Dalida, San Francisco CA

We booked Dalida for my husband’s birthday and it was a 9pm reservation because everything was booked up. So if you’re interested in trying, book early!

Highlight was definitely the baklava dessert!

We opted for the chef’s menu and added caviar. I believe they custom choose the items for you. We requested specifically for the octopus, because when it comes to Mediterranean food, that’s our favorite (husband is Mediterranean). Now the price is reasonable for the food, however some of the items were quite a miss in terms of flavor. The rice filled mussels were huge miss, they were nearly flavorless and cold. The octopus was just alright, gotta say that it was plated to look better than it tastes. We quite enjoyed the dips and the freshly made pita. They give you a fresh one if you finish the first one.

Then came the salad, which was tasty. The lamb was definitely pretty gamey (even for a lamb lover). But it was cooked to fall off the bone. The main courses then became quite heavy, so we packed the rest home.

In terms of service, nothing special to write home about. However, the food did all arrive pretty close to each other, so very quickly your table will be FILLED with food. So much so that the waiter ran out of room to put things down and had to remove a couple dishes that we were 80% done with.

Like I mentioned above, the baklava dessert was my favorite part. A flaky layered crust filled with what tasted like pistachio cream. Standout was the raspberry reduction that bright a bit of tartness to cut through the sugar.

All in all, there was a lot of food for the price you pay. The meal is quite heavy at the end of the day but you’ll definitely leave completely stuffed.

This restaurant is described as a Mediterranean menu and it delivers in a very creative way. Definitely worth a visit in San Franscisco

Spectacular dinner. The interior is beautiful. The food is incredible, comparable with the Michelin starred restaurants we’ve been to. Our favorite dish was the octopus.

We ordered chefs menu. Food was delicious they explained all the ingredients they had on the food. Service was excellent. They were very attentive and quick. Ambience was great. Would be a nice place to go for a date if you are thinking about it

Dalida is a welcome dining option in the Presidio, serving upscale Mediterranean food in a beautiful setting. Husband-and-wife chef owners Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz combine their extensive fine dining experience with Sayat’s Turkish roots for a modern and heartfelt menu.

We opted for Chef’s menu, which was a curated experience of their a la carte items. They started us off with the breaking bread – a plate of wonderfully fluffy “chubby” pita accompanied by a spread which included hummus, muhammara, and smoked yogurt. Don’t miss this one.

Another equally as vibrant and delicious starter was the octopus and sujuk. Extra-thinly sliced octopus was harmonious with bright, tangy olive-caper dressing and spicy fermented sausage.

The eye-catching, seafood-topped California tahdig was not as memorable as its appearance unfortunately. I thought the seafood mixed oddly with the tahdig rice. I recommend the traditional saffron tahdig instead, with extra crispy rice and barberries.

There is a concise Middle Eastern pasta section, including classic Turkish kayseri manti, which are meat-filled dumplings topped with yogurt and tomato sauce. I wish I tried this here, since I loved it in Turkey, but we had a pescatarian restriction. Instead we had su borek, a pan-roasted philo dough pastry with spinach and comte sauce, which unfortunately was a bit bland. I found this to be the case with the swordfish as well.

The sides were strong, including forest mushroom tabbouleh lettuce wraps with great texture from crispy fava and pomegranate seeds. I was excited to see late season sweet jimmy nardello peppers still on the menu as well!

I was glad I saved space for dessert. Their melon and anise ice cream was a pairing I didn’t know I needed in my life. And the rose tres leches cake was both airy and decadent, and a nice nod to Chef Laura’s Mexican roots as well.

We had a couple rounds of cocktails with dinner, and I liked the Pasha, a well-balanced blend of tequila, strawberry, tomato grenadine, thyme mountain tea, and clarified milk.

Overall, I would recommend Dalida for the food and setting. I found the appetizers and sides to be standout, and next time I definitely want to try some of their meat dishes like the aleppo half-chicken or 12-hour lamb shoulder tandoor.

Chubbiest fluffiest pita with the smoothest hummus and the sweetest muhammara. Loved celebrating our anniversary here. Su borek is a great take on the lasagna and the shoestring fries with the Mediterranean spices and aioli were really fun to snack on. The lamb chops were scrumptious.

The location at Presidio is a refreshing change from the usual restaurants in the city's hustle and bustle

PS: Something truly joyful about counter seats. The kitchen was in perfect unison.

One of the best Meditteranean places in San Francisco. The spread sampler with the pita bread was incredible and the octopus dish was both unique and delicious. The service was speedy even for a busy night and the staff was very accomodating.

Great service, interior and food. Sat by the kitchen and watched the chefs’ magic.
Octopus Carpaccio and slow cooked lamb shoulder are amazing!

If Dalida isn’t the talk of the town yet it should be. We stopped in for dessert after a fabulous show at the Presidio Theater. The ambiance is bright and open, the servers are attentive, and the food is excellent. I will definitely be going back for a complete meal.

Everything we had was incredible and very tasty. I would come back again. Keep in mind the portions are small to medium so even though we were two people, 4 dishes with 2 desserts were perfect without being too much. The lamb dumpling pasta is more dough than lamb so that was my only comment but it tasted so good with the tomato and yogurt sauce that it was still very tasty. The rose tres leches cake was worth the hype and the hamachi on the tahdig was exquisite.

Thoroughly enjoyed our first visit, thanks to our daughter's suggestion. You actually eat in the kitchen area and if you wish, can watch the show.

Sat at the Chef's Counter (this is separate from the bar) in front of the oven! I was surprised that there were always seats available.

Lemon kalimera cocktail was light, flavorful, smooth, and refreshing.

Saturnalia cocktail was like a fruity, slightly floral (it was garnished w dried rose petals) yogurt drink.

Breaking bread - the chubby pita was heavenly! Hot out of the oven, cooked to perfection, soft and fluffy inside, and perfectly paired w the smoky yogurt (you've never had any like this before - it's not tart at all), muhammara, and hummus. The pickled cauliflower, fennel, and eggplant were delicious! They were on the sweeter side. The pickled Persian cucumbers were ok. I actually liked all of these olives because they weren't sour and vinegary like typical kalamatas, they were fresh and slightly herbal flavored (cardamom? Lemon?).

I got the Anatolian Erishte because they're known for their pastas. The pasta itself was perfectly al dente. The kabocha squash was still slightly crisp, the mushrooms were fine, but the sauce was so salty, I couldn't finish the dish. It was also quite a small portion for the price ($22). Would not get this again.

Service was good, ambiance was fabulous!

Possibly better for omnivores but a disappointing experience for vegetarians. There are plenty of choices but they just weren't mind blowing or memorable. For example, the pita was delicious and hot but the dips were ordinary.

The atmosphere/decor was less than I was expecting - oddly bright lighting and not many design details.

Corkage fee is $40 FYI - info wasn't posted anywhere but we took our own wine anyway.

We will not return bc the veg food wasn't interesting enough.

Last night's Mystery Dinner turned out to be a meal at #Dalida, a delightful new Mediterranean restaurant in the Presidio. (I had the lamb dumplings, and it was sublime.) Thank you, David, for a yummy mystery! And thank you to the chef and awesome staff at Dalida.

Unique and wonderful menu. Delish and innovative cocktails. Lovely and comfortable atmosphere. So happy to have this restaurant in our midst to enjoy. Can’t wait to go back again & again.

Take your money somewhere else. Food is dry, served cold, and overall mediocre. Service could not be less attentive. Very overpriced for what it is. It took more than 15 minutes to order a drink. We were celebrating our anniversary, and the restaurant did not even acknowledge it.

Fabulous Cocktails! Creative and Delicious. Food was also creative and tasty however our short ribs had way too much rub on them and the octopus dish was great but the presentation could have been better.