The conceit of Urban Tavern is of a “gastropub,” the operative root words connoting gourmet fare and hearty drink packaged together without pretension. Sticklers, however, may take issue with the fact that this establishment, which opened recently on Geary St. — a stone’s throw from Union Square and hop-skip from the Hilton hotel lobby — may have a worthy array of regional organic wines and cocktails but nary a beer on tap. Others may seek justification for the name. “Urban” seems inarguable — the décor is tastefully chic, of a light grey tone with refined touches that include a marble-topped bar and white tablecloths dressed-down with paper — but “tavern” requires a bit of interpretation. The dining area’s ceiling beams are reclaimed from an Indiana barn, and antique mirrors line the side and back walls. The vintage theme also shows up in a life-sized steel horse — the centerpiece of the place — assembled with brightly colored recycled car, tractor and motorcycle parts. A large wood communal table near the entrance is a nod to the classic notion of a tavern.
But back to the “gastro” part. The cuisine here is Mediterranean-inspired, crafted by chef Laurent Manrique (Aqua, Fifth Floor), a part-owner, and executed by chef Patrick Kehler. The menu, laid out almost like a bifurcated flow chart, opens with signature appetizers ($9.00 to $13.00) like cazuela (clams and chorizo with fingerling potatoes and piquillo peppers); and duck prosciutto mingled with butter lettuce, fresh slices of melon, endive and a pink peppercorn vinaigrette. A calamari salad comes cold and refreshing with cubes of salted watermelon, mint and basil, and topped with crunchy slices of toasted garlic. I particularly enjoyed the ricotta cheese gnocchi, baked in a mushroom marinara sauce, which unlike the typically dense versions of this pasta was light and fluffy.
The menu then splits into two general columns: meats (like grilled hangar steak, and chicken casserole) along with heavy sides (creamy garlic mashed potatoes, lentils with bacon); and seafood options, served with vegetables. Our steak and sea bass mains ($20-22) were prepared and grilled simply, arriving in cast iron containers with accompanying sauces — including caper and parsley brown butter, and citrus and saffron vinaigrette. These must be ordered a la carte ($3-4), oddly enough, and it may be best to ask the waitstaff — who, though well meaning, seemed a little green — for recommendations. Our steamed mussels stood out as lighter fare on a table of iron-clad food. On to dessert, and a new menu: the peach melba, of poached fruit resting like a skullcap on a scoop of vanilla ice ream and doused in a fruity red sauce, adequately satisfied my sweet tooth.
Jarring as it may be to pass through the Hilton’s bright and bustling lobby en route to the restroom — where conventioneers peck at laptops and families sort out room charges — Urban Tavern manages to escape feeling like a hotel restaurant, even if shorts and hiking boots can occasionally be spotted around the tables. It is a “tavern,” after all, open to travelers and locals alike.
Urban Tavern
333 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco
415.923.4400
urbantavernsf.com