This restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside. It's in a so-so block of the Mission, but being hidden is part of the charm. When you enter, you walk down a long hallway lined with white candles.

The hostess stand is next to the cool bar at the end of the hall. Behind the bar is the outside patio with a foreign film blasting in Italian or French like a big outdoor drive in movie. You can eat outdoors and watch the three-story-high film or indoors and just catch a few glimpse of the Foreign Cinema from the dining room windows. The restaurant is edgy in a very cool way. Somehow the whole concept of eating in a movie theater works perfectly.

The food is really good here and the kitchen has a lot of unique choices. I have in the past gotten the sea scallops, steak or Lavender Pork Chops. The desserts are delicious and creative. The menu changes here depending on what is market fresh, but I have never had a bad meal. One thing always on the menu is the large oyster bar. They have a large variety of oysters to choose from and your server will be happy to tell you which is the best and freshest on your visit.

Most of the time the wait staff is on target. We have been here a few times when the food to the table was a bit slow, but other times everything clicked like a Swiss watch.

Also I have to rate their mojiots the best in the city. The bar is ultra cool and having to wait for a table here is not a bad thing.

I like the Foreign Cinema a lot, but I have noticed it's been a lot easier to get a reservation and a lot of tables are empty in my last few visits. It was in its prime during the Dot.Com boom and seems to have lost its edge in recent years. There was a time that getting reservations was next to impossible. Nowadays they offer a reservation option on their cool web site at Foreign Cinema. I still find the concept unique and food and service great.