Went here with a group for my husband's birthday after reviewing the menu online and confirming there was a decent range of options. However, when we arrived, the menu was less than half the size of the one on their website, and pretty uninspired. The bread rolls were the only dish I would describe as good, but it was $8 for 3 small rolls, which is pretty wild when many old school SF spots still offer complimentary bread. Every other dish ranged from "just fine" to extremely disappointing. The black truffle butter pasta with burrata was a massive ripoff. $29 for a kid's menu portion of watery box spaghetti (and I'm talking cheap store brand spaghetti, not the nice boxed stuff) with a drizzle of truffle oil (definitely not a compound butter situation as the menu implied). There was a microscopic blob of burrata on top--small enough that there was no discernible filling, so it may as well have been plain mozzarella. Worst of all, the entire dish was just bland, except for that chemical fake truffle flavor you get from cheap truffle oil. The penne à la vodka was fine, but I've made better weeknight jar-sauce pastas at home. Same with the chicken parm, though at least those two dishes were adult size portions. The service was lackluster. Not particularly rude, but very perfunctory. More like what you expect from a counter service fast casual spot than a North Beach institution. To add insult to injury, they added an 8% "SF mandate" surcharge to the already extortionate prices. That's double what most restaurants charge, and between that, actual tax (as opposed to blaming a discretionary fee to subsidize their business expenses on the city), and tip, it was a 40% surcharge. If the food and service were decent, it would be another story, but they weren't, and I left feeling like we'd just been mugged. The ambience is gorgeous and the drinks weren't bad, but if you decide to come here, never ever order dinner unless you want to pay through the nose to be made a fool of. read more

My first time trying TC, The ambiance felt like I was walking into movie set authentic. The service from Sylvia was amazing!! She gave good recommendations and the food tasted an amazing!! I highly recommend Tosca Casfe, est. 1919 read more

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Came here for a birthday dinner and the service was super attentive and the vibe was great! It was during the week so we were the only ones there which was nice. Birthday girl brought her own cake and there was a cake cutting fee. The ferinos were great but the food was okay. Most of my party got the penne allá vodka which was much better than my truffle pasta. It seems like they used a truffle oil. I was able to add chicken for some protein but it was pretty dry and wasn't very impressed with any of the dishes in general. The bread was delicious though! read more

Tosca Cafe - Negroni. Truffle pasta added chicken - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

In all the years I've been coming to San Fran, I rarely branch out and try something new. I usually only have time for my favorite places. I am so glad I tried this place, because it is now being added to my list of favorites. This place has such a cool a vibe, however, if you are seated close to the kitchen, know you will feel a little toasty. Every dish was amazingly delicious. But, the MVP was the Baked Eggplant Parmesan, it was hearty, and comforting, flavorful, and practically perfect in every way. The house-made focaccia was superb, as well. Service was great, portions and price were reasonable for the quality and care provided in each prepared dish. Can't wait to visit again soon. read more

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Tosca Café. Where to start. We've always loved this place. Even after they shifted from being a bar to a restaurant, we've come here regularly for special occasions or when we're doing a night out in the city. Sadly, tonight's visit will be my last. The woman who appeared to be managing the place -- blonde, middle-aged -- was odd and unprofessional. She was wearing yellow-and-white checkered Vans sweatpants and a concert T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up... are you kidding me? This is an upscale restaurant, she looked like she was either going to the gym or going to work in her garden. Unacceptable. She was running around loudly yelling at the poor waiter, who honestly seemed like a busser who'd just been promoted (nice but just not on it - we had to ask him for water refills, he didn't know what a Shirley Temple was, forgot to bring one of four drinks, etc., so it was pretty obvious he was new). She was also literally yelling from across the restaurant at Juan the cook for some unknown reason, even though both the cook and server were trying their best. I know his name was Juan because she was literally shouting at him. I also watched her grab olives twice from a dish where the cooks place the food, stuff them into her mouth in full view of anyone who cared to look, not daintily but like snarfing them down, and then proceed to serve those same olives to someone at the bar - I saw her do it. oMg. It was so distracting and of course made all the food seem suss. The other woman with an apron who seemed to be more of a busser was clearing plates and glasses while people were still eating. It was obnoxious and irritating. I also saw the manager tasting someone's spaghetti, I swear she was going to put the spoon back in the dish -- but didn't once she realized I was watching her. So gross. We should have walked after the olives. Onto the food: the two side dishes -- broccolini and spinach -- were good. Go Juan! But everything else was bland and uninspired. We all ordered pasta it was completely overcooked, sauce had no flavor. Ugh. They also brought the side dishes a good 10 minutes before the main courses. Why? We ate them like appetizers. I also could tell that our food was sitting under the lights in the kitchen for quite a while before they brought it because I had a clear view to the kitchen. Just inexperience. The ambience was as great as it always is, in spite of their not being able to figure out when to dim the lights and how much. The price point is ridiculously high for what you get considering our experience -- and having a freaking tweaker in charge is a mistake - maybe she's the owner? Never coming back. And that's after coming here off and on for literally 25 years. So sad. When we left I apologized to the beleaguered waiter for having such an awful boss and wished him luck. He seemed appreciative of someone commiserating. Avoid avoid avoid, or maybe stop by for a drink and eat elsewhere. read more

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service, food quality and ambiance are top notch BUT.... the pasta portions guys, super tiny for the price! it was absolutely delish, but come on, can't tease a girl like that! read more

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We had one of the most bizarre, frustrating and suspicious meals at Tosca Cafe this evening. The hostess that greeted us (also the owner) was absolutely wasted. Unintelligible sentences, and bizarre behavior from the moment we walked in. The food and service was fine enough, until we split the bill. Our total was $125 and change (before tax), and when the cards were returned, we weren't provided a credit card receipt, instead we're given two copies of the original bill, marked up to look like we needed to sign it, with the tip suggestions circled. When I asked our server for the credit card receipt, we were assured "the card wasn't swiped twice, this is just the bill for the total". We checked our banks, and both of our cards ended up getting charged $112 with a $22 tip added to each. Our server panics, telling us he didn't know what happened because he's just a bartender. We asked if the manager could help and the same hammered hostess (owner) from earlier came over, really struggling and promised to comp our meal. She then stood up, and left the table saying she would do it "at the end of the night" after collecting our information, and leaving it on the table. Genuinely wild evening, capped off with a bit of fraud. yeesh. read more

I was splitting the bill with the other member of my party and instead both of our cards were charged the full amount, including an unauthorized tip on mine. The server insisted that our total was split in two but refused to show us a receipt that reflected that we were both charged $60-ish dollars. We asked to speak to the manager who turned out to be the owner who was visibly intoxicated and unable to stay calm during the interaction. She kept insisting she would "fix it at the end of the night" but I've yet to receive the proof of refund in my email. She also took the copies of the paper receipts that were given to us so we now don't have the original receipts, only the auto emailed receipt. I also use square at my job-- I know how easy it is to send the receipt and fix a refund and that the server's excuse was a lie. I'm filing a dispute with my card company. Edit: I emailed the address on their website only to find out it's no longer active. read more

Tosca Cafe - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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5:50p 4/22/25. Irish coffee. No sugar cubes please. Dude says "ah, okay" and then checks the fridge, then disappears. Comes back yucks it up with co-worker, messes with the cash drawer. Then proceeds to pour booze in a glass. Followed by cream. Slides it in front of me. That's not an Irish coffee. Yeah it's a Skinny Latte. I didn't order that. We don't make Irish Coffees. First tip should have been the "bartender" was wearing sunglasses. Okay, dickhead. I've only had a few dozen of them here in the last 20 years. A simple we don't have coffee would have been fine. Instead you went full dickhead. Bravo. read more

Tosca has been my go-to for a great meal for years and I'd crave it often. We have always loved taking guests from out of town here for the old San Francisco feel, knowing that the meal and service would be fabulous. Our two most recent visits, we've definitely noticed a big change and quite frankly, it's just not the same. Service has gone down, the menu very different (and I get that menus change and chefs change), and quality of the dishes just lacking. I hope things get worked out here, as I've read about some ongoing ownership drama and management changes, but so far the changes have gone in the wrong direction, I feel. Take pride in your reputation as a San Francisco dining landmark in the heart of North Beach. I'll be keeping an eye on the menu and of course give it another chance or five, as it's always been one of my favorite restaurants in the city. read more

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Wow I'm devastated. This was one of my favorite spots back in the day so I hate having to say this, but the vibes have absolutely shifted for the worse: When we entered there was an overwhelming odor of cleaning product that I thought would maybe get better further into the space but it didn't improve. It permeated the entire room. While looking at the menu we noticed the menu has been considerably pared down from what it used to be. No house focaccia, no gnocchi, no chicken for 2. We ordered a round of cocktails that sounded promising and no lie that was quite possibly the worst cocktail I've ever had. It was so bad I wanted to spit it out. The waitress informed us that they were out of broccoli rabe, which is wild because how do you run out of that? Especially when the restaurant was nearly empty on a Thursday night (probably should have been the first sign something was wrong but the smell was quite overpowering). The vibes were way too off that we wound up paying out and leaving without finishing our drinks or even eating anything because we didn't trust it. Normally I hate negative reviews when people didn't eat the food but I remember what Tosca used to be and this ain't it. I felt bad for the people who have to work there. If the people responsible for this establishment happen to read this review: Please sell this restaurant to somebody who has the will and capacity to restore it to its former glory and honor what it was meant to be. read more

I used to love coming here after work for happy hour and for some good Italian food! The vibes here check every box for me. It is simple cozy and intimate. I think it is perfect for a romantic date nights, but also a great spot to let loose and party with your friends! I love the decor. It feels like a throwback to the roaring 20's! I love the fact that it is still around and at its prime location in little Italy. The staff here are wonderful. Truly are some of the best personalities and they just want you to have a good time. I always love getting their lumache alla vodka along with their housemade focaccia. It is quite a pair! That cream sauce from the pasta really goes well with the focaccia. I know it the focaccia comes with butter and basil pesto, but try it with the pasta. I recommend starting with their tosca meatballs. The meatballs describe how it food is, meaty! I like tossing it into my pasta to get more of an experience. Their cocktails here are delicious too! Or pair with their lovely wine selection. Whichever honestly, any of their drinks are great! You will certainly have a great experience here! read more

We had a very good meal here! The food is delicious, as are the cocktails. The service is good, and the historic setting is lovely. My 6 year old daughter loved the meatballs; my husband and I enjoyed the calamari. I loved my shrimp trofe, and my husband liked his paparadelle bolognese. The service was friendly and prompt. We were puzzled by the fact that the last time we came, my husband was told the shrimp trofe could be made without cheese, but this time he was told it was made with cheese that couldn't be excluded. We like the dark, old school atmosphere here. Be sure to get a reservation in advance - this is a popular spot. Overall, a great spot for dinner in North Beach! read more

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Unfortunately, this North Beach Icon, which has had as many lives as an alley cat, provided one of the most challenging dining experiences that I've ever endured. The food and service were simply unacceptable. Walking in, the entire front part of the restaurant had a intense smell of some kind of industrial cleaner and was therefore deserted with no one at the first 30 feet of the bar, which was sparsely populated with a small number of dusty bottles in front of the dirty, dusty mirror. I found our party, sitting in the center of the restaurant peerting dejectedly at the meager menu. We decided to give it a go, and ordered the meatball appetizer, some sides of vegetables, and and Eggplant Parmesan. The meatballs, at $24 for six small meatballs, were salted to the point of being inedible. The wild mushroom side, which was a tiny boat of a few wild mushrooms amidst a pile of domestic mushrooms was the blandest thing I've ever tasted. The service was uninspiring at best, and became downright hostile when we asked to return the Eggplant Parmesan after finding a thick black hair in it. Absurdly overpriced, and truly inhospitable, my recent experience at the current iteration of The Tosca Cafe was a low point in a lifetime. Gone are days of April Bloomfield and the cuisine that Michael Bauer raved about ten years ago. I truly hope that the energy and 100+ years' history of this celebrated spot will fight its way back into something that will result in the crowds that packed the place in the past. read more

Continuing the string of terrible reviews for Tosca. I made a reservation for 7 on 12/10 for my holiday party. Made a reservation via OpenTable on 11/6 and when we showed up on time for our reservation the restaurant was closed for a private party. When I went in to see what was happening the bartender (who was very kind and clearly has dealt with this before) sent my info to Anna Weinberg the "owner" who called me apologizing and telling my group to go to her other restaurant Leo's for "oysters and champagne on the house" when we arrived there was another sign in the door saying "closed for a private party". When we got in and I had a chance to speak with Anna it was... erratic. She was speaking so quickly, moving all over the place, and scrambling around. She blamed OpenTable instead of taking accountability for not checking her books (which is nuts because I confirmed the reservation via text at 11am on 12/9- over 24 hours before the reservation was for) She said "I didn't think anyone would show up" and then promised me a $500 gift card which I cannot get a response from her to receive. She poured champagne all over the bar when trying to refill our glasses and was all over the place and dragged me out to the patio to prove the private party was there and wouldn't have an issue with our presence. Her poor staff confirmed this is how she is all the time and I feel terrible for all of them. I used to suggest Tosca to all my visiting friends and will now be mentioning it as a place to avoid at all costs. Getting wired before work isn't a good thing and If you need a reminder of this, talk to Anna Weinberg and you will be so put off by her energy and lack of professionalism you'll never want to touch the stuff. read more

We made a reservation in the main dining area for my partner's birthday before going a show down the street and the experience was so bad we were laughing about it the rest of the night. First, when we showed up for our 5pm reservation we were greeted at the door by a woman who stated the city had just then turned the water on and requested that we go for a drink at the bar next door and return at 5:30 to give them time to, as she put it, "flush the toilets and stuff". Wierd, but ok. ‍ We did so and the staffed seemed panicked when we arrived. The first woman we encountered saw us and, speaking at a pace I can only describe as frantic, told us about an unfolding situation. Her friends' wedding reception had just been canceled and they were trying to make it work at this resturant. We were rushed to a small back room (not what we reserved) where workers were trying to cram in tables to accommodate our party of seven. We were standing around for a few minutes, but were eventually seated and given promises that our first round of drinks and appetizers would be comped. Fair enough. However, we noticed that this was happening to more and more people and no one was taking anybody's orders. I found the frantic woman and asked frankly if we would be able to get out of there on time for our show, which she assured us we would. We finally ordered and soon after had our drinks and appetizers which were good, but definitely nothing special. The focaccia was quite good with the provided pesto and butter. I ordered the $27 pesto tagliatelle and was horrified when they brought a watery bowl of spaghetti and pesto. It seemed as if the pasta came out of a box and was poorly drained. The flavor was quite bland, as I would expect from the water content. No one else was very enthused about the food. I tried some of my friend's spaghetti and meatballs and was once again underwhelmed. The meatball was pretty good, but it was the same spaghetti from my dish. At the end of the meal, I had to remind them that they said the drinks would be comped, which they addressed. The servers (the only positive part of the experience) were efficient and professional and got us out of there on time. Overall, Toscana Cafe turned what was supposed to be a celebration into a rushed, anxiety ridden mess with food that most places with similar price points would have been embarrassed to put on their children's menus. It looks like they normally have good food, so Im assuming most of that went to their friends while we were left with boxed pasta? Other reviews have shown similar disrespect for reservations without even the courtesy of a phone call. DO NOT trust your special occasion or event to this place. Extra star for the GREAT servers and for at least comping the appetizers and drinks. We still didnt get what we paid for. read more

I love Toscas. Its a nice comfortable restaurant with a warm ambience serving up some great Italian food. The Chicken parm is off the charts and the penne ala vodka is top tier. Love coming here with friends and family. Great service. read more

If you're looking for a romantic date night in San Francisco, I strongly recommend Toca Café since the moment you walk in till the time that dreaded and you leave the place is awesome. The staff is amazing. Our waiter was funny and playful. The food was amazing. The ambiance was perfect. My night was made and most importantly my month was made because of the experience that I had at this restaurant. read more

Tosca Cafe - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cozy ambience, super historic restaurant with a lot of charm. Food is incredible, too. Try the focaccia and the chicken parm if they have it on the menu - the cocktails are also top notch. read more

Had reservations here for a Saturday night to celebrate a friend's birthday. We show up and they're closed for a "private event". Lights are off and no one is around. So, I guess don't count on your reservations being honored here - just plan to go someplace else. read more

Tosca Cafe - Don't expect your reservation to actually mean anything. - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Corey the bartender is phenomenal! I will keep coming just for their cocktails. I love the way they make an espresso martini and has such a fabulous and inviting energy and flare. Can't wait for their late night menu debuting soon. Thanks Corey! read more

I made a reservation for 6 on Saturday 12/6 at 7pm several weeks in advance. We showed up at 7pm with no one to greet us, after about 10 minutes, my friend went in to search for a host, server, literally anyone. Apparently they were running late and weren't sure they could serve us at all - there was a lot of mixed messaging. They asked us to wait at the bar, so we did, however the bartender informed us he was "unable to serve the bar and was just serving tables at this time" we waited an hour but there was no communication, no apologies just nothing. We made friends with the several other large parties also waiting in the wings and decided to abandon our reservation as it was clearly not happening and we were on a timeline. This was my birthday dinner for 6 on a Saturday in SF so it was pretty difficult to get another table elsewhere. Luckily, we rerouted to Da Flora which was lovely. So disappointing, frustrating and unprofessional. I will never return. read more

I have friends who come to SF every now and then and when they do we go to Vesuvio's for pre dinner drinks and then Tosca for a great meal. Tried and true, Tosca Cafe is some of the best Italian food you can get in North Beach. With that classic low-light ambiance and old-school, wood decor, you feel like you're in another time. The food is always delicious, served by kind and friendly staff. Tip: always make a reservation! read more

Seriously, what happened to this place. Service was casual at best, uneducated/not trained. Food was very mediocre. Would not go back unless a hundred people rave about it. read more

A solid classic San Francisco Italian spot. First off, this place is soo cute inside! The rustic decor and dark lighting really create a nice ambiance. We sat near the kitchen where you can watch them work. My favorites were the carbonara pasta, salmon, and the AMAZING focaccia with pesto. I don't recommend the caviar bites, all I could taste was the potato and not enough caviar. Service was stellar. read more

This was one of my top favorite restaurants, but we found out tonight that ownership changed in 2019. We are not often in SF, and went to a performance tonight, and wanted to take our friends to a special dinner. I should have read the reviews! It was a thoroughly disappointing experience. Already, upon entering, it smelled powerful of some cleaning solution, even though the mirrors behind the bar were filthy. The menu is so disappointing, the service was very mediocre, and the food was totally overpriced, bland, and just plain bad. The mushrooms we ordered had absolutely no flavor, no salt, nothing. The eggplant parmesan had a hair in it; it was soggy, overly breaded, and tasted like it was fried in bad fat. The meatballs were super salty; other than that, they had no authentic flavor, and the broccolini was such a small Portion for $14 was a joke. We would have had a better meal at a fast-food restaurant. read more

I've been coming here for over 7 years. I hate to say, but the quality of the food has definitely declined. The ambiance in Tosca is now the main reason I'll be visiting. My last dinner here for my boyfriend's birthday with a group of friends. I had looked on the menu online that day, but The menu they handed us was about 1/3 the size and missing our favorite focaccia. We asked the polite server why, and she just said it was something to do with "PG&E". We still ordered one of everything on the menu. The pasta was very bland, unremarkable texture, drinks were mid, asparagus was good... for the price it all just felt like a waste. read more

Wow. So many great Italian places in North Beach. This is not one of them. Service was iffy. Food was mediocre at best. Focaccia was soaked and drenched in butter and barely edible. Caesar salad was pretty sad, drenched in dressing. Bag salad at Safeway was fresher and better presented. Meatball appetizer served lukewarm - they were ok. Also ordered Eggplant parm- was served hot but also so incredibly dry, needed a glass of water each bite to hydrate it. Tried to order some wine but they were out of most on the menu. Ordered a gin and Tonic but it was instead made with ginger beer instead of tonight. Pretty simple cocktail to mess up. Didn't dare order any dessert. Lights kept being turned down throughout the meal.. I realize now they just don't want you to see the food. Bill was $200 for 2 people. Ouch. 2 days later I'm still putting moisturizer on my skin that food was so dry to eat. read more

An excellent Italian restaurant if you're in North Beach. This dim lit restaurant is perfect for a date or if you want to just grab a drink you can definitely sit bar side. I came in with my friend & we got seated right away..which I love. The menu is slightly on the shorter side, so it didn't take long for me to order my drinks & food. I started with a glass of wine & The Burrata Salad. I can honestly say that salad was so delicious! Mm! Next, for dinner I had the Short Rib pasta and good lord...that pasta was so freaking good!! I'll definitely go back just for that pasta! I was kinda skeptical at first but I'm happy I got it! Then for dessert I just got the Panna Cotta which was a excellent dessert choice! Overall I would rate this restaurant a 8/10..and the Short Rib Pasta a 10/10!! read more

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Lacking in flavor Came in on a busy Friday and was hoping for great things, The calamari was very small and overcooked The basil pesto tagliatelle (recommended) was flavorless/bland and tasted like it came out of a box. I wouldn't pay $10 nevermind $30. The chicken parm was solid generous portion Service was attentive but then I saw the 7% sf mandate? read more

I lived on Russian Hill 25 years ago and this was the classic bar where you would see the well heeled and fabulous of SF coming for drinks and its beautiful old world vibe. The design ambiance hasn't changed at all and it is still a treasure. However, everyone in SF but us must have found out that the food is now terrible. We were almost the only ones in the whole place - there was one other table occupied. We ordered a $45 antipasti plate that must have been chilling in the refrigerator without wrap for a week - every bite on the tray tasted of a blend of dish soap and refrigerator. Inedible. We also had the peach and burrata salad, which had no flavor (at least it wasnt soap). We all ordered the Chicken Parm which was decent, and a good sized serving, but not terribly exciting. I hope that they can turn the food around - I had heard that there were new owners but it seems like it will be dying pretty quickly with this performance. read more

The Infatuation recently published an article of the oldest, continuously running Italian restaurants in SF, so my partner and I have been on a bit of a kick trying these pieces of history (and Tosca is from 1919!). While nondescript from the outside of its North Beach location, inside is beautiful with a perfectly preserved, opulent bar. Our "back room" location was papered with brocade wallpaper, tons of photos, and placarded bullet hole. The food was wonderful. We had the foccacia, which was thick and airy. The pesto dipping sauce which accompanied it, was really wonderful on its own and magic on the foccacia. My partner had the fresh pasta with vodka sauce and I had the tagliatelle bolognese. Both were fantastic on the sauce and fresh pasta fronts. For drinkers, the cocktails are creative and tasty. It was our anniversary, so we had really attentive and wonderful service. Our server gave him (a non-drinker) free prosecco (more for me!) and we got a complimentary tiramisu (delicious!). Needless to say, Tosca is a gem and we had a wonderful time. read more

been coming here for years and so sad to see how much this place has fallen off. the vibes on a Thursday night were dead there wasn't anyone at the hostess stand so I just walked in and sat wherever and had to order at the bar. Everything looked disheveled and stale. I know it's an old restaurant but there used to be a level of elevation and attention to detail that made the space beautiful. I ordered the vodka pasta and a martini. the pasta was flavorless, watery and over cooked. tasted like cheap boxed pasta with Jared sauce. the martini was also not good. I asked for dirty and it tasted like straight vodka. the total for those two things came out to $60. I was shocked. There are so many other wonderful places in the area I could have eaten multiple dishes at for that price and at a much higher quality. Such a shame. I will not be back. read more

Grumblings from my stomach, needing food that isn't a French fry while drinking at my work holiday party. Having to impress my boss's boss while he's visiting town. What could go wrong? Fortunately we were able to get two separate tables at Tosca while roaming around the FiDi after our holiday party happy hour. I ordered a dirty martini per usual and loved their Sicilian olives in my glass. We ordered a few starters and the star was the focaccia with a small side of burrata. The focaccia was thick, warm and felt almost dense, and I absolutely loved it. The meatballs were delicious and the fried eggplant was just okay (a bit too salty). I loved their cheesy cacio e pepe shells the most, the gnocchi was a close second and the hearty bolognese wasn't bad but nothing to write home about (I could never get past the taste of fresh pees). Overall, the pastas were all very al dente upon arriving and eventually softened a bit more which wasn't bad either. I loved the small personal raised rim plate with the tiny Tosca logo in the center that they gave us so that we could have our pastas family style. I finished my meal with an ice cold Peroni and wished I had left room for dessert. The dimly lit incandescent atmosphere was buzzing with charm amongst the guests, and overall I thought it was palatable joy. read more

We had to check out this SF institution in North Beach. Parking: Good luck! Service: Great Ambience: Cozy spot that transports back in time Here is what we ordered: - Meatballs: Juicy, tasty and great to sop up with bread - Pasta with meat sauce: al dente and the ingredients melded together perfectly - Fried chicken: crunchy and tasty but I prefer a lighter batter This place is worth checking out when you're in North Beach. They have a cool bar with lots of cocktails and would be a fun location to people watch. read more

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Tosca the Italian opera may be of a tragic story of passion and jealousy, but Tosca Café, venerable Italian restaurant located along Columbus Avenue in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood is a story of revival and renewal as it has returned to its glory as one of the city's prime destinations for fresh pasta and other Italian inspired dishes. Tosca Café may have been around for over one hundred years, since 1919 to be exact, but Tosca Café was unable to celebrate its first century in style due to drama going on behind the scenes and real-life world events, but the good news is that it is back and perhaps better than ever thanks to an updated dining room and refreshed menu from a new ownership trio of Nancy Oakes of Boulevard, Anna Weinberg of Marlowe and designer Ken Fulk. I have been wanting to come and try the new menu and experience the ambience of the new and improved Tosca Café since they reopened to indoor dining in mid-2021. Reservations for a recent early Friday evening dinner were easy to make via the Tock website, with a simple thorough walk up Columbus Avenue from the Embarcadero Bart station and we were immediately sat in their refreshed deco dining room, which wasn't too busy by the time we arrived but was packed by the time we left. The menu is now streamlined to that of ala carte at Tosca Café and changes seasonally and with sections highlighting their Raw Bar & Caviar, Antipasti, House-Made Focaccia, Pasta, Entrées, Served for Two, Sides and Dessert. After reviewing their menu, my dining partner and I decided that their Pasta dishes were the way to go for a starting meal, and their dish entitled "Spaghetti" and Meatballs that was topped with spicy tomato sauce, basil and parmesan was our best option as it was a combined meal from their Pasta and Antipasti sections of their menu. For our entrées, I decided to order Nancy's Tuscan Fried Chicken served with a side of crispy potatoes, while my dining mate ordered their Pan Roasted Swordfish which was served with cannellini beans, artichoke, crispy pork belly, and salsa verde. For a side, we opted to order their Parmesan Polenta because we were both previously in love with Tosca Cafe's polenta cake and hoped they would be presented in a similar vein. For our beverages, we both ordered from their cocktail menu, I opted for their That's Amore which was a combination of gin, blackberry, lavender, lime and sparkling wine, while my friend ordered their House Cappuccino which was a combination of bourbon, cognac, chocolate and steamed milk. As we sipped on our delightful cocktails, which were presented with such panache that we couldn't expect anything less from the bar staff at Tosca Café, our Spaghetti and Meatballs came out as we requested from our server Ana, and it was in a word perfection as it was the perfect combination of freshly made noodles with multiple hearty meatballs topped with plenty of marinara and basil. Our entrées were presented soon thereafter and they were both adequate dishes, as my Fried Chicken were multiple varieties from drumsticks to thigh pieces of nicely deep fried chicken topped with sprigs of thyme with a side of small potatoes that were seasoned and salty in every way possible. My friend's swordfish was a little heavy on the gravy, and wasn't as buttery as she hoped for, plus she was hoping for their autumnal fish dish that was previously on their menu and was slightly disappointed when it was changed out for swordfish. Luckily she wisely ordered a glass of chianti to wash down her dinner entrée. Perhaps we were both disappointed by their creamy parmesan polenta side dish as it was a basic dish that was acceptable but not a standout as we scooped up dollops of the creaminess we were still reminiscing about the polenta cakes that was previously on their menu years ago. For dessert, their menu isn't very expansive, so we opted to order their Olive Oil Cake, which was served with a cherry and berry compote and topped with dollops of whipped cream, and their Chocolate Budino which was topped with salted caramel and a pistachio crumble. Both were wonderful ways to end our meal but that Budino was so rich with flavor that I could literally eat a whole bowl of that on my own. Being open for business for over a century, Tosca Café has managed to survive earthquakes, pandemics and gentrification and I am so glad they have managed to reopen for dinner. Certain things have changed for the better like the refreshed but still similar interior and outdoor patio dining on Columbus Avenue that reminds diners of European al fresco dining, some things on their could use a little more refinement as we could have used more options on both their entrée and dessert section of their menus to select our meal from, but what cannot be denied is that their pastas still remain some of the best I have had. There is a passion with the rebirth of Tosca Café, and may they rule the North Beach dining scene for another hundred years! read more

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Amazing experience, the owner Anna really took great care of us on New Year's Eve! I will be back soon!!

Was really looking forward to coming here, but didn't work for us. Service was very friendly, but also very confused. Too many common sense things to list here but hopefully they get it together because I can tell there is good intention. Unfortunately, the bucatini with guanciale was terrible. A few bites did it for us because it was bitter. I've had that dish elsewhere several time and have also made it myself, guanciale doesn't taste like that, perhaps they overcooked it. Otherwise, the bar area is a lot of fun and the place was packed! read more

Fun to go to a historic landmark restaurant. Overpriced for average Italian food. Maybe come for a drink rather than a meal.

Small, cute & cozy Italian restaurant. The wait staff were friendly but always busy buzzing around refilling waters, serving food, gathering dishes, and cleaning up for the next guests. We ordered our meals to share family style and it was more than enough. We started with the house made focaccia and meatballs. The focaccia was delicious and the side of pesto was amazing! For dinner, our party of 4 shared the ribeye, seared salmon, eggplant parmesan, and lumache alla vodka. While we ordered the ribeye as medium, it came out as medium rare and fairly pink in the middle. I loved it, but my friends who like their meat a little more cooked found it to be too rare. It comes with crispy roasted potatoes which were yummy. The seared salmon was okay. It was well cooked, but nothing super special on a bed of cooked spinach with some cooked mini tomatoes. The eggplant parmesan was the star of the night. It might as well been eggplant lasagna because the eggplant was cooked perfectly with lots of tomato sauce and the most amazing helping of melted mozzarella on top. SO DELICIOUS!!! We also loved the lumache alla vodka. It felt like handmade pasta in a slightly spicy vodka sauce which was so yummy. This place was great and we'd definitely recommend it! read more

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