AcquerelloPerfect for that special occassionThe wife and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary dinner here. This is one of those dining experiences that will be etched in our memories. Great food, great service, wonderful ambiance. A near perfect restaurant for a special occasion.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMBest SF restaurantThis restaurant was established in 1989 and is still here. I understand why. Food, service and ambience are excellent.
I and others in my group felt welcome and attended to. The noise level was perfect and allows us to speak without discomfort.
I would recommend this restaurant to others.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMChef's Tasting Menu AmazesThis Italian 12 course meal had crudo and a Dashi, so there was a japanese fusion that I loved. The Two stand outs were pairing charcoal creme with Sotticencere truffled cheese and nastiurtium granita that tastes exactly like they smell as you work them in the garden. Basil strawberry rhubarb verbena chili cake was also exciting.
Very competent and pleasant sommelier who knew each valley of Lombardy when we discussed the region of production on the first wine taste.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMWe thoroughly enjoyed ourWe thoroughly enjoyed our meal and our evening at Aquerello. The staff was very kind and attentive, and the food was wonderful. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and this was just the right restaurant for a special occasion.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect for a romantic moment!The service Is superior in every way, the surroundings and lighting ooze romance, the tables sparkle, and the food Is both daring and beautifully presented, accented with "surprise tastes" that make the meal a real feast for the senses. Having dined at every highly-rated restaurant in San Francisco, our recent dining experience at Acquerello puts it at the top of the list. My wife who teaches gourmet cooking said she wants all of her friends to know about this gem, and would advise it to all fans of THE FRENCH LAUNDRY! By the way, if you happen to judge a restaurant by their extra-touches, I mention that Acquerello does have stools for the ladies purses.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous as AlwaysI love coming here for a special dinner. The service is amazing and the wine selections outstanding. If i could, I would make this my destination restaurant. It is the perfect place for a romantic dinner, special occasion dinner or a treat.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food here is always amazingThe food here is always amazing and the ambiance is special. This is an old chapel with beautiful high ceilings. The service is impeccable and well paced. We have dined here for many special occasions and it has been memorable each time.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic Anniversary DinnerRanks among the top 5 restaurants on my all time best list. My wife and I celebrated our 36th anniversary and everything about our experience at Acquerello was fantastic, from the hostess to the wait staff to the wonderfully prepared food. We were made to feel welcomed and not hurrried. Atmosphere was conducive to a romantic evening and they certainly made us feel special. Most highly recommend for a romantic evening. Expensive but worth it.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMExquisite dining!Not much to sY other than "fantastic" dining.....everything is exceptional, food, wine, service, atmosphere....even their flower arrangements are wonderful. The best SF dining!65/30/2013 12:00:00 AMMagical evenings at AcquerelloWhen you enter Acquerello, you are transported to a calm place far away in Italy, where there is passion for both food and service. The staff here are professionals, as one would expect at a Michelin starred restaurant. That they take pride in providing you with a perfect evening is evident.
The food and wine more than hold up their end of the picture. This is one of the few places where I am comfortable to just describe what I'm looking for in a wine, and place my choice entirely in the hands of the sommelier. I particularly loved the cuttlefish "tagliatelle", with the Mediterranean theme. The faux foie pasta is every bit as good as the original, as far I can tell, and is a must-have.5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThe outstanding food was expected,The outstanding food was expected, but where Acquerello really surprised us was with the superb wine pairings and the service staff's attention to detail. Highlights: veal tartare, ridged pasta with 'foie gras', swordfish, sommelier, service.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect special occasion spotOne of our best restaurant experiences ever. Formal service without being stuffy. The staff clearly love working there which means so much. We had the three and four course options, but counted 10 courses served, so be prepared to eat.
Amazing wine list with expert help from Gianpaolo.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMfabulousThis is one of my favorite restaurants in town,;the décor is elegant yet warm, the atmosphere is formal yet comfortable, the service is friendly and welcoming and the food is superb.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMTwo different type of foodWe have been told this restaurant is the best Italian restaurant in San Francisco. It is a good restaurant, best may be a little bit exaggerated. We had this impression that there were two chefs. One who knows what is doing the other one is just learning. The risotto wasn't good, the combination between pistachio and strawberry didn't come out well, thank god they were nice enough to change it without any fuss. The steak was ok, there was nothing special to it. The chicken with truffle was excellent. The fluke was very nicely prepared. I recommend this restaurant but be prepare that everything may not be as good as you expect.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect special occasion spotWe chose the four course dinner and they kicked things off with two extra offerings from the chef. Appetizers and entrees were phenomenal, but the standout for both of us were our pasta dishes: lamb agnolotti for me and gnocchi and sweetbreads for him. We finished with the cheese course, very festive since they bring the cart around to your table and take their time explaining each one. We did not opt for dessert, but they bring your pick of chocolates, macaroons, etc. anyway. Very nice touch. All in all it was the perfect evening. Really incredible attention to detail, knowledgeable and attentive service (the sommelier recommended two perfect wines for us), and beautiful ambiance! I'm already looking for an excuse to go back.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMJust superb at every level.Just superb at every level. One of the most sophisticated dinners we've had in San Francisco -- or just about anywhere, for that matter. Intense Italian flavors with a California touch, every course (and little intra-course "surprise") exquisite and inventive.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMDining at its best-What a lovely place! The food , the service, so gracious-Always little "extras" Maybe my favorite dining experience anywhere-5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMBetter than ever...Have been three times before and it has always been 1-star Michelin worthy; however, this time was even better. It seems, and our wait staff confirmed, that they have rounded the menu away from traditional Italian to a broader selection of foods which are Italian inspired. The dinner took us from carpaccio and caviar, to what are still the best pasta dishes out there (get the gnocchi), to lamb and beef and fish, all of which where equally delectable. As always, superb wine list, excellent service, and a romantic dining room to support the great food.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMMagnificent and Not to be MissedOh My Goodness! Bravo! The ambience lovely, service perfectly paced and food outstanding. Totally relaxing evening. The sommelier and service perfectly paced. Wonderful surprises from kitchen to begin. We chose four course a la carte menu and began with lamb shank ravioli (forgive me) and moved to divine swordfish with saffron sauce. Never had swordfish this tender and delightful. The cheese course (including marvelous piave, blue and unique choices) was fantastic as were desserts ... semifreddo, flourless chocolate, panna cotta (apricot) and THEN comes the cookie and chocolates etc. cart and biscotti compliments of restaurant. i will return and soon and i am sorry it took me so long to get to this amazing restaurant. What a gem. Graci5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMA surpriseWhilst staying in SF for ten days we extensively used our the UrbanSpoon app to be surprised over and again. The link with OpenTable is great.
Knowing we might be a bit late for our table and did not want to see it going away we took a cab from our hotel - Vitale at the Bay - and arrived just in time. Going in there was no one to welcome us so we wandered on expecting to be warmly welcomed. On the contrary. The staff was still merrily chatting and doing something of an unknown nature and we were ushered out to wait till our time would come.
Noboy cared about us for the next 15 min or so. Once the door was reopened we were brought to our table where we had a very interesting evening foodwise. Interesting people and great waiter service.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved Acquerello. DefinitelyLoved Acquerello. Definitely a Special Occasion restaurant. Food was perfectly prepared and not ordinary. Prix Fix menu was fun with good choices. The little surprise extras were unexpected and delicious. Wait staff and Sommelier were very professional and knowledgeable. Perfect in every way.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AM5 star restaurant declineFood maintained, barely, the 5 star rating to me.
Service was 5 stars
Portion were noticeably SMALLER but price increased!!!
Main complaint: I always look forward to sampler menu. This time when I ordered
the waitress said EVERYONE at the table MUST order it. WOW.
This is totally unfair (e.g, my wife is not a big eater and some people might
have strong likes/dislikes which preclude the sampler) as well as a shocking
surprise. No where on the web site or menu does it have this restriction.
I propose a BOYCOTT until this policy is changed. At least boldly stated at their web site.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGood Food, Good ServiceEverything that I ate was simply delicious and very well prepared. There is an excellent attention to detail when it comes to perfecting the food and Acquerello exemplifies that. The service was also excellent, not intrusive at all but available at just the right time. They made it a wonderfully pleasant evening.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMI have dined around the worldI have dined around the world and Aquarello is at the top of my list. The sommelier is friendly, enthusiastic and beautifully knowledgable. The food is creative yet simply satisfying.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMOverwhelming/intimidatingOverwhelming/intimidating at first but after the courses and wine started coming we settled in. It was an expensive night out but I got plenty of credit for the romantic night out.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were visiting from Chicago,We were visiting from Chicago, met up with some friends. Overall we were really pleased with them meal. The Sommelier was very well educated, I was impressed. We went with the four course meal. I thought the price was really reasonable considering it is a Michelin Star restaurant. The service was outstanding. I think overall the food was really good, nothing really "wow'd" me, but it was just a good meal. It is pretty quiet in there. It was just the four of us and we aren't loud people, but we seemed loud in that restaurant. It's very intimate, great date place and still very affordable. If we are back in the area I will definitely check it out again.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMI cannot say enough aboutI cannot say enough about how fantastic this restaurant is. The staff were helpful, polite and respectful of the romantic evening that my bf and I were having (so not interrupting anymore than was absolutely necessary). The food was excellent and the menu format (multiple courses listed with the option of a three course, four course, or five course meal) was a good way to try the best looking things on the menu. The unexpected between course specialties were a great, and very tasty, surprise while the biscotti box afterwards was the perfect thing to hold onto for breakfast the next morning.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMamazingthe best gourmet food art. The service is also over the top..4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful sommelier. CreativeWonderful sommelier. Creative presentation...knowledgeable staff...4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Anniversary YetNext best thing to having dinner in Alba or Acqui Terme, Italy. Sommelier, wait staff, and chefs all outdid themselves for our anniversary dinner. And the special surprises during and after the meal were delightful. Even the floral arrangements and the room's lighting contributed to the delicious dinner. Cannot wait for our return "flight" to Acquerello.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMThe venue is lovely, and theThe venue is lovely, and the service is stellar. We did wine pairings with our meal and the choices were excellent. We did a three course meal. The first two were very good, but the pork loin dish and the steak we had for the third course were both disappointing--underdone and tough. We were surprised because they do a lot of sous-vide cooking and that usually guarantees a perfect outcome.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMPhenomenal experience, truelyPhenomenal experience, truely a world class restaurant that does not miss anything.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMLovely experience. We wereLovely experience. We were a group looking for new and exciting experiences, and Acquarello didnt dissapoint. The service was very close and warm, made us feel like special guests in someones house. We took the tasting menu, and all courses were great, and four of them were even Wao's! If am ever again in San Francisco this is a place I wont miss.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMWelcoming and elegantAcquerello consistently delivers the finest dining experiences we have ever enjoyed. Food is adventurous and beautifully prepared. I don't think I have ever been in a restaurant where the staff works better as a team, and where everyone seems so genuinely eager to please and at the same time, glad to be there. It is a remarkable achievement, and rare.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMone of the Best food I ever hadI visited this restaurant for our 30th anniversary. This is the second time to come to here, and every time I enjoyed foods and services. Chef understood the "umami". Adding spices as little as possible and use original "umami" of each meats and vegetables. Service is excellent.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMA Michelin starred restaurantA Michelin starred restaurant worthy of its star. Service was highly pleasant and effcient. A marvelous restaurant.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMMy wife and I had the springMy wife and I had the spring tasting menu and we shared one of the wine pairings. Everything was simply excellent. We thought the wine pairings were fantastic; we especially liked the Kerner Valle Isarco (prawns), the Barbaresco (veal), the Etna Rosso ‘Outis’ (lamb), and the Barolo Chinato with the cheese course was lots of fun. I loved the fluke and my wife thought the pasta with ‘foie gras’ was wonderful. Of course, what sold her on the tasting menu were 3 dessert courses, which did not disappoint. Having gotten married on the Ides of March (really) some number of years ago, Acquerello made this one memorable. Thanks again to everyone at the restaurant for a lovely meal.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMI'd like to see a bit moreI'd like to see a bit more variety in the menu, but what I had was good.3/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMy best girlfriend's birthdayMy best girlfriend's birthday and her first visit to
Acquerello. We chose the seasonal tasting menu
and anxiously awaited each course. Every course was a surprise of uniquely wonder flavors and
beautifully created. She never eats butter or bread-
but she did at Acquerello! She wanted to taste
everything - each bite was fresh and exciting
combination of creative flavors. We will always
remember this birthday dinner! Excellent tasting food and
wonderful service3/12/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything was outstandingEverything was outstanding abouot Acquerello. The warm, engaging staff made us feel special. The dining room was a delight: tables were not close together, the color scheme of the room puts one in a relaxed mood. The food and service were exceptional.3/12/2013 12:00:00 AMVery tasty, but a bit tooVery tasty, but a bit too salty for lamb shank and too buttery for pasta.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMDefinitely an all-time topDefinitely an all-time top 3 restaurant, and we have been to quite a few good ones! Food was incredible, but the service was even more spectacular. Nobody that works there acted pretentious at all, and I got the impression that anyone eating there was treated like a VIP. Very good wine list as well.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMA little stodgy but the foodA little stodgy but the food will not make you sleepy!2/5/2013 12:00:00 AMRich, delicious, heavy food.Talk about delicious, tasty, special...heavy, rich, overwhelming food. In all honesty, the food is great, but both my husband and I felt it was too much heavy food back to back to back. We are foodies, we love to go to Michelin stared restaurants but also divey whole in the wall joints. As long as it tastes good. This was not our first time at Acquerello but it was our first time there in the past couple years. We had a good time but it's questionable that we'll be back again. If there is one item you MUST get it is the Ridged pasta w/ "foie gras" and truffles. Probably some of the best few bites you'll have in your life (but keep in mind, rich hevy, tasty and a little overwhelming!)2/2/2013 12:00:00 AMAn Elegant and OutstandingAn Elegant and Outstanding Night!!The service was some of the BEST we have ever had!Even though the restaurant is small there is Plenty of room between tables and not crowded or where you over hear other conversations --or someone else hears you
A Very Special Evening !1/30/2013 12:00:00 AM