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Ah, amore. San Francisco has had a long love affair with Italians and Italian restaurants. San Francisco's North Beach is still the epicenter of all things Italian, with restaurant after restaurant serving pasta, antipasti and fine Italian wines. San Francisco has all types of Italian food, from the city's best meatball sandwich at Dino's on Fillmore, to traditional Italian restaurants where opera posters cover the walls at La Traviata, to small, intimate Italian restaurants in North Beach that take no reservations. For an Old World feel with tables on the sidewalks, North Beach is definitely the place to go. But arrive early on the weekends, or prepare for a wait—everyone else wants Italian food in San Francisco, too.
2162 Larkin Street, San Francisco CA 94109 (Russian Hill)
Formerly a quiet, neighborhood Italian restaurant, Amarena is now a hip spot for happy hour cocktails and small plates of Italian style tapas. Dinner at Amarena takes traditional Italian food and updates it with an edgy, Californian flair.
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855 Howard St., San Francisco CA 94103 (South of Market)
A kitschy place for Italian immigrant flavor and food in South of Market near the Moscone Convention Center and the SF Museum of Modern Art. Carafes of wine keep flowing (not the vintner's choicest, but certainly the cheapest) and the menu covers the family style favorites like garlic bread, ravioli, hearty pennes, cheesy lasagna and meaty sauces. The atmosphere is boisterous and fun, with red gingham tablecloths and a veritable explosion of Italian-American paraphernalia adorning the walls. Buca di Beppo also has a full bar and is an excellent San Francisco restaurant for large groups and birthday parties.
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1265 Battery St San Francisco CA 94111 (Financial District / Embarcadero)
In the Financial District's Levi's Plaza, Il Fornaio is a chain restaurant that breaks away from the chain gang with rustic, Northern Italian fare. The pastas and wood-fired pizzas and breads are standouts at this very business lunch friendly restaurant (Il Fornaio means ÒovenÓ in Italian after all).
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221 Powell St., San Francisco CA 94102 (Downtown/Union Square)
You're starving, you're shopping your buns off at Macy's, Nieman's and Ann Taylor. What to do? Hit the bustling trattoria filled to the rafters with gorgeous people, killer decor—lots of spun copper and blown-glass tchochkas—and serious pastas (delicious and affordable). Also to-die-for raviolis and tons of olive oily foccacia. There's a smart little espresso annex next door too, where you can load up on pastries.
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640 Sacramento Street, San Francisco CA 94111
Palio d'Asti serves the hearty, earthy cuisines of Tuscany and the Italian Northwest regions of Liguria and Piedmont. Recommended dishes include mezzelune alla monferrina, house-made almond and fontina filled half moon ravioli with spinach and white truffle oil; Tuscan seafood stew; and kitchen's fresh made desserts.
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129 Ellis Street, San Francisco CA 94102 (Downtown/Union Square)
Energetic and inexpensive, Puccini & Pinetti is an Italian grill and American Bar just off Union Square. The pastas range from light to rustic and the menu also offers wood fired pizzas, salads, paninis, hearty meat and seafood dishes and decadent desserts. The ambiance is one of San Francisco's most kid-friendly restaurants (kids can make their own pizzas and choose from a special kid's menu).
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532 Columbus Ave., San Francisco CA 94133-2802 (North Beach)
Ligurian (I'd have to show you on a map, but it's in Northern Italy) cuisine, with touches of the North Beach locale that's given it continued success. Rich cioppino (a classic San Fran-talian seafood stew), earthy fava beans and fennel accents make this informal classic a creative and rewarding respite from the Columbus Avenue shuffle.
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28 Belden Place San Francisco CA 94104 (Financial District / Embarcadero)
Tucked away in a secluded alley in downtown San Francisco, Tiramisu is a small, Northern Italian style bistro known for its namesake, heavenly layers of expresso-drenched lady fingers. The pasta is homemade and the menu changes daily to offer the freshest seafood available.
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1800 Mason Street, San Francisco CA 94133 (North Beach)
Photo-montage walls, old-fashioned linoleum and hand-painted china give this North Beach restaurant a cozy, grandmaternal feel. Welcoming and neighborly (the Cable Car line connecting downtown San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf passes right outside), the Trattoria Contadina (opened in 1983) has a lively mood and simple and eclectic menu of traditional pastas, grilled meats and seafood.
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