Lauren Brocato, Lauren Gruber, Ashley Wu Lauren Brocato, Lauren Gruber, Ashley Wu | February 19, 2021 | Food & Drink
There's no shortage of delicious Italian restaurants in San Francisco. Here, we've rounded up the six best Italian joints you don't want to miss out on.
You can find even more great Italian over in Silicon Valley, and if you're open to a culinary adventure, check our lists of best Italian restaurants in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.
See also: The 31 Best Restaurants in San Francisco You Must Try In 2022
Available for takeout and delivery from Wednesday through Friday, this rustic restaurant in the Financial District is a local favorite for ingredient-based Italian cuisine. The family meals feature inventive favorites such as thebistecca alla Fiorentina, Tuscan beef simmered to tender perfection. Other highlights include spit-roasted pork loin, chicken alla diavola and cacciucco alla Livornese.Each family meal includes a refreshing array of sides, such as Fresh Run Farm beets with arugula and horseradish and Rocca pecorino “biologico.” Cotogna is also renowned for its delicate cocktails that span all taste preferences, including a showy nitrous Manhattan and a summertime Negroni.
Chef Jen McMahon and her husband, Darren Lacy, prioritize fresh, simple ingredients at their Mediterranean-influenced Italian joint, Da Flora. You can order delivery or takeout and stop by for outdoor dining. Standouts from the menu include sweet potato gnocchi with sherry cream smoked bacon, risotto with sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes, and espresso and rum-laden tiramisu cake.
See also: 28 Delicious Restaurants For Takeout And Delivery In San Francisco
Imagined by celebrity chef Matthew Kenney and Kyle and Tracy Vogt, Baia is a new restaurant concept centered around sumptuous Italian dishes that's now available for takeout and delivery. The kitchen crafts plant-based Italian favorites for customers to enjoy via delivery and takeout before the doors open for table service. “The Bolognese is rich and full of flavor,” Kenney says. “I also love the chocolate torta; that’s definitely my favorite dessert.” When it is safe to do so, Baia will open for dine-in in the San Francisco landmark building that housed Jardiniere for 21 years. In addition to Baia, the space will also temporarily house Woodblock, Kenney and crew’s plant-based sushi pop-up that offers items like asparagus tempura with spicy ponzu and a Truffle Explosion Roll, also available for takeout and delivery.
Italian food is a date night favorite for a reason, and Acquerello’s double Michelin-starred cuisine is no exception. Savor a four-course meal at home with their prix-fixe takeout menu, a selection of cheeses and trio of desserts. Alternatively, you can bring home one of their DIY pasta kits for a fun at-home activity. Acquerello also partnered with The Caviar Co. to offer a caviar service option for an elevated at-home dining experience paired with creme fraiche, brioche toast and buckwheat blini.
Tosca Cafe now offers its family-style menu and specialty items via Tock. Chef Nancy Oakes & Chef de Cuisine Andrew Naffziger created simple, comforting favorites (meatballs, rigatoni and little gem caesar salad), paired with Italian and California wines from its new Wine Shop (also available on Tock). All proceeds go to their staff. Their delicious dishes are available for pickup and delivery.
Italian offerings of pizza, pasta, salads, desserts and more are available from both of Fiorella’s locations through Caviar, Doordash, UberEats, and Postmates. Guests are also able to order takeout by calling the restaurant directly.
Photography by: Opening photo by Danijela Prijovic /Unsplash
