50 Best Italian Restaurants in San Francisco

“Great leisurely lunch with girlfriends. Staff was friendly attentive. The butternut squash ravioli was to die for! Nice ambiance (we sat outside). Enjoyed!“

“Amazing service and food!!!!“

“Food and drinks were amazing. We had oysters, calamari, Caesar salad, lobster lasagna and hanger steak. For dessert we had the sorbet and tiramisu. The star of the show: the staff but specifically our server Maggie was also sooo amazing. We were celebrating a birthday and a farewell dinner and she made sure we had the best time! As a F&B manager, I love a good dining experience and this was it!“

“everything about the restaurant, from the heated outdoor dining, people who work there, the food so deliciously great especially the one that prepares and cook it, THE CHEFS, amazingly incredible they are and not so pricey above all.“

“Excellent food and service. My friends from NYC enjoyed their dinners as well. Will definitely be back!“

“Amazing service and food!!!!“

“Had a luncheon @ Perbacco with my 9 coworkers and Manager to say “goodbye & farewell” to a retiring coworker and “welcome” to a new coworker. Started with a round of hors d'oeuvre’s. The thin sliced veal with a sauce and capers was delicious! The fried shrimp, veggies and olives/anchovies…also with a sauce was awesome as well. For my main, I had CRESTE DI GALLO - semolina pasta - wild mushroom ragu - spinach - ricotta salata. Our waiter was the best! I saved one of the sugar cookies from my deserts…Burnt Carmel Gelato. Mentioned it to our waiter and as we were leaving, I heard “Sir! Sir!” He brought me one of their meringue cookies to also share with my partner! I thought that was just awesome! Top notch food and customer service. We’ll be back!“

“a little skeptical coming after hearing mixed reviews but flour and water surprised me in the best way possible.

service was top tier with our server providing detailed recommendations. loved the complimentary sparkling water that was specifically mentioned.

all of the filled pastas were top tier!

carrot agnolotti: reminiscent of a cozy fall, had great spices and flavors. perfectly cooked pasta.

rainbow scarpinocc: the famous signature dish was tasty but honestly expected a little more. would still recommend though

porcini gnochetti sardi: highly recommend. creamy, rich, al dente pasta

budino: don’t typically like chocolate but wasn’t too sweet and decadent.“

“Iconic SF chicken spot surprised us with other tasty treats. Don't sleep on the flourless chocolate cake, chilled shrimp, or fritto!

Food: 5. Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5
Cost to worth it rating: 3
Opentableable: yes
Return worthiness: yes

Highlight:
- Charley: most amazing waiter. Friendly and so on top of it. Anticipated what we needed and paid attention to details. Realized an app I mentioned was lost in a service handoff on his own and said he'd make it happen.
- Flourless chocolate cake: fluffiest version I've had with just the right amount of subtle sweetness. 5 stars
- White shrimp: fantastic chilled starter can order by the piece. 5 stars
- Fritto: lightly fried crispy calamari, broccolini, and the surprise star; eggplant. 5 stars
- Anchovies: not too salty or briny and my friend enjoyed them. 5 stars
- Chicken: well cooked and appreciated the brine: 4.5 stars
- Roasted tomatoes and peppers: as sides for the steak were almost Chez Panisse worthy wonderful. 4.5 stars
- Acme bread and butter: solid and appreciate no bread plates to encourage using the paper on the table. 4 stars
- Bavette steak: cooked nicely with flakey salt on top. 4 stars
- Squash and bresaola: unique dish and appreciated the almonds for texture. 4 stars
- Pavlova: unique with fennel and raspberries. Great texture not too crunchy and not too soft. 4 stars
- Atmosphere: simple yet comfortable with several hidden dining rooms upstairs in addition to the downstairs area
- Wine: short list but enjoyed what we had: extra brut, gamey, unique white varietal, and white label house pinot.

Midlights:
- If Barting not the most fun 10 minute walk down market, but could muni closer.

Lowlights:
- Chicken did stay true to its long wait of over an hour which is quite a while. Like that it's done fresh but with most people ordering them you'd think maybe they could have them ready and have a steady stream of fresh ones.
- I've lived in the area all my life and have been meaning to visit but have never been here--been missing out“

“Lovely friendly Italian wine bar and delicious restaurant. Fresh innovative salads, pastas and main courses. Highly recommended.“

“What a great little find! It was great food. When I asked for a suggestion on wine; our waiter was so nice and asked me a few questions as to what I liked and gave me a great Pinot I loved! No judgements on my lack of familiarity with wines. The squid ink sauce was incredible!!!!“

“Excellent service and great food!“

“Food was very tasty and well prepared, staff attentive and responsive, ambience is perfect“

“Great food!! Service was fantastic. Consistently good!“

“Very solid and unassuming Italian restaurants! The rigatoni with pink sauce reminds me of the pasta from Aquarello, which holds two Michelin stars, but is much more balanced in flavor. Their polpo is super tender, and I have to say that their panne cotta is probably the best one I’ve ever had! Perfect balance in sweetness and texture. Will definitely come back!“

“When paying for the food, I had to choose or enter a tip amount. Since it was a takeout order, I didn't really have to leave anything. But I decided to give a 10% tip ($3.05) just to say, 'Please take good care of my order' haha. And wow, it totally paid off!“

“The Food that i ordered was fantastic specially the seafood pasta in tomato sauce , rich in taste, large serving.

The staff are friendly and very accomodating.
Ambiance was pleasant. I do recommend this place, i enjoyed my visit.“

“Great atmosphere, very friendly servers and of course Delicious Italian pizza😋“

“This is a classic Italian restaurant with a lively atmosphere and excellent service. The portions are generous and the food is delicious. We ordered the classic pepperoni pizza, the classic cheese and bacon pizza, as well as the lasagna and carbonara. The pizzas were cooked to perfection, with a crispy and delicious crust. The pasta was cheesy and filling.“

“The best pasta and sauces in San Francisco. Authentic Italian cuisine! Highly recommend. Father and son team are amazingly warm hosts!“

“Very tasteful and delicious real Italian food. I definitely recommend the gnocchi al Gorgonzola and spaghetti alle vongole. They also have a traditional home made Roman style pizza, which is marvellous. The service is also great. Reservation is recommended.“

“Food was amazing! Great atmosphere and friendly attentive staff!“

“I’m here for business from Canada. Was taken here for supper by a coworker. The quaintest little restaurant, the owner and his wife are just awesome. The food is gorgeous! And his limoncello is the best I’ve ever had. Will be going back before I head home. ❤️❤️❤️“

“Great team of real Pros! Husband Chef, Wife Wine Steward & Saul, my friend, Front of House…Outstanding!“

“It was our first time and the service was amazing. Our dinner was more than excellent, the grilled pork chops with sweet potato puree best ever tasted. Great selection in red wine and great atmosphere! Owners were there and were very welcoming and down to earth! 100% recommended“

“We’re visiting from out of town, and I came here with a friend who drove in from San Jose to spend the day with. We went on a Saturday for brunch, and we got the breakfast pizza to share with a side of bacon and roasted potatoes. The pizza and bacon were delicious, but the potatoes I would pass. I think they were over cooked and bland.

Also got a cafe au lait, and it was served in bowl! Super cute.“

“The food is absolutely stunning. Everything is fresh and the flavors mix amazingly“

“Always a hit! You are welcomed like family!“

“Truly authentic Calabrese style Italian cuisine takes us back to Nonna’s kitchen“

“My husband and I enjoyed our dinner very much! He had the Paparadele and I had the beet salad and pizza. They were both delicious! We definitely will be going back!🍷“

“(Make a reservation)
We arrived at Capo’s around 7:20 pm on a Saturday and were told we would have to wait 40 minutes for a table.
As hungry travelers, we said thank you and as we were about to leave, the hostess finds a nook and sat us down outside. I appreciate the fact that she did us that favor.
There were no patio heaters, so if sitting outside or walking in during busy hours, expect to dine outside in the cold with no heat (during winter).

(The Staff)
It was a very busy night, but the staff did a spectacular job in checking in on us.

(The Food)
The appetizers come in a reasonably sized portion, we ordered the garlic bread with mozzarella and was given a complimentary dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
My partner ordered the meat lasagne and I ordered the rigatoni alla vodka with smoked pancetta. The food was really good, it’s unlike anything I have ever had.
Take in mind that the dishes do serve up to 2 people, on busy nights it make take a bit to get your food, and regular pizzas take up to 20 minutes to bake, deep dish pizzas take up to 45 minutes to bake (but they look like they are worth the time!)

(Conclusion)
I would have loved to sit inside, the vibe is really nice. If you are looking for authentic Italian food with a nice atmosphere and friendly staff, book a reservation at Capo’s.“

“My wife and I went here for a Italian supper and wow was it good! Only good things to say about this place, and the best service we have had In years. We were very impressed!“

“Excellent espresso coffee, friendly service and a lovely brunch menu. I look forward to returning sometime for dinner. The chef’s were prepping a range of fresh looking ingredients and the smells emanating from the kitchen were beautiful!“

“Awesome yummy food with a friendly atmosphere and Great Service“

“Great food and great service“

“Perfect Italian authentic restaurant when enjoying North Beach neighborhood for my friends birthday! I got us tickets to dear San Francisco, which is a wonderful show at Club Fugazi just 3 blocks away from this great restaurant! Paolo took wonderful care of us. His wine, suggestions and appetizer and entrée tips were the best! The pasta is homemade and very delicious and special. We tried the gnocchi with pesto, as well as a delicious braised meat, red sauce over fresh linguine. We also enjoyed the grilled (not fried) octopus. The tiramisu for dessert was perfect! I’ve been here before, and I will go back again and again for the service and authentic delicious Italian cuisine.“

“Food is incredible and the service is second to none. Best place in the marina.“

“Hands down the best meal we’ve had in San Francisco in many years. Everything was just perfection, true Italian food and hospitality at its very best. The place was packed and they had a huge birthday party of 20+ to deal with, but the manager and servers were so nice, so efficient and so welcoming. And the food! OMG delicious doesn’t even begin to describe it. We had the salmon carpaccio to start and it was so fresh and tasty. Don’t skip the amazing house made bread for sopping up all the different sauces you’ll have with every course! We got a 1/2 portion of that night’s house special pasta - something similar to rigatoni, with lots of sausage in a rich brown sauce, this was our favorite part of the meal. All pastas are house made and cooked to perfection. For our main courses we had the misto mixed seafood, with seared tuna, calamari, and shrimp. All fresh and delicious. And I had Petto Di Pollo, organic sliced chicken in a decadent butter-lemon sauce. Unbelievable. Even the sides on these two dishes - crispy rosemary potatoes and fresh organic vegetables - were so fresh and beautifully cooked, everything coming out of the kitchen is perfect. Save room for the tiramisu, it’s the most popular dessert for a reason. Also a wonderful and reasonably priced wine list.

The noise level was pretty high, mainly because of the birthday party I think, but the atmosphere is festive and fun. And it’s a great neighborhood location that clearly brings in a lot of regulars (no tourists that we could spot.) Reservations highly recommended, the place is intimate and every table was completely full by 6pm on a Saturday night. Walk-in’s weren’t turned away but had a lengthy wait out on the sidewalk. Serafina is officially at the top of our favorite restaurant list in SF. We will be back soon!“

“Great atmosphere, impeccable service, friendly & welcoming staff. Most of all, great food. This is our second time and it didn’t disappoint. We’re visiting from SoCal in Orange County. Thank you!“

“Positives were the little gem salad and really very delicious porcini ravioli. Margherita pizza was pretty good, maybe needed more cheese and sauce. Orecchiette pasta was very good, but needed maybe some more seasoning and sauce. Our server Kelsey B was excellent. Lovely ambiance and great value. For a small neighborhood restaurant, this place was really a nice dinner! Wish they had real cocktails, but just wine beer and low ABV, which I understand is the case sometimes!“

“During our visit to SF we were looking for food close to homemade. This was the place! Char-broiled chicken was very good, fresh made fried potatoes were absolutely delicious, not a regular “french fries”.
Service was excellent. Highly recommend the restaurant for casual and delicious food.“

“Exceptionally helpful & friendly staff cooking superb food in a very chill environment. A must visit in the city.“

“The best Italian I’ve ever had. Great service great drinks as well.“

“Amazing food!!! Fantastic find in the heart of the city!!! Can’t wait to return!!“

“I'll start off with a shout out to the super friendly and helpful staff and how they manage fitting in parties of all sizes in the small dining room.

I loved the pasta. The spaghetti and meatballs were cooked perfectly and really showed off the fresh pasta, delicious meatballs and elevated sauce. I also recommend the corn ravioli as a well balanced and flavorful dish, and the grapefruit olive oil pana cotta. The lasagna was solid, expect many layers of pasta but not as much meat and not a must have for us.

Next time i think we could pass on the side dishes and sadly the garlic bread was not particularly amazing.

it's the pasta supply company, go for the pasta (and the dessert!). These dishes are perfect for sharing.“

“Awesome food and outstanding service“

“Fantastic red sauce, great eggplant parmesan special, good selection of wines at reasonable prices. A great addition to the neighborhood.“

“Delicious food, great drinks and amazing service.“

“Great fun!!! Hosts and servers were super nice!!! Cocktails: YUM!!!“

“Exceptional food, memorable staff, with warm music“