Forkelo ranking · Updated September 2026
9 french onion soups across San Francisco, ranked on what people say about the dish itself — never the restaurant's overall rating.
Chapeau · Inner Richmond
16 dish-specific mentions · 88% positive · 4 source types · menu verified September 2026
Rich, slightly sweet soupe à l’oignon with croutons and Gruyère—strong onion-cheese flavor even when the crust isn’t full.
Chez Maman East · Potrero Hill
6 dish-specific mentions · 83% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Winey beef broth, sweet onions, soaked bread, and a thick browned Gruyère cap that locals keep calling the city’s comfort bowl.
Galinette · Outer Sunset
4 dish-specific mentions · 75% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Outer Sunset beach-bistro bowl with savory onions and a gooey cheese pull that Infatuation and recent diners both flag.
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar · Hayes Valley
4 dish-specific mentions · 75% positive · 2 source types · menu verified September 2026
Crouton under Gruyère and Emmental gratinée; Hayes Valley staples call out deep flavor and generous cheese.
Le Central · Financial District
5 dish-specific mentions · 60% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
FiDi classic with tender onions, baguette, and bubbling Gruyère; rich comfort, sometimes on the salty side.
Brazen Head · Marina
4 dish-specific mentions · 50% positive · 2 source types · menu verified September 2026
Marina late-night crock built on six-hour demi with Gruyère-mozzarella gratinée; a talked-up house staple.
Chez Maman West · Hayes Valley
5 dish-specific mentions · 60% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Hayes Valley crock loaded with croutons and bubbly Gruyère; some diners want more onion under the cheese blanket.
Zazie · Cole Valley
3 dish-specific mentions · 33% positive · 3 source types · menu verified September 2026
Beef-broth French onion under tip-free pricing; solid dinner starter, though some diners find better value elsewhere.
Brenda's French Soul Food · Tenderloin
4 dish-specific mentions · 25% positive · 2 source types · menu verified September 2026
Polk Street onion soup gratinée with a Swiss cheese crouton—hot and melty when it hits, uneven on off nights.
Every score is built from evidence about the specific dish: how often locals recommend it, how strongly, how recently, and whether independent sources agree. A restaurant's overall star rating is never converted into a dish score.
Quality and confidence are reported separately. A dish two people loved can score high, but it is marked limited data until more evidence backs it up. The whole calculation — every constant, and three dishes worked through line by line — is written out on the methodology page.
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