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Le Central, San Francisco, CA

Le Central

4.7
4.7
2160 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

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2 people
19:00
Booked 22 times today
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
Opened in 1974, Le Central has been serving traditional French cuisine for five decades, boasting the honor of being San Francisco’s most historic French bistro. Located on the edge of the Financial District, Union Square, and Chinatown in a rare one story brick building adorned with its iconic pink neon sign and crowned by a vintage “Tabac” sign. Step into this charming restaurant and be transported to a Parisian brasserie. With exposed brick walls, original imported brass bar, stained glass features, and cozy banquettes topped with brass railings. The atmosphere invites you to unwind and enjoy delicious French fare and exceptional wines and cocktails in an upscale, yet casual environment. Enjoy French classics like steak-frites, escargot, onion soup, and our world famous Cassoulet. Le Central’s cuisine is comforting yet sumptuous. Le Central is the downtown stop for locals and visitors looking for a taste of “La Belle Vie”!!!

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30–14:30 Happy Hour Mon–Sat 16:30–18:00 Dinner Mon–Sat 17:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (415) 391-2233
  • Website
    http://www.lecentralbistro.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    Le Central is available for private events, please visit our website for inqueries. https://www.lecentralbistro.com
  • Location
    453 Bush St., San Francisco, CA 94108
  • Area
    Downtown / Union Square
  • Cross Street
    Grant and Kearny
  • Parking details
    Sutter-Stockton Garage
  • Public transit
    Powell or Montgomery stations
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,160 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • San Francisco

    French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Le Central offers a quintessential French dining experience in San Francisco with "delicious food" and "impeccable service." Guests rave about the "classic French brasserie style menu," including standout dishes like escargot and cassoulet. The inviting atmosphere and attentive staff make it a "reliable choice" for both casual and special occasions.

2,160 Reviews

  1. Kathryn

    San Francisco

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The goat cheese salad with beets was excellent. A great dressing. Followed by mussels in an excellent lemony broth. The tarte citron for dessert was good also. Our waiter was so nice and accommodating. Would definitely go back..they also offer a great happy hour.

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  2. Judi

    VIP

    San Francisco

    99 reviews

    5.0

    99 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Enjoyed in a perfect lunch with a dear friend at a quiet booth in the back so easy for us to catch up. My hangar steak and frites was amazing and the meat cooked just to my liking: medium rare with emphasis on the rare side. Friend indulged on their famous roasted chicken and we both devoured their frites and the delicious baguette of warm bread with melting butter (tempted to order another loaf!). Wonderful luncheon spot that made us feel we were in Paris without jet lag! And kudos to the warm waitstaff! On the way out we saw the big beautiful burger a diner had just ordered and WOW WOW WOW that's what we're going to indulge in next visit.

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  3. Reynold

    VIP

    San Francisco

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Party of 9 for a reunion dinner. Table placement, service was great for the group. Able to catch up over the evening. Variety on the menu for everyone!

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  4. Janet

    VIP

    San Francisco

    43 reviews

    5.0

    43 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It is great to be back at Le Central and find it so fun and delicious...as always! They kindly sat our foursome at a window table and the service was fun and impeccable. We enjoyed it all- Complete with french phrases for us to recall and use our language skills

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  5. Mike

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 19 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent for classic french brasserie style menu and ambiance

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  6. Richard

    San Francisco

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Cassoulet. Classic French bistro. There for 40+ years - get in there!

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  7. Cindy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best French Onion Soup in the city! Great place to meet up and sit at the bar for oysters and champagne.
    Le CentralResponded on 19 February 2025
    Cindy, Thank you for the great review, we are so glad you enjoyed everything. We hope you dine with us again soon.

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  8. Suzi

    VIP

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Even on a busy Valentine’s Day, we had the best experience for our first visit to Le Central!
    Le CentralResponded on 19 February 2025
    Suzi, Thank you for the wonderful review, we are so glad you enjoyed everything. We hope you dine with us again soon.

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  9. Karen

    VIP

    San Francisco

    99 reviews

    5.0

    99 reviews

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food and service were excellent. A little too much lighting in the dining room though.
    Le CentralResponded on 19 February 2025
    Karen, Thank you for the great review, we are so glad you enjoyed everything, I'll admit whoever was supposed to dim the lights at the start of the dinner service dropped the ball, it's usually pretty dimly lit. We hope you dine with us again soon.

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  10. Christine

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I would try something different on the menu if I go back. Over all it was good. My only complaint is the tables are too close together on the bar side. Take out a table or two. It would be more enjoyable to be less likely to hear the conversations at the tables on either side.
    Le CentralResponded on 19 February 2025
    Christine, Thank you for the nice review, aside from Valentine's day when we have so many 2 tops, we have more of the tables set up as 4 tops and we don't seat right next to other people if we can help it, but its tough with so many reservations for 2 on Valentines day, it does get a little crowded. Try us on a regular weekday and there will be a little more privacy. We are glad you enjoyed everything else. We hope you dine with us again soon.

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FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Le Central using the Order Online button.

Le Central is rated 4.7 stars by 2160 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 22 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Le Central

453 Bush St., San Francisco, CA 94108

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Grant and Kearny
  • Area
    Downtown / Union Square
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30–14:30 Happy Hour Mon–Sat 16:30–18:00 Dinner Mon–Sat 17:00–21:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Sutter-Stockton Garage
  • Public transit
    Powell or Montgomery stations
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.lecentralbistro.com/
  • Phone number
    (415) 391-2233
  • Private party facilities
    Le Central is available for private events, please visit our website for inqueries. https://www.lecentralbistro.com
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