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Food - North Box Restaurant, San Francisco, CA

North Box Restaurant

4.3 (364)
$31 to $50
Contemporary American
301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102

Make a reservation

A photo of North Box Restaurant restaurant

North Box Restaurant

4.3
$31 to $50
Contemporary American
Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Great for live music
  • Romantic
Located on the north mezzanine level of the historic War Memorial Opera House overlooking the magnificent main lobby, North Box Restaurant offers California cuisine with global influences, created using locally-sourced ingredients and serves as an ideal destination for pre-performance or intermission dining for any Ballet and Opera goer.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Californian, Continental
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–7:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–2:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Alfonso Mis
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Cross street
    Franklin St. and McAllister St.
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in several lots in the surrounding area. Please call lots for current hours and rates.Performing Arts Garage*Patrons dining in the Opera House may enter through the North Carriage entrance of the Opera House (adjacent to the War Memorial courtyard) up to two hours prior to curtain.
  • Public transit
    For transit directions, visit 511.org or call 511.
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Concierge
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Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at North Box Restaurant.

4.3

4.3
(364)
  • 4.0Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.5Value

Noise • Moderate

364 Reviews
  1. Maida Gold

    San Francisco60 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 16, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Perfect. Excellent cheese board. Lovely hamachi. Service impeccable.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Scott Gold

    San Francisco5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 3, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Also professional warm comfortable service. Expensive but large beautiful fresh salads and great homemade cookies to end the evening. Always good forward to coming back.

    1 person found this helpful

  3. susan Gold

    San Francisco47 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on September 27, 2026

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    My request for table front room denied. Sat back room - Waitress wonderful. Food meh need to updatd menu

    Is this helpful?

  4. kathryn Gold

    San Francisco17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on September 23, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a delight to have a light dinner before an opera. Makes the whole evening more special!

    Is this helpful?

  5. William Gold

    San Francisco116 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 28, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    North Box is an oasis of calm for a pre-opera dinner. Venues outside the building are crowded, noisy and often don't take reservations. At North Box you can relax and be confident you will make the opening curtain. The menu is limited, but well prepared. The desserts are great! The staff is friendly and efficient.

    1 person found this helpful

  6. Maida Gold

    San Francisco60 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 21, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Charming convenient excellent food and service. Makes a night at the opera even more special

    1 person found this helpful

  7. William Gold

    San Francisco116 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 14, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This is a nice alternative to other dining options in the area, or in the building. The menu is rather limited, but what they offer is done nicely. The desserts are terrific! We had excellent service from a friendly crew. If you make a reservation for pre-show dinner, the table is yours for the night, and you can pre-order snacks for intermission.

    1 person found this helpful

  8. David

    San Francisco8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 7, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Quiet, comfortable, easy to access. Food and drinks with plenty of variety. Great service. Nice to be able to be so close to our seats.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Stacey Gold

    San Francisco110 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 4, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    So easy and lovely. Attended an opera and had an early dinner and our intermission treat and drinks at the North Box. It was a lovely experience, nice food, great drinks and lovely service and helped us avoid city traffic, concerns about timing from dinner elsewhere, etc.

    1 person found this helpful

  10. Robert

    San Francisco15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 11, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The North Box is our "go-to" restaurant for opera and ballet performances. They have a limited menu, but that is in keeping with their "Cafe" style. The grilled prawns were very good and the seafood salad is great in the summertime, when lighter dishes are more appealing. Service is excellent.

    1 person found this helpful

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Californian, Continental
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–7:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–2:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Alfonso Mis
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Cross street
    Franklin St. and McAllister St.
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in several lots in the surrounding area. Please call lots for current hours and rates.Performing Arts Garage*Patrons dining in the Opera House may enter through the North Carriage entrance of the Opera House (adjacent to the War Memorial courtyard) up to two hours prior to curtain.
  • Public transit
    For transit directions, visit 511.org or call 511.
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

FAQs

Smart casual is the guide, polished but relaxed attire fits the setting.

Yes, North Box's quiet, intimate mezzanine setting overlooking the Opera House lobby, attentive service, and a thoughtful wine and cocktail list make it a lovely choice for a special evening.

North Box feels quietly elegant and intimate, a mezzanine dining room overlooking the Opera House lobby, ideal for relaxed pre‑performance meals with attentive service.

Yes, North Box Restaurant welcomes private parties, and guests note that reserved tables can be held for the evening with pre-ordered intermission snacks and drinks ready.

Certain salads are notably large, guests describe the market salad as "HUGE" and commonly split the seafood salad.

North Box livens up around busy performance nights and special-event evenings like opening nights, while many guests describe it as quiet, comfortable and an oasis of calm for pre‑performance dining.

Sunday midday is especially convenient, North Box is open Sun 12:00 pm–2:00 pm and guests praise having a relaxed lunch before a 2 pm ballet.

The Prelude Seafood Salad is a recurring favorite, it appears on the menu and several guests single it out for praise.

North Box is perfect for a pre-performance dinner or intermission, arrive before the show (weekday evenings or Sunday lunch service) to dine on the north mezzanine and reserve intermission desserts or drinks.

Yes, North Box offers classic cocktails (Negroni, Ballet Royale, Espresso Martini), a curated wine list and sparkling by the bottle, plus beers on the menu.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. San Francisco
  5. Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Make a reservation

A photo of North Box Restaurant restaurant

North Box Restaurant

4.3
$31 to $50
Contemporary American
Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today
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