La Traviata Reviews

La Traviata is an American Italian restaurant with fine food, pleasant service, reasonable prices, and a fine wine list at all price levels (no hard stuff; $14 corcage charge if you bring your own wine). What makes it unique are the pictures all over the walls of opera stars and composers, the sound track of opera aria and choruses in the background (never too loud, but always audible) and the warmth of the owner and the staff. I have visited this restaurant over a dozen times and never had a bad meal nor felt "stiffed" by the prices of the wine I've ordered. The pastas are excellent, the veal appropriate, and the half chicken dishes worth the wait. We visit every time we come to San Francisco if we can. It is a half block south of the 24th and Mission BART station, so quite convenient.

One of my favorites! Old school Italian food. The first time I went I couldn't decide between the eggplant parm and the gnocci so they brought both. The bread is made fresh on site and has a tendency to be hot. So good.

The atmosphere is cozy and quiet with beautiful operatic arias playing in the background. Photos of famous and less famous people (mostly opera singers probably) fill the walls. Our waitress - a lovely young lady from Brazil who spoke perfect English with a slight but charming accent - was top notch as was the rest of the wait staff. The bread was to die for and our meal was delightful! I was even able to charge my phone at our table while we dined. We had come to the Mission district looking for a Mexican restaurant that our tour guide had recommended but were more than pleased to find this delightful place.

We were unsure where to have tea but saw this place near our hotel had good reviews although some were a while ago. From the outside it looked a bit dark and tired but we went in anyway. It was quite quiet with a mixed group of customers. However the staff, I think a family, were friendly and the food was delicious our best meal of the trip so far.

This restaurant is a neighbor of mine, and a go-to whenever I want to treat myself a little or don't want to cook. The food is always solid and excellent, and the people running it are sweet and generous. Recommendations are the excellent chicken cacciatore, lasagna, and puttanesca! All come with their secret weapon: their bread. I love their bread!

Have gone many times. Will continue to go. Found this place while walking to dinner. Decided to try this place out instead of going to planned location. So So happy we did. Hands down our favorite Italian spot in SF

This was unexpected given the location. We were staying nearby and we walked past one evening with our two tired and hungry young kids. We decided to give it a go and were really taken with the place. The quality of the pasta was excellent and the care of the staff was really impressive. They were completely relaxed about our two little ones curled up asleep on benches.

I used to come to this restaurant in the 1970’s. Wit was the go to place for opera buffs and great food and wine too. This being my first trip back to SF in many years, it was just as hood as I remembered. Great veal and pastas.

We have patronized La Traviata for many, many years and always loved the food, the wine, the ambiance, the prices. But something has changed. There were four of us for dinner, 3 had veal dishes, one had a simple tortellini soup. The soup was very good, but the others declared their veal dishes inedible and only had 2 or 3 bites. Formerly, La Traviata served warm bread and butter, a dinner salad, and a dish of tortellini with a choice of 2 or 3 sauces, then the entree. This time, LOTS of bread, no salad, no tortellini, and then the sad veal entrees. The prices had not changed, but oh, the food did. There are lots of Italian restaurants in SF and we will find a new one.

What more can I say? We visited on a week night, early. The restaurant was quiet. The staff was friendly and efficient and the food was quite wonderful. I had the chicken picatta, which was done perfectly. Often chicken dishes are overcooked and dry, this was wonderful. The huge capers were tasty and the sauce was nice and lemony. My wife had the eggplant parmesan and raved about it as among the best she[s had. Our friend had a calzone that was HUGE, and she described it as tasty and cheesy. Overall, the staff was attentive and knowledgeable. Definitely a must go. Oh, and don't forget the photos of all the opera stars and other celebs who have dined there over the years. Very nice.

This is a nice little restaurant in the Mission area in San Francisco. Food is great, tastes like italian homemade pasta. The waitress is also very polite and will surely help you find something of your taste.

One can be misled by the gimcrack environment of the Upper Mission street on which La Traviata sits, its playing of opera softly inside a contrast to the mariachi noise in the neighborhood. Founded many hears ago by a transplanted European opera buff, the place is saturated by its history- opera playing softly, walls filled with framed pictures of opera stars and local luminaries (our table was next to a young Placido Domingo and a Beverly Sills, and two of our servers were in some of the photographs from years ago), and a sizeable wooden barrel vaulted ceiling. My spouse brought me there for a delayed birthday dinner, remembering our earlier visit here several years ago. Attentive, unobtrusive service, with excellent food- her pasta was just right, and my salmon came in parchment, which opened to steaming veggies and sauce and was delicious. For dessert, we split a rich tiramisu (don't tell my cardiologist!). All told, a lovely evening. And, my parking karma worked: we had a spot just 50 feet from the front door! Though our early reservation wasn't necessary, by the time we left the place was full, not crowded, many of them regulars, we guessed.

good food, okay service

This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in San Francisco. I take visitors to San Francisco to eat here. I have NEVER been disappointed by the food or the service. The food is prepared superbly and with great care. The service is always friendly and on top of things. The carbonara here is THE BEST. When your server tells you that the bread is HOT---believe her or him. I have no idea of how they get and keep the bread so HOT. There is a neighborhood public parking lot on 24th Street, just East of Mission---I can usually find a spot there. BART will take you to 24th and Mission. From there it is only half a block to the restaurant. Again, one of my favorites in the city and you do not have to spend a lot for a fine, fine meal.

The bread was so fresh and hot that we couldn't even handle it at first, and the Merlot was among the best value I've ever had but it was all downhill after that. This is a restaurant whose glory days are behind it. The minestrone was the worst I've ever had. I wouldn't have even known it was minestrone if I hadn't ordered it -- seemed like a few vegetables in a broth. The pasta was thoroughly mediocre, as was our companions. The panna cotta was competent though uninspired. Ironically, the best reason to eat here during the week is that it is much less popular than surrounding restaurants in this throbbing, vital, noisy Mission district. And if you are an opera buff you might enjoy the vintage, almost museum-quality decor and photographs.

This small restaurant exudes charm & old world hospitality with excellent service by an all male staff. The food selections were delicious, reasonably priced & thoroughly enjoyed by my companion & myself. This is a small restaurant but big on ambience & timely, excellent service. The veal piccata & hot crunchy bread(right out of the oven) were delicious.

I've been going to this place for it seems like ever and I always enjoy it. I do think the food changes some from time to time but I was just there a week ago and had a great Veal. Looking forward to going back again soon.

Popped in here late on a Saturday with a friend visiting from NZ. Hostess was more than accomodating with us turning up late. Beautiful atmosphere in the restaurant. We order the Caprese Salad as an entree. Service was wonderful and food came out quickly. Also ordered the prawn spaghetti and eggplant dish. Both were beautiful.

Didn't love the area. The food was good, not great. The portions were small for the price. The service was very good though.

Everything about this restaurant is fantastic, but reservations are definitely needed, and don't be late!

Our party of five had Sunday dinner at LA Traviata in Mission on Mission Street. We were seated at a table meant for four with an extra chair placed at the end for the fifth person. We felt cramped and uncomfortable with water glasses, wine glasses, wine bottle, bread basket, bread plates, etc, and we're not given the option of switching to a larger table. An appetizer of octopus salad appeared to have only calamari, and little, if any, octopus. The fig salad was good but had only three figs. All of the main courses were poorly prepared. I had large shrimp in a tomato sauce over pasta. The pasta was cooked decently, not quite al dente, but the shrimp were bland, unseasoned, and over cooked. Linguine with white wine sauce was devoid of garlic or clam flavor, and tasted almost entirely of wine. A sweet bread order used a low level quality sweet bread, so was also a disappointment. The squid ink pasta sauce was a dark brown color rather than the customary black, and did not taste at all of real squid ink. The veal scallopini also lacked flavor. It is possible that La Traviata was under staffed as during our time there it filled completely although there were only two waiters. Because the entrees were so disappointing, we opted to go elsewhere (Mitchell's Ice Cream) for dessert. That was definitely the highlight of the evening.

La Traviata is a favorite for our family. Nothing pretentious, just excellent traditional Italian specialties in a warm, inviting restaurant. The meals are superb, especially the lasagne. We always order different entrees so we can sample from each other and compare meals. Everything we've tried has been excellent. Highly recommend the seafood, too. Very fresh prawns sautéed with garlic, butter and vegetables...so good! The wine list is very reasonable with good offerings. The atmosphere is old style, almost expect Dean Martin to walk through singing a classic song. Waitstaff is attentive and very pleasant. Lots of interesting pictures and photos of opera stars on the wall. La Traviata is a nice place for a family celebration. Do make reservations though!

We ate at Traviata three times this summer on a visit to SFO. It is our favorite Italian Restaurant in the City for its excellent prices, terrific preparations, genial host and staff, solid Italian food, and great music--not too loud. We've never had anything less than excellent there -- given that it is, for the most part, a "standard Italian" menu. The prosciutto e melone uses cantaloupe, the Lasagna Bolognese is subtly delicious, the fig salad (formerly a special, now on the menu) a delight, and every veal and chicken dish we have had is excellent. I very much like the well-prepared scallops. A very well-balanced and reasonable wine list (the Dry Creek Meritage was a real treat at a good price). Bring your own wine for a $14 corkage fee. No hard liquor. A half-block walk from the 24th and Mission BART station, it could hardly be more convenient -- but note that the parking is on the street if one drives.

My husband and I ate here this evening and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. The bread was crispy and good, salad was a bit plain but good blue cheese dressing. I had the puttanesca pasta and my husband had the tortellini, both of which we raved about. Had an excellent glass of Toscolo wine. Service was good. Recommended.

Unfortunately, the food doesn't rise to the opera ambiance in this Italian restaurant on Mission Street. The linguini with clams was ok but the clams quite small. Veal parmigan had a very thick sauce that was a bit too much. Piping-hot bread was great. Service was fine. If only the food were better!!!

Fabulous as always! Attentive staff, lovely decor and scrumptious food. Warm delicious bread, is always a welcome accoutrement.

We had the parchment wrapped salmon, Lasagna, salads, and bottle of great Byron chardonnay recommended by the waiter. All in all its great! Yes, when in the Firenze food is better...however in the Mission this is a quiet oasis w very tasty pastas, to keep it simple just ask for now w extra garlic and you will be happy, then the grinder of fresh parmigiana and drizzel the olive oil and enjoy.

This place was soooooo delicious I had their all-seafood dish I highly recommend this restaurant. The service is exceptional, the atmosphere is inviting and warm, loved everything about this place. I liked all the pictures on the wall that told stories of who's been there and you feel surrounded by the history and culture/character of the restaurant and feel like you're a part of it too. A special experience as well as a wonderful meal.

Every single member of the party had a meal that tasted like a badly cooked microwave meal. I make far nicer seafood pasta at home, and don't then have to pay $210 for the pleasure if dining out with 4 friends. The staff were nice, and interior was somewhat aesthetically pleasing, but in no way was this Italian. Please don't waste your money here, go to the supermarket, buy some pasta and tomatoe sauce, canned seafood and sprinkle some basil on top then you have more than this resturant will ever offer you.

I come from a strongly Italian family who grew up in Chicago... So maybe I am biased! The food was a decent meal... Service was not attentive... The place was kind of neat, seemed like an authentic older Italian restaurant. Mission district was not our favorite area of San Francisco. Next time I'd eat in the little Italy area of town.

Our Uber driver recommended La Traviata and my family and I were glad he did. We wanted to go somewhere a bit less touristy and turns out we were the only non-locals there. The entrees were great, and my teenage son loved how his salmon came out wrapped in parchment paper and the waiter cut it open for him. No bar, Just wine and beer so be mindful of that if you were looking for a cocktail. Service was good, nothing spectacular. I did send back an app because it was on the cold side and they were very apologetic and made a new one. It was not a big deal to me, I just wanted it warmer. Excellent pasta. Meat sauce superb! And my daughter said cream sauce was as well.

This is a neighborhood gem! It is less than 1 mile from our home and yet missed it for over 20 years. Great HOT bread, and everything we have tried was great. It is hard to pick a favorite entree, but the Lasagna is a frequent order of mine and it's always great. A nice amount of meat with just enough pasta. I don't like it if Lasagna is "all pasta and cheese."

We booked in here as it was close to where we were staying and what a great restaurant. The service was excellent and the food was amazing. The bread that comes out at the start was yummy. Freshly baked with butter. . . that’s a lovely complimentary starter. I had the parchment paper salmon. Incredible, I’ve never had anything like it. Well done. My wife had the chicken cacciatore and it was worth the wait. Lovely flavours. We even had dessert. Great profiteroles and a smooth delicious panna cotta. A must visit.

A very good place for its money. The food was delicious and the service superb - which makes a great difference. There were 3 of us and everyone was happy and satisfied. The pasta were just right, including the pesto (gnocchi). And the lasagna, which defines a italian restaurant, was fine. Very honest food, service and price. What more can you expect?

First things first: Parking..insane! The best thing to do is let the majority of your party get a table, and let one person wait for someone leaving a parking space, and stand in that space, until the car you came in can circle back, to take the place you are holding. It isn't that impossible, really; there are people leaving restaurants in the area, etc...but you just have to have someone to "hold" the place you find. It only took us 10 minutes to find a spot on a Saturday night, with this 'Hunt and Stand" method. (we Texans are resourceful , if nothing else!). Now, on to the good part! We were lucky enough to have Nadia as our waitress. The restaurant is smaller, cozy and very comfortable. Took us a few minutes to order drinks, but they brought us amazing hot bread, while we we waited. Good wine list; beer and wine only, but it works well. Nadia let us know that off the menu (be sure to ask for these specials), there was a lasagna that had Just come out of the oven! Our group had salads, minestrone soup, and then had ordered fish cooked in parchment, chicken parmigiana, tortellini, and another fish dish that was pan seared, and came with vegetables and a side of tortellini, with a choice of sauce.. My husband and I split the lasagna, and it was some of the best I've ever had (and as an Italian, I make a pretty mean stack,myself!). The owner came to speak with us, and we really enjoyed the sweet, fun personality of our waitress. Nadia was helpful and also honest about her menu favorites, which is how we chose the meals we enjoyed so much. No room for dessert, but they do have some good ones, including cannoli and zabaglione! A hidden gem; relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere, with great food, and friendly staff.

John hosted a beautiful memorial service for my Aunt in February. Before she passed away she spent a lot of time at La Traviata, she truly loved it there. We couldn’t have asked for a better day to celebrate her life. Thank you to John and his family.

At first glance you will probably over look this hidden treasure! The street is busy and crowded, but step inside La Traviata and you will be so glad you did! Quaint atmosphere, great service. We had dinner on a Wednesday evening, They had a few wine selections on the menu that they were out of. However, they made a superb suggestion of a different wine and happy to say the wine was fantastic. The dinner really good. We had a very nice evening at La Traviata!

La Traviata is consistent in offering excellent Italian food at moderate prices. The wine list is very affordable, not large, but remarkable selections. No hard liquor. Most recently I had scallops a la Pavarotti which were perfect. My companion had Veal al Lagro with an artichoke heart and lemon butter caper sauce. In the past we've had many of the other dishes on the menu, and found especially the pasta with Italian sausagne and the (occasionally available) lasagna to be delicious. If you don't like Opera music, don't come, but if you do, you should love it. The desserts are large.

After over a week in the US I was craving some good Italian food. We went to La Traviata because it was close and had good TripAdvisor ratings. It was a huge mistake. I should've walked out when I heard they didn't speak Italian properly. Or maybe when I read "linguini". Or perhaps when I read they used cream in their carbonara. But I didn't want to discriminate and not wanting to be rude I gave this restaurant the benefit of the doubt. But this goes beyond ignorance regarding Italian cuisine, it's really just a rip off. If you're going to base a large portion of your menu on seafood, I expect that seafood to be good and fresh. I don't expect frozen seafood with the consistency of rubber. Charging 18$ for a plate of pasta with frozen vongole is almost a scam. We can agree to disagree on choosing to put thickly chopped onions in there. And the calamari and octopus appetisers were complete trash as well. One of my friends later told me he had read on the back of the menu that the restaurant was started after the owner saw Verdi's opera. Perhaps he should have visited a restaurant as well so he could get a clue what the food is like.

Wish there was a place like this near us. The food was excellent and the service friendly and attentive. Best dishes were the daily special bruschetta (goat cheese, caramelized onions), the minestrone soup (thick with vegetables, tasty broth, and no soggy noodles!), and the pasta alla Carreras (with Italian sausage). The veal was only fair, but our friend's chicken was also excellent. Portions were large for the price. The wine list is small but the Italian wines were good; they had the best Montepulciano de Abruzzo we've had outside of Italy or a specialty Sonoma winery called VJB.

Long time favorite old style Italian restaurant in the Mission district of San Francisco. Great food, good service, nice wine selection of California and Italian. Barrel wood ceiling keep conversation possible even on crowed nights ask for a corner if some of your party have trouble hearing in most restaurants. Décor is photos of opera stars both in and out of costume and of course at the restaurant. Background music is both opera and classic Italian American crooners ( Sinatra , Como, Damone., Torme , Martin ect. For a relaxing , delicious dinner . At a very reasonable price for San Francisco try La Traviata .

I love this restaurant and take guests there often. I enjoy the Italian food here more than the North Beach Restaurants. Try the Marinated Calamari or Octopus Appetizers, and Caesar Salad to start. My favorite Main Course is the Mostocioli Ala Tinta--Calamari in a Tomato Squid Ink Sauce. Spectacular! Also good are the Salmon, Chicken Caciatore, Pastas, and Clams and Pasta. Great service and ambiance. Save room for desert.

This is a tiny place on Mission where we went with our dinner club (three couples). I have to agree with the comments that the restaurant underperformed and underdelivered. First, the positives: cozy place, nice ambiance with photos of various celebrity patrons on the walls, great bread (hot from the oven with crunchy crust), and a reasonably priced (albeit limited) wine list. Our waitress was eager to take our orders. The restaurant is a block from the BART so you do not have to worry about parking. The bruschetta was awesome. But these things were not offset by the rest. The other starters (calamari salad and fried mozzarella) were bland; and the red sauce for the mozzarella was lame. Everyone had a different entree and we all agreed that all were bland. The chicken Beverly Sills was overcooked, the seafood pasta was bland, the salmon was overwhelmed by the tapenade, the veal with mushrooms was bland, and the arribata was generic. I had the gnocchi which was supposedly house made and it was just lumps of gnocchi drowned in a white pesto sauce. Not very appetizing. Two folks wanted the zabaglione for dessert (but the waiter said they had no marsalla so they could not make it!). The tiramisu was generic and the spumoni was nothing special. To add insult to injury, the service died out after they brought our mains so we had to beg for dessert and then for the check -- which initially charged us for desserts and tea/coffee that we had not ordered. All of this came to $45/person before the tip. Bottom line, this was a real disappointment and I cannot recommend it. There are far better Italian restaurants in the city.

Superb food and wine in a wonderful setting with "Old World" charm and amenities!! Warm, friendly people and ambiance. You are treated like a welcome and honored guest each time you dine here. Easy on the wallet for the quality of food & service & experience. The music and photos are wonderful too!

We were staying in the Mission district for three weeks while visiting family. We'd eaten out quite a bit, and were looking for a change from the upscale fusion food and spicy ethnic food that seems everywhere in the Mission. We found this on line, and we had a quiet, lovely authentic Italian meal and amazing Tiramisu! We did walk, and that section of Mission Blvd can feel a bit sketchy, but don't let it stop you. We understand the restaurant has been there for many years. Take a taxi if it worries you, but we felt fine walking to and from it. Wine choices were nice as well.

After putting our name in at Delphina (and being told the wait was 3.5 hours!!!), we decided to stroll around the neighborhood to find something else. We came across this cozy little Italian spot, and decided to give it a try. I'm so glad that we did! We were so pleased with the fabulous service, yummy wine, and simply fabulous, authentic food. What an unpretentious, lovely, memorable meal!

We got a recommendation from a local about this cute little Italian restaurant. The service was good and the food was great. They serve fresh hot homemade bread. We ordered chicken Parmesan and tortellini pasta. It’s was good authentic Italian food. It’s a must try, their located in the Mission district (Mission st and 24th). The prices are comfortable to most of the SF restaurants.

Joined friends and family for a pleasurable dinner. Friendly and very attentive service. Awesome fresh Italian bread, hot right out of the oven to start. Food was fresh, plated beautifully, served hot, delicious. Pretty extensive menu with Italian favorites. Meal was well paced and relaxing. No complaints ... looking forward to return visit.

Friendly service; excellent food; street parking not impossible to find.

Interesting place in a seedier part of the mission. top notch service. great scallopine.

My friend and I have made it sort of a tradition to always get dinner here at least one time each time I make it to the city. Traditional Italian fare in a quiet relaxed atmosphere. Prices are very reasonable for the city and the food is served with old school charm. It is just one of those places you want to come back to. Very accommodating especially if you have picky friends. :)

The street is busy and shabby, but step inside and you'll find a warm and inviting throwback to Old San Francisco. It's opera everywhere. The walls are festooned with photos and painting of bassos, contraltos, and costumed divas. Arias (not at all too loud) fill the room. The menu is wide enough for any taste, and the prices are surprisingly reasonable for SF. In short, La Traviata delivers a first-class, traditional Italian dinner. Salut!

Crowded, noisy, O.K. service. The chicken Cacciatora was awful. The chicken was tough and dry tasted like it had been frozen, the vegetables were under-cooked, and the sauce was sloppy (goup on your plate). Paul Newman sauce would be a better choice.. I notified the waitress who said I should talk to the owner but she never sent him. My stomach was upset the next day. In fairness I ordered this dish because I enjoyed it last year, but this dish today was a drastic change Perhaps there is a new cook.

Had the definite impression that the food was basically pre-cooked. I had the gnocchi with a pesto sauce. The sauce was overly gravy like. My friend had a seafood pasta with a good mix of seafood. The wine list is limited but provides standard fare for accompanying an italian dinner. Fun to see all of the photos of opera singers who have graced the place and now the walls.

we were looking for something less touristy in San Francisco and found La Traviata, this place is a gem. my wife is Sicilian and we know Italian food this was authentic. the ambiance, the service the food all fantastic. I highly recommend the gnocchi some the best i have ever had, like little clouds pure heaven.

We (myself and my siblings) were wandering around the Mission District looking for a great place to eat on a Sunday evening. Wow-we hit the jackpot. Why this place did not come up when were were searching for dinner spots in the Mission District is beyond me. From the moment we entered the restaurant, we felt right at home. The people who worked there acted like we had eaten there a hundred times. The food was scrumptious and the service better than that. Thank you Gjon Gjoni for having such a great place. Wish I lived in San Francisco so I could eat there once a week!

This place has been around and serving top notch AUTHENTIC dego food since before 'foodie' was even a word, and the neighborhood was full of 'workinmen'. Well, now the Mission is foodie paradise, and there is no shortage of high caliber Italian around town. But a plate of linguine and clams (vongole) served by Zef and family just can't go wrong. Ahhh... the memories!

I found this very authentic restaurant in the Mission district through TripAdvisor and was instantly drawn by the reviews. This is one of the best restaurants I have been to in San Francisco. The prices were reasonable, service was personable, and food was excellent. My husband and I had the Veal Traviata and the Lassagna. Both delicious! The food is fresh and well-prepared. We will definitely be back!

Absolutely must go! We decided to go on a whim and it turned out to be the best food yet. The service & ambiance are authentic Italian, perfectly on point. The food was incredible!! Everything fresh & homemade. We had the tortellini, gnocchi, the funghi pasta. Every bite was amazing! We can't wait to go back!

The service was friendly and very efficient. They were able to get our party of 13 seated for a 9:30 PM reservation on a Saturday. Great job! The garlic cream sauce over tortellini is a must try - served hot with fresh pasta. Just delicious. The minestrone soup, bolognese lasagna, fruitti di Mare, profiteroles, and tiramisu were favorites at our table. This restaurant has been here since 1974 and they have a unique collection of photographs and some autographs of famous opera performers gracing their walls.

This was the best Italian food I have had as long as I can remember, It rivals the food in Italy and I even favored it over La Mela in New Yorks little Italy !

On my first trip ever to San Francisco, I was taken to this Italian restaurant. I know nothing about San Fran but, having lived in Italy for 16 years I do know Italian food. This small warm family run restaurant is better than some of my favorite Italian eateries in Manhattan, where I live.

I've enjoyed La Traviata with friends several times in the 90s and more recently in April 2019. The welcome, the ambiance, the service, and the food have always been excellent and timeless. Although I visit SF infrequently, I shall always look forward to paying a visit for yet another memorable meal!

Five of us went a few nights ago. The food was all fabulous and the service was superb and very friendly. It's a small space but wasn't crowded so we were very comfortable. Prices are very reasonable.

We’ve lived around the corner for three years and missed this place completely for the first two. Since finally waking it up and giving it a try and it’s been one of our favorites. The team there is so friendly and attentive. The pastas, especially the lasagna is incredible. Great, mid range wine selections and very charming opera themed decor. I have 4/5 because the salads are a bit of disappointment, but otherwise La Traviata is wonderful neighborhood gem.

La Traviata is a kind of a hidden gem in the Mission District of San Francisco that I highly recommend to everyone who loves freshly made Italian food. The first highlight is the ambience of the place which is "old Italian" and the freshly baked bread that comes to your table piping hot - but be careful not to fill up on the bread (hard to do) because you want to eat every last bite of your entrée. The lasagna is the best I have ever had (but it's limited) because they only make so much of it for each night but that's okay because everything else is just as delicious from the Salmon wrapped in parchment paper to the linguini and clams. If you are brave save some room for their Tiramisu and a cup of coffee.

This restaurant has been in the same spot and in the same family for years. The large menu is traditional Italian with many entrees less than 20 dollars. High quality and fresh ingredients are used. A number of the chicken dishes require an half hour additional preparation time. Always a good sign.The service, even on a busy evening, was excellent: efficient, friendly and helpful. We shared a caprese salad that was delicious. My wife had scallops and I had a chicken breast stuffed with asparagus and some cheese. Both were very flavorful without being rich or cloying. The restaurant is easily accessible by public transportation ( Bart or Bus). The decor, predictable by the name, features many photos of opera stars, superstars and almost stars. We had a fine time.

Second time here after going to the Theater for the Sunday matinee. Let us in a little early and the food and service was as good as the first time a year ago.

Great service and ambiance. The food is wonderful, the prices are in line. The look af the place is very comfortable. Loved the big stained glass piece at the door and it was fun sitting underneath a picture of John Forsyth eating there. The Angels would love this place, Charlie!