North Beach Restaurant

we happened along this restaurant by chance - and i wish that we had kept on going. this seemed to continue our tour of "restaurants that take advantage of tourists in san francisco.) good wine list or no, there is absolutely no reason to charge $20+ for pasta dishes. speaking of wine, we ordered a 2000 wine of a certain label- and the waiter brought us a 200 with a completely different label. i have seen other restaurants pull this b.s. before, so i was pretty peeved. the insalata caprese was decent (although i have never had it with red onion before) but my friend's cesar salad seemed wilted. the bread was stale, and the spaghetti carbonara was a rip off at, $5 per bite my friend had the osso bucco, which was the only thing really flavorful that evening. even the tiramisu, which they claim is homeade, was mediocre. sheesh - avoid this place unles you want to be considered a total suckah. total price for touristy mediocrity? $172 Pros: blech Cons: waiters trying to switch wine on you and $20+ pasta dishes - rip off. more

The seafood is fresh and the ingredients are very good quality. The wine list is huge. The house wine list is good and reasonably priced. The waiters are passionate about wine. But some of them seem to have missed their naptime. The desserts are fresh and worth ordering. Pros: Fresh seafood Cons: Moody waiters more

My husband & I spent a long weekend in SF in January 2007, and we wound up having lunch here with two friends (one was a local). Lunch was just lovely, unhurried, delicious pasta dishes, loved the Chianti Classico by the glass. All four of us were very happy with our meals. The following night, my husband & I were wandering around the North Beach area searching for a good place for dinner. After not seeing anything that jumped out at us, we returned to the North Beach restaurant and they seated us promptly. (Since we didn't have a reservation, we got a table in the back by a service area, but it wasn't a problem.) We were equally pleased with our meals and wine. The service was impeccable. We both highly recommend dining here. Pros: Delicious Pasta more

If you know anything about food, Italian or otherwise, you will be disappointed. Only one Italian wine on the wine by the glass list - a Chianti reserve, a great example of how behind this restaurant is in addressing the current tastes of it's patrons. We bought a $38 bottle of Barolo which retails at the importer's outlet in Los ANgeles for, I believe, about $15. The marinated calamari was fresh, a good sign, but the marinade lacked taste and was dull. The bread was fresh but dry. Considering the availability of all the boutique bread bakeries these days, there is no excuse for bad bread. The polenta soup? Lumpy polenta over a bland tomato sauce with a slice of melted mozzarella on top. The lasagna noodles were slimy, the meat dry, layered with more of the bland tomato sauce and smothered in way too much cheese. The linguini with wild mushrooms had a good mushroom taste, but the pasta itself was again heavy and slimey, probably from the addition of too much pasta water to the sauce. Unlike the lasagna, it was edible, but for the price, it should have been closer to perfection. The grated cheese was freshly grated in a bowl, but not from a piece over my plate by the waiter. I wondered what they were thinking. I'd be astounded if someone told me it was Parmigiano Reggiano. It's an OK environment, and although a bit loud, I did not find it too loud. I guess it's fun to be waited on by experienced older male Italian-American waiters in dark suits, but that did not overcome this restaurants shortcomings. This restaurant was probably in step with the times about 35 years ago. If you appreciate Italian / Italian-American cooking, this is not for you. Pros: Location - nice part f town to stroll around in after dinner. Cons: Fresh but sub-par food. Out of step with the times. more

This restaurant was recommended to us by our hotel concierge, as well as several other locals we asked for an Italian recommendation. It was very nice with a sophisticated feel. Definitely noisy and crowded, but we had excellent service! We arrived on a Saturday night with no reservation and waited only about 20 minutes at the bar (bartender was not as friendly as the rest of the bunch-but oh well!) The only disappointment was that we were looking for an old style Italian restaurant with an old style feel-dark, red and quiet. This did not fit that whatsoever-but if that's not part of your requirement, I would definitely go!! more

We love North Beach Restaurant. The wine list, service and food have been excellent every time we have dined there. The lasagna is definitely worth the wait. The menu states that it is made when ordered and may take up to 20 minutes but those minutes fly by when drinking a good glass of wine in this pleasant atmosphere. However, the real reason to eat at North Beach is the polenta soup. It is addictive! It is the ultimate comfort food! What more can I say?! Pros: valet parking, great food, polenta soup Cons: can be noisy more

I thought this restaurant was excellent. Everything from the service to the food was top notch. Pros: Excellent Food & Wine Cons: None more

start with one of their many great wines. a large listing was a bit overwhelming, but the knowledgeable staff didn't steer us wrong. the menu is varied, unique but traditional and well worth a visit. if you have time after dinner, ask to see the prociutto room - they cure their own prociutto and it's to die for. would dine here again in a heartbeat more

I love the North Beach Restaurant for its authentic Tuscan menu! Pros: Authentic Tuscan food, Best Italian wines, Open late to 11:45PM Cons: Crowded, Reservations needed more

If enjoy authentic Italian food like cooked in Tuscany Italy with the freshest ingredients, Pros: Great wine list, Real Italian food, Great service Cons: Always crowded, Pricey more

I have been a loyal customer at the North Beach Restaurant for over 20-years because of its Tuscan culinary excellence, casual relaxed ambiance, superb wine list, and friendly attentive service! My San Francisco based company holds its business meetings in the restaurant's private Wine Cellar where we strategize the future while savoring its authentic Tuscan cuisine! -Happy San Francisco CEO- Pros: Great food, Attentive service, Ideal large parties Cons: Noisy, Not on Open.Table.com, Pricey more

I went here twice, once for a company Christmas party, and once on a busy Saturday night without a reservation. On both occasions, I had excellent food. When we showed up without a reservation, the host did his best to get us a table as quickly as possible. The service was a bit rushed, but the food was delicious. This was one of the best meals I have ever had in San Francisco, and I look forward to going back the next time I'm in town. One complaint though, is that the portions were very small. If you are looking for a hearty meal that you can doggie bag and enjoy the next day too, you might want to look elsewhere. Pros: Great Food, Excellent Host, Extensive Menu Cons: Server was rushed, Small Portions more

Unbelievably good food, attentive service. Appreciate small tables grouped together so as not to have to compete with large or loud groups. more

My boyfriend and I went here for New Years Eve last year, and the food, service, wine, and ambiance were all top notch!! I was dreaming about the homemade ravioli for days afterwrds!! It was the perfect place to start off a wondeful night and I am definitely coming back again and again! Pros: great food, great wine, valet more

Nice selection of wines, both red and white. This is an old school place, with a spacious downstairs area. Friendly people, and good service as well. more

The food was barely ok. The maitre d' was pleasant, but the waiter was horrible. We each ordered a spinach salad, and he told us there was bacon on it, which we each requested not be on it. We were presented with 2 plates of spinach. Nothing on it at all. Not even an offer of pepper. My companion's gnocchi was decent, but nothing great. My seafood risotto was far too hot, nearly burning my mouth. The waiter looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there, and was never around except to bring us our food when it came out. Cons: Inattentive staff, Mediocre food more

Good food. Bad service. Expensive meal. Great wine list if you have money to burn. Pros: food Cons: service more

The waitstaff was friendly, helpful and attentive to our party of four. They were very gracious to two of our semi-invalid guests. There were at least three maitre d' holding doors open and seating us. The food - starting with Caesar salad (not table-made but interesting), polenta soup (tasty and unusual) and prosciutto and melon followed by petrale sole (excellent), roast pork (outstanding) and veal piccatta with warm zabiglione and creme caramel for desert - was as good as we've had in the bay area. Pros: Food, Service, Valet Parking Cons: Crowded more

Althogh looking for a spot requires patence and luck. Just look forward for the main course. Its well worth the wait and the service is great. Dine if your in the mood for great itallian pasta dishes. I would definetly go there again. Pros: Price, Portion, Food Cons: Parking, Wait more

I love North Beach Restaurant for it's traditional Italian food. The waiters are excellent and the food is amazing! more