussels Sprouts everywhere I go and this is a top 3 place for them in my book. 3. [MUST TRY] Spring Onion Croquettes (5/5) - Come out piping hot. Have an amazing crunch and the filing is so savory. 4. Flourless Chocolate Cake (5/5) - I loved this. It's dense as you would expect, and the dulche de leche drizzle on top (though I actually thought it was a peanut butter glaze) was such a nice touch. This also comes with vanilla ice cream. It's the perfect dessert in my eyes. 5. Lemon Bars (5/5) - I love lemon so this was the perfect amount of tart and sweet (and thankfully not too sweet like a lot of lemon desserts end up being). Plus comes with this tangy lemon sorbet that I actually loved even though I'm not a big sorbet person. 6. Local Cheese and Charcuterie Board (4.5/5) - Really solid charcuterie board. Lots of different fruits, cheeses, meats, nuts, and all paired with these addictingly buttery, crispy baguette chips. 7. Stuffed medjool dates (4.5/5) - I rarely see dates on menus so this was such a treat! Sweet and savory, this was a fantastic app if you like dates! 8. Crispy pork belly (4/5) - Really good -- this could even be an entree and not an app. I would have loved a bit more flavor from the pork belly but everything else was delicious, especially the sauce and the crisps that came with the dish. 9. Wagyu short rib (4/5) - Super super tender but I think lacked some salt or other seasoning to make this a 5/5. Came with lots of veggies and the pea + potato puree was *chefs kiss* so I just smothered the meat in the puree. 10. Risotto (3.5/5) - Not what I imagined the risotto would be like. I thought it would be more creamy and like pasta -- this was essentially a huge plate of barley (which, thinking back, I guess shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did). 11. Cheesecake (2.5/5) - Wasn't a huge fan of this because it was like a lighter/fluffier cheesecake that was more...cheese-forward? Just not what I expected and I didn't end up liking it. ------ ENVIRONMENT * Cool downstairs speakeasy, which can also be rented out * The wine cellar room is in an old bank vault and you're surrounded by racks of wine. It's a cool vibe and very private space! * The upstairs dining area is also flanked by racks and racks of wines, but I think I prefer the vibe of the two downstairs areas

The farm-to-table food was absolutely delicious, and the cool drinks were yummy and refreshing. We enjoyed the chicken, mixed greens salad, and creative cocktails, and dessert, which was not too sweet and came from a local bakery. Great experience overall!

1/8/2024 There's a reason why Happy Hour is at the end of a work day, and that is because overworked individuals such as myself want a drink and talk about life during a window of time just before dinner. Location: in the financial district and close to the Embarcadero center. Walking distance to the nearest mass transit stop is roughly 5-10 minutes. First Impression: the bar itself is quite unassuming, possibly because of a bank branch being directly next door. Large front facing windows give a glimpse of the inside. Upon entering, the interior is immediately dark with wood through the spaces. Not dark in a bad way, but more so in a comforting and rustic way. Somewhat like a speakeasy. It did fill up rather quick, but perhaps that's because I happen to visit during a busy convention week in town. Service: the server greeted my friend and I upon entering, but let us know that seating is slim due to confirmed reservations. We opted for seats by the bar against the front facing window. We came for happy hour and here's what we ordered: Lavender Gimlet - my friend felt it was too lavender forward. Disco Volante Naked & Shameless * I had these above drinks. Let's say they were strong, just the way I like it. The server actually provided an additional drink citing that one wasn't made properly. No complaints at all. Now for the food: Fried Brussels Sprouts: this was the collective favorite. Simple yet delicious. Roasted Medjool Dates: I'm not a fan of goat cheese on its own, but that in this application; it sure paired perfectly! Garlic French Fries: pillowy soft interior and crisp exterior. Reminded of the fries I've had in Belgium, which have some of the best fries on this planet. Blistered Shishito Peppers: these were good, but after several drinks, this dish became Russian Roulette. Only 2 of the peppers on the entire plate contained seeds that provided bearable heat to say the least. This a great place for happy hour, and I wouldn't mind returning for full entree dinners.

A wonderful experience overall. Staff was attentive and nice. Made useful recommendations for my group. Food is good and drinks are nice. Would definitely recommend their specialty cocktails over just a glass of wine. I enjoyed the lavender gimlet. They also have non alcoholic fancy drinks. Not sure I would come again, but it's a good place for the after work crowd.

A cozy place with great food, prompt service, and a really good selection of house cocktails. Salad was really fresh and the steak was tasty and done to the right temperature. Dessert was delicious too!

This was my first visit to the Barrel Room. We ordered some wine, of which they have a wide selection. We also ordered quick bites. I wasn't happy with the burrata toast: the bread was very hard, seeming like it was a week old, and the veggies tasted like they were just boiled, lacking flavor. The service was good, though the only staff working was the bartender; I didn't see any other personnel. The table we sat at seemed a bit greasy. I would come back only because of the good variety in their wine selection.

Visiting from LA and decided to try this place. It was amazing !!! My fav was the dates appetizer, I don't think I've ever had anything like that before. The staff and atmosphere were great as well. 10/10 would recommend to all my friends visiting sf. The main dishes were great! I tried about 3 different meals and they were *chefs kiss*

This place was really nice. The drinks here were mediocre and I don't remember what I got, however, the atmosphere is super special! There's an underground which literally doesn't have cell service, which makes it more authentic. And there's a vault you can sit in which makes it feel super exclusive and chic. Overall, 10/10 atmosphere and super unique.

The Barrel Room, you had me at Happy Hour and a plentiful one at that! Located along Sansome Street in the heart of San Francisco's Financial District, The Barrel Room promotes itself as a cozy wine bar that offers globally sourced wine, cocktails and snacks served in warm yet rustic-chic quarters. The Barrel Room began its life as a small wine bar in the San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, later expanding into a second location the Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland, and then finally opening in its current location in San Francisco's Financial District eight years as a restaurant, full bar, event space, and retail bottle shop taking over the space at Georges bistro operated for so many years. I have wanted to check out The Barrel Room ever since they moved to this location as they took over most of the first floor space, as they truly had become the wine bar and cellar, cocktail bar and restaurant, and private event rental space, which no doubt fulfilled their founders original goal of being the gathering place for workers and wine lovers in the Financial District to converge. With two fire towers and a sandwich board promoting their Happy Hour specials, The Barrel Room certainly feels like an inviting place to all those who pass by. I finally got the chance to be one of those passersby who actually got to take advantage of their Happy Hours when a couple of friends and I were looking for a quick libation and small bite to eat before heading home for the evening. From their host stand, they guided us to their main dining room and bar on the direct right hand side of their overall facility, where the three of us used their one of their hightop tables to stand and sit and contemplate what beverages on their Happy Hour to drink, and maybe a small sharable plate to enjoy. The Happy Hour menu at The Barrel Room is pretty compact, as it has eight drinks to select from, and six dishes to select from. To drink, I ordered their Nuit Noire which featured Nux Alpina, Aloo Gin and Dolin Rouge. Others ordered their Aviation cocktail, which featured Aloo Gin, Luxardo Maraschino, Creme de Violette and Lemon; and their Lavender Gimlet, which featured Peaflower infused Tito's Vodka and Lime. To dine on we decided to share their Fried Brussels Sprouts, which were topped with Roasted Garlic Aioli, Parmesan and Bacon. My Nuit Noire was a beautifully composed cocktail that reminded me of an Old-Fashioned or a Manhattan on the Rocks, as I felt so sophisticated drinking it, as it went down so smoothly and elegantly. One cocktail was all I needed to keep me in check, and every drink paired nicely with their delectable plate of Brussels Sprouts. Our total bill for three cocktails and one split dish was $34.76, which was really reasonable considering their Happy Hour pricing for food and beverages. I can't wait to come back to The Barrel Room and sample some of their larger dinner menu and when combined with their specifically procured wine menu seems to make everything feel a little more special. With their selection of menu items and curated wine list focused on Chile and Argentina, everything at The Barrel Room seems so thoughtful and on purpose. Plus their wine cellar and private area might be worth the visit alone! Now down to their sole location, The Barrel Room is making things work, even in these challenging times for local businesses. Turns out some parts of the city aren't so dead after all, as business is bustling whenever I walk by, which is often, and as Happy Hour wound down people were still coming in, so they clearly know what they are doing, by provided an affordable menu with attentive service, and in San Francisco, you can hang your hat on that aspect alone!

While this review is a positive one, and I would recommend the place, I had a mixed experience. The ambiance and environment are good, but bordering on a little pretentious. That being said, staff were all great, so service wasn't an issue at all. I wasn't aware they did happy hour, but happened to stop by during it, which worked out. My highlight of the whole trip was actually good. I tried the medjool dates stuffed with chevre and marcona almonds, all things I enjoy that were exceptional together. Solid A+ for the small bites. While it's possible my drink was small because it was happy hour, I am doubtful that everyone else has ordered off the happy hour menu, and everyone seemed to have very small glasses. If regular drinks come in a larger quantity, you haven't really saved anything. So, maybe a B/B- for drinks, which were good, just very small.

If you're looking for a special or routine lunch place The Barrel Room is the spot! The atmosphere and decor fits old skool San Francisco but with a contemporary touch. Food portions are amazing and flavors check the box! Tye our sever was awesome, attentive and friendly.

I love barrel room! I've both walked in and called to make a res when the online service was down. Hostesses are kind and professional, bartenders are knowledgeable about the wines and I just love the atmosphere. Great for HH, girls night, or a glass with coworkers.

Came in for a work dinner the other week and found it to be decent overall. We started with some brussels sprouts and dates for the table. Both were very good. The brussels especially had some great sauce and a good bacony flavor with the toppings. The dates were good, not unique, but can never go wrong with some stuffed bacon-wrapped dates. I then got some fish, believe it was tuna at the time. It was good but nothing special and probably overpriced. Drinks were pretty good too and had a couple unique twists on classics that looked interesting. It was all good, nothing blew me away, but I'd be fine going back.

The room is attractive, but has poor acoustics and gets very loud. We were practically yelling across the table to hear each other. The food was a mixed bag. The short rib pasta and the pork chop were good, but the chicken was dry and the steak rather chewy. Nice selection of wines available by the glass. Service was good.

Went here for a business dinner. The food was excellent. I had a beef short ribs dish, which was served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The wine selection was small and exclusively all Italian wines. Not knowing what to order I chose a 2016 red, can't remember the name but it was excellent.

Come for the unique wine tasting experience, stay for the delicious and well prepared food! What a novel concept! A restaurant with a rotating wine list and menu, featuring the wines and accompanying cuisine of a different region of the world four times a year. We heard The Barrel Room was known for its wine list and had won awards for their rarified wine selection and educational experience uncommon outside of wine country so we had to give it a try. This was their 'Basque' menu so the featured wines were from the South of France - interesting. We were given a blind flight of 3 white wines with the concept that we would decide which we liked best, then scan the QR code presented to us to learn the origin of each of the wines - an interactive and fun experience. The servers were super knowledgeable and proceeded to educate us on each of the wines we'd been served. The food was equally amazing. The standout for me was probably the mouthwatering Petite Filet Bordelaise - a perfectly cooked prime filet mignon, Hen of the Woods mushroom, and creamy & super savory mashed potatoes in a yummy French style gravy. Another highlight was the unexpectedly unique Cauliflower Gratin, which was oh so delicious and used multicolored spiral shaped cauliflower drowned in a cheese sauce of Gruyère and manchego, with slivered almonds and herbs - definitely an appetite ruiner. Always curious to try croquettes so we ordered their Comte and Mushroom Croquettes, which came drizzled in a garlic tarragon aioli with herbs for a starter, pairing well with the flight. To keep it authentically French we opted for the mussels, the Moules Frites, which were served in a bright yellow saffron cream sauce with herbs and a huge side of French fries & aioli. Both dishes were perfectly prepared and super tasty. And finally, the Garlic Prawn Provençal Angel hair pasta with green olives was a totally solid pasta with a rich and tangy tomato sauce and perfectly cooked buttery prawns. We definitely plan to return to take advantage of the rotating wine list and new menu drop each quarter (or as often as we can.) Overall, an elevated dining experience especially tailored to the wino or just those looking to culture themselves in the ways of wine, without having to skimp on dinner!

Just stopped in to have some more wine after dinner and wanted to check out their list/prices. They have some really good wines on the list, and definitely fairly priced for SF. We opted for a bottle of Burgundy and just sipped the night away - it was great. The place is loud, so it can be challenging to carry on a conversation. They also serve food, we already had dinner so can't really comment on their food. There aren't too many places in the area that have a good, reasonably priced wine list, but the Barrel Room was solid and if we find ourselves in this part of SF again, I'd definitely stop in again. It's not the best wine list based on our drinking preference, but a solid option. If you don't mind the short 10 minute Uber ride, Arlequin has a more refined selection (again, IMHO), though you will pay a small corkage to drink on premise ($10?).

I love this place! Excellent food, lots of interesting wines, attentive staff. I love the flights - I get one every time I'm here. A gem in the SF FiDi!

Had an incredible experience here with my two friends! The dining room is intimate and you can see them cooking your food, which I always consider a good sign. I didn't know what I wanted to drink so they personalized the perfect cocktail for me based on my preferences. My friend and I both ordered the pork chop and it was DELICIOUS! My other friend ordered the lamb chops and she loved it too! They let us hang out as they were closing up and even showed us their speakeasy and tasting room downstairs. The customer service was impeccable, the food was delicious, the drinks were just right, and the ambiance was delightful.

Fidi's not exactly known for having a ton of wine bars, but some friends and I stumbled upon this place when we were in the area. It's also a joint restaurant that serves food and it was relatively filled given that it was a weekday night. We were able to get seated immediately but it was nice being in a semi filled place. They have a ton of blind flight tastings available for a pretty reasonable price (~$20). I chose the chenin blanc (a series of fruity white wines). Each wine tasting comes with 3 wines and mine were from washington, new york, and california. It's blind in the sense that you don't know which is which - they give you a QR code to scan for more details after. My friends also got the wine tastings and all of us thought that 1 of the wines was really good in the trio, 1 was mid, and 1 was terrible. Not sure if that's why it was included in a blind wine tasting.. Pretty nice vibes and relatively cheap for a napa dupe experience but definitely wish that the wine was more consistently good! But I guess you get what you pay for.

It's so disappointing. We booked for speakeasy and indicated in our reservation. When we arrived, the host leaded us to the basement. Then 2 guests were there talking with us and they realized that we were by ourselves. They mentioned this area is for their private party. I felt I was kicked out. We moved to upstairs and waited for half hour for someone to ask for our drinks. We ordered lemon drops, we found out here charged additional 2$ per drink for sugar rim. This's the first place I got charges for sugar rim.

Im giving them 2 because the staff was amazing. They also let me order a $160 Manhattan without letting me know how much it cost. The rye bottle was on the middle shelf, which I thought would be a modestly priced rye. It was their 2nd most expensive rye. PUT THAT SHIT ON THE TOP SHELF!!! Again, the staff was great. But let people know they're ordering a $160 drink

What an amazing place to swing in for an appetizer or dinner. The food and wine selection was absolutely wonderful along with the great service. I look forward to going back during future visits to SF. Thank you!

A classy ambiance with attentive and knowledgeable service. We had dinner during their tour of France and coincidentally were with a French friend whom flew in that day. He said the black pork belly was delicious with tasteful accompaniment. We enjoyed the craftsmanship in the cocktails and had fun exploring wine options. The baked Camembert was a surprise as a common French appetizer our friend's eyes widened seeing how expensive that particular dish was. The flavors of the lamb rack were interesting but the lamb itself was meh. I would recommend as a fun experience but I wasn't blown away.

When in town you simply have to stop by and treat yourself! You won't regret it and will be back... for sure!

Held a team dinner here. They were super accommodating. The food was great. Everyone was pleased. We even got to tour the building. So fun.

This is what is left of my Steamed Saffron Mussels. An excellent dish. The broth is simply fantastic and the mussels are perfect. The chorizo adds a nice punch. Highly recommend this dish!

The food was delicious and filling. Their wine flight was awesome you get to try 3 different flavors. The appetizers were delicious and paired nice with the flights. The desert was really good.

Been coming to versions of this place for two decades. Usually tasty and relaxed but pricey and service is often slow. Tonight went for happy hour with a friend. Sat down and had drinks. Then ordered some snacks. Bartender and manager were watching phone videos and chatting. Suddenly informed we had to leave because of a private party. No sign no warning. We had a bunch of food left and asked if we could eat it. They said "you don't have to leave" but clearly wanted us to. Asked if we could have a second drink to finish our happy hour snacks. They said sure and said they were comped. We tried to rush and move on only to have another manager tell us we had to leave after 11 min or so. No place this bad deserves your money.

Happily updating my review to 4 stars after our work holiday party at the Barrel Room today. The service and food has improved a lot and everyone I talked to felt the same. We had reservations and were seated in the main dining room, which was warm, lively, and crowded for lunchtime, but I could hear the person next to me, so that was wonderful! Also, our server was personable, friendly, and attentive throughout the meal for our large group. The theme of the menu was South Italy, but they offered their classic items as well. We ordered all of the appetizers and some small plates, which arrived pretty quickly. The stand out dishes for me were their Cremini Arancini, Brussels Sprouts, and Garlic Fries. All were fried nicely and really tasty. I also liked their Sea Salt Focaccia, but we got a pretty small portion for the price ($6). We also had the Ustican Winter Lentil Soup, which was subtle with notes of lemon, but definitely on the lighter side. For my entree, I had the Pesto Trapani, but requested the truffle pate on the side and added grilled chicken. I appreciated that they accommodated my requests. The pasta was fresh and cooked al dente. The sauce was good, but not your traditional pesto. For dessert, we asked for a non-dairy option, which was lemon sorbet. It was simple, refreshing, and light. Everyone left full and in good spirits, which is what you hope for after a meal. Thank you, Barrel Room, for changing my mind!

Sometimes there are dining out experiences that create a little bit of fire in your belly and magic in your mouth. This was one of those times. The menu at The Barrel Room changes quarterly. I went in October 2019, so if you're reading this far into the future... you have my deepest condolences for missing this incredible food. But then again, I am jealous of you and the current, tasty morsels that await you. The focus for this night was Portugal. We sampled Portuguese wine, cheese, desserts and recipes. We wanted for nothing. We tried a lot of plates and shared amongst us. I highly recommend this. Don't limit yourself to one dish. Share and share alike. The highlight was the duck. Good gravy, that was a perfectly cooked duck with the most flavorful rice underneath. It's a smaller restaurant and you'll be fairly close to your dining neighbors. But just embrace the closeness and breathe in the fumes from other tables. Don't forget the wine. This food pairs beautifully with wine.

The dinner I had at The Barrel Room was one of the best dining experiences I have had in awhile. Their menu changes focus every season and at the point of our visit the focus was on the wines of Portugal with a food menu designed to compliment. We started the meal with wine flights because, duh. We were a group of four so we decided to each get a different flight so we can try all of them. I ordered one of their red flights and, of course, it was delicious. I wish I could go into more depth about the undertones and flavor notes but I am a simple wine connoisseur. I will drink anything and everything made from fermented grapes. It all taste good to me no matter the region it's from or it's price tag. We continued the sharing mentality into the food portion. We ordered almost everything off the menu. Portuguese Cheese Board, Fried Brussel Sprouts, Portugese Tempora, Chamucas, Algarve Spiced Chickpeas, and Apricot Arroz de Pato. I can only personally speak to the vegetarian dishes we selected (which were so delicious) but reading the faces of my friends as they consumed the Arroz de Pato the meal was a huge success. We also ordered dessert but by this point my brain was so fueled with happy endorphins I forgot to write down the exact dishes we ordered. It was their chocolate dish and a plate of tiny egg tarts. The chocolate was too rich for my palate but the egg tarts just melted in my mouth resulting in me melting into my seat. If you are visiting San Francisco, The Barrel Room is a definite spot to visit. Especially since the menu is ever changing and evolving, chances are you won't have the same experience twice.

Not much that really wowed me at this place but I came here on Wednesday afternoon for lunch with my coworker and ordered a Pesto Trapani ($20), Calabrese Sausage ($20) for the entres, Eggplant Caponata ($9) and Buratta ($16) for the appetizer, and the Lemon Almond Biscotti Cheesecake ($9) for dessert. My favorite of the dishes was the Buratta and the cheesecake dessert. The Burratta ($16) consists of smoked butternut squash puree, roasted rosemary beets, pine nuts, and parsley leaves. Everything about this small plate was very refreshing and I might also be a tad bit biased because I do love beets! I thought this dish was very unique and worth getting. The Lemon Almond Biscotti Cheesecake ($9) was my second favorite because although I was quite full from this meal, the cheesecake was delightful after our meal. Overall, there's a good variety of foods but I wouldn't purposely come back here unless a friend wanted to go.

The food was super salty, the drinks were overly sweet and the wine selection was not great. Very disappointing. Service was decent though.

I loved the vibe, the wine selection and craft cocktails. Service was great. I look forward to coming back soon.

Lovely event in the underground speakeasy, with a great intimate atmosphere, attentive service, and delicious food. What we ate: Cheese board Blistered Shishito Peppers Bruschetta Market Salad Fried Polenta Arancini Steak with chimichurri sauce -- my favorite item of the night, it was perfectly cooked, nice and red in the middle. Chicken skewers, seemed to have a similar green chimichurri sauce which was delicious. Lemon Almond Biscotti Cheesecake -- I normally really like cheesecake, and I thought this one was fine, but I would have preferred a more substantial crust and a less heavy filling. Tiramisu Cake -- I absolutely loved this cake and I ate two portions

The Barrel Room has a clever system: they rotate through three regions of cuisines and beverages from around the world throughout the year. A friend swung by and realized it was Portuguese season so I had to check it out especially since they were serving Francesinhas - the most perfect sandwich ever created. How did it stack up for this Portuguese person? The Francesinha was really good - a true gut bomb. They say the fried egg is optional but it's really not, so get it with the egg. I swung by at least five times to destroy my stomach! You should also get a side of fries with your Francesina because that's also how they're traditionally served. Their Caldo Verde was good but very far from authentic; I wouldn't call it Caldo Verde if you gave it to me and asked me what it was. The Pasteis de Nata were good but given they were mini-sized there was a lot of crust for not a lot of custard. I'm not a wine aficionado but they had all the wines my dad drinks so it's a good selection. Overall, I love the Francesinha and the other Portuguese stuff was good but strayed a bit on the authenticity. In short, I'm sad the Portuguese season is over so please bring it back next year!

The staff is great. Ducks are wonderful, Palomas are yummy. The Brussel sprouts are yummy.

Stopped by here for some chow before a show at the Gateway Theater. Winter spiced pork sugo: 5/5. Outstanding. Very rich pork sauce with some pureed calabrian peppers added to give it a little spice. Great combination. I savored every bite. I have to try to make this at home (which is about the highest complement that I can give a restaurant!). Ustrican Wintern Lentil Soup: 4/5. My wife loved her soup. And the people at the next table kept looking at this dish and HAD to ask what it was. Castelfranco Cheese Salad: 3/5. A pretty good salad.

Truly enjoyed my meal at the Barrel Room. This is a wine bar, and they do this cool thing where they go around the world featuring wine from different regions every few months(?). When I went (which was mid May), we were in the Alps. Now as excited as I was to try Alps wine, I wasn't exactly impressed was my flight. However... The food - from appetizer to entree to dessert - was delicious! These are the dishes we ordered, as suggested by our waiter Michael, and I recommend everything :) - CRISPY BRUSSEL SPROUTS | 12 - EMMENTHALER CROQUETTES | 12 - WIENER SCHNITZEL | 24 - PIEMONTESE TAGLIATELLE | 22 - APPLE STRUDEL | 9 - DARK CHOCOLATE TERRINE | 12 The dark chocolate terrine is a MUST get. Pasta was absolutely delicious, and weiner schinitzel caught our attention the minute we got the menu - and it was a solid choice.

Cocktails: Portuguese Man o' War was a WIN. Tequila with grapefruit & a bit of salt & spice. I might had 2. For the table: Recommend the Portuguese Cheese Board, Fried Brussels Sprouts (could have had 2 orders of this one!), & the Madeira Maitake Mushrooms. 1st Course: Tombo Piri-Piri Crudo - loves this tuna crudo with chickpeas, cilantro, onions & red pepper 2nd Course: Pan Seared Halibut Alentejano. The halibut was cooked perfectly but the cilantro sauce made this dish! Desert: Favorite was Pastéis de Nata - 4 little blackberry tartlets with cinnamon sugar. Ordered the Leite Creme - creme brulee but it was runny & had not set. They replaced that with a complimentary Salame de Chocolate - unique cake with crunchy chocolate/almond layer. Try it! Our server was fun & personable and gave great recommendations. We went on a Thursday night, the place was packed & it seemed as if he was taking care of all the tables. Service was a bit slow & they forget to bring out our 2nd course. Despite a few mishaps, we had a great evening & I'll definitely be back!

Outstanding lunch. Roasted Brussel sprouts. Croquets on a bed of pickled cabbage. Top it off with a wonderful apple tart.

Came here for SF Restaurant Week and was not impressed. Very understaffed and the food was disappointing for the price. We had Brussels sprouts that were soggy and chocolate cake that had bacon on it (there was no mention of it on the menu also a very strange combination) Definitely good for drinks/cocktails but would not recommend for anything more than that.

My experience was the Best-of-the-Best!! They do a quarterly menu focus - and are currently in France. I think it goes through February. GO GO GO before it ends, bring money. I showed up early and had a beer at the bar and overheard the bar-keep talking about testing for the Advanced Sommelier exam - baba bam, that's what I have so, of course, I want to talk to this young fella. His name is Mark, seemed shy at first, probably just getting to know who the hell this guy is asking him sooooooo many damned questions. I had just swum at Rossi for 80 minutes earlier and had little contact with people and my buddy wasn't there yet - I was up for some good conversating. It's in the old London Bar space - definitely dug out, ripped apart, and made new again. I like the space - comfortable and open. It wasn't packed in there lucky for me, I like to talk to the people working. Started with an interesting IPA - Alpine? I think. Good, tasty. Then we both get our own white wine flight, even if you don't drink white wine their flight list is OUTSTANDING!! I mean I am thrilled beyond thrilled, I could not ask for a better wine situation. He has 3 interesting whites - Alsace and 2 others. Mine is 3 Classic Burgundies (Great Chardonnays) - a Chablis (nice minerality - newer style, very good), a Meursault (wow, beautiful, lean, elegant), and then a Chassagne Montrachet {Sha-Sawn-Yae Mon-Ra-Shay} one of the great Chards of our Earth and it was also very good (a little butter and brioche flavors). Ok - then I ordered the Duck Liver Mousse to split - excellent. Then we started with splitting the SEA SCALLOP PASTA -garlic cognac cream, fresh pasta, tsar Nicolai caviar | 28 - not cheap no but a really delicious pasta course. Then we split the 20 OZ PRIME RIBEYE garlic confit, herb butter | 52. It felt to me like we're either in the 30 dollar range or if you want to eat meat then it's closer to $50 which is 'really' a diverse price point. There's a filet mignon on the menu for 48. Well - it's top notch, melt in your mouth ribeye - WOW. Fantastic. And for me - half a steak is plenty. So reds with the entree is the only way. We tried the Gevrey-Chambertin (Grand Cru Pinot Noir from France) and it was delicious. So I order a glass of that for each of us and we split a flight of the Northern Rhone Reds. If you live in the city or can go here before they move on to another country - go and drink this flight - THE BEST!! So it's 3 wines mostly made of Syrah - but this is cold climate syrah - everyone and every wine has more character in the cold. Think about your cousin Al that lives in Buffalo - Tons of Character!! The flight consists of a Cornas, a Cote Rotie and an Hermitage. Such a rare find to get any of these by the glass and they are All beautifully made. Mark took care of our table and did a superb job, a very cool and fascinating guy - I felt like we hit the jackpot to talk to him about wine and have these wines available to us by the glass - I don't have to pay more than a 100 bucks for one bottle!! GO - even their wines from Eastern Europe I would've been excited to try during a different regional experience.

Very elegant dining-great place to go on a regular night. Unfortunately, I went there on New Years and was not informed of the fixed menu when I made reservations. If I ate meat, it would've been a great meal. Unfortunately, the mushroom soup, potatoes and slice of bread they offered instead of filet mignon was the most mediocre dish they could have served. And to still charge $100 for the fixed menu is ridiculous given the quality of the entree. It also has a great intimate lounge downstairs with a bar and several private places to sit. Again, on a regular weekend this would be fun and relaxing. On New Years, the lone bartender was overworked and understaffed. Sweet guy-you could see he was struggling to keep up with everyone and the rush was unexpected. (I felt even more terrible for him as we walked up to the wine bar and saw the two bartenders there sitting around talking.) We received 2 bottles of champagne and some truffles as a party favor. Very nice place, could have been a phenomenal experience had they planned their meal and staffing better.

It was quite by accident that I ended up with colleagues of mine having lunch here in celebration of one of their birthdays because I had made an online reservation at Ducroix. We were chagrined to find the place closed without warning, and it has permanently closed since. So I just kept tapping on the Yelp app until I landed on this spot which I recognized as the former London Wine Bar where colleagues of mine several jobs earlier would congregate after work for happy hour flights before the commute home. I remember it as a happening place full of suits, reveille, good wine, and cheese plates. It was pretty darn empty at the lunch hour which made me nervous that we could have landed on a bust. The Barrel Room, however, turned out to offer a decent lunch menu. We decided to share a couple of shareable appetizers. The $7 Crispy Brussel Sprouts offered an almond pesto, a squeeze of Meyer lemon, and Parmesan cheese to pump up the flavor, and it worked on those charred leaves (photo: http://bit.ly/2cjrUpF). The $9 Medjool Dates benefited from the goat cheese stuffing as well as the smoked almonds and pieces of bacon (photo: http://bit.ly/2cJjc34). It was quite a sweet treat although there weren't enough of them to share liberally for a party of five. For my entree, I decided on the $18 trio of Mahi Mahi Tacos with achiote marinade, pineapple jicama salsa, guacamole, crema, and lime (photo: http://bit.ly/2dcGXBJ). They were tasty enough though awfully small for the price given my point of reference lies with the family-run taquerias in the Mission. So my bottom line on The Barrel Room is that it works in a pinch for a group lunch, but its general tastefulness didn't provide enough of a rationale for me to want to run back right away. FOOD - 3 stars...fancier bar bites a bit pricier than the portions justify AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...still a nice looking wine bar SERVICE - 3.5 stars...reasonably attentive TOTAL - 3 stars...still miss the more convivial vibe that the London Wine Bar had