Chef-owner Melissa Perello runs things to a high standard at Frances, her hit restaurant in the Castro where the dining room is small, and guaranteed to be packed any night of the week. The menu is a Californian take on French methods and prices are excellent for the level of expertise on display, making this one of the hottest tickets in town. You should start your meal with a "market shot", which is booze blended with in-season fruit juice, and is a novel start to the experience. Also try the duck confit kale salad, chickpea fritters, or the smoked bacon beignets. Open Sun-Thurs 5 p.m. - 10 p.m., Fri-Sat 5 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

frances-sf.com