One of the more appealing places to eat in San Francisco’s main central tourist district, Café de la Presse makes a pretty good fist of recreating an atmospheric French bistro despite being opposite the gateway to Chinatown. There is both a semi-formal dining room and an informal bar area with high basket-weave chairs and round wooden tables, plus an impressive magazine rack. Only the flat-screen televisions strike an incongruous note. The very good beef bourguignon (19 dollars) is rich, meaty and well-seasoned, but the portion is modest by American standards. With only a couple of potatoes in the stew, you’ll need to tuck into the fresh and free ciabatta and butter. There is beer on draught and a decent pint of Kronenbourg costs about $6. Although most of the punters seem to be visitors to the city, the staff at Café de la Presse are genuinely welcoming and friendly. 7/10
