Citron

I had a reservation for lunch on April 8^th, was totally surprised to arrive and discover that it has closed. I did not receive any notification. That would have been my first time trying out Citron.
Promptly walked across the street to Soi Four for lunch.

Very disappointing
Extremely under staffed
After entering the restaurant, I stood there for 5 minutes before anyone acknowledged me.
The hostess/​server/​bartender was to busy tending to all the chores, she had no time to greet me. Once seated, she had no time to take my order, the wait was excruciatingly long.
Lackluster food
The Hanger steak (boring) with highly boasted «best garlic fries EVER» had no garlic on them at all. After eating the three small slices of steak, and the unseasoned fries, (not even salt) the server came to ask if everything was okay. I complained that the garlic was missing on the fries. She spoke to the chef and they sent out another order of fries for me. This time, with the promised garlic. They were just okay, but I was already finished with my meal.
So the next time you want a $ 16.00 potato lunch, this is the place for you.
The credentials
Michelin rated, Zagat Rated And 22 positive reviews on Unilocal.
2008, 2009, 20 010 Michelin signage in window. A framed Zagat rating on the bar and Unilocal bragging on the website along with a snippet of a Michael Bauer review.
REALLY
I will not return.

The place is nice, it feels cozy and french. A great place to hang out with your close friends and have a fabulous chat over brunch.
The drinks were good. I had a mimosa — fresh OJ is always a bonus! Mitchell had a very spicy bloody mary that I thought was going to give him GERD, but luckily it didn’t. It tasted great, even Ms. Cara’s virgin mary tasted really good and spicy. The coffee was a little too bitter for my taste.
My breakfast was just ho-​hum. I had one of the few breakfast foods I like, eggs benedict. Instead of the traditional eggs benedict I got it with salmon and spinach instead of ham with breakfast potatoes on the side and fresh fruit. Mainly the whole thing was just ho-​hum, my english muffin was soggy from not being toasted enough and the salmon had very little flavor because it had been poached. The potatoes weren’t cooked all the way and I only got about a third of an apple as my fresh fruit because I asked for no honeydew or cantaloupe.
I’d go here again, but maybe not for brunch.

Meh is right.
My sweetie and I reserved a table at Citron for Valentines Day partly for the location and partly because their web site promised a special Valentine’s Day menu. Unfortunately, there was no special menu in real life.
I had an omelet and she had a pork roll with egg and cheese — but these were pretty basic entrees. And I think the food was fine, but it must have been amateur-​day for the wait staff. Nobody every checked back with us to see how our food was or if we needed anything (like a coffee/​water refill – I considered getting my own.)
Anyway — the previous reviews were pretty accurate — brunch for two with no alcohol for $ 35 and poor service doesn’t make us want to rush back.

We had the opportunity to go dine at a nice restaurant, and expense it at a later date. We chose Citron. It was close, had fairly good reviews, and no other reason in particular.
It was good. Not great, not bad, but definitely worth a visit.
Highlights:
The spinach salad appetizer had these AMAZING chunks of bacon. Huge, thick and super flavorful.
The lobster bisque was stellar.
The hangar steak was pretty good as well, nice and tender.
Lowlights:
While tasty, the scallops for dinner were overcooked. The pancetta that they were wrapped in was perfect however.
The peach cocktail I had was just a little too peachy, but I knew that was a possibility getting it.
Even with our multiple drinks, appetizers and dinners, the check was a totaly reasonable price. The highlights outweighed the lowlights, and i wouldnt be opposed to coming here again… especially on someone elses dime.
I also just realized that this is my 700^th review… guess im over making these numbers milestone reviews… we should just be glad I’m writing again.

Sadly, Citron did not live up to my hopes and dreams for a great meal. Don’t get me wrong; it was good, but not great. We had a cozy table near the back and seating was very comfortable. Great for a private conversation. The food was good, particularly the Hanger Steak, however dessert was a big miss. Service was not so wonderful either — not attentive and zero enthusiasm!
I’m glad I tried this restaurant as I’ve wanted to go there for months, however, with so many other great eateries nearby, I likely won’t be back. Honestly, with a few changes, it would be four stars.

My entire family has been asking me to write this review ever since The Event…
We had a very odd experience here the night before Thanksgiving. My family (a large group of nine) had reserved Citron for the second year in-​a-​row for our Wednesday family dinner. While the food was wonderful and well-​prepared, the staff and service were rude and un-​accommodating. Our waitress was fairly nice, but checked out (we were scared each time she left the room because she wouldn’t come back for at least 30 minutes), but the main server was terribly rude! It was an awkward experience, and we felt as if we had done something wrong just by sitting down for dinner. We will most definitely NOT be returning for our pre-​Thanksgiving dinner out next year, and will opt for a place with a friendlier, warmer atmosphere.

Dessert with the Absolutely Sexy and Smart Man (ASSM). The ASSM likes chocolate. Thats right, how lucky can I be? Citron’s chocolate cake was sweet without sickly sugar hangover and they offered a pistachio ice cream, my favorite, with it. How could this get any better? Maybe with the ASSM on satin sheets, but that is a different kind of review…
Other reviewers think that this is a has been, I think that Citron is a staple. Like Piedmont Market when you need really good cheese, Citron seems like it will be there to meet the need. Like dessert. On a brisk November night with stars in the sky and in my eyes.

I really wanted to like this place. But I haven’t been this disappointed in a restaurant in a very long time.
The place was full when we got there, except for the one table which was ours. We arrived on time for our reservation, but the table wasn’t made, and we had to wait. Why weren’t they ready for us? Probably because the staff was almost completely indifferent to us and our dining experience.
Décor was blah. Service was competent, but I felt like our waiter couldn’t care less about us. I don’t know if he was offended that we brought our own wine ($ 18 corkage) or if he was tired (we were the last table seated that night), but… He forgot to bring a spoon for my boyfriend’s soup. He forgot to bring me a knife for my entrée. The busboy cleared my boyfriend’s dishes when I was still eating.
The food: well, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good enough to justify the price. We shared the charcuterie plate, and two of the meats were completely bland. The pickled vegetables were interesting, though. Then he had the lobster bisque, and it was fishy and had no chunks of lobster AT ALL. I had croquettes of saffron risotto, and that also tasted fishy (maybe they fried in canola?). For entrees, I had the salmon with summer squash, not bad, but not inspiring, and I found less than a whole chantarelle. He had the dover sole with crab, and it was tasteless. For dessert, we shared the sorbet, and the cookies were great, the sorbet was good, and that tipped the meal to 2.5 stars.
I really can’t see myself returning to this place. For the price, I can go to Pican or any number of College Ave. small restaurants which are better and more charming.

I hate to use this stereotype but this is an East Bay restaurant with SF prices.
To start off:
Bread– a little stale. This is just careless.
Lobster Bisque– more like a lobster purée. It was ok but not the silky, rich experience I expect from a bisque
Rabbit– good but at $ 28, I really expected much better. The end product was more like a $ 19-​$ 23 entrée at a comparable restaurant.
Didn’t bother with desert as I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Service– the highlight of the experience.
Its a shame because this could be a great restaurant. However, the kitchen needs to do some serious thought about what they are doing and how they are charging for what they are doing. I won’t be back for a long time.

I hate to say it, but this place is very 1995. It’s like one of those friends of yours in her early 30’s who everyone knows peaked in college.
I’m fairly certain Citron was something special when it first opened up. It seems to have a small but solid cohort of (older) regulars. I’ve been less impressed with the sister restaurant, A’Cote, recently, but at least the atmosphere there is really something to behold. Citron is just a bit frumpy. Still classy, but without any edge or inspiration. I also found the service to be aloof.
My meal was something I would have been really happy with at a small family restaurant that charged $ 12-​$ 20 for entrees. The food is filling and well-​executed, if a bit bland. The prices on the Citron menu just don’t make sense considering the ingredients and set the diner up to be disappointed.
Between my friend’s plate and mine, picking off the Unilocal Eats! menu, I tried: roasted corn soup, trio of salads, wild mushroom gnocchi, salmon with summer squash, and the «mousse.» The soup and salads were fantastic, the entrees were boring but fine, and the cake (not a mousse, and in fact quite dense rather than airy) was sub-​par. I loved my cumin-​tequila cocktail — ordering that drink in such a staid atmosphere was a wild card and I’m glad I went for it.
They need to switch their bread source, and then whatever they get to replace the sour cold rocks they are placing on their tables to set the expectation of the meal, they should serve it warm and with softer butter.
For those interested in trying Citron but on the fence — my recommendation is to try Garibaldi’s, Somerset, or Wood Tavern in the same neighborhood (Somerset is probably the closest approximation for atmosphere and menu). The food at these establishments is similarly priced but much more memorable.

When you walked into Citron it sort of felt like a ghost town. It didn’t have the hustle and bustle of neighboring A Cote, is this a sign?
The food was unmemorable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing exactly… but it’s definitely not good either.
The only thing I remember about my experience was they had a very delicious apricot tart that they baked in-​house. They also had a peach ice cream that they also creamed in-​house. I remember it being quite delicious
Maybe you should try A Cote instead.

Really wonderful food. I mean what else can you say. The only down side is the price, but the food is just soooooo good.
The pulled pork is mouthwatering. *drool. I’m starting to rethink why i left this town.
HOLD ON CITRON I’M COMING BACK!!!

On our Sunday excursion we decided to come here because of the good drink menu they had on line. More restaurants should take a note of putting their custom drinks on their web sites because that is a big deciding factor for me.
Unfortunately the drink I had wasn’t that spectacular. It was called the Moon Glow and it tasted like a regular old Gin and Tonic. The water also didn’t have any ice in it. At least put the pitcher on ice so its slightly chilled.
I started off with the Asparagus Soup. My husband and I split it. It was so good. I want to try and make it at home. A very good fresh asparagus flavor with Mayer Lemon Oil drizzled on top. A very interesting combination and absolutely delicious.
I followed the soup up with the Pulled Pork Sandwich. The pork was very tender and the sauce was good. Slightly spicier than I like but was really good with the pickled onions on it. It also came with homemade potato chips. That was actually the reason why I ordered the sandwich was for the chips and I was not disappointed. They were very good.
My husband had the Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict. He said that it was the best Hollandaise Sauce he’d ever had on an eggs Benedict. It looked very good too.
We got to sit in the window bench seat. It was really nice to people watch while we ate and sipped our drinks.
I would really like to come back and try the dinner menu out. Possibly try a different drink.

After reading all the reviews about Citron, I was on the fence about dining here. I’m glad we ended up here, as the food and service at Citron really came through.
This is an eclectic French bistro dining experience along with a Mediterranean flare. This is also one a few restaurants which has a fixed price three and four course menu, which are paired with selected wines.
My group was promptly seated, and the curtains were drawn to allow privacy. Our waitress brought out salmon canapes which was a very nice touch.
The menu items are simple, but rich in taste and presentation. I would highly recommend:
Loch Duart Salmon with the Cauliflower Purée which has the same texture of mash potatoes, but well rounds the salmon.
Choucroute Royale grilled pork loin with sauerkraut and roast potatoes. I never liked sauerkraut until now :)
Roasted Chicken Breast with Piiquillo Pepper-​Cheve Ravioli. The Ravioli is a good accompaniment to the chicken breast.
We were all impressed with the food, and wait staff.

Bye Bye Citron!

3.5 stars.
Great décor and very nice service. We were checked in on several times throughout our meal not only by the waitstaff but also the manager.
Had the spinach salad which was good cause it had a lot of dressing, but the salad itself was warm. Odd.
For dinner I had the rib eye which was prepared like prime rib. I asked for it medium rare, but at least 1 inch of the edge was well done. It was still tender, but when you want red meat, you don’t want brown meat,.
For dessert we had the chocolate cake and the apple strudel. The chocolate cake made up for everything that the apple strudel lacked. It was decadent and delicious.

«What?»
That was us to the whispering waitstaff at brunch. Me: «Oh, he said these are complimentary beignets» G/​F: «He said something when he put the plate down?» Maybe they were trying to be unobtrusive, but it was pretty annoying having to get them to repeat themselves over and over. It wasn’t just one person; it was every person that came to our table and opened their mouth. You don’t have to shout, but kick it up a notch, please.
Went here rather than try the «maybe half hour» wait at the Rockridge Café next door. Were seated pretty much immediately.
His: Chilaquiles Verde — 2 eggs, any style with Slow roasted pork, salsa verde, guacamole and sour cream + side of potatoes. Tender pork. Delicious accouterments. Nicely poached eggs.
Hers: Ricotta buttermilk pancakes with blackberry/​maple syrup. Light fluffy pancakes, perfectly cooked and a yummy fruity syrup.
Service — In addition to the low volume speech, the service was not that attentive. We had a hard time flagging down someone to get a refill on our coffees as well as getting our check at the end of the meal.
Food: 4+ stars
Service: 2 stars
Overall: 3 stars

An OK restaurant — probably one of the «better» ones in the East Bay, but it is far behind the normal standards of a fancy restaurant in S.F.
Service was good — water was filled up all the time… although I don’t remember the waiter ever checking up on us. I had to wave him down to get another glass of iced tea.
We all ordered the Gourmet East Bay menu. Portions are more on the small size.
For appetizer, I ordered the Butternut Squash soup. I thought it was rather good. I’m a huge fan of butternut squash soup so I’m already biased. Maybe also because it was wet and cold outside, drinking the soup made me warm and fuzzy. Excellent. Only complaint: should serve more!
For entrée, I got the roasted chicken. When it first came out, I was skeptical — oh no, it’s chicken breast, which means dry. But nope, the chicken was tasty and tender. I thought it was a good pairing with the mixed veggies.
For dessert, I got the brownie. Disappointed! The brownie was thick and bone dry. It was like eating cardboard. I didn’t finish. It could have used some ice cream to balance the density of the brownie.
Overall, not the greatest. This is one of those restaurants that I would try once and call it a day.

Citron offers a great value for fine dining. I had the 4 course tasting menu for $ 40. The portions were much larger than I expected for a tasting menu. Portions were closer to those off of a pre-​fixe menu. The food is well-​prepared and delicious, but it didn’t knock my socks off. However because of the great value for the type of food and the location, I’ll probably go back.
Make reservations online through
. They offer 1000 point reservations for off peak hours.

Our server Julie was VERY knowledgeable about the menu. Every one of her recommendations was spot on, including the wine.
My New York steak was served like sliced prime rib. Perfectly cooked medium rare, sliced with au jus, flavorful and tender. The escarole and caramelized onions it sat upon was so good blended with the au jus that I wanted to lick my plate.
My husband’s bouillabaisse (seasonal) was LOADED with clams and mussels. The broth was light but very tasty, hard to resist sopping up the last drop with the yummy bread (another good suggestion from our server)
I wish I had had room to try a dessert, because they looked excellent as well. But the coffee was strong and rich and good.
No complaints.