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Chapeau! Bistro has been a fixture of its Richmond, San Francisco neighborhood since 1995, when Chef Owner Philippe Gardelle opened it (Gardelle previously worked at La Folie). It's been many years since our last visit, so we were curious how it was post-pandemic.
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Chapeau! Location and Hours
Chapeau! is located at 126 Clement Street by 2nd Avenue and is open for dinner Wednesdays-Sundays 5-9:30pm. We recommend making a reservation well in advance, given its popularity, and choosing an earlier or later time, since the restaurant, when fully seated, is quite noisy.
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Chapeau! Menu and Food
Chapeau! only serves a three course menu, so if you're looking for a la carte selections, consider ordering food for pick-up (although not all dishes are available for pick-up). There are also nightly specials in addition to the menu.
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Chapeau! also has an extensive wine list with both French and California vintages, although only a few are available by the glass. Non-alcoholic drinks are also available; our teen enjoyed a very refreshing pomegranate lime juice.
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After we ordered, we were brought a tasty leek and potato soup with white truffle oil as an amuse bouche, along with warm bread rolls and butter.
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My husband chose the hearty French Onion Soup for his appetizer, which was cheesy and delicious.
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My son and I both chose the Salmon Trio, which was beautifully plated and excellent, with its salmon tartare, gravlax, and salmon roe; highly recommended. There's not much salmon caviar, but there was a generous serving of tartare and gravlax, nicely complemented with creme fraiche, hard boiled egg, and crispy waffle cut potato chips.
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My husband liked his Cassoulet, but commented that he actually preferred the cassoulet he made from a d'Artagnan cassoulet kit, so diners with very particular cassoulet preferences might want to select a different dish. The stoneware did keep this dish piping hot, a bonus if you dislike how fast main dishes cool off.
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I very much enjoyed my Pork Tenderloin, which was perfectly cooked and accompanied by parsnip puree (which I prefer to mashed potatoes), shaved brussels sprouts, and a lovely apple calvados sauce. There were also a few caramelized apple slices, and I would love to have had a few more of them.
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Our teen ordered the Filet Mignon, which Chapeau! is known for (it incurs a $5 surcharge, understandable given the higher cost of this cut of meat). It too was cooked exactly as he requested, medium, and burnished with a velvety truffle sauce. This is a hearty dish, so guests who aren't ravenous teenagers may not finish or want to take some of it home.
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Among our three desserts, the most homey and least impressive was the French Toast, but my husband, who will never say no to sweet breakfast items as a dessert, still liked it.
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Our son was very happy with his Chocolat Fondant, basically a molten chocolate cake, although the restaurant subbed out the rum raisin ice cream with vanilla ice cream. Keep in mind this dessert takes 15 minutes or so to prepare.
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My profiteroles were excellent, a classic rendition with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and almonds. On another visit, I might request salted caramel ice cream, which would also have paired well with the chocolate.
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The Verdict
Chapeau! continues to deliver excellent French bistro classics, fairly priced as part of a three course menu. Our favorites were the Salmon Trio for an appetizer, Filet Mignon and Pork Tenderloin for mains, and the Profiteroles and Chocolate Fondant for dessert. Because tables in the main part of the restaurant are quite close together, we highly recommend requesting one of the tables by the window, near the bar.
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