50 Best Italian Restaurants in San Francisco

“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.“

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

“I had the famous roast chicken, which was fantastic. For those who want to eat healthier, you may want to ask them to go easy on the salad dressing and seasoning. My only complaint was that the bread salad was soaked in olive oil, and the greens were a little too salty for me. But that’s probably a personal preference.Service can be a little patchy. It was generally very good, except when I made a request regarding my seating, the server never got back to me. Kinda odd.“

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

“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!“

“One of the best tasting pizza I’ve tasted I highly recommend this place.“

“What a night... the server Johnny, was amazing. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. He was attentive, and came with a great sense of humor. Great hire and it would be a shame if y'all ever gave him up. Keep in mind this was my first time here and what an impression he left on my family, will be back soon again. Thank you Johnny and thank you Sorella.“

“We had another fabulous dinner last night . The service was outstanding and the food was creative, beautiful and most of all, delicious. It is by far one the top three restaurants in San Francisco. If you haven't experienced a wonderful evening at Cotogna, you are really missing a night to remember.“

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

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

“This mid-priced Sardinian restaurant has a lot of charm with only small flaws. When you step in, you'll find a charming compact dining area with a loud buzz of conversation. It can be hard to hear others at a table of four and I wish the restaurant had more noise dampening. Service was kind but our water glasses sat empty for too much of the meal, considering the number of servers for the handful of tables.The pork sauce gnochetti was intensely savory and had the perfect texture. My table shared some Sardinian flatbread and olives, which were as expected. The lamb tenderloin was excellent, but I wish there were more vegetables to accompany it. The roe spaghetti was excellent with interesting flavors throughout. And the whole prawns came in a generous serving, also perfectly cooked.Vegetarian options: There's a strong focus on seafood with meat dishes. There are a handful of vegetarian dishes but not a large selection. It would be hard to find vegan options.Parking: You might have to park around the block, and larger cars will struggle to find suitable spots.Kid-friendliness: The atmosphere is casual enough for children above toddler age, but you may have to ask an advance about simple dishes as there are only a few that picky eaters would enjoy.Wheelchair accessibility: The tables are tightly spaced and the restaurant can be slightly crowded. If there are only 1-2 people with wheelchairs, staff might be able to reserve a table with space to wheel around. Without planning ahead, there may be difficulties.“

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

“Got lucky and snatched a Saturday night resy for 4 people. F+W is currently celebrating their 15 year anniversary and had the greatest hits tasting menu available for $135 pp. Pleasantly surprised they allowed us to do 3 regular tasting menus + 1 vegetarian (we went in thinking we'd all have to opt for the vegetarian option). Portions- perfect for tasting! Did not feel overly stuffed throughout the meal (but food coma kicked in about 45 mins later). I preferred the apps/first couple dishes - so flavorful and delicate. Some of the pastas were not consistently cooked which was a bit disappointing. The dessert was decadent, loved that there was some sea salt flakes to balance it, but they could scale back on the amount. There were some huge chucks. Also wish they would include a piece of pizza bc a nearby table got one and it looked amazing! Overall loved this tasting menu experience and would do it again!“

“While overall it was a great meal, we did think the desserts we had, panna cotta and the crostata, could have been better. Everything else was great, particularly the Chicken Arrosta, the tagliatelle, supli, and salumi. Look forward to our next visit.“

“I had one of the best restaurant meals ever in San Francisco last night at Sorrel. The pictured dish is described as maitake / potato / dashi, the first course of seven and my favourite. The wine pairing was very good, and the service outstanding. Great celiac accommodation for me. Instead of the pasta based crab dish I got a stunningly excellent sun-choke risotto. Highly recommended for a special occasion.Dietary restrictions: I had excellent accommodation for my celiac affliction. Instead of the pasta based crab dish I got a stunningly excellent sun-choke risotto.“

“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!“

“Really nice fair..lovely Americana incredible surprise in the Sunset.exactly what soccer player needs for good fuel.from salads to wings to DIE FOR!!!this place is 55.or even 5.2/5..craft well and sauces..REALLY...great street vibe or in back quiet.“

“Amazing service and food!!!!“

“We saw there was a long line and figured it must be really good? We got a slice of pizza and it did not disappoint! The pizza melted in your mouth and had so much flavor! We really enjoyed trying it!“

“Great food, great service, a special go to eatery in SF, a favorite!!!! And“

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

“Among many excellent Italian spots in the city, this stood out. The homemade pasta has the perfect texture, and the fillings and sauces are delicate and wonderful. Service was kind and attentive, and the space - a favorite when it was Locanda and Ancora - remains intimate and elegant. Looking forward to another opportunity to dine.“

“We had my wife's birthday there for a group of 15. The food was great, the service outstanding (Kira was our server and the rest of the staff was friendly, helpful and welcoming) and the general vibe was on! Highly recommend!“

“Holy Cow!! What a great place! Wonderful old school ambience. Great food. Great drinks! Great service from the wonderful Rowan! Up here from LA to visit my son who's in grad school and wanted some great Italian. Did some research and ended up here. Started with drinks - a great Manhattan and then some good wine. Great Anti-pasta dish and then a massive cast iron baked Old Chicago pizza. Unbelievably great! In a city of great Italian restaurants Capo's stands out!!“

“We had a wonderful experience dining at Perbacco! Our server, Domenico, was awesome and enhanced the whole dining experience. We recommend trying the burrata and fritto misto to start. The risotto and the tajarin were both incredible. We cant wait to come back!“

“My first time here, everything was great. My only complaint was its very crowded meaning that the tables are very close together. Our waiter said he has been working there for 20 years. That's impressive. Overall, it's a great spot. The food is wonderful, the other 3 I was with got the roasted chicken and I went with the steelhead.“

“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!“

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

“We always have a great time at Fiorella. The octopus pasta and almond cake were definitely the highlights of my meal, but everything came out promptly and was so delicious. Excellent service, food, and ambiance. We'll definitely be back!“

“i came here on a friday evening with a friend around 5:45 pm. there was no line so we were seated immediately. when we left an hour later, there was a line. we came during restaurant week and they were doing a $45/person dinner menu, but i opted to just order from the regular menu since i wasn't a big fan of the appetizer options and really wanted to try the bucatini, which wasn't on the restaurant week menu. when our food arrived, the portions seemed slightly on the smaller side so in retrospect i felt like it would've been nice to get an appetizer to share, but none of the appetizer options were that appealing to me. i like burrata but it came with mushrooms and i don't like mushrooms (this is just a personal preference, though). even though the portions were small, i wasn't hungry but i also wasn't full, which left plenty of room for dessert. we ordered the nutella sundae - it felt a bit much for 2 people (3 is probably a better number), and there was a LOT of syrup. as for the ambiance, the biggest impression i got was that the music was pretty loud. this made the atmosphere not conducive to intimate conversations, so i would mostly go here if i wanted a fast dinner at an early time. otherwise, i feel that the atmosphere is not worth the wait.“

“Angie’s is amazing — probably the best thin crust pizza in the city! Wood fired with organic dough is the way. My girlfriend and I have tried almost all the pies on the menu and every one is great. The date + margarita with pesto drizzle are so good. Simple yet delicious apps including mixed greens salad and meatballs are also delicious.“

“Great vibe and service! Outdoor seating is cozy and clean, lovely place to stop by for the midday bites, drinks and some casual chitchat. Loved the burrata crostini, calamari and salami pizza. Would love to go again and try out their dinner and lunch menu some time.“

“About a week ago my family and I decided to try Presidio Pizza located on Divisadero St and we all loved it! There were so many options on the menu and it was hard to choose since it all looked so good but we ended up getting the grandma style pizza. The pesto drizzle was a nice touch and the pizza was so soft and warm and definitely satisfied my pizza craving! All the ingredients were fresh and evenly distributed on every serving. I would recommend this place for people to try definitely!“

“The dishes served here are creative takes on Italian cuisine from the Abruzzi region, specifically the town of Ofena where the chef Tim’s grandparents were born. The season’s produce plays a huge role in his choice of appetizers and entrees. The cocktails are similarly creative, and although we usually drink wine rather than cocktails, we were delighted to try the ones on the menu here. The service was friendly and the atmosphere is light and airy.Parking: Parking meters are free after 6 pm and only $1 per hour before“

“Simply fantastic pizza! We got the pepperoni and I will get it again.The meatball dish (while pricey) is so so good. Great marinara, perfectly cooked bread, and the meatballs themselves were awesome.Really really good Caesar salad with anchovies. Would definitely get again.Beers on tap were okay. I prefer a German Pilsner personally so it didn’t really hit. And the IPA was more piney and I like citrusy. Should’ve gone for red wine - it would pair much better anyway.“

“Nice appetizers , pizzas and drinks! Friendly bartender and staff! Nice place for a bite before a movie!“

“It can be easy to walk by Heroic Italian and not realize it! There are no signs for the restaurant. Instead you will see a wine shop. Wine shop in the front, Heroic Italian kitchen in the back. When I entered, the man at the cashier explained that I could take a seat at any table outside, scan the QR code and order directly on my phone. The QR code links to the specific table you're at so they know who to bring the food to. I ordered the OMG spicy, no lettuce, add burrata. This sandwich was beyond delicious, literally the most perfect sandwich. I should have kept the lettuce on there since it prob would have balanced out the saltiness of the meats, but that's my fault! The roasted tomatoes were my favorite part!! They were so incredibly flavorful! My mouth is drooling just thinking about them! I can't wait to come back to SF to try their other sandwiches!“

“Tomasso’s pizza is among the best I’ve ever had. Been coming here for 30 years.“

“Absolutely fantastic place, really friendly staff an absolutely excellent food had a really good experience“

“Delicious. And great service!“

“The best meal I have had in Cole Valley or Haight Ashbury! I love it and am going to make it a regular spot. The pizza was excellent as well as the pasta dish.“

“An excellent dining experience as usual! I have been to Che Fico Alimentari many times, and it's great each time. The food is amazing, the people working there are excellent, and the restaurant is just all around spectacular. I have and would recommend. - Robert“

“I recently walked into Sunset Square's for somewhere to sit down and relax for the day the place was a little busy very friendly and our waitress Serena communicated with us very well great hospitality everything she recommended was great even the beer will be back Even after being very busy she still took the time to come back and access if we needed anything and we're be okay and if she can help with anything to let her know she made the day for us a lot easier“

“This definitely has a family owned vibe and it has a nice backyard that's great for larger groups. Of course in SF it may get windy and cold even on a sunny day so be prepared for that if you want outside seating. The service is decent but when it gets busy they do forget to bring new bottles of water. We also weren't offered bread.As for food we only has pizza and dessert so I can only comment on that.The pizza is very similar to any other Neapolitan style pizza except there is more varieties of different meats they add to pizzas. Tiramisu is delicious as it should. Overall it's a good choice but be aware that parking is ridiculously lacking so be prepared to drive around for a while for street parking even if you park several blocks away.The name reminds me of a16z but probably doesn't mean anyone who's not a techie.Parking: Not a lot of parking especially for larger cars.“

“Pinsa Rossa is absolutely amazing! Their appetizers, salads, and, of course, the pinsas with their crunchy, flavorful crusts are all top-notch. Ken and his team have done an incredible job creating a dining experience that’s simply outstanding!Dietary restrictions: My daughter, a brand new lactating mom who can’t consume lactose products, asked for a pinsa with vegan cheese, and we couldn’t tell the difference, it was great!Parking: There’s parking available half a block away from the place.“

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

“This would be my second time back in one week! Romantic setting, incredible service, fabulous wines, and delicious food!The lasagnette was literally the best lasagna I’ve ever had… the ravioli was decadent, the tender scallops were perfection. . .i can’t wait to dine here again!!!“

“Delicious pastas, offered both at the restaurant and from the deli counter to take home. The meatballs are great and so many fun pasta shapes and sauce flavors to chose from. Prices are on the higher side but you are paying for quality. Restaurant is fairly dark inside at dinner time so people with low eyesight be warned. Lively atmosphere at peak dinner hours, full of happy patrons eating pasta! Dinner crowd leans younger and more hip but feels welcoming to all.“

“The Rustic is in the former Chows Restaurant space on Church Street near Market St. We went there for brunch with friends and the food and service were outstanding, including the appetizers and desserts ( try their Mediterranean version of ice cream---a real treat). Their fried chicken was excellent, as good as the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten ( and that it saying alot). As Arnie says, We will be back!“

“We had my wife's birthday there for a group of 15. The food was great, the service outstanding (Kira was our server and the rest of the staff was friendly, helpful and welcoming) and the general vibe was on! Highly recommend!“