North Beach Restaurant Reviews

The guide says "Italian restaurant" ...... we trust. Let's go in and the Tuscan recipes menu. Maybe the place is right. The waiter is Italian and suggests the dishes of the day. Stewed ossobuco ........ Sure, we're in San Francisco and eat the shanks. Of course yes, very good. Tender meat and a perfect sauce. Well done !!!!!

Tuscany inspired long time eatery. Great service although some might find overbearing. Terrific wine list and knowledgeable sommelier. Prices are on the high end but it is SF with mandatory health fees and all the stuff that happens in the city. Well worth a visit.

Such a friendly atmosphere and the staff was very welcoming in accommodating my daughter in her wheelchair. The waiter was fun and clearly loved his job and people. He made great recommendations and the food was delicious. The valet parking was great to have and the location is very convenient. Highly recommend a nice dinner here!

Dinner tonight. I have been here four or so times before - not a new restaurant for me. Was seated at 8:45, nice table. They were busy but not slammed and by no means at capacity. Dinner was good - Salad to start, pasta for my entree. I have found the food here good. No problems. Issues tonight were service and not getting the drink I ordered. First, service was hurried. I guess the Waiter had a date or something- everything was rushed. Like I was holding him up. Second, I ordered an Averna for an after dinner drink. Averna is a standard Italian digestif and is classified as an amaro. I was not given an Averna. It did not taste like it. I took my drink to the Bartender and asked if it was Averna? He said no, it was ‘their amaro’. Then my Waiter came to the bar... Ends up they do not have Averna so they gave me an amaro of their choosing. Very bad form. Not coming back.

This may be one of the finest Italian Restaurants in the country. I have been eating here since the late 70's and ate here regularly when I lived in The City during the 80's. Be prepared to wait during weekend primetime eating times and the wait is worth it. You won't find Italian Food quite like this outside of Italy. Enjoy....

The great thing about this place, other than they cure their own prosciutto (ask to see the prosciutto basement). is that I find the service to be great. We couldn't decide between the buffala mozzarella on fresh tomatoes or the prosciutto melon. The waiter immediately says 'how about i make individual plates of both for everyone at the table'. so instead of sharing, we each get a little plate with both apps. i had the petrale sole, nice and light. Wine list is spectacular and the pasta just like mama used to make. if you like the really tailored service, great bar and wine list and nice ambience in the North Beach area, this has been a favorite of mine for years. Not the cheapest, and maybe not the very best (some of the tiny places in North Beach are exquisite), but always good for business or romantic dinners. This place has been rock solid for the last couple decades for me. Grumpy old guy rating: Thumbs up!

We picked this restaurant after doing a wine tasting at their vineyard. I think most reviews were accurate. Waiters in tuxedos. Brightly lit (could use some dimming) dining room. Our waiter was SO stiff. No smile, no personality and every time he talked, no one at the table could hear what he said. When he gave us the specials for the evening, all four of us heard something different. Our interactions with him felt odd. As for the food, we had the 1/2 Caesar Salad and the Burrata Salad. The Caesar was okay and my husband enjoyed the Burrata. For dinner the guys had the Lasagna and enjoyed it. The ladies got Bolognese and Veal Saltimbocca. Both good. Wine was excellent. We were so full, no dessert.

Suggested by friends because of its convenient location our group of six adults went for dinner. The decor and ambiance is kind of old fashioned, dim but comfortable. The all male wait staff look like characters out of the Godfather; older gruffly speaking with dark suits and lots of gold bracelets, watches and rings. The food was terrible to adequate. The house salad was a mess of wilted lettuces very overly dressed. The broiled fish was dry, The pastas were large bowls of flavorless noodles, The Chicken Picata was very large and generous but nothing special there. Being located in the heart of San Francisco's Italian district I venture to say that there are other better alternatives for Italian dining.

We dined here our first night in San Francisco and can't say enough about the food or the impeccable service. My only regret is that we did not return here for at least one more meal during our week-long stay, but definitely on our return visit!

One of the best Italian restaurant in SF. The food is absolutely delicious and the menu is set to meet anyone's expectations. Especially the daily specialities are worth hearing for. Good service, moderate prices and a cozy atmosphere.

Our concierge from the Parc 55 recommended this restaurant, it was absolutely fabulous! The staff is beyond friendly, and oh so very helpful. It reminds me of an upscale restaurant in Italy, totally authentic. The decor, the atmosphere, and certainly the food screams Italy. We've been during dining and lunch and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Though, honestly, we enjoyed our visit at lunch a bit more. We got to have incredible conversations with the host/manager and our waiter. North Beach is what will bring us back to San Francisco!

First day of our vacation in San Francisco. In Little Italy. Locals speaking Italian sitting on curb said "Go to North Beach. Expensive but the best." What a meal we had! Excellent breads of two varieties. Authentic Caeser salad enough for 3 to share. Entrees of Pasta Primavera, bolognese sauce on Spaghetti and Chicken Picatta all superb and enough size for Luncheon entrees. Prices in line for a white linen lunch. Excellent service from "Duke". Glad we came. Lemon sorbet sealed the deal. Would go back.

Old World Italian. Well seasoned waiters. We started out our meal with the prawns appetizer. 4 tasty nicely sized. The cocktail sauce had a bit of a kick to it! I had the veal saltimbocca and my husband had lamb, both entrees were mouth wateringly delicious and tender! Of course there was wine and ended our meal with some scrumptious tiramisu. We will definitely be back!!

Beware of this restaurant - it's an absolute shame to waste an evening of eating on this place. The food is at best shopping mall quality. The chicken livers were slightly burnt and tasteless; the cioppino even looked bad (and was very low quality); and you can get better frozen pasta dinners at the grocery store. On top of this, we had to ask for everything we needed. Absolutely no needs were anticipated or attended to - our water glasses were empty a good portion of the meal. They even auctioned the food off - "who's got the lasagna?" etc. My neighborhood diner does service better. The only highlight was the lovely older Asian gentleman who works there. Don't go!

I went to this restaurant before the Beach Blanket Babylon show last week and the food was delicious. I had their Petrale sole which was cooked perfectly and very delicious served with tasty potatoes and under seasoned broccoli rabe. My friend had a veal dish which my friend said “delicious “ which was served with the same sides like my dish. My friend didn’t finish the vegetables. We had two glasses of wine each. My friend had Chardonnay an I had Sauvignon Blanc. When we order our second glass each, our server took away my first glass even though I still had some wine left in my glass. So, because of that experience, I deducted one star. I may go back to this restaurant before the Show next time but request a different server.

Stopped by after a day off work & having taken in the city sights. Was seated even though I did not have a reservation and the place was buzzing. Service was great, food was delivered quickly and was good. The sauce on the snails was over salted but the rest was great. Yes it is pricy, but well worth while.

It has been 30 years since I ate here, so we thought we’d try it. We come to the city once a year and enjoy at least one dinner in North Beach. The waiter really chatted up the homemade raviolis, so 3 out of 4 ordered. Then he told us they didn’t make them that day. I ordered the lasagna and it was not really hot and really flat and spreading all over the plate. I really do know the difference between Italian food and American Italian food. And I asked if they had sausage or meat balls as side dishes and by the look on the waiter’s face you’d have thought I asked for egg rolls. (No, they do not offer as side dishes.). The sour dough bread was burned. Really. I don’t think they do that in Italy. The vibe wasn’t very positive either. Maybe because we were seated next to the kitchen. We went two nights later to Mona Lisa and had a lot of fun and better food by vote of all four people.

North Beach Restaurant has long been one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. We've eaten there a number of times and each meal has been amazing. Our latest visit was no exception. The restaurant has a comfortable San Francisco ambiance that I find very appealing. Reservations in hand, we were quickly seated. At that point, our server, Nino, took over. Professional and full of personality, Nino took a great evening and made it perfect! The food matches the ambiance and service. Absolutely wonderful Italian food - the veal and the pasta dishes were amazing! This is one of those restaurants that will will continue to visit at every opportunity.

The food and service at North Beach Restaurant was excellent. The reason for 4 stars is the inclusion of a 5% Fee on the bill. I take exception to unexplained additions like this and I don’t like the approach. Build it into your prices if you must.

From the moment you walk in you realize you are in a special restaurant! Service is second to none! Food was exceptional! My only complaint is that the portion size could be bigger with respect to the price. The service is the star here! Reservations not needed but recommended on a weekend evening.

This authentic San Francisco North Beach Old World Italian restaurant will give visitors a real taste of SF charm, high quality food and drinks, and waiters that anticipate one’s every need with unparalleled service and welcoming personalities. Prices are reasonable and if you want to experience what the locals do on a regular basis consider dining here. It’s a delicious and fun experience.

We ate here on the evening of our arrival after a long flight from London and it was just right for weary travellers. Lovely interior with linen cloths and napkins, and very attentive service. The food was delicious - a fabulous starter of burrata, tomatoes fruit and home-made breads. Pasta for the teenager and her Dad, veal for me. A very delicious local wine. A great find - I’d recommend and I’d return.

Dinner Oct 14 EXCELLENT service very accomodating Polenta soup a first - different and very good Escargo IN the shell Veal dinners very good

Delivery or eat in-house and it's always a great experience! Extremely dependable food quality and service.

Thank you Alex for making our evening a terrific one. From the appetizer with Prosciutto and Calamari to our fabulous dinners and wine pairings the food and wine were fantastic. I’d highly recommend.

Perfunctory bonhomie (not Italian, I know), middling food. Good wine list, but expensive. Can think of other places I'd rather be on a Saturday night.

My husband and I went on a wednesday evening and it was very busy although that could not be felt in the service. Waiters were very quick, helpful and knowledgable. The kitchen was quick too. We had Caprese Salad and Tomato Salad with Anchovies to start. Both were excellent. For dinner we had Osso Buco and Linguine with porchini mushrooms. Both were delicious but on the verge of being way to big. For dessert we had a Crema Caramel and some kind of almond pudding with strawberries. It is easy to say that this was one of the highlights of the trip. The restaurant is unpretentious but the quality of service both by kitchen and waiting staff deserves to be applauded....good job!

What a great place for a bunch of "old school guys" to have dinner. Had a great service staff that made the night perfect

The restaurant was recommended by my hotel, and they were spot on! From the moment I entered North Beach Restaurant, I knew I was in for an extraordinary experience. The Procuitto & Melon appetizer was a decadent melding of savory and nectar that seemed to dissolve on the tongue. This was followed by the simplest, yet most risky Italian entree: Veal Parmigiana. The fork-tender veal was married to the most delicate tomato sauce and homemade mozzarella. Each element perfectly balanced with one another. Quite a feat! A bottle of 2013 Fontalloro Toscana rounded out this course. I ended the evening with their Triple Chocolate Mousse. WOW! The North Beach Restaurant is a "Foodies" MUST!

Do not get me wrong. The name of the place does not hints you for the amazingly god worthy food they serve!!! Ravioli, carbonara, sweetbreads that melts in your mouth and the prosciutto cured by them just awesome!! A must repeat for our bunch!

We ordered veal parm and asked for pasta as our side. We were told that the chef wouldn’t do it and if we wanted pasta, the charge would be $10 for it. who doesn’t serve pasta as a side choice in an Italian restaurant? The meal was just ok, not great. We did pay and got the pasta. They gave us a small plate of pasta, actually smaller than u would get anywhere else. We would never go back. Totally not worth the price.

Went for the first time with friends who have introduced us to nice places. Lovely interior, full menu, good wine list, great staff and good food. The squid appetizer was delightful as was the osoboco. You cannot go wrong there but then it was not busy late afternoon and we were not in a hurry. The veal is very tender in a sweet madera sauce with lots of mushrooms. The pasta dishes the others had were very tasty and very well sized. Been there for decades.

Great visit beginning to end. Staff were amazing and helpful. We mentioned we had hoped for a abalone appetizer and they made us one even though it wasn’t on the menu. All three meals were amazing but the one voted best was the vodka cream pasta. There were menu options that were more budget friendly and more extravagant- a great San Francisco choice.

My favorite restaurant in San Francisco. Have been coming here for years. Never have missed on trip to San Francisco. Veal piccata was exceptional. Have never had a bad meal here. Great wine selection. Service was so-so this trip. Waiter not real personable. But that’s okay, food was great!

I actually dined twice at this restaurant within the past month. Once for dinner and once for lunch- both excellent. The waitstaff is fantastic (Spiro and another server--a Frenchman) both recommended excellent choices. For lunch we had the pan seared petrale sole--- perfectly cooked. For dinner we had a group of 6 including guests from out of town. All of the veal dishes are superb but our favorite was the pasta in vodka sauce. It was to die for. Most of the pasta is homemade. They also suggested great Tuscan wine to compliment our dishes. For a quiet table in the evening, I suggest asking for a table downstairs. A big plus for this restaurant is that they have valet parking- $8 for lunch and $10 for dinner- both reasonable.

Great food! My husband had salmon and I had pasta. We were both very satisfied with our meals. Highly recommended.

Nice environment, good menu, fresh and home cooked dishes, excellent service, generous servings . I recommend with no hesitation

My wife and I were vacationing, and were told to dine at North Beach Restaurant for the best San Francisco Italian cuisine. The recommendation was spot on. We were met with a very friendly greeting, and immediately seated at our table. Our waiter was soft spoken and provided distinguished service. He was a true professional. After answering several questions we selected simple dining options. We wanted pasta entrees, and we made the right choice. My spaghetti with vodka, and my wife's angel hair pasta with meat sauce were awesome. San Francisco is a very expensive city to visit, so the price for our dinners were expensive, but it was in line with other fine restaurants in the city. So if you want to splurge on a great meal, then eat at the Northern Beach Restaurant.

Overall the experience was great. The service was amazing he whole time. Our server was knowledgeable, the restaurant was busy but our drinks and food came out in a timely manner. Our plates were always cleared as soon as we were finished and our drinks were always full. There were no complaints from our party, all food and drinks were delicious. The espresso martini was to die for! It really was a great atmosphere for a nice long Italian dinner.

I first heard about North Beach restaurant in the early 1980s, and had a lovely first date there. The ambiance allows for conversation. The food is off the charts fabulous. Went again in 2018 and glad we did!

Had such high hopes having had this restaurant recommended. We were taken downstairs to an dark empty room, when we said we did not like to be the only people in a room we were told a party of ten was coming as were others, the party of ten arrived no one else ..a party of three had been seated upstairs before us and a party of three behind us were never seen again - assume they and everyone else got to sit in the dining room. Waiter must have had a fight with his wife - rude, pushy and totally uninterested in his job tried to get us to order most expensive items, food arrived within seconds, plates cleared before others at table had finished, pasta puttanesca had no olives, never had one or seen a recipe without olives, waiter said it was “southern Italy” Risotto has about half an inch of liquid oil in the bowl. YUK Asked for coffee after dessert, put down in front of wrong person which we pointed out so he pushes the cup to next person - not the one who ordered coffee !! Last bit of wine poured into my husbands glass (nearest) rather then any of the ladies present ...who does that ? All in all a very disappointing, expensive ($300) experience for three people. We will nit be back. Very overrated . Shame on them .

Perfect night, immediate seating (early on Monday evening), great waiter, explained the dishes and when asked for his suggestions they were awesome.

This is a lovely restaurant. The waiters are well dressed and polite. The music is Italian and varied, not too loud. The tablecloths are clean ad white. It's romantic, just based on all of this. The menu is Italian seaside. All of us enjoyed our lunches of cioppino, scallops, and pastas, but there were no standouts. My cioppino had a nice assortment of fish types, but the thick tomato soup base was not as pleasing to me as a more usual broth base. I found the meaty flavored sauce on my partner's scallops to be a distraction from the scallops. All of the fish though was good and fresh. Oh, the tiramisu and the espresso were the standouts. The kitchen is good not great. The atmosphere is worth the visit.

We had dinner recently at the pricy North Beach Restaurant before going to a show. While the service was fine, the food was ill prepared. Lettuce in the Caesar salad was limp, croutons soggy and dressing tasteless. The tomatoes, anchovies and onions were better but the tomatoes lacked any acidity and again the dressing was poor. For main dishes the Marsala sauce on the veal Marsala was much too sweet but at least the veal was tender. At $31 the linguine with clams used packaged pasta and chopped clams. The sauce itself was not distinctive. For a restaurant with a good reputation it seemed that North Beach Restaurant is resting on its laurels. There clearly are better Italian restaurants in this section of San Francisco.

Absolutely loved this restaurant, simple decor, servers in suits and amazing friendly service. Our meals were delicious, could not fault any thing that we had. One of the best Osso bucco’s I have had in a long time. It is Italian food with no modern spins on it, just beautiful simple food done well, with so much flavour. I can understand why people keep going back and they are so successful.

North Beach Restaurant reminds me of the many great restaurants that you will find in Italy. No Chianti flasks, no red table cloths, no enormous dishes drenched in red sauce. Instead, you will find modern art on the walls, serene colors, tuxedoed waiters, custom made plates, and wonderful Tuscan food. We had a simple lunch at North Beach on our way to Sonoma County. The freshly made Caesar salad is as good as it gets. Complete with egg yolk, garlic and anchovy. My wife was delighted that she found sauteed chicken livers in a Barbera reduction on the menu. This is the kind of food that your nonna would have cooked and is difficult to find in the US. My dried porcini and scallop pasta was less successful. An attempt to find fusion between local ingredients and classic Italian style that doesn't quite work. The waiters are professional and knowledgeable. Often they will offer their opinions whether asked or not which is part of the charm of North Beach. Be sure to wander down the stairs and be amazed by the proscuitto room where the restaurant cures its own pork. Valet parking is $8 at lunch time. A bargain instead of trying to hunt for a parking space in the middle of the city. I try to return to the North Beach Restaurant every time that I am in San Francisco

What a beautiful experience again!!! I visited this Icon of a restaurant over 3 decades ago, iknew the owner well ( LOrenzo Petroni ) ad wiTh my great surprise I meet thIS time Leo PETRONI,his son running this place like a swiss watch !!! Great dinner, great service, wonderful staff,GRAZIE !!!!!!! we will be back !!

My family and I were thrilled with our experience at this restaurant. I agree with some other reviews on here that the bread they brought out didn't start us off with the best impression - it was a bit hard and bland, but by the end of the night I had forgotten all about that! We started with an absolutely beautiful burrata caprese salad which was TO DIE FOR!!! They fly in fresh burrata every other day from Italy and it tasted as if we'd been transported to Rome!!! Then we had a pasta course which was amazing - so authentic and home made - beautiful! Lastly I had chicken piccata which was melt in your mouth. The wine list was good and the service was great - I loved it so much and will most certainly return. I would recommend requesting a seat by the window :)

I had a horrible experience with this restaurants' valet. The entire front right side of my bumper is scratched and damaged due to the valet hitting something. Fortunately my car has motion cameras and I have video of the valet unsuccessfully trying to clean the scratches. The restaurant is no help, I would avoid this place. I'm going to let my lawyer handle things from here.

While not writing a review about our entire time in the city, let me tell you.....this was a welcomed relief. We encountered many things while visiting that would turn one away from the city entirely. However, our evening at North Beach Restaurant was wonderful. My husband ordered chicken sorrento and I ordered linguini with clams (white wine sauce). Our meals were exquisit. We ordered Groth cabernet against the wine steward's recommendation and it was lovely as expected. We took the tiramisu home for breakfast. It wasn't the best, but we didn't eat it fresh. Overall, this was our favorite evening in San Francisco. Thank you, North Beach.

We were in the city on a Sunday afternoon around 8pm. Seemed like every restaurant we wanted to go was closed. Luckily this little place was close to our hotel and open. The server was super nice and accommodating. We had lasagna, ravioli and a sandwich. I have had better Italian food for sure but this place was good. We were thankful for the hospitality we received more than anything.

This restaurant is upscale Italian with Waiters/Captains in formal attire. We had to listen to a list of specials and have the Menu totally explained. Suggestions were made regarding multiple appetizers for the table, additional pastas, etc. It seemed to be an effort to increase the check. The food and service were so-so. The continuous talking by the Waiter disrupted our family's conversation. At the end of the meal our check was presented and paid. As we were a party of six, gratuity was added. It was not until we left the restaurant that we realized that the tip was over 21%. Not cool!

Fantastic cuisine and superior service, thanks to Marco! We enjoyed 3 veal scallopini dishes, 2 pasta dishes and the veal sweetbreads — all impeccable, as was the broccoli rabe. The vino, a barbaresco, was a fine complement and the espresso with aperitif capped the experience. We would've kept going if policy permitted appetizer-sized tasting entree portions and especially a choice of pasta for additional side orders. It's easy to mistake managerial confidence for arrogance, considering the unparalleled experience!

Walking distance from Beach Blanket Babylon - excellent Italian food with great service at reasonable price. I recommend the "veal parm..."

We booked randomly at the last minute but were delighted we did. Probably some of the best service we’ve had on the West Coast - okay, bar not high for that, but still very good. Old school Italian, professional, charming, humour. A bit New York, but worked very well. Food was equally great. We kept it simple with pasta and desserts but the pasta was super well executed - not complicated but just very well done. Desserts were equally good. Oh and they had gluten free pasta as well!

A real pleasure to find a great Italian restaurant which maintains the "old" standards!! The waiters all wear bow ties and tux with serviettes correctly draped over the left forearm. They also know how to be polite and give great service. The food was good quality, fresh and served hot but not from heat lamps. Nothing exotic but just good!! Also a pleasure to greeted with a smile by Lou.

Terrific old style Italian restaurant, terrific atmosphere, great wine list, attentive staff and delicious food.

Our concierge recommended this restaurant as a superior, authentic Italian restaurant and I was so disappointed. We were seated in the wine cellar which was more intimate however the air seemed a bit stagnant. Our waiter and all staff exceeded any expectations. One gentleman hsd worked there 30 years! He was ever so delightful and I enjoyed watching him keeping all the younger staff on their toes. I ordered osso bucco and my friend ordered veal saltimbocca. My dish was so salty I couldnt eat it. I was so wanting to have a grand experience however I was so saddened by the food. Very impressed with their incredible and superb service. Although my meal was not great, my friend enjoyed hers and agreed it fell in tbe middle of the road. She thoroughly enjoyed her super Tuscan wine. Id definitely return to try again.

Upscale is correct with a good choice on the menu. Staff were friendly and attentive. Montepulcino was beautiful and the spaghetti frutti di mare was very tasty. Bread at start was a lovely touch. Miss the old Italian style restaurant and this brought it back to life

At first the welcome was good but quickly went down hill. Food was good but not exceptional Service however was awful Waiter was rude and abrupt ; service was slow ; he was very condescending and to serve us stretched over the table with hot meals. Appalling service from should be a very good restaurant We have been in California for over 2 weeks and have never had service like it , all other restaurants the service has been great . Just one tip - don't go ! Waiter even ran out restaurant after us as we did not leave tip - how unprofessional !

Everything was homemade, we were a party of 6. All the food came out hot and delicious. Mine came out luke warm. Our server corrected it right away and gave me a fresh dish and even larger portion. I would recommend this restaurant.

....and The North Beach Restaurant's version of what they call Italian food has reached an all time low. Both statements are true. I've been visiting this restaurant since 1976..and this time, Dec.13th, my birthday will be the last. When I complained to the manager that the Zabaglione I ordered for dessert was made incorrectly...a plate of whipped cream and sliced strawberries, instead of warm whipped egg yokes, some sugar, and wine..he started yelling at me, took the whole plate and threw it in the bus tray...for all the patrons the hear. Prior to that I ordered veal parmesan ($34)...wanted to substitute the vegetables and potatoes for a side of pasta and was told that would be $20 extra. Seem a bit steep? After ordering something else that may have been a Chef Boyardee creation, having been served a plate of whipped cream, and endured the abuse of a manager. way out touch with restaurant management, my wife and I sadly left...leaving 40+ years of happy memories the North Beach Restaurant had created for us...on the beach..in North Beach...which doesn't have a beach

We ate here on our recent trip to SF for our wedding anniversary. The pasta was great and my red wine (sangiovese) was amazing. The service was amazing and the owner(?)/manager was very nice. After our meal when we called/were waiting on an uber the owner/manager gentleman came outside and thanked us again for joining them for dinner and wished us a happy anniversary again. He also was checking that we were able to call an uber or if we needed directions. Our waitress (I apologize - I forget her name) was also very helpful and offered to take pictures of us in the restaurant. A very sweet gesture! We'll be back when we return to SF with my parents in the fall!

Very disappointed overall. We wanted authentic Italian food and this was recommended to us by the hotel concierge. I want to mention the parking is a shady operation. I had called to make sure they had parking, the guy said yes, $10 valet. When we showed up, the valet guy told us $20 for SUV and made us pay up front. That seem odd but being out of towners we thought maybe it's the norm in SF. But when we were leaving, I noticed the valet didn't ask the others for the money up front so I went back into the restaurant to tell the host what had happened and also we had to pay double. He said that's an outside service but doesn't sound right and went out to talk to the guy. Whatever- onto the restaurant... The hosts and waiters are all dressed up there so the entry was very pleasant/classy. The place is bigger than it looks from the outside,we were seated in the back room. I'm not sure if our waiter was new or just didn't care but he just told us what the specials were, no description what so ever. Again, thought that's just the norm until I heard the waiter 2 tables away describing the specials to his table, on and on for a few minutes! The food was not what we expected from an authentic Italian restaurant- very average if that. The antipasto salad we ordered was actually kinda gross, slimy, over vinegar'd calamari, some meats, beans and something else. I highly recommend you don't order that. I had the linguine with clams which was pretty good. My friend ordered eggplant Parmesan, it wasn't served with any pasta so he was disappointed. And I can't remember what the the other 2 dinners were but they were fine. Oh, what waiter at an Italian restaurant doesn't ask if you want any parm cheese- ours. I had to ask for it- and again I was jealous of the other table who had a waiter serving the the parm cheese and refilling their water cups. I can honestly say we'd pick Olive Garden for a fraction of the price over this place.

Just had to stop and have the breaded veal chop couldn't leave Frisco with out it and a glass of Pinot grigio

We made the mistake of deciding to eat in North Beach the day of the North Beach Festival. We were thinking Pizza because we were out sightseeing all day and we were not dressed for anything fancy. We popped in to look at the menu and we were greeted by a nice gentlemen who said "don't be afraid to come in" and I said "I don't think we are dressed", he just waved us in and so glad he did. The waiters are dressed in tux's and the service was great. I had the Linguine with clams and my husband had fettuccine with shrimp. Mine was very good but my husband said it was the best he ever had. We then had dessert and I was so happy that they had cannoli's that day because I was searching for a good cannoli and my meal was finished off with a tradition delicious cannoli. If we come back to San Francisco we will definitely come again!

We visited one of our favorite restaurants this last weekend in San Francisco. Every time I’m in the Bay Area I make a point to go to North Beach restaurant. I’ve been coming here many,many years. This last visit however I was really disappointed. The food is not as good as it used to be- not sure if they have a new chef? My husband ordered a pasta shrimp in a cream sauce which was just ok and I ordered the pesto pasta. My pasta was very dry and sticky. No creaminess to the pesto sauce. I thought about ordering the scallops and our waiter Luca would not substitute the potato and vegetable for a side of pasta. The scallop dish was $15 more than the pasta dish and you’d think he’d at least offer to ask his manager. Every time I’ve been to this restaurant over the years this was never a problem and they offered it on the menu. This used to be one of the best restaurants in S.F. Sorry to say our love affair with North Beach restaurant is over.

Really amazing food and excellent service as well! Thoroughly impressed and would recommend to anyone

Amazing and excellent food and service. Perfect night out for our party of 8 !!! Mel was wonderful and attentive to every detail. Would highly recommend !!! 🥂

Ate dinner after seeing Beach Blanket Babylon as the restaurant is just down the street. Seated quickly downstairs and the linguini with clans, ceasar salads and a house ravioli specialty was enjoyed. They were very busy, but service was good. Lots of locals. Service is old school. Would return.

We love North Beach and visit every time we’re in SF. Real deal Italian food; great service; nice atmosphere; nice wine list; excellent prosciutto and melon; eggplant parmigiana, osso bucco, veal saltimbocca, nice custard dessert. Highly recommend.

This is an old style restaurant where the waiters still wear DJ's and old fashion means that you go with the flow. The food that I had was very good the service as I have explained you need to go with the flow (I was told that I was sitting at the table that John Cleese sits at) who is he?

At first I wasn't sure if this was an Italian restaurant, the name certainly doesn't apply that it is. This restaurant is centrally located in the Italian neighborhood of San Fran "North Beach". The service was excellent. The food was plentiful and authentic Italian. Delicious!!

The menu is exhaustive and like every good Italian restaurant it is willing to make changes. My wife and I split the house pasta which are tubes with crumbled veal and mushrooms. It was excellent as was the angel hair pasta with a nice marinara sauce. We also found the spinach salad with its warm vinaigrette to be quite good as was the house cured prochutto and imported burrata salad. Wonderful waiter and an impressive wine list. Not fancy but it felt like home.

Made last minute reservations as the curtain rose on Beach Blanket Babylon for after the show. What a great choice. First drinks at the bar, then escorted to a table near the front window. Watching the old-school tuxedoed waiters do their perfect professional dance was so wonderful We had Bay Shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad (with anchovies, of course) followed by Bolognese-style pasta special and petrale stuffed with shrimp and crab. For dessert, we skipped the solids and had a chocolate martini and Cynar (look it up! A hard-to-find Italian digestif). For San Francisco, a meal of this caliber with liquor was a value for under $200. And it is in North Beach, one of SF’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Such a San Francisco treat.

I highly recommend this restaurant! Valet parking attendants were polite and efficient. We had an Open Table reservation. Our table was ready when we arrived. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very pleasant. The service was superb and the food was delightful. It seemed more like a local restaurant then a tourist spot. My family loved everything about dining experience.

Excellent food. Excellent service ! Noisy but fun Don’t leave San Francisco without trying this place

It was good to find this restaurant still open late and the food was great, but when we split the bill and both paid by card, they charged us each 10 USD tip, and that was not what we had indicated. We just ordered one course, so a 20 USD tip is unacceptable to enforce like that.

Me and my family (we are Italians on holiday) went there and ate 3 different types of pasta, a dessert and 2 glasses of wine. In total for 3 people we spent 151 dollars. The quality/price ratio is not at a standard level. If you are looking for an Italian restaurant this is not the right place for you.

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in San Francisco. There are many options if you are on a plant based diet and if not you will also have many choices. The food is fantastic and fresh. Wonderful wine list and the service is by far the best in the city.

Sat evening-no reservation- short wait at the bar and then enjoyed one of the best Italian dinners ever. The osso buco was perfection and veal piccata tender and piquant. Everything we had was excellent! Beautifully prepared and professionally served. They even whipped up hot zabaglione to top off our extravaganza. So delicious! High marks for such a pleasant ambiance, great service & stellar food! A truly memorable San Francisco evening! Must return there soon! The menu has a plethora of wonderful italian classics as well as escargot & abalone - many items hardly ever found on restaurant menus today.

Arrived in the city by 4 by car, needed a walk around North Beach to get the kinks out. Strolled to this beautiful building. Had outstanding cocktails with top shelf liquor. The amazing carpaccio/prociutto combo appetizer was served alongside our caesar salads with just enough anchovie flavor. My husband dug into the evenings special: Osso bucco with polenta cakes and garlicky rapini. Exquisite. My grilled sea bass was delicately seasoned and extremely moist and tender. Out by 6 to gather some cookies for the evening. Extensive wine list with outstanding selections by the glass. A memorable meal adding this to our list of North Beach favorites.

We loved this place. So close to everything. We walked here after seeing Beach Blanket Babylon. Perfect ending to our evening. We were given the best table!!! Waiter made some great recommendations and we did them all!

Step into a world that has not forgotten how to treat a guest. From the moment you walk in you are cordially greeted. Best to make reservations as its reputation and location are stellar. Waiters are very cordial and quite familiar with the superb menu. No detail is left out when they are serving you. Take your time when you dine here. It's not about shoving food in your face and dashing off. The dishes are prepared to perfection. If you have food allergies do consult with the waiter and he will insure that the chef is advised and will adjust the ingredients to your satisfaction. Enjoy the meal and the surroundings. Try to reserve a window table, we did for our honeymoon.

Outstanding old school Italian Restaurant at a fair and reasonable price. Great food and wine, together with excellent service. Even had the bonus of an “A” list celebrity seating at the table next to us during a recent visit. We have enjoyed this restaurant since the early 1980’s and have never been disappointed.

We were able to make a last minute reservation which we appreciated as others were busy and not taking reservations. However, for a cost of $140 for two main courses and two glasses of wine we felt that the experience was not worth it. The restaurant was very noisy (including a group singing Happy Birthday) and it was difficult to have a conversation. My friend noticed that a fork was dirty and asked for it to be replaced. The server initially looked at it and said it was not dirty. My friend pointed out a piece of food attached and the server then replaced the fork. Amazing that in a "quality" restaurant one should have to argue with staff over this! A server brought the main dishes and stated that my friend's plate was saltimbocca. He said that was not what he ordered and then the server confirmed that in fact the dish was what was ordered. Again, a misstep. Overall it was a bit of a relief to finish dinner and leave.

We had dinner at this pricey restaurant on Stockton on a Wednesday. We didn't have any reservation but we were early. They sat us near the entrance: sometimes people would stand near our table and limit access to our waiter. Service is pretentious, waiter wearing tuxedo like suits with a white napkin on their arm are not that friendly. We were left unattended for a while. When we finally had our meal, the food was nothing to write about: the veal Marsala was much too sweet (too much Marsalla) but the veal was tender and the pasta sauce not great. The wine is very pricy. For a restaurant with that good of a reputation, it seemed that it is resting on its laurels. There are better Italian restaurants in this "Little Italy" of San Francisco.

In a city of fantastic restaurants, this is a unique and special restaurant filled with personality and food art. The staff are like a family full of uncles who want nothing more than to see you fat and happy, enjoying their amazing Italian creations. Tonight we came in from Texas for a business meeting and we were treated like family from the moment we opened the door. We started with prosciutto and melon (they make their prosciutto in the basement and it is magnificent) and some fresh burrata with tomato. Then my colleagues feasted on osso bucco while I chowed down on the pasta of the house, which we all agreed was the best thing we could have ordered. Of course these were all paired with Petroni wine, adding a touch of elegance to the rustic meal. It was truly a special dining experience!

It was late in the afternoon, and we had just finished sightseeing and were famished after walking about. We noticed the North Beach Restaurant and decided to give it a go. The restaurant has a very polished interior, which can easily put people off, yet we found it very inviting, comfortable and accommodating. The menu was well designed and had the right combination of culinary depth. Our server Xavier was wonderful, attentive and didn’t rush us. We ordered 2 Negroni’s, a Riesling and pasta all-up. Honorary Pasta Della Casa, Rigatoni pasta served with prosciutto, mushrooms, and veal in a White wine cream sauce. Tagliatelle Bolognese, their 4-Hour beef and pork suco, and the 7-Layer spinach Lasagne served with a Béchamel Bolognese sauce. The Pasta Della Casa was exceptional, my Lasagne was very delicious, the Tagliatelle Bolognese looked amazing. Overall we enjoyed everything and really appreciated the experience. The North Beach area in San Francisco is a hot spot for culture, food and great restaurants. I highly recommend The North Beach Restaurant. Thanks Tripsters Chef Edwin Padilla Good Food…Good Vibes

We ate here after it was recommended by the tour guide on the Big D and glad we did. Old school Italian restaurant with old school Italian service. Food and wine were very good and we enjoyed a lovely evening

Everything about North Beach Restaurant was perfect- food, service, atmosphere, fellow patrons. We came here for dessert and after dinner drinks and were treated fabulously. The desserts were excellent. Highly recommend the cheesecake! The look is elegant but not stuffy. Staff could not have been better.

Food was ok, but waiter service was atrocious. He leaned right across the table to serve the meal and was rude and condescending. Poured one of the party's beer but not the other. Very arrogant attitude to paying customers. We decided not to leave a tip as it really wasn't deserved. He chased after us into the street which was extremely unprofessional!! I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Bit of a disappointment after it’s great reviews. A decent family restaurant but nothing special. My wife ordered the pasta primavera and veggies tasted like they’d been frozen before cooking. My lasagna was nothing special. Given that it’s local favorite, I’m almost certain our experience was an anomaly. But lots of other places to try before we come back.

Returning to the elegance of tuxedo-clad waters, white tablecloths, authentic and delicious Iranian food was a treat. I had forgotten how much we enjoyed this fine restaurant. Our visit with our daughter and son in law brought back those memories. It also reinforced the imperative of being sure a dinner at North Beach is included in our plans for our next visit to San Francisco. BTW, while most in the restaurant were very nicely dressed, there is no dress code so a few others were there with shorts and levies so don’t let your vacation clothes keep you away from a wonderful dining experience. The menu is extensive. We started with the half Caesar salad which turned out to be just the right size to go with our rather large meal. My wife had the house specialty, Escargots, served in the shell, delicious. The minestrone Toscano was marvelous. My wife professed that there is just no better place to have the petrale sole, this dish sautéed with white wine, lemon and butter sauce and it was delicious. My veal scaloppini Sorrento was also outstanding. The wine is a bit pricey but our glasses were well chosen by our attentive waiter. Our reservation before worked well in that we were treated with a near window seat. Our other dishes, including the one for my vegan daughter, were all thoroughly enjoyed in keeping with a restaurant that dates back for so many years and which has won the certificate of Excellence for several years. I do recommend getting reservations, but if your time is short, walk INS were taken and if that is not possible, there are many other eating establishments within a block or so in all directions.

My husband and I are in San Fran for a meeting. To be honest, this was one of the few restaurants I could get a reservation for because of Fleet week and a major convention in town. We were seated exactly at our reservation time. We started with an appetizer special:a Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella. We both agreed that this was excellent. The waiter was very attentive even though he has several big tables to wait on. The main entrees were mediocre at best. My husband had the Sole special. It was “fishy” and pretty tasteless. Portions were more than adequate. The accompaniments were squash and roasted potatoes. Both were tasteless. Come on. This is an Italian restaurant. I had the Eggplant Parmesan. I honestly think the chef forgot to include the eggplant . The breading was almost raw in the middle. The pasta sauce had no spices. We ended with a 3 chocolate Mousse and decaf cappuccino. Both were very good. I do not think we would go to this restaurant again on a return visit to San Francisco.

Seated outside at 3:05 PM. Asked for a lunch menu and was told we couldn't order off it anymore (same menu for dinner but about 40% higher prices. OK. Not a biggie. But the attitude of the waiter was just arrogant. Listen I eat at a lot of great restaurants (and many Italian) but the waiter actually scolded me for ordering a Prosecco after he brought the first round. Said he "was too busy with another table inside and if we wanted more, we needed to order "all at once"..... REALLY? I mean who is so arrogant to talk to a customer like that. Well, I got up, left (two remaining in the party) and went to the pizza place next door. The appetizer (Escargot) I did have, was rubbery, cold sauce and lousy. Not worth the time, or the money. Unless of course you enjoy being treated like you are second class. I don't want to seem like doom and gloom here, but C'mon......... A word to the wise is sufficient.

I've been coming to this great institution for about the last 7 years. I love the house pasta - perfectlly al dente rigatoni with a creamy sauce with veal, mushrooms and tomatoes. The burrata, halibut, sole and veal are also great choices. Waiters in black tie make it special. Great place with really, really good food.

The food was very good. The evening was lovely until we received the bill. We received the credit card summary slip and the waiter had handwritten in a tip and the final amount. We were a party of five and received no notification of a mandatory gratuity, and felt this was disrespectful. We also had to request an itemized bill, as it was a business dinner. The mandatory tip, added without prior notice or agreement spoiled what was otherwise a lovely evening.

This was recommended as the place to go for pasta and I was told they cure their meats themselves. For starters, I had prosciutto and melon, the prosciutto was oversalted and a bit chewy, and even the sweetness of the melon did not make it ok. For mains, I had spaghetti bolognese, the spaghetti could have done with one more minute of cooking as it was chewy rather than al denté; the sauce was nice though. I did not stay for desert. The wine choices were good. Overall, I was disappointed. I won’t be back in a hurry

I am 72 and a traveler. This is the first review I have ever written. Avoid this restaurant! The food at North Beach Restaurant was ok. The service was horrible and the restaurant was dirty. One of two toilets was clogged with paper towels. The bottom of my wineglass was dirty. The waiter never returned to check on us or offer more wine. It was a Monday night, and they were not busy. My best experience was walking out the door.

We went here for my 22nd birthday dinner. We made reservations ahead of time. They are busy. Dim lit atmosphere but it is family friendly as well. Service was great but food was AMAZING. Best italian dinner I have had yet. We got the escargot and mussels for appetizers, and two pasta dishes then the tiramisu. Mussels were our favorite. Good portions, not too much nor too little. Fairly priced. Definitely recommend if you're looking for Italian in the bay area!

The food is not bad, but the service is disgusting. They brought us a bill for 200 dollars and didn’t even offer a compliment from the chief. When we said that in all of Italy we had never left the restaurant without a compliment and asked for lemoncello, he billed for it separately. 13 dollars for 50 grams !!! Go better to Italy than to this "Italian" restaurant.

Back to North Beach Restaurant since 1974, and it hasn't changed. Still top quality Northern Italian fare. Very authentic and extensive menu, so you wont' have any problem finding your favorite dish. A number of daily specials also sweetens the pot. Would definitely recommend this historic North Beach area restaurant when in San Francisco.

We were thrilled to have dinner at the newly reopened North Beach Restaurant. Located in the Heart of San Francisco, this newly reopened North Beach Restaurant was exceptional. The owners, Francesco and Pete did a great job with the interior, food and wine menus . Delicioso e festivo. We had the osso bucco, pesto fussilli, polenta, soup, and petrale fish. They were very happy to accomodate our 1 -1/2 yr old baby too. The place was lively and very welcoming. Our waiter, Zev was terrific, friendly and attentive! A true San Francisco Landmark with a menu that is fresh authentic Italian cuisine. You'll enjoy every bite.. Buon appetito! Happy customers

Great Italian from this very busy North Beach Restaurant. They really took good care of our large party and handled all requests with ease. Our waiter an older gent was fantastic.

We were a part of three who arrived early for our 7pm reservation. We were instructed to wait 5 minutes and our table would be ready. We waited 20 then asked about the table behind, which was empty. They refused to seat us!!! Greed drives this restuarant, they will have you wait until your reservation time, even though they have open tables!!!!! We’ve are regular customers of this establishment and have been going here for over 20 years. We were appalled that they would treat long time customers like this. It will be awhile before we enter their doors again especially after spending 300 dollar’s frequently at this establishment and they treat you like this!!! The table we asked for earlier sat empty throughout our dinner, go figure.

Dinner with a client, and man, was it good. Really delicious entree (fish w ceab meat) and a great gorgonzola-like and prosciutto appetizer. Our waiter was stupendous. Place gets packed so make reservation early.

The Epitome of the restaurant experience. This place has history, class and culture. I have been visiting this restaurant for almost 20 years and it never disappoints. There is a magic to this place and it isn't easy to explain. The service is above all, professional. The wine list is crazy extensive, but the experts can advise what to chose. The dining rooms are cozy, clean, electric and inviting. The food is fantastic! It is the best and most tender chicken and veal ever.

The whole vibe seemed like we were in a movie, right down to the waiters. We had a very nice meal. The ambiance and service were great too. I would gladly return one of these days when we're in the City.

Had a group dinner here recently in the lower level wine cellar. Nice bar area, great atmosphere with outstanding service. I had the mixed salad, penne alla vodka, and sole. Pasta was excellent, sole was pretty average. Cheesecake and chocolate mousse were delicious. Definitely go with a main pasta dish next time!

Great restaurant for Italian cuisine. Do visit this place if you love traditional Italian cuisine. Quite famous for authentic Tuscan cuisine. We were a group of 5, came here for lunch and liked the dinning experience. Filet of Lamb alla and homemade Ravioli Toscana taste great.

The meal was very disappointing with members of the family having different choices. All of us said the food was a little bland and underwhelming. The plates were cleared for those that had finished with others still eating.

Best Italian Restaurant in town. Burrata salad is out of this world. We had six different dishes all of then amazing. Mare Cchiaro and Fetuccini with fresh clams highly recommended

I have eaten here several times since "discovering" this restaurant with my husband back in the 1980's. It is my go-to place for Italian food in San Francisco. I love the lasagne, and my daughter enjoys the spaghetti with vodka sauce. The wine list is extensive. I hear the Osso Bucco is divine and plan to try it on my next trip to San Francisco. The service here is always good, no matter which waiter. My favorite waiter is Mel, a native of Biloxi, Ms who came to SF via LSU and NOLA. If you are hungry for some good Italian food and want to discuss SEC football while in SF, Mel is your man.

We enjoyed our dinner- escargot appetizer, and charcuterie. Then outstanding halibut, ossobuco and veal. We shared a tiramisu, which was delicious. Extensive wine list, try wine from their local winery! Efficient staff.

I visited with my wife and cousin. We had a reservation for 7 pm the place is gourgeous great atmosphere and I could not fault any of the food truly excellent. We received our coffee and desert at 8.20 almost immediately the bill was presented and the waiter said to me "they are looking for tables" at this point I had not touched the coffee and we still had half a bottle of wine in front of us. To be honest I hadn't taken a lot of notice of what the waiter had said. The receipt for credit card was brought back to be signed and again he said I am looking for tables. I said look I would like to finish my wine and meal at which he threw up his hands and looked exceedingly angry. I told him I wasn't happy with his attitude and he gestured to the owner and said this man isn't happy. The owner was an absolute gentleman I told him what had happened and he spoke to the waiter who never came near us again. However it did put a damper on the evening and we were gone by 8.35 one hour and 35 minutes after sitting down. According to stats the average stay here is between 1.5 and 2.5 hrs. I wouldn't like to be sitting that long with that waiter.

We felt as if we had gone back 30 years. We were made to feel very welcome by the wonderful staff here. It was a very busy night prior to Christmas, but nothing was too much trouble for them. Food was excellent, pasta certainly fresh, and the veal soft and tasty, finished with a macchiato which isn’t on the menu but was ok.

Had lunch and it was a quiet day. Service was excellent. He let us see the cellar room and prosciutto production. Prosciutto is amazing and we enjoyed the meals and experience. Lots of history here.

I set up a Christmas lunch for party of 10. I called 2 times to make sure they had the reservation and asked both times that we'd get the LUNCH menu for 3 pm res. Of course, they say....well they pulled a fast one. Sat down around 3:05ish and got the DINNER menu because, "our computers turn over at 3 pm and there is nothing we can do." Needless to say I wasn't happy from the start. Waiter suggested an appetizer of burrata, prosciutto and small lobster bite; we agreed thinking it was a shared dish....plates came individually to us and when we got the bill were charged $31 pp! Before this, we ordered; some of us ordered appetizers or salads not realizing we were getting the individual burrata plates....did they inform us of this?? NO. They just want to make your bill as high as possible. So many plates came that we each had to at time hold each others empty plates because there was no room on the table. We inquired about a Barbera wine suggestion....oh, they had one! Came out and poured....but failed to tell us it was $140 per bottle! Ditto with the $95 Chardonnay.... The bill came with the 20% tip included. Bill was $1100. and two of us shared an entree and one of us didn't even have an entree. Needless to say, we didn't include the tip...Waiter finally got attentive....but his only interest was upcharging us as much as possible for the biggest tip. Contacted management to tell them about our awful experience and got, "spoke with our staff and they followed procedures". Really??? Food was mediocre; best part of the place is the ambience but they did squish our party into a table not big enough for 10.... Word of advice: don't go!

Once again we had a fabulous time at the North Beach restaurant. We've been coming here for 48 years, first on our honeymoon, and subsequently ever since we moved to the bay area in 1972. The menu is representative of the best Italy has to offer...the wine list is great without being overpowering. The food has always been memorable. Our most recent dinner was with friends, the star of our foursome recently celebrated her 100th birthday. The servers and management were very attentive of her making sure her visit was a success. We started with their famous ravioli (regular order split 2 ways) and a really well executed mushroom risotto (again order split 2 ways). My wife had the veal saltimbocca, which is a family favorite, I had the lamb loin with barola sauce...perfectly cooked. Our guests north both had the Petrale Mugnaia...and they loved it. But the best part of the meal was the dessert. The North Beach Restaurant is the only restaurant in town (maybe in all of California) that serves the Zabaglione warm, fresh made. Most restaurants serve a chilled version....not the same experience. Come to the North Beach Restaurant for an unforgettable dining experience!

Went for a birthday dinner. Was really happy with our waiter as he was very attentive and understood what we wanted. The food was so authentic and flavorful. The mussels were delicious! Really enjoyed and will return.

We arrived at our reservation on-time and seated immediately, and from there it was downhill. Our server had no personality at all. My wife's eggplant was one slice, about 2 inches thick and tasted meaty. The service was prompt, but the ambiance was very loud and the lights were bright. Overall not a great experience.

The worst attitude from a server who want to have a good tip. He added directly 20% on the bill ! I asked why he put so much ? the answer was an explanation about government tax....?!? !!! He thought that foreigners are idiot.... I decide to add a small 15% to the bill and he was furious...no comment but no elegance. What a poor service for a restaurant pretending to have good Italian food like in Italy...the food was ok but nothing exciting. But what a bad and injurious service ! I definitively recommend NOT to go there. It is expensive for what is offered. I think there are many other good Italian restaurants respecting their clients in the North Beach area.

Had a special dinner out here with my wife and friend; we all thoroughly enjoyed the service. The Cesar Salad was one of the best I've had - and I especially appreciated being able to get Anchovies on it for a real Cesar, something that many restaurants here in the US don't offer. I had a special Veal Marsala dish that seemed to melt in my mouth. Others in our party had some extremely delicious raviolis and a risotto dish. The meal finished up nicely with a tart, tasty Lemon Sorbet. Service was good, particularly considering that it was a Saturday night and the restaurant was full. We look forward to coming back again!

Went to the Beach Blanket Babylon theatre then decided to go for dinner. North Beach Restaurant was recommended and did not disappoint!!! It is very close to the theatre and when we arrived at about 10pm, they were very welcoming! In fact, customers arrived sometime after us and they were very welcoming to them as well! The food was delicious and the service very good! The ambiance is lovely. We would recommend this restaurant to others and would return when back in San Fransisco!!

My second time here. The wait staff were excellent. From the maître d to Mel our waiter. Thoroughly professional staff, which seems a rarity these days. We had the famous prosciutto and melon which did not disappoint. Veal parm, risotto equally as good. We will be back.

Recently travelled to San Francisco, as I took a team of employees for an incentive trip and I decided on North Beach Restaurant for our team meal. The staff was easy to deal with when booking and I was happy to see that carry over to the evening we arrived for our meal. The servers were engaged, friendly and helpful. They were continuously filling up glasses, asking if we needed anything, but weren’t over intrusive or annoying. The food was excellent, and everyone raved at the quality. I’d highly recommend!

We were in the city for a show and dropped in for an early dinner. Our waiter, Mateo, made the evening. He recommended things that weren’t on the menu, split plates to make appetizers and kept the evening rolling. Pretty much everything we had was delicious – Mussels, halibut, scallops and gnocchi. One of the best dining experiences ever. I would absolutely recommend this place without reservations (no pun intended).

Ate a lot of Italian while in San Fran on this trip, and this was my favorite out of the ones I dined at (look at my other reviews). Extremely friendly and helpful waiter (tall, bald guy). Enjoyed the burratta and prosciutto appetizer and ceasar to start. Ordered the linguine and clams and was good. Clams in the shell tasted a little strange, but I ate the pasta and loose clams which were great. Atmosphere is very traditional with bright lights.

After telling a family member that we were going to Beach Blanket Babylon, she quickly said we needed to eat at North Beach Restaurant no if’s buts or ands about it. So we did. We arrived early and they had no problem seating us. The maitre d is so friendly and welcoming. Daniel our waiter answered all our queries about the menu and was so helpful and attentive to our needs. We were so happy with our selections. The lasagna was some of the best my husband has had. My pasta dish was so tasty and the bay shrimp was very tender. My friend and a veal dish that was melt in your mouth. Daniel suggested a wine that perfectly accompanied all our selections. The restaurant is tastefully decorated and very clean. They have an extensive wine list. We will definitely go back. They were very busy so a reservation is definitely needed.

I think this restaurant is clearly overrated. Loud and noisy. We got a table close to the bar, which may explain some of the noise. (If you go there, make sure to get a table in another part of the restaurant.) Anyway, I could live with the noise had the food been good, but it wasn't. Definitely not worth the money and I will not go there again.

Food here was very good, but service was very slow. Waiter was too busy to service our table. We told him we wanted another bottle of wine, and he did not come back. We finally gave our order to someone else. They were slow with food, slow with drinks, slow with desserts. Then the Italian "manager" came over and told us others were waiting for our table!! We would have been gone 30 minutes earlier if we had prompt service! Not a pleasant experience, even though food was very good.

We always visit North Beach Restaurant while in SF. Really good Italian cuisine. They also have a nice variety of private rooms, like the Prosciutto Room, where we hosted a business group at a convention for 20 people. Real prosciutto hanging from the ceiling curing. Excellent pastas and a delicious veal picatta, nice cannoli for dessert. They also feature their own California Sangiovese wine from Sonoma, and the “rosso” is excellent. They also make their own olive oil in Sonoma; quite tasty! Excellent service. Full bar. The real deal for Italian food in SF.

My sons and I visited North Beach last trip in. Have been going here for last twenty years, having had tons of business meals here as it always had great food, nice large round tables for entertaining customers, and a excellent wine list. This visit wasn't a wow. Why? My son and I split a seafood dish, swordfish and the veal marsala. There was an extra charge for mushrooms, nuts, should be part of the dish. The marsala sauce was off, just didn't taste right. The wine list wasn't as fair, meaning more like 4x whereas used to be 2x to 3x and not as good as in the past. So still above average but for years we were always feeling a wow after coming out of dining. My other son had the Chilian Seabass and he felt it was excellent. Service was good. The bread wasn't up to par either, more overdone and less taste then usual. The value is so so. My gut says there are better options so going to remove this one from my go to list.

This place gets it. It's the simple, high quality element of Italian food that make it unique and delicious. This restaurant delivered the goods. What's good? Everything!

Ok so I admit it...I am a foody. I will pick a location to travel to just based on what food I'm in the mood for. Well, Veal Saltimbocca at the North Beach will bring me to SF. While my companions all rave about the other dishes they have there, I stick to my favorite. The atmosphere and service are first class and their selection of wines is fabulous. If you are visiting this city, don't miss this dining experience. Oh, and did I mention the bread......

We were looking for a place to have an early dinner before a show and we are so glad we stopped here. Our server was Luis and what a delight. You can tell when someone enjoys his job and he gave us excellent recommendations on food and wine. I had the salmon and it was among the best salmon I have ever had. My husband had the 1/2 chicken with herbs. We both laughed at how big his serving was and guess what....he eat it all because it was so good. Along with a bottle of wine, we totally enjoyed our visit and will stop back next time we are in the city.

Another great Italian restaurant in the area near Washington Square. My wife and I each had a 1/2 Cesar salad. (On the menu as such) A very sizable helping non the less. We then ordered a pasta dish and a main course and told the waiter we would split them. Each course was served divided at no additional cost. The pasta we chose was a Tagliatelle Pescatora - Assorted Shellfish with Tagliatelle in a red sauce. Absolutely delicious. The last course we chose Veal Saltimbocca alla Nerone - fantastic!! The service was excelent.

All the wait staff are in suits in ties presenting the ultimate in class. The place has a lot of character and the food is excellent. A definite must do if you like good Italian food. Although not required I'd suggest wearing a collared shirt as not to feel out of place.

PROS Excellent selection of wines: this has to be underlined since it is not that easy to get some specific wine I had the chance to have. And they also have an excellent selection of liquors with several Italian rarities. Food was okay in quantity and overall good. Excellent service, amazing place, location is superb. CONS Even if meat / fish and desserts were excellent, I had pasta and it was not the definitely best pasta I had in my life - but I also understand it is hard to make a real carbonara off from Italy Recommended Italian Restaurant in California, probably the best I have been in the whole West Coast

The food and service were both great! The restaurant was accommodating of special orders and requests as well.

This is an authentic Italian restaurant. We took an Uber to it, but it does have valet parking (for a fee). The building is larger than it looks as it includes the space next to it. Our waiter was very helpful and answered all our questions about the menu. The food was delicious! We used open table to book a reservation. We went around 6 and it was filling up quickly. Total cost of bill (2 meals, glass of wine, generous tip: $100)

I was invited by a local friend which is always a good sign. Had excellent white Fish from the Pacific and homely Italian fare. Good fellas ambiance

Probably the "Go-To" Italian restaurant in North Beach. The veal dishes should be given serious consideration, simply stated: outstanding. The Maitre D' was a little uppity. Prices, however, are more in line with fine dining as compared to a local / tourist neighborhood italian restaurant.

Old world Italian. We did not have a reservation but were seated immediately. Our server had many wonderful suggestions and was very engaging. We would be regulars if we lived close by. She had a filet and I had swordfish. Both were nice size servings and delicious. There was an extensive wine list with a wide ranges of prices. A great experience.

What can I say? This restaurant in Little Italy/North Beach is as as "Old School" as it gets and I love it! When you walk in you are greeted by the Maitre'd dressed in a business suit and tie and as soon as you are seated the waiter in a black dinner jacket white shirt and black tie brings the menus and promptly asks if you would like anything to drink. The food was great. My son ordered the Lamb Special and enjoyed it immensely. My other son had the Fettuccine Alfredo and said it was good. My husband had the Clam Linguine and raved about how tasty it was and it was full of clams. I had the Pasta Primavera with Chicken and asked for it with olive oil and garlic. It was delicious! The desserts were top notched. We ordered the tiramisu, the sorbet and the cannoli, needless to say, we ate it all!

Cozy atmousphere and large menu variety. A little pricey but typical for this area. Staff is very helpfull and explained dishes in minute detail.Didnt quite understand all differences in dishes but would have liked to try them all. They seemed to love their job and the entrees.

We stumbled onto this lovely spot when our group of five had reserved a table at another North Beach restaurant which inexplicably closed without notice. Last minute, unreserved seating for five, on an end of the week night is not an easy thing to find. However we were welcomed into this establishment, quickly seated and delighted by the menu and the list of special dishes as described by the server. Food was well prepared/presented, service was excellent and extremely efficient. Traditional Italian dishes, described and served in a professional, friendly manner. Our group was impressed and will definitely return when we are again in San Francisco. While at the higher end for price, still a good value. Worth a visit...or two!

I am very glad that I went here because I have wanted to for quite some time. I was very disappointed. I understand that when you pride yourself on your wine list you charge $30 for corkage but follow through with some reasonably priced wines. It is difficult to purchase wines that retail for $12 for $40. My Veal chop Milanese on retrospect should have been sent back but I have never done that. Very over cooked and dry. The Oso Bucco was delicious but a little square of polenta ? Really? Ordered the tiramisu and semi Freddo for dessert. Could not tell the difference. They were the same temperature so don’t know where the freddo came in. Felt rushed but with 400 reservations on the books who knows. Will not go back but they won’t miss me

Our family was visiting from Kansas City and had an amazing experience with Alexander as our waiter. He was extremely knowledgeable of the menu and made exceptional recommendations. Everything we ordered was exceptional. The prosciutto and melon was great. The Caesar salad was great and the fresh pasta melted in our mouths. The only thing I felt was overrated and too expensive were the desserts, but everything else was great!

We visited this wonderful restaurant before going to Beach Blanket Babylon which is nearby. Most of the wait staff have been with them for many, many years. It's so nice to be able to go into an elegant restaurant with bow-tied waiters, but dressed informally as we do in California. The service was great starting with the bartender, the food incredible, particularly the scallops, and the zabaglione dessert was to die for. Can't wait to go back.

Team event in a private room for 16 people and dedicated waiter, Mel. I have never experienced service or food like this.. the prosciutto with tomato appetizer was simply the best opener to a truly amazing meal. My wife and I had a simple meal, grilled halibut and it was so meaty and flavourful it made me wonder if I have ever had fish before. Make this an Italian food stop for sure!

Veal parmesan and pasta with vodka sauce were swimming in grease. Waiter was rude and condescending. Was the most disappointing meal of our trip.

Read the other reviews and was worried about the service, but gave it a try because is was close to our friends apartment on Green. Great location. They offer valet parking!!! We opted of outside seating, which was terrific. Service was very good. Had a glass of wine, spaghetti and chicken. All very tasty and served in a timely manner and both dishes we warm and well cooked. Overall a great evening.

We were a table of 8 and made reservations. They took us right in. The waiter made some recommendations and every dish that he recommended that we ordered was a favorite. The chicken Brest was a bit dry but their wine and desserts made up for it.

We went with group of 7. The service was outstanding - especially Mel, our waiter. He offered great suggestions for food and wine. We were going to Beach Blanket Babylon so on a time schedule. He made sure to have us order, receive our food and drinks in plenty of time. He was very attentive but not overbearing at all. The food was incredible! Highly recommend !

We were in SF in march and had a most magnificent meal at the North Beach Restaurant. Service was fabulous, food first class, atmosphere great. So we decided to have a good Italian meal now again in the USA and had high hopes. Last time we sat outside, lovely, sunny, all well and positive. This time we did the same: had a table outside. Unfortunately somehow everything was not good, the food (we are vegetarians and had asked for vegetarian pastas and salads) was tasteless and almost like thrown on the plate. Even the tiramisu looked wilted. The service was lousy, somehow the waiter forgot constantly something, a knife, a fork, a glass, olive oil, everything, and had to go back inside all the time to fetch. We paid and left, as we always do everywhere, a 18% tip, But both my husband and I didnt feel very well after the meal and later in the afternoon called the restaurant to speak with a staff member/manager. He told he would call us back that evening, but he never did. For that reason, I am now writing this review because we think that not even giving us the chance to tell what we thought about the lunch experience, is not something we expected. We definitely wont go back to that restaurant again. PS the first time we would have given 5 stars, this time 1. So now we split the difference and made it into a 3. -date July 27/2019

I love this place for the traditional Italian food without pretension. Just good food! The menu is massive which makes it a bit hard to choose but so far everything we've tried has been great.

I just love this place. The food is great – we summoned up cannelloni to share and – well, I don't even remember what the two other guys had because I am in love with NBR's veal saltimbocca. This was a business dinner with three of us who barely knew each other and I'm happy to report that it was not noisy – including the lack of din from nearby Columbus Avenue. Comfortable table. Old-school waiters – the tuxes are a nice touch but the professionalism is better. It's a cliche, but I'll be back.

So good, so well done. We also had spaghetti squash that was outstanding. Veal Saltimbocca l, also gluten free was fantastic. This was a great family meal on easter weekend.

I never write reviews, in fact this is my first for TripAdvisor. We celebrated my son's 21st birthday here with seven in our family and North Beach Restaurant went above and beyond!! We lucked out as Thursday is Frank Sinatra night with a reincarnated singer of identical voice sound. Seriously, this guy was truly amazing, if you love Frank, which our 21 year old does, you'll be amazed. The staff was superb, the food also amazing and the night was beyond what we hoped for! It really was straight out of a movie with every aspect of perfection for such an occasion. The property is elegant and inviting, we had a table right at the window, the bar is high standard style, every person treated us as if they knew us personally. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. We are from Santa Monica, CA, or we'd be at North Beach Restaurant frequently. As it is, our son is a student at UC Berkeley so we will be here every time we come up to visit from now on. We ordered multiple drinks from the bar, but their wine list looked very adequate and desserts were all spectacular. Thank you all at North Beach Restaurant for everything you did, it went down as an incredible and greatly memorable evening, and our lucky night with Frank's amazing voice as the evening's background music. WOW!! Our son said the evening was above and beyond with his family!!

It had been over ten years since our last visit to North Beach Restaurant. So much time had past that I began to wonder if the place was still there. Fortunately, this very authentic Italian restaurant is still going strong. The spaghetti carbonara was especially tasty and the service was top notch. A decade ago, I personally rated North Beach as being in my top 10. It still is and will be yours should you decide to visit.

Our server Jim Hazzard was great from the moment we were greeted to the moment we departed. He was able to make exceptional recommendations for cocktails and the meal. The restaurant décor is elegant. The settings were fine china and silver...very elegant. . I could outline our meal but no need. Everything was cooked and presented well. The wine selection was very good as well. Will be returning when next in San Francisco.

A truly great Italian restaurant. Wonderful food. Terrific service (ask for Nimo). What a great dining experience.

The North Beach Restaurant is an institution in SF. Some of the best prosciutto I’ve ever had. Great selection and just plain good. Service is always great! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!