Top Italian Restaurants in San Francisco (and surroundings)

San Francisco doesn’t follow fashion. It dictates it. Just look at the wave of organic products, of natural wines, and the long-established success of orange wines. The most European city in the United States offers extraordinary Italian restaurants, ones that combine sophisticated yet pure cucina along with memorable wine lists. It’s all the byproduct of a sensibility unique in the nation. Even the pizza is exceptional – light, well-made, crisp.

Italico Restaurant & Wine Bar
341 California Ave - Palo Alto
We're happy to greet this lovely restaurant and wine bar in our guide. First of all, we were very impressed by the wine selection which is extremely rich and accurate....


Vina Enoteca
700 Welch Rd - Palo Alto
A rustic and casual atmosphere identifies this bar restaurant opened on October 2016 by Rocco Scordella. He created an effective concept, a multifunctional eatery that is both a wine bar...


AltoVino
1358 Mason St - San Francisco
There are many reasons to return to Claudio Villani’s wine bar and restaurant. First of all, we loved the all Italian wine list wich displays about 20 proper labels offered...


Pausa
223 East 4th Avenue - San Mateo
This is a smart, eco-friendly, and contemporary concept in the heart of San Mateo, a 30 minute ride outside San Francisco. Pausa is at the same time an Italian-style bar,...


A16
2355 Chestnut Street - San Francisco
Shelley Lindgren has done a unique job of featuring and promoting Italian wines in California, especially with regards to the grape varieties of Southern Italy, searching and selecting with no...


Montesacro - Pinseria Enoteca
510 Stevenson Street - San Francisco
The first restaurant opened by Gianluca Legrottaglie in the United States to share the philosophy of Roman pinsa is really worth trying. The openings in Portland and New York followed....


Belotti - Ristorante e Bottega
5403 College Avenue - Oakland
The restaurant of the young and volcanic Michele Bellotti that offers a truly solid and traditional cuisine, enlivened by refined products, also locally sourced, and creative flair is proceeding at...


Acquerello
1722 Sacramento Street - San Francisco
Giancarlo Paterlini and chef Suzette Gresham’s Nob Hill restaurant turns 30 years old. Technically the place has no Italian restaurant contenders on the West Coast. Among the plates that are...


Il Casaro
348 Columbus Ave - San Francisco
Il Casaro is a San Francisco magnet for lovers of pizza napoletana. Francesco Covucci, originally from Calabria, offers a well-made pizza with good quality raw materials, supported by a well-leavened...


InoVino
108-B Carl Street - San Francisco
What a lovely wine bar. Opened by Claudio Villani in the Cole Valley neighborhood in 2013, today displays new owners (Kari and Francesco) but the same successful concept. The atmosphere...


La Ciccia
291 30th Street - San Francisco
In San Francisco it's hard not to know or never having been to La Ciccia. The Italian restaurant - pardon, Sardinian - is well known throughout the city and beyond....


54 Mint
16 Mint Plaza - San Francisco
This Italian restaurant opened in 2009. The management is entrusted to Gianluca Legrottaglie, a Rome native partner, and his origins are immediately evident in the choice of many Roman cuisine...


Tony's Pizza Napoletana
1570 Stockton St - San Francisco
Plan time to enjoy a fine Neapolitan-style pizza in San Francisco. American Tony Gemignani shows his Italian origins in both his pizza dough and his gesticulations. He is a pizza...