Restaurant Review: Per Diem (San Francisco)

by Anthony Losanno
Per Diem SF

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I used to spend every other week in San Francisco on business. While there, I would often stay at the Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel. I discovered a restaurant back when it first opened (in 2011) and have been dining there ever since. Per Diem is located in the Financial District and its menu of Californian-Italian cuisine is consistently excellent.

Anthony’s Take: I have been to Per Diem many times for lunch, happy hour, and dinner. It was the perfect spot for a solo meal this weekend. My food was fresh and delicious, perfectly cooked, and just what I was craving. The service was great and I left full and happy.

Per Diem SF 2

Decor & Vibe

The restaurant occupies two floors and I dined downstairs. The ground floor has a large bar that takes up a good percentage of the room. Tables line the walls and a banquette extends along the window. The decor is masculine with navy, dark wood, columns, and metalwork throughout.

Per Diem SF 3

My table was near the front windows.

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Food

The dinner menu offers a nice mix of pasta, flatbreads, delicious starters, and a nice assortment of main courses. I opted to begin with the PEI Mussels and followed that up with the Pan Seared Salmon.

Per Diem SF 5

My PEI Mussels arrived shortly after I ordered them. The tomato broth was so delicious that I could have eaten it with a spoon like soup. I dipped the perfectly toasted bread into the broth and savored the moment.

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The Pan Seared Salmon was my choice for a main course. It was served with roasted root vegetables. This felt a bit more like a fall/winter dish, but it was perfectly cooked with a nice crispy skin and the sides were just as yummy.

Per Diem SF 6

Drinks

Per Diem has a nice wine list, cocktails, and beer.

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I had a sparkling rose from Sonoma County. It paired nicely with my seafood selections.

Overall Impression:

I am thrilled that Per Diem survived the pandemic and continues to offer the delicious dishes that I had come to expect. My meal was excellent and I’ll certainly return on my next trip to San Francisco.

Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: When I’m dining out, I want to maximize my points earned. My card of choice for restaurants and food delivery is the American Express® Gold Card. With it, I earn four Membership Rewards® Points for each dollar spent at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the US. It also includes up to $120 annual credit (up to $10 per month given in statement credits) for Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. Plus, up to another $120 annually (up to $10 per month) in Uber Cash that I can use for Uber Eats. When I’m hungry, this is the card I choose. (Terms apply and enrollment required for select benefits.) Learn more.

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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.

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