Palio Reviews

Small, intimate and very good Italian food. Not the run of the mill, sauce and spaghetti spot. Always a good bet. Try the specials.

Went to this restaurant based on Ritz Carlton recommendation. Arrived and were given 2, 3 or 4 course dining options. We were with our young son who did not want two courses. We were told he had to order two courses and that there was mo a la carte menu. Later our waiter said he could indeed let us order on an a la carte basis and gave us prices from his memory. A while later he presented an a la carte menu (apparently they did have one but wanted to waste our time). Then they brought the wrong order for our son (After repeating the order back) and then argued that it was our fault. The food was flavorless.

Martino and his team to an amazing job of making a great meal with fantastic service. We also have done events here, ranging from my mother's birthday to a business board meeting, and everything was perfect. They made a wonderful osso buco and a great saltimbocca. The team is wonderful and easy to work with -- very flexible -- they want to make it right for you. Thank you!

I have been lunching at Palio more often lately and I really like the wine selection and the Chicken as well. The service is consistently good and always pleasant and this is a good place for a business lunch or an office birthday party.

The atmosphere was welcomimg and the food excelllent.. The decor reflected the horse traditions of the Palios in Italy without singling out any particular city. The waiter's recommendations were first class and the food, which came reasonably quickly, was brilliantly prepared. Looking around, my fellow diners all seemed to be happy with their fare. There were no long faces or sgns of irritation. As a foreigner in San Francisco for a single day, I had not heard of Palio D'Asti before, but it is now on my list of favourites for the future. It deserves its reputation as one of the best Italian Restaurants in San Francisco (which I discovered afterwards) and carries my unhesitating recommendation.

The service we received was fantastic and the food equally good, the pasta was well cooked and the flavours exquisite

My husband and I ate here while in SF for our two-year anniversary. The food was great, as was the service.

My cousin and I ate at 3:45pm and had the whole restaurant to ourselves. I had the chicken parmigiana. Although my chicken was served quite hot. The chicken was a bit tough. Our server was friendly. I loved the atmosphere. Masks required. Hand sanitizer available.

In San Fransisco on business and stopped at Palio for dinner. Got in without a reservation which was great. Initial service very good but once I was served I asked for a second drink which never came. Disappointing when the restaurant wasn’t even busy. Expected more.

The food was amazing, the wrapped shrimp was to die for. The Manager was very attentive as was the the waiter(even tho he had a 20+ top next to us) The greatest Cosmo ever!!

We first ate here 5 years ago and it was every bit as good as we remembered. Great service, some nice wines, and good traditional Italian food. Definitely worth a Friday night visit.

This Italian restaurant is perfect for business lunch, happy hour or corporate entertaining. We hosted a reception for 150 with ease. Location is ideal and authenticity of food is spectacular.

We selected this restaurant based on a restaurant.com coupon and were very happy. Claudio was an excellent waiter. We had the appetizer sampler and crab pasta. We would absolutely go here again.

Never had a bad experience here. The food is magnificent, as is the wine list and drinks. Martino is the perfect host and will assure that your experience is fabulous. It's been a while since I attended their Happy Hour with free pizzas, but we have dined here many time and love it!

We had eaten Italian the night before, and that was ok without being great. This place was a step up though! Nice surroundings, great food and good attentive staff. We both ordered food we would normally leave alone, but we were both glad we did! Food is always an individual taste thing but this place was worth paying a few extra pennies on!

This restaurant was conveniently located to Le Meridien in the Financial District. It's a charming restaurant. We like to try new things, and they had gnocchi with goat on the menu. The entree was very good, as was the pizza, salad and dessert. Service was lacking, considering there weren't a lot of patrons dining at the same time.

Fortunate to work around the corner from this mainstay of the financial district. Though we dine here often we are never disappointed by the delicious food and warm, welcoming service. We stopped in today for one last meal before leaving for vacation and we enjoyed one of the tastiest meals we have enjoyed here or anywhere in San Francisco. Come and find out for yourselves.

Decent unmemorable Italian fare.

I reluctantly went to Palio for a second time in five years and was hoping for a better experience. Alas, the food is still bad, the atmosphere fair, and the wait staff still has the attitude that their @#$% doesn't stink. Unfortunately, their food does. I am very surprised that this restaurant is still in business. There are so many great restaurants within walking distance of Palio. Do yourself a favor and go find one!

The revewer who expected butter did not realize that Palio D'Asti serves olive oil and balsamic with the bread rather than butter. I ate PD'A today and had and appetizer of scallops, an entre of grilled chicken (cooked to perfection -- still jucy) with spinach, golden rasins & pine nuts and topped off with triamisu. The chicken and spinach needed salt and pepper. I appreciate the that the chef did not over salt the dish and allowed me to salt to my taste. This is a great location for a business lunch as you can have a private conversation in and attractive setting. The wait staff and busers handle a large number of tables efficiently. Take public transportation because parking is EXPENSIVE.

Found this place on line through Restaurant .com before we traveled to San Fran on vacation. The pizza was excellent and so was the spaghetti carbonara... Great oil dip for the bread. Unusual drink menu... Had a mint cucumber gimlet that was delicious!

Was there on New Year's Eve and had a fantastic experience. From the time we stepped in to the time we left we were very well taken care of. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. Everything was served as clock work. I highly recommend it for a similar occasion.

I was invited to a party in the back room of Palio d'Asti and here's the deal: good downtown location, mediocre food, great wine, excellent service.

Very good at food, very good at ambiance, very good at service but the most important very good at customer care. They served my son as if he was their own relative thank you very much. Very suggestible for families.

Unexpected find just near Chinatown. Wonderful fresh Italian food with great service. Beautiful, modern venue. Everything tasted fantastic and flavoursome. 1/2 portions worked really well. Would highly recommend.

We bought a groupon for this restaurant. They were very accommodating in making some slight changes to the deal. We were not familiar with the location, but realized later that it was not far from Chinatown. The restaurant had a nice ambiance. The service and food were great. My husband, grandson, and I had fritto misto, pizza, and insalata romana. We started with the best arancini ever. My grandson ordered the gnocchi with pesto which was wonderful. He had never had gnocchi before and it is now one of his favorites. On another evening he ordered gnocchi again and it was a disappointment compared to Palio D'Asti.

This was the last group meal at the end of a conference with a number of colleagues booked on the 'red eye' and having to leave early. In spite of having a set meal agreed and time pressure on staff, quite a few of us went "off menu" and we're served with exceptional good grace. I really wanted arrabiatta - and boy, did they deliver!! The meats and calamari with good bread and oil to start could have been the meal itself and the Tiramisu for dessert was first class. Cheerfulness and a desire to meet the requests of diners rate highly with me - Martini (who served us), delivered.

We held a customer dinner at Palio during a conference in San Francisco. Everything was absolutely great delivered. The planning up front, communication with staff, the venue, friendly welcoming, flexibility and a great server. High quality on food and wine! Thanks!

Great location close to our hotel, nice decor, good service, and even better food. The pork shank was fall off the bone tender and delicious; the New York Strip was fabulous. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals.

Perfect place to bring out of town friends and enjoy a wonderful meal/evening. Relaxed atmosphere, magnificent food and choices for all to consider.

I have been looking for an outstanding pasta place in San Francisco since my favorite closed last year; this is not it. The pasta was average (maybe a little overcooked) and the sauce was not as good as what I make. So...just ok....if you are in a rush (since the place was only 20% of capacity at 7:30pm on a weeknight you do not have to worry about reservations), but otherwise reserve a reservation at a better restaurant. Hope that helps On the plus side, the service was good and the decor was pleasant....

Went to Palio D'Asti with a group of co-workers on a Thursday evening. The service was excellent considering we had a party of 36. But it goes down from there. They made three different dishes for the party to choose from : Spare ribs, Sea Bass and Chicken. All of the dishes were bland. The Spare Ribs were so bad that I had to spit them out into my napkin. My co-worker had the sea bass and it was bland. The Chicken was dry. Although it is a nice little place the food gives this a terrible rating.

Wonderful classic northern Italian cooking (despite the name) accompanied by friendly and jolly Italian service. Vegetables were also excellent. A healthy lunch.

In the heart of the San Francisco financial district this restaurant is a good choice for a business lunch, reservations should be made. The service is good and attentive, the wines a very good. Pastas, salads and pizza were tasty.

Location: in the financial district, a boring place to be at night Food: way overpriced except the pizza, fish dishes were very disappointing, all portions were small, no treats like breadsticks or excellent bread Service: waitress was condescending, pompous and generally irritating, busboy seemed untrained, snatching plates without comment, reaching across table Ambiance: dark, horseracing paintings and posters, not very busy on Fri night which is a big tipoff

We stopped by the restauraunt as a spur of the moment thing, and were pleasently greeted by the owner. He was very curtious and the general attmosphere reminded me of Siene (hence the restauraunt's name of Palio). While we had to wait a while to have our order taken, we were quickly asked what drinks we wanted, and bread, oil, and vinegar was provided. The food was fantastic. I had the eggplant, and my wife had the gnocci. Both were cooked to perfection, and full of flavour. For desert I had the Tiramisu and my wife had the Cannoli. Both were great. I would recommend this place if your in the Financial District and you have a craving for Itallian.

We went there wanting to try Italian in SF. We ordered two pizzas and a couple of drinks. It was really good and the happy hour price was worth it. Our server Krista was really friendly. The pizza is really good and we enjoyed it a lot. The drinks were also good, the sangria was tasty. Good ambient with chic decor. I recommend this place.

A friend recommended Palio D'Asti and it was a few blocks from the hotel so we decided to walk in. No wait. That was a bit disconcerting but the meal was delicious. My wife and I both had seafood entrees, linguine and risotto, both excellent. But the dish I will return for is the INSALATA DEGLI FRUTTI STAGIONALI (Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Butter Lettuce, Arugula, Red Onions, Almonds,Pecorino Pepato and Champagne Nectarine Vinaigrette) It' like a desert salad, meal. Awesome.. be sure to try it.

Wonderful food and excellent service. The artichoke chowder was amazing and the duck fantastic. Excellent and attentive service

Went in for an early 530pm dinner. Bar had some folks in it but we were the first to sit in the dining room. Service was slow but steady. Small wine by the glass menu. Octopus appetizer was good. Veal main was decent. Gnocchi was pretty good. Happy Hour menu is bar only. Main menu is reasonable prices for San Francisco.

Palio's is a fine, reasonably-priced Italian restaurant. The fare is standard, so you will find your favorites on the menu, but nothing is particularly spectacular.

We made a reservation at Palio for dinner on a Friday based on the positive reviews. The restaurant must be focused on a lunch crowd because I think they close at 8 p.m. When we arrived, my wife and I were the only customers in the restaurant (other than a private party in a separate room) which seemed like a bad sign. We shared the burrata appetizer but the dish was overwhelmed by the fennel/olive salad that was served with the burrata. My wife had an average pizza which came with what appeared to be a pre-made crust . My main dish, paparadelle with tomatoes and asparagus, was fine but nothing special. Service was warm and friendly and the restaurant itself is well decorated. Another odd thing - the music in the restaurant was an odd mix of terrible 70s songs. This place has potential but the food needs an upgrade if they want to compete with some of the other restaurants in the area.

My family and I recently dined at Palio D'Asti. We were lured there by reviews we read in Fodor's claiming "freshly baked breads,exquisite pastas and legendary sauces". Sounded great,right? Wrong...very wrong! The first signs of trouble were when the bread was finally laid on the table. (the wait staff was short-handed, but our waiter did his best.)No butter accompanied the bread. We asked for some butter, the waiter ,who was very nice and accomodating, seemed as if this request was slightly unusal. Eventually he brought back two large slabs of nearly frozen, unsalted butter. From the limited menu, we ordered Risotto, a gussied-up version of spaghetti and meatballs, a baked eggplant dish and a stuffed ravioli dish. (The menu described these entree's lavishly).All of the meals were rather bland and tasteless. We thought at first it was us ,but we sampled each others dishes and confirmed our initial reactions, each meal was completely forgettable. The decor is decent, nice low lighting, good energy from the mostly business crowd and the service was very good, but the kitchen desperately needs help!

I brought my daughter here for her birthday dinner. Service seemed a little off for a Saturday. The Maitre d' & the waiter were waiting on all the tables. It just seemed a long time to get a second beverage & finally the check. Food was good but not the best I've had.

Very good service. Somewhat limited menu, a bit diverse. Steak i had was undercooked but still very food. Portions average. Not a traditional italian restaurant. Near le meridian hotel.

Palio D'Asti sits alone on it's block, so it's hard to miss. I joined two other colleagues for a social dinner. The ambience is pretty and at 7:30 on a Wednesday night, the restaurant was about half-filled. The service was friendly and helpful. We ordered a pizza as an appetizer that our waiter recommended and it was good. Not superb, but light and perfect as the prelude for dinner. I ordered a two plate meal (one could order three as well). The butternut squash soup was okay. I've had much better. This is not to say I didn't like it, merely that it was not extraordinary -- pedestrian, to be fair. I ordered the gnocci with muscovy duck which was good and hearty, but again, not exceptional. We skipped dessert. No complaints from my companions, but no yelps of delight, either. In summary, good, maybe hearty food, but nothing to build a special evening around.

This downtown restaurant is the perfect spot for a quiet dinner. The Sicilian-based menu changes seasonally but always features a tasty chicken dish, innovative pastas, and great pizzas. The cocktails are a treat, whether you opt for an old standby or one of the specials. The staff are welcoming, beginning with your host Martino.

Coordinated a company holiday party there and the apps, entrees, desserts, and wine were great. The people there were so friendly.

We participated in Palio D'Asti's "Feast of the Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve. The meal was superb from beginning to end. The first five courses each offered a choice between a fish and a meat dish; with the exception of the first course, we opted for the fish side. Each course was perfectly cooked and was delicious. The staff was attentive, friendly and helpful when it came to things like choosing wine. Service was not rushed but was efficient; there was enough time between courses to make you ready for the next. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience.

I don't typically like pizza but this restaurant is suppose to have really good pizza (thin-crust) so I decided to try it. I had the Pizza Margherita alla Regina di Savoia and it really was good! FYI, one pizza can be split between 2 people, which makes for a great, affordable lunch! UPDATE: I went back and tried their Pizza Siciliana. I didn't like it as much as their Pizza Margherita.

We drive an hour, withstand the angry and impatient drivers of the City, and jockey for a parking spot in one of the many overpriced garages. We pick our way through the streets adorned with colorful personalities. We endure the chill that always seems to descend on this city by the Bay. Why? Because Palio's is just worth all that. Martino, the owner, is always there to greet you. Always there to accommodate you. And always there to see to it that you have the best dining experience possible. And you will. Try the braised pork drenched in a mouth watering sauce. Wash it down with a delectable red wine. And end with one of the scrumptious desserts. It is really a great venue. The only negative is the lack of valet parking or validation at any of the nearby garages. But, hey, that has nothing to do with the food. Just thinking of Palio d' Asti makes my mouth water.

Overall a nice place in a city with many great restaurants. Had a business dinner there last week and thought the food was good. I applaud them for their gluten free menu options. I was among a large group which was easily accommodated. The troubles I had were trying to decipher the menu. I'm not a stranger to Italian restaurants, but I didn't recognize many of the names and had to ask lot of questions. The waiter wasn't really in the mood to answer them, but at least I was next to a someone from Cicely. You won't get a bad meal here but you may not get your moneys worth.

This was perfect for a mid-week dinner. They offer OpenTable on-line reservations which I like. Host was very pleasant, waitstaff attentive. The wine list had some good choices by the glass, and they offer small and large portions of most entrees. There were couples, families and singles. They also have a larger diningroom in the rear that was being used for a private party (it did not impact my service at all). My meal was perfect.

We had a restaurant.com coupon that's why we went. The other reviews were right. We started with the fried misto ( squash, calamari). It was bland. It needed some spice, something else to kick it up 2 notches. Perhaps it needed to be cooked a tad more but it needed something. I ordered the caesar salad. It had to much dressing and had some anchovies on top (should have been cut up and included with the dressing and not dumped on top). I had the eggplant it was baked and bland. It needed to be fried then baked. The wife had veal piccata I'm glad they had knives. It was tasty but a little tough. The best part of meal (the only good part) was the tiramisu. It was truly awesome.

Wonderful food and service. Neighboring tables seemed happy as well. The owner is a charming fellow. We will be back for sure.

Went with some business colleague for pizza and drinks. Thought the service was very friendly and efficient. Drinks were reasonably priced and pizza was good.....I wouldn't say it was a memorable pizza but it was nice. A nice meal but nothing special.

Business atmosphere, the waiter was very amicable and high sense of service. The host also was very customer oriented. Food was good but not exceptional

Four of us needed a late dinner and Palio D'Asti seemed like a good choice. The restaurant is pleasant and the service was very welcoming and professional. The menu offered some nice variations on some predictable dishes. My guests all enjoyed their food, we all had an appetizer and then pasta. I was a little disappointed. I ordered the fettuccine with wild boar ragu; and, while the sauce was very good, the fresh pasta was slightly over-cooked and all stuck together. A nice bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo did not break the bank.

I had a team lunch for around 15 people set here. Team at Palio were super easy to coordinate with. They were very flexible about different dietary needs both during planning and in the moment. And the food was amazing.

We ate here for dinner on a Friday night. We had just arrived in San Francisco and was looking for something within walking distance of the Hilton Financial District. We got there about 7pm and it wasn't too crowded. It's a lovely, cozy restaurant with very friendly staff. The menu has a variety of choices from pizza to basic italian meals to special variations on your favorites. We liked the option for "small plates" on most meals. My husband had the Spaghetti Chitarra alla Vongole which was spaghetti with clams and zucchini in a white wine sauce. I had Ravioli alla Norma, or Eggplant ravioli. We both had small plates, which along with the delicious bread they serve, was more than enough food for our dinner. Prices were very reasonable for San Francisco.

It is a nice place , not very crowded easy for lunch and dinner , food is good not special service very efficient . Price slightly hight.

Go for Happy Hour and $1 Pizzas! Seriously good food, easily accessible to area hotels or the Fianciiial District. perfect place to meet for inexpensive and plentiful happy hour meals/snacks especially the $1 pizzas. Dinners are large portions but lose nothing in the preparation. Because of its location on a quiet back portion of the street, your meal feels relaxed, unrushed and you're not bombarded by the traffic of the City as you look for a nearfby parking space.

My wife had the grilled shrimp and I had the whole Branzino--sea bass. It was stuffed with thyme and was a delight to taste. Service was gracious. Restaurant is located on a busy corner near Chinatown and Financial District,but it is cool and quiet inside. Great place.

This is a good, albeit pricey restaurant. All 4 of us loved it. We started with a wonderful brick oven pizza appetizer. It was fantastic and cooked perfectly. I had the chicken, which was as expected. Another had the whole Seabass, which was beautiful and tasty. Others had a steak and seafood medley. We were all satisfied and agreed to come back again.

This is a very good restaurant. We enjoyed the food and the drinks menu is very innovative. I had a rice ball appetizer that consisted of four tiny rice balls. The veal piccata entree was two small thin slices of veal for $25.00. I literally wanted to eat something else after I left. That said, everything was quite good. The reason for the four stars is that the portions are very small for the price you pay. If that doesn't bother you then definitely give them a try.

Delicious fired wood pizza, great service. Nice place to chit chat after work with friends. Affordable price too

Very good food. Servings are large and the prix fixe menu is the way to go. The tiramisu was outstanding.

Service was prompt, food good. The venue was a little tight for our group especially during cocktail hour. Out party was approximately 50 people

Don't get me wrong, I love Palio for what it is...a great place for a business lunch/meeting/dinner/happy hour. They have always done a great job with big groups. I just never thought of going there for dinnerI I'm glad that we did. Get the scallops and the foie, and the duck. It's the best deal in town. Plus, they have a great wine list! The decor is a bit dated, but know that everything you eat there will be spectacular! Plus, it's the best deal in town. The tasting menu, especially if you book through Savored, is a steal. They also have a gluten free menu.

This restaurant is a gem in the city of SanFrancisco. The pizza is excellent. The entree choices are outstanding. I have been there many, many times and have always had excellent service and exceptional food. Martino , the owner, is very friendly, warm and welcoming. I will continue to dine here, and bring out- of town guests, as well!

Not even close to ITALIAN. They need to come visit my kitchen for Italian food ... Small portions for the price they charge, which food looks ridiculous on a big plate. $ 4..50 for a seven oz. Pepsi with no refills, we had to pay another $ 4.50 to get another seven oz. $ 18 red wine was not even half glass. They must really need money bad ! Service was excellent. Best of luck for the future customers .

Visited for dinner , was just the 2 of us. Food and wine was very good but the decor was very tired and we refused dessert as the restaurant was freezing cold. I ate my dinner with my coat on. Not a relaxing experience. Would not go back.

Had a very nice dinner! Everything we had was solid: bread, home made pasta that was cooked perfectly, and a good bottle of Nobile di Montepulciano combined to make a satisfying experience. Couldn't have asked for a better, more personable server than the outstanding Luis. Comfortable, business casual vibe and those seated around us seemed to be enjoying their experience as well. Lively bar area where a couple of dozen people were enjoying a private business get together.

We held our company's holiday luncheon for 90 guests in the main dining room here on December 16 and it was a huge success. The food was delicious, the decor festive and the service was excellent. Great communication with the restaurant's management. Highly recommended for special event dining.

Loved my dining here. Excellent service, delicious food, marvelous atmosphere. The seasoning was impeccable on my margherita.

Good service, outstanding food. The best pizza we've had since visiting Rome! My husband loved the house made spaghetti. The "gravy" on my veal dish was divine. Dessert was rich and decadent - we shared and it was just right. Finish up with a port and an espresso - you will be happy :)

Came here for the gluten free options. Very knowledgable staff. Extremely attentive and helpful. Delicious food.

A special Lunch for Christmas day was disappointing. A set menu was very poor in content and taste my Ossobuco was a pork stew and looked unappetising. Although the steak my partner had was large but was just okay. the filled fruit wrap dessert was hard and unedible. One of the servers was rude being very offhand when enquired about a suitable table. The restaurant was full and very busy and we felt the whole experience was a rip off

We wanted a small dinner after a large lunch. The pizza with pistachios was surprisingly excellent. Ok wine selection too.

We have enjoyed the evening at palao d'asti very much. The personell is very friendly and the House made Pasta a Dream. Perfectly Italian Style.

While staying in San Francisco I looked up few Italian places and decided to give Palio a try. And it was definitely worth it. Food in this place is very tasty for sure, but the service was just outstanding. I never got the name of our waitress, but she's the one that went to middle school and high school in Florida. Just ask for her that way. We were party of 3 and we decided to just ordered bunch of appetizers and bunch of entrees and just share everything. For appetizers we went for Arancini, which are fried saffron risotto balls with cheese. Amazing. Second appetizer were Veal meatballs; also amazing. And then we got some grilled shrimp, which were very tasty as well. So first course was a big success. For main course we got 2 pastas and a pizza. Clear winner of the entire dinner were the Fettucini con Cinghiale, pasta with wild boar ragu. One of the best pasta dishes I have ever tried. Second main course were Canelloni filled with Lamb. Again, lot of nice flavors, nothing too overpowering. All three of us agreed that it was a good choice as well. For pizza we went for Asparagus pizza with garlic and tomatoes with truffle oil. again, we were all very satisfied. As far as dessert we kept it simple, and got the tiramissu, which was on par with the rest of the food. Overall, the food was excellent accompanied by even better service. We stayed for a while after our dinner and just chat with our server. Next time I am in the city, i will stop by for sure.

We celebrated my husband's birthday dinner here. Everyone was very pleased with the exceptional northern Italian cuisine, culinary artistry and primo ingredients. The service was excellent, and Italian, and the ambiance was comfortable and elegant. Our group of six had diverse choices, everything exceptional: risottos, pastas, pizzas, rack of lamb, roast chicken, grilled octopus, gelatos, and tortas. The freshest and tastiest ingredients from farmers' markets: peas, artichokes, and spring onions. Excellent cocktails (we loved the basil gimlets) and wine selection.

We went here on a whim on our first night in San Francisco, as we didn't want to venture too far. This place was friendly and welcoming, with fantastic service. It's warm and inviting looking, with nice decor and the food was fantastic. I had gnocci with fresh pesto sauce and green beans. It was absolutely wonderful. My cannoli for dessert was also great. My husband had an eggplant dish with tomato sauce and I tasted it as well, and it was wonderful. The give you toasted bread with oil and vinegar, and continuously refill your water. Great service and great food.

That’s what the concierge at the Hyatt said when we asked about a place to take our grandson for pizza. Just a few blocks from the Embarcadero and Chinatown this is a bright & clean place with a Northern Italian menu opens for dinner at 5:30, but when we arrived early they were gracious and took great care of us. We ordered the 3 item platter of deviled eggs with crab (deliciously flavorful ),Pancetta wrapped shrimp, and polpette. $25. A great range of tastes. We had the lamb gnocchi with peas and asked for a pasta substitution and no problem. $19. The pizza Margherita ample and light. $15. A wonderful glass of Vermentino Do Gallura was $11.

The owner greeted us and he was very pleasant and nice but as our meal progressed service got extremely bad. We were given our dessert menus but we never saw our waiter for over 20 minutes when we flagged down the owner but our waiter still did not appear. We decide to not order anything due to the wait but we had to wait again for about 15 minutes for our check. The food was not bad but not the greatest. The Fritto Misto was excellent but the aranci was tasteless. The chocolate pasta was a disappointment. The branzino was over cooked.

We couldn't decide where to eat. Stopped to Check the menu. Then the restaurant host came out and suggested we had spent a enough time outside and that we should come and have a drink. So we went in and decided to stay for dinner. The food was great ands were the drinks. Our waiter Claudio was very helpful in ordering. Overall, glad we stopped.

We went for dinner. We walked there, and took an Uber back, so I can't speak for parking. Excellent and attentive service throughout. Very nice facility. Good food. We had salads (very generous sized Caesar and caprese) and then lobster ravioli and crab spaghetti. A puff pastry dessert. The kitchen is open to view.

During our dinner visit, we were seated at the back of the restaurant, which is very spacious and wasn't too busy at 7pm on a Friday night. We shared the spuntini (3 small plates) to start and all were delicious. The pizza and pasta were very good, in particular the orrechiette with fennel sausage. The wine was expensive, although not excessively so for San Francisco; service was good and we really liked the atmosphere.

While the food is good but the price is too high. The rating is based on blended issues. The pizza is thin crusted and very Mediterranean. The main courses are also good. Try the veal. Service is above average but bit snobbish. This restaurant is mainly for luncheon crowd from Financial District on expense account. With the price, the food should be at 5 stars level but it is not.

We had a Livingsocial coupon and we unsure whether we would like this based on some of the other reviews. The waiter was fantastic. We told him our tastes and he helped us with our food choices. Our meal was fantastic and he was funny and a super waiter that checked on us often. I would definitely return to this place again. We both ordered the Insalada Romana, which was a salad with goat cheese. This was fantastic. I had the Pappadelle Con Cinghiale which was a Wild Boar Ragu. This was perfect and not bland at all. My husband had the Fedelini Con Granchio, which was the crab pasta. This was very good as well, but a little salty, which is usually expected with crab dishes. Our vouchers also came with drinks and we stayed and sat at the bar after our meal for another drink.

I visited this restaurant for a business dinner. The atmosphere is very nice and the staff were all very friendly (in fact, one old man who worked there was a little TOO friendly). The bread served at the table was very dry. We all complained that the salad was quite bland. Many guests enjoyed their dinner but I couldn't eat my steak because it had too much pepper. I didn't try the dessert of tiramisu but the gal next to me said I wasn't missing anything. In the end, I was very disappointed because I expected a great meal and ended up going back to my hotel hungry.

Wonderful little restaurant with the best menu ever. Everything is very delicioso!!! Everyone in your party should order different things and then share - it's the best way to experience this hidden jewel. Terrific waitstaff, very helpful and attentive but not pushy at all. Loved this place, would make a trip to SF just to go there again!!

I love that the owner Martino greeted us and was on site the entire night! Amazing food! Meat balls are perfect, pizza spot on, chicken, shrimp and cheese balls are all full of exquisite flavor!

Ate here for business lunch. More of a simple place with great Italian food. We had several pizza to start with. All good with thin crust. Had spaghetti bolgonese.

The dinning environment is great with plenty space. We had good service there, even the manager greeted us and offered help to us. One of things I think they can improve is to make sure the food brought to the table should be in a heated plate to keep the food warm for a while. The paste I had was warm but not warm enough to stir with all the oily sources. I could tell the waiter taking back to warm up more but I was too hungry at the moment and ate it right away. Taste real Italian.....

I have been couple of time in a row, business meeting and with my family. The cuisine is good as well the service .

An incredibly friendly place to spend a happy hour weekdays (from 3 to 7) with delicious food offerings, cocktails and Italian wines (I recommend the Montepulciano rather than the Sicilian Pinot Grigio). The shrimps and focaccia were delicious as was the tuna carpaccio we ordered from the main menu. The thin crust pizza was copious and delicious. And if you have room for gelato…the hazelnut is highly recommended.

we did not plan to order pizza for lunch - but could not help ourselves, b/c the delicious aroma was all over the place. Salads were great too.

The menu is interesting - you can order a two, three, or four course dinner, picking and choosing among all the offerings. The pizza margherita and veal dishes were excellent, but the steak was really sub-par for the price charged. The desserts were uninspired.

For a business lunch, Palio will do just fine. Good location in the business district. Nice interior. Our party of six was seated right away. The service was good throughout the meal. Prices seemed reasonable for a business lunch. We started with calamari. The portion was nicely sized. Although I did not eat it, the others at the table said it was good. For my main I had red snapper which was quite good. One in our party had lobster ravioli which I was told was very good also. Both portions were ample. We ordered two bottles of wine, one red and one white. About $50 each. Excellent. Broad list with choices both higher and lower than our bottles. We were full by the time dessert arrived but we did order the plate of cookies to share at the table. Another good choice. All in all, a solid if not spectacular choice.

This is just OK Italian food in a city where it's not hard to find really stellar Italian. We were supposed to go to Perbacco wheree we have had very good meals, but they could not accommodate a last minute addtion to our party. The pickled vegetables were old and sad tasting. The warm olives, slads, pasta's were good. The rabbit was very dry. I ate two bites and decided I'd rather not choke. Warm service, but the food would not entice me to return.

Pretty hard to mess up pasta. I ordered Fedelini con Granchio which consisted of dungeness crab, tomato sauce, chilies, oregano. I specifically asked about the chilies. I was told it had just a hint. This was not the case at all, it was overwhelmed with chili flakes. So much so that was all you could taste and not the fresh SF crab. I love spicy food, but not when it masks the good flavors of the other ingredients. My husband ordered a side of corn. This arrived after we were done with dinner. What is the use now. Also not a good combination of flavors with grilled corn and cheap balsamic. Also the balsamic they have on the table for the bread is poor quality. We ordered coffee. After 15 minutes of not receiving it, we told them to take it and the corn off the bill. When you go to dinner on a Friday night in SF at 8pm and the restaurant is only 1/5 full, there is a reason. This was a very disappointing 1 of 2 Birthday weekend dinners. WE WILL NEVER GO BACK.

Great Italian food in the financial district. Parking on the street if permitted, otherwise expensive garages nearby. No valet. We were there on a Saturday night, Easter weekend. Excellent service. I had the lamb which was outstanding. Chicken was very moist. Vegetable soup of the day excellent. Expensive.

This place was spectacular. Had squash ravioli in brown butter sage sauce, halibut, and the most amazing crusty sourdough with garlic butter. Wonderful wine list.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon over the Thanksgiving holiday in San Francisco. After reading a few reviews, I booked our TurkeyIday dinner here. The atmosphere could use a bit of warmth, but I can see why this spot would be good for buisness--definitely not low-light. The atmosphere may not have exuded romance, but the food was delicious. I enjoyed a three-course meal for around $60 per person. The butternut squash soup was the highlight -- smooth and savory, perfect for the season.

Another mediocre restaurant in the financial district.

DO NOT WASTE your money or time at this restaurant. What a sham. The food is not good. When an Italian restaurant under cooks your pasta, you have a problem. When you arrive at 7 pm and the artichoke soup of the day is sold out - on a Saturday???? Well ... you know you are in for a bumpy ride. When you Stracciatella soup in not close to warm, you are .... To add to the frustration of a poorly run kitchen,. thew owner scratches his head and rubs his fore head and DOES NOT wash his hands before touching the plates and re-folding the napkins. EW!!! Too bad I trusted Travel Zoo for this. The server tired his best but when you have a kitchen so poorly run and the owner to busy scratching, need I say more?

This restaurant is attractive, has excellent food, and is a great place for me to take elderly clients, because it is carpeted and we can hear each other speak.

An elegant but relaxed Italian with a Palio theme. The dishes are perfectly prepared and delicious. the staff is anxious to explain the dishes and help you plan the perfect meal.

Ate in the backroom with a larger group. The food was decent, but certainly not outstanding or memorable. The mixed salad was typical, the pasta and meatballs were decent, the fish was ok, but not great, and the canoli dessert was not great, with the shell too dry and flavorless. Good wine list and full bar offerings.

Loved this restaurant. The staff was jovial, the food was absolutely fresh, and the wine....they had Sagrantino wine from Montefalco! Yummy! PLUS...my husband asked for a unique dish and they prepared it for him. Service was awesome!!

I was there for a business meeting and a lunch. It is a hard place to get through in about an hour but they try their best. On this day lots of large parties there for lunch but our waiter did a great job in making sure our order was prompt and the food was hot. My colleague had spaghetti with crab that looked wonderful, and she said was delicious. I had the salmon special on a bed of mashed truffle potatoes with asparagus. It was excellent! Our bread at the table was sliced sourdough served with truffle butter… Yum! Street parking or local lots. I know this restaurant has been reviewed as hit or miss but we had a great experience at lunchtime.

I had the pizza siciliano which was very good and surprisingly large (12 inch). Service was very good.

Although it was a large team dinner with a set menu, it was excellent! Great service, delicious dinner options (i had the ravioli and would have it again!!) and a well-paired wine menu. Did i mention the atmosphere and private room were worth a trip back?? Looking forward to trying the full menu.

Buy 2 drinks at Happy Hour and get a pizza (very good brick oven pizza) for $1. Good food and friendly crowd.

We were walking around San Fran and needed some place to eat so we booked a table using the Open Table app. The restaurant had good reviews so we were surprised when there was no one in the restaurant. Good for us because we were traveling with our 20 month son, but we were a little nervous. No need, because the food was OUTSTANDING. I had the risotto which was the best I have ever had, my son has spaghetti and meatballs which he loves (and so did I) & my husband also had the adult version of spaghetti and meatballs. Everything was delicious! We would def. recommend this place & on the weekends it is empty because it is not in a high tourist area. The service was great as well & everyone at the restaurant was super nice. Do yourself a favor and check it out!!

This restaurant has been serving very good Italian food for a long time - its a tradition in the City's financial district - They have a full bar and serve some wonderful wines and cocktails - - The pasta is a delight - the chicken salad for lunch is wonderful with a light dressing and tasty chicken. If you want something Italian and its off the menu, ask for it - you might just get it - - I did! The service is very good - if you're there for lunch you can get in and get served promptly - - the wait staff knows its business.

Service a bit slow, understaffed, chairs were not comfortable as the seat cushions totally flattened out. Food was fine but sauces were too oily yet delicious. First round bread was warm and crispy. The second round was cold and not crisp. Tiramisu was good. We had also ordered bottle water but the guy came and just refilled tap water

I attended a business development dinner there in one of the banquet rooms. The service was very good and the dishes selected were excellent. The room was very comfortable for a a group of about 30.

a good palce for lunch