Marina Beach at 3659 Buchanan St. has 18 seats, about six tables and four counter stools. The San Francisco Standard reported that owner Murugan Gunasekaran and chef Lucas Morris-Lopez opened it in June. Three weeks later, Mayor Daniel Lurie came in unannounced. On July 13 he posted a video calling it "the coziest restaurant in the city," and by the end of July every table was booked through the summer.
Possibly no more reservations
The owners told the Standard they are thinking about going walk-in only. Diners already line up 30 minutes before the 5 p.m. opening to get counter seats. Some customers have been booking several tables on the same night and then trying to push them together. "It's getting out of hand," Gunasekaran said. "We want to be inclusive and not make this like an exclusive thing."
The food
The menu is Tamil food from South India and Sri Lanka, cooked with California produce. It changes about every two weeks and has seven or eight dishes at a time. The one constant is sourdough with soft house-made paneer. Morris-Lopez previously cooked at Masala y Maíz in Mexico City, which has a Michelin star. The Standard liked the javvarisi vadai with tomato chutney and cheddar, and the cashew-based kurma with house-made chapathi. Eater SF visited in early September and recommended the albacore-and-potato samosas ($16), the green-bean verkadalai sundal ($14), halibut in panchai curry ($36) and strawberry-black pepper ice cream ($8).
Eater said most small plates cost $12 to $24 and wines by the glass mostly cost $12 to $16. The wine list leans natural. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.