We had weekday theater tickets at the San Francisco Playhouse, just around the block, and wanted a quick bite to eat beforehand. What we had in mind was the Parthenon but, although it was early, they were booked, so we walked up the street to Cesario's. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A pleasant surprise! It was early, so there was no wait and, although we were dressed like bumpkins, we were seated in the window, with a good view of pedestrians dodging self-driving cars.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Seriously, though, polite and competent service. An order of clams and mussels offered no surprises: it was just fine, steamed in white wine (maybe vemouth?), served with garlic bread. My wife only ate a few, so we ordered some crab cakes, also just fine. OK, not like in Maryland, but freshly made. The caprese salad would have benefitted from a riper tomato and a bit more fresh basil, but after a shared tiramisu and couple of glasses of wine, we were ready to go, without having broken the bank. read more

We ate here before seeing a show at the Curran Theater just a few blocks away. The restaurant was outstanding. I loved the ambiance - you feel like you are in Europe. The food and service was absolutely top notch, starting with delicious warm bread. We split a Caeser salad and then both had fantastic entrees. We then split the cheesecake - which also was fantastic! When we return to San Francisco in the future, we will book a dinner again. 5 stars! read more

This place is lackluster. Walked in with some girlfriends for late night dinner after work. Staff quickly seated us and they were decent. They probably could have been friendlier but I get it its late. Let's get down to business: the food. Look, to survive in San Francisco you'd think you have impeccable food right? Wrong. We ordered the carpaccio and it was drowned in cheese and cesar dressing. Never in my life have I seen carpaccio with cesar dressing on it?? I got the veal parm and it was lacking in flavor. I had to drench it in salt and pepper I swear they didn't put any seasoning on it. The lobster ravioli was surprisingly delish! Well balanced and not too rich. Unless you get the lobster ravioli, there's no reason to come here. read more

See all

Love this place! I came here for a Valentine's Day reservation, and the service was lovely. Our server took extra time to check on us and make sure everything was to our liking. It is a smaller sized restaurant, making it an intimate experience. I got one of the Valentine's Day Specials -- Linguine pasta with clams, mussels, and shrimp. 10/10 dish. There was so much seafood, you can't even see the pasta underneath in the photo! We loved the Carpaccio so much that we got 2 orders! Can't wait to come back soon! read more

Cesario's - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

A very cozy restaurant with a friendly staff. I had the fettuccine carbonara. It was the most delicious pasta dish that I have ever had! The wine suggestion waa perfect! read more

Cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and delicious food. We enjoyed both the eggplant parmesan and the risotto gamberi. The limoncello cake was deliciously rich but not heavy. read more

White linen Italian restaurant that delivers on both food and service. The calamari was perfectly prepared and the butternut squash ravioli was excellent. The chicken marsala was also reported to be very good. Be sure to save room for dessert. read more

See all

The food here is good, I went here for lunch yesterday and had the eggplant parmigiana and went there again today and had the linguine and pancetta, the service is very good, quick and friendly and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambience felt relaxed and pleasant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Cesarios has great service and is an intimate small restaurant. The prices are good and the food tastes great and I love their calamari - it comes with some artichokes as well. The Conchiglie pasta tastes great, but could be a tad rich so I couldn't finish it. Highly recommend! read more

We had the fried calamari, Caesar salad, and pancetta linguine. Great food and a perfect balance between price and quality.

We spentThanksgiving here. Our salads and appetizers were delicious. Wait staff was friendly and attentive despite the restaurant being packed the whole time. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The decor was perfect - old school Italian restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There was a bit of a wait for the food because the place was non stop full, but that was fine because we wanted to spend our time there. Our main meals were really good and we ordered 4 desserts and those were great too (cannolis were my personal favorite). We will definitely be back. read more

I got the spaghetti and meatballs and the sauce was watery and not flavorful and the meatballs were just ok. Service was alright but not the best, but [[HIGHLIGHT]]the atmosphere was nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Delicious cuisine in this Italian restaurant of 25 years in San Francisco. Authentic flavor and a good selection of wine. A must try for lunch or dinner in this cozy spot. read more

Cesario's - Cesario's dining room with beautiful leather booth - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Went to here on thanksgiving. I ordered a ham but got a turkey instead. The stuffing has marshmallows on top of it and the food was bland. Should have gotten a pasta instead. Service was definitely old timey. Restaurant was busy on that night, as we had to wait half an hour past our reservation time. Overall, the food was not worth the wait. read more

Pear salad was amazing. As was the bruschetta. For dessert, the lemon cake was amazing as was the canolli.

Whenever we are in San Francisco ourselves from the East Bay or bringing friends into town, we find a reason to be conveniently near Cesario's. Curan Theater events in the afternoon always warrant an early dinner (sometimes we can still get the lunch specials). Otherwise, worth a ride-share to this quiet part of town. Atmosphere is calm and service is professional. We've loved everything. The pear salad and calamari to start. Any pasta dish but if the lobster ravoli is still available, a definite. We have to be careful not to eat too much in order to have room for dessert. This last time it was the Lemoncillo Cake and Creme Brulee (huge!). read more

I have probably walked by Cesario's a gazillion times when I'm visiting. Luckily, this evening my parents wanted to go here because my mom had the linquine and clams and wanted it again. Friendly greeting when we walked in, great inviting vibe! I ordered the chicken marsala with penne and vegetables. Of course I was expecting a cream sauce but it was sauted and so good! The penne was mixed with marinara and I would've been fine if it was tossed in that marsala sauce! My mom got her clams and then complained she had to work for her food...LOL! My dad went a little healthy with the delicious eggplant parmasean. Everything came out in a timely manner! I ordered the limoncello cake to share and a glass of porto. I also had the house chianti with dinner. Prices are reasonable and the service was great! Our server Emma was friendly and took great care of my parents and I. The only complaint, and it's minor, is that some of the customers like to stare or were they looking out the window, it was just a little weird. Other than that, a great place to come to! read more

See all

We arrived to San Fran for the weekend and my party was in the mood for some Italian food. We were staying not far from this place so we decided to take a stroll since it was walking distance. The restaurant has decent reviews but I really liked how the food looked and was presented, plus the place looked like a wonderful mom and pop shop so I lead my family to Cesario's and I'm glad I did. The eatery sits right on the corner so it's easy to find. We were promptly greeted and promptly seated. It was quite a busy night, but service and quality was still excellent. It was difficult to chose what I was going to have for dinner because several things sounded amazing. I went for the Linguini carbonara and it was a party in my mouth. It was great. I could taste bacon in ever bite while not being over consumed with a saucy mess. My family equally enjoyed each of their entrees and raved about how great their experience was. Definitely a re-visit when I'm in San Francisco again. I can't wait!! read more

See all

We were passing by, around 11:30, and upon seeing the 'Lobster Ravioli' on the board advertising Today's Special, we already planned on stopping here for lunch! Well, it was 1hr. later, when we walked back and was able to find a seat by a window, right away. There were 4 people already seated and having lunch, so it was easy for us to have seats by a window, or any window I wanted! Our waiter was very prompt, attentive, and friendly to us. I knew we were walking in an expensive restaurant, when we saw the white table seating and napkin. Just to let you know, we came for the Lobster Ravioli. As we were seated, it also came with Seafood Paella, I was craving that today, to have SOMEWHERE! Hubby and I decided to have one of each, and since we usually bring home leftovers (our hotel is just blocks away). It was a great presentation, both the Lobster Ravioli and the Seafood Paella! Both were perfect portions, and there were no leftovers, that we have room for Spumoni, which we shared. Negative: Cold butter! Hard to spread on bread. Love the bread. I had 2nds! The window was opened just right, so some nice fresh breeze hit us, just as if we were in eating outside in Tuscany during spring! read more

See all

Great pizza. Lately I've been trying different pizzas around Chattanooga. I had to stop by Cesario's. I ordered an American to go. Once I got to the establishment I noticed the exterior of the building was very sleek. Once I stepped inside, I noticed a very subtle and modern building. The staff was friendly and the pizza was even more amazing. I will definitely stop back by read more

Cesario's - Order an American to go. Great pizza! Highly recommend - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

We made a reservation but they refused to take us, saying they were overbooked. They shouldn't let that happen. Very disappointing.

I finally got to Cesario's. I've wanted to go for a while because of great comments from a friend. We got to the restaurant right on time for our reservation, and we were shown to a great booth near the window. It felt like the wonderful old San Francisco restaurants, and the ambiance was lovely and upscale. Our server, Yulia, told us they were short handed, and she did a remarkable job waiting on more and more tables as people arrived. The food was truly the BEST Italian food I've had. You must try the Pear Salad and save room for Crème Brûlée for dessert...sensational. Don't miss out on an order of garlic bread! Our entrees were the salmon piccata. The salmon was perfectly cooked and topped with a terrific tangy lemon sauce and capers. I MUST go back soon. Prices were very reasonable. read more

Cesario's - Bar area - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Mr Alex greeted us when we came in and escorted us to our seat. Staff and service were great and friendly. The place is just a little small so you'll hear the other table's conversation haha Food was delicious. We got the pear salad, calamari, beef stroganoff, chicken Parmesan and for dessert, tiramisu and crème brûlée. Their tiramisu was on the drier side compared to other tiramisus I've had, but still good. read more

See all

This place is a best kept secret! The ambiance is so quant and cozy. It gives home for the holidays vibes. Everyone is SO nice. The view of the streets is pretty cool if you're visiting the city and gives that true big city feel. The pear salad was so good! We split it and wished we would have gotten two! Ravioli was so good and my kids a sucker for fettuccine Alfredo and said it's the best ever. Overall this spot is a gem read more

See all

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Excellent, very cozy Italian spot.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There aren't many tables so it would be good practice to get a reservation. Our server was attentive and was able to comply with our many requests, and kept the complementary bread coming. The chicken parmigiana was good and was a decent price for the size and quality. Would definitely dine here again. read more

We showed up with no reservation on December 26 with a party of six, which included two children. We were immediately seated and well taken care of by staff. ALL of our meals were excellent. I had a pasta dish with Gorgonzola which was great. I cleaned my plate, which is rare. Highly recommend Cesario's. read more

I think I found my go-to italian takeout place. I see this place pretty packed during dinner time so wanted to try via ubereats. Don't get me wrong, If anyone ever got a chance to try Gypsy's in Berkeley, Its my favorite Italian restaurant and yeah I know pasta snobs will hate me. But I like saucy, creamy pasta, which probably isnt so authentic Italian. Ive tried to take out from a lot of pasta places in the city, but either pasta comes overcooked, or not enough sauce or lacks in flavor in a tiny little takeout box. Im glad I tried Cesario and I will be a regular. Linguine Carbonara is my favorite, saucy and flavorful. Pancetta linguine had the distinctive pork taste, which Im not a big fan of but I guess thats how pancetta's supposed to be. read more

The food was pretty simple, no extraordinary additions. I had salmon with pasta and the pasta didn't any have creamy sauces, just plain pasta with cheese on top . The fish was tasty tho. Cannoli's cream wasn't the best too, it was ok. read more

I have nothing bad to say about Cesario's. The food was fresh, delicious and more than enough portion to fill the two of us up. Where do I start!! The cocktail specials were a great deal. Definitely recommend trying a cosmo. They aren't stingy with the alcohol. The meatballs are some of the best meatballs I've had... tender, juicy, almost melt in your mouth and deliciously flavorful. The grilled chicken was pretty good as well. I loved it as a complement to my truffle gnocchi which was perfectly fluffy and tasty. Too bad we were from out of town, or I would definitely return sooner. It's a small outdoor seating area but a great little spot in the city to enjoy a quality meal away from hustling and bustling crowds (at least during COVID). And on that note, they def cleaned the tables well before we sat. I'd trust this place for my next pandemic meal. read more

See all

We were craving Italian in this place did not disappoint. The food was awesome and looked great as you can see in the accompanying photos we provided. The service was very good and the waiter was attentive. When do you think of an old-school Italian restaurant this place looked the part very nicely decorated And very clean. read more

See all

Check your receipts, guys. Some tax fraud going on here in an attempt to hide junk fees. read more

Cesario's - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellence with great service. The food was fabulous. This restaurant was recommended to us and we in turn recommend eating here!!!!

This is a tiny restaurant, so be sure to have a reservation. It's located a few blocks away from Union Square. Service was very slow and they do not have a liquor license. The food was very good and that's honestly what matters at the end of the day. Soup of the day, Clam Chowder $10 - This was very good Herbed Garlic & Parmesan Bread $9 - Good, but not worth the money. They give you complimentary bread but it isn't warm Calamari Fritti $17 - This was good calamari. We all enjoyed this. Crab Cakes $18 - These were really disappointing and we wouldn't order them again. They really lacked flavor. Linguine Carbonara $22 - This was by far the best of all of the entrees. They make a fantastic carbonara and I would order this over and over again. Veal Parmesan $30 - Good but nothing amazing Lamb Shank $31 - Good and melted in your mouth Side of Polenta $10 - This was a nice side. The texture was good. read more

See all

Nice cozy restaurant. Service is friendly. I would go there just for the Limoncello cake but everything else I've had is good as well. Would go back there. read more

I was craving some Italian food so I found this gem not to far from where I was staying. The menu is so extensive I had a hard time choosing what I wanted. So I ended up getting the lasagna. I placed my order to go. However, when I got to the restaurant it's a beautiful restaurant very upscale . Once I got there I thought to myself I should of ate in the restaurant. Anyways my order was ready when I got there. Once I got back to the hotel I ate my meal. The lasagna was delicious and full of cheese . I also had vegetables on the side it was delicious. I would recommend going to this restaurant. The food was delicious and the service I received while getting my order was great. read more

Just ok. It's close to the Curran Theater which is why we went. I ordered the steak and Parmesan garlic bread. My daughter and husband ordered the pasta pomodoro. Overall, we ate our food because we were hungry, but it was just ok. The restaurant feels very dated in decor and the menu choices as well. It's the type of place your grandma would love. The staff were friendly and quick. It's the type of restaurant that would appease simple taste buds. read more

I have been passing by this restaurant for well over 20+ years and finally decided it was time to give it a try. I took a friend there for lunch for her BD. It was mid week so the place was pretty quiet. We both found the restaurant to be charming and intimate. Our server Alex a long time employee took a bit of warming up, but after a bit, he was quite engaging. The prices are really reasonable for both the service, ambiance, quantity and quality. We started w/the Calamari Fritti ($17), which was quite good but pretty skimpy and they could have skipped the fried artichoke hearts and just added more Calamari. Great dipping sauce, not the standard seafood sauce. My friend had the Eggplant Parm ($20) which she loved and I had the Penne Bolognese ($20) at the suggestion of another guest. Servings were huge and food was hot. I was a tad disappointed in the Bolognese sauce. It was really chunky with meat and nicely thick and not runny or watery but was quite flavorless. It needed a lot more seasoning or Red Wine or something. Not what I'm usually used to. We each had a coffee which was made per cup and delicious. I will be back and try something else. Oh and Alex does warm up after a bit. Old school charm and finesse. read more

I would have given this place 5 stars because the food was amazing and so was the service....until the manager asked us to leave. We are from back East and my mother had not seen her friend in SF for fifty- yes fifty- years. Half a century. We stayed a tad longer than usual, maybe 5-10 minutes. As her friend went to the restroom the manager asked us to leave because people were waiting. I used to work in the service industry for yearrrrrs. I had just paid over $400 for dinner, was giving off ALL the signals that we knew we slightly holding up a table (for a whopping 5-10 mins) and were about to leave. I had CC book signed and moved to edge of table, they knew we were about to leave. They didn't give us 5 minutes after we finished desert and as my mother's friend was trying to use the restroom, that's when they asked. We literally were going to leave the second she returned. So in essence you can't even go to the bathroom there without worried about being hassled to leave. Don't give these people your money, that's disgraceful. And not how you treat customers. I know SF rent isn't cheap but neither was that bill. read more

Excellent food, ambiance, and service. If you visit them please try their lobster ravioli! Super recommended!

With no particular place in mind while walking back to our hotel, we saw this quaint spot. Having the menu posted outside is such a help. My wife spotted the bolognese and I saw the buffalo mozzarella caprese salad in it was off to the races for us. They start out with a basket of bread and three dipping sauces. Olive oil, olive oil with balsamic and a pesto. We think the pesto was the best. Then the caprese salad. The balsamic had just a hint of sweetness that complimented the acidity of the tomatoes and the buffalo mozzarella made it creamy. We split the bolognese and it was a perfect sized meal for us after a day exploring the city. To have wonderful neighborhood restaurants are certainly a great addition to San Francisco read more

See all