Scala’s Bistro at the Kimpton Sir Francis Drake

San Francisco is a land of plenty—and especially plenty of dining choices. While staying at the Kimpton Sir Francis Drake during my last visit, I ventured down to their lobby restaurant, Scala’s Bistro. I’ve found that Kimpton Hotels have excellent restaurants, and this was no exception.

The rustic Italian eatery masquerading as a French cafe-style bar gives diners the chance to take a trip away from the streets of San Francisco and off to the Mediterranean, if just for an hour. (Our meal lasted a good deal longer thanks to the many rounds of cocktails and ~~one~~ three rounds of pasta. We couldn’t have been more excited for each and every course to hit the table.

The food was all as fresh as it could be from the seafood pasta to the burrata. They offer traditional and inventive pasta options along with wood-fired pizzas and a ribeye that looked so good I nearly nicked it from the next table when it was delivered.

While I usually have an extra sidecar as dessert, we were convinced to order from their post menu. And we were damn glad we did. Their desserts are all handmade in-house by Chef Kimberly and her team. They offer a truffle assortment that’s not only decadent and delicious, but they’re also hand painted and are interesting flavors to represent the different neighborhoods of SF. Think the Castro (white chocolate Negroni), the Mission (pasilla and arbol chiles) or the Haight-Ashbury (““Honest‎ officer, its smoked oregano!”). The chocolates were really a unique end to the meal.

I was also floored by the staff; every person was as helpful as they could have been. Service was prompt and everything hit the table quickly. And, seeing as the restaurant was at capacity, we were doubly impressed by the expedience of the dishes.

Big thanks to my buddies, @thesamgraves, @craftandcocktails, and Ashley’s lovely husband out in San Francisco for joining me for this meal! What a delight!