Lunaparksf.com – User Review by jeremygin

This was my favorite first date restaurant. It's a cool (but not too cool) place in the Mission with decent food. Flat iron steak is money, as are the fondu dishes. But the best part is you can get out of there for under $80 for 2 people with alcohol.

This place rocks. I actually call it my “old Frascati” because last year, I paid Luna Park a visit at least once a month for many months in a row. Came back for another go last night and it was as if time hadn't passed - their food and service were as awesome as I remembered.

This is where you go if you want reasonably priced and tasty home cooking in a restaurant setting. The interior is dimly lit, and colorful paintings adorn the dark red walls (though I think the mirrors are a bit misplaced…they should work on that). The servers are helpful and friendly, and they have a decently priced wine and drink menu (very cute are the animals the ride the rims of their drink glasses). Be careful with their scorpion bowl - supposedly there is some liquor in it but it tastes like fruit punch to me (and I rarely drink so I'm super sensitive to stuff like that).

Standout appetizers are their tuna poke with wonton chips, mac n’ cheese (think nicely browned top of bread crumbs and light cheese on shells with broccoli interspersed), and mussels and fries. Remarkable dishes include the fontina stuffed ravioli with truffle oil (perfect texture, and the mushrooms and spinach sauce compliment the dish so well), pot roast (very tender meat) and oven roasted sea bass (light and flaky, best part is the potato slices underneath). Their dessert menu is great and the portions are large enough to share: favorites include the make-your-own-s'mores (a little messy but sooo much fun…and, during the holidays, they even serve this with homemade gingerbread men...how cute is that?), apple-huckleberry crisp with vanilla bean ice cream, and chocolate chip bread pudding with chocolate chip ice cream (chewy top streaked with chocolate sauce and fluffy pudding underneath).

Only thing is, it’s a shame that this place isn’t any bigger. It’s a bit rowdy and crowdy because the tables are a tad too close together, and there is a louder noise factor. If you go with a large group you may have to play musical chairs or something. There are some curtained booths in the back which offer a bit more privacy, though glances from the occasional bathroom goers that pass you by can be a little distracting. Good thing their food and drinks are so yummy they more than make up for these small shortcomings.