First Born

Review summary

1. A

   Amber

   San Francisco

   31 reviews

   4.0

   31 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   The restaurant looks beautiful when peeking in as you walk by. The bar is pretty, the lighting attractive, but it was often only half full. We had reservations for 7:15 on a Saturday. Per usual, it was half full. No one was even sitting at the bar. The food was very good as were the drinks. The ambience is a little odd. First of all there was a DJ spinning club beats during dinner which I thought was odd. Thankfully he wasn’t too loud. Secondly, the space is sterile. It’s like a fancy cafeteria. There are no booths, quiet corners, or separate spaces. Everyone can see everyone. Thirdly, there was some sort of awkwardly hung black curtains portioning off the back of the room for some reason. The owners should remove some tables, rearrange to create private spaces and to make the restaurant appear more full, and do something about the weird black drapes. Also, music is good, but ditch the club beats during dinner. The food is good, the bartenders are top notch and that place should be jumping on a Saturday night.
   

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2. N

   Neal

   San Francisco

   14 reviews

   4.0

   14 reviews

   Dined on 2 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 2

   The food is outstanding; very creative and tasty. Service was excellent. The interior is totally renovated from when we started going to this location (not this restaurant) 50 years ago. Very chic. However it is much too loud inside. Lower the volume and nix the DJ.
   

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3. R

   Russell

   San Francisco

   47 reviews

   3.0

   47 reviews

   Dined on 25 January 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 2

   Music much too loud for dining. Missed the mark on Los Gatos demographic, who do not want loud DJ music with dinner. Will not return unless the music volume changes.
   

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4. N

   Neena

   VIP

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 5 January 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   We visited First Born for the first time and were very impressed with the ambience and location and the overall feel and set up. The food was sub-par though. All the appetizers like the fries and mushroom fritetrs and spring rolls were way too oily. You could actaully taste the oil. we had ordered vegetarian spring rolls and it has the smell of fish so was probably fired in the same oil as other meat dishes, which is not right at all. The main dishes were so sweet, it felt like we were having dessert and not savory dishes. Lots of improvement on the food is required.
   

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5. E

   Erica

   VIP

   San Francisco

   13 reviews

   5.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on 30 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This restaurant was absolutely fantastic, from the service to the atmosphere to the delicious food. Every dish we had was unique and full of flavor. The pork riblets were incredibly tender, and the prawns were cooked to perfection. The standout side dish was the ube sticky rice because of its flavor—I’ve never had anything like it! Shoutout to the chef for the outstanding appetizers, mains, and desserts! We will be back the next time we’re in town!!
   

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   1 person found this helpful

6. M

   Miriam

   Toronto

   9 reviews

   4.0

   9 reviews

   Dined on 23 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   We had a great family dinner to celebrate my husband's birthday. We ate a bunch of their tapas/ share plates and each one was delicious. The food came out hot, it was beautifully plated/presented, and the flavours were fresh and balanced. Our server was prompt and polite, and also managed to give us space while still being present. Total pro. We will definitely return.
   

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7. D

   Don

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 2

   Food was very good. We ordered tapas style and portions were actually pretty large. Sharing 3 “small plates” and one main was too much for two people. Spirits list was good. Noise level was high and the DJ confuses what they are trying to achieve. I like EDM and house music but they could do without the DJ here and invest in some noise reducing fabric/material. Service was just okay. Not horrible but level of attention could have been better. We would go back.
   

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8. S

   Sandra

   VIP

   San Francisco

   19 reviews

   5.0

   19 reviews

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   My husband and I dined at First Born on Fri., Dec. 13. It's a beautiful restaurant. Very sophisticated looking. My husband asked to have some cabernet wine. The one he chose; they said they don't have it. He asked about the other cabernet but they had only one other one, however my husband said he'll just have beer. We both had Truffle Fries. They were delicious. We also liked our entree that came with rice. The staff made sure that we were enjoying the food. RESTAURANT'S that have a variety of liquor are restaurants that know liquor brings in revenue!
   

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9. J

   Julie

   VIP

   New York City

   11 reviews

   4.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on 7 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Amazing menu. Superb portions and we enjoyed everything ordered
   

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10. X

    Xun

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    The weekend / holiday vibe is great! Owner will come to you and chat friendly! The Christmas decorations are also good, live DJ is a bonus. Food is good, a little bit pricier than you expected for steak / pawns ($50-70 range for a main course), Vietnamese Fusion. Service can be improved to match the vibe and price. Default tips suggestion is from 20%, FYI. Overall, it’s a nice place to dine and we will try their brunch the other day. Recommend to experience.
    

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