Ame

(SoMa)
689 Misson St.  
415-284-4040 Map it
www.amerestaurant.com

$$$-$$$$
Contemporary American
business lunch, fine dining, hotel, notable wine list, romantic

SCENE: Ame, the flagship restaurant at the St. Regis Hotel, is all about luxury. A dining room of dark wood with crimson-and-chocolate walls and heavy white linens sets the stage for high-powered business lunches and dinners for adventurous travelers and locals alike. A small sushi bar alerts diners to the menu’s Japanese influence.

EATS: Chefs Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani made their names at the helm of Terra in St. Helena. At Ame, they’ve developed an urbane menu centered around Japanese flavors and techniques smartly accented with international touches. Start with a bracing sea-bream sashimi with ponzu paired with creamy monkfish liver and move on to earthy Liberty Farm duck ravioli with giblet ragù and wilted leaves of Asian water spinach. Desserts run the gamut from a warm Bartlett pear crisp to all-American key lime pie with a roasted-pineapple salad.