a Mano Reviews

Went with 4 friends and shared a lot of dishes. All were good. The Cacio de Pepe was a stand out. The favas were super and the beet salad perfectly executed. The staff is super nice and helpful. All around a great night. Now if they only took reservations!

Had a lovely lunch at this cool place with great interior and fast service. Good menu with different specials everyday

This large restaurant is HOPPING and packed but when you eat here you can see why.... Tight quarters with other diners (but what is not in S.F.) but all the food is fresh and delicious.... pasta is made on site and is cooked to a perfect al dente, with wonderful choices.... really reasonable prices for the quality of food.

Enjoyed the house white and two plates of pasta. The food was good and the ine was delicious. Service was quick and staff were polite, attentive and knowledgeable. Had to wait to for a table but that is understandable and often a good sign. Maybe a little pricey for pasta but must remember this is California, not italy

A Mano is popular for its hand made pasta. After you have some, you’ll see why. My friend and I started by sharing focaccia and a gem lettuce salad and then had the spaghettini fruiti de mare for our main course. Everything was delicious. Even though we shared everything, we felt quite satisfied. They don’t take reservations, but if you arrive around 5:00 PM, you shouldn’t need any. It’s a rather loud restaurant, so if you are looking to talk with your dinner companions, you might take this into consideration.

All of their pastas are made in-house, and the results are fabulous! We started with a tomato salad of the sweetest tomatoes I've ever eaten. Next we shared two vegetarian pastas. I thought the prices were very reasonable for fresh pasta, so the reviews about high prices are surprising to me. This is a casual restaurant; there's no need to get dressy and expect a chatty ambiance.

We had a delicious meal at a Mano in the funky Hayes neighborhood. The restaurant is quite busy and were lucky enough to get drinks at the bar. The bar waiter was great. I especially suggest the Sirena if you like grapefruit inspired cocktails. We were seated about 20 minutes after our reservation. Our waiter Dylan was very friendly. We enjoyed the fried anchovies which were plenty to share and a delicious pizza. Dinners included a yummy mushroom pasta, the pasta puttanesca which was the standout, and the spring pea pasta which was also good. regrettably we were too stuffed to order dessert. All the dishes around us looked great. if you are looking for a good meal and find yourself in the neighborhood...a Mano is a solid choice. the only reason I did not give it 5 stars is that our table was by the middle door of the restaurant and the wait staff kept leaving it open and it was cold nite with a cold breeze at our table.

We went for a quick spontaneous dinner and had a pleasantly great dinner in this new place. We took a salad ( fennel and anchovies) and bucatini with tomato sauce, spicy with a lot of flavor. Service was quick, efficient and very nice Loved the decor, the bar and the lightning. Beautiful place to try again

We had a great dinner experience. The atmosphere , food and prices were all to our liking. They don’t take reservations and when we got there at 5:30, we were lucky to snag the last few seat seats but there are tables outside as well.

We stumbled upon this place as we were walking around Hayes. It's another masterpiece of Ariano Paganini ( Lolinda, El Techo, Belga) The service was fantastic from start to finish. We ordered a few anti pastis ( squid, cauliflower and asparagus) and they were all incredibly great! ( All gluten free and light) If I get to pick my two most favorite, I think I will pick the cauliflower and asparagus. As for the dessert, we shared the yummy panna cotta. For the price, the service and the quality of food, we will for sure return.

We absolutely loved a Mano. The fresh pasta to the pizza to the overall experience were all excellent. We actually sat outside in San Francisco which is not common. My only suggestion is to get there early.

We had a very nice aperitivo at the bar while waiting for a table. There is a good list of options you can choose from. Can recommend Americano, Rossini, Spritz ...you won’t be disappointed. We were excited about getting some home made fresh pasta and actually it was worth. Torchetti with braised lamb shoulder and broccoli and tagliatelle alla bolognese were good, Fontina arancini definitely must be tried for antipasto, instead San Daniele prosciutto with aspargus was a big disappointment as it came with only 2 slice of prosciutto. Quality of food deserves five stars no doubt, but I am only giving four as portions in my opinion, could have been more generous.

This restaurant had great service, delicious hand made pasta, and excellent asparagus soup. The other food looked lovely as well.

a Mano was a tasty treat in Hayes Valley. The food was superb and the service was wonderful. The pasta was delicious and the wine the waiter suggested paired beautifully with it.

The pizza is great: thin crust with a chewy, blistered crust and delicious toppings. (I thought you needed a trendy wood-burning oven for Neapolitan pizza, but it must be the ingredients and temperature.) We split a Bianca pizza and little gem salad with fresh anchovies and fried capers. The salad was great, too. Friendly service that was attentive, despite being busy.

We have been wanting to try this restaurant for awhile. They don't accept reservations, so you can end up waiting to get seated. We went early at 6:00 p.m. and were seated right away. The server suggested two courses per person, but we opted for three in total for the two of us, and were stuffed. The monterey squid appetizer ($13) was big enough to be a main. The funghi pizza ($16) was perfect, a great crust, loaded with mushrooms. The osso bucco, at $23, was huge, cooked perfectly. For those of us who love bone marrow, there was plenty. We had a carafe of barbaresco, at $30. Is the food a five? No. At this price? Yes.

Crowded, noisy, attitudey hosts: Not a good beginning. We ordered two pizzas, both came cold, crust tasteless, nowhere as good as any number of other places in SF (Little Star, A16, Una Pizza Napoletana, Flour + Water, Delfina...). Will probably succeed because of the location....But you can do so much better in SF.

Wonderful experience. Me and my boyfriend on our trip to San Francisco went there for dinner and left super happy! The food was really good, with a large choice for vegetarian people. But the best part of our dinner was our waitress Juliette , super friendly, fun and smiling. She made great service and excellent wine recommendations. Thanks to her we discovered a great Italian wine called Brunello if I remember correctly (you have to try). Definitely a place to go! Thank you!

On a recent trip to visit family back home in San Francisco, I was told of this restaurant and the well made pizzas. What else was there to do but to head to a Mano for some pizza on a Saturday afternoon?!?! The restaurant was buzzing with lively patrons, it luckily the wait wasn’t too long, maybe 15 minutes. The menu was nice, with about 5 or 6 selections for each category. I wanted to try so many dishes, but we had brunch earlier and made this last minute detour for me to try the pizza. We ordered 2 pizzas, the classic Italian Margherita and the Funghi. The dough was airy and well made, the crust thin and held the toppings perfectly well. The coloring of the crusts were perfect. I love every aspect of Italian pizza - from the ingredients to the crust itself. The pasta we ordered was the Squid Ink Gnochetti Sardi. The pasta was good, but a little light in seasoning. But since my stop here was for the pizza, that was where my attention was focused on and they lived up for the hype. The service was good, the atmosphere was very lively, but nice (unless you’re looking for a quiet romantic spot). It’s an open kitchen restaurant with a pasta station where you can watch the different pastas made throughout the day, which adds a nice touch to the atmosphere. I definitely be back for a proper meal next time I’m back in town!

My daughter had the pesto pasta and I had a pizza. Both were delicious and plentiful for sharing (we took over half of the pizza back to our hotel for my dinner the next day). We also shared a panna cotta for dessert which was also yummy. My daughter had 2 glasses of wine, which she found to be very good as well. Nice ambience and decor, very busy/popular.

An up and coming part of town in San Francisco. Not a neighborhood I go too often but now there is a couple blocks of interesting restaurants and shops. This place is hopping and packed on a Sunday night! The drink menu is as big as the food menu. Some fun dishes of appetizers, pasta and pizza. Food is good, not a big portion but filling. The reason for not giving another star is the service, the wait for service was longer than expected even busy, got our drinks but instead of getting our order for appetizers and dinner, the waiter was all over the place. Had to flagged a couple people down before our waiter finally showed up. Didn’t refill our water, just want to know if we want more drinks. Would have tried a couple of the desert but don’t want to deal with the wait. There are so many options in SF, I probably would come again if we happened to be in the area and my friends want to check it out. It won’t be my first choice for recommendation.

Stopped in here after an evening at the symphony. Only a short walk and much easier to catch an Uber here. Even though it was 11:00 PM, staff welcomed us. Ordered delicious pasta. I had the tagliatelle and my friend pork Sugo. Both amazing! Portions are not huge, but no one needs gigantic portions anyway! Pasta was homemade and sauces were tasty. Not drenched in sauce....more authentic that way, just like in Italy. Price really quite reasonable for San Francisco. We will be back!

Food is good but do not think you will be able to hold a conversation here during the busiest hours. We were there at 6 PM just before the nearby cultural events started to happen and the wait was very short but oh goodness, the noise! It was very hard to hear. We ordered the squid appetizer -- tender and tasty. The chicken special was another story. It had some sort of very THICK breading or coating on it that meant you have to excavate to get down to the chicken. The accompanying "greens" were way over spiced with hot peppers. The portion was huge but had indigestion even after not eating most of the "coating". The pasta was a much better option, the cappelletti with peas was fresh and delicious. It was also a good deal at $17.00 We will go back but will avoid Wednesday's daily chicken special.

I was recently introduced to A Mano by friends who live in the neighborhood that surrounds this restaurant. It is one of their favorite places to eat so we all went for dinner. At 5:30 PM on a Thursday, almost all of the outside table that lined the sidewalk were filled except for about that were not shaded from the direct setting sun. The inside was almost full with about 8 seats and we took advantage of four of those seats. The ambiance is one of being hectic and the very loud loud noise of diners chatting away is almost unbearable. my group of four were able to snag a table at age corner of the dining room where the noise level was tolerable. The tables are squeezed together so one needs not be shy about unintentionally becoming part of the next tables party or conversations. Think of it as sitting at community shared tables. The menu is basically a selection of small plates, individual small pizzas (large enough to share), salads, pastas one large entree selection that changes daily and desserts. Between the four adults in my group, we ordered a variety of menu selections to sample. EVERYTHING THAT PASSED MY LIPS INTO MY MOUTH WAS DELICIOUS AND FLAVORFUL! We ate the house focaccia bread with an olive spread ( the best I have eaten anywhere. The bread was fresh and moist and easy to eat with a crushed olive spread laced with just enough hot pepper flakes that became addictive), The Calamari and bean casserole was outstanding and flavorful (whole baby squid body and tentacles on a bed of white cannelloni beans in an olive oil sauce with herbs and slices of small red peppers), the Gem lettuce salad with anchovy was beautifully presented (not a high rating giving it a 6 out of 10 from me), The buckwheat bucatini with fave leaves was a bid disappointment (a plate with an undersized portion of pasta; $16.00, with a few strands of green which I assumed was the fave leaves, coated with a very rich buttery semi opaque white sauce which was explained as parmesan cheese rind cooked down in broth. Being vegan vegetarian I thought it was the closest I could get to having a filling meal paired with a salad. I requested that the ordinarily pre added grated Parmesan cheese be omitted.), the sliced beef entree of the day came out with a large half bone with marrow topped with garlic, was a beautiful presentation and a generous portion of sliced beef cooked very rare), both the other two pasta dishes ordered had red sauces with more generous portions and one with shrimp and the other with sausage were rated as very good by my friends that ordered those. A mano offers a desert menu and a list of very nice wines. My only complaint is that I will probably not go back as for a vegetarian and vegan, there is really nothing short of a salad that I can or would choose to eat.

Some community seating, bar seating, small tables make for a good environment in a sunny dining room. Great food and service!

This place is like being at a local eatery in Italy. A great place for lunch. I ordered the bucatini all’ amatriciana which had just the right touch of subtle hot spice flavor to the tomato base sauce. The homemade pasta was perfect. Friend had the kale salad which she enjoyed . We shared the cauliflower appetizer that was absolutely sumptuous - would want one all to myself next time. The portions were just right. We finished eating it all to the last bite; and felt quite full. Service was also very attentive. Will return.

Food was great & very tasty. I loved celebrating my birthday here! Everything is made by hand so it comes out slowly but it was worth the wait.

Met family up in SF on a weekday night. No reservations accepted - but was able to get a table for 5 immediately at 6:15 (would have had to wait if arrived later). Any of the house maid pastas are great, we also got a pizza which was delicious. Those were the standout dishes for the meal. The rest was good - but not outstanding. Though I did enjoy the Tuscan fried chicken more than my wife did. Italian based wine menu - we just picked a red and went with it. Restaurant does get a bit noisy, so be prepared to talk loud to be heard.

4 meals there, and 4 positive experiences. Each time we went it was busy. But the hostess handled each experience with pleasantness and aplomb. The food and it’s pricepoints we’re spot on and right on! The baby lettuce salad is always a good start. On the weekends I have twice had the winning Tuscan fried chicken. On another occasion I had the margherita pizza. Thin, crisp crust, and quality ingredients. On my last visit I had one of their handcut tagliatelle pastas with hen of the woods mushrooms. Yummo. Save room for the amazing lemon panna cotta or the chocolate budino.

I’ve been here a few times now and I haven’t been disappointed. The pastas are great, the menus are seasonal, and the atmosphere is cozy. And for a reasonable price too!

Good and friendly service. The pizzas were good and so was the pasta, though the latter was rather small portions.

Trendy place but the food and service is so lame. Pizza with no flavours and pasta comes out in a small portion and so boring and medioker. Cocktails we had was also lame. It's sad because the place have potential.

This is just the most excellent spot to grab a bite in Hayes Valley - near the Symphony, opera or jazz venues. Also great on a weekend afternoon. No reservations, so getting a table at peak hours can be difficult, but well worth the effort. They do mostly smaller plates, very seasonal and always changing. Every single bite I've had has been superior, including the crafted cocktails! Staff is very friendly and accommodating.

Well, don’t bother unless you enjoy mediocre food, even worse wine, and the ridiculous toxic pathologic San Francisco dining experience so prevalent these days. Let me lay it out for you: 1. This was a post symphony meal 2. The hostess was pretty welcoming which we appreciated after being waved off by the too kool server dude with the slightly tinted curly hair and glasses...get him some service training. 3. Our server, Trina was excellent. Professional, pleasant( tho seemed overworked and tired) 4. We had four things, the gems salad which was so so; think the best lettuce was gone by 9:30. My wife had a marguerita pizza which was perfectly fine but not great, and I had the Amatriciana which was disappointing. The pasta was overcooked, the sauce way off the mark. Such a shame because it’s a great pasta when properly done and they screwed it up Have to say, the best part of the meal was the pistacchio ice cream; pretty gosh darn ( there, hope that works)good. The wines, ( a glass of the Valpolicella and of the primitivo were poor examples of both ) 5. Now the servers, absent our server looked burned out and they and the bartenders had that” the customers are interfering with our party” thing going, but I’ve come to expect it. I also still can’t quite appreciate the need to blastmusic when a place is already too loud. That’s it. Won’t be back but am sure plenty of people will be. I read about the group that opened this place and I did eat at Belga, one of their other restaurants shortly after it opened and enjoyed the meal, but I love sausages. I would recommend that perhaps the owner tune up the Amatriciana. There’s really no excuse, and take a hard look at the place. One final note. I thought it was reasonably priced. Got it up to a score of three.

Awesome atmosphere. Bartender very friendly. Staff welcoming. We had pizza which took us back to Naples. The pasta truly home made, felt like we were eating at nonna’s kitchen. Must go there for authentic Italian food made the old fashioned way!

Amazing meal and experience at a Mano. Great pasta, appetizers and drinks. Our service with Elle was fantastic, the hostess was also superb and managing what looked like a completely packed house. We had a really lovely seat on the street. The crowd here seems relaxed and fun, everybody seemed like they were having a great time.

The food was very good. The ragu pasta was one of the best we ever had!! Excellent meat,, slowly cooked... generous portion. The salad fresh and crispy. The arancini was nice, but not our favorite. The only problem was that the service was a bit slow. We wanted Parmigiano for the pasta and tried to catch a waiter for about 5 minutes . We succeeded at the end... and again, the food was very good and certainly worth visiting again.

This place is fantastic. It's the perfect place for fresh made pasta and a delicious sauce that is not overly complex without too many ingredients added. I've been here multiple times now and the service and quality of food is very consistent... It's a-mazing. Personally the pork sugo and the bucatini are my favorites. Servers are friendly and observant. AND!!! the hostess/host team have been phenomenal. Usually they are super busy with a line out the door, but they seat me expediently every time (helps to eat alone). I am now proud to say I frequent this place each week and I already look forward to next weekend. Thank you A Mano! My only critique is I wish they just had some table bread to munch on that wasn't a focaccia, like a ciabatta.

Very nice restaurant close to the painted ladies area in SF. Nice homemade pasta and delicious pizza! Staff was very nice and quick, we enjoyed our lunch a lot

Even at 5pm, opening time, one has to line up to get a table. No reservations. The restaurant seats about 90 people and by 5:30pm, most of the tables were full. We had an excellent meal although our garden vegetable salad was a bit boring. There were two other salads on the menu and next time we will try one of those. Our pastas--a spaghetti with clams and spicy chili oil and a pasta with lamb sausage--were both wonderful. We also tried the fried green beans--delicious and addictive! Wine by the glass seemed a bit overpriced. Looked at the dessert menu but did not indulge. Many tables ordered fabulous looking pizza. Might give that a try next time.

Only 4 months old, this is a really great place if you are in Hayes Valley. They don't take reservations, so if you are lucky you can sit down right away (your entire party must be there), or you may have a wait. Great spot to try if you are attending opera/ symphony/ ballet. Focusing on pasta and pizza, their menu offers enough options without overwhelming, the quality is very good, they make their own pasta and it shows, the service incredibly attentive and the price unbeatable. A pasta entree will only set you back $15-$17 (dinner!!).

I strolled up Hayes, as it’s a very cool street with lots of boutique shops and eateries, I didn’t book for lunch and actually wanted a brunch. Most of the trad brunch pacs pretty full so ended up at a Mano, which was primarily pasta and pizza. No real complaints the thin crust pizza was good, and i liked the place too.....

I was so pleased with my visit to A Mano! The interior is well designed and the tables are spaced so you are not sitting on top of the table next to you. There is outside seating with heaters that border the exterior. We started with splitting the small (mind you it was bigger than small) romaine salad along with one small carafe of white and one small carafe of red house wine. It was very fresh and perfectly dressed! For my main course I ordered the fried chicken special. It was so delicious and tender and it sat in a bed of creamy polenta, a side of arugula and TWO sunnyside fried eggs ($17). My husband ate half of my dish as it was so much food. He ordered the pappardelle with ragu and it was simply amazing - their pasta is handmade and you can watch them make it in the open kitchen. The prices are very very reasonable and the waitstaff very friendly. We went on a Saturday around 11:45 a.m. and to our surprise there was no wait and plenty of tables. I saw many other dishes that we want to return and try next time - can't wait!!

The restaurant is not too expensive but you can try really yummy Italian food that wow us. Service is terrific. Portion is just right. Highly recommended.

At 5 p.m. on a week night the line was already 20 people deep! They don’t take reservations, and they don’t seat you until everyone in your party has arrived. We ended up at a bar type of table along the windows, which was a bit tight but we were happy to be in out of the rain. We shared the chicories salad and the mushroom pizza and both were excellent. Service was quick and efficient, but we lingered as we finished our bottle of wine and didn’t feel rushed. A Mano is a great choice for an early dinner if you’re attending a symphony or opera performance nearby; just be sure to be there at 5:00 !

We came here for a late lunch. It was outstanding, one of the best Italian meals I've had. They make all the pasta by hand....you can even watch them making it as it's an open kitchen. I had the rigatoni with pork sugo...amazing!! So fresh and flavorful. Very generous portions. My partner had the orecchiette which was still very good, but the rigatoni was better! We also each had a salad to start, very fresh ingredients. Finished with the chocolate pudding, to die for! Prices are very reasonable. Great service. I would come back for sure!

We arrived in SF from 2.5 hrs out of town to see a speaker and wanted to get a nice meal first. Due to issues finding a place to charge our EV , and an overcrowded restaurant we had planned to dine at, we ended up wandering the streets in search of a place to eat. This restaurant was also super busy on this beautiful Monday, but they had room for us inside. We were greeted by Robert (who turned out to be the manager) and explained our time crunch. He took our order and got us our beverages quickly. Our delicious olive focaccia was brought to us by the cook (?) and then our scrumptious pesto cannelloni arrived -also delivered by the cook! Julia (the actual waitress) was sweet and took over from there. AND we were on time to our talk!!! Wonderful spot, excellent staff and management, and delicious food! Highly recommend!

Great spot with walk-ability within Hayes Valley. Very friendly staff and cool atmosphere. We had one of their popular cocktails and two antipasti’s to share. Perfect snack/light lunch. Will definitely be back for a full meal!

Bustling and fun, this is the perfect set-up for a neigjborhood restaurant offering hand-made pasta (you watch them doing it) and great pizzas. A really, really good place.

We wanted dinner after the opera, but did not plan ahead well. This restaurant a short walk (2-3 blocks?) from the opera house and symphony hall worked out great. No reservations, and they won't hold a table until the entire party is there. We hot footed over and got a table for 4 outside. It was a cold night, but the heaters worked pretty well. Service was quick, and the mushroom pizza was as good as any pizza I have ever had. The cauliflower starter was also wonderful. The salad with beets, arugula and hazelnuts was delicious. the pizza with burrata also great. We had three pasta dishes and enjoyed them all - agnolotti, campanile, and mafaldine. The pasta is made fresh here and the flavors were great. Sitting outside is a fair bit quieter than sitting inside. There are some smaller tables inside, but most people sit at longer communal tables inside. We had plenty of food for an average of $60/person all in (incl tax, 20% tip, and a $76 beverage tab)

We were 3 and we took pretty much everything on the menu to split. We sat outside, the waiter was efficient, happy and quick. Food was very good and the pricing was less than many other restaurants on Hayes,

I love this restaurant. Nice ambiance, creative, seasonal and authentic italian. They are always ready to make dietary adjustments and are very familiar with selections for all types of food allergies. Excellent pasta, salads and pizzas. A must try!!!!

We had a lovely quick dinner there: 2 pasta dishes, one with fresh fungi and the other with wild boar sauce, a carafe of house red wine and it came to 60 dollars and some pennies. A very good deal in SF in a vibrant neighbourhood and a place that fills up immediately. I strongly recommend it.

It’s nice to visit a restaurant where you can relax as everything is taken care of. Service is prompt and accurate, food is fresh and tasty. All in a good night. Do me a favour though - even though I can bench press 290lbs I found it hard to cut my pizza with your knife. Can you supply a steak knife in future? Else more gym required ☹️💪🏻 Cheers

I went to this restaurant with my girlfriend full of expectations but to be honest it was terrible. The staff is very unpolite, they brought us menus and after we ordered I told them I wanted to take a look at the wine list to choose a bottle. Nobody asked me anything after, they completely forgot, well they lost money. They brought us starters and then main but they never took away the plates of the starters. I saw another couple having the same issue and the guy put the plates on another table...they never asked if the food was ok or anything else. Now the food, I am Italian and that food is not italian at all, it is so sad to see that they chose an italian name and an italian menu but they are miles away from italian food. My pasta was swimming in broth, it was so spicy that the flavour was completely covered. They should not use any italian word just to get business it is frustrating. Please avoid if you do not want to throw your money away.

We discovered this on recommendation of a local, was a nice discovery with small menu with selection of fresh pasta. All very tasty. Went there with our 8 y-old. very friendly service

Wanted to eat Italian in Hayes Valley. This Italian eatery doesn't take reservatiins and when we walked in it was mobbed with diners mostly quite young. But there was a perfect little table for two outside and the weather was really nice for outside dining. So we sat down and ordered. Both of us were pleased with what we got.

This is a great addition to the wide selection of restaurants in Hayes Valley. Its vast choices of home-made pasta dishes provide options for everyone. I'm partial to any special as well as the bolognese. There's a cauliflower appetizer on the menu that is spectacular. It's a busy and loud place and the service can be a little slow at times but the food always arrives hot. It's a must try!

Four of us shared several dishes and were impressed by all of them, from appetizers, pastas, and through to desserts. The apps were creative and flavorful, the blistered crust pizza was incredible, the pastas were cooked perfectly al dente with amazing combinations (a spring pea with lemon was a favorite), and the desserts were perfect with a flakey crusted tart and a deliciously smooth panna cotta served with ripe fruit. The cocktail list is short, but with enough for all to enjoy. Negronis and their version of a Manhattan began our meal. One diner would have preferred that the prosecco be served in a flute rather than a coupe. Service was pleasant, helpful and attentive. Noise level is high - this is a happening spot! They don't take reservations and parking can be an issue as it is almost anywhere in the city. I suggest BART and/or a car service. The neighborhood is full of interesting shops so put your name on the wait list and enjoy window shopping.

From the minute you walk in, the treatment received is superb. The delicious pasta is all handmade, great drinks and good choices of wines. Waiters (Hector was our waiter) make you feel at home. Had the squid spaghetti (I think that was the name) it was delicious, had other pasta entrees, the cauliflower was die to for, so it was the fish special. Definitely will return.

I've passed this place many times around lunch and it's never been super crowded. Wanted to get together with a friend, but there were no online reservations available at a reasonable time (because 9:30pm isn't reasonable for most people) - so we decided to walk over to Hayes Valley to try our luck. When we got their around 7pm, the place was packed - inside and out on the sidewalk where there are a few tables. Wait was about an hour - and there was no room at the bar for a convenient place to wait, but the hi-top communal table had availability. I've never actually eaten at a communal table (and now I know why). While the service was fine - it was so loud in there that it was hard to communicate with our server - let alone each other. We ended up pretty much shouting, as our seat-mates did, in order to communicate with each other over our meal. We kept things to a main each and some festive Jamaican Daiquiries. The food was delicious - and portioned properly (no heaps of wasted food). But it was so noisy that we skipped any dessert and left after that. It was pricey. Two drinks each and one main dish apiece hit the mid $90 mark.

I really don't get the hype. My food was just OK, and service was not good at all. There are lots of other restaurants in Hayes Valley where you can expect excellent food and service. Many of them also take (and honor) reservations :)

A Mano is one of my husband's and my favorite spots in Hayes Valley. Incredible food and one of the only places I let myself splurge on pizza or pasta- because it's worth it there!!!

Good food, friendly service, small menu. The restaurant is a large, airy space with quite e few outside tables for warm sunny days al fresco eating. Perfect for lunch.

Everyone in our party of seven had smiles on our faces. Our meals were absolutely delicious and the pasta was cooked to perfection! The service was attentive and informative.

My husband and I were running errands on a Monday early afternoon and decided to stop for lunch somewhere on Hayes. We normally head to the beer garden but the day was a bit windy so we decided to try A Mano instead. I am glad we did! The restaurant was busy but not packed for our late lunch. The hostess seated us inside right by the window so we got to see the street without dealing with the elements. Our server was quick to bring water and happy to discuss the menu items we asked about. We decided on a small gem lettuce salad and a Summer Squash pizza with an egg. We also enjoyed a carafe of Rose as it is summer even in SF. The salad was fresh, crisp and flavorful with radishes, anchovies, and fried capers. Our pizza was delicious with a crisp crust and perfectly cooked egg. We talked with our server about dinner times and she noted that they do not take reservations but the list moves fairly quickly and with a variety of drinking options close by, you put your name on the list and go for a drink while you wait for your text that they are set for you. The restaurant probably gets quite loud when it is full as it is a big open space but for lunch there was no noise to deal with. We watched as they made pasta for the dinner crowd - they make it all there which reminded us both of being in Italy. We have added this place to our dinner tries and I look forward to trying out their fresh made pasta next time.

After an afternoon at Golden Gate park, my friend and I were looking for a casual place for an early dinner. My son, who spends a lot of time in San Francisco, suggested that we try a Mano, even though he warned us that we might not be able to get in. We walked in at 5:30 on a Tuesday evening and were seated at the last available table. The bar area and counters were already crowded. By the time we left, people were lined up on the sidewalk to get in. I started with a Rossini, a sparkling cocktail that is sweetened with strawberry. I seldom have a second drink with dinner, but I enjoyed the second Rossini as much as the first. My friend and I shared a marinated beet salad with arugula. The beets were excellent, but I thought the dressing was too bland for the arugula. It is a generous serving of salad and easily shared. I ordered orecchiette with clams as an entree. It was flavorful and had quite a few clams in the sauce. I thought the pasta itself was good, but wished that it had been cooked just a minute longer. Some of the edges of the pasta were hard rather than just chewy. My friend and I shared a panna cotta, one of my all time favorite desserts. This one had a citrus fruit flavor and was delicious. The atmosphere here is good, but loud. The service was perfect. Our table was very small, but we were seated at the end of a row and had a little extra space. This is not a place for a business meeting or private conversation. The neighborhood is charming and I wished we had had time to explore it.

Such a great place tot eat. We shared a pizza and fresh pasta w/ pesto. The gelato pistachio is delicious! Worth the wait!

a Mano literally means "by hand" in Italian, and they make pasta and pizza fresh daily. Atmosphere: A lively, family-style spot tucked into the chic neighborhood of Hayes Valley. There's seating both indoors and out. The 6 of us were seated at an outdoor table on a cold evening, but the heat lamp kept things comfortably warm. Food: Everyone raves about the pasta, but we found it fairly pedestrian. The real star of the menu is the pizza. The crust is Neapolitan-inspired: thin to medium in thickness, with just the right amount of chew. Not deep dish, not New York-style crisp. The edges are lightly blistered from a high-heat or wood-fired oven, giving it that subtle char and depth of flavor. We started with the Funghi and Bianca pizzas, then leaned back into the strike zone for another Funghi. The roasted mushrooms, which release their moisture in the oven and concentrate into a rich, almost meaty like flavor. Confit garlic permeates through the mushrooms, adding sweetness and another layer of depth to the flavor train without overpowering , while crescenza cheese melts into a soft, creamy layer. It's milder and looser than mozzarella, giving the pizza a lush, almost silky texture. I would come back just for this. But get it to go. And a special shout-out to the prosciutto. The color was spot-on. A deep rosy pink in the lean meat, exactly what you want from a well-cured ham. The creamy white fat along the edges was pure gold. Finished with a light drizzle of olive oil that gave it a gentle sheen... awe man, don't get between me and my fork. Service: This is where things felt a little strange. From our waiter to the food runners, the entire staff seemed guarded and oddly tense. No smiles, no warmth, almost as if everyone was on edge. Having spent time in restaurants myself, I've learned that the tone of service usually reflects the culture set from the top. It created kind of an unsettling vibe... borderline "Get Out" energy, which left us doubting if we would come back to dine in. Happy Eating!!

Not exactly a family restaurant as the crowd is more of a young hip crowd, but I brought my 2 young kids for lunch on Sunday for pasta and have to admit that the homemade noodles and sauce were a hit! Service was good, price was fair. Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that marinara sauce was pasty and undercooked. Other than that food was good. In a great part of town

I usually have my antennae out, for Italian restaurants within walking distance, so it's puzzling that I didn't know about this place until a friend suggested it yesterday. We lucked out in getting a table outdoors (it was a holiday, and we arrived just before the crowd). My friend had the daily special, a plate of lightly fried chicken (3 generous pieces, one of which she took home), with polenta and an arugula salad. I had the mafaldine pasta, with lamb sausage, eggplant, and sweet tomatoes. The pasta is made in house, fresh, delicious, and perfectly cooked. We shared a stone fruit salad, with arugula, slices of white peach, and sweet gorgonzola. It was, needless to say, very fresh, and wonderful. I did have a chance to sample the chicken, and heartily approved. With a prosecco "apertivo", and a carafe of Primitivo, it was a well-rounded holiday/birhtday (for both of us, within the past few weeks) lunch. Oh yes, the wine list allows a wide range of choices, and prices are reasonable. The rest of the menu looked tempting, so I can't wait to go back. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The neighborhood is a congenial one, so a postprandial walk helped start the digestion.

This is a first come first serve restaurant so you might need to wait a while, we went on a Monday evening and it was busy and you can see why. The food was really good with a good choice available, were told it updates regularly but if available would recommend the fontina arancini. Have a good selection of Cocktails ales and wines (most wines are Italian, which is good as an Italian Restaurant, but not so good considering you are in California). If you are in the neighborhood is worth a visit

This place had great atmosphere. Lots of energy and in the great Hayes Valley neighborhood. Portions are pretty modest but very tasty. Trendy dishes only. No spaghetti bolognese here. Lunch was so good I almost came back for dinner on the same day.

We dined here last night before going to the ballet. Arrived at 5:00 pm on the nose and had no difficulty getting a table. There was seating available until 5:40 and outside until 6:00 FYI. My cocktail was outstanding, as was the tapenade and duck mousse with kumquat. Service was also good. However, my wife and I both had pasta entrees and were both disappointed. I had the mushroom tagliatelle and found the dish salty and the mushrooms soggy and over cooked. My wife had the seafood pasta and again found it very salty, short on seafood, the pasta not cooked properly and the chickpeas an odd and non-tasting filler. It was too bad the entrees disappointed because everything else was very good.

We wanted to try a Mano, but since they don't take reservations, we waited until we had a nearby event and went in at 5:25 pm (on a Friday) and lucked into the last empty table for 2. We had an antipasto, a salad, 2 pasta entrees and a carafe of Barbaresco. All excellent. The pasta was perfectly al dente, which we love and the portions were right-sized and reasonably priced. We'll be back.

A stylish restaurant which is crowded, noisy but the food is good, unique in a very nice neighborhood.

This was our first time dining at a Mano, and my spouse and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the Restaurant Week menu, which consisted of: salad with heirloom beets, cara cara oranges, wild arugula, red onion, pine nuts, and ricotta; bucatini all’ amatriciana with pancetta and pecorino; and a dessert of buttermilk panna cotta with grapefruit. All were superb. My spouse had the Margherita pizza with added sausage, also delicious. The atmosphere was lively and the service was very pleasant and professional. All in all, this was a really good meal for the price paid. We will definitely return.

Recommended to us by our hotel concierge we absolutely loved this restaurant when we went for lunch. Amazing wine, pizza and salad coupled with fantastic service by Gary made this such a memorable lunch. Delicious.

One of the few genuine modern italian restaurants in San Francisco situated on lovely Hayes Street. Menu offers a not too big variety of original italian dishes, just as would find them in Rome, Milan or Verona. So is the taste and the friendliness of the staff. Deserts are fantastic as well. Went there twice on one weekend.

Interesting Menu, I had the Trout, excellent, yes I would go back and have it again, wife had a pizza, interesting wine list, great deserts,glad we found a Mano's

The restaurant has delicious pizzas but get ready for very palty wine pours. In my 30 years of living in San Francisco, this was the most miserly amount of wine I have ever seen in a glass. It amounted to about four sips...not even enough to enjoy with just half the pizza.

Lovely vibe. Great service by Garry and the food was sublime. All freshly made pasta and pizza. Delicious and also a great selection of wine.

I was pleased and surprised by the food of this relatively new San Francisco restaurant Also because the price was reasonable!!!! What a change in the so , so expensive city My girlfriends and I had hand made (a mano) pasta , meatballs, seafood and everything was delicious, fresh very Italian and I’m from there!!!! The service was also very good

Felt rushed, hosts and servers did not care much. Nice food and drinks menu, is always busy, food was interesting but needed more seasoning, salt and pepper and the servings were small for the price. There is better places, but the hipster crowd seem to have made it the place to be, so good luck to them but i will try other local pasta houses.

A family member wanted to try a new restaurant, a mano. We arrived early and were confused about which door to enter. A young lady working an outside table took care of us with a smile and we were soon seated. The woman who waited on us was friendly and very helpful answering a number of questions about the menu. Everyone we met made our restaurant experience one to be enjoyed. For antipasti we ordered cauliflower, lemon, chili, bagna cauda. We ordered three pasta dishes to share: orecchiette, clams, broccoli, garlic, chili, pangrattato; bucatini all’ amatriciana, tomato, pancetta, percorino; and tagliatelle alla bolognese. The only thing I am going to write about these dishes is that you must try them. I would order everything again except there are several more items on the menu I want to try. Eat here. You will not be disappointed.

Lovely vibe. Great service by Garry and food sublime. All freshly made pasta and pizza. Delicious and also a great selection of wine. What more could you ask for!

My daughter and I ate at A Mano on a Saturday night in July. No reservations and we got a cosy table on the sidewalk, which quickly filled up and the dining room was already full. Our waiter, Matthew, was new and a joy. He is funny and was helpful with the menu and had great timing. The food is so good. The menu is seasonal and fresh and lovely. The Gem lettuce salad was bright and delicious and my daughter had her first arrancini also delicious. I had pasta with fava beans and something else and it's been a month so I don't remember the specifics other than it was spectacular. Hayes Valley is a fun, very walkable neighborhood. I highly recommend a Mano and will return!

I just finished a very nice meal at the newly opened Italian spot in Hayes Valley's main "drag." This restaurant has long frontage on the street which provides great visibility into the crisp, simple decor (almost to the point of being nondescript). My dinner companion and i were seated right away since we arrived just after opening time. The restaurant does not take reservations so an early arrival is highly recommended. Within 20 minutes every table was filled. We tried two of the antipasti - duck liver pate with a kumquat marmalade served with lightly buttered toast and the squid in beans. Both of the dishes did not disappoint. The squid dish was perfectly seasoned,and the squid was tender, not overcooked. Both portions were definitely large enough to satisfy both of us. For the main course we ordered the tagliatelle and the agnolotti. The pesto sauce of the tagliatelle was full flavored and a nice match for the signature hand made noodles. The pasta was cooked perfectly though I prefer my noodles to be slightly thinner. My companion thought the thickness was just right. The agnolotti were filled with slightly over seasoned chicken placed in a delicate sauce. Both portions were enough to share for two diners. My companion ordered a cocktail and I ordered the soda of the day. Both drinks were colorful, refreshing and tasty. While we did not partake of the dessert menu, the selections ranged from gelato to panna cotta and looked appetizing. Service was provided by attentive, friendly and knowledgeable staff.

This Hayes Valley restaurant has a cozy, casual vine with a crowd of mixed professionals. Food was pretty good for the most part — the short rib ragu was excellent, though the summer squash pizza was honestly a bit of a letdown. It didn’t have much flavor (even with the added egg) and got a bit over-clogged with ricotta. A Mano really hit a home run with their cocktails — both the Capitale and Bombo Miele brought a lot of sweet flavor (perfect for a summer night). Unfortunately, the service was a bit spotty, though I totally get that sometimes nights just go a little off-kilter. The restaurant wasn’t full, but we still struggled to get our waiter’s attention to put in orders and had our cocktails arrive halfway through appetizers (usually they come first). The waiter ended up spilling some red sauce on my leg while clearing the plates, and it took a few attempts to grab the check at the end of the night. Nothing egregious, but do feel like it could’ve been a bit of a smoother experience.

Yeah, there are a lot of Italian restaurants in SF and for some reason A Mano has some of the best pasta that I've ver had. It's unique and authentic Italian pasta. My favorite it's Amatraciana, which is common in Rome and when I tried it, it was as close as I could remember when in Rome. Great service, staff really makes you feel at home and the bar is so amazingly designed that I want to try all their cocktails. Aperol Spritz is my favorite. Simple menu, no fuzz, good meals!

Walk in only, so you expect a line up... but not too long a wait. Everything looking good so far.... Very noisy inside, can't hear the people you're with, but OK that's what the hipster crowd seem to enjoy. Ordered drinks, a bottle of wine for dinner, an appetizer and 2 entrees, we were looking forward to dinner... Appetizer was the highlight (chicken meat balls), hadn't finished when the entrees arrived ahead of the bottle of wine! Poor disorganized service and very average food. We would have given feed back but no one working there appeared to give a damn, bums on seats and line at the door, churn them through while we can! In and out in 45mins! Very disappointed.

Located in the “hip and tony Hayes Valley”, I was very surprised with the quality of the food and the crowds. We came very early with a party of 6 for lunch and within 20 minutes, the place was packed. Mind you, there are no reservations taken so it is first come basis. We ate family style and started with antipasti dishes to include fontina Aran hi I, and a cauliflower, lemon, chili and bagna cauda. This one you must try. We followed with a gem salad and marinated beets and I can’t comment on the beets cuz I hate beets but the rest of the table loved it. Our pizza dishes were the Funghi Escobedo and a margherita pizza. The pizzas were a thin crust with nice and crispy dough, a thumbs up. Our pasta was a torchetti shaped pasta made with kale and served with a pesto sauce, a must have! The buckwheat rigatoni was good but didn’t set off my tast buds. Desserts were a pane cotta and apple tart in and both were a hit at the table.

Had lunch with friends here and was well treated by the appropriately attentive staff. Food is good, but nothing special. Salad and pizza were both tasty. But pasta was a bit bland. Some nice beer choices A light and airy dining room is welcome, and the location is excellent for all Hayes Valley and Civic Center activities. I guess we will return if we are in the mood for salad and pizza. But I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

We were looking in Hayes Valley for lunch and decided to try out a Mano. We had heard good things about the food. Ordered one pizza and two appetizers and everything was DELISH! Nice outside tables too. Highly recommend.

Handmade pasta - what can I say? Yummy, perfect texture unexpected and delightful sauces. Great wine list - Italian obviously but wines worth discovering and remembering. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff. Only downside - busy and loud. Try the outside tables.

We love this neighborhood gem. It was even great on a rainy evening (Friday) when we ate in the street parklet with a roof. Salads were crisp and tasty and pasta with sugo was the ultimate comfort food. Service was friendly and cordial. We've been here multiple times and it's always yummy.

We heard about this place which is rather new and stylish but were a bit disappointed by the rather too hard a-la-dante. Its a question of taste and ut was not to our liking.

Mismatch between the high-end price, the barely edible food, and the rude service. The house wine tasted like bubbly vinegar. The pasta was of chewing-gum quality, ie., cooked, cooled and reheated several times, and the heaps of buttery sauce could not make up for it. The wellsprings of good olive oil could not make up for the fact that the focaccia was re-heated and cooled several times before service to our table. Upon commenting about this to the waiter, he got the manager who said he consulted with the cook and they can assure us that the food is super fresh. Their mode of communication was very aggressive, the typical toxic masculine way to have women sulk and apologize that they dare to be critical.

So here’s the deal on A Mano. Walked by earlier in the day and saw staff sitting together outside enjoying a meal. (Always a good sign when the employees are happy eating the same quality as the guests.) My suggestion for a totally awesome experience follows: Mid-day a little after lunch rush. Sit at the bar. If you are super lucky you’re gonna be there on a day bartender Vanessa is working. In every regard the perfect server (and a lovely human being to boot!) Treated me like a queen. She generously took the time to share the recipe for the cauliflower appetizer with my buddy who was asking. Delicious. You must order the Salsiccia Pizza — a treasure. What they do - they do very well. Everything about A Mano — terrific food, ambiance, and friendliness make it exceptionally fun.

My friend and I had a great time here. We sat at the bar and had pizza and pasta and superb cocktails. Good location and lively atmosphere. Recommend.

FOOD: We ordered and shared: 1) Meatballs; 2) the Cauliflower; 3) Gem Lettuce; and 4) the Bucatini all'Amatriciana. Everything was delish! :) I enjoyed the meatballs (3 of them, which was perfect, since there were 3 of us) with 2 slices of delicious crostini. I don't usually eat bread that go with--but, when I saw what it looked like (delish), I had one of the slices. It was as good as it looked! I enjoyed the cauliflower which was hot, arrived in small black iron pan. I enjoyed hte light balsamic vinegar dressing on the salad. The lettuce was very fresh. I liked the fava beans which added a nice touch and dressed up the salad. I didn't have much of the pasta (--it was hard to get my third :))--so couldn't really say--but the pasta was cooked al dente and chewy. In general, I like pasta with a simple tomato sauce. And, from what I tasted, it was. I would order everything again to share! (Everything worked out well b/c friend who liked more of the salad had more of the salad. And we who liked more of the meatballs, had more of the meatballs.) SERVICE: Our server was the wonderful Julia! :) Service was amazing. One of my friends called that we might be getting out of performance late, at 6:15ish. The person who took call said, No problem, and would change time to 6:45. ATMOSPHERE For me, I think that we had the perfect outside table. (This was my first time actually sitting in a parklet.) The seats were comfy. I liked that there were no bugs buzzing around.) I was just under by the heat lamp. It was like we were by ourselves. The tables were nicely spaced. We could talk, hear each other, and enjoy our time together and conversation. VALUE: I thought that it was good value (reasonable) for the restaurants in the area. LOCATION: It was very convenient, close to public parking and venue. My friends made the reservation and arrived first. (So I can't comment on RESERVATIONS and WAIT TIME.) I would go back! :) --And try some of the other items on the menu. Though I usually like to order what I enjoyed so much the first time! :) My title is: Go! :) Though I would like to keep this restaurant a secret. :) But it's a very popular place. --No not a secret! :)

A Mano is the Hayes Valley hot spot for superlative pasta and an electric ambience. Busy, agitated, and energy charged, A Mano delivers the Italian cuisine those now-departed great North Beach restaurants served so adroitly. My tagliatelle with mushrooms defined al dente to a T, and the savory sauce touched each strand without drowning them. The fusilli with chicken pleased my guest with equal satisfaction. Desserts also A+: tart lemon curd and a creamy pistachio gelato covered with whole pistachios. The service proved eagerly attentive and enthusiastic. A little on the pricey side, but the quality of the food deserves it.

I had dinner here with some friends and was amazed by the delicious food . Everything we had was surprisingly delicious ! We had the duck liver mouse which was my favorite by far, but ask for extra bread because the 4 pieces are not enough. We had the chicken meatballs which were tasty but a bit to spicy for my palate. We also had the sausage pizza which was AWESOME !! We opted to try the daily special which was the ribs which were delicious but my only complaint was it was more bone than meat which was disappointing . The 2nd favorite dish for me was the chicken and pork ravioli. It was amazing ! I highly recommend you order 2 of those . This place is still new and very busy. They don't take reservations so I suggest you get there an hour before you want to eat. They will text and call your phone when your table is ready. The service is friendly and efficient . I highly recommend this place .

A great dinner spot before a 7:30 pm concert at SF Jazz with a good Wine list and fun non-alcoholic cocktails (Pineapple Hibiscus or the Cherry Soda). Starters: The Bruschetta, the Duck Liver Mousse w/ Persimmon Relish and the San Daniello Prosciutto over Pears are each so good & easily shared . Entre's: Tagliatelle Bolognese & Cannelloni w/Mushrooms are comfort foods easily shared. Save room to share the Nutella Sundae for dessert!