Benu

Welcome to Benu, a wine bar in San Francisco that offers a unique blend of Asian Fusion and Seafood dishes. Known for its impeccable service and unforgettable dining experiences, Benu stands out as one of the most enjoyable places for fine dining in the city.

From the moment you arrive at 22 Hawthorne St, you are greeted with a warm welcome by the friendly valet and staff. The minimalist decor and intimate setting create a serene ambiance, setting the stage for a culinary journey like no other.

What sets Benu apart is not just its delicious food, but also the attention to detail in service. The staff goes above and beyond to make every guest feel like a star, ensuring that every aspect of your dining experience is memorable.

One of the highlights of Benu is the carefully crafted dishes that showcase a range of flavors, textures, and presentations. From glass noodles in mussel to thinly sliced abalone, each dish is a culinary delight that will leave a lasting impression.

For those with special dietary needs, Benu takes great care to accommodate allergies and preferences, ensuring that every guest can enjoy their meal to the fullest. And for special occasions, like birthdays or anniversaries, the staff goes the extra mile to make the evening truly unforgettable.

If you're a food lover looking for a unique dining experience in San Francisco, Benu is a must-visit destination. With its combination of exceptional service, delicious food, and elegant ambiance, Benu promises a dining experience like no other.

Benu Menu

Location

Address: 22 Hawthorne St San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 685-4860

🕓 Work Hours
MON Closed
TUE 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
WED 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
THU 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
FRI 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
SAT 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
SUN Closed

Business info

  • Takes Reservations
    Yes
  • Delivery
    No
  • Takeout
    No
  • Many Vegetarian Options
    Yes
  • Wheelchair accessible
    Yes
  • ADA-compliant main entrance
    Yes
  • steps or stairs
    Yes
  • ADA-compliant restroom
    Yes
  • Accepts Credit Cards
    Yes
  • Accepts Android Pay
    No
  • Accepts Apple Pay
    No
  • Upscale
    Yes
  • Moderate Noise
    Yes
  • Dressy
    Yes
  • Good for Groups
    Yes
  • Good for Dinner
    Yes
  • Valet Parking
    Yes
  • Best nights on Thursday, Saturday
    Yes
  • Beer & Wine Only
    Yes
  • Smoking Outside Only
    Yes
  • Outdoor Seating
    No
  • Offers Catering
    No
  • Not Good For Kids
    No
  • Not Good For Dancing
    No
  • Wi-Fi
    No
  • Happy Hour
    No
  • Dogs Not Allowed
    No
  • TV
    No
  • Heated Outdoor Seating
    No
  • Covered Outdoor Seating
    No
  • Provides reusable tableware
    Yes
  • Bike Parking
    No

Last Reviews

  • Author: Nathaniel K.

    18 July 2024

    TLDR: One of the most enjoyable eating experiences we've ever had! With these fine dining, 3 Michelin star places, there's a diminishing returns when it comes to food quality. I have come up with a theory, that a restaurant must do something else to justify the luxury prices they command. What they do is a little bit counter-intuitive, they invite a complete stranger to your (most likely) romantic dinner... your waiter. The quality of the wait staff, the friendliness, the knowledge, their charisma, is as important to the meal as the food itself. Benu has this in SPADES, from the friendly grizzled valet, to the friendly cool host, to the friendly professional wait staff. Everyone made us feel like a star... granted a star in our own small life... but for a brief 2 hour window, a star in their lives as well! We had the early dinner, starting at 5pm. We got there a bit early, as we were warned by text and email, that we should endeavor to be on time, as the dinner will be a languorous culinary journey, and it may impact the later diners. I love their attention to detail, even when making the reservation. Asking us about food allergies, special occasions, names of diners. It's obvious, but shows a lot of forethought. I thought I would just spend the $30 for valet, because we're already spending 10x as much on dinner. But to my surprise, there was PLENTY of street parking right outside Benu at that Saturday hour. We walked up, and before even going in, the valet greeted us with a smile, and instructed us on how to find the entrance. I was a bit surprised that he knew we were going to Benu, and I asked him about it, and with a twinkle in his eye, he just said he could tell ;-) The decor is very minimal, with a color scheme reminiscent of a Muji store. The restaurant is small, yet spacious, with only 10 tables. Each table sitting mostly 2 people, although there were a couple parties that had 2 tables squished together to make a party of 6-8. For just 10 tables, there seemed to be at least 2 wait staff per table, which may seem a bit overkill, but again... service is what sets apart one luxury restaurant from another. And it doesn't seem that each waiter is assigned 1 table. We met and encountered, I think, the entire wait staff during our time there. Every different course served by a different server. And there didn't seem to be any dedicated bus-boys. EVERYONE filled water, cleaned tables and swept away dishes... EVERYONE, including what I presume was the manager (only one dressed in a sharp blue suit) and the hostess. I also really enjoyed the simple gesture of addressing us by our names. It is a lovely touch, that made it personal. What can be said about the food? Excellent! As much as I want to, I am not going to dwell on all the dishes they presented. Unfortunately, Yelp has a word limit on reviews! But there were a LOT and nearly everything was delicious. We had seafood allergies, so they didn't include any. However, I kinda wished they used some kind of substitute instead of just removing the ingredient. One of the waiters (inadvertently?) let slip that there was supposed to be shrimp on one of our dishes. However, the chefs didn't replace the protein, choosing instead to just remove the shellfish and still serve the rest. Don't get me wrong, the salsa thing was still delicious, but... I felt like we weren't getting the bang for our buck. I think the highest compliment I can give is that despite my universal hate for mushrooms and eggplant, I still ate them and LOVED them. Granted, there was some kind of mushroom in 75% of the plates, so I felt like I HAD to eat them. But anyway, I'm still glad I did. They were delicious. I'm sure this is just a one-time thing, and I will now go back to avoiding mushrooms again. For the best wife ever's birthday, they gave her this delicate filigree box. It generally seems a bit scary... but they assured us nothing will pop out. She wound the box, which played a small delicate music-boxish birthday song. The bit-disappointing part was after the song played, the server came over to raise the box, revealing the beautifully crafted birthday cake. I think they could find SOME way for the box to automatically unfold, after the song is finished, to reveal the cake. I think THAT would be SUPER impressive! We laughed a bit at the absurdity of the whole thing. We really got to know some of our servers. It made the meal WAYY more enjoyable and memorable. I wish I had the foresight to ask for their names, but I won't forget the 2 Singaporean wait staff, and the Black waiter with the wry grin on his face every time I tried to guess what it is. Even saying goodbye was super special. The waiter who first greeted us, led us ALL the way to the front door, opened it and walked out with us to the small courtyard, all while expressing his effusive thanks and goodbyes. And the same valet came up, with that same twinkle, and wished us a safe journey home.

  • Author: Xiaoting X.

    03 July 2024

    Had an amazing night at Benu. Impeccable service and unforgettable dishes. And this is after an immediate visit to Single Thread Farm - yes, I love Benu more! There were many standouts for me and also really appreciate the simplicity in approach to food - they tasted amazing and no need for special added presentation and stories. As an Asian food lover, I also really appreciated the representation of many different Asian flavors. All well prepared.

  • Author: David H.

    27 May 2024

    Really, truly exceptional. Everything is so dialed in here - the food is executed so perfectly, the service is very attentive and perceptive while not overbearing in the least. The beginning courses are highlight after highlight, and it continues throughout. Insane, technically flawless meal, great flavors, interesting dishes, beautiful plating. Definite 3 star, easily one of if not the best I've had in the US and competitive with the big ones overseas.

  • Author: George H.

    16 May 2024

    We went here for our 31st anniversary dinner. We took the 530 seating. It was a crisp San Francisco May evening and the inside of the restaurant was inviting. The staff welcomed us right away and had a very friendly, yet professional vibe. The service here is impeccable. We had pre-submitted our allergy needs and also that it was our anniversary. They got everything perfectly right and did it with subtlety and grace. There was no feeling that any of the food was anything less than outstanding even given some allergy limitations. We did the wine pairing for two. Unwisely we had a glass of wine or two before we even started dinner from a local hotel. This was too much wine. Each pour of the tasting is fairly small, but there's at least eight or nine pours so it adds up quick I do recommend the wine pairing as there were some really interesting things they came up with. If I were to do it again, I would split the wine pairing with my wife, but then also get or bring either a half bottle or full bottle of champagne to share. Of course this place is expensive, but it's really stunning food. I guarantee you will not leave hungry and I am a big eater. The three hour dinner flew by as it was one course after another. Each one had something interesting and delicious about it.

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