Monsieur Benjamin is a sleek, French-inspired restaurant in the heart of Hayes Valley. Deemed as the more casual eatery from Chef Corey Lee, who also opened Benu, it is one of the few brunch spots in San Francisco that takes reservations (and aren’t impossible to get!). Why this place isn’t as swamped for brunch as it is for dinner always surprises me. With thoughtful, minimalist design and a vast menu that has lots of yummy egg dishes, Monsieur Benjamin is definitely one of my top choices for brunch.
I love all the thoughtful details here. The matte black facade and signature flatware, all marked with their signature fox logo. The windows are huge and lots of natural light streams in, making it a truly enjoyable experience for brunch.
Since it is a French bistro, their brunch specializes in any eggs and of course, their pomme frites (above) are not to be missed.
I don’t know what it is about their scrambled eggs, but it’s perfect in its simplicity. Soft curds, lightly salted with a hint of chives, it’s prepared flawlessly. And don’t worry, the potatoes are a worthy partner to the eggs. Extra crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, I could eat plates on plates of them.
Of course, eating with my fellow photographers Sarah and Vy meant we were all patient enough to wait until we got all the pictures we needed :).
If you have visitors from out of town and don’t want to subject them to hour long waits for brunch, I would highly recommend Monsieur Benjamin!