LA MEDITERRANEE
Read moreA small restaurant serving modern Greek specialties with a warm ambience, which has spread its table to the Castro and Berkeley. Dishes are fresh and the resined wine (dry white Greek wine) very good. You can enjoy traditional Greek and Mediterranean dishes, as well as Levantine, Lebanese and Armenian cuisine. The Mediterranean Meza is a good option, which can be shared between two people and allows you to sample 10 small dishes and traditional side dishes from these countries. A tasty address with an outdoor patio, heated in winter.
TONY'S PIZZA NAPOLETANA
Read moreTony Gemignani is a thirteen-time world pizza champion! As a result, you'll often have to wait almost half an hour to sample the wonders of this San Franciscan pizzaiolo. Let the hostess know that you'd like to eat at the bar, so the wait is shorter. Or take a slice of pizza to go at the dedicated counter on the street. The pizzas are delicious, and seem to come straight from Naples, both in inspiration and in the products used. Tony has also mastered the art of pastas and tiramisu.
MARIO’S BOHEMIAN CIGAR STORE CAFE
Read moreA funny name for a café! Originally, this cigar store served just one type of sandwich. Demand was so great that the number and types multiplied. Nowadays, hot sandwiches are the most popular. The meatball sandwich is very famous here, to be enjoyed with a good glass of California red wine. We like the character of this place, which is a welcome change from standard addresses. The music also contributes to the warm atmosphere.
TRATTORIA CONTADINA
Read moreThis lively little Italian restaurant, popular with locals, serves traditional dishes that are far better than most of North Beach's more touristy establishments. You can feel the love in the pots and the character in the food! It's a great atmosphere, with authentic decor and a family team who take great care of their customers. Try the chef's specialty, Polpettine Spaghetti, spaghetti with meatballs and flavors that border on perfection. A fine selection of wines from the Botte region are available to accompany your dish.
KOKKARI ESTIATORIO
Read moreArguably the best Greek restaurant in town, Kokkari is the little brother of Palo Alto's Evvia Estiatoro Greek restaurant. Here you can enjoy typical Mediterranean recipes cooked with the finest local ingredients, revisited by chef Erik Cosselmon with a modern twist. A delicious example is the soutzoukakia (lamb meatballs) spiced up with cumin and Greek yoghurt . The dining room is reminiscent of typical Greek taverns, especially the room with its exposed beams and subdued lighting, creating a romantic setting.
CIOPPINO'S
Read moreAn institution of the Fisherman's Wharf district with its Italian colors. You can eat on the terrace near the wharf under the umbrellas or in a large room. It is crowded, but the service is efficient and attentive. The menu features fish from the nearby bays. The speciality of the house: the Cioppino which marries with talent tomatoes, fennel seeds, clams, fish, shrimps, crab... But the pizzas are delicious too. This family business has been in existence for over 20 years and has built a solid reputation.
SOUVLA
Read moreIt's the latest trendy restaurant in Hayes Valley, but also in DogPatch and Mission, where it has opened identical signs. A Mediterranean blue-and-white universe with Greek flavors. The star of the menu? Sandwiches and gyros, grilled meat on skewers (lamb, pork or chicken) served in sandwiches or salads, as well as other Cretan and Greek specialties in olive oil, frozen yogurts, wines... A place that's often full at lunchtime, whatever the neighborhood, because the flavors are authentic and delicious.
DE LA ROSA MARINA
Read moreThis Italian restaurant with its modern, refined decor is located on Chestnut Street, the shopping street in the Marina district. Very popular with San Franciscans, a second restaurant has opened in Union Square. Very welcoming, the pizzas are hearty and the dishes well-stocked. The kitchen is open, with a pizza oven in front of the restaurant, the bar has a wide selection of spirits and you can ask them for any cocktail, which they will prepare in front of you. It's advisable to get there in advance, as the address is quite coveted.
IDEALE RESTAURANT
Read moreRomantrattoria in the colors of La Botte, with a warm atmosphere. Chef Maurizio Bruschi serves a small but tasty selection of recipes taught by his grandmother. Everything here is homemade, from the bread to the fresh pasta, and it's all very well. Special mention goes to the octopus and, in a completely different genre, the tiramisus. There's also a good selection of Italian and Californian wines, mainly from the nearby Sonoma Valley. One of the best Italian restaurants in San Francisco, you can go there with your eyes closed.
FIOR D’ITALIA
Read moreFior d'Italia was rebuilt in the Hotel San Remo after a devastating fire. A very old-school establishment established in 1886, it is, according to its owners, "the oldest Italian restaurant in America"! The menu, a traditional Italian version focusing on northern Italian specialties, offers a wide variety of antipasti, pasta, meat and fish dishes, served with great pomp and circumstance. The stars of the menu are the perfectly seasoned osso bucco, lasagne and clam pasta. The bill, however, is steep.
FRASCATI
Read moreFor a successful dinner with a changing menu, tinged with French and Italian influences. An address with the appearance of a Mediterranean bistro, much appreciated by the locals. The cable car that passes by at regular intervals adds a romantic note to this neighborhood restaurant. The cheese platter is served with fruit pastes and the desserts are delicious, like the warm black chocolate pudding with hazelnut ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauce. By the way, all these desserts and ice creams are home made. And the wine list is just as good.
FLOUR + WATER
Read moreFlour + Water is an excellent restaurant with minimal but warm decor, offering an Italian-inspired menu with a distinct Northern California influence. Since opening in 2009, chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow have made a name for themselves, opening several locations in San Francisco, including a pizzeria in North Beach. On the menu: revisited specialties such as grilled cod, duck ravioli, rum baba... All washed down with Italian wines, of course. You're in for a treat!
Pescatore Trattoria
Read moreThe Pescatore Trattoria at Hotel Zoe, a terrace café on Fisherman's Wharf, is very good. We recommend it for the house specialty, Italian-Californian cioppino, a soup of crabs, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish, then tossed with fresh tomatoes in a white wine sauce. But you can also opt for fried calamari with shrimp ravioli, chicken fettuccine or spaghetti bolognese. For dessert, tiramisu also works wonders.