Californios (San Francisco, CA May 9, 2025)

TLDR – best upscale Mexican place I've tried (have not been to Quintonil) and regained the number 2 spot in my personal San Francisco rankings. This is my third time at Californios and my favorite time.

Food – Mexican, with a focus on certain corn being highlighted around other ingredients. This is the cornerstone theme and you'll always see this along with the taco mains. The opening starters have been really refined over the past few years. Sorry no menu pic, so here are food notes:

• Double caviar open — yes please. First was a bean and cheese tart, great opening. The next tuna and caviar with peppers bite was incredible and enormous.
• Sope with Crab, mushroom and truffle. Nice warm bite with good flavors and textures
• Fish with a liquid and frozen ceviche
• Lobster and roe soup <–yum, nice spice and a hearty warm course. Lobster maybe a bit overcooked and didn't hit texture perfectly, but liked this a lot
• Fish taco – best fried fish taco!
• Tamale – with cheese and cactus, sauce was great
• Sweet potato and double mole — really liked the crisp and richness on the potato and the moles complimented well
• Fish Tacos to end — wow, some of those salsas were amazing, but was pretty full by here
• Palate cleaner with a thickened/condensed cream was great to transition to dessert
• Ice cream with pecan and burnt rum hit the sweet, savory, and liquor combo well
• Dessert bites all pleasant, especially cotton candy with ice cream bar inside.

Service / Atmosphere – first, I have to say I love a place you can order liquor and cocktails. It feels like a rarity, and it's a refreshing change (wish more Michelin places did this). Service has advanced, gotten more refined, and was a pleasant amount of engagement. Good music. Lighting directed on the tables a bit too high and was in my eyes a bit.

Will definitely go back, but I think they need to do a significant revamp for a new season before we revisit since this was the third visit, but a strong recommend.