Birthday dinner in SF - advice?

[souffle_girl]

Hi everyone, I am planning a (30th!) birthday get-together with some friends for next month and would love your advice on restaurant options. I grew up in SF but have been living in LA for the past 4 years, and therefore have a very limited idea of where would be fun, stimulating and comfortable for a group of 10 people with sophisticated palates. I'm hoping to find a place in the vicinity of SOMA / Embarcadero / the Mission etc since that is the most convenient for everyone. Thanks in advance for your ideas!

[lindareiss]

The Boulevard. The best food I've ever eaten in a long life, & service like no other.

[bernalman]

In the Mission, Foreign Cinema can accommodate large parties, and is a fun, sophisticated place with very good food. An alternative is Medjool, nearby on Mission St., which easily accommodates large parties.

South of Market, Lulu has large tables, and serves communal dishes. Nearby in SOMA, Bong Su accommodates large parties, and is a good alternative to the Slanted Door for high end Vietnamese.

In the Civic Center area, Soluna is a fun place for a group-- though it's been a while since I've eaten there.

Opentable.com has a "great for groups" link on the website, for a quick search of places that accommodate large groups.

[JockY]

It's been a couple of years since I was there but Lulu's is worth a look - on Folsom at 4th Street.

[whiner]

Moderately expensive:
Slanted Door
Piperade
Fringale (may not be able to fit 10)

Expensive:
Boulevard
Ame

Note: I left some restaurants (eg. Delfina, Range) off this list because I know for a fact they don't seat over 6.

[souffle_girl]

Thanks whiner! I'll look into those....large groups are always so difficult. You are right about Range - I called them a few days ago to ask. I've been looking forward to eating there but it will have to be some other time.

[grishnackh]

I second the Boulevard recommendation. Its a great restaurant that handles large groups quite well.