3rd Cousin - San Francisco

My wife treated me to a birthday celebration at this restaurant, and while the staff were kind and engaging, and the service was great, the food was generally lackluster to not good. I appreciate restaurants offering vegan options, but for nearly $200 per person, the tasting menu fell far short of my hopes and expectations. The courses were mostly vegetables without much seasoning. One dish featured beans, radishes, zucchini, and mushrooms, all cooked until their flavors were faint, with a vegan dashi that tasted only of salt. An heirloom tomato, fig, and balsamic vinaigrette was pleasant, though the tomatoes lacked flavor, and the vegan option was simply the vegetarian dish without cheese. The main course consisted of a single fig, three Brussels sprouts without discernible sauce, a nicely cooked piece of tofu with a faint teriyaki taste, and a small amount of a pleasant date and tamarind sauce. The most flavorful dish was pasta with broccolini, but it was overwhelmed by tahini, giving the pasta a texture like creamy peanut butter and an overpowering sesame taste. The dessert was the only truly bad dish: while the vegetarian option was a nicely plated panna cotta, the vegan choice was a single scoop of freezer-burnt chocolate almond milk ice cream, with noticeable ice crystals and a stronger almond milk flavor than chocolate. I did not finish it. The best dish was the initial salad with an interesting basil vinaigrette. I mentioned my underwhelm to the server, who was gracious and comped a juice, but I would have preferred better food at full price. My impression is that the vegan menu was developed by subtracting ingredients from other menus rather than building a plant-based option from scratch. At a price point nearly double that of Dirt Candy, this review felt merited. For those seeking a special occasion restaurant with vegan options at a lower price point, I recommend Besharam, Aiso, Cha Ya, Shizen, and Greens. I hope 3rd Cousin reconsiders their vegan menu, as everything but the food was wonderful.

My experience at this restaurant was a mixed bag. The food was creative and well-executed, earning a high rating. However, the price was a significant issue, with a 20% gratuity automatically added for a party of two, which I found outrageous. Another major flaw was the atmosphere; the space was packed with too many tables, making it feel cramped and very loud. While the service was excellent, the overall value was diminished by the high cost and uncomfortable seating arrangement.

My experience at this restaurant was quite disappointing. The service felt very rushed, which detracted from the overall dining experience. While the food used good ingredients, it was ultimately very average for the price and lacked taste. I was also unhappy with the extra added gratuity and city mandate charges, which felt like an unwelcome surprise.

My husband and I had a wonderful time celebrating my birthday at Third Cousin! The food was really delicious. We especially want to thank our server, Oceano, for the excellent service and thoughtful wine pairing suggestions.

A group of us celebrated September birthdays at 3rd Cousin and we’re so glad we did. The food was outstanding, and our server, Oceano, introduced us to some absolutely delicious wines and helped us with pairings. We had an amazing night and tried a lot of new things! We’re so lucky to have this place in the neighborhood.