B44 Catalan Bistro

B44 is a Catalan Bistro located on San Francisco's picturesque Belden Place in the Financial District. B44 offers classic Spanish cuisine with a modern touch. As B44 is located on Belden Place, they offer al-fresco dining in addition to a tastefully decorated dining room complete with pictures of "Castells" (human towers famous at festivals throughout Spain's Catalonia).

After a recent trip, my friend Erin passed along her "amateur review" which I will happily expand upon.

Pros:
Great sangria
Good paella
Hot waiters w/ accents

Cons:
They ran out of sangria on a Friday night (at least a waiter w/ a hot accent told us so)

She was particularly impressed with her hot waiter thus he is mentioned in two out of four of her comments, but the best part of the restaurant IS the food and the wine. B44 artfully crafts delicious and visually pleasing dishes of which their paellas are the best in San Francisco. The stand-out appetizers/tapas are: sauteed aqua gem clams, tiger shrimp with garlic and adobo, ceviche of shrimp, octopus and scallops and the Spanish cheese with quince paste. B44 has 10 different styles of paella on their menu with my three favorites being the 1) classic Paella B44 with saffron rice, chorizo, chicken and seafood 2) Arroz con Bogavante with Maine lobster and 3) Arroz Negre with squid, clams and squid ink. The wine list is just as impressive as the food and features reasonably priced Spanish wine.

B44 is a great place to spend a long lunch or a romantic meal and the location on Belden Place couldn't be more perfect for this Spanish gem.

Belden Place in San Francisco

Belden Place in San Francisco's Financial District magically transports its customers to a quaint street in Europe. The alley, tucked away amongst the many high rises of the San Francisco, offers an American representation of classic European dining. Eight restaurants line the alley providing both indoor and al-fresco dining. The alley is set up in classic European style with small 2-4 person tables dotted with large umbrellas and space heaters. Cafe Bastille, Cafe Tiramisu, Plouf, B44, Brindisi, Trademark, Sam's Grill, Belden Tavern line Belden Place offering Italian, Spanish, and French cuisine. Belden Place is a perfect place to have a power lunch with clients, enjoy drinks and appetizers for happy hour or to share a romantic meal under the stars. The restaurants lining Belden Place are usually quite busy. The convenient location in the Financial District and the quaint al-fresco dining make this group of restaurants one of the hottest tickets in town. Make a reservation on http://www.opentable.com/ or come during off-hours or expect to wait at least 30 minutes for a table. Belden Place is well worth it, so come down and enjoy a relaxing meal in European style.