B44 Catalan Bistro (San Francisco, CA)

On the note of Spanish tapas restaurants, I decided to dig up some photos in my archives.  Some of my photos really aren't the greatest, as I usually go out for dinner/restaurants with dim lighting/I get lazy and use my phone or old camera for photos.  Either way, since I was talking about how I was in love with tapas restaurants, here is one that I went to when I was back in San Francisco while I was going to school at Berkeley.

Located on Belden street in the financial district of San Francisco, this cozy, dimly lit tapas sits aside many other restaurants with outdoor seating.  Belden street- for the record- is more like an alleyway filled with restaurants, so if you happen to not take fancy to B44's menu, there are plenty of other options to choose from.  On a random night, me and my friends decided to head to the city to shop and grab dinner afterwards.

This place was very dimly lit with red candles, so my pictures aren't the most appetizing...  We had the ceviche, which is basically a seafood salad typically marinated in lime.  The presentation was nice, but the ceviche itself wasn't out of the ordinary.  The seafood was fresh- especially that delicious scallop on top- and the flavor was close to authentic, but tasted like ceviche I could find at a less pricey joint.

We also got the grilled leg of lamb brochette with cucumber salad, which was, in my opinion, the best plate of the night.  The meat was grilled to perfection, and I only wish the sauces were as good as the meat.  In any case, it still topped the other dishes.

We also got a paella (I think it was the Paella Barceloneta) dish, which is pretty classic Spanish food.  Ours consisted of shrimp, muscles, and clams, and the course itself was quite delicious, though I remember the seafood for that being just mediocre.  Being in the bay area, as well as in the financial district, I expected a little more from them.  In any case, the paella was delicious but not the best I've had.  The food was good and enjoyable, but for what I was paying, I was hoping for a little more.  Maybe it was just lacking a bit in creativity and authenticity, and that the place is a bit pricey- especially for a broke to-be medical student. ;P


Price: 20 USD pp | $$
Rating: 3.5/5





B44 (website)
44 Belden Place
San Francisco, CA
#: (415) 986-6287