Recipient of one Michelin Star, Fifth Floor restaurant is located in the historic Hotel Palomar in downtown San Francisco. The restaurant has a really nice and cozy lounge feel. For a fine dining place, the restaurant gives a surprisingly relaxed vibe. The chairs are low, leather lounge chairs that invite you to just sit and relax. The art deco decor is contemporary yet warm.
The Sommelier recommended a really nice Pinor Noir, Byron Vineyard from San Ynez Valley region. It has the nice balance with fruit forward quality that I enjoy in Pinot Noirs. The tasting menu is the chef’s selection of 5 courses that can also be ordered a la carte. One of the standouts that evening was the amazing heirloom tomato with sweet watermelon salad. The combination is mouth-watering refreshing and the balance between the sweet acidity taste of the heirloom tomato and the sugary sweetness of the watermelon is wonderful. This was my favorite dish next to the tea-smoked duck. Perfectly cooked with a very nice and tender texture. The Zen Salad was also interesting. The fresh vegetables were individually positioned on the plate as if the chef was giving each of them a chance to shine, yet allowing them to work wonderfully together.
The amuse bouche was a single shrimp half cooked and smothered in Asian spices with hints of curry and pepper. It was nice.
The foie gras and the lamb were mediocre, but the other dishes were enough to create a nice and memorable experience.
Worth visiting.
Bay Area Food Snob 