RT Bistro praised for crab thermidor

RT Bistro, the new San Francisco bistro from chefs Evan and Sarah Rich, is getting early notice for a Dungeness crab thermidor that several reviewers have singled out. (sfgate.com) (7x7.com) The restaurant opened January 9 at 205 Oak St. in Hayes Valley, just around the corner from Rich Table, the couple’s flagship restaurant. (sfgate.com) (richtablesf.com) SFGATE reported that RT Bistro brought back the Rich Table burger full time and that the kitchen increased daily bun production from 40 to 55 in the opening weeks. (sfgate.com) But the dish that keeps surfacing in write-ups is the crab thermidor: Dungeness crab re-stuffed into the shell with crabmeat, tiny mushrooms, miso and pomelo. (7x7.com) (theinfatuation.com) Another menu item getting attention is a sweet potato tempura dish that The Infatuation described as a spin on honey walnut shrimp. (theinfatuation.com) RT Bistro is a smaller room than Rich Table, with 37 seats, reclaimed Douglas fir in the redesign, and a menu positioned as a more casual California bistro. (7x7.com) (richtablesf.com) Chef de cuisine Bill Wang runs the kitchen day to day, with Evan and Sarah Rich serving as executive chefs on the project. (7x7.com) The early reviews have been notably strong. 7x7 called RT Bistro San Francisco’s “first best new restaurant of 2026,” while The Infatuation gave it an 8.6 rating and said it is “a destination in its own right.” (7x7.com) (theinfatuation.com) Reservations are released on OpenTable six weeks in advance at midnight, and the restaurant also takes walk-ins. (theinfatuation.com) (opentable.com) For now, the story around RT Bistro is simple: a January opening from one of San Francisco’s best-known chef teams has quickly turned a crab thermidor into one of the city’s most talked-about new dishes. (sfgate.com) (7x7.com)