
Gary Danko
A legendary San Francisco fine dining institution offering French-California cuisine with impeccable service and an elegant, yet approachable atmosphe...

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Must-see attractions
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Gary Danko

Highlights
Must-see attractions
A legendary San Francisco fine dining institution offering French-California cuisine with impeccable service and an elegant, yet approachable atmosphere.
"Dining at Gary Danko was an unforgettable experience; every dish was a standout."
Book Well in Advance
Reservations are highly recommended due to the restaurant's popularity. Plan ahead to secure your dining experience.
Consider Wine Pairings
Enhance your meal with expertly chosen wine pairings, recommended by knowledgeable servers for a personalized touch.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
French-California
Price
$$$
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Impeccable Service
Experience a level of hospitality that is consistently praised for its warmth, knowledge, and attentiveness, making every guest feel welcomed.

Signature Glazed Oysters
Indulge in the renowned glazed oysters, a standout dish featuring exquisite flavors and presentation that has captivated diners for years.

Decadent Desserts
Savor delightful sweet endings, from perfectly executed crème brûlée to rich chocolate soufflés, offering a truly satisfying conclusion.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Book Well in Advance
Reservations are highly recommended due to the restaurant's popularity. Plan ahead to secure your dining experience.
Consider Wine Pairings
Enhance your meal with expertly chosen wine pairings, recommended by knowledgeable servers for a personalized touch.
Dress Elegantly
Adhere to the 'elegant attire' request to match the restaurant's sophisticated and traditional ambiance.
Customizable Tasting Menu
The tasting menu is highly customizable, allowing for dietary needs and preferences to be accommodated.
Tips
from all over the internet
Book Well in Advance
Reservations are highly recommended due to the restaurant's popularity. Plan ahead to secure your dining experience.
Consider Wine Pairings
Enhance your meal with expertly chosen wine pairings, recommended by knowledgeable servers for a personalized touch.
Dress Elegantly
Adhere to the 'elegant attire' request to match the restaurant's sophisticated and traditional ambiance.
Customizable Tasting Menu
The tasting menu is highly customizable, allowing for dietary needs and preferences to be accommodated.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Gary Danko is celebrated for its flawless service, exquisite cuisine, and elegant ambiance, making it a top choice for special occasions. Diners rave about the generous portions, standout dishes like glazed oysters, and impeccable service from knowledgeable staff. While most reviews are overwhelmingly positive, some guests note the close proximity of tables as a minor detractor from the intimate dining experience.
"AMAZING!! I’m a litttle late on leaving my review as I dined here mid January(while in town for the JP Morgan conference), but clearly this place is still on my mind! This restaurant by far exceeded my expectations. From the moment I walked in I felt welcomed. Every server was warm, knowledgeable, and just overall welcoming. I dined alone and let me tell you, I had a great time! Everything and I do mean everything was delicious! The cheese spread presentation blew me away as I was not expecting an entire cart of cheese to come out to choose from because again, I was dining alone. I also added the wine pairing and my server did an outstanding job giving me a little background on each as well as giving me a couple different ones to try. I can go on and on about this place. Do not hesitate to dine with them. Definitely an experience I’ll never forget and will be looking forward to dining with them again in the future!"
Vanessa De Leon
"Dining at Gary Danko was an unforgettable experience. I had the 5-course meal, and from start to finish, every single dish was a standout. The ingredients were incredibly fresh, and the flavors only got better with each course. You can tell there’s serious attention to detail in every bite.
The pacing was perfect, and the service matched the quality of the food—attentive without being intrusive. By the time dessert arrived, I was already impressed, but the crème brûlée took it to another level. Silky, perfectly torched on top, and absolutely worth saving room for.
If you're looking for a high-end dining experience that actually lives up to the hype, Gary Danko delivers."
Christian
"My son and I had an amazing experience at Gary Danko tonight. I have wanted to try this restaurant for a long time, had high expectations, and was not disappointed. We both ordered the 3 course tasting menu, I paired mine with the wine suggestions, which perfectly matched the meal.
Each dish we had was outstanding, and the service was maybe the best I've ever experienced at any restaurant. We couldn't recommend a special occasion meal at Gary Danko highly enough! This restaurant is special."
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Frequently Asked Questions
Gary Danko requests 'elegant, dressy attire' for its patrons, contributing to the traditional and upscale dining experience.
Yes, the tasting menu is highly customizable. Inform your server of any dietary restrictions or preferences for tailored options.
It is strongly recommended to book well in advance to secure a reservation, as the restaurant is very popular.
Signature dishes include the renowned glazed oysters with lettuce cream, and popular desserts like the baked chocolate soufflé and crème brûlée.
Yes, wine pairings are available and recommended by knowledgeable servers to enhance your dining experience.
Many guests find the tasting menu to be an excellent way to experience the restaurant's offerings, with generous portions and delicious flavors.
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Eating at Gary Danko is like dinner and a night at the theater rolled into one. The superstar chef, winner of numerous culinary awards including a Michelin star, is a fanatic about details—from the perfectly spaced white-clothed tables, arrangements of fresh flowers, and amazingly well-informed and attentive staff, to the flawless presentation of signature dishes such as his trademark glazed oysters with lettuce cream, salsify and osetra caviar. Danko's French-California cuisine changes seasonally, but often includes variations on juniper-crusted game, lobster salad and desserts flambéed tableside.
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At Gary Danko, a Michelin-rated restaurant named for its chef (Gary Danko), the pretentiousness of old-school American dining is refreshingly replaced by an approachable, open-aired atmosphere alongside upscale versions of classic Californian French food. The fixed-price menu at Gary Danko highlights 23 years of industry experience and excellence that has kept this award-winning establishment up and running at the famous Fisherman's Wharf, an impressive feat especially considering San Francisco is in one of the world's pickiest cities when it comes to cuisine.
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Restaurant Gary Danko offers an unparalleled experience of elegance and culinary excellence that stands at the pinnacle of romantic dining in the city. This Michelin-starred restaurant creates an atmosphere of refined intimacy, with impeccable service and a prix fixe menu that reads like a love letter to California cuisine. The soft lighting and sophisticated décor make every table feel like a private sanctuary, perfect for those special moments that define romance.
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This contemporary restaurant, named after the city’s iconic Chef Gary Danko, has been a Fisherman’s Wharf staple for over two decades. You can select the chef’s tasting menu or opt for a three-to-five course menu, all including innovative takes on French cuisine that are beautifully accompanied by the extensive wine list. The baked chocolate soufflé is a well-loved classic, and the cheese cart offers fifteen to twenty cheeses nightly.
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Yet Gary Danko continues to win over diners year after year, holding steady for almost two decades in the touristy Fisherman’s Wharf neighbourhood. Unlike many of the modern day “casual-chic” style San Francisco restaurants, you’ll want to don some fancier threads at Gary Danko. This restaurant adopts a traditional approach, requesting “elegant, dressy attire” for its patrons.
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Across the bay, some of the region’s finest restaurants can be found in San Francisco. Gary Danko has held the standard for high-end dining at his eponymous restaurant since 1999. Dramatic, contemporary lighting sets the stage for an intimate experience that screams “special occasion that you’ll never forget.” Save room for an end-of-meal visit from the legendary cheese cart.
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Formerly of the Ritz Carlton Dining Room and a host of other critically acclaimed restaurants, Chef Gary Danko’s blacked-out, dimly lit, cocoon-like restaurant is the perfect spot to indulge in a litany of decadent dishes such as branzini with fennel purée, quail stuffed with foie gras with bacon and cornbread pudding and juniper crusted bison with king trumpet mushrooms.
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Pop over to North Beach’s Gary Danko and prepare to be spellbound by this vintage SF date night restaurant. It’s like stepping back into a simpler time, with decor that nods to old-world glamor and food inspired by 1970s France. Suited waiters remove cloches from dishes with an enchanting flourish and clear your table so discreetly that you barely notice their presence.
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Gary Danko, one of San Francisco’s most acclaimed restaurants, offers a blend of French, Mediterranean, and American cuisine. The restaurant’s elegant dining room and impeccable service make it a popular choice for special occasions. The menu is prix fixe, with the option to choose three, four, or five courses, and the wine list is extensive.
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Gary Danko's classic French cuisine and impeccable service have made it a San Francisco institution. The restaurant's intimate setting and flexible prix-fixe menu are perfect for a romantic evening. Diners can create their own three, four, or five-course meals from an array of seasonal dishes, each executed with precision and artistry.
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The award-winning restaurant GARY DANKO is moving into its seventh year with a flourish. The restaurant has received its sixth Five Star rating from Mobil as well as a Relais & Chateau designation, and reviews continue to extol its delights. At this point, most chefs would relax and count their blessings, but not the unstinting Danko.
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Why You Need To Dine Here: James Beard has awarded this elevated yet approachable Fisherman's Wharf favorite with 11 nominations and three wins including Best New Restaurants in 2000, Outstanding Service and Best Chef in America. Michelin agrees, crowning the French-style fare with a star for its fresh and locally-grown ingredients.
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Gary Danko: Among San Francisco's culinary elite, the chef-proprietor of the eponymous Gary Danko is one of the top names around (and is also one of the most acclaimed LGBTQ chefs in the country). His snazzy restaurant near Fisherman's Wharf is an ideal destination to celebrate a special occasion with snazzy dishes.
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It’s old-school, with tablecloth San Francisco fine dining with French flair. It’s clearly been at least a year, but allow them to visit you with a four-course prix-fixe menu at home. A recent menu featured Dungeness crab cake with red pepper rouille and a warm apple gratin with crème fraiche ice cream.
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Gary Danko is the most chic spot on our list of Fisherman’s Wharf eateries, having earned one Michelin star. The food is mainly French inspired, coupled with local ingredients. The ambiance is best described as old-school luxury, and you’ll feel more at home here than in other stuffy venues.
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I mean, the word “dank” is in the name, so you know it has got to be amazing. Gary Danko is inspired by French cuisine, but the cool part is that all of his ingredients are local. This place has been given countless awards and if you’re looking for some fancy food, this is your place.
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If there is one place to splurge in San Francisco, this is it. The sophisticated cuisine of chef/owner Gary Danko eschews over-the-top molecular gastronomy pomp to focus instead on expertly prepared dishes influenced by global ingredients and French technique. Over the 2-plus decades…
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My favorite top-of-the-line, Michelin-star restaurant in San Francisco is Gary Danko. I've only had the chance to eat here a couple of times, but they did everything they could to make each occasion unforgettable. They use fresh, local ingredients and change their menu frequently.
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The oysters are delicious, especially the cooked and raw, the oysters are average. Cheap steaks are average, and the pickled taste is too heavy. Going to eat is good. Unexpectedly, it is not too expensive. Lobster soup rice is real lobster ~". San Francisco.Fisherman's Wharf
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This New American restaurant excels in comforting classics and more sumptuous fare. You will feel right at home in the contemporary interior, cozily feasting upon their caviar served atop either buckwheat blinis with smoked salmon or phenomenal glazed oysters.
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Gary Danko goes out of his way to create a first-class eatery. The California and French influenced menu is stocked with rich foods like lobster, chanterelles, foie gras and squab. The way the front of the house is run is striking to the casual di...
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Gary Danko combines culinary mastery with a business-friendly environment. It is one of the most acclaimed and awarded restaurants in San Francisco. The restaurant boasts a Michelin star, five James Beard awards, and a Zagat rating of 4.8 out of 5.
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And, true foodies will want to make reservations months in advance for State Bird Provisions or Gary Danko. At the end of the day, no matter what your San Francisco itinerary with kids looks like, you’ll discover a fabulous restaurant!
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Indulge in a culinary masterpiece at Gary Danko, where renowned chef Gary Danko presents his signature fixed-price menus of American cuisine. The elegant yet unstuffy ambiance provides the perfect backdrop for a memorable evening.
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The award-winning restaurant serves classic French cuisine made with fresh local ingredients and produce. You can create your own 3,4 or 5 – course meals. Experience an excellent fine-dining experience here at the Gary Danko!
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Award-winning chef Gary Danko creates time-honored classics like roast Maine lobster and lamb loin at his eponymous restaurant. Gary Danko also came in first in Zagat's rankings of service and popularity.
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It’s the picture of amazing service in a uniquely SF location. I used to live right across the street from the restaurant, and I would sigh about how someday I’d get to eat there to my now-husband.
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- Rating: 4.5/5 (5983 reviews)- Price level: $$$$- Address: 800 North Point St. San Francisco, California - Categories: New American, French, Wine Bars- Read more on Yelp
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800 North Point St, San Francisco, CA 94109Phone: 415-749-2060 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Michael Bauer (@michaelbauer1)
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Probably the most-awarded restaurant in the city, Gary Danko is known for its excellence in service as well its gastronomical delights.[Learn more]
Fine dining - Page 4
If the food is still great I would like to try and get a reservation for my wife and I.
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from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit