Angler

"This offshoot of Saison can get expensive (around $100 per person), but they serve some of the most creative and delicious seafood in the city. (Seriously, when was the last time you had salt-and-pepper blowfish tails or tuna tartare with tomato jelly?) Angler’s pretty heavy on the we-need-to-impress-some-clients crowd (it is on Embarcadero, after all), and this bright, lively place - with service that rivals the kind bestowed to King Louis XIV - is great for celebratory group dinners or dates with cocktails and small plates." - will kamensky

"If you’re crunched for time, go to Angler for the rotating $45 three-course lunch tasting menu. You only need to utter your choice of two entrees, like a half-seabream or half-roasted chicken, before the starter seems to magically appear on the table. A dessert, like the mountainous soft serve sundae with hot fudge and cocoa nibs, is also included. If you happen to be entertaining a client or dining with a coworker you have nothing to talk to about, pivot your conversation to the many taxidermied animal heads mounted to the walls." - ricky rodriguez, julia chen 1, patrick wong

"It’s not often you have a fancy midday meal with taxidermied animal heads staring down at you, but at Angler, that’s just a weekday lunch. The Embarcadero fine dining spot serves an excellent $45 prix fixe lunch that starts with two chef’s choice oysters followed by your pick of an entree and dessert. There’s no going wrong, but we always find ourselves unable to resist the seduction of the roast half-chicken—the meat is moist, the skin crackles like glass, and it's paired with a glossy honey mustard sauce. We love ending the meal with the mini sundae that’s doused in a warm salted caramel sauce tableside." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez

"Angler on the Embarcadero is always a safe bet for a fancy lunch that doesn’t require a reservation, especially if you and the person you’re aiming to impress are happy to sit at the walk-in-only bar. Not only do you have access to the full menu and the undivided attention of the bartender, but you’ll also get to experience the comfort of their bar stools. The chair has armrests and the back is curved and slightly concave—it feels like you’re being gently swaddled by some brown leather. As an added bonus, these stools swivel, so you can easily transition between making intense eye contact with your date and having bites of aged black cod." - julia chen 1, patrick wong

"Angler opened on the Embarcadero in 2018, as a spinoff from Michelin-starred Saison, and it’s focused on seafood with some luxurious options and add-ons. Fish picks up flavor in the woodfired oven and smokers, and there are Parkerhouse rolls with cultured seaweed butter, grilled whole lobster, and hand-dived scallops, not to mention whole sea bream, aged black cod, and more. If that’s not enough, the restaurant launched a three-course lunch for $45 a person between noon and 2:30 p.m." - Dianne de Guzman, Justine Jones