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Joey
(77) reviews
2/13/2007
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “
This restaurant is as the owner says a Mix of spanish Basque and french Basque elements, however the menu depicts as he said more on the spanish side.
This was a recommend from my cousin Chef Vicki. Well I would say that we had to wait a long time, yet I think in my estimation it was worth the wait. It was not spectacular but it was a nice treat. The evening we had gone they had some Flamenco, which lent to a nice effect.
Parking may be a challenge, but we parked a few blocks away. Even if the neighborhood looks rough there is a main police station not too far..so that keeps things in check..unless they are at Starbucks ';-) ”
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a reservation
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kennyboy
(53) reviews
8/15/2006
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ delicious tapas and sangria. I had their pan-seared tuna with aioli on my first visit but they removed it on my second and third visit. Too bad. It was so good. Another must order dishes are their stuffed calamari in squid ink over spanish rice and the Tripes. Great restaurant to go for a casual dinner with a few friends. ”
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a reservation
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jpierson
(412) reviews
7/7/2006
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ Aside from europeans with jumbo large phones, there is nothing making Iluna Basque a worse experience than anywhere else nearby. Pricing is aggressive relative to the portions, but the tourists weren't griping, and it really wasn't out of sorts with its comparables. Add to it, this is North Beach - It's foolish to expect bargain pricing in this neighborhood. Chef Menor was not behind the pans on our visit, but that's not unusual at any other shop of this sort, either. If you have a problem with a $9 cheese plate here, you have a great deal to fuss about here in the 415. On our visit, we stuck to the small plates and the Coit tower view at sunset. If there is a better meal going in north beach right now, I have not tried it. The hams were rocking, as was the cheese. The duck empanadas and foie gras were both excellent. The hunky waiter was competent, recommended a killer spanish white and had the ladies aswoon. Salting my game will cost you, Fabio. The desserts alone are worth a visit ”
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a reservation
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mapleleafgirl
(480) reviews
5/21/2006
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ We ate here last night and shared a bunch of apps. french Onion Soup...while not bad, should NOT be called french onion soup...it was a light broth and not the standard you would expect. The shrimp croquettes were OK as was the spanish tortilla ( i make these my self and I do a MUCH better job ...this one was greasy and bland). The meat and cheese plates were pretty good. The foie gras was a saving grace...but i know its hard to really screw up foie gras. Overall I don't recommend and won't be back anytime soon
”
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a reservation
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promotersf
(423) reviews
5/21/2006
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ Been wanting to try Iluna Basque for awhile since I love Basque cuisine and I love tapas...but the tapas fell short on pretty much everything we ordered. The place was busy and the staff was friendly, but $147 for a disappointing tapas fest will not have me coming back. The Basque cheese plate and crab croquettes were decent, but the french onion soup was weak...no beefy stock, tasted just like an "onion" soup. The mache salad was bland, the shrimp brouchettes and spanish tortilla were mediocre. The only highlight was the foie gras, but hey...it was foie gras. I was really looking forward to some great tapas after all the reviews, but I doubt i'll give it another chance since it was so off. Too bad, cute place. ”
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a reservation
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garlicspammer
(26) reviews
3/22/2006
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ A little expensive for a tapas place with average to mediocre food. The beef stew was pretty bland, the sauteed scallops were almost invisible and the duck rillette empanada was good, but not special. The only thing we had that stood out from the rest (and even so, it was only a little above average) was the ham & egg piperade. We had a bottle of Buchli Station Pinot Noir and that was the only thing that was memorable. Corkage $20.
”
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a reservation
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dolcetto
(7) reviews
1/16/2006
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ I read all the other reviews and it would seem that Iluna has had some teething problems with really bad service and uneven food. Had none of the problems but service could be warmer; heat could be turned up a notch as well! We had french Onion soup (tasty but oversalted), mussels in a spicy sauce and a very satisfying beef stew with chanterelles. Also, lamb brochettes which were a little chewy.My husband liked them but I thought it somewhat lacking in flavor. Did not wait too long, then again, we were not too hungry! Have to agree with some that wine list was not too interesting and with prices per glass averaging $9, really pricey. Tab came to $34 for 4 dishes, no drinks. Probably wont be going back but would recommend if you were in the neighborhood and wanted something other than italian. ”
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a reservation
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Chadder Box
(185) reviews
12/7/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ I went to Iluna Basque a couple weeks ago with a $50 gift certificate courtesy of the SF Survey daily give away. After reading some of the other reviews about how little you got for your money, we were prepared to walk out paying $50 on top of the $50 credit we had. However, in the end, we ended up eating a wonderful meal that filled us both AND we had credit left over. The food was rich and full of flavor and the vibe and atmosphere cool. It is true, at $8+ per glass, the wine is a bit on the pricey side. The parking is the only other downside but if you want to go out in North Beach, that's the price you pay. I would recommend Iluna Basque to friends and family alike. ”
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a reservation
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shiralg
(140) reviews
11/29/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ Despite the mixed reviews, I was pleased with Iluna Basque. Certainly some items were particularly good, while others were less worthy of rave reviews. I was most impressed with the scallops, which were cooked to perfection, and the spinach and goat cheese "tortilla" which resembled a baked omlette, was delicious. The tuna was somewhat dry and in a bland sauce. Overall, positive. ”
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a reservation
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wyld4yoo
(212) reviews
10/28/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ I'll barely give this a positive rating. The food is fair to good, but could be improved with slight changes. I had the Croquettes and Seared Tuna. Both were tasty and well presented. I think the mediocre service and some drama in the kitchen gave me some negative feelings about the place. The prices can't be beat and I would love to go back and try some other plates next time. ”
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a reservation
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katen
(5) reviews
9/2/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ I had my anniversary dinner with my boyfriend a few weeks ago at illuna basque...
and frankly ...I was terribly disappointed..! After reading all these reviews I thought this would be ideal...it turned out to be very strictly mediocre.
The Mache salad was Excellent, but other than that the food was just ok.
The service was nice and friendly and definately kudos for the candle on our desert! : )
”
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a reservation
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drafted
(14) reviews
8/28/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ tapas can be done so well but, unfortunately, this is not the case for this restaurant. For around $100 we got the following (all extremely small portions): mache salad, cheese plate (3 tiny slivers), croquettes (3 small pieces), empanada (even though it says empanadas, you only get one), prawns (4 pieces), chicken & onion stew (about a cup worth), pound cake and chocolate mousse for dessert, two glasses of sangria, and one glass of white wine. This doesn't sound so bad in a list, but I can't possibly express in 1000 characters how disappointing the meal was. The mache salad was bland and nothing to speak of. The cheese was cheap and worth about 1/18th of the nearly $9 we paid for it. Croquettes, prawns, and stew were so-so, but nowhere near worth the cash. Empanada was so bad I'd be upset if I'd bought it as a microwave meal. desserts and drinks were okay. Overall, an extremely dissatisfying meal with very mediocre service (it took 20 minutes for anyone to ask for our order)! ”
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a reservation
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xscientist
(223) reviews
8/12/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ Just went to Iluna by way of an SFSurvey prize (thanks SFS!) and had a great time. Iluna is an upscale tapas joint, and a welcome addition to North Beach. The food was great but not perfect. And I may have been swayed a bit by the fact that our meal was basically half-price. Good Margaritas and cocktails (try the Jaqueline). We had the shrimp skewers (very good), crab croquettes (excellent), scallops (divine), asparagus (interesting - very overcooked, but purposely so), eggplant (cheese topping was a little heavy), spinach and goat cheese tortilla (tortilla is a pie, not a flatbread. this was not so hot, skip it), and the olive and chorizo empanada (excellent, but very strong in olive flavor). All in all a good meal, and a nice alternative to the rest of the neighborhood's offerings. ”
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a reservation
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green tea smoothie
(63) reviews
8/10/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ i liked the idea that they serve small plates. the salad had a very sour, almost unedible dressing, the steak was on the oily side, the iced tea was not fresh, but the shrimp skewers and the fried potatoes(taste like potatoe chips) were good. it wasn't bad, just okay. ”
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a reservation
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johnnymo
(5) reviews
8/6/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ Just came from a nice cozy dinner for two at this restaurant. The tapas were very tasty, and came out of the kitchen hot, and fresh without much of a wait.
The special was Paella with shrimp, mussels, and chorizo.....it was moist, flavorful, and just the right portion for two. Service was very good. Full bar. Good views of the square, and Coit Tower ”
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a reservation
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richy
(1) review
8/6/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ I went to Iluna Basque with great expectations - french/spanish tapas; sounds great right? Well unfortunately that was not the case. The place is a COMPLETE rip off trying to be something it isn't by pulling the wool over the eyes of the pretentious clientele. The plates are tiny (so don't expect to leave satisfied unless you spend at least $70 per person). An example of the terrible value: The cheese plate: A couple of thin slivers of cheddar selling for a whopping $8 - That amounts to $2 a bite!!!
Bottom line: don't go here if you want value. ”
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a reservation
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Wayne Lambright
(212) reviews
8/5/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ My first visit and just look at all my photos, the food is delicious, I especially liked the Duck Breast, the Crisp Shaved Potatoes Flash Fried with Herbs & Vinegar and the Fresh Sautéed Scallops, which were tender and Juicy, just looking at the food makes me want more, I want to comment on the pizza, it caught me off guard because the dough was not crisp, more bread like, the cheese is a Basque cheese which is deliciously strong in flavor, Area for improvement is to consider cooking the pizza until the crust is crisp [low moisture]. Conclusion: A fun/safe place to take friends, the menu is sure to please everybody's palate, Ultra clean, with lots of attention to detail, like the little wrappers on the napkins that say iluna Basque, price about 25-30 per/person, friendly informative service, make a reservation they get busy. ”
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a reservation
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Angela Von Buelow
(227) reviews
8/5/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ From the first sip of sangria to the last bite of dessert the whole table was delighted, happy faces passing small dishes around for everyone to try. We ate just about everything on the menu and we all had our favorites, these are mine. Seared Tuna with Bleu des Basque Sauce, the tuna was very fresh, tender and seared to perfection. Everyone loved the Duck w/ Caramelized Apples, perfectly cooked. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Scallops, usually they are not my favorite but these were a cut above the rest, very fresh and tender and the avocado complemented them very nicely. The Piperade, Paella, the spanish Tortilla and the Chocolate Mousse were all fantastic. I recommend bringing a large group, order a carafe of the mango peach White Sangria(a must try) to start and share as many dishes as your appetite permits. It’s like a trip to Basque country without the jet lag. Enjoy! ”
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a reservation
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punks
(110) reviews
8/4/2005
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ October 2005 Review:
I went back and heck, I'm not even a winner for the certificate! Goes to show you that the duck is worth the repeat visit as is the friendly service. I chatted with Mattin the cute chef/owner when I went in and told him "I'm back!" and referred to SF Survey. The dishes were all exceptional and the bill was reasonable ($58 for two of us including 2 glasses of wine). It's worth noting that for $7.75 you get 3 beautifully plump scallops with avocado and nowhere in town can you get that kind of deal!
July 2005 Review:
The different flavors in each dish are wonderful and intense. The duck is outstanding and cooked to the perfect point of medium rare. The carmelized apples in that dish are dreamy. I liked the pasilla pepper stuffed with the salt cod very much as well. Overall a good value, caring chef that makes sure his dishes are served hot and not mass produced. The table ooohed and ahhhed over many things. Well done! ”
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a reservation
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iluomo
(99) reviews
5/27/2004
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Cuisine:
French Spanish
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North Beach |
| “ Unfortunately, I have to downgrade my review of this place to a neutral. They were really hitting the mark in the beginning, but now it's just not as fresh and tasty as it was before. The piperade is still very good though. ”
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a reservation
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