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Le Central, San Francisco, CA

Le Central

4.7
4.7
2153 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
Opened in 1974, Le Central has been serving traditional French cuisine for five decades, boasting the honor of being San Francisco’s most historic French bistro. Located on the edge of the Financial District, Union Square, and Chinatown in a rare one story brick building adorned with its iconic pink neon sign and crowned by a vintage “Tabac” sign. Step into this charming restaurant and be transported to a Parisian brasserie. With exposed brick walls, original imported brass bar, stained glass features, and cozy banquettes topped with brass railings. The atmosphere invites you to unwind and enjoy delicious French fare and exceptional wines and cocktails in an upscale, yet casual environment. Enjoy French classics like steak-frites, escargot, onion soup, and our world famous Cassoulet. Le Central’s cuisine is comforting yet sumptuous. Le Central is the downtown stop for locals and visitors looking for a taste of “La Belle Vie”!!!

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Happy Hour Mon–Sat 4:30 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (415) 391-2233
  • Website
    http://www.lecentralbistro.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    Le Central is available for private events, please visit our website for inqueries. https://www.lecentralbistro.com
  • Location
    453 Bush St., San Francisco, CA 94108
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown / Union Square
  • Cross street
    Grant and Kearny
  • Parking details
    Sutter-Stockton Garage
  • Public transit
    Powell or Montgomery stations
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,153 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • San Francisco

    French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Le Central offers a delightful French bistro experience in San Francisco. With "great food and great service," it's a reliable choice for classic French cuisine. The "cassoulet is epic," and the "steak frites" are a must-try. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, making it perfect for special occasions or a casual outing.

2,153 Reviews

  1. Cindy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best French Onion Soup in the city! Great place to meet up and sit at the bar for oysters and champagne.

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  2. Suzi

    VIP

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Even on a busy Valentine’s Day, we had the best experience for our first visit to Le Central!

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  3. Karen

    VIP

    San Francisco

    98 reviews

    5.0

    98 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food and service were excellent. A little too much lighting in the dining room though.

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  4. Christine

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I would try something different on the menu if I go back. Over all it was good. My only complaint is the tables are too close together on the bar side. Take out a table or two. It would be more enjoyable to be less likely to hear the conversations at the tables on either side.

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  5. Nancy

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We took a friend there for a birthday lunch. The food was great. The service was perfect. We enjoyed it immensely!

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  6. Noele

    VIP

    Hawaii

    26 reviews

    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on February 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love the atmosphere, service was wonderful, food was delicious, had the cassoulet and bourguignon. Unfortunately the dinner ended sadly with the desserts. Got the apple and lemon tartes. I’m gonna say it wasn’t fresh. While the lemon flavor was nice and tart, the apples were all cinnamon, and the crusts on both were soggy and mushy.

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  7. Matt

    San Francisco

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on February 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Always a solid choice for dining, business or pleasure

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  8. ethan

    VIP

    London

    73 reviews

    5.0

    73 reviews

    Dined on February 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was delicious, especially the cauliflower soup of the day. The servers were attentive yet gave us time to make food decisions and were gracious as we closed out the place without any pressure to leave. Excellent advice on menu choices by several of the staff made for a wonderful evening.

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  9. Judi

    VIP

    San Francisco

    98 reviews

    2.0

    98 reviews

    Dined on January 31, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    I would think an established French Bistro could conjure up the right pomme frittes to accompany the Mussels. The French fries were limp, cold and rather dreadful to look at let alone consume. It's obvious Le Central's good times have passed by as it used to be a lovely dining experience. And it would be nice for waiter to say "goodbye and thank you" instead of just staring.
    Le CentralResponded on February 1, 2025
    Judi, We are so sorry you had this experience, I wish you let the server know you were not happy we could have easily remade the fries which are usually very good. Regardless, thank you for letting us know so we can relay this message to the chef so this doesn't happen to someone else. Usually our staff is very good at greeting and thanking customers when they leave. we will look into who the server was and let them know this upset you. It goes without saying that guests should be acknowledged both when arriving and leaving.

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  10. Sandy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    68 reviews

    5.0

    68 reviews

    Dined on January 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always I say- a sure bet you will be pleased. As a Native San Franciscan, many years of eating here.
    Le CentralResponded on February 1, 2025
    Sandy, hank you so much for the great review, we are so glad you enjoyed everything. We hope you dine with us again soon.

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FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Le Central using the Order Online button.

Le Central is rated 4.7 stars by 2153 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Le Central

453 Bush St., San Francisco, CA 94108

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Grant and Kearny
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown / Union Square
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Happy Hour Mon–Sat 4:30 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Sutter-Stockton Garage
  • Public transit
    Powell or Montgomery stations
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.lecentralbistro.com/
  • Phone number
    (415) 391-2233
  • Private party facilities
    Le Central is available for private events, please visit our website for inqueries. https://www.lecentralbistro.com
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