This has been one of our favorites for 25 years. Several owners but same quality and service. No Gluten Free pasta but plenty of items that are gluten free. The menu says the food is Croatian but close to Italian. definitely a hidden gem. Great value. Good portion size and great food. Service is very good. Nice quiet place to visit with friends.
Ernie M.
One the very best restaurants in Sam Francisco Nothing fancy and with an exterior front that blends into the houses around it. If your focus is the food in a pleasant atmosphere this place is what you are looking for. Everyone at my table had soup or salad and a main course. Every single plate was outstanding. Even my teenager wants to go back
Elke Hofer Rudroff
We love this restaurant. Everything is perfect. Food, service, ambience.
Deborah N.
The food was mediocre, I expected way more based on the reviews. the restaurant was fairly empty all evening - Sat night. My friend and I split the salmon, it was cooked fine but boring with a few steamed veggies on the plate. We had the 3 cheese ravioli with brown butter sauce - the ravioli were ok, butter sauce was good but there was a LOT of rough chopped fresh sage all over the pasta which was very bitter and inedible. I told the waiter and he graciously took it off the bill. Strudel was dreadful. The filling was over sweet with too much cinnamon and the dough was heavy - I couldn't eat it (rare for me). Seemed like either an uninspired or inexperienced chef was at the helm tonight. Quite disappointed.
Robert Shaw
Wow the food was fantastic! The appetizers had such wonderful flavor and the Steak was perfectly cooked and it did not need the sauce. But the Sauce/Gravey tasted so good you had to use it. Top it off with a glass of Red Wine.
Chris T.
This place is tucked away on Francisco St still in North beach but away from the mob scene. The food is Italian but regional to the Veneto and Istrian peninsula so the dishes are different from the usual fare. Still the menu is diverse enough for most people to find something they like. We started with stuffed calamari (calamai in dialect) caponata and chilled sardines. Next a wonderful ample main course of rolled stuffed pork loin. My wife had the stinco which was super tender.
William Effingeham
While the food was amazing the waiter did a bait and switch with the wine. I ordered a bottle of Chianti from the menu priced at $45, which for what it was listed at was typical restaurant pricing. He made a great show of being "out" of that wine but had a Chianti Classico that he would replace it with, for the same price. The $7 bottle from Trader Joe's was not exactly an upgrade. How do I know it was a $7 bottle from Trader Joe's? I walked around the corner and bought one to make a point. When you have food this good, why try to cheat your clients with crappy wine? Never again....
Olivia P.
Old clientele and not so nice staff. Food was average at best. Pricey as well. Not worth the walk to find it or the price for below average food.
Sarah Y.
This was a hidden gem during our escape to SF. Close to our hotel and amazing! Best mushroom risotto, pasta strudel and Veal shank. Not to mention the vanilla bean pans Cotta with raspberry redupot reduction. My husband and I will rave about this experience for years to come. Salute!
Ja'mie H.
This place is amazing !!!! Staff was very nice and the food was delicious. Will return for more on a regular basis, just down the street from me and so pleased to have found this place!
This place is a hidden gem, made even more attractive by the fact that one gets there (if coming from BART, at least) by walking past all the tourist-sucking North Beach standards. At first glance at the menu, I was even questioning if it was really Italian (never seen sauerkraut on an Italian menu!). My new/old lady friend chose it as she wanted somewhere quiet to talk. It was so quiet we could hear neighbour's hushed conversations; and they, ours! In fact we ended up chatting to a nice pair of elderly women who were having a convivial night out. The history of the place is on the back of the menu so that's where one learns that this place has its roots on the Croatian peninsula, in land that is no longer Italian. The menu reflects that, but does still have Italian flavours: gnocchi, for example, served in a cumin-laced sirlin sauce that was worth scraping off the plate with the crispy bread! I shared my friend's appetizer and she, mine: i had the cold sardines. Could have used a little more flavour but she enjoyed having mad the better choice. Having overcome my scepticism about sauerkraut in Italian food, I went for the pork loin stuffed with it; very tasty with perfect consistency and a ggod blend of flavours. I also got a taste of the strudel (pasta, not pastry) as we shared dishes. Also highly recommended. Digging into a long lost past, i chose a glass of very pleasant chianti and that reminds me of the only flaw I can find: the head waiter's English was a ltle tough to understand. And, if he didn't understand us, he just walked off! Somehow (perhaps at the urging of our new neighbours - from whom we learned there is no corkage fee, as they left us some of their wine!) we found room to share the tiramisu; light and whelming with various, distinct tastes. I think this place might have been on the Chronicle's top 100 one; like the Cavalier, it deserves to be reinstated.
Jan R.
An amazing find! The menu is based on the cuisine of the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia. Very intimate and sweet restaurant. Quiet and relaxing. The owner, Sam, and his wife and the waiter were attentive, pleasant and accomodating. We had delicious meals. If you like beets then a must is a beet tartare called Barbabietola Mixia Con Kren E Prezemolo. We are definitely going back. Make sure you have reservations!!
Greg C.
Wonderful combination of food, ambiance, and service. Every dish our party of 7 had was delicious, but our favorite was the rabbit. Our servers went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. The atmosphere was friendly, refined, and quiet enough to hear each other. Easy to see why this restaurant has been open for so long and has such good reviews.
Isaac R.
Service was a bit slow but the food was good. The restaurant is a residential neighborhood and is a bit out of the way.
Timothy Stallcup
Nice, cozy place. Very friendly servers. Off the beaten track. Enjoyed dining there Valentines Day
This has been one of our favorites for 25 years. Several owners but same quality and service. No Gluten Free pasta but plenty of items that are gluten free. The menu says the food is Croatian but close to Italian. definitely a hidden gem. Great value. Good portion size and great food. Service is very good. Nice quiet place to visit with friends.
One the very best restaurants in Sam Francisco Nothing fancy and with an exterior front that blends into the houses around it. If your focus is the food in a pleasant atmosphere this place is what you are looking for. Everyone at my table had soup or salad and a main course. Every single plate was outstanding. Even my teenager wants to go back
We love this restaurant. Everything is perfect. Food, service, ambience.
The food was mediocre, I expected way more based on the reviews. the restaurant was fairly empty all evening - Sat night. My friend and I split the salmon, it was cooked fine but boring with a few steamed veggies on the plate. We had the 3 cheese ravioli with brown butter sauce - the ravioli were ok, butter sauce was good but there was a LOT of rough chopped fresh sage all over the pasta which was very bitter and inedible. I told the waiter and he graciously took it off the bill. Strudel was dreadful. The filling was over sweet with too much cinnamon and the dough was heavy - I couldn't eat it (rare for me). Seemed like either an uninspired or inexperienced chef was at the helm tonight. Quite disappointed.
Wow the food was fantastic! The appetizers had such wonderful flavor and the Steak was perfectly cooked and it did not need the sauce. But the Sauce/Gravey tasted so good you had to use it. Top it off with a glass of Red Wine.
This place is tucked away on Francisco St still in North beach but away from the mob scene. The food is Italian but regional to the Veneto and Istrian peninsula so the dishes are different from the usual fare. Still the menu is diverse enough for most people to find something they like. We started with stuffed calamari (calamai in dialect) caponata and chilled sardines. Next a wonderful ample main course of rolled stuffed pork loin. My wife had the stinco which was super tender.
While the food was amazing the waiter did a bait and switch with the wine. I ordered a bottle of Chianti from the menu priced at $45, which for what it was listed at was typical restaurant pricing. He made a great show of being "out" of that wine but had a Chianti Classico that he would replace it with, for the same price. The $7 bottle from Trader Joe's was not exactly an upgrade. How do I know it was a $7 bottle from Trader Joe's? I walked around the corner and bought one to make a point. When you have food this good, why try to cheat your clients with crappy wine? Never again....
Old clientele and not so nice staff. Food was average at best. Pricey as well. Not worth the walk to find it or the price for below average food.
This was a hidden gem during our escape to SF. Close to our hotel and amazing! Best mushroom risotto, pasta strudel and Veal shank. Not to mention the vanilla bean pans Cotta with raspberry redupot reduction. My husband and I will rave about this experience for years to come. Salute!
This place is amazing !!!! Staff was very nice and the food was delicious. Will return for more on a regular basis, just down the street from me and so pleased to have found this place!
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is a hidden gem, made even more attractive by the fact that one gets there (if coming from BART, at least) by walking past all the tourist-sucking North Beach standards. At first glance at the menu, I was even questioning if it was really Italian (never seen sauerkraut on an Italian menu!). My new/old lady friend chose it as she wanted somewhere quiet to talk. It was so quiet we could hear neighbour's hushed conversations; and they, ours! In fact we ended up chatting to a nice pair of elderly women who were having a convivial night out. The history of the place is on the back of the menu so that's where one learns that this place has its roots on the Croatian peninsula, in land that is no longer Italian. The menu reflects that, but does still have Italian flavours: gnocchi, for example, served in a cumin-laced sirlin sauce that was worth scraping off the plate with the crispy bread! I shared my friend's appetizer and she, mine: i had the cold sardines. Could have used a little more flavour but she enjoyed having mad the better choice. Having overcome my scepticism about sauerkraut in Italian food, I went for the pork loin stuffed with it; very tasty with perfect consistency and a ggod blend of flavours. I also got a taste of the strudel (pasta, not pastry) as we shared dishes. Also highly recommended. Digging into a long lost past, i chose a glass of very pleasant chianti and that reminds me of the only flaw I can find: the head waiter's English was a ltle tough to understand. And, if he didn't understand us, he just walked off! Somehow (perhaps at the urging of our new neighbours - from whom we learned there is no corkage fee, as they left us some of their wine!) we found room to share the tiramisu; light and whelming with various, distinct tastes. I think this place might have been on the Chronicle's top 100 one; like the Cavalier, it deserves to be reinstated.
An amazing find! The menu is based on the cuisine of the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia. Very intimate and sweet restaurant. Quiet and relaxing. The owner, Sam, and his wife and the waiter were attentive, pleasant and accomodating. We had delicious meals. If you like beets then a must is a beet tartare called Barbabietola Mixia Con Kren E Prezemolo. We are definitely going back. Make sure you have reservations!!
Wonderful combination of food, ambiance, and service. Every dish our party of 7 had was delicious, but our favorite was the rabbit. Our servers went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. The atmosphere was friendly, refined, and quiet enough to hear each other. Easy to see why this restaurant has been open for so long and has such good reviews.
Service was a bit slow but the food was good. The restaurant is a residential neighborhood and is a bit out of the way.
Nice, cozy place. Very friendly servers. Off the beaten track. Enjoyed dining there Valentines Day