La Société

Hotel restaurants have a bad rap for being underwhelming and overpriced, with menus catering to a broad audience. But La Société, a French bistro inside the Hyatt in SoMa, bucks tradition. Almost. The menu is brasserie classics combined with Californian twists, like puffy dutch crunch gougères and nicely charred scallops with locally sourced corn. But for $45, an over-peppery hanger steak frites needs to deliver but falls short—the portion could barely feed a child. This place is lively and looks designed by someone who cares deeply about modern art. But anyone with a zip code that begins with “9” won’t find the food groundbreaking enough to justify a walk through the hotel lobby. If you do wind up here, you won’t be mad. There are far worse hotel restaurant offenders.