Italian Restaurants

Restaurateur and pastry master Gary Rulli wanted to mimic the Italian ristobars that offer a casual, comfortable neighborhood gathering place where friends and family can take, eat, and drink. Thus, he opened Ristobar in Cow Hollow, serving rustic Italian cuisine and artisanal pizza. Utilizing only the best products, Ristobar creates satisfying dishes like Spaghetti Alla Scoglio and traditional styled Agnolotti. Risobar also serves wine choice from famous wineries, mainly from Italy and other European countries.

Opened in the summer of 2010, Zero Zero in the SOMA neighborhood takes traditional Neapolitan pizza using California ingredients and flavor combinations. Named “Calipolitan” by Head Chef Bruce Hill, Zero Zero uses only the highest quality components, made in house, local or imported straight from Italy in their pizzas. Aside from their Calipolitan style pizzas, Zero Zero has a wide variety of Italian dishes using local produce mixed with Italian herbs and spices. End the night with Hill’s signature organic soft-serve made from proprietary Straus Dairy Farms ice cream blend in chocolate or vanilla. Zero Zero offers a unique tasting …

Cotogna has many features to offer hungry diners: authentic Italian cuisine, late hours, and a convenient location in Jackson Square. As if that weren’t enough, the classic brick walls add another pleasing aspect to the already welcoming décor. Bar dining affords guests an up-close view of the open kitchen, including a classic pizza oven. But pizza isn’t all that Cotogna is serving up: patrons can choose from a list of lunch and dinner options daily, with a special Sunday Supper menu available weekly. Because Cotogna strives to use fresh ingredients, the lunch and dinner menus are subject to change. However, …

With a graduate from a culinary school in Rome as the owner and chef, Allegro Romano is a restaurant where modern décor meets traditional flavors.With time-honored classics such as Bruschetta alla Romana, grilled Italian bread served with garlic and tomatoes, and Homemade Lobster Ravioli gracing the menu of this restaurant, diners’ taste buds will be taken on a culinary adventure through Italian cuisines. This pasta heavy menu affords a number of meatless dishes for the vegetarian to enjoy. Allegro Romano boasts that it is out of the way of many tourist heavy areas in San Francisco, resulting in an oasis …

Walking into Firenze by Night feels almost as if one is walking into a little piece of Italy located in the middle of North Beach. Eager waiters are ready to seat guests at tables with classic presentation atop a crisp white tablecloth. Firenze by Night is not just known for its service and exceptional décor; it is also known for its list of award-winning pastas. These include Firenze by Night’s Gnocchi Firenze, which are potato dumplings in a light tomato cream sauce, and Pappardelle Toscana, pasta in a rabbit sauce. Vegetarian options are also available, such as the Fettuccine Pesto …

Bambino’s Ristorante is one of the oldest restaurants in the Cole Valley neighborhood. With its commitment to traditional Italian dishes and cooking methods, it is no wonder that this restaurant has succeeded—the dinner menu offers guests a healthy blend of soups, salads, and pasta dishes. Gluttons never fear: this menu also features rich and decadent options such as the Gnocchi di Ricotta or the Pancetta Wrapped Filet Mignon. Seasonal prix fixe menus are available weekly, allowing new guests to get a taste of some of the best dishes at Bambino’s. While the lunch menu also offers many traditional pasta dishes, …

Venticello Ristorante is probably the best kept secret restaurant in San Francisco. Located atop Nob Hill, Venticello is an Italian restaurant that offers an intimate atmosphere that is reminiscent of a countryside farmhouse in Tuscan. Walking distance from many key mark sites like Mark Hopkins and Fairmont Hotels, Venticello is noted as one of the most romantic restaurants in SF. Above the main dining area, Venticello has a bar fully stocked with distilled spirits and the finest Italian and California wines. Venticello is a perfect dining establishment for a romantic outing with your significant other.

Luckily for diners, the mere name Cafe Tiramisu evokes taste sensations that can actually be found when one visits the restaurant. Located on Belden Place in the Financial District, Cafe Tiramisu offers surprisingly traditional Northern Italian cuisine in a quaint yet upscale cafe atmosphere. The mellow setting and casual atmosphere is suited for those that enjoy dining and conversing at their own leisure and appreciate a more liberating dining experience. Cafe Tiramisu is best known for its fresh, handmade pastas as well as the delicious local seafood that is used in its dishes. It's also known for the quality of …

Poesia, located in the Castro district, is known as not only an Italian restaurant, but also as a full bar and poetry lounge. The atmosphere of the restaurant itself is poetic, with an expertly decorated dining room that radiates warmth. Lucky diners may even get seated in a cozy nook hidden away in a romantic corner of the restaurant. Poesia makes their pasta fresh daily, resulting in inventive and authentic tasting dishes. Although the menu changes weekly, hungry guests can find a variety of traditional pasta dishes such as Ravioli, Fettuccine, and Gnocchi. These pastas come accompanied by the freshest …

Tucked away in a discrete location on Columbus Ave, Franchino Ristorante serves authentic Italian cuisine. Compared to the other gaudy Italian restaurants in the area, Franchino provides their guests an environment that is quaint, and very cozy. The establishment provides a setting for an intimate night with friends and family. Franchino Ristorante has dishes that are equal to true Italian cuisine made in the homeland. Their Gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce offers patrons a taste and feel that could only be found in Italy.

Friendly servers and classic décor take guests of Capannina through a tour of Italy during their dinner at this ristorante Italiano. Two menus serve to entice diners in this cozy atmosphere: a three-course prix fixe menu and an a la carte menu. Both feature well thought out dishes that are heavily influenced by Italian traditions. The prix fixe menu starts diners off with either the Soup of the Day or the House Salad before they dive into their choice of entrees from a list featuring options such as the Pappardelle with Mushrooms and Wild Boar Ragu and the Grilled Salmon. …

Checkered floors and quaint, indoor flower boxes set the stage for traditional northern Italian cuisine in a comfortable, family-like atmosphere at Ristorante Milano of Nob Hill. Brightly painted walls capture light from the large windows to help create a bright and welcoming space. With an owner and executive chef that was born and raised in Rome, it is no wonder that this restaurant has gotten a reputation for the authenticity of its dishes. Ristorante Milano is particularly hailed for its Tiramisu dessert and Gnocchi con Salsa Aurora, a dish that consists of fresh, homemade gnocchi with fresh tomatoes. Many of …

Don’t let the size fool you, the intimate space of Trattoria La Siciliana really hums. Resembling more an authentic Sicilian kitchen than a bustling Berkeley eatery, this tiny restaurant buzzes with conversation and huge portions of Italian cuisine. In a world full of just restaurants, it’s nice to find a place where one can feel at home. Saucy, garlic-laden comfort food is the order of the day in this cash only establishment, but make sure there is room for dessert… tira misu is not a dish to be avoided lightly.

Postino of the East Bay is an Italian restaurant located in a picturesque and historic building covered in ivy vines. The interior features classic brick walls and high ceilings, filled with traditional wooden dining tables set up in different dining areas. These smaller dining rooms contribute to the feeling of intimacy when dining in this family-oriented restaurant. Guests can also take advantage of the patio that comes equipped with a fire pit that is ideal for nighttime or chillier days. This Italian restaurant is known for its pasta as well as its other entrée options, such as the Coda Di …

Cucina Restaurant and Wine Bar is one of the favorite spots in Marin to indulge on traditional Italian cuisine. Cucina cozy dining room features a wood-burning pizza that transports you and your guest to old world Italy. Cucina’s wood-burning pizza oven creates piping hot pizzas with light crusts that isn’t found anywhere in SF. In addition, Guests have many other entrees choices that showcase Cucina knowledge in Italian cuisine. Cucina has an extensive seafood and meat entrees and homemade pasta like the Gnocchi alla Bava: Homemade potato dumplings mixed with crimini mushrooms, fontina cheese, and drizzled with white truffle oil. …

Located in one of the oldest wineries in the Napa Valley area, Bottega serves its guests fine Italian dishes to complement the classic interior. This restaurant features two dining rooms where cold diners may take refuge by a warm fire in the winter, as well as an outdoor patio for warmer days. A bar completes this large space. The search for fresh ingredients from local sources results in a changing menu, however patrons can expect to see a wide variety of traditional pastas, including selections such as Pan Roasted Potato Gnocchi and Red Wheat Tagliarini. This dinner menu also offers …

Traditional Italian dining creates an ideal atmosphere for family and friends to gather and share stories as well as delicious food. Puccini & Pinetti has captured the spirit of this communal environment, all the while garnering numerous awards for their superb Italian cuisine and impeccable service. Located on the corner of Ellis and Cyril Magnin, on the outskirts of Union Square, Puccini & Pinetti not only serves mouth-watering dishes like Roasted Squash Gnocchi and tender Veal Picatta, but offers a variety of specials morning, noon, and night. The chefs at this acclaimed Italian eatery use fresh local ingredients that are …

Cafe Divine is a rare example of popular eateries that infuses its food with the warm and friendly personalities of its employees. The creative and passionate nature of the cafe's employees and customers has created a unique bohemian oasis ideal for the delicious meals served there. Diners will find a selection of scrumptious Italian-inspired dishes like oven-fired pizzettas, salads, pasta dishes, an even a Roasted Chicken dinner. Breakfast is also a popular time of day at Cafe Divine, with visitors returning again and again for breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit, egg dishes, and delicious waffles. A great way to begin your …

Of course, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana is located in San Francisco’s famed Little Italy and it only makes sense that the restaurant’s owner and chef, Tony Gemignani, would be a nine-time world pizza champion. Everything about Tony’s Pizza is authentic, from the ingredients that are imported from where else but Napoli to the down-to-earth, inviting atmosphere of the dining room. The Napoletana-style pies are baked in a 900-degree, wood burning oven while the menu’s list of Classic American Pizzas bake in a gas oven. Sicilian, Californian, Detroit-style, and even St. Louis-style pizzas are represented at Tony’s along with a number of …

While some elegant Italian restaurants in San Francisco have excellently prepared dishes, they often miss out on the communal and social aspects of Italian cuisine. At Barbacco, guests can enjoy delicious, traditional Italian dishes in an intimate atmosphere more conducive to friends and family. Barbacco is located on California Street next door to its sister restaurant, Perbacco. While Barbacco adheres to the same high standard of quality as Perbacco, its trattoria atmosphere is ideal for a casual meal with friends or a night out without the pressures and rules of fine dining. Even the menu allows for groups to share …