Bar-Centric Global Comfort Dinner at Bergerac

This article is Bar-Centric Global Comfort Dinner at Bergerac located in the SOMA Neighborhood in San Francisco. This highlights my wife and my dinner experience at Bergerac while we were in San Francisco.

The article is part of my San Francisco Foodie Adventure.

Note: My wife and my dinner was provided by Bergerac and San Francisco Travel. The views expressed in this post are my own.

Bergerac

Bergerac is in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood at 316 11^th Street, between Folsom and Harrison Streets. It is open Tuesday through Sunday with extended dinner hours on Friday and Saturday.

Bergerac is equal parts craft cocktail bar and impromptu house party. Its’ inspiration is the legendary Villa Nellcote, an old French mansion where the Rolling Stones recorded their seminal album “Exile on Main Street.” During their stay the Stones not only threw great parties, but savored the best food and drink while waited on by their private staff and their renowned personal chef.

The Bergerac menu highlights include Tuna Tartare with long-line caught yellowfin tuna tossed with tapioca pearls, basil oil, yuzu juice and tonatto (tuna aioli spread) and garnished with corn powder and black sesame seeds; Fried Chicken Biscuits with Southern style buttermilk biscuits and thigh meat that is marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce, then dredged into seasoned flour, fried, tossed with a Nashville style hot spice mixture; the Bergerac Burger with a house ground beef patty made from beef chuck, brisket, and skirt steak, seared on a griddle and served with aged white cheddar, onion jam, special sauce, on a Hawaiian sweet bun; Basil Spaghetti with house made pasta cooked with asparagus, smoked ham hock, ham stock, pea tendrils, butter and lemon juice, and topped with grated Parmesan cheese; and a Grilled Skirt Steak, six ounce piece of grass fed beef, sliced and served with romesco sauce, avocado, and cherry tomatoes.

Bergerac offers a libations menu that showcases an array of classic, contemporary and house-designed cocktails, plus three on tap. There are also select wines, plus craft beers. A signature Bergerac treat is bourbon from the barrel they custom-ordered, plus the “punch bowl” options. Happy Hour, Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., affords guests the opportunity to enjoy food and beverage specials. DJ entertainment is offered Wednesday through Saturday.

Arrival

My wife and I arrived for our Bar-Centric Global Comfort Dinner at Bergerac and were immediately surprised with the hip vibes at the lounge focused bar.

We appreciated the eclectic mix of artwork that were spread out throughout the location.

Some of the artwork included an old tape deck, elephant statue, motorcycle helmet and various classic lounge artwork that adorned the walls.

The bar was the focus of the room with the bottles displayed neatly.

The tables and chairs were setup around the room and were a mix of low tops, high tops, sofas and chairs.

A DJ was mixing upbeat music which further enhanced the atmosphere.

We were immediately greeted by the host who welcomed us and inquired if we had a reservation.

The host located our reservation and she escorted us to a table and informed us the server would be with us shortly.

Lounge Experience

Once we were seated, our server approached the table and welcomed us.

The server pointed out the features of the menu and offered a cocktail.

We asked for a few minutes to review and she happily obliged. Before departing the table, the server asked if we dined at the location before. We said no and she went over recommendations from each area of the menu as well as provided cocktail recommendations.

Bergerac offers small plates that are excellent for sharing so the server recommended ordering multiple items for a dinner.

After a few minutes, the server returned and she took our cocktail orders.

The cocktails were served a few minutes later and they were presented neatly in decorative glasses.

The cocktails were mixed expertly and they were modern and hip and had an excellent flavor.

I went with a spicy one with habanero and spicy salt around the edges. My wife had a vodka based drink that was also excellent.

The server offered to take our order and we ordered a mix of items from throughout the menu.

The server recommended the following items and we decided to go with them as they sounded excellent: Cheese Puffs, Ceviche, BBQ Meatballs and Chicken Biscuit sliders.

A manager greeted us and welcomed us as well. The manager made light conversation before asking us to enjoy our experience.

Small Plates

Bergerac served small plates and they are served as they are prepared. If you are looking for a leisurely meal, I’d recommend ordering them one at a time so you can take the time to savor each one before the next arrives.

The first item that was delivered was the Cheese Puffs.

The cheese puffs were served warm on a decorative plate. The cheese puffs were small pastries filled with cheese. They reminded me of cheese biscuits and they were excellent.

The puffs were flavored with a mix of cheese and spices on a flaky pastry and were excellent.

A few minutes later, the ceviche was served.

The ceviche was served on a dish and it included fresh seafood with onions and vegetables in a tangy sauce. A surprise ingredient was coconut. The coconut added a bit of sweetness to the dish and it was excellent.

The ceviche was light and refreshing and it went well with the chips that were served with it. The chips were crispy and had a good flavor.

The next course was the BBQ Meatballs.

The BBQ Meatballs were served hot in a decorative dish. There were four meatballs in the dish and they were cooked perfectly.

The meatballs had an excellent flavor and they were spiced well. The meatballs were topped in a tangy BBQ sauce that was slightly sweet. They were topped by green onions. The meatballs had an incredible taste and we really enjoyed them.

We rounded out our meal with the Chicken Biscuit sliders.

The chicken biscuit sliders were served hot on a small plate and two small sliders were provided.

The chicken was tossed in a mild batter and it was fried and was crispy. It was flavored with Nashville seasoning but was not spicy. The chicken was tender and juicy and it had a great crunch. The biscuits were fresh and they were lightly grilled. The bread was fresh and it had a good buttery flavor. The biscuits were topped by two pickle chips that were tangy and added an extra bit of flavor to the slider.

The server checked in with us throughout the meal and she removed the used dishes as we finished them.

All the courses were excellent and each bite was bold in flavor.

After we finished the chicken sliders, the server offered additional cocktails before clearing the table.

Bergerac offers a warm dark chocolate cookie for dessert; however, we were pleasantly full by that time so we decided not to order it.

Departure

After we indicated we were ready to depart, the server provided the check and she thanked us sincerely for dining at the lounge.

When we walked by the host stand, the host also thanked us and she invited us to return in the future.

Overall

We really enjoyed our Bar-Centric Global Comfort Dinner at Bergerac. The lounge was hip and had awesome vibes which were enhanced by the mixing of the DJ. The server was friendly and she made excellent recommendations from the menu. In addition, the mixologists crafted some amazing cocktails for us. We would recommend asking your server for recommendations and going with them as each item was excellent. We would be happy to return in the future and would recommend Bergerac to you for a fun night out.