Tosca Cafe Reviews

We have been a few times, ordering drinks and the special roasted chicken with ricotta and crispy bread. Also loved the sides of crispy potatoes. They have old fashion cocktails (love the Manhattans). The wait situation has eased up a bit now that its not the newest restaurant in town, but last visit we all agreed it was just too expensive.

Wine was undrinkable and extremely overpriced. Food was ok but also overpriced ($20 for pasta with tomato sauce?!!) Service was mediocre but nice ambience.

Tosca is a must for those who love well prepared Italian food. The vibe is friendly and casual. The cocktails, Trouble in Paridise, French 75, and Suffering "B" were perfect waiting for the table interlude! Every morsel of food was totally delicious, nothing disappointed. Our appetizers were Chicken Heart Spiedini and Ritto Misto and an order of 3 Meatballs with house Foccia Bread which was highly recommended by our server. Our Second was an order of Sucatini with tomato, Guanciale, and chilli. Our main entree sections included Bucatini, Mt. Larsen Trout, and Hanger Steak served with Olive Oil potatoes, Charred Scallions, and roasted Mushrooms. We also had an order of Broccoli Di Cicco sautéed with Colatura, Red Wine Vinegar and Garlic. To finish we enjoyed 3 cups of House Cappuccino 1919, which is made with Armagnac and bourbon, sans coffee (!) and a piece of Tiramisu.

Everyone loves the Bar and Drinks at Tosca but the food is worth talking about. This is a celebrity Chef owned restaurant but the kitchen staff that works here deserves all the credit. It's kinda trattoria food meaning causal, prepared to order a dish at a time. The are famous for their chicken for 2 that takes an hour. Pigs ears, olives, cured meats, Frito misto, grilled polenta, different pastas with prosciutto cream or chicken livers or just black pepper, perfectly cooked Salmon or grilled pork liver sausage. As you can see its aggressive flavored but everything is delicious and prepared very very well. It's in an historic old SF bar as well open kitchen too. I would go back no problem good food , great drinks and good wines what more could you want.

My family and I went to Tosca the night before Thanksgiving. Everything was delicious. the Focaccia bread was outstanding. I had the Lumicola( I think that's how it was spelled) and it was great. The portions were ample but not overhwelming. The waiter was attentive and helped us choose a great wine at a reasonable price. Tosca is an old San Francisco institution which has been updated--so glad. My son said it was the best meal he'd ever had. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Call far ahead for reservations because it is very popular.

We had the most amazing meal at this cafe. The food was to die for delicious, the service was attentive and we so enjoyed the ambiance. I'm sure we will be back.

The North Beach area in SF by Columbus and Broadway is historic and entertaining. By walking a few blocks, you can find yourself in Chinatown, or in the Italian area of North Beach and a few blocks on Broadway you have adult entertainment. Tosca cafe is a landmark and has always been known for it's cocktails and cozy atmosphere. However, quite recently this cafe has been taken over by famous NYC chefs and now the food is excellent. The decor is old world and the ambiance is romantic. This is a "must visit" especially for tourists to SF. The cafe is over 100 years old. The homemade pastas are delicious and they have excellent cocktails and Italian wine list.

About 25-26 years ago, I was in Tosca late one night when I ran into Keanu Reeves. We talked at the back of the bar for about an hour over a couple of beers. He is, or was, as cool in real life as he appears to be. See, that’s the thing: Tosca used to be one of those places in San Francisco, where you just might run into someone who's had more than 15 minutes of fame. So, one week ago, here with a good friend with whom I dine frequently. No reservation, but we were seated right away on a busy night. I had seen the Chronicle's new critic unkind review of Tosca earlier that day and needed to see for myself. The menu was complete but not overwhelming. My chicory salad was well presented but a bit pricey. My companion enjoyed the burrata salad. My kale pesto pappardelle was excellent but, again, not priced to sell. I realize that there are several factors that go into pricing restaurant dishes (e.g., ingredients, labor, etc.), but this dish just felt $5 too high. Wines by the glass were in the $13-$22 range and there was some variety. I enjoyed the Sangiovese. The after dinner drinks were served as requested and dessert (of which I did not partake) looked damned good. Service was outstanding. Service sealed the desire to return. – workingman’s gourmand

Menu was limited in number of plates but the modern approach to the Italian cuisine was interesting. Service OK. Tasty food. Successful focaccia! Little pricey but this is SF! Additionally has a nice bar area to start the night with a large selection of drinks. Worth a visit!

We enjoyed our meal here very much. Our reservation was right at 5pm, and people were pouring into the restaurant when we arrived. The bar is a hot spot! There were four of us, and we were in a very small booth (they all look the same size). So small that all of us had our knees touching. And we had to put the water glasses on the counter behind us, when all of the plates arrived. We ordered the whole roasted chicken ---it says for 2, but definitely feeds four. We had several small sides to go with it. Very, very good. Be sure to make reservations. The restaurant portion was completely packed.

Really enjoyed Tosca for dinner. Loved to sit at the bar and eat, no reservation needed. Cocktails were really good but the pork shoulder steak was a stand out. Put Tosca on your list to check on your trip to San Francisco.

Managed to reserve a table one evening while we were staying in SF and had a simply wonderful dinner - halibut was absolutely gorgeous, and roast carrots on the side were really delicious. Restaurant was very popular and a bit on the noisy side for us, but the food was well worth the trip as it's something special!

We made a Friday night reservation on Open Table several weeks in advance and were placed in a small back room, next to the door. The noise level in the room was way beyond lively -- a family with screaming children (with which anyone can sympathize) was drowned out by the club-level volume of the music, which the staff was unable or unwilling to adjust. The food is over-rated -- an under-cooked (I.e., raw) salmon dish for my partner and an over-nuked pasta dish for me. Over-priced wines by the glass and a staff who seemed to know nothing about the selections. The focaccia and meatballs as first courses were good and the cocktails fine. Judging by the 4-deep bar scene, the cocktails are the reason to go

We stopped in after dinner. Great bar to sit and people watch. They take great care in making a nice drink. Didn't get a chance to stop back in to eat, but the food looked good.

The food at Tosca was first rate: baked polenta appetizer was terrific; albacore tuna was cooked rare and was very tasty; famous baked chicken was worth the one-hour wait. However, the service was spotty at best. the maître d' had trouble finding our reservation (which was confirmed earlier that day) and never did properly welcome us. Our waiter changed during the meal, and service was subpar. The wine list was challenging; a limited number of Italian reds and the majority of that small number priced in the stratosphere. I brought a bottle from home, and the wine service was excellent. We also ordered a bottle from the list, and the corkage fee was waived. The café is quite noisy. I expected opera and got a loud dose of post-modern rock on the sound system.

When I'm in the City, I almost always stop in Tosca for a drink. Doesn't matter which of thier excellent bartenders is working, you will get a great drink. The food is excellent too. But do call ahead for a reservation as this place is so good, you'll most likely wait over 2 hours without one (on a Friday or Saturday night)

We stopped into Tosca for after dinner drinks after eating at Hog Island at the Ferry Building (highly recommended BTW - see our 5 star review). Loved Tosca. Highly recommended. First of all, our bartender was just amazing. A great mixologist but also a really nice guy. Fun to talk to. What a difference that makes in a place. Also, they partner with an amazing winery called Scribe. We loved their wine. The prices are fair given SF standards. We like the history, the vibe, the location (such a "clean" part of SF). We have been many times and will definitely go back. We will try the food next time. If you are looking for a spot for a cocktail, this place is just perfect.

Just arrived in San Fran that day and wandering around the neiborhood and happened upon this place, sooooo happy we did. Decided on the chicken (which takes an hour to cook), ordered a bottle of wine & settled in. Had the caesar salad, bread & the meatball special as the appetizers over the course of the hour and they where mouthwatering. Each dish was unique & spiced perfectly. When the chicken arrived we weren’t sure we could do it, but so delicious finished the plate. Finished the meal with a special coffee, was like the icing on the cake. Anna was our server and she was great, and the rest of the staff were very friendly and attentive. Will be back on my next trip!

This is obviously a very successful restaurant, and truth be told, the food was very good. Good food alone however, does not a 4 or 5 star restaurant make. We arrived a couple of minutes early for our 8:15 reservation and were told it would be 20 minutes before we could be seated. It turned out to be 30 minutes: bad start. We ordered apps and mains and while one app came 10 minutes later the others came 25 minutes later with the mains. At that point we had already been in the restaurant 70 minutes. While a manager did come by to top off our wines, and they did apologize for the slow service, it was apparent they felt the wait had been no big deal. I would return to this restaurant again when in SF for drinks as the bar scene was great. For dining, I prefer to be in an environment where reservation times and meal timing matter more.

I first tried and failed to secure a seat at a different busy restaurant at 7pm on a Friday. As a second choice, I opted to look in at Tosca Cafe for a seat at the bar. Lucky me! One seat was open with a lot of space near the front of the restaurant. The host said it's best at the bar for eating dinner than at a tall table by the wall because those tables wobble. I looked over the menu for a minute and narrowed my choice--the basil pesto tagliatelle ($28). I found the vermentino from Sardinia ($14) so it was easy to make a decision. After I ordered from the bartender, I waited for the wine to come. I was given water. The other bartender soon served me the bowl of pasta which was about 10 minutes from the time I ordered. We had a moment of recognizing that I was still waiting for something. I asked if they had the vermentino and she asked the original bartender who took my order. He opened a new bottle and poured me the glass. When I arrived, it was possibly a busy moment, a packed bar, and maybe he just needed to catch up. The basil pesto sauce was the right amount -- perfect with toasted pine nuts added on top of fresh tagliatelle, fresh grated Parmesan. Expectations were satisfied. The vermentino served at Tosca is of high quality with the excellent acidity, minerality and salinity that pairs well with the pasta dish. I appreciate that they checked in once. I wasn't offered a dessert menu while finishing my wine. It may be a new trend to only provide if asked because this happened at another place. Someone needed a spot to sit so I paid. The default tip box on the machine is 20%, which is on top of tax and the employee mandate. The total was 57 and change after gratuity. I won't get into the impression this gives off. I would much prefer to have service automatically included in the menu prices. It would be much simpler and less awkward than to have the machine set down in front of the customer while the staff is waiting for them to pay. The music was a jazz theme consisting of wind instruments that was unchanging, playing above the crowd conversation coming from the back of the restaurant. If you enjoy a saloon that serves fresh Italian cuisine, this is what you will find, yet the vibe isn't the warmest experience, and the crowd noise level coming from the back of the restaurant is uninviting. The attraction to the nostalgia of Tosca comes from when I used to meet people for drinks in the late 90s when they made their famous Irish coffees using a vintage Victoria Arduino espresso machine that was on the bar. To make room on the bar, a smaller, chrome espresso machine is behind the bar, taking up much less space. Glad that there was room to fit me in.

This is a old-style bar with good cocktails and great food. They can work a bit on the cocktails, the selection is not very big and the cocktails are in quite small glasses. But the vibes are great, and the restaurant also lives up to expectations.

Walk in past a nice long bar to cozy dinning room in back......comfortable and very old North Beach with excellent, changing menu......one caveat; don't order vintage red wines, as they are stored upright on an attractive rack, high up (need a ladder) on a dining room wall, where the heat and dryness gets to the cork and wine......a fun, vibrant place to have a drink or dine with the old San Francisco feel. A hot ticket, so reserve very early.

This place was a strange mix of decor with a huge mural of Venice and a jukebox of 50's music and opera selections. The food was pleasant, the portions large and the tastes good but not transformative. We had the Bershire porkchop ($28.00, mentioned in many reviews as excellent) and an off menu item of meatballs ($15.00 for 3) and the bucatini ($19) as well as a market salad to share. You should order the amount of chili to your liking. The pasta dish came out very spicy and I had to ask for another dish. Dessert was a small but light and excellent panna cotta. We brought our own wine and with corkage the bill was $154.00. Not cheap. I should mention the "Tosca House Cappuccino 1919". It is a hot alcohol drink that you can have with or without a shot of expresso. For chocolate lovers, it is a dream. It tastes like a very high quality melted chocolate bar. Noise levels were fairly high, the staff was attentive. They had a house aged steak they were hand carving with each order that I will get the next time I go.

A friend recommended this bar to me; after walking in and sitting at the bar, we thought we would have 1 drink and be out of there. It almost looked to artsy for us to want to stay. Well, we were SO wrong! These aren't your typical mixed drinks. I call them artisan drinks. Flavor upon flavor upon flavor! Seriously, you taste every bit of deliciousness! I had the Polo Cup first (vodka, cucumber, mint, basil, elderflower, lemon, soda) and then the Bennet, as recommended by our bartender (Millers westbourne strength gin, lime, angostura aromatic), Did I know what half the ingredients were? Not at all, but it didn't matter, because these drinks were heaven. Also try the Trouble in Paradise (bourbon, Campari, basil, lemon, grapefruit, black pepper tincture) and the Zamboanga (Marie duffau bas Armagnac, pineapple gum, maraschino, lime, aromatic bitters). We ordered the chicken liver spiedini as an appetizer. It was 5 little pieces on crunchy bread, almost tasted like a rare-ish steak. We enjoyed it! This is a must-do when in San Fran! I can't say enough good things about Tosca!

Great cocktail bar and cosy setting with a unique menu, most of which I didn't understand (no explanation of the dishes) but the waiters explain everything. We had battered anchovies, pigs ears, various pasta with lemon breadcrumbs and meatballs. Nothing overpowering and super tasty. Great selection of wines, cocktails and beers.

Drinks are very well done, but expensive in this hip bar/restaurant in North Beach. Be careful of inexperienced bartenders that don't know price of liquor they are pouring...you may end up spending $100+ for a drink.

A good clean up of an old San Francisco landmark speakeasy in North Beach. Left the character and is higher end prices but not the decore. We ate early and device was good but not invasive at a table. We thought the cold oxtail starter was great (I never had tasted cocktail before)and also shared the fennel. The Italian Wedding soup was wonderful . The butter lettuce salad with radish is easily shared and had a good dressing. We next shared a wonderful buccatini in a tomato, crispy pancetta and chilli sauce, very good house meatballs ( interestingly not on the menu but suggested by the waiter very good 3 small@$14), and a delicious two polenta wedges with mascarpone and blackened kale. The refillable pitcher of ice tea was the bargain at $3.50. The meal was enjoyable, European smaller portions and on the expensive side at $137 including a good tip. We are sensitive to salt and since the chef uses that liberally in some dishes we avoided those dishes others have said are way too salty and had great selections.

one of few places opened on 4th of July; first time here since the renovation; like the lighting and openness of the back room and view of kitchen; little dark for reading the menu, but managed.had the moscardini(octopus) and pig ear appetizers-pretty good! husband had the pork shoulder and I had the fish. apparently the menu changes so these aren't consistently on the menu. Prices are on the higher end, but special occasion definitely..had their homemade trims which was light and delicious! Service was good. full bar but they never heard of an amaretto coffee!!

Chose Tosca after stopping by a near by cocktail bar, who recommended Tosca for dinner after the Beach Blanket Babylon. Firstly, cafe is a misnomer, its a restaurant, with a bar for cocktails. The menu is fairly restricted, and its not a cheap place. As stated it is very popular, certainly on the Saturday night we attended. Maitre D’ accommodating, and got us seated early. It’s not a romantic place, a bit too noisy and crowded. Worth a visit.

Authentic Tuscan cuisine in down-to-earth, hip, Rat-Pack era ambiance. Excellent, unique food, great wine. Highly recommend the caprese salad and halibut entree. DO NOT SKIP THE HOUSE CAPPUCCINO!!

Tosca Cafe was an old San Francisco relic that was at risk of closing. Too bad it was saved. Great ambiance, but the food is overpriced for what it is and mediocre. Think an independent Buca Di Peppo in the heart of Northbeach. Yuck. Really overpriced food that's supposed to be small plates for sharing. Yes, the plates ARE small. So small and so expensive. Have never seen portions this small, even in SF. $27 for a veggie pasta dish. That was on top of a shareable salad - again too small to share.

We really enjoyed the Negronis, The focaccia was delicious. The Caesar Salad was the best ever. We had three Pastas all excellent. The meatballs were great. It was all really good. Also liked the restaurant design. Updated old World Italian restaurant. The only hitch is it is really expensive!

Tosca is one of those restaurants that goes on my “must go to” list’s when I visit a city. I have a few on my list in different cities. And Tosca is now one of two in SFO! The food was excellent as was the service. A definite must go! Enjoy.

We were there for a private event and I thought the food was very average. Had the chicken and rainbow trout and found them both salty and not very delicious. Service is great and I get the place is an institution but I must admit I was disappointed.

SO Tosca Café was highly recommended. DInner service starts at 6PM sharp, not 5:55pm. We were early, had drinks at the bar. Dinner was expensive, firsts (salad) Second (pasta) and third (Entrée). Salads were avg price $12, pasta split 3 ways for a taste was $20. Chicken for 2 was $48. small 1/2 chicken. Sauce was very good, but $48 way too much. In the end the check for 3 people, $310 for a not fancy, old décor. and average food, The waite staff very attentive and plentiful, I think we had at least 4 different servers, waiters, etc. The restaurant also has a food taster, go figure. No, once was enough, probably too much

I guess I waited one visit too long to check out the Tosca Cafe. I had a chance to see the place four years ago on an earlier trip, but, well, you know......shoulda, coulda, woulda.... Apparently Jon Taffer or somebody did a renovation on the Tosca in the interim, because the current Tosca is nothing like what I expected. I gather that the old Tosca was a neighborhood bar for geriatric bohemians and bohemian wanna-be's. Not hip, not very popular, but with a quirky decor. My kind of place. The current Tosca, while it retains some of the unique artifacts of the original, is a totally different creature. It's a New Economy kind of place, now. Full of Google Youth or whatever. And very popular-------on a recent Saturday night I had to fight my way into the room. Once inside, I quickly realized I was probably the oldest, most shabbily dressed person in the place. So the moral of the story is, if there's someplace you want to visit, carpe diem. Or it may not still be there when you're finally ready to go.

Someone forgot to send me the memo on the new food trends!! Overall not a great experience food was "overly rustic" to the point it lacked in taste and felt common. My pork was nothing but fat very little meet, potatoes over cooked and very dry. The staff was not the warm expressive staff I've enjoyed from past visits to SF. I expect a place of this level to educate and excite SF is known for the experience quality and education of food, the only city in the US of past I've felt this, sadly Tosca fell very short of this and failed on price to experience test!

After an exciting day trip, we were delighted to find here open and serving quite late. The lateness of our arrival meant that the operatic arias had finished for the evening and mainstream background music was in force. All the dishes we had were delicious. Mains comprised Berkshire pork chop and grilled polenta. Still room left for dolci, savouring cannoli and boca negra. All accompanied with a fine Californian white wine. It is prettily decorated with notably a vast painting of a Venetian scene on the back wall. With lovely staff and relaxing atmosphere it was an apt bookend to an enjoyable day.

Tosca Cafe was something. The sole reason for our visit is the interesting pig parts featured on the menu. After Animal in LA and Commonwealth in SF, I had not seen anything exciting that was executed well in restaurant that is not heavily Asian influenced. My philosophy for food is that nothing should go to waste. If you are going to kill the pig, why let the ears and tail and all the inner organs end up in the dumpster? At the end it wasn’t only these ‘adventurous’ dishes that really impressed. (Granted their Pressed Pig Ear was enjoyable and the Pig Tail was absolutely sinful.) It was that one simple meatball that completely captivated us. It didn’t hurt that everything else from service to their creative cocktails were also throughoutly delightful.

We second the rebirth of this North Beach Icon. Really bad food for a long time, now showing real class with new owners and staff. Parking in nearby Broadway Street lots make it easy to walk to the cafe. Try it , you will like it.

Had the most wonderful meal here - the renovation has kept all the charm I remember. the host was so friendly and informative and the food was just delicious! Had the octopus antipasto (Moscardini) and anchovy fritto - yum! Had the Italian Bird Dog cocktail - refreshing! Food was just out of this world. Would go back in a heartbeat.

Our 2nd time here. Food fabulous. Adorable, special location. Great history to the building/neighborhood and great atmosphere. Pig tails, devilled eggs, pasta (one tomato based, one similar to carbonara) delicious. Cannoli for dessert ok. Boca Negara cake delicious, recommended by the wonderful server Lisa.

We were "lucky" enough to get a reservation at 5:15 and we were excited to try this newly redone restaurant - a wonderful old San Francisco institution now owned by a very reputable New York chef. We couldn't have been more disappointed. The space still looks like an old North Beach restaurant, however, the service was the worst, no one seems to be professional including the manager, who we have to call in to take our order when no one came to our table. The food was mediocre at best. The radish and tuna salad was very good, the basic salad was uninspired, meatballs were OK, pasta was gummy and colorless. We did not order dessert because someone dropped the dessert menu off at our table and the waiter, almost at the same time, came by with the check with a very flippant comment - here is your check in case you don't want dessert. Considering this was the first time the waiter came by all evening, we were a bit shocked. After I talked to the manager about the situation we had, he admitted there was a problem with the waiter. Really? He offered us a "small" gift certificate which we were not interested in having since probably this will not be a restaurant we will be going back to very soon. SF reviewers like Michael Bauer have been very kind, I am surprised. They must have gotten a much different evening.

We sat at the bar between 5-6 pm to enjoy some of the best originally mixed cocktails we have ever had and tasted some delectable antipastas. While spending six weeks in Italy last fall I discovered the Negroni, a complex, tasty cocktail. I ordered it repeatedly but none that I had matched the freshness and depth of flaver of that at Tosca's. My wife had the Tosca martini. As a pure martini person, she raved at the balance of flavors of the Tosca version. We ordered some nibbles and were pleased with them all. The olives were superbly marinated and were tastier than the famous Cesar olives next door to Chez Panisse in Berkeley. The octopus appetizer was tender, like the best you might find in a fine Greek restaurant. The marinated veges (giardinera) and the pig ears were interesting and increased our pleasure. Dinner is served after 6 pm and if we had wanted, we could've ordered by staying at the bar. Instead, we left but by 6:15 the bar was overflowing with people waiting to be served. My only complaint is with the wines by the glass which averaged 14-16 dollars a glass. That's outrageous.

Do not let the decor decieve you. The 1950's and 1960's era diner style might make one think that this might be more like Chef Boi A'rdee style cusine. These folks taste seems to be all in their mouth. However, in this case, this is a good thing. Food and service are all very good,

I had the halibut, which was wonderful and full of flavor. I also had a side of brussels sprouts with anchovy cream sauce that was to die for. I got to meet one of the chefs, Joyce, she was very friendly and welcoming.

Lively and loud Italian. Dining area has old school booths and tables. We really liked the market salad and roasted chicken for two. We do not recommend the pressed pig ears (appetizer) unless this was a delicacy that you grew up loving. Ordered the pressed pig ears thinking it might be interesting, but turned out as disgusting as it sounds. Tasted like olive oil on thinly sliced gristle. Wish our server had steered us away from this dish, but now I know not to order this when we head to Italy!! The bar scene looked fun and hip. Overall a very good experience.

My friend and I had been wanting to eat at Tosca for some time, given all the hype the restaurant has gotten. While I have no real complaints about the food, the service was really bad. It started out by our first server saying she was handing us off to another waiter. That person never came to our table and we had to summon the manger to take our order. We were watching the other waiters and the service was amateurish at best - taking away one person's plate before the companion had finished for example. At the end of our meal the waiter brought us a dessert menu and then 2 minutes later, plopped the check down and said "here's your check in case you don't want anything else!"

This is SF history paired up with a well known chef and some tasty food! This place dates back to speakeasy times and has numerous hidden rooms that you can dine in. My favorite is the one up above the kitchen...giving you views of the dining room and the chefs. make this place your stop over while strolling through the neighborhood for an authentic chef inspired Italian meal.

Ruined our whole evening. Food okay but not great. Both bartender and waitress very unfriendly. Never have experienced worse service anywhere in the world (and we have traveled extensively).

I was recommended to go here so had high expectations. Service was good but a tad slow. Asked for plain pasta with the veal meatballs. This dish was soo spicy we had to send back. To their credit they did not charge us for it. They said they do not kmow how spicy the peppers they have are. Really no one tastes the sauce. All in all a nice place but limited and odd menu

During our 2 week stint in SF, we always found reason to go back to Tosca- having recently been renovated, the bar retains a wonderful nostalgic air that is wholly inviting while dazzling you with modern food and drink options. We drifted in one evening after a day of endless walking and took a welcome seat at the bar and we were so glad we did. The cocktails are simply excellent- having sampled MANY were were never disappointed by a single one. The bar-team enjoyed being challenged with off menu creations, the result being the best Manhattan of my life! Though we didn't eat in the restaurant, we did sample various small plates including the pig-tails and the chicken-hearts which were delicious! We visited numerous times and the bar-staff remembered our faces- in a city as big and bustling as SF is and to be a non-local, this was great to see. I can't wait to get back to Tosca and take up my seat at the bar!

World traveler. Former Bay Area local. Made reservations. Two people. Ordered 4 dishes and drinks. Bad food. Bad service. Bad ambiance. No hospitality. Was not offered specials. When I asked the server for a dish that was served to the next table I was told "that's a special." Told the manager that the seafood stew was too spicy for me. Response was "would you like me to bring you some bread to tone it down?" Got sick. Wondering if the dish was spicy to cover up bad seafood. Reconsidering future dining at celebrity restaurants.

We had a delicious Sunday dinner at the bar. My expectations were low, given the touristy location. To our surprise, the food was exceptionally good. I had a pasta with a chicken liver cream sauce, and my husband had a pasta with pesto and morels. Both were 5 stars. The desserts too were superlative. The dining room looks terrific too, but we were very satisfied at the bar. The food prices and portion sizes were fair.

My daughter and I had a great evening here. Good Italian food, great cocktails and wine. Their special home made bread on the cheese board is soft and super tasty. As for dessert, Tiramisu is good but the peanut butter cup is way too sweet for us. Great service though. The staff are enthusiastic and courteous. We were here on Saturday evening and we felt so fortunate that we made reservation. Really packed and people queued up outside!

We went here for the last night of our vacation on the recommendation of a friend, and weren't disappointed. First of all, book a table, as it gets very busy at the weekend. We booked an early dinner at 6pm on a Saturday and were seated in a booth in the main room when the restaurant was deserted but by 7pm it was teeming and the atmosphere was terrific (coming early also meant that we got a superb table). The service throughout our dinner was first-class (mind you, compared to UK restaurants, US service is always superior) and we had a brilliant time. The food was highly impressive indeed: I had the pigs' tails to start which were superb and the beef for a main, while my fiancee had the pasta with chicken livers and thought the dish was top-drawer (and she is not easily impressed!). Yes, the menu is pricey and the bill soon adds up if you have a bottle of wine and some cocktails, but for a treat I can't think of a better place in SF. In sum, we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and loved the ambience, service and food at Tosca -- just the right blend of luxuriousness and funkiness rather than august formality.

I was at Tosca Cafe for a business dinner. The decor is beautiful and the food was very good. Unfortunately, the server had quite an attitude and was annoyed towards the end of our meal. Rather than communicate with the group, she made a big deal about pointing to the table and talking with her coworkers. It was obvious she was complaining as she rolled her eyes. For this reason, I would not go back.

I visited San Francisco in August, and heard on both Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor that Tosca could be a good place! Traveling by myself you tend to look for a place where you have a great bar. Look no further - Tosca has THE bar. Great service, good drinks and attentive bartenders! And great food! And it's history is also interesting.

Tosca is the flavor du jour amid Columbus Avenue's concentration of Italian restaurants. Things started out well, but after nearly an hour's wait, at least one entree hadn't appeared. When our host asked after them, he was snappishly told that the pork chop takes a long time – no notice given when ordered. A request for bread was met with a similar tone and a statement that there's normally a charge. Things deteriorated between our host and whomever the floor person was. The murals are nice and maybe the crowd had the kitchen backed up, but it wasn't a fun experience, especially with so many other choices in the area.

Great food, lively atmosphere and inventive cocktails make this restaurant a must try if in the North Beach area. The negronis are very tasty. Menu includes small plates plus main courses and all food items can be shared. The bar is very loud & noisy but the tables in the back of the restaurant are a bit quieter. Best to Uber there, parking is insane.

Had a wonderful evening ! Enjoyed the food and drinks! Trip advisor indicates that this restaurant is closed on Monday’s but they were obviously open! Please change this !

I was in town with three friends who were visiting from Sicily. We were in town for a few wine events and a bit of "sight-seeing". We had been working most of the day, and didn't really have time to eat. Sometimes at these wine events there is ample food, or at least a few moments to grab something, but not on this day. We were all famished and needed food, "good food" as my Sicilian friends would say. It was after 9:00, we were spent, the event didn't go down like we thought, so our spirits were low. We needed to be energized again.... Enter Tosca Cafe. When Italians are having a bad day, they want Italian food. Eating something familiar to bring them back to their happy place. We entered, we were seated right away, we were greeted right away, we were brought water right away, and we finally exhaled and relaxed for the first time all day. The menu was succinct. The Italians found it easy to order, we ordered family style for the antipasti and first sections, then ordered our own second and third dishes. The pork tails were delicious. Fatty, crispy, messy, and satiating. When you're down, there is nothing that awakens that senses than pig fat. The moscardini was delicious as well. The market salad was on point. The Bucattini was near perfect, as was the lumanconi. We shared the Spanish Octopus dish and finished off with gelato. During the course of the evening, we polished off a bottle of Rosato and a glass of Sean Thackrey Pleiades. We all agreed that we were energized once again. All was right with the world and we found our second wind and went out to explore one of SF's better cocktail bars....Whitechapel. Thank you to Tosca Cafe, your ambiance, food, and wine saved the day.

fun atmosphere, and decent (but not great) food. The server had a snooty attitude the entire evening, but especially when we needed to send back our chicken which wasn't cooked through. Why would a waiter imply that the customer doesn't know what they are talking about? Luckily the maître de and the floor manager took over our service and saved the evening. I will not be returning.

What a great spot! We booked late and got a table for 8: 45 but were told if we'd like to come down earlier there may be something sooner. We arrived at 8 and the maitre d found us a table straight away. The staff here were just fantastic. What a great atmosphere and the decor is beautiful. My wife ordered a va va voom cocktail ( she absolutely loved it) and I got a beer. We had a foccacia, the pig tails, roast chicken withe sides of cripy potatoes and roast beets. This is without a doubt the best chicken I've ever gotten at a restaurant! The wine list is decent but very expensive, and i felt some of the menu options were well overpriced, but in the end we both left feeling full and very happy with our choice for our last night in san francisco. Highly reccommended

First time in San Fran and went there for dinner with my date. Chose this place as it had availability and was ranked highly on another site. Had the Rigatoni which was good, and pork steak. Was told pork steak was to be cooked medium, which I found strange as I thought you we're not supposed to eat pork less than well done. The pork was ok, but the pink kind of turned me off. The wine list was good, but wines were way expensive. $70 was best I could do for a decent Chianti. Spent $200 and did not have that much too eat. We only had 2 courses each. The most disappointing part was a young waitress that was a bit full of herself. Once she took orders spent most of the time with other tables. When she brought the bill she just put it on the table and said very little. Never thanked us for coming as we passed her on the way out, and she pretended did not see us as we walked by her. Not what I would expect after spending $200 for two of us at an establishment.

This place is great. Honestly one of the best restaurants anywhere. Service is outstanding and the food is even better. We had the polenta. Also salmon and the skirt steak. All awesome. The carrots (side dish) are a must order. And please leave room for desert. Finally, try the house special cappuccino.

Wow....Let me begin by saying,"After reading several Yelp reviews and the initial vibe I was getting when first entering the restaurant, I was skeptical." (When we get caught in traffic driving into the city for 90 min., it's frustrating to arrive just after the restaurant has opened and wonder if we'll get a table - just a personal challenge of mine.) Fortunately, I had the chance to sit at the bar for a bit and unwind before my husband met me. A friendly bartender greeted me and shared the cocktail and wine list...even offered a taste of Italian wine. After he offered to mix me up something special, I requested a margarita. (I know, not very adventurous.) From the alcohol offerings on the menu, I assumed they would have some tasty tequila. Margarita was delicious. Just the right mix of tart and sweetness. The man sitting next to me noted Tosca's bar menu included a very rare Bourbon - $50/glass. Upon checking in with the host, the restaurant has a policy that you cannot be seated until your entire party arrives. Unless there's valet, parking is never easy in SF. As I watched parties arriving, I assumed there was no way we would have an opportunity to be seated in the restaurant without a long wait. Fortunately, my husband really wanted to try this restaurant, so once he joined me, we relaxed at the bar, enjoying drinks and conversation. You often meet friendly and fun people sitting at the bar. We chatted and shared experiences about other nearby restaurants. I began to relax and decided not to stress over the wait. We could always eat at the bar. We ended up being seated in the back of the restaurant. My husband is all about ambiance and atmosphere. He would have preferred to sit in the front and more active area of the restaurant, which gives one a look at the open kitchen, however, it was nice to hear our conversation and check out all the pictures of famous people who we gather frequented Tosca Cafe in the past. Given what we've read in the foodie and SF Magazine, Tosca Cafe has been around forever and the likes of Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke and others, out of sight from the front of the restaurant, played pool and talked late into the night. As we ordered, chatted with Jordan, our server, you could imagine the nostalgia of years past. Our selections included warm rolls, meatballs, grilled polenta, asparagus and clams. The rolls, doused with olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese came out with the meatballs. OK, so I'm Italian and make meatballs, which I've been told are pretty tasty. I've never had meatballs that were as tender and perfectly seasoned as what we were served. Amazing flavors. I could have stopped after that course. The polenta was served with delicious mushrooms and the asparagus was grilled and topped with parmesan cheese and almonds - also perfectly seasoned. Finally, I believe it was Manilla clams in a scrumptious tomato, garlic and onion mix that completed our. delicious tastings. Desserts looked inviting, however, we were stuffed. It was probably that extra order of garlic rolls. The only comment (and it's not negative) that I offer for people interested in eating at Tosca Cafe, arrive early and together, if you're hoping to get seated in the first round, otherwise prepare for a wait. Tosca does not take reservations. Our very competent and friendly server did say that the rear area of the restaurant can be reserved for larger parties, etc. Tks Jordan for a delightful first experience at Tosca Cafe.

I hosted an eight person group in the back room, and it was a fabulous experience for 1st time visitors to San Francisco. The restaurant was prompt to answer the phone and email me menu options. They knew my name when I arrived and had a custom menu produced. The service was tier A and the food delicious. For groups - the restaurant will make you put your money where your mouth is with a contract and commitment to pay if you don't show. It's a small and popular space so be sure to plan in advance. The restaurant was built in 1914 and the back room is decorated with photos of time passed. Insider tip: try the bourbon cappuccino. Apparently the espresso machine is the oldest one in America.

We stopped in to eat on a recommendation from a local. Unfortunately the timing was off, they serve small plates until 530, then dinner starts. We ended up being too hungry to wait. We did try the octopus which looks strange but was completely delicious. They have the oldest espresso machine in San Francisco that still works. The drinks were delicious. The bartender Lachlan was very helpful and pleasant. I would like to come in for dinner next time I stop into town.

My wife and I had an absolute amazing experience at Tosca for my birthday. The service was incredible as well as the food. We had the bucatini, trout and of course the house cappuccino. Even though it was packed the staff never rushed us and service was prompt. Could not have asked for a better dinner.

Tosca is a restaurant of contrasts. The room is old-styled with chairs and tables from a 1950s or '60s diner. But the food and service are truly elegant. A friend took me here for dinner and the entire experience was extremely enjoyable. We each had a Parmesan-encrusted pork chop that was large and cooked perfectly. I also had a prosciutto and mellon salad that was delicious. Side orders were potatoes and peppers. Our Italian red wine was very smooth (sorry, I don't remember what the name was). Food preparation here is imaginative, nothing is ordinary. After so much food, there was no need for dessert, so we each had a cappuccino instead (the dessert menu was limited). Service here is outstanding; cordial and professional. Again, looking at this place, you'd never suspect how really superb it is.

Probably not surprising given owners' Manhattan roots. Dimly lit vintage decor with enormous bar at entrance, rumored to be where Godfather 2 screenplay was penned. Really good tender meatballs with intense marinara. Caesar salad had very fresh romaine leaves, breadcrumbs and chilis set it apart. Pastas (bucatini, rigatoni, trompetti) were outstanding, with delectably condensed saucing. Lamb was actually ribs, but ultra succulent and tender. Even side of crispy potatoes was well beyond ordinary. Cannoli was perfectly crunchy shell and creamy, not overly sweet, ricotta with dried citrus. Only criticism is lack of affordable bottles on wine list.

Over the course of our evening, the restaurant got quite warm. It wasn't enough to dampen our enthusiasm with the food. We started with a number of plates from the antipasti section of the menu. Every dish was fantastic. The grilled octopus was perfection. I moved on to a special trout appetizer that was as fresh as it was delicious. The dish was served cold and was perfect as a between course refresher. I finished with the rigatoni with octopus. Again, prepared perfectly. Two of my friends ordered the roast chicken (prepared for two) and it was even better than what you find at Zuni. Because we were celebrating a birthday, we ordered the cannoli. It was some of the best I've ever had. And then I finished off the evening with a "house cappuccino". There was no coffee in it but you wouldn't have known it. It was the best cocktail I've ever finished a meal with. I'd go back in a flash to try more dishes on the menu.

Tosca's has it all; good food, great staff, local flavor. The residents go here, so that's enough of a testimonial. You might see Laurence Fishburne, he's been known to stop by.The bartenders know the best places to recommend for a tourist to visit. I would recommend going from Tosca's to Vesuvio's to City Lights Bookstore, in no particular order.

Booked this place during our recent trip to SF. Food is seriously good - the pasta here is quite astonishing, and blew us away. In general the service was good, but our server was pretty absent for much of the meal. I would definitely go back, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend if you're looking for a mid range restaurant price with a nice ambiance.

Only dropped in for a few drinks before dinner, but was a cool place to hang out. So much history here, and the famous Cappuccino machine (try one, its not your ordinary Cappuccino!) Is rumored to be the one George Lucas got his inspiration for R2D2!

Had dinner here with six friends - everyone really enjoyed their pasta entrees, but results were mixed with the appetizers we split. We also felt it was slightly overpriced for what we were getting. But if your looking for great pasta, they do have it!

Ok I have to admit that we would never have found Tosca Cafe in the sea of great San Francisco restaurants if it wasn't rated 4th on Bon Appetit's 2014 best new restaurants list and our perfect timing of a trip to San Francisco/Napa. It truly deserves the 4th spot on that list from its outstanding atmosphere, service, and food. The restaurant is understated and simple with its long wooden bar, red plastic chairs, small café style tables and old timey juke box. The subtleties of your surroundings allow the beautiful urgency in which the theatrical open kitchen operates to be righteously the center of attention for the restaurant. Make sure to ask for a table that is first row to the kitchen line so that you don’t miss a moment of this magnificently orchestrated capolavoro. The service is impeccable. We watched as the wait staff tasted each plate before delivering it to your table ensuring every dish was prepared and tasted to perfection. And for those of you expecting the wait staff to talk to you about your San Francisco tourist experiences or for that matter anything other than the menu dishes … forget it. They are not being snobby they are simple doing their job and that is to serve you some of the best food in San Francisco. I could write a short novel about the food but since parts change daily all I can suggest is to experience all courses and ask for suggestions from the staff. We started off with the funnel and meat platter which had the usual prosciutto and salamis and then the unexpected. Pig ear that was so thinly sliced its velvety texture simple melted in your mouth … it hands down stole the show from the other meats. So amazing. Next we had simple meatballs which were so sensational in quality they truly took your breath away. That night’s homemade pasta was a linguine in a red sauce with crunchy garlic chips that added a pleasant unexpected texture to the silky linguine. Lastly, the half baked chicken basted in marsala sauce is a must order and brought tears to my eyes in my awe of its perfection. I have never had a chicken so perfectly prepared. My dinner ended with me unabashed, eating with my hands, sucking every last bit of meat from that succulent chicken’s bones. Oh yeah the wine list is complete and the flowing Barolo only made the dinner that much more special. If you are planning a trip to San Francisco this is a must and so are reservations to avoid a long wait.

Had not been to this restaurant in years since it changed hands. Could barely squeeze through the crowded bar to access the dining room. Was taken by a wonderful friend so I'm not sure what the tab came to but I assume the wine list is pricey because when my hostess rejected a $700 Barolo for a $115 wine from a different region of Italy, that was my first clue. Service was attentive and the hanger steak deliciously prepared. If you want a lively, popular, fun, noisy North Beach crowded restaurant, this is the place. Arrive early because finding parking in North Beach is difficult even on a weekday.

I had eaten at The Breslin in NYC and wanted to try this restaurant while on a quick visit to SF. It was very good. Firstly, while the interior of the restaurant is on the dim side (you'll likely need your smartphone flashlight to read the menu like most everyone else), it is quite lovely. The main dining room is a very warm space with red dinette-style tables and booths which work well in the space. There is a wonderful long bar as you enter the restaurant. There was also a pianist "tickling the ivories" which was a wonderful accompaniment to the overall "vibe" of the restaurant. It truly was very, very nice. I started with some marinated olives from the antipasti menu and also had the arugula salad. The salad was good but nothing extraordinary. It was simply a good salad to prepare your for the entree. I had the grilled lamb breast for my entree course which was very good. It's a bit "busy" on the plate but the flavors seem to all work well together. This is a very good restaurant with good food and an even better atmosphere. You'll enjoy the evening. It's a nice 15-20 minute walk from Union Square through Chinatown or a short hired car ride.

Loved the setting itself - very well done. Service was just OK; too slow to offer a second round of drinks (so we didn't bother spending more money) and not as friendly as other places we have been. We had the roast chicken main which was delicious but incredibly rich. It's meant to be for two but could feed a small family. We shared one of the pasta dishes to start and couldn't finish it all. We're glad we went here but be prepared to pay!

The Tosca Cafe is a landmark cafe that I have passed dozens of times over the past 20 years in San Francisco. The cafe has been around since 1919 and is the "original home of the famous cappuccino". After two decades, I was finally able to get a reservation and a very special chef's dinner and cocktail pairing for two arranged. We were not disappointed! The decor, the ambiance, the service, the cocktails, and the food were all excellent. We started the night off with their signature appetizer - the crispy pig tails, and one of their signature cocktails - "The Missing Link". Yummy describes the crispy pig tails. The Missing Link was refreshing and not too sweet and got us in a good mood. If you like pork belly or oxtail, you have to try the crispy pig tails. You should try them even if you are not a pork lover. LOL You will become a convert. Next up was the market salad with wild oregano vinaigrette, toasted pumpkin seeds, and parmesan. The salad was also fresh, simple, and tasty. The roasted pumpkin seeds were special. Next was the house-made meatballs and bucatini which were also perfectly prepared and tasty. Looking at the wall painting of Venice, made me think that the food at Tosca was as good as anything I ate in Venice a few years back. Another favorite was the crispy potatoes cooked in pork fat, garlic and rosemary. Wow! Good thing we had some red wine to smooth out the pork fat. I would also go back just for the crispy potatoes. We ended the night with some tiramisu with grated orange zest and a mini white nun cocktail. When all put together, it was one of the funnest nights my wife and I have had over the past 20+ years.

Comfortable surroundings, like the classic Italian restaurants of my beloved Brooklyn, NY. We stopped in for an early dinner - it's usually impossible to get a table here, perhaps because of the celebrity-chef thing. The food is very very good: Spaghetti with fresh peas and ricotta, spring mozzarella. Actual professional and attentive service, which is NOT the norm here in the City by the Bay. Two things: The food was very salty; another time, I would ask them to hold back. And, the place is very expensive.

Loved the food and ambiance in the restaurant. Octopus is out of the world. Simple dish like bucatini with tomato and chili and grilled polenta are fantastic. However, we did not feel like doing wine this evening and felt like the waiter had a problem with that. Regardless, we will be back for this restaurant is great and we wish them all success.

Walk into Tosca and instantly you're stepping back nearly a hundred years in time in the City by the Bay. The place was first opened in 1919 and two years ago a new team of owners re-infused it with some very special that's sure to serve Tosca well for the next hundred years. We've always enjoyed coming here on every visit to San Francisco for its memorable bar but now, a new generation of mixologists are creating magic every night. Their concoctions give an entirely different meaning to even the old standards that bartenders before them served for decades behind the very same historic bar that runs half the length of an entire wall. The way they strike a balance between each of the ingredients in the drinks they serve and add even more distinctive details all their own give Tosca a unique signature you won't find anywhere else in a setting quite like this.

We enjoyed a delicious meal of fried anchovies, pasta in a prosciutto cream sauce with lemon breadcrumbs, roasted halibut seared to perfection, a feather-light tiramisu and intense chocolate sorbet with sea salt. Intensely satisfying but not so much to feel overly stuffed afterwards. And a very interesting and reasonably priced wine. Excellent service. We even had a table with s great view of the kitchen, hard at work. Only small complaint is that it was darker than we like. The food was beautifully presented, but hard to see! I had to use my iPhone flashlight to get a look at it!

They menu is inventive but that does not always translate to good. The staff is pretentious and thinks we should all be greatful for eating here. I think they rely too much on on the history and big names (and stories) of the past version. There are many better choices of where to eat in is great city.

This was our first visit to Tosca Cafe. We had a marinated octopus starter, the dirty girl tomato salad and the chicken for two. Everything was delicious. The restaurant is very lively but it's not so loud that you can't have a conversation. The service was attentive and friendly.

This restaurant pleased all my senses. Taste/Smell/Touch - First and foremost, the food was fantastic. Aperitif - the perfect Negroni with the hint of orange in the air. Appetizer of braised octopus was delightful and tender. Foccaccia was needed to soak the juices. A perfect complement to the tender octopus was the crispy pork tail, better than pork belly. My mouth is salivating as I write this. The steak (meant to be shared for two) was tender, juicy, garlicky. Served on the side were sublime carrots. The cannoli was crispy - perfect. Sound - Music by Frank S, Bobby D, Dean M. All the classics that fit the historical surroundings. Sight - Low lighting that added to the mood, along with the incredibly tall plastered ceilings, old world oil paintings, sumptuous red leather banquettes Go and experience this place. You'll love it. It's old world San Francisco

5th time to San Francisco. Best Italian food to date. They delivered excellence at every level. Our server Anna was delightful and witty. Please try their focaccia bread and tiramisu. It might just be the best you will find in the US.

At the recommendation of a friend we went to this North Beach eatery and were at once completely amazed by the dimly lit retro atmosphere of the place. But while the old school paintings on the wall make it seem like it probably looks exactly the same as it did in the 50s the staff and the menu make it clear that it has kept pace with the outside world. We had the choice of a prix fixe or a limited a la carte menu at the bar which was presumably the result of being there on a Sunday. So we sat at the bar and had the meat and cheese board along with the pasta of the day and while the portions were a bit meager - especially considering the board was sold to us as featuring anchovies (a favourite of my friend) but came with only 2 small strips - the flavours were amazing. The wine in contrast was very affordable and not meager at all and paired with a large serving of fresh focaccia it was a perfectly sized meal. A very well stocked bar with very entertaining bartenders guarantees that even if you just go here for a drink or two you will not be disappointed.

One of the better Italian meals I’ve had (including Florence/Tuscany), and the service was excellent.

We had reservations and arrived early. The place was packed. We sat at the bar and when our table wasn't ready by our reservation time, relented to sit at the bar due to the fact we had theater tickets. BAD Move. Our order was incorrect, service from the bartender so slow - basically nonexistent, and on top of it all they overcharged me- put an extra entrée on my bill. We rushed out so I didn't realize it at the time. Called possibly 6-10 times over a 4 weeks- NO manager ever called me back or would come to the phone. The hostesses were horrified at my situation and assured me someone would call me right away. What a lie. Oh- the food was good-nothing earthshattering !

Tosca Cafe has delicious Italian food and wonderful, attentive service. We had a large group of 11 people dine and Sean the Maitre D and Thomas the floor manager made everyone feel special. The place has a retro vibe with memorabilia and photos of famous people who have been patrons which gives it a good ambiance. The meatballs and sauce are mouth watering good and they have a nice selection of Italian wines. I really recommend you try this gem in San Francisco!

This place is a San Francisco MUST! With the new addition of food makes it extra special. We had great drinks and a couple small plates at the bar. The Negroni's were made with class, mixed professionally by a great barista and tasted fantastic!

I had been reading so many reviews about this historic restaurant that my husband and I decided to try it. We sat at the bar so we could absorb the ambiance and be part of the bar action. the whole bar crew was adept and friendly and Isaac particularly was great. We ordered off of the full menu and every bite was delicious in a unique way that made me wish I could try everything on the menu. I had to try the house "Cappuccino", which somehow I didn't know doesn't actually have coffee in it. It is steamed organic milk with the addition of armagnac, bourbon and ganache. I loved it. My husband and I shared the chicken liver appetizer, lusciously grilled on a skewer. We should have ordered separate ones as they were so good. We also shared the rigatoni pasta dish, simply prepared, but delicious and flavorful and an order of the crispy potatoes, among the best I've ever had. We hope to return soon.

We have wanted to go to this restaurant for quite a while and finally made it. Saw lots of dishes on yelp and other food websites, so we were looking forward to some of them. I was really interested in an organ meat dinner, chicken hearts, liver.... but there were none offered the night we were there. I settled on the octopus, which was pretty good, but I thought it could have been charred more and would have liked something other than the parsley mayonnaise it was served with - something more interesting, it was a boring addition. More beans to! My husband had an order of meatballs (he thought they were heavenly) and the pasta they are so famous for. Be warned the pasta is served very al dente... some people have complained. Wine list a little pricey. The expediters at the run were amazing to watch. Table of two - ask to sit near the. Party of 3 or more - request a booth.

Great meal in the city. We had the pig tails and chicken for two among other dishes :) The food is great, and the staff was very knowledgeable. Worth a visit.

Hubby and I met some friends at this North Beach location at the top of Columbus Street. Surrounded by some of the greats of San Francisco, including The Condor Club, City Lights Bookstore, and The Vesuvio Bar, Tosca would seem to be one of the cool kids in a vibrant neighborhood. It has recently experienced a change of owner and a reworked menu to some acclaim. The first to arrive, I ordered a house cappucino at the bar as I waited for my companions. I watched as the bartender poured my 'house specialty' from a pitcher of pre-made espresso and cream, which he then heated using the steam wand on the antique espresso maker at the end of the bar. Egad, I'm in North Beach drinking erzatz espresso! I thought to myself, sipping the brew. The room is long and narrow, dimly lit with a row of great ol' chandeliers. My friends arrived, and we were escorted to our booth at the back of the room. We rushed to take off every layer of clothing we could decently afford, as the room was hot and muggy, and there was no AC or even a sad little fan to move the fetid air around. It was like having cocktails in a locker room after the big game. We fell upon and greatly enjoyed the plates of padrona peppers, but most of the meal was rather heavy and greasy. Our server did her best, but the odds were stacked, and we were limp and stodgy as we rose to leave. I might return just for drinks, and I'd make sure to sit at the end of the bar near the open door to the street and fresh air.

One of our favorites and always a must go when we are in the city. New owners have preserved the ambiance and the bar still makes outstanding handcrafted drinks. Grab a bar stool and spend a few hours.

Amazing ambience and great food. The service was fabulous and the staff are courteous and friendly. Fantastic wine selection and the long bar is a real treat. Great location and fun evening. Highly recommend this trendy watering hole.

i finally got to this place and it did not disappoint. very cool place with old world all over it. dark and sexy inside like the old days. we had the prix fixe dinner a great caesar, wonderful pasta with meatballs, lamb shank(best ever off the bone you blew on it and it came off), sausage, and a sauce to die for!! great drinks and a wonderful wine by the glass list just go there the dinner was 55.00 each for the prix fixe.

After waiting an 2 hours for a table after being quoted 1 hour wait, we entered an order for the "one hour chicken." 2 hours later we we're finally served - it was quite good but I suppose any food would be delicious after such a wait...

Not knowing the backstory of this old place, I just made a dumb tourist booking for dinner and I am quite glad that I did. The long bar stretching back from the doorway into the place was packed with 30-something's-plus. Beyond was a dining room of maybe twenty booths and tables. Attentive waiters. Open hectic kitchen. Good quality drinks and wine list. The food was excellent, pasta served al dente and hot. Lots of great photos on the wall. City Lights bookstore across the street. Nice evening.

The pasta plates are great! However, if you're hungry order another dish. Really enjoyed the canolli desert :)

Four of us share an antipasti plate that they made up for us, a little of everything. Yum Terrific pasta, service and Piedmont wines. I loved it. This is a well now San Francisco restaurant that well deserves its reputaion.

After watching and reading so much about April Bloomfield it was a rewarding experience finally being able to taste her food at Tosca Cafe. We got there 40 min earlier than our reservation and hostess very kindly said that it would possible to accommodate us in a few minutes. At the bar we had the most cocktails - i strongly recommend the Negroni It was the best meal we had in our west cost trip. if my pasta woucooked a little past "al dente", it would be flawless!

We stopped here to grab a couple drinks before dinner! Super yummy and decently priced! Our bartenders were awesome and very welcoming!!! I heard this place closed and I hope that’s not true because we definitely wanted to come here again next year during our trip.

What a delightful and delicious cafe. A real treasure. Limited but creative menu. Good service. Fun location. Highly recommend.

Went to Tosca for New Year's Eve and so had a fixed menu. I was surprised on many counts: 1.the restaurant is small and the tables are like tables in a diner. Ours wobbled so badly even putting all of our 4 paper menus folded up under the leg it still wobbled. 2. it was noisy So it was a clanky bangy loud place you need to almost shout. I was surprised and not thrilled about the above. Service was ok, not great just ok. Also surprised 1. the food had terrific seasoning. Each course had a good amount of spice, not overpowering, but intriguing. 2. the food was innovative I would totally go back there for the food. It really was excellent. Now that I know it's a loud bustling place I would reset my expectations and not expect to have detailed conversations with my friends at my table. (We had friends from out of town and hoped to chat a bit more with them than we were able). I would definitely go back for a table and maybe even better sit at the bar. The place has a cool North Beach divey bar kind of feel, which I like alot. So all in all--excellent food!

Tosca recently reopened so has had to go to the take-out format. We got their 3 course chicken dinner tonight and the food was outstanding! So delicious.

Came highly recommended as the latest hot spot in SF. Nice ambience & a major tick up from the old place. Menu limited...lots of organ meats...chose meatballs & some pasta..and grilled carrots...All three dishes were so spicy we couldn't eat them. I think someone should taste the sauce after they make it so those with problems w/spice an make an informed decision. The things we got instead: grilled polenta, House Cappucino, focaccia...all were excellent. Very expensive menu, ala carte.

We were lucky enough to snag bar seating for dinner on a Friday evening. The bartenders provided excellent service. I was a bit disappointed in the limited menu. Honestly, nothing really jumped out as something I just had to have. That being said, my choice of salad and the meatballs was a good one for a light dinner. My dining companions were very pleased with their choices- the polenta and the pork chop. Pricey but good in a nice atmosphere.

We had such a good time here on a rercent Thursday night - we drank and ate much too much but it was great! Cocktails are really well done; wines are good too - we shared lots of side dishes - and had pastas that were yummy - a good salad to share; fried anchovies that were to die for; and then it begins to blur - we ened with some of their special chocolate and alcohol drinks (yum!) and desserts to share - sat in the back in a booth. Staff was great; loved everything! Expensive at the end but worth it!

Everything about our visit was just as it should be, wonderful. We didn't have reservations, and arrived early, sitting at the bar. The bartender was fabulous and actually spoke to the matre' D on our behalf and we were promptly seated in a booth. The good service continued throughout our meal. Our waiter suggested sharing all dishes, which was the perfect way to experience more tasty delights. The minestrone soup was amazing with lots of noodles and pesto. We had the fruit salad, the market salad and the anchovy salad all of which were unique and different. We also had the nettle pasta, which was our only disappointment of the entire evening. It was more like a Mac and cheese and had an off putting maple flavor. We then shared the chicken which was succulent, moist and flavorful, for dessert we had the house cappuccino, which is made from chocolate ganache, Armagnac and bourbon, the chocolate torte and chocolate sorbet. All were rich, silky and delightful.

Quirky place with designer food. The best way I can describe this is "not what you would expect for Italian food" but everything had wonderful flavor and was well prepared. The pasta dishes are small which allows you to order starters. Starters aren't large enough to share. Third course choices are meant to be mains, but didn't order so I can't recommend. The servers were standoffish friendly, and somewhat slow. The menu is very small and based on size, I would say over-priced, but based on flavor I would say spot on. Not good for kids.

This is the place to go for a delicious, fun dinner. Great menu, fabulous servers and terrific food. Ambience, setting, buzz is all spectacular

Tosca created a wonderful, memorable evening for us in the intimate Chef's Lounge last night for my brother's 50th birthday. Marcel suggested lovely wines and Ashley took great care of us all evening. The setting was perfect - we had our own space - and the meal was amazing, from the moscardini and antipasti, the unique and delicious Point Reyes Blue salad, incredible roasted chicken to the chocolate hazelnut cannoli and signature cappuccino. Eliot was so helpful and made the planning easy, and our group felt very welcomed and special. Thank you all for the perfect night - it was just what I had hoped for.

Tosca is owned by the same folks who own a number of NY restaurants including the Spotted Pig (a favorite of mine). Tosca is not in the same class which means it is a good restaurant with excellent service. In regards to service the Navaho member of our service team was excellent as was our wait person. The sommelier and manger were ok; but not up to the Spotted Pig standard of excellence. The food was on the salty side and somewhat expensive such as about $2 a meatball, and a $1 per beet and potato. The best items were, cocktails, black cod, pasta, and the after dinner coffee drinks. The wine list was so so and ranged from $50-$100 per bottle. Desserts were good and I recommend the tiramisu over the other selections.

Saw "The Mind of a Chef" featuring this restaurant and owner Chef April and head Chef Josh so we had high hopes. Fyi: You have to order a lot of food to get nearly full - the plates are small and you spend a lot. We started with crispy pig tails and well-crafted drinks from the bar. Perfect! Then we had a butter lettuce salad, meatballs with focaccia (all yummy). After that it went down hill. We had the lamb hearts boccatini with guancignale and the rigatoni with octopus...all waaay over-salted to the point I only ate part of my rigatoni. Meanwhile, the music caters to the boisterous bar-folk so you're digesting to classic rock like Rick Springfield and Heart with only an occasional easy-to-digest-to song thrown in. Where's Dean and Frank? Even more Motown would be preferable to rock with my dinner, no matter how "classic" it is.

The Tosca Cafe is all about the food! I am going to use the common names of the foods we shared, The names for the dishes on the menu only a real foodie would know. The Octopus was cooked perfectly not rubbery, and was very tasty, the olives on the table flavored with star anise, etc . The Radicchio dish was also great. The carrot, pig tails, etc all very good! The bottom line is the food is different but outstanding prepared by a true artist. The front of the house seemed to have no manager, fortunately we had the perfect table close to the bar where the waiters stood around. The food came when the "artist" had completed their work. Our meal was well paced, but we were in no hurry. This comment may not be fair since we only had one wine, but the waiter told us we were ordering one of the best wines on the menu, in my opinion it was way over priced. The location in North Beach is perfect for this eatery!

After several flight delays we arrived late in San Francisco and we weren't sure what would be open. We had heard Tosca's kitchen was open late so we made the 15 minute walk from our hotel and were happy to find it open and not too busy. We ended up there for late night happy hour, so we got a couple of Negronis followed by the pasta special and a bottle of Piemontese wine. It was a perfect "welcome" to our Christmas holiday in San Francisco.

Enjoy the original feeling of old north beach. Good bartenders. Reasonably priced drinks for the era and area, but overpriced wines by the glass. Overall, though, a decent choice for the experience at the bar only. Don't waste your efforts at a real dinner here. Terrible service even on a slow night. All staff friendly but somewhat incompetent. Water forgotten until second request. Bread for cheese board forgotten until second request. Focaccia, recommended and pushed by waiter, forgotten until requested , again. Food was fine. Nothing really bad but nothing really to go back for. Long spaces between service check in and long wait between courses. For the price really not worth it.

This place is good for the soul - Tosca captures the buzz of the city with its retro decor, high energy vibe and friendly service. Sitting one-up at the bar is surprisingly comfortable - sample a good but pricey wine card and the creative multi-course menu. I had Egg Tonnato (with anchovies and spicy mayo) and Spanish Octopus (imported from Spain, tenderised in New York - truly globalised) rounded off with a Japanese 12-year old whiskey. Great experience, and terrific friendly service - I loved it.

The salads and focaccia bread are a must. We loved the cacce de peppi, steak and polenta. The tiramisu is worth waiting for. They have a great Italian wine selection.

Open viewing of kitchen, comfortable booths and fun bar make this an attractive restaurant. Salads are fresh and tasty. Focaccia bread is light and crispy. Bucatini was very good. Chicken and potatoes were a nice main course.

My daughters had raved about it---after experiencing a great meal at Spotted Pig in NYC we wanted to go here any way given the pedigree. Service was Excellent...Meatballs and focaccia were not on the menu but they were available for the asking. THE winning dish was LUMACONI....worth the trip! It's a pasta dish with a lemon cream sauce with pancetta and bread crumbs, A simply wonderful combo if smells and flavors and textures...one of the BEST pasta dishes I've ever had anywhere. My pork was perfect...tender and served with delicious potato side . Great meal. Great value. A little loud BUT that's because the crowd was happy!

Crispy pig trotters, pig ears and well mixed cocktails. What else do you need? Good crowd? Check. 439 other bars within 4 blocks to move on to? Check.

Three of us had dinner here on a Thursday night. We had lots of different types of dishes and, therefore lots of different flavor so. There was not one bite I didn't like! We started with the focaccia bread, meatballs, padron peppers and bucatini. The meatballs are outstanding and the good focaccia bread does well to soak up the sauce. Padron even peppers were the small ones and full of flavor. And the bucatini, well the meat sauce made it special. We finished with the chicken and a pumpkin purée side dish. The chicken easily lived up to its reputation, the sauce and the bread under the chicken were just delicious. Wine by the glass was a tad expensive, but I will say they were good wines. And the service was excellent. Attentive but not overbearing. Clearly executive chef Josh Even and his staff have a winner here.

Old San Francisco with a Euro vibe.....ordered about 6 items....from the meat balls to their version of cacao e' pepe. Everything was outstanding. Can recommend enough... worth a detour!!

Great place! Amazing food and atmosphere! Amazing service provided by Lisa! Congrats! Drinks were also well done.

Tosca Cafe, from James Beard Award winner April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman, is a neighbourhood gem. Stepping through the doors is like stepping back in time to an old school Italian joint. But don't get the wrong idea, there are no checkered tablecloths and oversized portions here. The room has been lovingly restored--a dark, beautiful bar where bartenders in white lab coats work their magic, an old jukebox, and a simple interior set the right mood. Wait staff is very friendly and attentive (a treat at such a 'buzzy' eatery). But it's the food that's the star here--with innovative yet simple dishes that don't try too hard. We can't wait to go back.

Stopped here for a cocktail before dinner elsewhere and we both loved our drinks. I had the Polo Club with Vodka and it was delicious and very fancy.

Tosca was icon bar in North Beach & so happy that it is now this fantastic restaurant. Kept the bar feel & juke box & cappuccino maker. Small seating so reservations a must. After looking at the menu, had to order the specialty chicken for 2. Waitress suggested preorder as it take an hour, so she nicely did that & we continued to browse menu. Had olives, very good & salad. The chicken was the best ever. The bread with ricotta in the juices....wow. enjoyed a nice rose suggested by our great waitress & bottle of wine we brought. Ended our meal with cappuccino for dessert. Walked back to Union Square as we were so full, even tho there was a light rain. Will return for more.

Went here with a group of friends. Definitely don't skip the pasta course--the pasta was a highlight! There were seven of us who ordered appetizers and entrees, and everyone was happy with the food. Also nice: The wait staff was attentive, but also didn't rush us out of our table like some other places tend to do. We hung out for three hours completely unbothered except for our waitress checking in on us for more food/drinks. A great place for couples or groups of adults. I'd probably leave the kids at home for this one, since the restaurant is a bit loud and it has more of bar/lounge feel.

This is my second time to Tosca in the past year. It has so much character! Food, service and ambience Tosca has it all. I could have stayed there all night. My son and I shared several plates which is a great way to experience Tosca. We ordered the panini, octopus, focaccia, rigatoni, steak and meatballs. All were outstanding. The meatballs aren't on the menu but are always available. They are the best I ever had and hate to admit they may be better than mine. Did I just say that? I had a Sangiovese blend, don't recall the name it was so good I had 3 glasses. I usually stop at 2. I love this place and highly recommend Tosca.

This place is classic San Francisco, reservations can be tricky at prime time, but is serves dinner late. If you like octopus get the Moscardini, it is sublime!

We booked a reservation here based on all of the good reviews from tripadvisor. Now, let me first state that I am willing to pay good money for good food. Tosca charges a lot of money for a poor product. (And a small amount of it, for that matter!) They had a peculiar selection of main entrees. I am not particularly fond of organ meat. We ordered two appetizers, one cocktail, one salad and two small pasta items and our bill was 178.00 dollars. My two friends actually considered going to another restaurant afterwards because we were still hungry and nothing else looked appealing on the menu. The waitress and manager were helpful in describing the menu items but were so detailed about them that it became a humorous game at our table to see if the description matched the food. It did not. The artichoke appetizer was disgusting and drowning in olive oil. The fried anchovies were strange and filled with large hard bones that had to be flossed out in the bathroom. The place is loud and pretentious. I am sad to say that I wasted an evening there. There are so many better places that we enjoyed in San Francisco during our weeklong stay.

How many people can say they have had a cocktail in the same bar as Jack Kerouc and Frank Sinatra? Refurbished in recent years, Tosca Café still has the red leather booths, checkered floor and vintage murals, The cocktail list still features the house cappuccino (not a boring old coffee!) and this is fun place to stop for a boozy pre-dinner drink.

Living is the San Diego area I came up to SF over the New Years in 2015 with my girlfriend. She lives in LA now but lived here in SF for over 5 years. We went to Tosca for drinks "before" they opened their restaurant. Visiting now and reconnecting with some of her old friends we went back to Tosca because we had heard about the amazing food they are now serving. All I can say is that the bill for the three of us was $200 and so well worth it. The food was amazing! We shared dishes between us. We had cauliflower frito with fried onions, smoked mussel soup, spaghetti with a side of meatballs, Spanish octopus, and Brussels sprouts with pancetta. Not only did we have all this but we shared a bottle of Barbera wine! We all agreed that this meal was amazing! The attention to detail at the pass, our waitress, the waitstaff were superb! If you want to have a leisurely dinner with great food and service you need to stop by Tosca Cafe. A reservation is a must!

Excellent in every way, delicious food, friendly and attentive staff, great atmosphere. The best pasta we have ever tasted, everyone, from the waitresses to the manager, was extremely pleasant and welcoming on both occasions that we visited. We couldn't recommend this venue more highly. Two marvellous experiences.

As a native Northern Californian (Oakland) I have had the opportunity to eat and drink at many of our area's oldest and finest restaurants and saloons. Tosca Cafe had a long and illustrious history as a bar...a nighttime hangout in San Francisco's North Beach serving some of best and most potent cappuccino and featuring a vintage juke box with old standards and great operatic arias. Now living in Maryland my wife and I took the opportunity on a recent visit to dine at the newly refurbished Tosca Cafe. While the ambiance has been retained...along with the juke box..the dining experience was absolutely terrific! Wonderful menu and first rate service. Go if you can!

I've been going to Tosca Cafe for many years to meet friends for drinks - so always thought of it as a cool, San Francisco, vintage place to have cocktail. Well, they must have a new chef because I ended up having dinner there last night and the food was excellent. We shared the lemon cream pasta, which was delish, and I got the pork chop, medium temp and it was very moist. I would definitely go back to Tosca for dinner.

This restaurant has a lovely atmosphere. I visited with my mom in September and we shared the Roast Chicken for two - it was definitely worth the wait! The marsala sauce was the best I've ever tasted, but don't be surprised when the chicken comes out with the feet still attached! The server won't be offended when you ask for it to be cut off back in the kitchen if you aren't daring enough to try it! We also had the treat of listening to live music during our meal.

Trendy, cool, and updated, but don't let that fool you. Food is awesome! crispy Pigs ears that were so thinly sliced its velvety texture simple melted in your mouth, olives, cured meats, Frito misto, grilled polenta, fried pork chop perfectly cooked. Went there lat august when visiting the city, with two friends, and honestly I want to come back every evening.

STAY AWAY. I worked happily at Tosca many years ago when we only served drinks and always felt that serving food would be a great addition to the atmosphere.When I heard that Jeanette had sold to restaurant people I was thrilled.When they reopened it seemed a perfect time to meet our friend and former Tosca owner to celebrate our anniversary and have dinner. The evening went bad fast.Your classic "too cool to acknowledge you" twenty something behind the bar needed to carefully arrange a bunch of mint before he could say hello or I will be right with you.Neither could the other 3 chatting bartenders nearby.Four available people and no service. Our table was ready in an acceptable amount of time, the menus came, we ordered and after 40 minutes we had to physically flag down our waiter to ask when our 2 cold antipasti would be coming.How long should it take to put some cold squid and olives in a small bowl? Our waiter insisted that he supply us with the antipasti even though I said I wanted to cancel that portion of the meal.Of course we were charged.Once again our waiter wasn't paying attention when entrees came shortly after and WE had to help clear the plates in order to make room for our dinner plates.One of the commandments of waiting tables is that you never walk away from a table without removing an empty plate, glass,etc. Keeping with the downhill slide of service our portions were small, not very good or hot and HEAVILY HEAVILY salted.When we were finished with the meal and with our knifes and forks placed at 12 & 6 on our nearly empty plates we then waited another 20 minutes before our waiter could be bothered to clear anything away. The music was obnoxiously LOUD and appeared to be designed to keep your attention away from the fact that the service is exhaustingly bad,the food mediocre and that Tosca has lost its charm. The evening was only saved by the great company at our table.

We were recommended to go here and went for pre-dinner drinks . We had our drinks then left to get a Chinese meal but couldn't find anyplace nice so decided to go back to Tosca for dinner (turned out that we hadn't paid for our pre dinner drinks and my friend had left his credit card behind the bar anyway and they hadn't realised we had gone !) The wait was going to be about an hour and a half as it was busy but Sean got us settled with some nibbles at the bar and said he would try to get us seated ASAP. True to his word 45 mins later we were sorted. Good food good atmosphere. Amazing service from Sean. We asked for a recommendation for the following evening as we wanted to try something different he actually booked us a table and gave us the name of the person who had previously worked at Tosca who had moved there. All in all an amazing member of staff ( ps the recommendation for the next night was fantastic and we were treated really well as a friend of Seans)

The decor remains unchanged from my memories of extinct North Beach family restaurants. The food is interesting, innovative and delicious. Cocktails superb. Energetic atmosphere, but conversation still possible. The chicken for two feeds four. Service efficient. Active bar scene at front of house. Unpretentious for a restaurant of this caliber, reputation and buzz. Lovely meal all round.

We stopped in here with reservations and still waited twenty minutes for three of us. It’s a small spot and bustling. Staff was attentive and knowledgeable. We had three different pasta dishes and loved every bite. Would love to come back. Still thinking about those flavors. Not a cheap date though.

True to the overall feeling of SF, this little cafe feels like you've gone back to prohibition era. Beautiful decor, the right lighting, and receptive bartenders.

We were brought here by an SF native who knows his restaurants. Not disappointed. The food is excellently prepared but choice is limited. Don't expect pizza or spaghetti and meatballs. It was full when we were there and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. Not a place for a quick, cheap, meatball sandwich.

Had dinner tonight at Tosca and was a little disappointed. The room is beautiful, and the staff was attentive. A limited menu is ok, but doesn't seem to be outstanding in any dishes. The chicken advises that it will take them an hour.... Why not cook a certain amount and then when you're done, you're done? Seriously and hour? The wine list, at least the Italian section is all over the map. There seems to be a cluster around $40-60 of just few bottles and then a major jump to well over $100 with little in between. No Ripasso, no Valpolicella, very few Chiantis. So, one of the big issues was the music. When we got there, lots of thumpy modern type stuff. When I'm at Tosca, I really want Opera or at least some kind of Italian style of music. It feels to me like the music is being selected to please the 20 something staff, while the customers, a much older demographic are not factored in. It was also generally too loud. When you're eating dinner, you really don't want super loud music. It eased off after we mentioned it to our waitress, but it's really a pity that they get most of it 85-90% right and then drop the ball in key areas. Get the music right, revise the wine list, take reservations and you'll be in great shape.

We went there by recommendation of a local friend. We were a table of 7 and we had a reservation 9:30PM, they were very comprehensive an patience about we all coming late and they keep the table for us! Every dish was delicious. I think we just miss the music, I am just finding out reading the other reviews. I loved the place!!

Where do I start? Should it be the oversalted dishes? Perhaps the unattentive staff? The $42 chicken that took 1.5 hours instead of the advertised hour? The green salad that, while delicious, consisted of 7 leaves? The meatballs were delicious, though. Corkage was $25/bottle, and the waitstaff made a note that the bill wouldn't be high enough to justify their attention and ignored us most of the evening. Definitely for hipsters and tourists. San Francisco residents can do much better. May it die a quick death.

Tosca was brought back to life. Standing on its last leg, it's new kitchen and menu and tasty drinks make this place an easy choice. So much awful food in north beach, so it's nice to have a go to restaurant when feeling hungry for Italian. Food good, drinks good, and service good. Only thing that's not good is the wait, but that's a good sign for everything else at tosca.

You can tell this place has been picked by some rich New Yorkers. Has lost its counter-culture vibe. But it still exists looking much as it did 30 years ago. Nice for an expensive drint but skip the dining. Friendly staff.

In the last few months we went to Tosca three times for dinner. The first time we were so thrilled about the authentic, delicious Italian food and the first-rate service we told many friends about it. A month later we went with two other couples and we were shown to a tiny table that wasn't even large enough to sit five persons. We had to move. One couple had the pork special which was $55 per person, it looked awful and it tasted very ordinary; it certainty wasn't worth the money. In spite of an early reservation at 6:30pm, my favorite pasta of rigatoni with sage and cream was already 'sold out'! I wouldn't have felt cheated if they just told me the truth that they weren't offering it. But then they are supposed to have a daily changing menu. Go figure! We gave them the benefit of the doubt thinking that maybe that was just an 'off' night. Last week we went again with another friend. With the eight appetizers/mains/dessert we ordered, only one dish was good. The pastas weren't home-made and they were pretty much tasteless. The so-called 'stone fruit salad' which we had enjoyed before was a disgrace! The dessert looked and tasted old, it was probably purchased from a nearby shop rather than made on the premise. Needless to say we are not returning. I have never given any restaurant such a negative review because I don't want to put anyone out of business. But their bar scene was incredible so I don't think my review will hurt their bottom line.

Walking in we immediately loved the atmosphere. We were seated at a table with a few of the kitchen. It was so much fun to watch the creativity and care put into the preparation of each dish. We started with the market salad which was fresh and the pumpkin seeds added a nice flavor. The grilled polenta was to die for and I wish we had ordered 2 instead of sharing one. On the advice of our waitress we only order one entree to split. This was not the best advice as the salad and polenta were smallish so we were still a little hungry leaving the meal. We shared the grilled lamb which was so good!! The meat fell off the bones and the vegetables still makes my mouth water. All in all a great experience just wish we each had our own entree.

We decided to try this restaurant as it's listed as one of the 100 Best in San Francisco. We were not disappointed. The ordered some dishes to share-- the fried anchovies and the melon salad with prosciutto and then the polenta secondi. All the first courses were amazing. My husband and I had the pork chop for two-- we can say it's the best pork chop we've ever eaten at a restaurant-- tasty parmesan crust and very juicy inside-- sitting on top of some very flavorful slaw. One friend ordered the pork meatballs with a side of homemade focaccia and the other ordered the halibut. This is one of the best restaurants in all of North Beach!!!!

Few dining experiences can compare with Tosca. Each course was flavorful, expertly prepared, and delicious. The staff are attentive, gracious and thoroughly on top form. A must try.

We dined with friends and found the floors to be slippery and the waiter surly. We were told that our entire order needed to be placed at one time and the food would come out as the kitchen prepared it. The food was average except for the pig tail. The chicken, which is their specialty, did take a full hour to be served (they note that on the menu) and was rather bland and the skin not as crispy as implied on the menu and was served with the feet which was off-putting to some. The waiter never asked how we wanted the hangar steak cooked and it was "blue". The meal was average and although the cafe has not lost it's old San Francisco charm, there are too many great restaurants like Northbeach Restaurant a little further up Columbus to return.

We went with a party of 5 and ordered "family style". Some of the dishes were adequate, but we ordered the "signature" chicken for 2 (which take an hour to prepare). Firstly, the menu implies that this is a whole chicken as it was priced at double the average entree. However, it was only a half. We started eating it, and one of our party bit into the drumstick and found it was raw. We then cut into the thigh and found the same (the breast was barely done). We then sent the dark meat pieces back for further cooking since we prefer not to get salmonella. They took it back begrudgingly and returned with a small piece of chicken on a plate. When we saw it, it turned out to be another breast, and some of our group prefers dark meat. When we asked what happened to our chicken, they said "you bit it so we couldn't serve it". No apology...more of an accusation. Terrible attitude from what we think was the manager. Overall a very substandard experience.

Place, drinks and service are great. It was recommended to me by a guy that lives in SF since forever, so, it's a good place to go, even if you know the city.

Made a res. Table was ready on time. Tbis is a vintagey throback looking place (leather banquets etc.). Menu was interesting and everything we got was fantastic. Crispy pig tails, charcuterie, meatballs, sausage and pasta all great. Dessert delicious tiramisu (similar to my own homemade). Drinks well made. Service was top notch(Lisa).

We stumbled upon the Tosca at around 11 pm after spending hours browsing at the City Lights Bookstore across the street. We'd eaten dinner hours earlier and were looking for a late appetizer and a cocktail. At 11 pm the bar was pretty full and the restaurant held a few late diners. The service by our waitress Danielle was wonderful. (How often have you been in a restaurant, off peak, with few customers and multiple waiters and received terrible service? This was very definitely not the case here!) Danielle was attentive, completely well informed about the menu and beverage selection, and had a great sense of humor. I ordered a cocktail that I did not like (can't recall the name--it sounded interesting, but was a bit too medicinal and cough syruppy for my taste), and she immediately offered to return it and get me something else. Mostly due to her enthusiasm and the excellent first round of cocktails and appetizers (Cosmo Daisys, Focaccia and Meatballs), we ordered the swordfish main course just to sample another dish from the kitchen. It was delicious! We finished the evening with the House Cappuccino, a tasty cocktail whose history dates back to Prohibition. All in all a delightful and surprising dining experience. We will definitely return to Tosca on our next trip. Thanks to Danielle and the kitchen for a delightful experience! It occurred to me once again that the most important component of a truly memorable dining experience is often the service. You can dine at an absolutely stellar restaurant on top of its its game and have amazing dishes, but if the service is inattentive, arrogant, or condescending (as it can be in some very good restaurants, e.g., on this trip, Bungalow 44 in Mill Valley), the overall impression I leave with is disappointment. On the other hand, you can be in an average to above average restaurant and with wonderful service, the dining experience can be elevated above the food. Tosca was a very good restaurant with exceptional service!