Est. 1979 as part of San Francisco Zen Center, this restaurant offers vegetarian dining with view: the windows on the side frame a sweeping view of the Bay, Marina, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands. Thirty-foot ceiling, contemporary paintings, and redwood sculptures decorate the interior. International menu with choices like avocado sushi rolls, tofu skewers, curry, polenta, chocolate mousse, and sorbet desserts. Also operates Greens-To-Go take away counter. Open Tue-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, Tue-Thu 5:30pm-9:00pm, Fri-Sun 5:00pm-9:00pm, Sat-Sun 10:30am-2:30pm.
-
Landmark Building A, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd (at Marina District), San Francisco, California, USA, 94123
-
Loading...
-
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 19 Mar 2024 by villain
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business
-
-
98 Reviews
First Review by aaronsk
JLeen
Points +293
Great Brunch - Edit
Sunday brunch at Greens was a last minute decision, but I'm so glad we tried it. We started with an iced oat milk latte and a Persimmon Spritz (Apologue Persimmon, Serene Bitter & Soda). The spritz was bittersweet goodness. We shared the fresh spring roll which was good with fresh veggies. My only complaint was the rice paper wrappers were a little on the hard side like they sat in the refrigerator. The beech mushroom side salad that accompanied the roll had a great flavor. Our favorite dish was the Potato Griddle Cakes (vegan with tofu instead of egg). We'll definitely be back for that one again. The other two stand outs were the pomegranate tomato salad that accompanied the Mesquite Grilled Tofu Skewers and the Pomegranate Tea Cake. Overall it was a great meal.
Read morePros: Great variety of flavors, Fresh produce from local farms, Outdoor dining / dog friendly
Cons: Parking was difficult on Sunday
Guest
Zurv
Points +1090
$$$ but worth - Edit
This place has a super great view of the Golden Gate Bridge from inside. The outside patio does not have a view but is comfortable and nice. It’s good that they have heaters because it gets cold out there(typical sf). Overall the food was delicious. Not as many vegan items as I would have hoped for but still tasty.
Read moreThe lentil dal was delicious and the spring rolls too. The showstopper this time was the sweet potato cakes!! They were delicious especially with the special sauce that it comes with. For dessert I had the peach cobbler/cake thing and it was one of the best vegan desserts in the city I’ve had. The staff is chill too. Note that their menu changes as the seasons change because their ingredients come from a local farm.
The special soup of the days are amazing.
Updated from previous review on 2023-10-12
Pros: Nice views, Kind staff, Vegan desserts
Cons: Expensive , Free parking is far
Guest
jollieduck
Points +2267
Delectable - Edit
This place is just amazing. Everything was next level delicious, especially the cornbread and tofu skewers which came with a zhug and cashew cream sauce and tomato and pomegranate salad.
Read moreGuest
tyhou
Points +81
Excellent atmosphere - Edit
I had the mixed vegetable soup, which wasn't anything special. Would probably come back and try other things though, because the atmosphere and the view was so good.
Read moreGuest
Angelo23
Points +282
Feeling the blues? Go to Greens! - Edit
Greens is great and offers a wide array of vegan options. It's been around for years and even survived a fire. It's in a great neighborhood with plenty to do afterwards so very good spot for date night or a special occasion. The only thing that I would change is the portion size relative to the price other than that it's lovely. It has a beautiful dining room and attentive staff. It's worth checking out if you are in the area and want to try something different.
Read moreGuest
raeolite
Points +26
Delicious Veg food for all! - Edit
Quite literally the best meal I've had in months! The wine pairing was also perfect.
Read morePros: Food presentation and taste, Individualized service, Dog friendly!
Guest
k_robsss
Points +1157
Beautiful views - Edit
Vegetarian restaurant but most food can be made vegan. There was a good selection of wines when I went too. What I ate was great #Veganuary
Read moreGuest
Gopala108
Points +3227
awesome views, great service, ambience and solid food - Edit
Me and my friend both had birthdays this week so we decided to celebrate today by going to Greens. We booked a 5pm reservation. Amazing views of Golden Gate Bridge and sunset over the Bay and Pacific Ocean with the natural beauty of the Marin Headlands on the other side of the bridge.
Read moreBirthdays don't happen often so was a special occasion to celebrate. We shared the spring roll which was the only vegan by default first course. The spring roll includes tofu, pickled vegetables, peanut sauce, and beech mushrooms. They were good not great. The spring rolls have been on the menu since 1979 when I was born and when Greens first opened.
Greens gets their produce from the SF Zen Center affiliated Green Gulch farms where I have done two retreats so think that is awesome they get their amazing produce there as the farm at Green Gulch is special.
For our second course or main course my friend got the Aloo Saag Pot Pie aka gamma masala, cauliflower, carrots, lentils, garbanzos, coconut milk, puff pastry, frisbee salad with turmeric dijon vinaigrette. My friend gave it 3.5 to 4 stars.
I had the Pumpkin Khao Soi Curry with chow mien noodles, pickled mustard greens, shallots, kale, beech mushrooms, and green beans. This dish can be made vegan by subbing rice noodles for main noodles. I enjoyed the dish and give it 4.5 stars.
The menu is all vegetarian yet lists items as vegan with a v and vp for vegan possible items.
Service here was on point. My friend dropped his sweater and staff immediately picked it up. Our server was great and knowledgeable of the menu and gave us good recommendations.
For dessert we had the Chocolate Budino made vegan with raspberry sauce and a chocolate crinkle cookie. This was made vegan and my friend had the dairy based whipped creme fraiche.
The restaurant was packed and ambience was exquisite.
With awesome views, great service, ambience and solid food Greens gets five stars in my book. I feel that Millennium has better food as is my favorite special occasion restaurant in the Bay Area yet Greens is solid for reasons stated in my review.
Look forward to returning here again.
Pros: great service, ambience and solid food
Guest
bfeitosa
Points +5191
Not sure what I ate was vegan - Edit
Most items have a VP that stands for "vegan possible". Basically the entire menu contains a variety of cheeses and egg, so removing that will make the meal tasteless. HOWEVER, I tried the brunch popusas, and the tofu tasted amazing (though smoked, not "eggy"). I felt a bit uneasy because the waiter did not know if they had vegan cheeses and came back to ask "no egg" for what I ordered as vegan... So, yes, my meal tasted amazing, but maybe I had dairy and didn't taste it?! Unlikely, but the lack of transparency on how the substitutes work makes me give them 4 stars instead of 5. My only complain, really, though pretty substantial.
Read morePros: Great taste, Great view, Creative combinations
Cons: Vegan-possible dishes may still contain dairy?
Guest
phaniedim
Points +146
Amazing but expensive - Edit
Creative and great quality food
Read moreGuest
SonshineEvieK
Points +188
Vegan friendly? - Edit
All of my reviews have been positive. This is the first time I am writing something less than positive. We just ate at this restaurant for lunch. Yes… There is a beautiful view. The basic salad and soup were wonderful. And I enjoyed the corn bread (even though they gave me regular butter, and there was no vegan substitute). My husband, who is not a vegan, enjoyed the lentil burger. Here’s my beef… When a restaurant says “vegan possible”, I do not want to find out that I can have any entrée or salad minus all the cheese, minus the sauce, or anything else that contains dairy…. And then not have any substitutions available. So basically, I pay a high cost for an item, and then have several things taken off of it. That to me, is not accommodating to a vegan. Even if you added a dollar and gave me the option for vegan cheese, I would be happy. But please don’t take off several things on an item, and then charge me the same.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-06-11
Pros: Great view, Vegetarian friendly
Cons: No actual vegan substitutes, Paid parking only
Guest
ShradhaTomar
Points +13
Food was good, but service was TERRIBLE!! - Edit
Everything was perfect, until the server asked for more tip because he felt what we offered wasn't enough. He called us out in front of everyone. Couple of suggestions:
Read more1. Train your staff better.
2. Start adding a tip suggestion on the bill, so that a customer if drunk doesn't get penalized for doing the math wrong
Or
3. Just deduct the desired gratuity automatically.
This will be my last visit to this restaurant, so will be my recommendation for my friends.
Great food, but server ruined my special moment.
Pros: Great food, Good Atmosphere
Cons: Waiter can be rude, Tipping , Service
Guest
MariaDetweiler
Points +38
Amazing hummus, beautiful view - Edit
Great service and view! Green hummus was amazing - pita was just ok. Chili was pretty good. Korma, biscuits, and carrot/ginger soup were okay, but pretty bland. Sticky rice was very bland and would not recommend. Overall cool place, just need to season most dishes a bit more.
Read morePros: Green hummus!!, Service, View
Cons: Sticky rice, Other bland dishes
Guest
Veganmouse
Points +1235
Love this place - Edit
Most options available vegan. Creative menu that is frequently updated. Beautiful space inside and outside. Good portion sizes, though not a cheap meal.
Read moreFor vegan scramble they use tofu. I'd probably prefer just egg, but still tastes good
Updated from previous review on 2023-06-04
Guest
VeganMuffin
Points +405
Nice but not great - Edit
Update, second visit and this time we went for brunch. The place is geared towards vegetarian items, with eggs and dairy in most dishes. I eat vegan and there was only one thing on the brunch menu that is vegan by default, pancakes. I hoped for some veggies so ordered a "vegan possible" dish. I thought they would just take off the cheese and egg and said as much to the waitress, but they added tofu and it was a very different dish than I hoped for. For $30 I hoped to like my main dish, but it was hard to eat it. It was almost all tofu, that I had not expected or wanted, and it was not listed on the dish. We ordered corn bread and they have honey butter for non vegans but they don't have a side of vegan butter. All in all, it is not a good place for vegans and that is counter to what I thought for the reputation of this place. I would not go back, sadly. The view is nice.
Read moreWe went for the Valentine's day price fix meal which did not offer a vegan starter. The soup and salad were excellent. Only one vegan option for the entree and it was just ok, chickpea tagine. Served with charred artichokes that I didn't realize were inedible until they were in my mouth. Dessert was ok, which is a bummer because chocolate and sugar should be great. Price listed was 76. They tacked on tax plus a San Francisco tax so it was over 100 not including water or drinks for a good second course of soup or salad. Service was super rushed. I get it they are busy but when I'm paying 350 for dinner I'd like to be able to ask the server what they recommend. Although in this case only one vegan option was possible.
Updated from previous review on 2019-02-18
Pros: Ambiance, Classic San Francisco experience
Cons: Super pricey, Service rushed, Food was not nearly as good as what I can make
Guest
Soniaaprisco
Points +2753
Restaurante fancy com comida boa! - Edit
Restaurante espaçoso. Fomos jantar sem reserva, mas aconselho vivamente reservar para assegurar mesa..
Read moreServiço atencioso. Pratos caros.
A comida era saborosa e com bom apresentação, mas não achámos nada de extraordinário.
A vista ao por-do-sol é muito boa!
Pros: Vista, Serviço
Cons: Dispendioso
Guest
joanna240
Points +325
Vegan icon still a worthwhile stop - Edit
I've been going to Greens for decades, and remember when it was run by the Zen Center, making each meal a special, almost spiritual experience.
Read moreThose days are gone. It's now just another noisy, crowded place -- the beautiful setting hasn't changed -- with tables too close together, prices above average, and staff who repeatedly interrupt a conversation to ask if everything's okay (practically leaning over your food because of the tables being so close together and the noise), a little too attentive for my liking, but okay.
We went to Greens to celebrate a special occasion and I reserved weeks in advance, specifically requesting a window table. They began to seat us in one of the least desirable tables -- in the center of traffic -- but when I protested, quickly moved us to a vacant window table.
The food is tasty, a little too heavy on the oil, but no one else can work magic with seasonings/spices as Greens does. It would not be my regular go-to, but it's worth an annual visit
I peeked inside their outdoor seating, which is in the alley in front of the restaurant. It was almost empty and I can understand why. It's not worth paying high prices to sit at a picnic table under a tent in the alley.
Guest
deanutbutter
Points +180
Good but overpriced - Edit
Nice view, good food and wine, but entrees are around $30. Enjoyed the empanadas and sautéed broccoli. A little disappointed that there weren’t more vegan options.
Read moreGuest
ACav
Points +85
Vegetarian since 1979 - Edit
Local vegetarian and cultural icon, Greens was originally created and run by the SF Zen Center. A great place for a special occasion!
Read moreI had the daal soup-excellent! And the Fig Tartine. This is the second time I tried vegan cheese. I find I'm not a fan. I would have preferred the vegan tartine with a hummus/white bean spread option to replace the goat cheese.
I bought at the pastry counter to take home: a vegan whole wheat seeded roll and a vegan blueberry muffin--both very good.
I enjoyed the experience but I liked it better when it was run by the Zen Center (yes, I've gotten old). They are a bit in the Western vegetarian-everything-has-to-have-cheese mode. Not ideal from a nutrition/WFPB perspective. Still, I give 5 stars cuz it is a good, solid vegetarian restaurant with a great legacy and place in SF Bay history.
Updated from previous review on 2022-08-30
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Delicious, fresh produce, Great views, easy parking
Cons: Expensive, Vegan options, but not WFPB nutrition level
Guest
FAvo
Points +28
Great vegan options - Edit
Went for lunch, the restaurant is just beautiful, great view by the port and great atmosphere! We had the spring rolls (were ok), the pappardelle (they offer vegan option) were delicious but the curry was the best! Super creamy and tasty . We had a vegan cardamon cake.. it was soso .
Read moreBut all over, for lunch or for dinner great options for vegan and vegetarian!
Guest
sarina_f93
Points +229
Good - Edit
Food was tasty, but not overwhelming. Location would be amazing if you could see the Bridge, but mostly it's too foggy.
Read moreWhen we were there they left the door open and it was freezing. First, they gave us a table close to the door, but we couldn't sit there because it was too cold. When we asked, they immediately gave us a new table. Many people in the restaurant wore jackets so we think we were not the only one freezing.
Cons: Freezing, Pricey
Guest
RoseyRadish
Points +567
Good veg options @ great venue - Edit
Rotating seasonal menu selection. Had some great dishes here and also some average dishes. Good drinks and servers are all very knowledgeable about vegan options
Read morePros: Always plenty of vegetarian & some vegan options, Beautiful venue w views & indoor/outdoor seating, Rotating menu with always something new to try
Cons: More vegan desserts!, The cool wooden seats/tables are uncomfortable, Some dishes are very average compared to others
Guest
johnsonen117
Points +17
Great vegan and vegetarian options with great views - Edit
Trendy spot on the marina with vegan and vegetarian options.
Read moreCons: Not a lot of flavor
Guest
NickShackleton
Points +695
Great - Edit
Solely veggie/vegan menu. Lots of veggie options available as vegan. Tasty dessert
Read moreGuest
minthin
Points +843
Would I go back? - Edit
Ok, it truly was a wonderful meal. It seems like the value of the restaurant is in three things: the fancy wood pieces, the view (void at night), and it’s legacy being masterful presenting vegetable centric dishes. And the dishes we had—jambalaya and Thai middle curry—were great.
Read moreI sense there’s a lot of purity here. There’s def no mock meats, which is fine. But they seem to believe that the only way to make dairy products is with cows milk. I wish they would explore the limits of their culinary talents to make plant based cheeses and butters. Their knowledge of vegan friendly dishes was abhorrent—possibly related to staffing challenges. They totally messed up one dish and graciously comped it. I’m glad to have experienced this historic spot and am grateful for all it has contributed to the veg movement.
Guest
Adventurechica
Points +1296
Good food - Edit
Vegetarian restaurant with one or two vegan items and a few more vegan possible vp.
Read morePros: Good good, Vegan options , Great view
Guest
sagarak
Points +580
Great View & Fancy Vegan Food - Edit
I always bring omnivores here, the view is amazing and it’s one of the fancier vegan-friendly restaurants around. The vegetarian options are great and the vegan options are usually good too, the menu changes but most recently I got a pasta dish. Make sure to specify the vegan option, they gave me a nut-based cream sauce instead of dairy, it was excellent! The green tea was delicious too. One vegan options for dessert, a cardamom cake with sorbet. Very tasty frosting!
Read morePros: Many dishes able to be made vegan, Fine dining
Cons: Expensive
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 24174 times.