Ideale Restaurant & Bar Reviews

We went here on a Recomendation from a friend. It had mixed reviews on TripAdvisor. The staff was pleasant. We ordered the salad Miata which was great. The wine was good. I ordered the special fish of sea bass and my husband ordered the chicken parm. The sea bass was excellent but the vegetables it was served with were oily and totally overlooked. Like it was cooked earlier in the day. Lifeless with no attention. My husband had the chicken parm. It was good. Not the best he’s ever had. Also served over the lifeless vegetables. A little more love in the details and it would have been better

We sat at the bar and enjoyed pasta, bread and scrumptious red wine. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere incredibly cozy and comfortable. We also enjoyed our bartender who greeted us warmly and was happy to teach us about menu items and wine.

True authentic food from a very talented chef (still can't speak proper English after all these years, but that's the beauty)....the food is fresh, original, and truly made with love. This is the go to for the locals for true authentic food. Don't miss the Eggplant Parmagian.

A good traditional Italian restaurant with an old school neighborhood feel. Located in North Beach, it's location is worth a visit. The menu is varied and generally has a southern Italian flavor to it. Our service was excellent! There was a business dinner of locals right near us and they were extremely loud. But, on the positive, they were locals and dining here so that's a good sign!

This was a real gem of a find. It’s a little out of the tourist trap areas by the bay, but it’s worth the walk and there’s some great bars close by (The Saloon being one). It was easily the best place we ate in all California. The food very authentic roman and reminded us of food in the Trastevere area of Rome. The owner was very friendly and the service was great. Nice selection of wines too.

Quaint little Italian place in North Beach. We had a little bit of everything. Really enjoyed the pear and prosciutto appetizer and thin crust pizzas. Service was good and we had no issues with our reservation.

Excellent restaurant, real genuine Italian cuisine, professional and friendly staff. Difficult to find one similar even in Italy. 👍

We wandered around North Beach looking for a small intimate restaurant serving traditional Italian dishes. Ristorante Ideale fit the bill. We had the calimari appetizer, delicious! My husband had the squid ink pasta with clams, it was delicious, and the thick, dark pasta was cooked perfectly. I had the buttery veal scallopini, also very good. Service was attentive and timing was good. We were very content at the end of our meal, and opted to walk the few miles back to SOMA to burn off some calories. A very pleasant evening.

MY wife and I go here every time we are in San Fran. She loves the tortellini. I have had quite a few diff dishes. I really like the lasagna. Also the caeser salad is awesome. It is located in a cool neighborhood. After dinner, get out and walk around a bit.

We tried two appetizers, a fresh pasta dish and a fish (oven baked sole). All ingredients were super fresh and delicious. There was not one disappointment here! Awesome atmosphere including the Italian language spoken in the background. We would definitely come back to try other menu items.

Had a drink at the small bar then we were seated. Waiter was casual and friendly. He made a few recommendations all good. Apps and wine arrived promptly. Caesar salad and Buratta to share Caesar was a little fishy, but good. Buratta was also good. We ordered gnocchi and branzino both very good. Fun and lively restaurant. Try it.

During a business trip a co-worker recommended this restaurant. It is a small restaurant in the North Beach/Telegraph Hill neighborhood. I found it while just walking around after my work day. The food was traditional Italian and very good. I had the branzino special which was very simply prepared but excellent. Waiters were attentive. I went on a Tuesday night, so it was quiet and comfortable, but I imagine on weekend it could get very busy and noisy. Glad I found it.

We walked into this place, early evening for a bite to eat, glad we did as the food was excellent. tasty, flavoursome and well cooked. Staff were attentive but not too much so, the price was good for a decent meal with wine, I could wholeheartedly recommend

We sat at the bar on a busy Saturday night. The barkeep was fabulous. We didn't catch his name but were fast friends. The wine (Sangiovese) was fabulous as was the Burrata appetizer we went with. The Lemon-Spinach Pasta and the Tortellini were both some of the best we've ever eaten. The pasta was flavorful, al dente, and perfectly spiced to allow us to appreciate all of the mingling flavor experiences. We were so delighted, we forgot to order dessert, which was our only regret. This is my new favorite spot in SF and I will be back. What a treat!

My friends and I dined here after seeing a comedy show at the Masonic. My girlfriend had been there before so she recommended it. Staff wasn't very friendly, but we only waited a couple minutes to be seated. We ordered various items: prosciutto, octopus, steak and pasta. I have no complaints about the food, but I think the service was lacking, and with the food not being exceptional, I cannot give it more than an average review. As we left, my friend said that she remembered it being a lot better. After seeing some of the reviews, I see others agree I'm sorry I my brain is this you see where go probably going to war probably going to war

I would have given an excellent rating but for the spaghetti carbonara. It is so hard to get this made as it is in Rome (i.e., no cream), so I was looking forward to it, but there was way too much cheese which made it a bit gummy. Otherwise, the salads, veal saltimbocca and fish of the day were great.

My daughter and I came on a Saturday night. We had reservations for 8:15 thankfully as there was a wait and only one man keeping track of everyone waiting. Our server was good. My daughter had the spaghetti alla carbonara which she enjoyed. I had the margherita pizza and it was undercooked, the dough was wasn't crisp at all. We split the tiramisu for dessert and it was ok, not the best we've had. Maybe this place is better on a weeknight when the area isn't so busy, but this one didn't live up to the hype for us.

The food was excellent with all the Italian standards and some additional choices. The wine list was modest but there were plenty of choices and the prices were reasonable. The owner is very personable the and staff very friendly.

Friendly little Roman Italian restaurant. The menus items had different salads, pasta and pizza items. Myhusband had the veal parmigiana , came with roasted potatoes and quite delicious. The pasta choices were limited so I choose the spaghetti with cheese and pepper. Some thing different. But a bit too different. The overall taste and texture was very good, pasta cooked perfectly, giving it a nice chewy taste, but I should have heeded the word pepper more carefully. It truly was peppery. And too much of anything for me is too much. I was also very tired when we arrivdfor dinner and so maybe I need another go at it. WE arrived at 9 pm and people were still arriving later than that for food. I guess this is San Fran. I would try it again. Our server was delightful and appropriately Italian.

The TripAdvisor community comes through again! I was looking for a great local (i.e., non-touristy) restaurant to take my wife for her birthday. Ideale did not disappoint! It's a relatively small restaurant and wasn't crowded when we walked in. Granted, we at on a Thursday at about 7:00 PM, but we thought a few more people would be there. In any event, we loved every moment of our meal. The service was attentive and friendly, but not hovering. And the food was spot on! Everything we ate was quality. We started with the burrata that was fresh and a perfect portion to share between the two of us. My wife had the ricotta gnocchi, which she was light but still rich and flavorful. I had the papardelle with lamb ragu and it was everything I hoped it would be. Then, to cap off our evening, the owner brought us a piece of tiramisu for us to share for her birthday! (I had mentioned on our reservation that we were celebrating it, but the dessert gesture was a complete surprise.) I don't know when, but we will definitely be coming back here again!

Ideale is an authentic Italian restaurant located in the North Beach area of San Francisco. The chef is born in Italy and brings his expertise and experience to America. Try the grilled Calamari - it to die for. Have been eating at Ideale for over 10 years and the high quality of food remains to this day. Go with family and friends - you won't be dissappointed.

Real Italian food, not mucked about with, served by efficient Italian waiters and full of Italian customers! We had calamari, melanzane, tortellini with miale (pork) my husband had gelato with limoncello. A half-bottle fo Chianti Classico. Recommended but do book as lots of walk-ins turned away.

I love this place. Genuine Roman style food from Genuine Roman guys! I love the calamari appetizer and the wine pairings are great.

Excellent authentic Italian food. Great pasta, good service. The cannoli was slightly dissapointing, but we are picky. Prices were reasonable for sanfran

We booked this place for 5 people and it didn't disappoint. I knew this would be a typical authentic Italian place since the moment an Italian answered the phone. We arrived the two of us and was waiting for few minutes for our friends and even when they arrived we took some time to decide on the menu and the staff didn't push us which was nice. The place is cozy and lovely and waiters are Italian so it gives the place a nice warm, family feel. The menu was lovely - few antipasti (we had the burrata and loved it, it was soft and creamy), few pizza items, very few selections of meats (chicken, veal, fish) and pastas!!! I liked that the menu wasn't too big but it wasn't 1 page either - I think it was just about right if you are an Italian food lover and you don't mind trying new dishes. they brought us 2 bread baskets (how generous of them) and we asked for some olive oil and balsamic to deep our breads into and o My God - the olive oil was soooo good, just like the one we had in Rome. They had the typical Roman favorites such as carbonara and amatriciana but we didn't try them since we cook plenty italian at home and wanted something different. Between the 5 of us we had the tortelloni stuffed with veal, pancheta, mushrooms in a creamy sauce (which I must say this was the winner, the taste of this combination was just out of this world), lasagna serafina (named after the grandmother) which was really good, pappardelle with meat ragu sauce which was lovely and my dish which was gnocchi with meat ragu sauce - gnocchi was soft and delicious. The waiter suggested the wine within our budget ($50) and it was truly lovely - smooth and light with no headaches the next morning. Although we were stuffed after dinner we had to order the chocolate ice cream truffle which was superb. Amazing experience and dinner. We had a few jokes with the waiters and it made the evening even more pleasant. All in all, I don't think any of the dishes on the menu will disappoint so don't hesitate to try any of their freshly made pastas! With 1 appetiser, $50 wine bottle, 5 main courses of pasta and 1 dessert the bill came to 180$ split between the 5 of us before tip so a bit on the higher side but good enough considering we had the bottle of wine. Will definitely be back and highly recommend this to everyone.

Great food especially pastas. Nice friendly service. Real Italian food with real Italian people. Seafood dishes particularly good. Fantastic deserts. Get the Sicilian cassata.

We had dinner with another couple in SF, my husband and I were tourists so we let our local friends choose the restaurant. Both of them have great knowledge in italian cuisine and one of is italian, so needless to say, they are very selective with what they eat. The restaurant had a very casual ambiance and my husband and I enjoyed that all of the people working there are italians, including the chef. We had to entrees, the zuchinni and the calamari. The zuchinni was very good and fresh, i didn't expect it to be raw but i have to say that I loved it, very straightforward and fresh. I'm a vegetarian, which means that I didn't tried the calamari, but everyone in our table enjoyed the plate. For the main course we ordered the vegetarian gnochi, the eggplant lasagna, the spinach and ricotta ravioli and the fish of the day. I will say that all of us cleared our plates, the gnochi were exquisite, very fresh and soft, you could easily tell they were homemade; the lasagna was very nice, the plate was well served and flavorful, very different to most commercial italian restaurants you'll try around the city; the ravioli were super tasty as well with very simple but well chosen ingredients, very very soft and fresh, they're made in the kitchen! I didn't taste the fish but everyone agreed that it was very nice also. For desserts we had a delicious panna cotta and my favorite, tiramisu! So moist and tasty, it was gone in seconds!! Totally worth it! The only reason i'm giving it four stars was because the ac on the side we were on, was not working or was turned off and we felt very hot, other than that, great experience and great food!!

Was visiting San Francisco and enjoyed a great dinner here with friends. Food was very good. Looking forward to visiting again when I am next in San Francisco.

Wonderful time. Service was great amd recommendations mad were spot on. Food was terrific. Good wine prices and selection.

Excellent food, prompt service, nice vibe! We had the gnocchi and Amatriciana pasta, both delicious

There are a ton of Italian restaurants in the area. This is by far the best. It all started with fresh homemade pasta. A true Italian restaurant.

Packed jammed, and no wonder: food was heavenly. We're vegetarian, didn't take away from the experience. Service great, too. Don't miss!

Wonderful food with courteous and professional wait staff. The prices were reasonable for what you got.

Er had al lovely dish of chicken in Italiaan sauce. Nice service . Very food food. Service was very kind and fast. People were enjoying themselves. It was a very lovely evening all together.

We were fortunate to book a reservation as the Restaurant was packed, we were seated promptly and a waiter, who actually spoke Italian arrived quickly. The parma proscuitto and pear appetizer was quite tasty along with the mussels and clams. Mezzaluna was nicely prepared with a delicate pasta. Veal saltimbocca was also quite flavorful. Would definately return.

We were a party of 3 people and ordered food family style. We started with a fabulous bottle of Montepulciano wine. Our starters were Burrata and Zucchine Tartufate followed by the house made ravioli and fresh fish of the day. After a long day of travel, it was nice to be in a small and authentic Italian restaurant. The food and service will not disappoint.

The buratta is worth the visit. I had the house made pappardelle with lamb ragu which was good but it was over sauced My wife had the Carbonara with house made pancetta also good (though they smoke their pancetta which is not typical)Service was a little bit rushed They have a good wine selection The place has a lively buzz

Good place to eat Italian food. it is a bit on the pricey side, but if you want to treat yourself, this is one of the place to go to in North Beach.

We went for dinner on New Year's Eve, so it was very crowded and very noisy. They had changed the menu, so our vegetarian and fish options were minimal. I had the Monk Fish which was not good. I did lilke the shaved arugula salad and the dessert. Fortunately, we had an excellent waiter. But overall, the experience was very disappointing.

Had a decent experience here about a year ago and the line was too long at Sotto Mare so we decided to give it another try. Now I understand why there was an hour wait at the other place and none at this one. The waiter was completely unfamiliar with the menu outside of the specials. Couldn't describe a single dish on the menu and when asked, he read it off to us. When asked a few questions he became exasperated. I asked him about the gnocchi, having a strong preference for potato gnocchi over ricotta gnocchi. His answer "gnocchi is gnocchi", Really?? I had no idea. The Cesar salad was warm and wilted. The carbonara pasta was a disastrous, dry mess of congealed eggs over ziti pasta with a very few gristly bits of guanciale (pork cheeks) Yuk. I have never seen a carbonara like this and I order it frequently. I expected a velvety smooth coating with tasty salty pork pieces. Nope. dry, congealed egg. The wine was OK. My husband's lasagna was OK. The waiter couldn't have cared less. No return visit. Too many good restaurants in S.F.

We were a party of 3. Good selection on menu. True Italian experience. Service excellent, food exceptional,price very good. Pizzas are traditionally made thin and crispy. I had a pasta with clams, mussels, prawns, fish. It was brilliant! Equal to anything I have had in my life. Thoroughly enjoyed this place. If you get a chance it will not disappoint you. Guaranteed !!

A welcoming place that felt authentic top to bottom. A good value and comfortable, a great place for catching up with a friend. The pastas were excellent!

Located just off of Columbus Avenue, this vibrant and cozy restaurant delivers big with the flavors. I ordered the tortelloni alla paesana and my dining companions went with the bucatini all' amatriciana and the papardelle all' agnello. I tried all three and they all took me back to my dining experiences in Rome. It also helped that they had actual Italians working there so you know they do fresh pasta right. The portion sizes were perfect and you are left with just enough room for their desserts, which were phenomenal. I got the tartufo al cioccolato and it was the perfect end to a wonderfully delicious dinner. Great find!

We enjoyed our meal here. We ordered the fennel orange salad and carpaccio, then had the lamb with tomato and capers and the red snapper special. Finished with chocolate tartuffo. Good meal, good service.

The restaurant is located in the hills of San Francisco's Italian neighborhood. The place is very cozy and the staff is very professional. We had three excellent first courses. For an hour we forgot we were in the USA. Highly recommended.

Strategically located near Embarcadero Great Italian authentic dishes (ask for chef specials of the day); home made pasta Great service

This was a small, family owned place that was very good! Be sure to make reservations! Everyone was very friendly and very helpful. Our food was all very good....they were out of one entree that we ordered, so another choice had to be made. They were very good with our 5 & 7 year olds.

Wonderful neighborhood Italian restaurant! It is family run with lots of locals in attendance. The menu is full of classic Italian dishes. Everything we ordered was excellent & surprisingly better than most meals we have had in Rome. The service was attentive & efficient, the ambience like being in an aging trattoria. We were happy to have found this treasure.

Ideale is now my favorite Italian restaurant. Was there a week ago for the first time and with a group of 11 and it was great. Good friendly service and excellent pastas. Had to go back again. My husband and I with two friends visited last Saturday. It was as good as I remembered. I'll go out of my way to go back here.

Loved this place. It was recommended by the concierge at the hotel, and we enjoyed it immensely. Kind of a hole-in-the-wall place, easy to walk by, so make sure you have the address! Classic Italian cooking, a bit noisy, but good noisy. We'll go again.

We went to Ideale on the recommendation of friends, and we had a wonderful evening. The food was great. I liked the menu choices because each dish had been well planned with interesting variations.

Unpretentious, was phenomenal for Italian fare. Had Gnocchi in a meat sauce that would make anyone cry for. Then a veal saltimboca that was equally wonderful. The chef was in the dining area several time and is a pleasure to meet and test your Italian phrases. Altogether a best of class.

The last time I took friends to Ristorante Ideale, they started talking about their trip to Italy and their longing to return after their first few bites of food. This restaurant would be a huge success, even in Italy. The grilled calamari: I've never had better. Try it! And the fresh pasta: I cannot get enough. In fact, I don't generally eat carbs -- unless it's their pasta. wow! Oh, and maybe I slip in a slice of their amazing pizza...

While visiting San Francisco we wanted to find an Italian restaurant close to where we were staying (Mariott- Fishermans Wharf)- this seemed to fit the bill. It was a small but excellent Italian restaurant with some homemade pasta dishes. I had the plentiful appetizer portion of eggplant parmigiana and a small side of basil gnocchi. The eggplant was delicious and enough as we had a Burata and tomato appetizer to start (which was delicious as well). The gnocchi was good- but really not necessary if looking for a small- moderate portion of a main dish. The 2 men had a good size portion of lasagna which we they both loved! The 3 of us decided we would come back if we visit this part of San Francisco again. We were full so we did not look at the dessert menu. The reason I did not give the atmosphere a higher score is that is was a warm October evening and it was very hot in the restaurant, no fans. It would have been better to eat in the area by the front door which I think had better air circulation. I would think they have air conditioning in the summer months? This is a very casual homey restaurant with very reasonable prices.

We were recommended this restaurant from our concierge, we were so glad she did. Great atmosphere very busy restaurant, we would not have found this without help. Staff here very tentative, the food was amazing, we had three courses and a bottle of wine. Our waiter even walked 2 blocks to hail a cab for us because we had waited a few minutes for them to ring one, but the line was busy. He said follow me and he hailed a cab straight away, great service, he went above and beyond his role. This completed our great night out. Thank you everyone here.

Nice atmosphere, very traditional Italian, good background music, and typical menu. At 5:30pm they had only one steak available.... not sure if that is a good thing...

We ate here on a Saturday night. The restaurant is pretty but service was a bit gruff. There were a bunch of hits and misses. The hits: pizza, mista salad and the seafood stew. The misses: the veal was flat out disgusting and the seafood salad lacked flavor. They do have a corkage fee for BYOB. I would not go back here again.

Each year my oldest daughter and I take a foodies trip with my cousin and his daughter. This was opening night of our weekend and we were aimlessly walking around little Italy in San Fran. We decided to walk into a local coffee shop and ask for a local’s suggestion and soon enough we ended up at Ideales. Everything we ate was out of this world. We were hungry but we all feel like everything was superb. The burrata mozzarella was to die for. We wanted bruschetta which they did not have on the menu, so they made us some! Killer. Honestly my favorite though it was all amazing was the gnocchi with meat ragu. I would love to go back every night we are here. Other than being in Italy, there’s nothing like this.

Wow, what a great dining experience, excellent food, excellent wine, good service, felt like you were in Italy in the middle of urban San Francisco!

The staff spoke Italian and seemed to have Italian background. Lots of wine options. Pasta and deserts homemade. In what is known as the Italian section. Not crowded, which had me worried, but excellent food.

Tired of almost two weeks of US food we decided to have dinner in an Italian restaurant, in search of the healthy and authentic flavors of our culinary tradition. Doing a search on Tripadvisor and other sites among the restaurants in Little Italy, we arrive at Ideale. We book a table and when we arrive: surprise! The friendly owner lived practically a few steps from our house in Rome, we studied in the same schools. After some pleasant chat, we order two pasta dishes: paccheri with tomato and basil sauce with parmesan and homemade tagliolini with cheese and pepper. They also bring us some warm bread with a saucer of extra virgin olive oil as an appetizer. We conclude by sharing a cup of ice cream with cream and cream washed down with bitter espresso coffee. Wonderful! Finally our stomach relaxes.... Restaurant to be absolutely recommended for Italians looking for healthy food and for foreigners eager to try real Italian cuisine. Greetings to Maurizio and all his staff!

We had 18 people to entertain and they did a superb job. The food choices pleased every palate and food sensitivity. Quaint, friendly place in the heart of one trendy SF neighborhood! And the bill was equally refreshing!

While there are hundreds of Italian restaurants in North Beach, Ideale stands out for its food. You feel like you are in a boisterous spot on a tucked away street in Rome. The handmade pastas are delicious, the portion sizes are just right, enough to fill you up but not so much that you are lugging home a huge bag of leftovers. The prices are very reasonable and the wine list has some real gems. This is not your average tourist stop and well worth the one block walk off the beaten path. It can be noisy so keep that in mind, but that adds to the atmosphere.

Excellent Italian restaurant at a more than reasonable price in a lively neighborhood and with super friendly service. Highly recommended. $35/person with beer and without dessert.

Restaurant in the center of the Italian neighborhood run by the owner who is Roman. Good pizza and bucatini all’amatriciana, shame instead for the carbonara which was a bit dry. Average prices to be in San Francisco.

Overall a great experience. They are old school in terms of getting people seated. They will not be rushed. Simple white bread to start. Salads were great (prosciutto & pear, fennel and orange). Pasta (tortellini & gnocchi) were really well prepared and flavorful. Seafood soup was a slight disappointment as all the seafood was significantly overlooked...... the broth was fabulous. Good wine list. Beyond that, just water or soda. Lots more on the menu we want to try so would return again next we are visiting.

This is a lovely, quite intimate restaurant and you receive a very warm and friendly greeting on arrival. All the waiters are Italian. The menu selection was fabulous, not ridiculously extensive (which always concerns me..I find it hard to believe that everything on a massive menu can really be cooked to perfection) but a good amount of choice all the same. There are also specials which the waiter advises you about. I had the Burrata to start (OH god it was good!) and my husband had the Caeser salad which he said was lovely. Really fresh and tasty. I had the special to follow - which was swordfish and spaghetti in a tomato, parsley and caper sauce. It was superb. Absolutely delicious.. took me back to eating in Sicily! D had the Gnocchi (which is one of his most favourite food items ever!) in a meat ragu and he said it was sublime. We shared a delicious bottle of red wine and then shared a divine Cannoli to finish! The portions weren't too much either so we didn't end up wasting food like we often do in the States. As it turns out, this place was actually recommended in our guide book as being one of the few honestly Italian places in the Little Italy area of San Fran. The guide book wasn't wrong that is for sure!

I felt like my Italian mother cooked just for me. The restaurant is on a side street and not fancy but the food is SO GOOD- try the eggplant parmigiana appetizer. We also had veal saltimboca that was fork tender. Lots of great wines to choose from too.

If you're coming to San Francisco and plan to eat Italian in North Beach, consider stepping a short block off of Columbus and having dinner at Ristorante Ideale on Grant Street. The food and service are VERY good, and although the restaurant can get crowded it's still a welcome relief from the crowds on Columbus. And if you like the hustle and bustle you can be on Columbus for the full North Beach experience in a few moments after dinner. We've been twice now and already have reservations for next week when family arrive. The Veal Saltimboca is one of the best I've ever had.

Crowded, LOUD....red sauce/gravy was tasteless. If they served this Italian food back east they would go to jail!

We just finished another delightful meal at Ideale. Being a Bay Area native, I have eaten here several times with my husband as well as with visiting family members. Service has always been impeccable and the food is nothing less than delicious EVERY time. It is the closest thing to Italy on the West Coast. (Hubby is from NY and agrees but also acknowledges there are some great Italian restaurants on the East Coast too). The lasagna is the best I've ever had in the US. The homemade tortellini in cream sauce and pumpkin ravioli with sage butter sauce is wonderful too. Our favorite appetizer is prosciutto, pear and marscapone! Yummy! Not to be missed! I'm looking forward to doing some more comparison eating when we head to Italy for 3 weeks in September (been there twice and Ideale is the real deal!!!) I'm completely perplexed by some of the negative reviews. Staff has always been friendly and attentive.....I highly recommend Ideale! Buon appetito!

Inhouse made pasta and Gnocchi in an excellent Ragu. Service was crisp and the food terrific. Highly recommend this Italian restaurant.

We don't know the area well enough to know if you could do better but our one meal in North Beach, at Restaurant Ideale, was quite satisfactory. I had the pappardelle and ragu. Okay. D in law had the pasta with cheese and pepper, good; son had the half lobster pasta special, good. Note: they are "kid tolerant/friendly."

We found about this restaurants from my husband's Italian friends. Very authentic, great food, great wine selection, great friendly and attentive service and all of this at very reasonable prices! It is one of our favorite restaurant in San Francisco. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed! Gigi

An Italian passing through San Francisco cannot fail to go to dinner at the "Ideale" restaurant. It's like coming home... everything prepared with care, and the true Italian flavours. Pasta alla Amatriciana, Carbonara, and Cacio e pepe are a must take, but also the starters and main courses. In short... Italians, go and visit Maurizio at the Ideale restaurant... Ps: very good limoncello, from the coast and not at all commercial. Even L'Espresso... it's the real one!!

Had to finish our stay in SF with Italian and this was fantastic. Excellent service, great wines and the food was superb. Number of people for a Sunday night was a hint. Will be telling everyone who visits...

Loved the appetizer Burrata e speck. I had the gnocchi it was fabulous. My friend had the pumpkin ravioli which was out of this world. Honestly it was so good and the portion size was perfect, not to much. The food was freshly made. I can't say enough. Must try.

We recently went to this restaurant again. It’s been a year we haven’t visited. This time it was okay, but not very good. My husband ordered the grilled seafood. The prawns were not cooked well or it wasn’t fresh. Everything on the plate was just so so. We had a lot of left overs. We also had a salmon salad which was good. There are many good restaurants around. I think I will not return to this one.

My husband and I came to this restaurant on the advice of one of his co-workers. It was a Monday night, so it was not very busy and we were seated right away, even though we were 30 minutes early for our reservations. We were seated right away with a smile at a nice table in the "back" seating area of the restaurant. The restaurant is small and quaint. We ordered a bottle of Chianti, and we shared a Caesar salad, a prosciutto pizza, and an order of carbonara. The menu was perfect and "unfussy". I could not resist ordering a cannoli for dessert, and I'm so glad I did. The food was amazing. Everything was homemade and hot. Fresh made pasta, and probably the best prosciutto I've ever had. The service was superb, and the food came out timely and appropriate. I would recommend Ideale to any of my "foodie" friends!

I wanted to post pictures but I ate everything so quickly and tastefully that I didn't make it in time. Atmosphere and products are 100% Italian. Historic restaurant with a nice family atmosphere. Amatriciane and cheese and pepper that in many renowned Italian restaurants forget them. OVERRECOMMENDED

Great, authentic food and friendly service. Nice little place to go to for dinner. Would come back next time I'm in San Fran. I recommend their saltimbocca, it was delicious.

Note: we did a multiple week trip to Italy last year, and hoped for a similar dining experience. We were disappointed. We looked up nice places to eat in North Beach in an older edition of Lonely Planet (2009), and we ended up here. We ordered spaghetti cacio e pepe and paccheri all'amatriciana, two classic Italian pastas we are both familiar with. After waiting 45 (!) minutes, the dishes were delivered by one of the three generally arrogant and unfriendly waiters. The pastas were very 'al dente', and both our sauces were below average. The restaurant was loud, and the lighting seemed to fail every once in a while for a split second. When we asked for the bill, we waited for 15 minutes before trying to figure out what was taking so long. We saw our waiter talking and laughing near the bar... I went to the register and one of the other waiters pointed this back to me for 10 minutes before another one took over?? Don't come here unless you like below average Italian food and inefficient staff.

We were sent by Giuseppe from Tirimisu (another wonderful Italian restaurant) I love it when restaurants recommend other ones. It is such a nice friendly competition, and such an honor to the recommended restaurant. Chefs know a good place when they see one. The service was a 10+ The food was so good, an emotional experience for me as I am full blooded Italian and everything about the place reminded me of my grandma's cooking....and mine too! It was a lively little place, where the owner and staff sip wine? at the bar with customers, and still very attentive to the table diners. Loved everything about Ideale and will go back there for sure the next time I am in SF.

This is my go to trattoria in San Francisco. The roman dishes in particular excel and offer the best in class, from the amatriciana to the cacao e pepe...the best of the best.

It is a good sign when a family of three generations is walking into a neighborhood restaurant with happy birthday balloons. The fact that a local in this huge city would choose this restaurant to celebrate an event made us confident that we had chosen wisely. The pear appetizer was perfect to share. Our entrees were excellent and the portions were just right. My martini was cold and generously poured. I booked on line and asked for a window table. My request was granted. This place isn't in the AAA book, but it should be.

We've visited this restaurant a number of times and it has always been exceptional. Unfortunately, our visit this time is probably our last. The food was disappointing. Three of the four of us had lasagna, which I've ordered almost every time I've eaten here because it's always delicious. However, the pasta was overcooked and mushy and the sauce was bland. Even salt didn't help much. We did have some nice appetizers, tuna tartar and carpaccio, which were very nice. There are too many great restaurants in this city to visit here again.

We were wandering around the North Beach area of San Francisco and discovered this wonderful location. We had a table right by the front window for some great people watching. The cuisine here is indescribable. I was with a Brooklyn Italian who knows Italian food and she absolutely loved it. The pasta dishes were supreme and I don't remember having as good an anchovy Caesar Salad. This is our Italian destination from now on.

My longtime, go-to Italian restaurant in North Beach. Away from the Columbus Ave crowds it serves down home, elegant pastas - most costing about $20 a plate which allows you to include a good wine from their wine wall.

We met with local friends whilst visiting SFO, Great menu and wine list. Not too pricey. Everyone in our group of 4 was very delighted with the meal - can fully recommend

we had a party of four and all had very positive and enjoyable time. The Antipasti of calamari e rughetta and the prosciutto e pera were delicious and not found on many SF italian restaurants. Food was very Roman. This is a restaurant in an heavily italian neighborhood with many Italian restaurants. All the pasta dishes were excellent. Mauricio was a very proud host who treated us like family A destination for authentic Italian dishes.

Save your appetite for Ristorante Ideale...so much delicious food to discover! Even though we were completely stuffed from our delicious meal we still splurged on dessert, we couldn't decide between the Cannoli or Tiaramisu, our server suggested we try their Cannoli.....and then he came back with BOTH desserts! I don't think there is a choice that would be bad when visiting Ristorante Ideale!

This restaurant was recommended by our concierge at our 5 Star Hotel. He said that this is not the touristy, Americanized Italian you experience in some restaurants. We loved it. The food was authentic and the servers were wonderful every step of the way. The tagliatelle ragu was fantastic. Everyone loved their meals, including the children in our group. The restaurant was packed (one table had 30 people), yet the service was attentive. Loved it!

First time impression dining at Ristorante Ideale. Really love this place, two small rooms of tables which had a cozy feeling. It was loud at times but wasn't unbearable. Service was top notch and professional. What you expect at a fine SF restaurant. We were a table of four, all ordering different pasta dishes. We all raved about our own pasta and sauce. Mine was the squid ink tagliarini with clams in shell, absolutely awesome. Will go back just for that dish.

If you are looking for amazing fresh pasta, this is the place to be. The appetizers were delicious and our pasta rivaled that of pasta we have had in Italy!

How can you go wrong with daily fresh made pasta and bread. Menu sticks with the traditional favorited and doesn't leave any absent. It is hard to decide because of the large menu. The daily specials are a plus. My favorite appetizer is the eggplant, might be the best prepared I have ever tried. Open late on the weekends, but very popular in North Beach.

We love Ideale. This is our go to place when in doubt. The servers are friendly, cheerful, and helpful. The bucatini was like being back in Italy.

This was a recommendation from our concierge and I am so glad we went! The food was amazing -- tasted like we were back in Italy. Must get the Veal Milanese. It is on the bone, pounded thin, and perfectly prepared. Husband had the catch of the day, which was snapper. It was topped with a tomato based sauce that enhanced the flavor of the fish. Split some ravs to start. Homemade pasta that had the perfect bite and was filled with spinach. Wine list is extensive. Easy to miss because it is small, but a definite must for anyone who wants an authentic meal that will not soon be forgotten!

We went here on recommendation but food was just ok. It has usual plates/ Much better places in North Beach.

We were looking for an exceptional Italian restaurant, with a local feel, and boy did we find the perfect match! Our concierge referred us to Ristorante Ideale and it was incredible. It wasn't very busy when we arrived, but go so as the evening progressed. It appeared to be more of a locals restaurant, which was a nice change from the tourist places we had been hitting. Highly recommend everything. We all had something different and we all cleaned our plates! The kids thought it was one of the best meals we'd had while in SF.

This place was recommended to us by a local in San Francisco, and the food did not disappoint. It was tasty and the staff was very kind. 5/5 stars for sure and we recommend for anyone looking for very authentic Italian. We ordered the calamari, gnocchi, and fish of the day which was halibut. Each dish was extremely fresh and none of it was heavy, yet our stomachs were left satisfied. For dessert we had the Millefoglie which was also delicious and different from what you normally find. Great experience!

This is a lovely restaurant in the heart of Little Italy. Manager really helpful, both in explaining the menu and in recommending wine. It was nice to have a distance between tables too. Worth reserving a table in advance to get the time you want. Food was excellent and the service great. Would revisit if in San Fran again.

Visited this as a family 'farewell' meal, nearing the end of a glorious stay in San Francisco. Very Italian, with a laid back easy going vibe. Waiter was charming and amusing too which added to a he family experience. Thoroughly recommend!

We went there as a family of 6 (2 adults, 4 children). It is totally understandable, that the city of dogs is not prepared to serve big families. However, a family equals 3 couples and the waiter in charge should be able to do the math. Luck of sleep or whatever other problems he is dealing with should not lead to rudeness you pay for.

The meal was lovely and genuinely Italian without being pricey. The service was impeccable. I even left my wallet at the restaurant and they put it in a safe place for me. Highly recommended!

My beau and I have an annual North Beach date. North Beach is still a fun and vibrant hangout. Twice we have had dinner at Ideale. The service is wonderful. Warm and friendly but not intrusive. We felt that we could trust the recommendations. We shared a pasta dish, the mixed seafood grill entree and caesar salad. We saw other diners with fresh pastas which we wished we had ordered. The mixed seafood grill and the salad were wonderful, cooked well and the presentations were lovely. The portions were generous and was split without us asking. A lovely evening. We will return.

What a wonderful restaurant this is. Just a few steps off Columbus avenue and its tourist trap. Quiet, no blaring music, no football on the tv, no drunken frat boys at the bar. And I haven't even mentioned the food. Homemade pastas, homemade bread, homemade pancetta, etc etc. the owners obviously take pride in they put on the table. Impeccable service too, without being overly obtrusive or fawning.Don't miss this place if you're in the mood for very good Italian food in San Francisco.

Great food. We had the grilled calamari appetizer for starter. Soft and succulent. For the entrees, we ordered the lasagna, clams and linguine, tortellini with ham and the sea bass ( special of the day). Beautiful done with perfection. We loved all of them. Highly recommended.

My wife and I have eaten out in Rome a dozen times. For a Country where excellent food is available in every small town, Rome has been a big disappointment. As in Venice, too many tourists make for tourist food. Indeed, the best Roman food I have had is at Ideale in San Francisco! We live in San Francisco and love Italian food, but most of the best Italian restaurants have closed in the last few years. Ideale, however, has gotten better and now may be the equal of any Italian place in town. The pastas are hand made, innovative and really top notch. Maybe the best I have had outside of Italy. Ideale can be very noisy, but I will go back for the outstanding pasta.

Just enjoyed a wonderful meal at this "out of the way" Italian restaurant on Grant Ave. Was recommended by a good friend who is of Italian descent, This eatery is on a very quiet corner in "North Beach" area of S,F, I noticed how low key it was upon entering, The owner/chef Maurizio greeted me quite warmly and seated me in the 2nd room. I ordered spaghetti alle vongole varace (clams in a Pinot Grigio sauce). Enjoyed this dish immensely. Not overpowering, subtile and quite tasty. WOW! Full of Manila clams, and after devouring them....counted 25 clams. They are very generous. Beforehand I wanted to try a glass of Italian wine(tosta bianco) with Caesar salad with anchovies. The best mildly stated Caesar;s I had ever. For dessert I had "Gelato Misto." Coppa gelato with chocolate/vanilla ice cream covered with hot chocolate and whipped cream. What a way to finish the meal.....EXCELLENT! Three courteous male waiters from Italy constantly came by to ask how everything was. We came in upon their opening at 5:30 pm and when we left after 6:30 pm ....every table in both dining room was filled. They also serve pizza, rib eye steak, as well as fish dishes. The final bill was quite moderate. Already made reservation for next week for a party of 12 to celebrate my wife's birthday...They will love it......If you go "so will you!" .

Great meal, great service! We always have a fun time here. They just added a Happy Hour Monday through Thursday. Ask for Fabio to be your server. --Mike

Visited here with a group of colleagues. The staff are so friendly and welcoming but I did not feel the food was that good. The pasta was extremely bland, the bread was dry and hard, the salads were quite nice, the chicken was plain, the vegetables were nicely cooked. Overall I wasn’t that impressed by the experience but I think maybe it’s more a case that they don’t excel at cooking at scale for a big group. Probably nicer if you order a la carte.

We had our 20th wedding anniversary dinner here. It was lovely. We had the Carbonara dinner and Prosciutto appetizer. For dessert we had a cannoli. Everything was so delicious.

Ok, so went on the Sunday after Christmas, but we didn't exactly feel welcomed. BTW we're nice people. Got there about 10 minutes early which seemed to annoy them, sat us at bar, offered us nothing. Food was good but not outstanding. Fennel appetizer was unique. Spaghetti alla carbonate ok, pasta with clams pretty good, veal scallopine ok. Service was lackluster, like everybody just wanted to go home. I don't need or want fawning over, but a smile might have been nice, all of which I could have overlooked for outstanding food, which it wasnt. This was our 3rd time eating here, but it'll be the lsst, sadly.

We were looking for a restaurant in NorthBeach and the hotel concierge recommended Ideale. It is very small and quaint inside, but has a really nice vibe to it. The food was very good and the value was good. The portions were small for an Italian restaurant, but the quality was excellent. I had an homemade cheese and spinach ravioli which was superb it was cooked to perfection. Staff could have been a little more attentive, it wasn't busy, but it took asking a few times for more drinks or an extra fork. But they were kind.

The place looks good and smells good and the menu seems to be mostly authentic Italian but like a previous poster said we found the service a bit gruff. Perhaps we had a bad table but it was very noisy and to top it off they served the wrong meal to me___had to do it again. The place was packed so it is obviously very popular but we are still considering if we would try Ideale again.

when I want to entertain someone visit san francisco one of my favorite restaurant is Ideale in north beach i am fortunate enough to know Maurizio the owner chef since the time that he had his first restaurant Pazzia on 3rd street Maurizio was born in Rome so his cucine is a little bit different from the other italian restaurants .like the Saltimbocca alla romana or the lamb scottadito ...my favorite pizza is the funghi e salsiccia . maurizio also offer a very good well prized wine list

Very good Italian restaurant with real Italian cuisine, very good value for money, full of authenticity. Come there with your eyes closed. Delicious pizzas and pasta

Friendly and outstanding food. Have the grilled calamari! Love that the waitstaff are real Italians - this place ha been here nearly 20 years and never fails.

We found this restaurant by internet searching and were not disappointed. The food was all excellent, the wine list extensive, the waiter knowledgeable and cheerful. We had gnocchi, a special linguine with salmon, pizza, all great and super fresh. Try their burrata to start, the best we've had. The lemon sorbet and tiramisu were fresh and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We've been to Italy several times, and this restaurant definitely matches some of the best we've experienced there. Service was leisurely but not too slow, the atmosphere cozy. Make a reservation, it's not a big place.

Dinner was fantastic. Thought we went to Italy. Will definitely be back. The food was all fresh and sauce incredible. Great service and atmosphere

Faultless delicious food, friendly and good service and a great neighbourhood atmosphere. So different from other tourist traps in the area. We were recommended this restaurant by the concierge at Hotel Vitale 3 years ago and we keep coming back.

Like so many others, I can't say enough about the incredible flavors that are offered by Ideale Ristorante tucked-away on Grant St. in North Beach. Whatever the specials are, order the pastas all made in-house and always prepared perfectly. The butternut squash ravioli was just a wonderful dish on a cold and rainy evening. The saffron infused linguine with lobster was amazing. The room is warm and friendly, we found ourselves in conversations with two other tables over the consistent excellence of the food and the evening. If you've never been to Ideale - you need to correct that on your next trip to SF. I regret that I can only get there a few times a year because it would be a weekly affair otherwise.

We ate here on a week night. We had seen the restaurant hi-lited on Check Please, Bay area and I was attracted by the Calamari appetizer that did not use calamari rings. I was pleased to find them prepared the same way as in Italy. In fact, the entire menu along with the wait staff is authentic. That is hard to find these days. However, although this was our first visit, it is hard to have a quiet dinner here. Tables are close and if there is a boisterous group eating, it will be hard to have a table conversation. Still, well worth a stop.

Necessary stop to take a break from American cuisine and rediscover Italian flavors that never hurt!! Maurizio was very kind and made us come home for an evening!! Homemade pasta and genuine flavors!! Advised!

Nice homemade pastas, pizza was excellent, overall very good. I would pass on the caesar salad next time, dressing was too tart for my wife and I but that is something that seems to be hit or miss at times. Quality food, prices are higher than a pizza place but you get what you pay for here.

This was a great Italian restaurant in North Beach. We ate here while vacationing the week of Christmas. All the dishes were great and the wine list was excellent. Staff was very friendly and most were originally from Italy, giving a unique spin to this dinner out.

On a side street, this restaurant is worth visiting. Excellent reasonably priced wine, delicious salad, pasta and lamb. Cozy and unpretentious, not touristy, a genuinely terrific dining experience.lovely waitstaff.

I will give 5 stars to the staff. Very accommodating and friendly. The food is good but nothing to write home about. Nothing that I would want to go back for. You know when you have a dish that is so memorable that you can get cravings for? Well the dishes that we had were not that memorable. The place acoustics is just terrible. My friend usually talks so loud that I have to tell her to talk lower. So for the very first time I had to say I can't hear you! Talk louder! If you want a place to eat that you actually don't want to hear what your dining companion has to say, this is the place.

I am up for ever thinking that North Beach is a place where I can get a truly outstanding Italian meal. This restaurant was recommended to us by our concierge at the Ritz Carlton. They made a reservation four 530 but since we like to eat early and were already in the area it was no problem showing up at five and getting a table. They were pleasant and the atmosphere is calm. Since there were not many people there it was not too noisy but I could see with all the hard services this might be an issue for some later in the evening. Prices were moderate and the food decent, but not outstanding. pizza with prosciutto as an appetizer was pleasant with a very thin crust. The prosciutto is layered on a large slices so it's actually not that easy to eat. I had the papardelle agnello. I appreciated the small chunks of lamb and the noodles were quite thin. However, the sauce was quite salty to excess. My son had the carbonara and felt this was quite good. Daughter had tagliarini which was season well and the shrimp had good flavor. my wife tried saltimboca a veal scallopini which was a bit on the tough side and did not have much flavor. Staff was pleasant and attentive. It was a pleasant if not outstanding experience. price of the four dishes plus the appetizer came to about $140. I'm still hoping to find a really good Italian restaurant in San Francisco the next time I go.

Although Italian restaurants do not necessarily manage to have quality, character and finesse unless at a hefty price. This North Beach eatery was spotted on a six o'clock visit to the Telegraph Hill before sunrise and tried some days later had fine original unassuming food and wine. Communicative and joyous waiting, interesting clientele. The pizza, the salads, the broccolini, the fish were all of the finest standard.

Good location near Colombus. Authentic Italian food and great guys. Especially the mexican guy. Fine wines. Loved it!!!

After finding many fake Italian restaurants, finally a place where you feel at home right away. The Italian owners welcome you warmly, the dishes taste like home. Prices are adequate, not excessive.

I was given this recommendation from the Hilton hotel I was staying in. It's a short walk. The menu has something for everyone. They focus on foods from Rome. The food is all freshly made and true to Italian tastes. The service is great, food is served hot and wait staff very friendly. I had the parpadelle with lamb ragu, a glass of merlot and the tiramisu for dessert. Desserts are also made in house.

Good not great food but perfect for big office function. Loved the Caesar salad. Pizzas thin crust and nice. Decent wine selection. Not a tiramisu fan, but good and fresh. Out of cannolis, bummer. Very attentive waitstaff - made for a nice evening.

A recommendation from a friend. This restaurant may not look like much from the outside, but it is a gem. We called for reservations (a good idea because this place fills up quickly). The food was excellent. Everyone in our party enjoyed their meal - pizza, pasta, wine, it was all good. The service was pretty good. Definitely a very authentic Italian dining experience. If I go back to San Francisco, this place will be on the list.

In my view, this was a bad attempt to imitate Italian food. The pizza with mushrooms and salsiccia honestly tasted like a frozen pizza. Not a very good one.

I knew things were going good when I called to reserve a table and they answered the phone is Italian! Then the waiter and people at the table across from us were also speaking Italian. Thankfully, the food lived up to it all. Dinner was great; they have a very good wine list (order Italian if you've been in Napa or Sonoma); and the service was excellent--friendly, but professional. We found this place by chance and what a great bit of luck. We've been to Italy twice this year and it felt like we were right back there again.

Popped in here because I desparately wanted a large bowl of pasta and a glass or deep rounded red wine, and I wasn't disappointed. The host was friendly, efficient, and as a solo diner gave me a range of tables to choose from, so that I could feel comfortable. He was happy to discuss the wine list, and even let me try a couple of reds to find the one that best suited my mood. The pasta was delightfully al dente, and the amatriciana flavoursome and thick. I didn't stay for dessert, because I'd had my fill eating the large, but not ridiculous portion, and was beautifully sufficed. All in all. Top marks.im not saying the place is cheap, but it's certainly not expensive either. Good service, great food, and a nice ambiance, although possibly a little noisy, but not stupidly so. Great little find, I'll be back!

We went to this place on the recommendation of a local cabbie. We weren't disappointed. Good quality food in lovely surroundings at a reasonable price. A really good alternative to the tacky and mixed quality restaurants by the seafront. Seafood Ragu and Baked eggplant appetisers were particularly good. Would recommend.

The Caesar salad is a must and save room for tiramisu! Lamb ragu and risotto so yummy!! Service a bit slow and don't waste calories on the bread- the pasta and desserts are much better!

On our last night in San Francisco we finally visited a restaurant that I had forgotten about. It had been recommended on Trip Advisor and was on my to visit list. The staff were very welcoming. We were taken to our table and shown the menu. We ordered some drinks and selected our meals. Aggie ordered Sea Bass and I had Pappadalle Agnello. Both were excellent as well as the side plate of grilled radicchio, fennel, eggplant, zucchini and spinach. This was so good. They also provided us with some bread and olive oil. Aggie believes that it is the best bread she has ever tasted. It was a great way to finish off our visit to San Francisco.

My husband and I shared the Margherita pizza and asked that they put arugula on it - we also shared the Caesar salad. Both dishes were amazing! The salad was one of the best I’ve had - the pizza was absolutely delicious, with a thin crust that was nice and light, but very satisfying. We also had a rich cappuccino- perfect balance, not too strong yet bold. We were also pleasantly surprised when we got the bill that came out to just $40.00

Absolutely the best Italian food I’ve eaten outside of Roma! Maurizio is an incredible chef, unique Roman dishes, exquisite home made pasta, fresh fish delicacies, authentic thin pizzas, homemade bread, topped off by an array of Italian pastries and wine we can’t find in other Italian restaurants. Attentive service and beautiful decor, neighborhood warm atmosphere, reasonably priced. I highly recommend this treasure in North Beach!

food was delicious, nice wine selection, friendly service… walkable from Union Square area… look forward to returning!

Perfect Italian authentic restaurant when enjoying North Beach neighborhood. I lived in San Francisco and I live in northern Marin and for my friends birthday I got us tickets to dear San Francisco, which is a wonderful show at Club Fugazi just three blocks away from this great restaurant! Paolo took wonderful care of us. His wine, suggestions and appetizer and entrée tips were the best! The pasta is homemade and very delicious and special. We tried the gnocchi with pesto, as well as a delicious braised meat, red sauce over fresh linguine. We also enjoyed the grilled not fried octopus the tiramisu for dessert was perfect! I’ve been here before, and I will go back again and again for the service and authentic delicious Italian cuisine.

We had dinner at this restaurant yesterday and had a really rude waiter taking care of our table, unfriendly and negligant (probably because we were not interested in a full course) and when the cheque came he had already put on a 15% tip to the amount to pay (which we would have paid anyway even if we found the service as lousy). When my husband was called to the desk to put in the pin code for the card the waiter had put on another 10 dollars and called it a ”mistake”. The pasta was also not that great...

Absolutely fantastic as always. I’ve been coming here for over 25 years, and couldn’t be happier with this establishment.

We live outside SF and always stay in the City in a nice hotel, for several days around our birthdays. We made reservations several days in advance for Ristorante Ideale, having seen it on Check Please and read the reviews. We told them it was my birthday, thus a special occasion. We didn't expect freebies, just a little consideration for the special occasion and decent food and service. We LOVE the neighborhood. We walk it regularly so we walked to the restaurant and back. The neighborhood has such a great vibe and so much color and character. We were so looking forward to our experience there. Arrival ---- walked in at reservation time at 6:15pm and told the greeter (who had a big smile) that we had reservations and it was my birthday (that's what the guy on the phone said to say to the staff --- tell the staff). He never asked for our name but took us into the adjacent room, where there were tons of little tables for 2, all lined up about a foot from each other. Tight quarters. Clautrophobic. Not a place for a special couple birthday. We said again, or my husband said it, "it's her birthday ---- can we sit someplace a little more private and romantic?" (The room we had just come through was empty and had bigger tables). So, they took us back to the empty room and gave us a booth (bigger than we needed, but it was nice and private in that room). Our waiter was friendly (again --- huge smile). We shared a lovely 1/2 bottle of light white wine (Tiefenbrunner --- $19) and waited for our waiter to return. Pause. We didn't notice it then, but we were basically ignored the entire evening, while everyone was packed into the tiny tables in the adjacent room. This went on for almost 2-1/2 hours, not able to get their attention. But, they did smile. When the waiter finally re-appeared, we ordered the Italian antipasto appetizer ($16) and each ordered a pasta dish. Me ---- mezzaluna and him ---- ravioli with a classic red sauce. Both $18. Antipasto plate had no variety. Mostly thin slices of meat, with few veggies or color or texture. Having had plenty of antipasto plates in Italy and good Italian restaurants in the area, it was blah. Our two pasta dishes were very small. I enjoyed my mezzaluna (flavorful and not chewy) but his raviolis were forgettable. No flavor or texture of interest. At a point, while we were listening to non-Italian music on their playlist (Amy Winehouse "Rehab" played 4 times while we were sitting there --- definitely NOT Italian), they finally responded to our waves, and we decided to order a dessert. Again, husband said it was my birthday so we'd like a dessert and after-dinner drinks. They brought an ice cream and Irish coffees. Irish coffee was OK but ice cream was non-descript, albeit with some decoration We shared it. This has now been 3 or 4 times that we casually said (reservation person, entry, sitting, dessert) that this is my birthday. Didn't even get a candle or response. Don't most people say, "oh, rgreat --- Happy Birthday!" when you come to their restaurant and pay over $100.? This was a first for us. They still smiled, but it seemed like they had no clue of how to serve a couple who was celebrating. Around the time we were finishing the dessert and Irish coffees, we had been there almost 2 hours, since they had ignored us, so several groups came in and had to be seated in small tables of 4. There were 3 groups who came in around 8pm who were glaring at us (and one group pointed to us), as if we were supposed to get up and leave. I felt bad, since we were taking up space for a bigger group, but we couldn't do anything about it. We were getting no service. The wait staff was chit-chatting in the back while we were waving at them for some service. Even paying the bill took over 20 minutes. Wait, wait. More non-Italian music. Part of our full disappointment was our expectations (with the reviews and *Check Please Bay Area* ) but I can't imagine how these people stay in business. Lackluster, inattentive service (with a smile) and mediocre food. We were still very hungry when we left at 8:30pm so stopped to have some soup at a Chinese restaurant on Grant Avenue. Over $100 for no service, very little food and not even saying Happy Birthday. Amazing. In the 20 years we've been doing this birthday tradition in San Francisco twice a year, this was the worst.

Ideale is great restaurant where you can enjoy great Italian classic dishes. Service is great and the food is to die for. They have all kinds of Italian dishes and their specialty is Roman cousine. Highly recommended.

Atmosphere, food, and service were all excellent. Our group of 6 ate dinner family style. Wonderful meal. Salads, pastas, appetizers were fresh and delicious.

The Margarita pizza in this little North Beach restaurant is great! Our group of three people ordered two as appetizer, and realized that we should have asked the kitchen to stagger the delivery. The pizzas are best hot from the oven, and the second one had gotten cool before we got to it. The zucchini salad with truffle oil was very refreshing. My rack of lamb was perfectly cooked, but not as tasty as I would have liked. Service was very attentive and personal. Several good wines by the glass or bottle, and the by the glass pour is very liberal. My only wish is that the restaurant were not so noisy - it's two storefronts put together side by side with brick walls, so once the restaurant gets very busy (with what looks like lots of locals), it gets VERY loud!

Ristorante Ideale is advertised as a genuine Italian restaurant. From the "buonasera" as we entered the premises, the menu featuring traditional dishes from the Puglia region, to the staff interacting with a distinctive southern Italian accent, we almost felt as if we were in Italy. Not quite, however, as Ristorante Ideale is the kind of venue that is the victim of its own success, making very little effort to please its patrons. Customers are a simple variable in an optimization problem — maxing out table occupation at all times. As a result, one should not expect to be waited on with the level of consideration one deserves. Affability is a concept just as abstract as that of an efficiently organized service staff. 15 minutes after having been brought nearly mechanically the traditional glass of water and basket of bread, someone came to our table to announce the specials of the day; and 15 minutes later, the same waiter took our order. It took over an hour to get our meal served from the moment we set foot at Ristorante Ideale, but going to a restaurant is first and foremost about food; so let us talk about food. Exasperated by the wait and by the noise of the two contiguous packed dining rooms, our appetite was soon outweighed by an urge to leave the place. Everyone ordered a pizza, which was heralded to be one of the best in town. The pizza bianca was overly thin, dry, brittle and parsimoniously garnished. The Peroni was the only beer available, a light pilsner devoid of character. Eager to leave the restaurant as fast as we could and erase this unfortunate experience from our memory, we guzzled down what had been served on our plate. Asking for separate checks, we were briskly answered — "we do not have a computer here". Glancing at past reviews, customers often raved about the authentic Italian cuisine of Ristorante Ideale. It may be true, but in all honesty, we did not have the patience to try. While going out for dinner, indeed, is first and foremost about food, it is also about an atmosphere, a mindset, and a relationship between the restaurateur and its patrons, something momentous Ristorante Ideale appears to have completely forgotten.

Excellent authentic Italian restaurant located in the Little Italy area in North Beach area of San Francisco. Staff are friendly and welcoming. Food was terrific and the wine selection ample. Nice area to go for a walk after a nice feed. Nice ambience and obviously loved by the locals.

The home made pasta was complemented by a traditional red sauce and was superb. The service was fantastic from the italian speaking waiters. The waiter provided good advice on the extensive choice of italian wines. There is a good atmosphere here.

I have been to San Francisco many times over the years as it's our favorite US vacation destination. On every visit we have tried to find great Italian food and not fall prey to one of the many North Beach "tourist traps", Having read reviews, we tried this place and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere and lighting was nice, and service was extremely gracious, our reservation time was honored and we were promptly seated. My spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) was the best I've ever had in my life and was loaded with fresh, perfectly cooked clams. It was not on the menu, but I asked for it and after a couple questions from the waitress about if I wanted any tomatoes in the sauce (I didn't) and if I wanted it spicy (I did), it came out out and it was wonderful. My only regret is I didn't take a picture of it for this review! They should really add the dish to their regular menu. My husband had the lamb ragu which was also very good and well-seasoned. Diners at the table next to us were enjoying very tasty-looking pizzas. The food was expertly prepared in its simplicity and all ingredients fresh. We will now always head here when in San Francisco for an Italian dinner.

We were very happy with the dinner. The menu had lots of Italian options. We ordered the sausage pizza and the seafood linguine. The service was good. This is a great option and a great price point. Entrees are $16-25. This was such a relief to find a moderately priced tasty meal. We tried dinner restaurants in Union Square and hadn't been lucky. Would recommend!

Really delicious food of good raw materials. We have generally been a little disappointed with Italian food in the USA, as we have traveled a lot in Italy and love the Italian cuisine, but here the food tastes actually like in Italy. Pleasant atmosphere and sweet and attentive servants.

Our dining experience at IDEAle was truly an exceptional, fun experience. From the moment we walked in, we felt right at home. We began with drinks at the bar, best Negroni we’ve ever had. Dinner exceeded expectations. Thank you IDEALe!

Our meal was possibly the best Italian meal I have had outside of Italy. The restaurant itself had a fun vibe, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The wine we ordered wasn’t available, so he suggested a Sangiovese that was a perfect compliment to our meal. We had a delicious tortellini dish and lasagna…which I never order in a restaurant…both were amazing! Clearly fresh and homemade pasta made the difference. We will try to go again before we leave town!

A local shop recommended this place. We always as a local "where would you go that is not for tourists?" I am Italian and am critical of Italian restaurants. Great atmosphere. Really good home made food. Great service. Will go again when back in San Francisco.

It is hard to hide a good Italian restaurant right in the middle of San Francisco's Italian section! But Ideale restaurant is just that. We came here on a Sunday evening after determining that several of the restaurants that appeared to be highly rated did not have the potential for menu to live up to their name. Ideale was the ideal alternative choice. It is located on a side street off of Columbus and, quite frankly, is not all that well hidden. It is still in the heart of things. The wine list here is quite good. Perhaps not in keeping with the most expensive non-– California restaurants but it has an excellent selection of Italian wines which, in all honesty, is the only thing to drink with good Italian food. And this place has good Italian food. The grilled calamari appetizer was delicious and fresh and the salads too were delicious. The pasta special of chingale ( wild boar) sausage and spaghetti , was excellent in both conception and execution. Whoever is working back there in the kitchen has a real touch. The pizza is reason enough to come here. It had light crust and was very flavorful. The service from the moment we walked in till we were greeted farewell was top notch. I will certainly return on my next trip tot SAN Fran.

This is the closest to authentic Italian I have found in CA. I enjoy Italian food but the difference between American Italian and Italian form Italy is very drastic. Ideale brings it together. Pro: Ravioli, lasagna, salad, atmosphere, service Cons: Salmon not fully cooked, Seasoning on calamari

Devo dire che sono molto, molto felice che Ideale continui nello stesso posto, con o senza pandemia. Bravo, Maurizio! Auguri a tutti! Not only are they still there, in a somewhat unlikely spot in the, uhm, ugliest, most touristy area of North Beach. Above all they’re persistently preparing the best, in the sense of most authentic, Roman food in SF. How do I know? Well I can tell: I used to live up the steep hill on Vallejo and this was my dining room years ago. Years later, I can tell because as a food critic, I look at menus all the time: These guys are just doing their thing: best pasta (amatriciana, carbonara, gricia, caccio pepe), original salads (orange-fennel), and the best Tiramisù in town. They also have an impressive selection of carefully chosen Italian wines. Maurizio’s wife is the artist of the paintings that I always wanted to have (no chance, so I have to go eat there more often). Another plus: Food is reasonably priced compared to old and new competitors down on Green. Since the food kinda flew into my mouth - I had orecchiette with broccoli rape - no pictures here. It’s about the taste anyway. I’ll be back.

We came to this restaurant two years ago, on a 15-day road trip to the west coast. What do you say? Great service, very good food (Cacio e pepe as good as in Rome! As well as pasta all'amatriciana) and a good digestive to finish the meal. We return to San Francisco in November 2024 for a week and we look forward to returning to Ideale 🔥🇮🇹

Had our Holiday office dinner at Ideale tonight and was pleasantly surprised at this lovely, small, intimate yet cozy and elegant Italian restaurant in the heart of North Beach.This is a lovely, quite intimate restaurant and you receive a very warm and friendly greeting on arrival. I found out that Ideale has been bringing a slice of Rome to North Beach for over 20 years with it's highly acclaimed chef, Maurizio Bruschi. All the waiters are Italian. We took half of the restaurant and the service was great, from our appetizers until service of our dessert. The restaurant is bigger than it appears, because its second dining room, in the adjoining storefront, is fully separated from the main one and the entryway. And its walls are hung with splendid paintings, which we supposed to be oil on stretched canvas. Only complaint is acoustics are bad, gets a little too noisy when the restaurant gets full. The menu selection was fabulous!!!! Appetizers: ~prosciutto from parma wrapped around bosc pear with fresh mascarpone ~fennel salad-thinly sliced fennel with orange, walnuts, capers & gorgonzola in a champagne vinaigrette ~burrata-yum love this fresh artisan burrata mozzarella with arugula and tomatoes PIZZA- crusts were delicious, great texture and fresh hot of the oven-enjoyed trying each one ~pizza ai funghi e salsicciapizza topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, italian sausage, mushrooms and garlic ~margherita pizza with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & basil ~pizza al prosciutto with mozzarella & arugula Pastas worth gaining a few calories for: ~mezzaluna di yucca stuffed with fresh pumpkin, amaretti & parmigiano in a butter-sage sauce ~homemade papardelle in a lamb ragu ~spaghetti alla carbonara-one of my all time favorites - spaghetti with homemade pancetta, eggs, pecorino & parmigiano, love this dish and this restaurant makes it right Main Course just as delicious: ~rack of lamb ~veal scallopini with prosciutto di parma & sage ~boneless pork-chop with pine nuts in creamy vodka sauce ~sea bass was the fish of the day, it was the fresh and soft Save the best for last to clear my palate were there tempting desserts: ~tartufo al cioccolato rich truffle ice-cream rolled in praline nuts and powdered cocoa-OMG ~panna cotta-w strawberry & chocolate sauce ~tiramisu-my all time favorite Definitely coming back with friends. Really quaint and really authentic amazing food. Staff was authentic, food was spot on, and prompt. The staff of course all spoke Italian that made the atmosphere superb for the ambiance. A great place for business or a romantic dinner spot. Can't go wrong with this for your next stop in San Francisco for tourists and for locals!