1601 Bar & Kitchen

1601 is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco. The food is excellent. If you’re looking for fine dining, it checks all the boxes. If you’re looking for authentic Sri Lankan flavors, it checks the boxes. If you’re looking for something interesting or just good… it’s got it all. An egg hopper with good sambol is something everyone should try (at least once). Excellent wine list to pair with the food. Reasonable prices on the wine and food. Plus the team behind it treats customers extremely well, like friends. I go back again and again.

I found 1601 Bar and Kitchen as a result of a google search when trying to plan my fortieth birthday. I was on the hunt to find a restaurant where I could reserve a large table for a sophisticated, intimate and delicious dinner with 8-10 of my closest friends. When I looked up the reviews, saw the photos and read the menu I knew it would be an amazing experience for my party. When that reservation turned into 14 , Yuliya was cooperative, understanding and so professional. When we arrived, the ambiance was even better than what I had hoped for and we were greeted with wine and the menus even had “happy birthday” printed on them, which really helped to make the evening even that much more special. The Chef’s menu was a hit with all of my friends with every dish and we are still raving about the “sticky potatoes!” The team evenly separated the leftovers into individual to go containers so we all could taste everything we had that night again the next day. My friends and I left that night feeling satiated and happy. To be fair, there was also a lot of wine consumed that evening. We will remember that evening forever. It was perfect. Give these people all the stars, they are amazing and the food is LITERALLY something to write home about!

Overall tasting was mid. My favorite was the gazpacho that we got in the beginning, but everything else was just alright. The egg hopper was mid as well; the sambol was also too spicy. For what you pay you’re not really getting much food. Quite disappointed considering there is no other Sri Lankan restaurant in the bay. I need to go find a egg hopper pan and do it myself…