The 4 course tasting menu seated at the bar is a bargain for a Michelin rated restaurant Ambience is intimate and service exceptional Will return soon

My husband made reservations to dine in at the counter on a weekday as this restaurant has been on both of our list of to try places for the longest time. Parking: no designated parking lot. Only street parking available. Ambiance: modern, elegant and full of atmosphere. There is counter seating (serves its 4 course menu), and table seating (serves the full tasting menu). The counter seating faces its full bar. This is the spot to impress your date and to celebrate an anniversary or a special birthday. The restroom is unisex but cleaned. Service: above average. I observed the level of service provided to the full tasting menu customers compared to the limited menu counter customers and there is a difference between the two. We will definitely come back for the full tasting menu experience. However, the timing between dishes was excellent, plates were cleared immediately after we finished and new utensils were provided prior to the delivery of the next course. Food: 4/5. All the dishes were delicious except for the pork belly which was a total disappointment. The standout dishes of the night were the dry-farmed tomatoes with trout furikake, fish sauce vinaigrette & soymilk and the slow poached egg yolk with smoked dates, alliums & malt with commis levain bread & roasted chicken skin butter. The pork belly was not cooked long enough so it was very very chewy and too much fat. I had to spit out 75% of it and I hate wasting food. I was a bit surprised that the quality of that dish passed QC to be served to customers. Hopefully, it was a one off experience or I would likely avoid if the menu includes pork belly in the future. Drink: 2/5. Black sesame lemonade. I can taste the lemon but couldn't taste the black sesame at all. I would pass on this next time. Overall, the bar menu was solid with the exception of the pork belly dish. I look forward to coming back for the full tasting menu.

Commis delivered on service, creative and tasty food, and ambiance. I have been to lots of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world and I agree this should be among them. Service: attentive, engaged, happy. Accessibility: no step to front door, bathroom accessible, many tables would have easy roominess for wheelchair or medical assistive device. Food allergies: see my details about food. For this level of restaurant and price, for 5 stars, I expect each dish to be well-balanced in flavor and texture, the elements not to be repeated much if at all, and the chef to manage a dairy allergy with substitutions that are both tasty and visual similar to the originals. This is exactly what I got! Mussel with ice: I don't love mussels, but this was tasty enough. The ice and liquid it was in offset the bitter mussel, so that was clever. Sashimi cup, onion muffin, sashimi: this trio was excellent. The sashimi cup had great texture mixes. The onion muffin was my favorite: unusual, tasty, just the right size. oyster parfait, lovage and cucumber: It's a beautiful green in the photo I uploaded: this had a dairy substitution. Both original and non-dairy versions looked identical. The dairy version was cream and oyster, and that combo worked so nicely. The non-dairy was not oyster--I forget what the flavor was but it was PERFECT and in fact better than the dairy version. The overall dish had great texture, color and flavor combos. pork bao--amazing, perfect size, right on flavor balance, soft egg dish--one of the standards, this also needed a dairy sub, and again it was perfect. I could tell a slight difference in taste but not much, and it was absolutely fabulous in flavor balance and texture. There were little crisp malt balls for some of the bites, and fried bits of onion which offset the creamy other elements. Eel: this was good, though my least favorite dish. I'm used to Japanese eel and this wasn't that, I think. But they did a good job cod with curry: lovely balance, perfectly cooked fish, crispy skin on top was perfect in flavor and texture, all married with tomatoes and thin baby corn slices for nice balance. Duck trio: excellent rice: PERFECT. Ok, I've eaten A LOT of Japanese food in Japan. Fancy rice like this is usually served just before the dessert. Rice is highly valued, and the ability to make the rice dish even more special with just the right veggies and aromas and other add ins is a thing. Commis achieved! The mushrooms were crisp, there were several flavors and textures. It was so so good. Dessert 1: with ice. This was my least favorite dish of the evening. It repeated the ice from course 1, though if it had been a hotter night I might not have minded. The dairy sub here was only ok. It should have been coconut milk based I think. The main element was strawberries, which is good for a seasonal ingredient, but when paired with the cream in the original version, it made the strawberries sweeter. The non-dairy pairing lacked that, and the strawberries were not that pleasant on their own. Dessert 2: Nectarines and a little cake. If it's going to be a non-chocolate dessert, it should be like this. Great flavor and texture combos, and they used perfect fruit in season . The yogurt ice cream was fabulous and tart. The mini cream puffs (made with butter and milk and matcha inside) were ok. Dessert 3: trio of truffle, fruit block, and cookie. The fruit block was perfect. Good blend of strong fruit flavors. The cookie was forgettable and tasted too much of the cooking oil. The truffle was presented as "chocolate truffle" so we were extremely disappointed to find it was "white chocolate" which is not chocolate. For what it was, it was good.

Commis definitely ranks in my top 10 favorite restaurants in the Bay Area! Upon entering, my group were promptly acknowledged and the front staff were swift to greet me happy birthday. I thought that was such an amicable gesture and really set the tone for the rest of the night. I adore the minimalistic layout because it really let each dish that was presented shine. Highlights: Ode to Farallons - the unique flavors matched the abstract design of this beautifully made cocktail. The pattern is quite poetic to the flavor because you can taste a mellow oceanic flavor which is lightened up by the subtle aromatics of the white truffle. Masterpiece indeed. Oyster parfait with kaluga caviar- I am still dreaming about how decadent each bite was. The oyster parfait was rich and velvety and the kaluga caviar saltiness just elevated the dish even more. Wagyu Manhattan- I typically do not like manhattans but the richness of the wagyu really masked the liquor well. Slow poached egg yolk- was expecting the yolk to be runny but it was the perfect consistency throughout the entire yolk. I was mesmerized and quite intrigued on how they were able to perfect the yolk. The sweetness of the dates was a lovely touch but I wasn't too fond of the malt but I get they were trying to layer the texture of this dish. Plum milk punch- I am glad it did not end up like a plum smoothie cocktail because this was very refreshing and way too easy to go down the hatch. Now for particular drink that I was not too fond of: Osmanthus Jones - Hilarious name and reminded us of the cartoon osmosis jones but the flavors did not fit my palate. Overall, outstanding service, funny waitstaff and a wonderful spot to celebrate. Will definitely be back.

Oh, my goodness! Such food perfection...truly makes me realise what a mediocre home-cook I am. But, no matter, because I have once again been reinvigorated by wonder. Thank you, Commis, you are a true delight!

Really great. I've made it a goal to spin through all of bay areas tasting menus and this is one of the top so far, especially for the price. Also really appreciate that 20% gratuity is included within the menu price, props to them! I would describe this dinner as an exercise in flavour perfection. Too often you go to a tasting menu and there's just stuff that doesn't taste good. Not here! Everything was delicious and varied. Course progression was well planned. The highlights for me were the lamb, sea bream, and cod. Cooked perfectly and such amazing and differentiated flavors. Actually their specialty farm egg was a bit too sweet I thought. I've seen comments that they are not as innovative as others, and would agree that I've been to more creative tastings, but they far make up for it in deliciousness. Service was fine, could be better for a two star but nothing that is going to ruin your dinner unless you are a snob.

I don't think Commis needs me to write a review for them. I'm pretty sure they will get plenty of people coming by regardless. But I do feel that they deserve every positive comment that is on this site. We came in to celebrate an event and everyone tried to make it as special as possible. Staff were extremely attentive (first time I've ever had anyone take my coat), and willing to discuss the dishes. I got the black sesame lemonade, and I'm amazed about how they were able to fit the sesame flavor into the clear lemonade. It was delicious and great that they had non alcoholic options. If you are more of a wine and cocktail person, they have plenty of options for you. I loved every single dishes that was presented. Honestly, I was so full and tired (because it was a multi hour dinner but don't let that deter you) at the end of the meal. They even brought out an additional dessert for our celebration event. Yes it's pricey. Yes it's a long dinner. But if you want an experience, then I highly recommend coming to Commis.

Celebrated our anniversary here at the only 2 Michelin restaurant with 2 stars across the bay bridge. It's a $225/person tasting menu with Thai and European influences. We got the drink pairing for an additional $119 and it was totally worth it to complete the amazing dining experience at Commis. Chef Syhabout's food is delicate, balanced, and uses different texture to make the dish interesting. Every bite was incredibly memorable and has a dynamic development of flavor. All the components/ingredients' flavor profile works perfectly together. The sommelier was knowledgeable and walked us through the different tasting notes of each drink and how to best focus the flavor with each food pairing. A steady rotation of different members of the crew served us, including the chef himself. It felt very modest, and non-pretentious. Though, there were minor awkward moments here and there but overall, great experience.

Been here a couple times to celebrate special occasions and would 100% recommend!! Such a wonderful gem to have in the East Bay :) I've been telling anyone who will listen about the fantastic levain bread and chicken skin butter combo. The tom yum popcorn is such a fun twist on a classic snack and the protein in the mains were cooked to perfection. For any first-timers on the fence about making a reservation, try out the bar seating!! The ambiance there is welcoming, you get to watch your drinks prepared right in front of you and can enjoy a bit of a louder atmosphere where chit chat is welcome. Also if you're wondering whether or not the wine pairing is "worth it" ...it is ;)