Ate here while I was visiting San Fransisco with my boyfriend's family. We made a reservation for 7 and were seated immediately upon arrival. The restaurant is very small and intimate so we were glad we had a reservation. Our server was very good- he was personable and made both food and wine recommendations. He recommended a Cabernet that was delicious and reasonably priced. For appetizers we ordered the prosciutto with pears, burrata, and the grilled calamari (all recommended to us by our server). All were good aside from the calamari, it was overlooked and chewy. My favorite was the prosciutto with pears! Delicious and not something I normally would have ordered. All of our entrees were very good. The carbonara is very rich, if you order this I would recommend sharing. My favorite was the homemade pappardelle in a tomato sauce- the tomato sauce was sweet and like no tomato sauce I had ever tasted. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Ideale! read more

This was the second restaurant I went to when I visited SF and fell in love with the city four years ago. I will never forget the warm welcome into this trattoria in North Beach. My brother brought me here and we couldn't find it at first, it's in a sneaky spot! I thought the restaurant was a tad romantic for a sis-bro night out. The restaurants ambiance and food reminded me of my trip to Italy and Italian father's cooking when I was a kid. I will never forget how good the Clos du Val wine was. I liked it so much I went to the vineyard in Napa and bought not one, but two bottles of their red wine. The pizza margarita with burrata, lamb, and prosciutto with veal pasta were outstanding. I haven't been here in a while, and I'm hoping that same chef is still there! It's one of the authentic Italian restaurants among other bad tourist traps in North Beach. The restaurant is named "Ideale" because idealists want to come back again and again, and I definitely do too! read more

Ideale - Pizza & Wine - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Only went here for dessert but enjoyed it! Even though I didn't eat the food, it smelled great. Just sat at the bar for dessert and wine. Cannoli was my favorite. The wine was selection was good. Nice atmosphere and great service. Would go back. read more

Ideale - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Just walking from the financial district back to the wharf and found this cool little spot for dinner. Arrived around 7:30 pm and seated at a 4 person table away from the window (there was a 2 person spot there). Probably 10 tables in that room, and 4 in the other.... Neat spot, very quaint, with decent service and decent food. We had a great bottle of wine, the bread they served was not warm and just ok, salad looked ok (Pete destroyed it) and for main course I had the "special" sea bass --- marginal at best, WAY TOO MANY bones for me, but Pete had some special pasta that he loved. Cool spot in the "North Beach" neighborhood with the "Hustler" strip club......I would return but not eat the sea bass. 1 bottle of wine pasta special fish special (nasty sea bass) Total - $ 112.23 read more

I went here purely based on Yelp reviews, and was not disappointed! I had to lead a tour for new students at my school to a dinner/tour in North Beach, so I decided to check this place out after a lot of time browsing Yelp articles. My friend and I shared two things off the menu based on the reviews -- spaghetti carbonara and salmon pizza. The spaghetti carbonara was not much to write home about. I've had much better carbonara in the past, and their version was quite oily. It tasted bland and cardboard-y. The salmon pizza was delicious! I would go back just for this. The topping was plentiful and generous on a crunchy, thin crust. The one huge upside to this place was that we went with a party of 20 (with reservations, of course...) and the servers were very accommodating from the beginning. Great service, especially since we were such a huge party! I definitely want to go back. Of course, parking is a nightmare... read more

After 8:30pm on a Friday night (busy!), they have run out of lasagna and some other entrée, their homemade limoncello, as well as one of the desserts my friend is really excited about. They did give us some extra desserts for it, and the server was apologetic, so that was nice. However, I must say, the meal itself was not as good as I had hoped. I had the pumpkin ravioli, which everyone raved about. I loved the taste, but the raviolis themselves? Some had more pumpkin than other, while some were just too doughy. Definitely not cooked al dente as I had to chew through some of them... A friend wasn't big on the gnocchi either, saying that it was just ok. Off day maybe? read more

had a bday dinner here with friends. One of my friends is Italian and recommended this place so I had to go and check this place out. the parking in the area is crazy so good luck. the place was small but pretty modern for a italian place. we had their tomato/burrata salad for apps I ordered spaghetti with manila clams while my friends ordered the lasagna and the ricotta gnocchi. the tomato salad was really good and fresh. spaghetti was simple but very good. My friend didn't quite like her gnocchi, which was noticed by one of our servers. A few minutes later, he came by and gave us complimentary tiramisu which was lovely. customer service is good. menu is not too complicated. good wine menu. read more

Good, fresh, and authentic Roman food awaits you at Ristorante Ideale. The wait staff answered our many questions and explained everything well. We started with the thin sliced fennel salad and the fresh calamari with arugula. Good stuff. We followed with the risotto alla pescatora and the zuppa di pesce. Both had generous helpings of seafood and great infused flavors. The seafood was delightful and the variety of clams and muscles was appreciated. The soup base was tasty and not overly salty. The risotto was slightly on the salty side but otherwise well prepared. The service was friendly, efficient, and non obtrusive. They have bunch of crudo items, but only on Mondays through Saturdays. I'll try to make another visit to sample some crudo dishes. read more

We had a great dinner here at Ideale with a party of 5. The waitress we very helpful with wine pairings to go with our dishes. We started with the burrata which was delicious, and I ordered the Mezzelune Di Zucca. It was stuffed with sweet pumpkin in a butter sage sauce, and I have never had anything like that before. I highly recommend ordering that if you want a pasta that is not too heavy. To finish we shared the tiramisu. I am usually not a fan of this dessert in general, but this was creamy and rich. The service was very accommodating to our table and happily help us split the check, something that a lot of restaurants give patrons a hard time with. read more

Ideale - Mezzelune Di Zucca: stuffed with pumpkin, amaretti & parmiggiano in a butter-sage sauce - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We saw this restaurant on "Check Please" about 6 months ago. I was impressed with the reviews from that show. We decided to go for my birthday. I was a bit disappointed, I thought the dishes lacked flavor, the gnocchi with pork sauce had an tomato acid taste, my tortellini was ok, a bit dry but had a good cheesy flavor. The pasta vongole was very dry it could have used lots more sauce on it. It did have lots of clams though. The veal saltimbocca was good! Service was ok, we waited a long time to place our order, and when the food came no one came by to see how we were doing, could have used more sauce on the pasta vongole. Might come back here, not too sure. Since most say it's great, might try it again. read more

I have been to Ideale a couple of times and every experience has been great. The wait staff is extremely friendly and very good at pairing wine with your meal. This time I had the carbonara which is the best I have had since I was in Rome a few years ago. I've heard that the chef here is from Rome, so maybe that's why! The Buffalo appetizer is also incredibly delicious... We made reservations but it was a week night and wasn't too crazy. It gets very full on the weekend so plan ahead. We also had panna cotta and lemon sorbet for dessert. They actually put the sorbet inside of a lemon rind which I have never seen before. It was delicious! Not too sweet but not too tart either. Definitely a must go. read more

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Came here for Galentine's Day with a friend. The service was wonderful - complimentary champagne, attentive (but not too attentive) staff, tasty bread, etc. I ordered the carbonara, and my friend got the chicken parm. Both were really average (the pasta was perhaps slightly below average). The price points were also not worth it ($20 for some mediocre cream, tough bacon/pancetta, cheese, etc.). Thought the pasta was cooked perfectly, however. We also got the tiramisu, which I understand is a difficult dessert to make, but it was too alcohol-y. I don't think you should taste that much booze in each bite. I don't see the need to come back when there are many other wonderful options in the area. read more

Oh. My. Friggin. Gawd. This was my first meal in San Francisco fresh of the boat. Er, plane. Couldn't have asked for a more perfect and delicious welcoming. I got the Papardelle all'Agnello and it was heaven. Tasted like my Sicilian grandma was sitting right next to me. The wine selection is vast and wisely chosen. Our server was clearly a full blooded Italian dude. Tall, dark, handsome and had the typical Italian attitude. Go and feast. I almost forgot about the Prosciutto e Pera appetizer. Never had prosciutto wrapped around a pear before. Definitely an idea to steal to impress your friends at a dinner party. read more

Ideale - Half bottle of my fave - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was an authentic Italian experience. I had the fish of the day which was delicate and delicious. It can get packed. If you have a large party make sure you get there early or make a reservation. There is a bar you can sit at as well. read more

Ideale - Fish of the day. - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

staff are so friendly and knowledgeable. amazing service!!! the food was pretty good but the beef in the ragu is not seasoned so it was somewhat bland. but the other dishes were very good read more

Eh if you want to get mistreated then please come here. Everyone else got offered cheese and pepper on top of their dish except my boyfriend and I. The waiter BARELY checked on us. The discrimination to people other than white is real here. read more

So where do I begin? Pros? BIG FAT ZERO! Cons? I would give them five stars for cons only. My wife and I just ordered from Ideale for our very first time, (delivery) More like bad deal. I ordered a shell pasta with spicy broccoli rob with sausage. It came without any sausage at all guys! WTH? So disappointed. My wife ordered a pepper spaghetti. Hers came with grotesque barf looking cottage cheese funk all through the pasta! Neither of us could even stand more than maybe three bites. Then we had to toss it all in the trash, or we would..... Also, we ordered carpaccio. (It is suppose to be cold and raw beef, 'carpaccio'!) Well someone was so lame that they boxed it between two hot meals, so it arrived gray in color and basically it was cooked carpaccio!! Come on, strike four guys! Lame workmanship, no pride, or concern for quality food going out for delivery. This is without a doubt our first and last time with you guys. We expected better! We do not recommend this establishment. read more

Update 2: This place seems to be pretty inconsistent. Ordered from here again and the same dish had a thick goopy sauce that was flavorless...it just wasn't good. I don't know what happened but I'm less inclined to order from here again. The pumpkin ravioli and gnocchi were also mediocre. Update: We ordered delivery last night and the tortelloni was so incredible. I hope they keep this dish on the menu...The tortelloni is described as being wtuf veal, prosciutto, and mushrooms in a cream sauce with peas. I'm fantasizing about that dish right now. ---- Really good pasta. Dessert was also amazing.Service was friendly and quick. Would definitely return. read more

I've been twice and thought I'd reviewed them already... The Food is so good. The Caesar salad is to die for. Home made pastas are all delicious. Service can be spotty but I forgive that for that salad! read more

Food was superb. service even better. Each dish was better than the next and I can't wait to go back

amazing food, great ambiance, and friendly personable service. definitely recommend to all those going through the area looking for well priced, traditional, delicious food. read more

Most disappointing North Beach dining experience ever. To start with, the service was sporadic, we were not even certain who our server was.....and the overall speed of service quite sluggish. Gave it one star for the wine - a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Castellani, which had a lovely body and finish. From there, it goes downhill....we ordered two salads, with the intention that we could each sample them. The Caesar was okay, but far from the quality one would expect in North Beach. The insalata d'aranci e finocchi was a plate of what I assume was shredded fennel, although it had NO flavor. The melanzana alla parmigiana we ordered as appetizer was better, but not by much. The worst part though, was the pizza - we had ordered the pizza ai funghi e salsiccia, and my friend requested they add onion.....not a big deal, one would think. Apparently it slowed preparation considerably. We finished our salads, both leaving the majority of the fennel untouched due to it's unappetizing taste, and finished the eggplant, then waited another 10-15 minutes for the pizza....after the couple seated next to us, who had arrived later, received their entrees, we asked about our pizza. It was delivered to our table a few minutes later, but the sausage looked really pink, and undercooked. Indeed, I became quite ill a few hours later while seeing a show....when my friend went to reheat the leftover pizza next day, she saw the sausage was even more undercooked than it had looked in the restaurant. Will not return, nor can I recommend Ideale. read more

Was probably the only restaurant in North Beach where the patrons were not drunk and wearing Santa suits. A respite of some sort. It so happened to be Santa pub crawl day in San Francisco and North Beach was more mobbed than I'd ever seen it. Fun to witness. From afar. Parking was a nightmare but I'm so glad we persevered because it was well worth it. If you're a foodie or an Italian transplant then it's not optional: you need to come visit Maurizio the chef and owner of this little gem. Nothing remarkable about the ambiance save there are two rooms and those rooms are full up. The chairs and tables are solid wood, the art modern and the bar small. The focus is on the food. The calamari appetizer with tomato sauce and peas sounds basic but was anything but. With minimal ingredients every single one better shine and they did. Savory with a hint of sweet sea from tender calamari and peas, the tomato sauce added a tart freshness without masking anything. But the best was the prosciutto and pears rolled with a swath of mascarpone; this was juicy and the prosciutto was amazing with the perfect bite and hint of salt. For sure this cured delicacy is specially sourced as there is nothing average about it. It appears in a number of dishes and yay for that. The tortellini in cream sauce is one of those dishes that linger in your memory days later. There'd never be leftovers so the longing is delicious and frustrating. A glass of wine-we had a bottle of champagne!-some of their crusty fresh bread and this dish could be my last request if I knew I were dying. Yes, it's that good. Our waiter was delightful. Helpful but not intrusive. A Venetian who'd worked there many years prior, had retired and was called back for a few nights as the need was clear. The meal enhanced for sure by such a good-natured fellow who attended so well to us. . Only wish we'd met Mauricio earlier. The kind of guy who you'd love to chat with, whose face says he must have had a rich and interesting life, and who absolutely loves what he does. Next time I'd uber to Ideale. And you know they'll be a next time! The read more

Super cute Italian Restaurant in North Beach. The staff is very friendly and helpful with wine and food selections. Everything is made fresh daily. Very authentic and great atmosphere. Will definitely be back! read more

great pasta dishes and amazing service; one of the rare authentic Italian restaurants near north beach;

A great find. On a quieter street, with both indoor and outdoor seating. Great food and great service. My wife and I enjoyed the ceasar salad, burrata bruschetta and shared a pizza. All of it was great. We will be back... read more

Food was not good. Pizza and pasta were forgettable and mediocre. Thought this would be a cute dinner place but it's touristy and not authentic Italian. read more

Love this place. We've been twice this month. Their bread basket at the beginning of the meal is full of pizza dough-goodness. Cacio e pepe is amazing here. I could eat it every day. Their pizza is delicious. Thin crust, but not like a cracker - it has more flavor and is soft in the right places. Service is quite good. It's 2 small rooms, so there is always someone nearby to help, when needed. Good prices, cozy place. It's our new favorite NB restaurant! read more

Not a fan unfortunately :( Brought my family here because we were craving Italian, but not only did the food take a weirdly long amount of time to come out, but everything was drowned in a thick layer of oily cheese.. and this is coming from someone who ABSOLUTELY ADORES cheese. The waiters were extremely nice and the ambience was alright, but sadly the food just didn't do it for any of us. read more

If you are looking for an authentic Italian Restaurant (Roman style) this is the place to go. Stumbled on it walking around North Beach and will definitely be going back! read more

Excellent handmade food with good wine and excellent service. They are the real deal Italian family restaurant.

My husband and I really loved this restaurant! It was recommended to us by a local on our trip to San Francisco and it did not disappoint. The pasta is homemade and so delicious! I had the orecchiette alla pugliese. My husband got a calzone that was made with amazing homemade bread/crust. I recommend finishing the meal with their homemade limoncello. It was very tasty!! The excellent service and overall ambiance of the restaurant also added to our evening being so enjoyable and memorable. read more

Favorite go-to for authentic Italian cuisine served unpretentiously but with class. Order anything and fee free to dine alone or with friends. Stay for dessert and espresso. read more

While visiting one of my favorite cities with someone who had never been there I wanted to make sure she had a taste of something in the North Beach/little Italy of that fabulous city. The concierge at our hotel recommended we try Ideale and said it was a small and fabulous place. He was right ambiance wise, it was absolutely great! The decor is dimly lit, not too loud, and over all a perfect setting for a lingering dinner with good friends. The waiters and in general all the servers were really great, AND! many had Italian accents! Oh yeah! Food wise we started with sharing a delicious eggplant appetizer with a really simple and tasty arugula side salad. I could have easily ordered another one of those not to share! and been completed satisfied, instead we opted for continuing through the menu. I ordered a shrimp gnocchi with a brandy sauce that sounded great. Sadly, the sauce was great but the shrimp were small and not too generously sprinkled through the dish, and the gnocchi wasn't as light and fluffy as I like. The gnocchi was actually a little too dense I thought, maybe over kneaded, and I thought a little too small as well - almost reminded me more of spätzel than gnocchi. My friend had a lasagna that was sort of deconstructed. The pasta in that dish was fantastic, and the overall flavor of the dish was really nice. They have a nice wine list and a full bar. I opted for a grappa for dessert, you know to improve my digestion. ;) - Overall it was a pleasant dining experience, but just not as good as I was hoping for in North Beach. read more

Food was decent. Service horrible. After eating a nice meal order 2 cappuccinos and a dessert waited 30 min. Had to find the waiter ask him what was up. "Machine isn't working"....he never could figure out where dessert was. What was worse is that Ritz Carlton recommended this place. With 1000's of restaurants to pick from in this city it's truly sad to have picked this one read more

Hate to give it a five star because I don't want the rest of you coming here. Old school, authentic groceries. Just go to those tourist traps or the trendy new places stay away from here so people who love classic Italian can enjoy dinner without millennials taking pictures of their meals. read more

4.5 When I found out my team was having dinner at an Italian place, I wasn't that excited. What's new about Italian food, right? Well, it's isn't about being shiny and new. It's about serving hearty, delicious food and making guests feel like, well, guests. Ideale aimed to please and left a fantastic impression upon my crew. The first thing I noticed was how inviting our server was. He was engaging, funny, on top of our needs, and made us all feel like we were guests in his home.* Ideale isn't the place for plates of dots and micro greens. You come here to eat like family and there's nothing a fatty likes more than to leave a restaurant sufficiently stuffed. With glasses of sparkling wine at the ready, I dug in to my meal of shared** plates of seafood salad, sausage and mushroom pizza and an antipasto plate of meat, cheese and vegetables. Of the three, the pizza had my number. We were supposed to share it but I definitely enjoyed the majority of plate. I don't know whether it was the fresh ingredients, delectable cheese (mmm, that's real mozzarella), homemade red sauce, spices (garlic garlic garlic), or the addictive smell that didn't let me stop eating but I feel confident thinking that it was a good mix of all of the above. I wanted to go for a heaping plate of pasta but I was undergoing some body shaming for my dead sexiness (and had just scarfed down a pizza) so I went with the protein power of the stuffed pork chop. The lightly breaded chop was stuffed with cheese and sage and covered in an incredible red cream sauce. There were vegetables (broccoli and potatoes) on the plate but I successfully avoided most of them. I only had eyes and stomach real estate for that chop! Physically weak with gluttony, I contemplated foregoing dessert. And then I slapped myself. I'm pretty sure my waiter contemplated slapping me as well. Get dessert. Do it. My tartufo al cioccolato gave my visions. I went all Johnny Smith and could only mutter strange ramblings connected to the future. Or, maybe I was in the throes of food passion from the truffle ice cream rolled in pralines and powdered cocoa. Truffle. Ice cream. You don't need to read any more. You don't. Ideale is Kathy Wakile Housewives tagline old schoolness. Don't come here for trends. Come here to pop your pants' button on belly busting Italian eats made from the heart and from a kitchen that values realness over flashes in pans. Also, truffle ice cream. *San Francisco has a Little Italy. I never knew. ** Yeah, let's go with that word. read more

Aside from dipping into giant bowls of cioppino like a champ and pounding cheap pizza like a pro, my Italian stops in SF have been fairly limited, so I was really excited to check out Ideale. I rolled up with a group of colleagues and we were all sleepy from a long day, but were quickly revived by the friendly chatter of the servers and the prosseco. Some people get a little nervous when they sit down in a really dated restaurant, but not me. The best Italian food exists in casual walls I find. Why update? They know they've got the goods. The only thing that gets me more excited than casual, is casual with red and white checkered table cloths, but I'll forgive you for not bringing the kitsch, Ideale. I had a green salad and a cheese, garlic and butter pasta for dinner and fernet for dessert. Simple, perfect, fresh, tipsy. Get after it. read more

This teeny-tiny restaurant thing in SF really blows my mind. Tons and tons of itsy-bitsy restaurants. Restaurants that are incredibly intimate, with business owners and employees who appreciate their customers, and are dedicated to their restaurant. Ideale was one of the many restaurants I visited while in the city, but was no exception to this. Our table of 10+ had been reserved, and we were sat in a prime location of the restaurant. A red glow of tiny flickering lights greeted us and the room was pleasantly fresh and cool from the sea breeze coming through the opened windows. Our server was incredibly knowledgeable of the menu and each dish, and waited on of us in such a caring fashion, and meticulous fashion. I had asked to switch risotto in a seafood dish out for a pasta , and I got the impression that maybe he was an owner of sorts with how he seemed to really craft my request, and make a dish just for me. You could tell he was someone who is really passionate about the food and what they are putting out! My dish was incredible. Clams, mussels, squid and shrimp in a red sauce of spaghetti. An absolute TON of seafood in this dish; just what I had been craving! My caesar salad was equally delicious and prepared with anchovies. I finished off the night with a cannoli, which I could have sworn had coconut in it, but my coworker swears I was imagining things! Ideale is a lovely little Italian spot, that you don't want to miss! They serve up awesome traditional dishes, and have quite a few seafood options if thats what your little coastal visiting heart desires! read more

Absolutely the best Italian food I've eaten outside of Roma! Maurizio is an incredible chef, unique Roman dishes, exquisite home made pasta, fresh fish delicacies, authentic thin pizzas, homemade bread, topped off by an array of Italian pastries and wine we can't find in other Italian restaurants. Attentive service and beautiful decor, neighborhood warm atmosphere, reasonably priced. I highly recommend this treasure in North Beach! read more