Cafe du Soleil

I work about a block away from Café du Soleil, and after about a year it’s still my favorite lunch spot in the area. I will say the waits can get pretty long around the lunch hour, so definitely try to call your order in ahead of time or get delivery if possible.
I’ve tried a couple things off the menu, but one of my favorites is the chicken and orzo salad. They mix some really great flavors together using pesto, heirloom tomatoes, white wine vinaigrette, grilled chicken, and parmesan. It’s honestly one of my favorite salads and I love it so much that I attempted to make my own version at home! I’m also a big fan of the peach and brie sandwich, especially when toasted. They do not skimp on the ingredients, and everything tastes incredibly fresh.
Another amazing thing about this place is the prices and the portion sizes. The size of a half salad is honestly comparable to a regular sized salad at Working Girl and it’s under $ 10! Really crazy considering how expensive SOMA can be. You can even get a half salad half sandwich combo for about $ 13 and it can probably feed you for a day or two. The only complaint I have is that I wish they had a bigger location so they could put in more seating, since it has such a cute French bistro vibe going on. But besides that I have no complaints about this place and really recommend everyone try it out!

you made my sister so happy today. I contacted the Café from Massachusetts to have some food delivered to my sister in San Fran who is sick. Food was delivered to her apartment on time and still warm! Thank you so very much for making her day! She said everything was so delicious! (clam chowder, Nicoise salad, roasted chicken sandwich and sparkling water)

What a fantastic find in the heart of SOMA. Café du Soleil is a small café that offers massive portions.
Because of the serial nature of ordering, confused customers may take awhile to order while you wait behind them. That’s fine. Be patient. It’s all worth it.
Ordering online is also a breeze. Somehow you still have to wait in the same long line to pick-​up though.
My favorite here is the Bay Shrimp sandwich, which has top-​tier ingredients and flavor. My dining companions have gotten the salad and sandwich combo, which provides more than enough food for double the experience.
Come hungry, come often!

Loved the bread. Had the roasted chicken and smoked Scottish salmon. We would get them both again.

Tight squeeze and super long wait. But phenomenal food. Large portions. get the half sandwich half salad/​soup. You wont be disappointed.

Premier lunch spot in SOMA on third street. This is the best place to get a big salad (yes, this is a Seinfeld reference).
I’ve ordered the Niçoise salad the few times I’ve been here. It’s really really good.
Pro-​tip: if you’re planning on getting lunch here on a weekday, do order ahead. I’ve typically waited ~20 minutes if I order at the register.

I have never been into sandwiches, until today when I had this café’s hot chicken sandwich! It was PERFECT– pretty sizable for a half sandwich, perfectly toasted Semifreddis bread, tender chicken, and fresh veggies. The Niçoise salad was huge, fresh, and flavorful. I didn’t touch much of the salad as I was full after the sandwich, so I have my dinner figured out!
The staff is very attentive and nice. We ordered while we were walking there, and our 3 combos were ready within 15 minutes. I have had good lunches in the Financial District, but this is the first time I feel like my combo lunch is worth the money ($ 13) for the quantity, taste, and quality of ingredients. Looking forward to visiting this little gem for yummy lunches!

I am SO MAD.
So mad I never gave this place a try before! I’ve been working in the neighborhood for over 2 years, and I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this little gem! I am a HUGE fan of fancy sandwiches, and Soleil serves just that!
I had prosciutto, apple (both sliced, and in butter form), and white cheddar on Ciabatta. It was basically a sweet, savory, tart hodgepodge on my palette. IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY!
The service is friendly, and given the size of the restaurant (tiny) the time we waited for our meals not bad, (about 12 minutes).
5 Stars. Thank you for existing, Café du Soleil!

Salads portions are huge. Don’t let the picture fool you. That container is quite deep.
For downtown prices, it’s average but you end up really full. I had the Nicoise and found that they had the right amount of dressing to lube everything up. Had to take the rest to go as I barely made a dent in it.

$ 17 for a salad is steep, even for SF. I had the Chicken and Orzo which was good, but mostly just lettuce with pesto sauce on it.

I have to say I was blown away by Café Du Soleil. I came here with a friend for lunch and we both immediately decided the Niçoise salad was what we were getting. The space is small but we did end up getting a table inside and after a short wait (surprising since the line was out the door) and some great service, we got our food.
The salad was amazing. The amount of flavor in it was incredible. I would definitely recommend it and they don’t slouch on the tuna portion as well. If I’m ever back in this area, I can almost guarantee I’m going to stop by.
It’s a simple place without a huge menu but Café Du Soleil does everything right and then some. Love it.

The Nicoise salad was delicious! There’s organic mixed baby greens, seared rare ahi tuna, haircut verts, capers, olives, fingering potatoes, hard boiled eggs, vines ripened tomatoes, avocado, and red wine vinaigrette.
There’s a great balance of flavor. A small ($ 8.50) was enough to fill my tummy with happiness! Perhaps next time, I would love to get the half sandwich and half salad combo for $ 13. Expect a long line during peak lunch hours!

Gotta give it up to this place for some really delicious dishes and for using such fresh ingredients! You can tell they really care about the produce they’re using. The La Combo is perfect if you want to try one of their awesome salads paired with a just as awesome half sando. The mango Avocado chicken salad is a crowd favorite and rightfully so. My only wish is to have had a little more chicken in it. Also a «half salad» here is huge.
I tried the bay shrimp sandwich as well which was phenomenal. Juicy shrimp slathered in lemony aoli and crispy cucumbers in between some good bread makes for a great cold sandwich. It’s perfect for a hot day when you want something cooling.
I’ll definitely be back here for lunch. It is a bit pricey but expected for soma and you know you’ll be getting fresh ingredients so it’s worth it!

I’ve been here several times and each time I’ve enjoyed what I’ve order. On my most recent visit I ordered the smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese on focaccia which was a special that day. I don’t think it’s on the regular menu.
I’ve also had their salads as well. The ingredients are always fresh and taste amazing.
It’s pretty small. A few tables inside and a couple outside. The line can get long, so I highly recommend calling in your order.

Chicken, avocado, mango salad was delicious. Ingredients were very fresh. Not super filling though-​maybe if it came with a few slices of bread.

GET HERE EARLY if you don’t want to wait! Although, if I really had to wait, I would wait in line for a sandwich like this. This small little café only has 5 tables, 3 inside and 2 outside so it can get quite crowded. When you walk in, you leave the crazy and loud downtown and enter into a sweet little french café where you’d take a date.
We got there right when it opened so there was no line! They were just setting up and still bringing ingredients in so we had some time to look at the menu. We shared the smoked scotish salmon (w/​cream cheese, capes, red onions, and rosemary Focaccia) $ 9, Muesli (Greek yogurt, fresh blueberries/​strawberries, wild flower honey, granola) $ 6, and a proscuitto di parma sandwich (shaved parmigiano– reggiano, french baguette) $ 12
The smoked salmon was DELICIOUS. If I knew red onions tasted this good with smoked salmon, I would have made every one of my smoked salmon meals with it. The bread was just perfect in texture and taste. The size was just right, enough to make you full but not bloated.
My boyfriend and I loved the Muesli. Do not be fooled by the ingredients. This is not like yogurt I could get at most places. My boyfriend could not get enough of that yogurt! You can definitely tell its fresh and the blueberries were so ripe and sweet. Definitely try it because it’s light and goes right with your sandwiches.
The proscuitto di parma was not what we had expected. It was smaller than what we had heard about. This is our fault though assuming that there would be anything else other than proscuitto and cheese in there. While meat and cheese go great together, I think we just had a bit more in mind. The flavor was great though! Proscuitto is a savory meat by itself so I suppose it doesn’t need much to enhance the flavor.
Service was great! Our food was out real quick and all the workers seemed to be morning people because they were all happy and joked/​made conversation with us! No lines, happy atmosphere, great food. How else would you want to start your mornings? Can’t wait to come again and try the rest of their sandwiches!

En tant que Français nous voulions tester cet endroit qui nous a fait bonne impression. Un bon accueil ainsi qu’un bon service. Les tables sont assez étroites par contre et le Ricard était servie sans eau, mais assez vite corrigé :)

What a gem in soma! They have HUGE portions for very reasonable prices. The salads here are fresh, albeit they need to tone it done on a dressing a bit (for my taste). I got the half salad and sandwich and it’s basically two full sized items at most places. The sandwiches were standouts, simple and tasty goodness.
The dining room there is small but most people do take out so there wasn’t a long wait. Can’t wait to go back!

This is my new favorite lunch spot — what a gem. I’d definitely recommend calling ahead to place your order.
Pros:
— Prices might seem high but the portions are generous. I got the half salad and sandwich combination which could feed the hungriest of people… or a person with a normal appetite for 1.5−2 meals.
— The food is delicious. I had the orzo and chicken salad and the ham and cheese sandwich. The orzo and chicken salad had lots of flavor… and protein. Next time around, I may ask for my dressing on the side since it was slightly more heavily dressed than I would have liked. Ham and cheese on baguette was exactly like you would hope for — thin layer of ham and cheese warmed on a crunchy baguette.
Cons:
— It gets really busy for both takeout orders and eating in the restaurant. There are only 2 – 3 tables inside and a couple of tables outside so it’s a safer bet to takeout.

Three words… Order The Sandwiches.
This tiny café (and by tiny I mean 3 tables inside and 3 outside) is extremely busy during lunch because of their amazing sandwiches. Brie, persimmon and turkey sandwiches on a crunchy baguette… yum!
I ordered the nicoise salad and when they say it’s a large it’s definitely a large! I could barely eat half of it! They seemed to skip out a little on the tuna and it was a little salty from the large amount of capers and olives that came on it but still tasty.
My boyfriend ordered the brie, apple and chicken sandwich on a baguette and it was mouth watering! Next time I go I will be ordering a sandwich and will allow myself to eat the carby goodness.

Just tried this place for lunch and was super impressed for a teensy little café!
I ordered the chicken, avocado, and mango salad and boy was it delishhh. Topped with strawberries and blueberries and tons of avocado. I got a petite for $ 7 and still received a massive salad. Can someone say: GREAT DEAL?!!
My friend and I also shared the peach lemonade and might just have been the best lemonade I’ve ever had.
Overall, VERY solid lunch spot in SOMA.