First time diner, long time walk by-er! Valentine's Day dinner was delightful and delicious! Loved the Sofia sparkling and the beautiful glass in arrived in. The chicken cacciatore and farro salad were delicious! Service was attentive. We felt like we were in Europe. Check it out! read more

underground SF vibes (i have no idea what that means, but i loved it). great for groups. pasta was delicious & the perfect texture (??). caesar salad was fab. martini was dirty. our waiter was nice & so quick with the water refills (fellow hydro homie, i presume). i left happy. yum. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Spaghetti alla Carbonara Classico - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Simply put. The best spaghetti and meatballs in San Francisco. A beautiful restaurant with great service.

Came here on a Saturday after this San Francisco 49ers got destroyed in the playoffs. My sister and her husband were here from Atlanta. We wanted some dessert so my brother-in-law got a dessert drink and a tiramisu. I tried the tiramisu is really good. I had a cappuccino which was good and a cannoli which was a classic Italian style. Service was friendly and prompt. We were able to sit right outside on the sidewalk. Inside is very classic Italian style. Definitely will be back here. read more

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Excellent aperitivo hour. I had a French 75 that was made perfectly. The vibe was cozy and very Italian feel. Loved it.

I love traveling with my sister. We walk a lot, we stop and eat and drink, we walk some more, we eat some more! No automated taxis for this team! Walking around North Beach on a rainy Sunday afternoon, wanting to be fortified for our plane flight out, we stopped here for a snack. Had wine and the charcuterie plate, and chatted with our table-neighbors. The wine was great, but I don't remember what it was - the waiter recommended it. I had a Sazerac which was yum. The snack plate was great - especially the olives, eggplant, salami, bread.... Yeah, all of it was great. It's a precarious walk down to the bathroom, so don't have too many glasses of wine! And we enjoyed the automated poetry machine. read more

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This is that beautiful green building in north beach and it is as beautiful on the inside as it on the outside! Service was quick and friendly. I loved the servers recommendations for drinks and how patient she was with answering questions about the menu! Food was decent. It seems like more of a dinner place than lunch but we were happening to walk around in that area. We will definitely have to come back for dinner next time! read more

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Omg, being a SF native and resident of NB and I have never been here (don't come at me) until yesterday :p Me and boo decided to come here on a whim date after commiserating at Washington square, basking in a beautiful spring day in the city. We happened to fall into Zoetrope during the happy hour time and were we lucky because all the happy hour stuff was super good. We started off with drinks (boo got a fernet smash) I got a sbagliato... They asked if we wanted bread and it was complimentary so duh, choice of either rolls and focaccia (you'd be a fool to get rolls when focaccia is the only right answer) So good especially with the olive oil and balsamic. Then we got the happy hour menu proscuitto tea sandwiches & the mortadella w/ stracciatella wrap. It also came with fresh basil inside, just divine. Simple but yummy little lunch, will definitely come back. Nice service, chill vibes, lots of people working and sipping cappuccinos. I had one for dessert as well. Don't forget to get an auto generated short story from the machine in the middle of the dining room. You get to choose how long you want the story to be, either a 1,3 or 5 min read. So cute! read more

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Recent SFGate review of Cafe Zoetrope was a little harsh on their food but I still think it's a quaint and charming spot for drinks and good conversation. To be fair, I seldom come here for a full meal - just wine and light bites. If that's what you pop in for, you'll find the space cozy and inviting. Lots of film history and memorabilia on the walls. Wine is reasonable and they have a full bar too if you want cocktails. Friendly bartender the one time we sat at the bar. The food is fine especially if you've seen the constraints of their basement kitchen. I've split sandwiches and pizza but if I have one wish that would be to bring back the happy hour lamb wraps. That was tasty. But at the end of the day, Cafe Zoetrope's charm is its ambience. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Have been here twice when in town and always so good! Had a big group the second time and they took care of everyone so well with food allergies, gluten intolerance, picky wine drinkers, etc. Highly recommend the braised lamb with risotto. Yum! read more

Great ambience. Loved the ser er. I ordered pasta puttanesca. For some mysterious reason they don't make it properly with anchovies. The server said the chef could add them. OK. The dish came. Good red sauce. But 3 bits of olives, No capers at all & anchovies on the side. You have to cook the anchovies so they melt into the sauce. In short, not a puttanesca. The shabbily dressed maitre d asked if everything was OK & I pointed out these missteps & all he said was "Well, the kitchen is about to close, so sorry about that," as he tried to tuck his wrinkled sweaty shirt back in his pants, & sauntered away, offering no solution. Francis needs to pay his restaurant a visit and soon. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Iconic locale for Francis Ford Coppola fans - there's plenty of memorabilia and photos to look at. Menu is a half flyers worth of items and the backside is wine and cocktails. Pizza Originale Love the fresh authentic tomato sauce which is light, fresh and airy. Sausage is packaged and uninspiring and the dough is average. Braised Lamb Shank Thick heavy sauce, with an over salted shank. Fortunately there are potatoes to balance out the salt. Roasted Cauliflower Theres a rather unique cumin type of spice that I don't think was the best choice. It just doesn't integrate well. Caesar Salad Very good choice - the anchovy dressing is mouthwatering and a can't miss for Caesar salad lovers. You gotta come here once for the experience but I definitely wouldn't put it high on my list of north beach eateries. That's all... read more

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We just had this craving for muffuletta and we knew cafe Zoetrope has that. We sat outside because we had our dog with us. We ordered half a muffuletta to share between 2 people and the Argentinian short ribs. They actually split the muffuletta for us with salad on both plates. The short ribs were good size with chimichurri sauce. The muffuletta was delectable and reminded me of the one from the central market in New Orleans. Service was excellent. They even brought water for our dog. A great lunch all in all. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - 1/4 Muffuletta - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had the most lovely experience today for a long leisurely lunch. Cafe Zoetrope has always been a favorite but we have not been lately for no reason. We started with the anti pasta dish. see photo. The Teleme cheese was amazing , the olives special but the Tapenade was the star - especially with the Teleme. Of course the beautiful bread, salami and meats we yummy with some Sofia sparking rose began the meal. We then had some pizza and the salmon sandwich and long conversations. The staff did not rush us and was just a beautiful afternoon. Thank you all . read more

Great ambiance. Gorgeous building with incredible architectural detail. Very friendly service. Dinner was meh. The pasta was overcooked and the sauce wasn't flavorful enough but dessert was delicious and the wine flights and wine selection were great. Maybe just have wine and dessert here? Also be sure to check out the story machine for a free 5, 3, or 1 minute story on request. read more

This restaurant is owned by Francis Ford Coppola. A friend made our reservation on Chinese New Year parade. We wanted to have a meal before watching the parade. First try they got me with their linguine alla vongole. I've been back four times since and brought my friend and my Mom from out of town. Each time I order the same dish. read more

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Cafe Zoetrope is a cute Italian restaurant in Little Italy in a gorgeous building on the ground floor. The big draw for us to make reservations was the short story vending machine, which is free. For the vending machine, you can select a story in 1 minute, 3 minute, or 5 minute read times. It prints on thick receipt-sized paper (think a thick extra-long Walgreens receipt). You get a randomized short story and it's a cool experience. The food isn't anything exciting. It was decent, but nothing memorable. I had the Linguine Alle Vongole, which was fresh clams, white wine, parsley, and red pepper flakes. I added more pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt because it wasn't very flavorful. For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse, which was more firm than I'm used to, but it wasn't anything I'd write home about. Our server was attentive, friendly, and knew the menu well. After the short story vending machine, the service was the best part of the experience with the food coming in last. read more

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Overpriced food of mediocre quality. Crammed location and uncomfortable seating. Will not be back

Cozy ambiance, great staff, but average food. Along with the complimentary bread, we tried: - Pasta carbonara ($24) - Grilled chicken sandwich with a side cedar salad ($17) - Tiramisu ($12) The carbonara was good, but not super memorable or different than other carbonara I've had. The portion is pretty small for $24 The chicken sandwich was also good but didn't stand out. I read reviews that the "Cesar salad is the best I've ever had" and not sure why. Again, it was GOOD! But not "THE BEST I've ever had" haha and same goes for the tiramisu. I really wanted to try to chocolate mousse but our waitress said the portion is tiny so we opted for the tiramisu. The restaurant itself has a great vibe and the bathrooms are super clean read more

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Came for lunch on a weekday. The food here was good enough. The bread that was brought to our table seemed like prepackaged dinner rolls. The spaghetti Alla carbonara was good and filling but was not hot. The prices were reasonable and the service was friendly. The decor was inviting and casual. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Spaghetti Alla Carbonara - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

TLDR: Come here for the absolute VIBES. Food is standard and good, but the indoor decor and general atmosphere is really special. FOOD: 1. Calzone (4.5/5): They can make any of their pizzas into calzones so I had them make the sausage, mushroom, and mozz pizza into a calzone and I IMPORTANTLY asked them to add tomato sauce (which wasn't originally on the pizza). This was absolutely delicious and filling for two! 2. Soup of the Day (4/5): It was also enough for two people and was a nice, warm start to the meal, especially on a rainy day. Our soup was like an Italian vegetable and sausage soup. 3. Caesar salad (4/5): A simple, good Caesar salad but I wouldn't say best we've ever had. 4. Not going to lie, their restaurant bread was REALLY good. Incredibly soft like milk bread. I loved it and I'm usually picky about restaurant bread. SERVICE: - I thought we had really attentive service! Our waitress was super accommodating, bringing us more salad dressing quickly when we asked for some and walking us through the pizza/calzone section when I could t make up my mind ENVIRONMENT & AMBIANCE: - The pictures can't capture it fully but the inside of this restaurant is just completely transformed to bring you back to another time period somewhere in Europe. Photos everywhere, a revolving door entrance to add to the magic of feeling transported, old artifacts carefully placed around. I thought definitely one of the more unique places to dine in SF. OTHER: I wouldn't say you need a reservation for this place and can probably walk in. We barely found openings for reservations so we thought it would be packed but when we got there, there was definitely space for walk ins. read more

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Decided to give it another chance in case the last time was a one-off. It's bad now, and not what it used to be. They are clearly cutting costs on ingredients and using lesser quality. The chef must have changed because the food is now bland. Also doesn't taste freshly made. Business for restaurants has been difficult, especially near the financial district (although nearby North Beach is hopping). However, cutting like they've done hurts them even more. I can't imagine they will make it unless they return to serving the delicious food they used to make. Wish they would because I miss that restaurant. Previous review: Something has changed - either the chef, recipe or both. The historically remarkable Spaghetti and Meatballs (exceptional for such a standard dish) now lacks any notable flavor and is too salty. Gone is the amazing depth of flavor. The meatballs were dry, didn't taste fresh and flavorless -- and felt like a chore to eat them (like those bad cafeteria meatballs from childhood). $27 is steep, but was justifiable when this dish was extraordinary. Would have given 3 stars, but to charge so much for mediocre food pushed it down to 2 stars. Another change that shows decline is they don't grate fresh parmesan over your pasta - it's now a bowl of finely grated parmesan that's not as good. The bread used to come warm and delicious and these were cold and stale. This place was such a gem. It's sad to lose a special place with outstanding food. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Really bad muffuletta (Tablehopper's phony photo taken from an old styled photo posted by the restaurant vs. what we got) - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at Cafe Zoetrope. We came in around noontime on a Sunday to order a pizza to go, and all of the staff were helpful and welcoming from the moment we walked in. The restaurant, both inside and outside, had a lot of character, the walls decorated with beautiful and unique artwork all over, even a couple statues inside to add to the charm. My favorite feature is their Short Story Dispenser by Short Edition, where visitors can obtain a free random piece of literature with the click of a button (I wrote a whole separate Yelp review on this). There's also both indoor and outdoor seating available, a small bar inside, and so many wines on display.  We ordered the Pizza Funghi e Salsiccia, and I thought it was really good, flavorful toppings (italian sausage, mushrooms, and mozzarella), on a creamy white sauce, and a perfectly cooked crust (though the crust is more on the plain side). Size-wise, it's 12 inches in diameter. I also tried the caesar salad, and I'm pretty sure it's the best I've ever had, anywhere. I finished every last bite. Fresh romaine mix, topped off with a couple anchovies on top, with a generous side of perfectly creamy and savory caesar dressing and crunchy lightly seasoned croutons. Soooo good! Apparently, a popular underground restaurant, Caesar's Grill, originated in the historic Sentinal building long before Cafe Zoetrope existed, and "claims to be the birthplace of the Caesar salad".  There's a lot to love about Cafe Zoetrope. With the excellent service and great environment, there's no question that I'll be back. read more

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I thought it was going to be great. You walk in and it has great ambience, like a small Italian cafe. I started out with bread and again thought it was going to be great.there was olive oil on the table and the waiter brought out balsamic. Sadly the bread was dinner rolls, not really bread. The oil was almost tasteless and the balsamic was thin and acidic. Next up was a Caesar salad and I was happy the asked if I wanted anchovies, which I did. And it was good. But them came my pasta. I ordered arrabbiata, which is spicy. The waiter asked if I wanted Parmesan and I said yes. Sadly that was preshredded and the pasta, while it had a little kick of heat, was incredibly bland. Way under-salted. The service was good, rather attentive. If you like plain Italian pasta it'll be ok but pricey. read more

Great, cozy romantic restaurant - even though I'm flying solo tonight. Stumbled in because I'm staying down the street for a conference. Wait staff was quick and friendly. Decor is charming. Wine recco was good. Monday night vibes - chill but not dead. Can we talk about the chicken salad? Chicken. Pears. Gorgonzola. Slivered almonds. So much goodness and beautifully hardy. Large portion. So if you're ordering an entree, split this salad with a friend. I'd love to come back (after I lose my covid 20) and try the pasta and bread. Wonderful meal. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Inside. - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Our group had a show in the evening and decided to have dinner in North Beach beforehand. We decided to try Café Zoetrope at the edge of North Beach having heard that this was Francis Ford Coppola's restaurant. The restaurant is located in the Sentinel Building, a SF historical landmark at the corner of Columbus and Kearny Sts. Coppola opened this restaurant in 1999 and created the menu with many of this own recipes. The signage on the pillar at the entrance provides a history of the building and the Café. The restaurant has a feel of a place in Italy and it decorated with art and momentos from his film career. We had 6:30pm reservations, but they were overbooked. So the maître d' seated us at a corner table, that is Coppola's private table. That was pretty cool! Checking out the menu, we decided to try the House Specialty Caesar Salad, which is made daily with fresh egg yolk. Salad is dressed with croutons, anchovies and grated Parmesan. Good salad, but was not the best I've had. For my entrée, I had the Spaghetti alla Carbonara Classico, made with Niman Ranch guanciale, egg, black pepper and pecorino Romano cheese. It was very thick and creamy. Very tasty. Braised lamb shank in red wine sauce and risotto. This was fork tender and tasty. This dish was a tad salty. One of our dining partners ordered the Asado de Tira Short Ribs Argentine style. It came with chimichurri, roasted potatoes and green salad. Each piece was a pair of ribs, but they were not fall off the bone tender and were tough. This dish is not recommended. We were served house rolls with our dinner. These were not the typical sourdough rolls, but more of a dense style. Overall, service was friendly and attentive. Food was good except for the Asado De Tira short ribs. Glad we were able to try Coppola's restaurant in this historical building. read more

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Keep in mind I went when the restaurant was participating in restaurant week, so they had a special menu for lunch and dinner. I was surprised to see a low rating for this place. I enjoyed the food, service and the ambiance. As part of this restaurant week menu, the lunch includes an arugula salad and mushroom lasagna for $15 in total! By far the best price you'll ever see for a full meal at a nicer establishment in SF. Francis Ford Coppola of Godfather fame owns this restaurant (and the whole building i believe) and as a result the cafe has a really unique film-centric vibe, with pictures of tons of movie stars, awards shows and scenes from the Godfather. read more

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I've only been to Cafe Zoetrope one time for lunch, so this will be a short review. What a great little cafe! I dropped in for lunch one afternoon and was sure glad that I did. I had a coffee and a sandwich and both were stellar in their own rights. The entire crew was great and the whole cafe was very clean. The bill was fair for the food and service I received. I guess one of its main appeals is the building that the cafe is located in. Columbus Tower is a cool piece of history so it makes eating and quaint cafe that much better! Next time you're in the area, give Cafe Zoetrope an try. read more

I came here as a part of the sidewalk food tour. We got the Pizza Marinara and it was good but it wasn't great! The pizza had a good balance of crust and cheese but I felt like it was lacking in sauce. The decor in the restaurant is super cute. The restaurant is small and can feel a little cramped if there's a bunch of people there. Overall, i dont think this restaurant impressed me enough to come back on my own. read more

Food was ok. Service from everyone but our chosen waiter was great. The interior was nice with lots of history all around. Food came out before our drinks did. A little unique compared to normal. Could go back again or never again. ‍ read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Carbonera - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Very delicious! Small place with big flavor, came here on a quiet Friday evening, requested for bread, found out if was made in house so it was very soft, server split our Caesar salad and meal which was lovely, and my French 75 was 10/10! Got a delicious decafe affogato and tiramisu! Very old school decor, but loved the ambiance. read more

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Great bar, excellent Italian fare, tender lamb chop, pasta all terrific, friendly efficient service, great SF vibes. read more

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Beautiful restaurant, decorated with pictures from the Coppola movies and the family Vinyard. There's not much to say about the service, average. It was weird that when we placed our reservation they asked if we were celebrating anything and we were celebrating my wife's birthday, not a single mention of her birthday, until we said something then they brought out a piece of tirimisu. Now we talk about the food... the picata tray was decent, tiny portions of cheese, and meat, expensive but it was good. The chicken cacciatotre wasn't good at all. It was lacking in flavor, very soggy. Tasted like boiled chicken and wine sauce.. the pizza was pretty good though. I may go try it again sometime as I have heard from others that it's delicious. But we definitely didn't have a great experience. read more

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Cafe Zoetrope, named after Francis Coppola's venerable production company, American Zoetrope, is located in the historic Sentinel Building in the heart of North Beach. Cafe Zoetrope is an European-style cafe, offering authentic Italian cuisine and a wide selection of Italian and California wines, including premium wines from Coppola Winery. The pasta is made fresh so plan on appropriately 20 minute wait after ordering. One-of-a-kind mementos from Coppola's film career adorn the walls, while the awnings and heated sidewalks make it comfortable to dine outside even in foggy San Francisco weather. Service was attentive and friendly, despite our waitress having limited familiarity with the wine menu. Perfect cozy spot for a date night! read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Caesar Salad - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I took my niece to this cafe before seeing a show in a theatre nearby. I made a reservation in advance but the place was not that crowded. I loved the cool ambiance and the unique decor of the cafe. The menu is rather limited but everything we ordered was delicious. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Our food came quickly and was cooked perfectly to order. My niece really loved her meal as well. The place is not overly loud and has a great location. It is conveniently near a few public parking lots as well. If I go back to that part of SF again I will for sure visit this cafe for some more delicious food. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Francis Ford Coppola wrote the iconic movie, the Godfather. He bought this building back in 1972 to be a homebase for his movie work, and later opened this restaurant. The restaurant was named for Francis Coppola's venerable production company, American Zoetrope. This place has some of the best coffee in SF. The staff is generally quite helpful. A popular item that people rave about is the Salmone Affumigato Sandwich. It has smoked salmon, avocado, tomato, and arugula in freshly baked Puccia bread. At $17 it is not cheap, but then again what is in SF these days. This place can get busy during the lunch rush, so we try to time our visits for mid afternoon. Its open on week nights till 7pm and weekend until 8pm. Parking is very challenging as this is on the busiest section of Kearny. read more

Huge film fan so this was like heaven for me. One of the best filmmakers of all time and the atmosphere and decoration in here was incredible. A Mon Oncle poster what a surprise. Highly recommend for anyone who's a fan of FFC and his work. Besides that, the pizza was great too. Got the pizza marinara and that was amazing. Highly recommend. read more

Cafe Zoetrope - Pizza Marinara - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

I feel like I need to update my review as it's been many many years since it was posted, and I started going there more regularly after that review. I am giving them five stars because now that I live in Minnesota, I think very often about the spaghetti and meatballs, picada tray, and the Argentinian steak dish. I can't get anything that tastes even remotely similar to those dishes here. I miss the ambience and fun staff. And I can't wait to go back for a visit or, ideally, when I move back to San Francisco. read more

Ordered chicken cacciatore and broccoli rabe for dinner it was 107 for two servings of each. It was trash, I forced myself to eat the chicken but I couldn't even stomach the broccoli it had the worst taste to it, neither of us could eat it. I would not recommend either dish to anyone. read more

This place gives an amazing energy and vibe. It's an artistic exterior and interior which makes it one of the best places to enjoy a meal. The pizza was delicious along with the pasta. I also like decor with pictures of one of the greatest filmmakers to ever do it. The location is on the border of Chinatown and North Beach which is great to be at with so much to eat and see in San Francisco. Dessert was yummy with a slice of tiramisu. The service was good. An enjoyable experience. read more

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