Wow... best lunch today! Always passed by as a SF native, thought it was all tourists but finally stopped by for a taste of the Cioppino and it did not disappoint! So delicious, more than enough for both of us! Hostess was really nice, she initially offered us the counter but we didn't wait long for our table- it was perfect weather outside today! Our server, Kristy/Christy, was awesome- she checked on us regularly during the bustling at lunchtime! Shall return with the entire family- especially with my birthday coming up!!! Must try! read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

The restaurant is quite small and it was busy. At least last night, the best option was to eat at the bar. From start to finish, everyone there were super friendly and efficient. We started with a cup of clam chowder and 2 oyster shooters. The oysters were delicious and the chowder was full of clams. Yummy! After that, we ordered the sand dabs with spinach and steamed mussels. Wow! Huge portions of delicious food. The sand dabs were sweet and flavored with lemon. And the mussels while small were excellent too. We went through 2 bread servings to sop up the delicious broth. We went early and there was a waiting line when we left. read more

See all

Seems like a very popular spot! We tried the seared scallops and the seafood linguine - portions are generous and the flavors are decent. Heavy on the garlic and maybe the veg was a tad salty. The seafood linguine was good but the seafood didn't taste super fresh. read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Went there for lunch with an out of town guest who had heard it was the best. I had mussels and clams in broth. They were fresh, sweet and delicious. The broth was missing depth. I was expecting white wine, garlic, lemon. Didn't taste any of those. My friend's halibut was beautiful with lots and lots of capers. I ordered ice tea and it was tasteless. The waitress said it came from a "gun." The four stars are for the quality of the seafood which was exemplary. read more

Sotto Mare - Halibut with capers...lots of capers. - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Sotto Moro seems like a place that's always crowded. We went for an early dinner and luckily got seated right away though it was packed. The meal was fantastic and well paced and the ambiance was on point. Felt very cool as Prince played on the speakers and the music didn't disappoint the rest of the night. The busser kindly helped us rearrange our table to maximize space. Very courteous. The bathrooms were not gender neutral, but the women's had multiple stalls that were very spacious. Lemonade Standard lemonade, tasty with the meal. Prawn Cocktail The cocktail sauce is a bit spicy, which I really enjoyed. We wished there was more of it in the plate! The shrimp were large and filling. Linguine with Seafood Buttery noodles. Tender and savory seafood. Delicious in every bite. read more

See all

It's always good food and bad service here. I really like the pasta dishes, especially the one with the white sauce. I also really like how fresh the clams are. It's just annoying that you always have to wait in line here and they don't take reservations, the waitresses are always also just not attentive and honestly a little rude. The environment is also just very squished, the bar seating tables are slanted, it also has very bad ventilation. read more

See all

My wife and I visited on Monday late afternoon after flying in from NJ. It was not busy yet and we easily scored a table. It's located in the heart of North Beach with many of the other Italian restaurants. Lots of competition. We each wanted to order a house salad but the only dressing they had was Thousand Island. So we did not order a salad and that was disappointing. After you place your order, they will provide a basket of fresh bread. Great for dipping. I ordered the Fettuccine with seafood in a pomodoro sauce. It was OK. Plenty of seafood but it was spaghetti. My wife ordered the sea scallops sautéed. A generous portion. Lots of oil and garlic. Many of the pasta and risotto dishes came with cream sauces which would not be good for someone with an allergy. No room for dessert. If you want a variety of seafood, this is the place. Coming from the east coast, this was OK. Nothing wrong with it. The service was very good but not warm and inviting. The prices were reasonable considering the location. read more

Pretty good Italian seafood restaurant! We were able to get seated without a reservation but we're probably lucky as there was a crowd. The service is great and the restaurant very nice. The food was great! We got some oysters which were really fresh and juicy, and the clam chowder was good too. Both were reasonable in price. The clam linguine was also very good and they gave a generous portion of clams. The cioppino was also good, but I wouldn't say it's the best damn cioppino I've ever had. They had a good amount of seafood and crab though which is always welcome. Prices are reasonable so would recommend! read more

See all

Food was delicious and servers were very attentive. Cioppino was supposedly good for two but actually more than enough for four. It was so good that we finished the entire bowl and bread serving. The risotto was flavorful and cooked perfectly. Linguine was also flavorful and the pasta was al dente. The restaurant interior reminded us of the godfather movie set! read more

See all

I love all things cioppino and this is the spot! I love the intimate setting and attentive wait staff. Fresh seafood, even the quaint garlic bread. read more

This was in fact the "best damn cioppino" I have ever had. The broth was perfect. You could taste the wine, but it was not too tomato-y or acidic like other cioppinos I have had. Great selection of seafood in it. The crab was slightly sweet. Got a mix of oysters I don't remember but also super fresh. Waited almost 2 hours but it was worth it. We had a seat at the bar to catch all the action. Small and cozy interior, limited outdoor seating. Always worth the wait. I want to try one of their pastas next time! read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Dining in the "Dungeon" of a North Beach legend. ​Stepping into Sotto Mare feels like stepping back in time. Housed in a building from 1919, it has that boisterous, chaotic, wonderful energy of an old-school Italian joint. We were whisked past the open kitchen and seated all the way in the back--a spot jokingly called "the dungeon"--but even back there, the charm of the place reaches you. ​The star of the show is the seafood. We dove into plates of clams and mussels that tasted like the ocean itself--sweet, fresh, and cooked just right. It's a purist's menu; concise and focused. (Warning: if you want fries to soak up that sauce, you're out of luck--they don't do them here!) ​It's not a flawless experience--parking is a battle, the check is steep ($25+ per dish), and if you want a martini, you'll have to go elsewhere as it's beer and wine only. But for a taste of North Beach history and some of the freshest catch in the city, Sotto Mare holds its own. read more

See all

Sotto Mare has without a doubt the best cioppino in San Francisco! The portion is easily enough for two people to share and it's full of delicious crab and seafood with some pasta also. It's always super busy so plan ahead and make a reservation. Staff is friendly and the atmosphere is lively. We have also had takeout and it was just as delicious at home and they provided plenty of bread as well. A wonderful San Francisco treat! read more

Amazing food. The cioppino is the way to go, but the chowder and oysters were a good start. Sit on the kitchen side of the bar seating to enjoy the show while you eat. read more

Best Cioppino? Best Cioppino. Saw that this place didn't have an online waitlist so what was the best option to avoid the crowd? Come at 4:30PM for Friday night dinner. It was already pretty packed with limited seats available, so I definitely recommend avoid peak times to even get a decent wait time. I love places that have set menus for 2 at a reasonable price - perfect for a date night. I came in knowing I wanted the Cioppino, but also noted that a lot of people ordered other dishes that also had large portions at reasonable prices. The Cioppino was a perfect portion size for 2, and the bread they give as starters only complimented the dish. The Cioppino is a tomato based broth with various seafoods inside - with mussels, clams, shrimp, crab, and ravioli. The broth was soo flavorful, and each of the seafood pieces tasted fresh. The crab was really tender and easy to peel so you maximized the time enjoying the meal. The pieces of ravioli are an amazing addition of carbs because I otherwise wouldn't feel as full. The main thing on why this places is so freaking good is because you don't get a feeling that they skimp out on any ingredients. The amount of seafood was enough for both of us to eat, and had a really good balance of variety (ex. not too much of one thing because it's cheap). This is how you tell the owners are for the people - affordable price, quality ingredients, amazing service, all while keeping that the San Francisco vibe. I will definitely bring back - but next time with friends and family! read more

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

To me, the seasoning tasted similar to Boiling Crab's Creole flavor. It was overall decent, but nothing that really stood out. I honestly forgot what else we ordered, but from what I remember, the meal was solid and satisfying. read more

I came here on a Wednesday night for dinner and only waited about 10min to dine in for a party of two. We sat at the bar and it was a great experience, since we saw all the food being cooked in front of us! The restaurant is not that big, so I don't recommend large parties unless you have a reservation. We ordered 6 west coast oysters and their oysters were delicious & tasted fresh! The main reason we were here was for their "Best Damn Crab Cioppino" and it did not disappoint. The crab was already cut, so it was easy tear off the shell and eat the delicious crab meat. The broth was tasty and paired well with the bread they gave us. I think the pasta in the cioppino doesn't add to the dish, however, it does make the dish more filling. I'd definitely would come again to try their other dishes. read more

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

See all

Sat outside. It was a nice day out. Had a great lunch consisting of clam chowder, west coat oysters, and cioppino. read more

See all

Amazing, fresh seafood. A must every time I come back to SF. The seating is quite limited so expect to arrive early and wait for a spot. I've been here about 5 times already and have never been seated in the main part of the restaurant, I'm always seated outside or in their basement because I never reserve a table in time. The restaurant has a fishing boat aesthetic and is very busy on the main floor. Would highly recommend their oysters on the half shell and their seafood linguine. Service is alright, they occasionally forget about you or are a little cold, but the food keeps bringing me back! Parking is tricky but if you drive around enough you'll be able to snag one! read more

Sotto Mare - Clam Chowder, Oysters on Half Shell, Clam on Half Shell, Linguine with Seafood - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Even with the 1 hour and 15 minute wait and how much I hate waiting, it was worth it. Came here on a Friday night in March with a friend who was visiting from out of town. Just had to bring them to try some of San Francisco's classic cioppino! We were seated at the bar along where they were churning out all of the food, and it was so entertaining to watch the cooks do their thing. And of course the cioppino was divine. read more

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

See all

First, a story: Perhaps the most San Francisco thing that's happened to me among the many San Francisco things I've experienced in the 50 years that I've been visiting San Francisco, happened during my first time at Sotto Mare. While I waited outside the restaurant for a table, I spent a few minutes chatting with the owner, North Beach denizen Rich Azzolino. When he got busy, he pulled his friend Tommy out of another conversation, introduced him to me, and mentioned that we shared a love of fishing. By the time my table was ready, I'd heard from Tommy about his last trip out, what species he targets and where to find them, and he'd invited me to fish with him that week. I couldn't go, but I would have. It would have been the San Francisco thing to do. ********** I've only eaten three things at Sotto Mare - bread, chowder, and cioppino. Those three things are so good that I don't care that there are other things on the restaurant's menu. It doesn't matter that Sotto Mare offers tempting alternatives, nor that local, regular customers of the place say, "This [dish] is better than Sotto Mare's bread/chowder/cioppino." I'm not local or a regular, and I can get those other things in other places. I want what I want - bread, chowder, and cioppino - and you should too. ********** Sotto Mare offers diners a basket of fresh sourdough bread made by Boudin Bakery. I don't even LIKE sourdough; I often find it too tangy and dense, but there's something about eating fresh-baked Boudin Bakery sourdough in San Francisco... maybe the ocean air makes it good. ********** I always order a bowl of the restaurant's New England-style chowder for a personal snack, before I split a cioppino with my wife. She always cautions me not to spoil my appetite. I always ignore her warning, insisting that, "I know what I'm doing," despite knowing that Sotto Mare doesn't serve a skimpy portion of the chowder. And a silky, rich, fantastic chowder it is! I bite it and sip it and scrape my bowl with bread until the chowder's gone, and near the end, I realize, again, that such a chowder is not an appetizer but a meal. Thick, and chunky with clams, not sneakily loaded with vegetables to lower the kitchen's food cost, its luxe creaminess fills me before I'm ready to be full. At that moment, I'm always uncomfortable, stuffed with bread and chowder and hubris, but no matter; I drink some water, breathe deeply, and rally. There's cioppino on the way. ********** Everyone who dines at Sotto Mare talks about the cioppino, so let's do that: The iconic local dish is often confused with bouillabaisse, but there are important differences: cioppino, which originated in the City's Italian fishing community, is a tomato-based stew, more herbal, rich, and spicy (if lightly so) than is bouillabaisse; and cioppino, unlike its French cousin, features more shellfish than fish. Sotto Mare serves a fine cioppino, whose simple, straightforward presentation and dockside flavors the City's old "pescòu" would recognize and appreciate - though they might marvel at the price. But no one visits San Francisco to save money, and it's a fact that you must pay for quality, so pay I do, and I absolutely get my money's worth. As each order is placed, the cook sautés seafood and onions with tomato sauce, then simmers those things in fish stock. The resulting stew is redolent of garlic, and the aromatic, slightly briny broth is hearty and fresh. The portion is large enough for two enthusiastic diners to share. The bowl is filled with delectable, tomato-y seafood broth; piled with fresh Dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish; and the whole thing is studded with penne pasta. ********** Should I try something different? Maybe. But I can't imagine what would change my mind at the moment of ordering. As I said: When I visit Sotto Mare, I want what I want - bread, chowder, and cioppino - and you should too. read more

A wonderful old school establishment. Exceptional service. Simple dishes done right. Does it get better than a steaming bowl of clam chowder, a bowl of steamed clams and mussels and a cold beer eaten outside on a typical brisk, foggy day in San Francisco? Here is a hint...it does not. read more

One of my kids - that lives in the Nah Area - had never been here so we had to introduce her to the home of Cioppino! We had made reservations a few weeks ago and it's something I highly recommend as even with it being a chilly night - the lines were long! We sat outside but it was warm on account or the head lamps ! It's not fancy, just good food and drinks: We began with the oysters - they are remarkably cheap for city but for me I would get them here again as though perfectly shucked, they were not my favorite and unfortunately my first one was a bad one which is a risk you take! But the true stars of the show were the Crab Louis which is loaded with fresh crab and absolutely delicious and the cioppino! Originally two of us planned to share it but ended up with three of us with plenty to spare! It's delicious, packed with fresh seafood and perfect for a cold day like today!! Absolutely worth a visit when in San Francisco!! read more

See all

I'm a hospitality specialist that works in SFO and some customers of mine recommended this place. I googled them, took one look at the cioppino and it was official: I KNEW what I wanted for my birthday. I talked about going to this place for weeks. Finally the day was upon us. I had called ahead to check on the foot traffic and to determine the best time to get there. As they open at 11:30, after speaking with someone over the phone the week before, my wife and I determined the best time to get there was 12:30pm, they don't take reservations for parties of 2. We arrived, saw they already had a wait but were on the list by 12:30pm. We were told the wait would be 30 minutes. No problem. We received the buzzer from them and walked around the block and ended up two restaurants down the street around 12:50pm. At 1:09pm, the buzzer still hadn't gone off and my wife, who went in initially to put us on the list, went back in to check on the status of our table. At the host stand, she heard the manager tell a woman who clearly didn't have a reservation she would be sat in 3 minutes. After hearing that, my wife showed the manager the buzzer we had been given and asked, "So how much longer for us?" The manager replied "It may be another 10 minutes." We then watched them scramble to clear a table and immediately give the table to the woman who had arrived after us. Upon this disappointment we decided to leave because if they can't get something simple like seating guests respectfully right, I can only imagine what else they'll screw up. People don't remember what you do... They remember how you made them feel. As a hospitality professional, not only was this experience totally unavoidable but it left me feeling disrespected and not valued - as a customer; as a person. In being honest, I have to mention that, oddly enough, as I looked around during this disappointment I noticed that everyone seated and being rapidly seated were of one particular ethnic group. Everyone waiting was part of various minority groups which made this incident even more sickening - reinforcing our decision to not only choose to spend our money somewhere else on that day, but to never spend any money there... EVER. I was extremely excited to visit this place and to be shown this kind of treatment further proves that there are still some places that don't want minority dollars so much they simply don't care how they treat you. And unfortunately for them, I'm certainly sharing this experience with as many visitors to the city as I can letting them know "There a MANY fine places to eat in the city... but I'll tell you where NOT to go - unless you feel like being treated like a second-class citizen." Please check in with your personal values before choosing to support this place. Sotto Mare... you all really need to invest in some cultural sensitivity training. It's 2026. Highly disappointed. read more

We were lucky to sat down without any waiting time. It's first come first served. The blue cheese wedge is delicious. The clam chowder is not bad. The Crab Cioppino is what we are looking for. It's big enough to served 2-3 people. The flavor of the soup is exceptionally good. The crab meat is sweet and tender. There's noodles at the bottom of the soup that will keep you more full. Will definitely come back here often! read more

Sotto Mare - Blue Cheese Wedge and Boston Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Authentic Italian seafood at its best! We ordered oyster shooters, lobster ravioli, Boston clam chowder, oysters on the half shell, linguine with seafood, and calamari sauté ~ every dish was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. Food arrived hot and as requested. The restaurant is small and lively (definitely noisy, but in a fun, cozy way). We arrived as a party of four without reservations and somehow lucked into a table. The staff was brisk and efficient rather than overly warm, but entirely fitting for such a busy neighborhood spot. Excellent food, great energy ~ I'd recommend Sotto Mare every.day. of the week! read more

See all

Cioppino -- best in the city! Service is always great. Angela is the best at making things happen to get us seated as quickly as possible. Cheesy yet cute with ol' school Italian charm. read more

Sotto Mare - Cioppino for 2! Yet all for me for days! Best in the city. - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's not the same as before. Place dropped in quality last 2 years. It's became a money hustle operation & corner cutting establisment. Food quality & service deteriorated so much that I no longer consider this a top 20 Italian restaurant in North Beach. read more

Highly recommended by a bartender at Buena Vista, Sotto Mare is famous for their cioppino. So my wife and I went and we fell in love with atmosphere and vibe. The hostess made us feel like family and seated us right away. Ordering the cioppino was a no brainwr and OMG what a meal! They gave you bread for sopping up the broth and we ordered a bottle of wine. Such a value! We were out the door for $105 and tip. Staff was awesome, friendly and very attentive! Dont miss out! read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I met up with and old buddy of mine from the military years. We decided to get some food in downtown San Francisco. We found parking directly across the street from Sotto Mare, which was a small pay lot. Out first try here was on a Saturday, but the wait time was almost 2 hours to get seated, and my buddy had to meet his wife for an event nearby. So we came back on Sunday afternoon, and thankfully there was no wait to get seated. We sat at the bar, and we already knew what to order. We each ordered a ciopiono, which is a seafood soup. The waitress told us that one dish is enough for two people, but we were famished, and we ordered one each. One down side to this place is that they have no coffee, and I was in dire need of it. So I just drank water and munched on bread while we waited for our soups. Once we got out soups, we dug right in. The ciopiono had crab, clams, and other seafood mixed in a hearty broth. This soup was very tasty, and it hit the spot perfectly. It even upped my mood despite caffeine withdrawals, and that's saying something! The server was very nice, she was an energetic happy-go-lucky attitude. The clientele were pleasant locals, and the ambiance was overall great. Sotto Mare provided an excellent dining experience, and was a perfect wrap up to my weekend in NorCal. The next time I find myself in SF, I will definitely stop by here and try out their other offerings. Cheers! read more

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

When parking is at a premium, it requires planning and strategy to secure a space in North Beach. Our son made an advanced reservation across the street at North Beach Parking Services(415) 632-2150 at 535 Green Street. It was $37.00 ( $30.00 for drive up with no reservation ). We made a reservation @ 6:30 pm on a Friday night and were seated promptly once everyone arrived. If you have a party of 5 or more your headed to the basement, but to get there you have to walk a very narrow walkway with tables on the right and the counter on the left. It was jammed pack and those sitting in front of the kitchen were fanning themselves. There is no air con just fans. So we descended down a stairway to the basement and entered a room that had tables for six on one side and tables for 4 on the other which was somewhat claustrophobic and one large fan not much of an ambiance. I am not going to post pictures of the food because there are 779 of them. The SERVICE: was fine and met our needs. The FOOD: OYSTERS: 5/5 SEA SCALLOPS SAUTE 4/5 PRAWN AND SCALLOP SAUTE 3.5/5 LOBSTER RAVIOLI 4.5/5 HOUSE SALAD WITH CRAB & LOUIE DRESSING 4/5, PETRALE SOLE 4/5 CIOPPINO 4/5 THE BILL WITH WINE: $600.00 NOTE: THERE WAS A HOSTESS WALKING AROUND AND POPPED IN SEVERAL TIMES BUT SHE NEVER GREETED ANYONE. AND THAT'S THE REST OF THIS CRABBY STORY. ALSO AFTERWARDS WE TALKED ABOUT THE WORST PLACE TO BE IN AN EARTHQUAKE AND THIS IS COMING FROM NATIVE SAN FRANCISCANS WHO SURVIVED THE 1989 WORLD SERIES AT CANDLESTICK IN THE BOB UECKER SEATS! read more

See all

I hate having to write this review because my husband had been excited to try this restaurant for the last two weeks. We chose to celebrate his birthday here because it was somewhere he had genuinely been looking forward to eating. Unfortunately, our experience left us feeling unwelcome and deeply disappointed. When we arrived, I stood at the front of the line while an employee finished helping another customer. As she came back to assist the next guest, an Asian gentleman walked up beside me--not behind me--and she immediately appeared ready to help him. I had to say, "Excuse me, I'm next." He apologized and stepped behind me, but the employee had clearly seen me standing there the entire time. We were then told the wait for our party of two would be about 30 minutes. No problem. We waited patiently. Thirty-nine minutes later, at approximately 1:09 p.m., I checked back in for the second time and was told it would be "any minute now" because they were waiting for a six-top table to open up. I asked when the next reservations were scheduled, since the restaurant only accepted reservations for parties of three or more. I was told the next reservations weren't until 1:30 p.m. While waiting, I overheard a young white woman disappointedly ask how much longer her wait would be. A white manager told her, "Three minutes," and appeared to move her name on the seating list. I didn't jump to conclusions because I didn't know the full situation. However, what I did observe was that this young woman--who did not have her full party present and, based on what I had just been told, did not appear to be part of an upcoming reservation--was seated before us at a table that could have accommodated our party. Meanwhile, my husband and I had already checked in, waited longer than the quoted time, and were repeatedly told to continue waiting. At that point, I asked for my credit card back and let the staff know we would be leaving. I also shared that I intended to write about our experience because, from beginning to end, I left feeling overlooked, dismissed, and questioning whether implicit bias played a role in how we were treated. I looked around and noticed only Asian and Black people were still waiting. When customers watch others being prioritized while they are ignored despite patiently waiting their turn, it creates an experience that feels unfair and discriminatory. As a Black woman standing there in a bright hot pink outfit, it was difficult for me to believe I simply wasn't seen. Instead of celebrating my husband's birthday at a restaurant he had been excited about for weeks, we left feeling hurt and unwelcome. I sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously and ensures that every guest is treated with the same courtesy, respect, and fairness. read more

We were seated right on our reservation time. Waiter was attentive, prompt, personable, thorough, and knew the menu forward and back. Food was great! We had a party of 6 and everyone loved their meal. A great experience for all of us! read more

Food is 10/10, definitely the best italian seafood place in San Francisco. Worth the long wait. If you have at least 3 people, you can make a reservation ahead of time. Waited for 70 minutes on a Friday night before getting seated. The oysters are only TWO dollars each and are extremely fresh. They also give you unlimited free bread with butter, olive oil, and vinegar! Great to dip into any pasta / cioppino dish / soup dish. The cioppino is great for sharing between 3-4 people, especially with the free bread refills. You can definitely be very full just ordering the cioppino. More seafood packed than any other place in North Beach. The clam on the half shell was alright, can skip, the oysters are much better value. I loved sitting at the bar since you can watch the cooking happen right in front of you! Love the vibes. read more

I visited almost a year ago and fell in love with the cioppino! Unfortunately we came back this weekend hoping for the same amazing dish but it fell short. The Cioppino was gritty and tasted as if they didn't purge the grit from them. This made it hard to eat. When placing my shells down on a plate you were even able to see the grit come off of them. I'm sad to say we will not be back. read more

A literal hole in the wall, but Sotto Mare never disappoints. A visit here is a must for our annual trip to SF. Narrow, crowded, hustling servers and fabulous seafood makes it a true San Francisco experience. The seafood is consistently fresh and expertly prepared. Be ready to ingest the LOT of garlic! Love this place. read more

Tuesday lunch time, seated right away, spot was about half way full, bustling with people all ages and ethnicities. Pretty lively vibe from the beginning. Wife and I were seated at the bar seat all the way at the end where it gave us the perfect view of the chefs making our dishes from scratch. We ordered 4 dishes, wife's favorite raw oysters, my favorite risotto but first time trying seafood version, chopino, we just had to get, almost every table had 1, and lastly the the scallop. Best chiopino ever, amazing risotto, scallop was amazing as well, (that sauce with just the right amount of lemon hint. Wife hates carrots but she even enjoyed the carrots that came in this sauce), and the wife said the west coast raw oysters were very fresh as well. Lightning fast service, amazing food, i dont know maybe im loving this place too much i even liked their sturdy togo containers lol. 13/10 absolutely recommend. read more

Sotto Mare - Seafood risotto, chopino, scallops. All 3 5/5. - Seafood Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing flavors and fresh seafood!!! Only downside is it's pretty hard to find parking. The restaurant is also pretty small and they don't take reservations so I would recommend dropping someone off to put your name down while someone else finds parking. Cippino is reasonably priced for the the size you get. Along with a wide variety of seafood Oysters were so fresh and tasty. I enjoyed the west coast ones more! Scallops were to die for. The sauce they use is heaven. I love dipping the bread in to also read more

See all

I like to give this place 5 stars but the seafood was not fresh. All of the seafood at the market area was dried out and had flies. The cioppino was bland and flavorless and our beer tasted old. I haven't been here in 6 years but they have gone downhill since. read more

Sotto Mare is truly a San Francisco classic and for many great reasons. We were there yesterday and there was a considerable line, but it was 6 PM on a Sunday evening so it was expected. Had the crab cocktail, Sand Dabs and the Linguini with Seafood. It was packed. The vibe is always fantastic. Great people watching and the prices are very fair. Been here many times and will keep coming back. read more