Delicious seafood, healthy portions, friendly service. Sotto Mare is nearly always packed, so we had to come right when they opened to secure a spot for lunch. During Christmas time, they decorate the place with lights and table decor, creating a festive, cozy vibe. We ordered their west coast oysters, cioppino, and lobster ravioli. All the seafood was very fresh. My favorite out of everything we ordered was the lobster ravioli because the sauce was absolutely fire. Paired it with the complimentary bread they offered and it was just chefs kiss. Cioppino had lots of crab, clams, mussels, scallop, and squid. I had to add a bit more salt myself to the soup, but after that, it was perfect! read more

Sotto Mare - Oysters on Half Shell - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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There are some among us who besmirch neighborhoods like North Beach and restaurants like Sotto Mare as being "touristy." Touristy being synonymous inauthenticity, vapidity. Someone once told me they prefer Chinatown Oakland to that of SF due to the lack of tourists in the former. And I get it, it's sickening seeing people browse through Golden Gate Bridge keychains for the one with their name on it. But you have to understand something: tourists appear in places that hold the city's mythology. Take Los Angeles for example. Imagine promenading down Hollywood Boulevard and encountering all the fools taking pictures of the famous names on sidewalk. Even the most charitable among us feels a mote of disgust toward these fools. But guess what? Brush away the chicanery and find Musso & Frank's and the Roosevelt Hotel, vital and Profound Hollywood mythology. So the Redditors call Sotto Mare touristy? Approach the hostess stand on a cold winter night. Christmas lights strewn about. Plaster fish hung on the walls. An open kitchen buzzing, it's range a great conflagration. A dining full and buzzing (You really need to get a seat upstairs; downstairs is far too subdued). Scant few places will make you feel more like you are in San Francisco than Sotto Mare. That the ghost of Joe DiMaggio is at a nearby table. That, while they're are no TVs in the restaurant, you can envision Montana hitting Rice on an out-route from an imagined screen hanging from the back corner. Maybe Keroauc ambles by the door frame, lugging a rucksack on his way to a drink and confab at Vesuvio. Of course you order cioppino (chee-oh-pino or cho-pino, your choice). A tomatoey microcosm of the ocean itself: mussels, clams, shrimp, bay shrimp and scallops, and of course Dungeness crab. San Francisco in a bowl. Perhaps a few oysters while you wait. And a bottle of wine. Scallops are fattish but underseared. Sand dabs look nice and come many to a plate. The risotto? You're better off making risotto at home. It looked stodgy and lacking of all'onda. read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a legit Italian seafood joint in the heart of North Beach. It reminds me of Boston's man many fantastic North End restaurants. I got the seafood risotto which is the chef recommendation and it did not disappoint. Service was great and wine selection was also expansive. I'd come back to try the pasta dishes, heard the linguini is very good. read more

What a great place! I found this place on Yelp and Google Maps. Both resources told me that it was going to be great and it was. We arrive for our 5:30 reservation on time and the lovely hostess noticed my eyes park up at the side of an open table outside. I knew my wife would prefer that on such a beautiful evening. And the hostess was nice enough to let our party of occupy an outdoor table. We were glad we went earlier because as the night were on, there was a line stretching out the door of people trying to get seated. I highly recommend reservations. Sotto Mare opened in 2007 and has been serving the best damn cioppino ever since. Two in my party of four had never tried cioppino before. The other two have made it several times using their grandmother's recipe. So we spend the gamut of experience. Our server was amazing and took great care of us. She was so busy that we didn't get her name, but she was great. All of us enjoyed our meal, the bread, the soup, the fettuccine Alfredo, and the swordfish special that night was the best I've ever had. Absolutely delicious. San Francisco is blessed to have a restaurant like this. Bring the kids they have bibs for them and the adults. It's a family place and it shows. We felt welcome and enjoyed the great hospitality and amazing food. read more

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Sotto Mare lives up to the hype. Ordered the cioppino, seafood risotto, and scallops--every dish hit. The cioppino was rich and packed with fresh seafood, easily the star of the night. The risotto was creamy with generous clams and seafood, super comforting. Scallops were perfectly seared and buttery, paired well with veggies. Portions are big, great for sharing. Cozy, lively North Beach vibe--perfect date spot or night out with friends. If you want classic San Francisco seafood done right, this is the place. read more

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The reviews were spot on! Awesome food, great atmosphere, and super nice staff. We couldn't make an online reservation but called ahead of time to do so. On a Friday night, there was a line but not more than 20 minutes. read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Sotto Mare has been on my SF restaurant bucketlist for a while now and I finally recently got a chance to try the famous Cioppino here! We got here early for Saturday lunch and were quickly seated at the counter. In addition to the Cioppino, we ordered a crab salad to start which was a nice lighter side, mostly salad with fresh crab meat on top. The real star of course was the Cioppino which was so flavorful and rich with a ton of seafood (shrimp, clam, crab) and absolutely delicious! The crab was the best part but a bit hard to eat without getting broth everywhere. There's also pasta in the soup which was unexpected but it helps make it more filling and it was more than enough to share between 2 people. I'd definitely come back just for the Cioppino, one of the best in SF! read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've heard of Sotto Mare and was told it is a staple in San Francisco so I'm glad I got a chance to try it. The restaurant has an outdoor seating area, indoors, and then also additional seating downstairs as well. The service was quick and our waitress was extremely friendly. Collectively as a table we ordered: Oysters - 10/10. They tasted so good and fresh. Can never go wrong with oysters in my opinion Fettuccine - 8/10. It's kinda cool that they let you order the pasta dish in half size. This pasta was great. It tasted super garlicky for a fettuccine pasta but it was still very good and well seasoned Crab Cioppino - 10/10 .The Crab Cioppino was very tasty and the portion was huge! They say it's enough for two but we shared among 6 of us and it was more than enough. Granted we did order other food. The dish came with clams , mussels, crabs, squid, and penne pasta. read more

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Good cioppino. Not near as good as two years ago. Skimping a little on seafood but still ok.

We finally made it here and have been trying to go during crab season. There is always a line so either come for lunch or early dinner. The vibe of the restaurant is really great - fast paced, mom and pop shop. The crab was good as expected and oysters are well in season (so tasty!). The cioppino was a huge portion and meant for sharing. I think it has a good amount of seafood and the soup itself was not too tomatoey. Yum! read more

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This was an incredibly disappointing visit considering this place had been on my list to try for a long time. I've heard all the hype and read the stellar reviews only to be completely shocked at how bland every dish was and how very low quality the ingredients were considering the price tags on the menu. I felt that the clam chowder wasn't even up to standard as in you can find way better ones along the pier. The mussels in broth didn't make me want to keep eating them they were so lackluster. Some of my scallops seemed undercooked and the sauce it was in had a bitter flavor like the wine wasn't cooked out or an ingredient was burnt. The service was average and could use some improvement in terms of friendliness and an overall welcoming vibe. read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

If you are looking for seafood and Italian...look no further! Sotto Mare serves up exceptional dishes that are simple, classic, and delicious! The linguine seafood was outstanding with perfectly cooked pasta, great flavor and a mixture of seafood that was fantastic but not too heavy. The mussels and clams steamer had exceptional broth and flavors and was the perfect appetizer. The fish of the night was the Alaskan halibut and it was simple yet had great flavor and taste and was perfectly cooked. Highly recommend checking out Sotto Mare for the food, the family like service, and comfortable atmosphere! read more

Sotto Mare - Linguine with Seafood - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We were in San Francisco. We found out Cioppino was invented in San Francisco and I heard this was the place to go. It was. We had an outstanding lunch outside of that Cioppino and oysters. Everything was very good on a beautiful San Francisco Day. read more

Everyone has to be there to be seated. I got the cioppino since they are known for that. It is more than enough for 2 people. It was delicious. We had to ask for a crab shucker to open the crab legs. The crab legs had so much meat so that was great. You can even sit at the counter and watch the cooks. The staff was very friendly. read more

Sotto Mare - The "Best Damn Crab Cioppino" - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really enjoyed the atmosphere & food, service was good as well. ++ for free bread service, which is a dying art at most places. read more

It's been a long time since I've been here but an out of town friend wanted to try something well known in SF so we chose this restaurant! It was a very warm day and the inside was extra warm we were sweating while we were eating. The food is great don't get me wrong and the portions are huge. But for the price is don't think it was wow-ed enough. I was hoping it would showcase how amazing the seafood is etc but yeah it was nice a tasty meal not as wowed as we hoped. read more

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Normally I'd write a lengthy review but this is one of the few places that the reviews are pretty even and frankly It's all that it's cracked up to be per the other 5-star reviews. No reservations for parties less than 4 and wait times during prime hours are 30-60 minutes. You can't get much more San Francisco than this place and their Cioppino. The two of us couldn't quite finish it. Delicious and great bang for the buck in a city that is otherwise very expensive. One of those places you will eventually start coming back just to explore the rest of the menu. A seafood lover's dream here! read more

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Came here again with new friends!! I consistently love this place - the seafood is fresh, the dishes are cooked to perfection, and the service is great! Only downside is the smaller seating area, and if you sit indoors it can get quite hot, but otherwise it's quite cozy and I love the experience of coming :) This time my friends and I got the seafood risotto, cioppino, and scallop/prawn saute! Everything was delicious, and I love coming back again and again for amazing seafood dishes! read more

Sotto Mare - The "Best Damn Crab Cioppino" - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've been wanting to try the cioppino at Sotto Mare forever and I'm so glad I finally did! There was so much seafood in it, my favorites were the crab, clams, and shrimp. We also ordered the grilled salmon, which was super flavorful, and a mix of east coast and west coast oysters -- I wish I ordered more because they were that good! The staff were so friendly and checked in on us often, and the decor inside is so fun, just so many little knickknacks to look at. Cozy, lively, and delicious definitely worth the hype! read more

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Upon recommendation of a friend, we came to try and it didn't disappoint. The Cioppino is a must order. It's a regular on every table. Menu says it's good for two but six of us had a good size portion. Its umami flavor is perfect with the crusty bread. Pasta and sole fish were very delicious as well. The restaurant is super crowded. We were led to downstairs seating for bigger groups. There were only two servers at the time we were there but they worked very efficiently and fast. Food came at a reasonable time and still hot. read more

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You can't visit to Sotto Mare and not order their famous cioppino. I daresay it's a *steal* these days at $54.95 for a HUGE bowl that will feed two. (The two of us even had leftovers). Chock full with crab, bay scallops, clams, shrimp, mussels and some penne pasta thrown in there too cuz why not? The broth is sooooo good. The best part was sopping it up with the bread. We also started off with a couple of clam shooters which were fresh, tangy with a good kick. Service was nice and efficient. The wait wasn't bad on a Saturday evening (we waited about an hour). Not a big fan of having to leave my physical credit card in exchange for the beeper that works within a one block radius. read more

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Yummy for my tummy, yum yum yum! Came here with some friends that were visiting from the east coast and had to show them some good SF living. So where? Sotto Mare of course! Made a reservation for 6 around 6:30pm on a Friday and had a pup with us - so plus one on outdoor seating! Bill came to about $60-70 a person, but that's app, entree, drink and a 20% tip. Atmosphere - family style, loud and animated - I'm here for it. On top of that our wait staff was amazing. You can tell this is her turf and she runs her section. Love it, WORK BB GIRL! What makes it even more enjoyable is that she knew her menu and what to recommend. She was attentive and asked all the right questions. On to the food -- as for me, a glass of red and scallops with veggies. Since I've been doing lumen I've been watching my carbs, but those scallops and veggies sure did the trick. Anything swimming in butter lemon sauce I will literally drink from the plate (LOL). Although, we did recommend the Cioppino to our east coast visitors. How can you not have SF's own dish? As the found came out, bibs came on and we were all feasting like savages. That salted lemon butter sauce was divine. As the night progressed, food devoured and lightly sauced up it was time to bar hop in good ole north beach. You never do us wrong. Thanks, Sotto Mare! read more

Sotto Mare - Linguine with Seafood - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It was a busy Sunday evening, but thankfully we called in for a reservation ahead of time. Parking was crazy per usual but thankfully one person in the party arrived in time to let the hostess know to hold our table as most of us were late due to SF parking struggles. At first I thought they gave our table away but little did we know that they have basement floor with more seating for larger parties. We ordered the cioppino, clam steamers, linguine with seafood, and the fettuccine with smoked salmon. The food came out with some fresh bread and butter prior to serving the main dishes. The service was pretty quick, ~20 minutes, with the staff being attentive despite being further away from the majority of the other customers. Our personal favorites were the linguine with seafood, and clam steamers. The bread they served at the start goes really well with the clam steamers! I would recommend the linguine over the fettuccine, (personal preference) as the dish came with greater diversity of seafood. I was not really certain of what I expected from the smoked salmon on the fettuccine, but it seemed like the salmon was almost cooked through by the time it was served. read more

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Theb Ciopppni was a hearty stew reminiscent of the Korean stews. Clab chowder was alright. Pasta was aldente. Place was packed read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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What can I say? It's not Rice a Ronnie. But this place IS a San Francisco Treat! Tucked in the heart of SF's little Italy area known as North Beach. Though I grew in SF and I've never seen a beach anywhere close to there!! lmao Entering this establishment is like walking into an old SF that I grew up in as a child. When SF was a mighty tourist destination and you would take out-of-town friends and families to popular sights, you would also take them to taste a piece of SF. This is the kinda place you would go to. A small hole in the wall romantic feeling that is warm and charming. (but don't sit to close to the entrance bc SF is ANYTHING but warm ever) I'd say try to sit on the main floor. Downstairs is cozy but a lil claustrophobic for me. The food is great and definitely fantastic to share. I'd order a great variety so that you and your party can taste as much as possible. Then when you find yourself still hungry, order round TWO and unbuckle that belt!! Because its gonna be a tight fit. The place is also a tight fit as the tables are small and closely packed in. The food was all fantastic, I'd say. I esp enjoyed scallops and cioppini. How can pasta go wrong? It can't so order any of them. They're all satisfying!! read more

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Located in the heart of Little Italy, North Beach San Francisco. This is my favorite place for classic cioppino, fresh oysters and marinated Dungeness crab! They offer raw oysters either on the half shell or as shooters, west coast or east coast species with a spicy red sauce. Be sure to ask for their fresh horseradish. For starters, we also love their bay shrimp Louie salad, which is big enough to share with 2-3 people. I also recommend their marinaded, cold whole Dungeness crab, which comes in an olive oil, lemon garlic sauce. Be sure to order their marinaded"Best Damn Cioppino" , which is served in a large bowl: Dungeness crab, mussels, clams, squid, and scallops. read more

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After years of wanting to try this place I finally made it with a group of four on a Sunday evening. The hostess was very friendly. We were seated almost immediately, which was great because there were a lot of people waiting outside. However, we were seated in the basement, which wasn't the most pleasant atmosphere and a reason for my deducting one star; we were the first table to be seated in the space and the person setting up the tables around us was extremely loud and disruptive while he was slamming dishes and silverware down on the tables. The atmosphere was dark, quiet, and a bit dingy feeling. The service was friendly. We ordered the ciopinno and the full order of crab over linguine. The food was good and plenty for the four of us - we had leftovers to take home. I'm happy I got to check out the place but I'm not in a rush to go back anytime soon. I do recommend checking it out though if you are in the area and a seafood lover. read more

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It was the day before Valentine's Day and we definitely wanted to try the Cioppino at Sotto Mare. We didn't have reservations and this place was absolutely slammed. I waited and put my name down and was told a very reasonable 45 minutes wait. Perfect. We decided to hang out and people watch while waiting for a slice to share from Golden Boy Pizza a couple doors down. Right at the 45 minutes mark we got seated and noticed the pizza move was being done by many tables. We already knew what we wanted. Cioppino to share, a salad and some chowder. Let's get to it. The Cioppino was very large and arrived piping hot. There was pasta in it which was a new thing for us. The broth was nicely garlicky and there was a good amount of seafood. The pasta seemed unnecessary but ok as we saw bucket after bucket coming out of the kitchen. 7/10 The chowder was ok and not quite hot enough. 6/10 The wedge salad was crisp and cold but not spectacular 5/10. Service was quite good even though they were SO busy. We needed some more bread but it was forgotten. No big deal. I'd say this is a good spot to make time for if you're visiting SF and the cioppino is big enough for three to share. I think next time we'll explore the menu a bit more. 6.5/10 read more

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The best Cioppino in town . I love coming to this place for the crab Cioppino and clam chowder soup. The place is nice and cool . Service is great and fast . It's worth the drive. read more

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Sotto Mare is such a charming spot for seafood in San Francisco! The inside has that cozy, tight seating vibe, but if the weather's nice, definitely grab a table outside--the people-watching is great. The menu has an awesome selection of seafood, and everything we tried was incredibly fresh. We started with the smoked salmon, which was so buttery and flavorful it practically melted in your mouth--amazing! For my main, I went with the prawn Louis, and it was exactly what I was craving: fresh prawns piled on crisp lettuce with zesty cocktail sauce and a side of thousand island. Light, refreshing, and delicious. We paired lunch with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, which was perfect for a sunny afternoon. Between the food, the wine, and the atmosphere, this was such a great San Francisco dining experience. read more

Sotto Mare - Smoked Salmon - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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So glad they were able to seat us for dinner on a busy night with no resy. Happened upon this place by chance and it do not disappoint. We were so glad we did not get seated inside since it was packed and super stuffy. The outside seating area was perfect. Service was friendly and attentive and gave us the right recommendations. The cioppino is definitely their most well known dish and it was definitely tasty, but the highlight was the prawn and scallop saute which was fresh but also executed perfectly. Clam chowder was good but nothing crazy. read more

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Finally had a chance to come eat at Sotto Mare, and our group of 3 arrived around 7pm on a Tuesday. Finding parking in the area is definitely a challenge, and when we arrived it was definitely busy - we waited around 15 minutes or so and luckily got seated in the back, downstairs where its a little less crowded that it is upstairs. Despite being spread a little thin, the service was still friendly and checked up on us relatively often given how we were a little far removed from the main action - honestly a little nice since there was a bit more room. It's a little divey but brightly lit and warm overall throughout the establishment. We ordered the cioppino of course, as well as the scallops. The waitress was nice enough to let us know that the cioppino comes with pasta in it, since we were considering whether or not to also order pasta - the cioppino is quite large so I'm glad she stopped us from ordering the pasta as it definitely would have been way too much. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the sauce was so delicious. The cioppino was also delicious and so full of seafood goodness in the rich warming soup. While the cost is a little high, you definitely get a generous amount of good seafood in each dish, and I really enjoyed our meal! Definitely a great place for special occasions if you have the time to find parking and wait for a table. read more

Sotto Mare - Scallops - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We started with the clam and mussel combo. The shellfish were very fresh and delicious. The broth was spot on. Some restaurants go overboard on the garlic. Not here. We could have stopped with the appetizer. But no. We had the prawn scallop sauté. Again, a winner. While I question whether these were prawns rather than shrimp, they were still delicious. The scallops were great A shout out to our server Jane. She was attentive without being overbearing. While I am sure this isn't the cheapest seafood restaurant, the value received is a home run. read more

I didn't realize I had already reviewed Sotto Mare, but I'm not surprised - we come here often because we love it so much. It's just a really lovely welcoming restaurant. I love this seafood restaurant. It has so much personality, and the food is killer! Parking is a little rough because it's SF. It's hard to find street parking, but there is a little lot across the street for $25. My dad and I have come here A LOT and it never disappoints! I do love their Cioppino, and it definitely is enough for 2 people. I think their best dish is the sautéed scallops. Those are to die for. Always get some oysters as well, they're so fresh and tasty here. This time I tried the sand dabs - can you believe how many came in my plate?? And they're all delicious, cooked perfectly. Even the vegetables have a great taste to them. You can sit inside, outside, or at the counter. The counter slopes a bit but you see the chefs at work so that's always fun. It's a little jammed pack, there is memorabilia all over the walls. But it's a great vibe. And everyone is always so nice whenever we come here. Truly, you won't find better seafood anywhere else. And I live 2 blocks from the ocean in SoCal. read more

Sotto Mare - Interior - Fat Joe's been here haha - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We were in Little Italy and was craving pasta. Saw this spot had high ratings on Yelp, so we decided to give it a shot. The wait was a little long, but they gave us a puck (vibrating buzzer) so we could walk around the area instead of just standing around -- which was a nice touch. We ended up getting seated at the counter, which was exciting at first -- it's cool to watch the chefs do their thing up close. But it got overwhelming pretty fast. It's a loud, high-energy space with dishes flying in and out constantly. Definitely more chaotic than cozy. We'd already eaten a bit earlier, so we didn't go too heavy on the food. I ordered the risotto and honestly, I really enjoyed it -- super flavorful and cooked just right. We also got oysters and something else but I forgot to take a pics of it. I'd totally come back, but next time I'd prefer a regular table. Sitting at the counter felt a bit cramped, and there was so much going on I was low-key worried a plate might get dropped on me at any second read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food is just incredible! The service was flawless and the owner comes around and converses! The restaurant is a treat! We will definitely be back! Loved it!!! read more

Sotto Mare - Scallops and shrimp sauté - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Decided to take my parents to this sf institution when they were visiting. We had a group of 5 so I was grateful they let me make a reservation. We were seated in the basement area, which ambiance wise did not do much but it's not a big deal. It's a lot calmer downstairs than the bustling crammed upstairs dining area. Ordered lots of different dishes to try including the crab Louis salad, lobster ravioli, oysters, oyster shooters, cioppino, sautéed calamari, and sautéed scallops. The crab salad was definitely the highlight for me. Ample amounts of fresh crab meat on top of lettuce. It was so good! The oysters were pretty sweet although one of the variations (I forgot if it was east or west coast) was super tiny. Cioppino was good in flavor and had a variation of seafood including clams, crab legs, shrimp, and calamari. Sautéed calamari was skippable imo. The bill was pretty hefty but not unexpected considering it was seafood. I probably won't be coming back for a while but it was definitely worth a visit if you are visiting sf and like seafood. read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

Finally made it here! Parking garages or street parking. We went at 5:30 on a Tuesday in February 2026. It is always busy here. The woman that seated us is very nice. This place is a small cozy establishment with a few tables and counter stools upstairs with an open style kitchen. There are more tables downstairs for larger groups. We were seated at a 4 top table upstairs. FYI they ONLY have a small selection of Beers and Wines. We ordered the outstanding Scallops that came with freshly steamed vegetables and Clams Linguine. The bread is delicious. Our server Connie was wonderful! Scallops were my favorite! read more

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Checking this place off my bucket list! We went as a party of two right at opening for a weekday lunch and were seated immediately. The space is pretty small, so I definitely recommend going early if you can. Despite its popularity, the restaurant still feels local and homey, which I really appreciated. The seafood was fresh and the portions were generous. Of course, we had to try the cioppino, which was packed with seafood and had a light tomato-based broth. Also love that it came with pasta on the bottom. I personally would have preferred a slightly bolder flavor, but that's just personal taste. We also had the grilled sand dabs, which were good, though next time I'd love to try the scallops instead. We grabbed the clam chowder to go and it was amazing- rich, hearty, and full of clams. I would absolutely come back for the cioppino and chowder (and to try more dishes!) Overall, I'm so glad I finally got to try this spot. It's definitely worth checking out! read more

Sotto Mare - Grilled Sand Dabs - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is my 2nd visit to this place. We went here on an early Sunday evening at around 4. It was pretty crowded and loud. We didn't want to wait so we got seating by the bar. We ordered The "Best Damn Crab Cioppino". If you love sea food you will definitely like it. Crab, shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, it has it all. The quantity is pretty good. We both couldn't finish it and had to ask for to-go boxes. read more

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