San Francisco Restaurants|San Francisco, California, United States

Campton Place

Name: Campton Place
Telephone: 415-955-5555

San Francisco's premier spot for Cal-Indian cuisine

VERIFIED LUXURY

Learn How We Inspect

Tucked inside Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Taj Campton Place, the refined Campton Place will surprise you.

Located just off of the touristy Union Square, in the heart of downtown San Francisco, the elegant eatery delivers innovative cuisine — a fusion of California fare and Indian dishes that chef Srijith Gopinathan aptly calls Cal-Indian.

By combining fresh local ingredients with the spices and cooking techniques of his native Southern India, Gopinathan has developed a style all his own, resulting in dishes that are full of flavor and depth.

With white linen tablecloths and an attentive, but not imposing staff, Campton Place is one of the city’s best-kept fine-dining secrets.

Our Inspector's Highlights

The restaurant has an upscale, but relaxed vibe with roomy old-fashioned booths, crisp linens, jazz music and mood lighting.
A gorgeous blown-glass statement chandelier resembles a Chihuly, though it was actually sculpted by San Francisco artist Nikolas Weinstein.
Campton Place isn’t just known for its cuisine, it’s also a wine destination. Master sommelier Richard Dean has collected more than 10,000 bottles from all over the world, including an 81-year-old Madeira, a 17-year-old Riesling Spatlese and a three-year-old Albariño from Spain.
The best way to experience chef Gopinathan’s Cal-Indian cuisine is by letting him lead the way with the Spice Route tasting menu. Each dish on the unique six-course selection is well-conceived and -executed.
The service at this San Francisco restaurant is extraordinarily attentive from the second you set foot in the dining room. For example, as you sit down, a waiter will magically appear with a special brocade ottoman for your purse.

Things to Know

The restaurant is also open for breakfast and dinner. The morning menu offers an assortment of classic dishes, like brioche French toast and corned beef hash, as well as a couple Indian-inspired items like the masala omelet with green chiles.
At dinner, there is no à la carte option. The Spice Route tasting menu is the only offering, but there is a vegetarian edition available as well.
Come hungry. The meal is about six courses long and includes indulgent ingredients like lobster, guinea hen and lamb.
Adjacent to the restaurant is where you’ll find the bar and the more casual Campton Place Bistro. An assortment of Spice Route dishes are also on offer here, making this a great way to experience Gopinathan’s delicious cuisine without committing to the tasting menu.
The dress code at Campton Place is smart casual. Men will be perfectly dressed in trousers and a button-down or polo shirt; while women should feel comfortable wearing trousers, blouses, skirts or casual dresses.

The Food

Gopinathan excels at delighting the senses and understands the power of a perfectly presented plate. Caviar comes in a hollowed out lemon bowl set on a bed of rocks, crispy papadum is covered in edible flowers and a lassi-style peach and lime shake is served in a miniature milk jar with a flexible straw.
The first official course of the tasting menu is also the restaurant’s signature dish, spice pot. A small clay pot is filled with a tasty tamarind chutney and tiny seasonal vegetables that you’re encouraged to eat with your hands, but not before liquid nitrogen is poured into a larger outer vessel, resulting in a billowing smoke effect.
For the final two courses, meat and dessert, you’ll be offered one of two options. We recommend getting one of each so that you can taste all of Gopinathan’s dishes.

The Chef

Growing up in Southern Indian, Gopinathan was aware of the importance of using fresh ingredients from a young age. Ginger and turmeric blossomed in his backyard and he was often tasked with picking them for his grandmother while she was cooking.
Gopinathan attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he learned the traditional French techniques that he uses often in his kitchen at Campton Place.
He believes that San Francisco has the best produce on the planet and takes full advantage of the local bounty by making weekly trips to the Ferry Building’s famed farmers market and partnering with nearby producers to order the exact items — such as kiwi, Meyer lemon and yuba (tofu skin) — he needs.
Gopinathan is always experimenting in the kitchen. He’s working on recipes for creative dishes like seaweed naan bun, brined black cod fillet and savoy cabbage with roasted turnips and aniseeds.

Amenities