Foreign Cinema

Foreign Cinema, at 2534 Mission Street in San Francisco's Mission District, is a Californian-Mediterranean restaurant best known for its courtyard, where classic and art-house films are projected onto a concrete wall during dinner. It opened in 1999 under Gayle Pirie and John Clark and helped establish the dining identity of this stretch of Mission Street. The kitchen works with seasonal Northern California produce and Mediterranean flavors, with no formal tasting-menu structure. Emblematic dishes include the oysters, served at an oyster bar in the dining room, the steak frites, seasonal fish and a popular weekend brunch with plates such as the restaurant's egg dishes and pastries. The room is large and industrial, with high ceilings, a long indoor dining room, a lit courtyard with heaters and the film screen as a backdrop; the atmosphere is lively and fairly loud, and the dress code is casual to smart casual. The beverage programme includes a considerable wine list, cocktails and a bar that serves as a separate gathering point. Reservations are recommended and are made through foreigncinema.com, with evening and weekend brunch tables filling up days or weeks ahead; courtyard seating is popular, so visitors who want an outdoor table should request it in advance. Dinner runs Monday to Thursday from 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM, Friday and Saturday to 10:00 PM and Sunday to 9:00 PM, with brunch on weekends from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Typical dinner spending is about $45 to $75 per person before drinks, and brunch runs somewhat lower. The location sits near the 24th Street Mission BART station and a short distance from the neighborhood's taquerias, murals and shops, which makes it a natural dinner choice after a day exploring the Mission in San Francisco, California.