Bistro St. Germain - a good reason to head to the Lower Haight

July 8, 10:18 PMSF Restaurant ExaminerDina Brooks

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Lamb shank:  not for wimpy appetites.  (photo by Dina Brooks)

What a lovely dinner my husband and I had here recently.  Upon entering, we were greeted with a friendly "Bonsoir!" and  welcomed into the warmly lit dining room.  In this French bistro on Haight Street, orange walls are set aglow by uplights and painted silhouettes of famous Parisian landmarks create a bold skyline across the room.  Small square pillows are placed along wooden bench seats whose dramatic slats run the entire length and height of the dining room on one side.

We weren't sure how kid-friendly this place would be, but to our relief, no one seemed to mind that we had to park our daughter's stroller at the end of our table while she slept through yet another meal.  And, there was a high energy toddler who looked no more than 18 months old, running around the dining room, happily peering out the window facing Haight Street and keeping his parents on their toes.  All throughout, the servers just smiled at him sweetly as they took care not to bump into him as they passed. 

It was a windy, cold evening and we wanted hearty fare that would warm and satiate.  Our food didn't disappoint.  We shared escargot ($6.25) - half a dozen shelled bitefuls smothered in garlicky, buttery goodness.  We were grateful to have a basket full of sliced baguette to sop up every last bit of the delicious garlic parsley butter, as well as the sauces from our entrees.  We feasted like kings on grilled bavette and gratin dauphinois with shallot sauce ($17), and lamb shank that was braised for six hours and served with Swiss chard and rosemary lamb jus ($19).  The vegetables were perfect accompaniments to the meats, everything was well seasoned, and the lamb was falling-off-the-bone tender.  The only item that was slightly off was the soup du jour ($5.50), a smooth but overly salty creamed asparagus and broccoli.  Despite that hiccup, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal, paired with Chimay for him and French red wine for me.

Bistro St. Germain.  518 Haight Street between Fillmore and Steiner.  415.626.6262.