Diners' Choice: Italian restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Italian cuisine in San Francisco Bay Area? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Caffe Macaroni

5.0

5 (710)

$30 and under

Italian

North Beach

About the restaurant

Chef & co-owner, Mario and his delightful wife, Stephanie, have a knack for making you feel as if they are cooking and serving just for you at this super-reasonable North Beach nook offering robust Southern Italian fare reminiscent of his native Naples; whether you’ve snagged an outdoor table or are in the small, casual interior, it delivers a pasta fix. The menu changes daily to ensure freshness.

Top review

Donvip

Dined on Aug 21, 2024

As always, great food and even better hospitality. Our go-to in SF for over 30 years.

Ristorante Milano

4.9

4.9 (2049)

$50 and over

Italian

Russian Hill

About the restaurant

The flavors of Milano's food and the rhythm of the dining room are reminiscent of trattorias in Italy's cities, according to Gourmet Magazine. It is a charming, intimate restaurant with an Italian staff, top quality ingredients, homemade pastas, exceptional veal, polenta, risotto, and fresh seafood delivered daily, served in warm surroundings. Known as the "hidden jewel of Russian Hill" The San Francisco Chronicle calls Milano "one of the most consistent restaurants in the city".

Top review

Reginavip

Dined on Sep 10, 2024

We always make it a point to eat here whenever we visit San Francisco. It’s the only place I’ll order gnocchi from! Service is excellent & we love the atmosphere. Truly feels like you’re having dinner at your favorite Italian uncle’s house.

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Popular dish

Gnocchi Aurora

Popular dish

Calamari alla Griglia

Cafe Pro Bono

4.9

4.9 (1403)

$30 and under

Italian

Palo Alto

About the restaurant

Cafe Pro Bono stands as Palo Alto's premier destination for exquisite Italian cuisine. With a legacy spanning over 30 years, we take pride in offering a diverse array of authentic and reasonably priced Italian and European dishes, each crafted with a dedication to freshness that is evident in every bite.

Whether you seek a romantic evening or a casual dinner, our menu features a wide selection of traditional dishes at accesible prices. From beautifully presented appetizers to homemade pastas, daily fresh seafood, quality meats, and indulgent desserts, complemented by expertly crafted cocktails we strive to ensure every visit is a memorable culinary experience.

Consider our Private Event Room for your next rehearsal dinner, birthday celebration, baby shower, family gathering or business meeting. Our full bar offers a variety of cocktails, including alongside domestic and international wines.

We look forward to welcoming you soon to Cafe Pro Bono.

Buon Appetito!!!

Top review

Margaret

Dined 5 days ago

Dining at Cafe Pro Bono is always a great experience, have been here many times with friends. We prefer outdoor dining and the ambiance and temperature level is great, have never felt cold. Food and service are excellent, we have never been disappointed. Parking is also very convenient as it's literally just across the street. This is a friendly family run restaurant, if you haven't tried it, highly recommend you do, you won't be disappointed!

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Popular dish

Rigatoni

Baci Cafe & Wine Bar - Healdsburg

4.9

4.9 (3638)

$31 to $50

Italian

Healdsburg

About the restaurant

Baci Cafe & Wine Bar invites you to enjoy its fine regional Italian and Mediterranean food, paired with wines from Sonoma, Napa and Italy, in a casual dining atmosphere.
Baci's wine list is thoughtful and well-priced, and features many small artisan wineries. Baci's menu is creative and offers a large selection of dishes. It's focus and commitment to local fresh seasonal ingredients has made it one of our Sonoma County favorites.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 2 days ago

Wonderful friendly atmosphere! From the warm welcome to the lovely wait staff we enjoyed our dinner at Baci! peaches and tomatoes in peak season were featured on the menu and made wonderful starters. The bolognese was perfect with lots of short rib beef in a hearty sauce! Veal is a prominent item on the menu so we had to try and it was delicious. Ended off the meal with the best tiramisu. thank you Baci!

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Popular dish

Spaghetti alla Bolognese

Popular dish

Gnocchi alla Bolognese

Popular dish

Carpaccio

Cook St. Helena

4.9

4.9 (1368)

$30 and under

Italian

St. Helena

About the restaurant

Specializing in elegant but straight-forward Northern Italian cuisine, created from local and seasonal ingredients.

A family-owned business, Cook St. Helena, is a neighborhood establishment through and through that continues to bring people together around fresh, handmade, delicious food in a warm, casual atmosphere. We opened Cook in 2004 to show the locals and tourists alike that food does not need to be complicated to taste great!

Top review

Christinevip

Dined 3 days ago

We had a lovely lunch. Great service. The food - outstanding!! We’ll be back!

Mamma Tanino's Ristorante

4.7

4.7 (1167)

$31 to $50

Italian

Sonoma

About the restaurant

Four blocks west of "The Square' tucked in the Sonoma Valley Center, Italian born chef, Gaetano Patrinostro uses a combination of the freshest local products and Italian imports to prepare authentic Italian cuisine. His pasta sauces are based on the region of origin, seafood and steaks are cooked to perfection and the desserts are not to be missed. Mamma Tanino's is an off The Square locals favorite and the at home feeling makes out of towners love this place.

Top review

lisa

Dined on Sep 9, 2024

Top notch food and service!!! Our table ordered 3 different Italian dishes… including veal, chicken and pasta and I can honestly say that was one of the best meals we have had in a long time. Everything was so flavorful. ! I usually never finish my entire meal and I almost licked the plate clean. This restaurant will not disappoint. Tucked away in a little corner of an unassuming strip mall you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of the meal !! Fantastic!!!

Collina

4.9

4.9 (157)

$31 to $50

Italian

Russian Hill

About the restaurant

We are a quintessential neighborhood restaurant located on Hyde and Pacific in Nob Hill. On the iconic cable car line. We serve Italian food in a charming and cozy space. Menu by Chef Anthony Florian, executed by Chef Dennis Diaz. Consisting of handmade pastas using the freshest local ingredients available. You can expect classic dishes with some contemporary ones. Please don't drive if thats an option as parking is very difficult. We have the most romantic and inviting dining room in SF.

If you can't find the time you're looking for please give us a call 1.415.775.1542. Call us for parties larger than 4

Collina is Seven Hills little sister Restaurant.

Top review

Kristan

Dined 4 days ago

I love this Italian restaurant. Quant. Delicious. Fabulous service. Feels like a neighborhood nyc restaurant. Love.

Serafina SF

4.9

4.9 (412)

$31 to $50

Italian

Downtown / Union Square

About the restaurant

Serafina is a little gem of a restaurant, perched on top of Nob Hill, with views overlooking the city and Bay Bridge. Serafina was owner Maurizio Bruschi’s grandmother, and the name of her eponymous restaurant in the heart of Trastevere (Rome), where Maurizio first began making pizza at the age of 14. The executive chef is Umberto Cannarsa, a successful chef from Rome, who left his own restaurant in Rome to work with Maurizio again. The menu offers everything, including vegetarian options, but specializes in innovative Italian fish dishes, including fresh calamari, stuffed with olives, escarole, anchovies, drizzled with a potato leek sauce, as well as homemade pastas and dolci. The space is warm and elegant, where neighbors and friends can come together.

Top review

Patvip

Dined on Sep 10, 2024

This is a very personal restaurant The chef has clear focus and great execution of his vision A wonderful evening The service was intentional and on point in every aspect

La Lanterna Ristorante

4.8

4.8 (978)

$30 and under

Italian

San Mateo

About the restaurant

Open since 2001, La Lanterna is a family-owned business with Ramon Lopez as Executive Chef and Jennifer Villa-McGuffin service as manager. Prior to opening, Ramon and Jennifer were employed at various fine dining restaurants in the San Francisco Peninsula. With his own signature style, Chef Ramon has received numerous accolades and is honored to serve you at La Lanterna.

Top review

Katievip

Dined 4 days ago

Always fabulous — love the food, the people, the vibe. ❤️

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4.9

4.9 (1224)

$30 and under

Italian

Belmont

About the restaurant

Divino Ristorante serves delicious, authentic regional Italian cuisine, in a casually elegant and comfortable setting. Since first opening its doors on Ralston Avenue in Belmont, it has enjoyed rave reviews for its beautifully prepared and presented Italian fare and excellent service. Conveniently located on Ralston Avenue near El Camino Real, you can enjoy the freshest pasta, salads, seafood, veal, chicken and lamb dishes attractively presented with the experience of dining in Italy. Allow our professional staff to assist you in choosing the perfect wine from any region of Italy to perfectly complement your meal. For your next dinner with friends or family, or for a romantic dinner for two, you can count on Divino.

Top review

OpenTable Dinervip

Dined 5 days ago

Their food is so good and creative. I had a pistachio crusted pork chop with a saba sauce. I've never had balsamic saba sauce. It was phenomenal! Their veal is really good. Their lamb is top-notch and cooked to perfection. Service is so personal and on top of every aspect.

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