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Le Central, San Francisco, CA

Le Central

4.7
4.7
2122 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

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2 people
19:00
Booked 41 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 2,122 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
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • San Francisco

    French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Le Central is a cherished San Francisco bistro with a "wonderful ambiance" and "excellent food." Known for its classic French cuisine, it offers delightful dishes like cassoulet and beef bourguignon. Guests appreciate the "amazing wine list" and attentive service. Whether for a festive occasion or casual dining, it consistently impresses.

2,122 Reviews

  1. angela

    Alabama

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service. Reminded us of being in Paris. It was loud because there was a table of 14 guests celebrating the Holidays

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  2. PhillipC

    VIP

    Chicago

    47 reviews

    2.0

    47 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Last year was great. This year for my birthday was horrible . Maybe because they were busy . No excuse for rude employees .
    Le CentralResponded 1 day ago
    Hi Phillip, We are so sorry you had a bad experience I have sent you a private note, hopefully we can resolve this issue.

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  3. Akiko

    VIP

    San Francisco

    55 reviews

    4.0

    55 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I was worried that it would be noisy, as our reservation was the same day as Santa Con but it was quiet and the service was great. The only disappointment was the Tarte Tartin, the pastry was soggy due to the apples on top. It was an apple pie ala mode, flavor was really good, but I was expecting something lighter.
    Le CentralResponded 1 day ago
    Akiko, Thank you for the nice review. we are sorry you didn't enjoy the tarte tatin but can assure you the pastry is supposed to be on the bottom, we are sorry if you were expecting an American style apple pie a la mode.

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  4. Dan

    VIP

    San Francisco

    57 reviews

    4.0

    57 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Great spot for pre-theater dinner. It was a busy night so service was great at first, but turned spotty. Other servers were happy to pitch in though so it all worked out ok. The deviled eggs and oysters were really tasty and fresh. The salmon was ok, we like it cooked a little less. The mussels frites were great and the broth with the bread was delicious.
    Le CentralResponded 1 day ago
    Thank you for the kind review Dan, Sorry that the service got "spotty" our servers work as a team, so I'm glad to hear that others helped out. Also, our apologies on the Salmon, we generally cook the salmon medium, if it was more than that we are truly sorry. Feel free to specify medium rare or even rare if you dine with us in the future, we would be more than happy to accommodate.

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  5. Shaun

    Yosemite

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoyed an excellent dinner at Le Central: true French Bistro-style food, serves not ridiculously large, excellent quality and presentation, great atmosphere and good, unhurried service. A real treasure and somewhere we will definitely return on our next visit to San Francisco!
    Le CentralResponded 1 day ago
    Shaun, 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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  6. Charles

    VIP

    San Francisco

    43 reviews

    4.0

    43 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food, great attentive service, very good wine selection by the glass and bottle. A fun French bistro experience in San Francisco.
    Le CentralResponded 5 days ago
    Charles, thank you for the great review, we are so glad you enjoyed everything. We hope you dine with us again soon.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Donia

    San Francisco

    73 reviews

    5.0

    73 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We love Le Central. It is a classic French Bistrot with all the standards well prepared. Not over the top fancy, but a nice neighborhood gem with honest service and good food. They do not rush you but rather take on a more laid-back approach which we appreciate. Parking is easy if you are coming from the Bay Area at Sutter/Stockton garage. We dine here 3-4 times a year coming up from the South Bay and are always happy.
    Le CentralResponded 5 days ago
    Donia, thank you for the wonderfulreview, we are so glad you enjoyed everything. We look forward to seeing you next time you are in town.

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  8. Jason

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 5 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The service and food was great! We had an awesome waiter that provided wine recommendations with our food and did a pairing.
    Le CentralResponded 1 day ago
    Jason, thank you for the great review, we are so glad you enjoyed everything. We hope you dine with us again soon.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Kay

    San Francisco

    141 reviews

    5.0

    141 reviews

    Dined on 3 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoyed a delicious dinner in the lovely dining room of the restaurant. We started with the tartine with smoked salmon. Our main course was the steak frites, as French as can be! The frites were perfectly prepared. Service was excellent. Wine selection is terrific. We look forward to returning to this veritable French bistro.
    Le CentralResponded 5 days ago
    Kay, thank you for the great review, we are so glad you enjoyed everything. The frites are addictive, and are what keep many coming back! We look forward to you dining with us again soon!

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  10. Richard

    San Francisco

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We went on a Saturday over Thanksgiving weekend, so there weren't too many people there. Ther service was excellent, and the food was good. The pate appetizer was very tasty as was the Negroni. I'll go back.
    Le CentralResponded 5 days ago
    Richard, Thank you for the great review, we are so glad you enjoyed everything. We have a Negroni with your name on it waiting for you next time... 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 2122 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 41 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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