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Le Central, San Francisco, CA

Le Central

4.7
4.7
2130 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 33 times today
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood 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”!!!

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Happy Hour Mon–Sat 4:30 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • 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
  • Neighborhood
    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 2,130 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.

2,130 Reviews

  1. Nancy

    VIP

    Dallas

    30 reviews

    5.0

    30 reviews

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful Sunday evening dinner. Delicious food and delightful service. Sole was outstanding.

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  2. David

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is the first time my wife and I visited Le Cantral. I found out about this place from an article in the SF Chronicle a few weeks ago, it sounded like just the place we like for French cuisine. Overall the restaurant had a wonderful ambience. The manu perhaps could be a little more extensive but perhaps they change the menu every so often. My wife had the escargot and their signature cassoulet."Most excellent" I had the onion soup which was outstanding and the bouef bourguignon which is my favourite french dish so I have high stanbndards where this is concerned. The beef was very tender and lean which is what I wanted but there wasn't enough sauce so it was a bit dry. Nevertheless overall we had a fantastic experience celebrating my wife's birthday, we would definitely go back.

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  3. Antonio

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The beef Bourgueneon could’ve use more sauce or gravy. Next time I order the same dish, I’ll ask for Additional sauce.

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  4. Julie

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was my first visit to Le Central and I'm now a big fan! The food was delicious, the wait staff and others were friendly and helpful, and it wasn't annoyingly loud. This is what fine dining was meant to be, at least in my opinion. I look forward to going back so I can try their other options!

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  5. Tom

    VIP

    San Francisco

    54 reviews

    4.0

    54 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Le Central is an institution and is consistently very good. I had the onion soup and the Salade Lyonaise, both delicious. The waiter was professional and did an excellent job. I've been eating at Le Central for years and look forward to many more meals there in the future.

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  6. Chantal

    San Francisco

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food prepared in the standard/classic French style. Wines by the glass are very expensive given the size of the pour. Overall, highly recommend for a classic dining experience which is getting harder and harder to find.

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  7. angela

    Alabama

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 6 days 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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  8. Kathryn

    San Francisco

    44 reviews

    4.0

    44 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Lunch yesterday was delicious and fun. Definitely an older local crowd- us included . My two friends and I had sole meunière and a glass of champagne. The service was excellent. Noise became deafening as the restaurant filled up, but festive! The bread served ( I think an 8$ charge) but horrible. Get another bakery to supply it- we have so many wonderful bakeries.

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  9. PhillipC

    VIP

    Chicago

    47 reviews

    2.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    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 6 days 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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  10. Akiko

    VIP

    San Francisco

    55 reviews

    4.0

    55 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    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 6 days 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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FAQs

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

Le Central is rated 4.7 stars by 2130 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 33 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
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown / Union Square
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Happy Hour Mon–Sat 4:30 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • 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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