For when you want to have dinner and drinks with your worst enemy or your best friend in the Godfather universe, look no further than Tosca. I love the murals this place has, it's really a classy joint through and through. Old world charm, great service, and pretty good food/drinks overall. I think the ambiance overshadows their actual offerings, but if you are keeping it classy you definitely stop in here and try to get a seat at the bar. It can get a little crowded so if you don't get a seat, try across the street over at Vesuvio for a slightly more bohemian vibe. read more

Like eating in Italy- you know that high bar of how Italian food doesn't taste the same here as there. Well this is pretty darn close! Excellent pasta!started with Meatballs which were exceptionally good. ( something about their meat combo I think and an herb?) Shared a pasta with Prosciutto cream and Lemon breadcrumbs. Was out of this world that went perfectly with a shared plate of Crisped Cod and Cauliflower. Was not expecting such excellence in a neighborhood of a lot of "so so." Can't wait to return. My friend and I Joked, go back tonite? read more

Tosca Cafe - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I have lived in the city for nearly 8 years and have walked by Tosca Cafe on numerous occasions-but never gone in. I had the opportunity to dine there for a good friend's birthday and was really impressed by the food and ambiance. We sat in the Chef's Lounge and ate what feels like half the menu! The duck confit was such an interesting mélange of flavors-if it's on the menu, you have to order it! The okra was perfectly cooked, the fried chicken tasted like it was made with love (and was deeply flavorful), and the meatballs were exactly what you want a meatball to taste like. Even the chicory salad was more interesting and delicious than a salad needed to be. I'm surprised we had room for dessert, but the chocolate budino was everything. A huge shout out to Chef Dre who was super lovely. As long as he's cheffing it up over there, I'll definitely go back to taste the other half of the menu we didn't get to. read more

A shadow of its former self. The good = the fried chicken. The bad = cacio e pepe was ridiculously salty. Rib Eye was sub par quality - way too fatty for a decent rib eye. Pork saltiinboca was a small cut fir the price but edible. The polenta that came with it was tasteless. And BTW, adding a 10% sf surcharge was insulting on top of food that was overpriced to start with. R Really a shame - used to be a great place read more

As locals, we are so happy to have finally tried Tosca Cafe and we'll definitely be back. The ambiance was cozy and romantic. The servers were lovely. And each dish was better than the last. Thank you for a wonderful dinner Tosca! read more

Good food, great service, incredibly loud -- have to yell to be heard by your dining partner, even over a small table. Also, really pathetic pour on expensive glasses of wine, no table bread ($14 for some foccacia), and bowls of pasta with lots of yummy sauce, but very little actual pasta. Disappointed. read more

House cappuccino is a yummy hot chocolate with cognac and bourbon stir it up and drink it down! Service is wonderful! Nice atmosphere.

First time here under new ownership and was very satisfied overall. We had already downed a bottle of red around the corner at Bella Cora and we were super hungry (perhaps the visit to the dispensary earlier in the day had something to do with that). Arrived right on time for our 615p reservation and our table was ready, smack in the middle of the main room with a great view of the scene. We were greeted by our server within a minute of sitting down. The service for the entire two hour meal was amazing. They're for sure earning that 10% SF service mandate! Wine: Anglianico (bold enough for order, typical restaurant mark-up price) Apps: Chicory salad - maybe a bit overdressed Arancini - spot on. Foccacia - three decent sized pieces, but at $14 a bit overpriced Main: Salmon - perfectly prepared, but at $36 still kinda pricey Melanzane fritta - my girlfriend really enjoyed it Side: Roasted flat bean - basically like pea pods without the seeds - very good Dessert: Chocalate budino - a nice way to finish off a great meal Overall a fun and enjoyable evening with excellent service, great food and a happening scene. Will definitely be back. 4.5 / 5 read more

We came here for a wedding reception and it is no wonder that they chose this place, for their special event. It was the spot of their first official date in the city, and they had the most delicious food here. They made them their own special menu with zucchini fries, mac and cheese, olives, this mushroom risotto, the meat was so full of juices and flavors and just melted in your mouth. The wine was really smooth, we had red wine, then the cocktails, I had this strawberry one that could probably be dangerous because it was delicious and went down so smoothly, you could get in trouble really fast drinking those. I mean just every single thing we had was AMAZING. They were really attentive to us too, made sure the cutlery was taken off if it was empty, made sure our wine was filled and always around our table to make sure everyone was ok on their beers and plates, I mean just all around good service and good food. read more

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Amazing atmosphere and staff! The spaghetti and meatballs were tender with perfectly cooked noodles. The caviar bites were sensational! First time trying them and will definitely be on the lookout for future ordering. read more

Tosca Cafe - Spaghetti and meatballs - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This place is so good. We had the fried chicken, fennel salad, rigatoni, and cacio pepe. I kept stealing bites from my boyfriend and by the end of the night I wish I had ordered it too haha. But it was ALL amazing. Definitely recommend this place!! read more

I had their Chicken Parmesan. One of the best versions I have ever had. I've had Chicken Parmesan all over the world except Italy. I have never found it there. I found it actually risky to even bring up Chicken Parmesan there. One waiter said he only knew of it from the Sopranos. Anyway, the Tosca Parm totally rules. My accompanying dish was the Broccoli Rabe, excellent as well. As far as the vibe and ambiance at the Tosca, does it get any better than that? Nancy Oakes scores big time here. read more

OG SF - great food , drinks, and. Service.. this was a last minute request and they made an effort to accommodate us.

Tosca is an old North Beach haunt. After my workout, I decided to have a classic North Beach experience at Tosca. This may be an old beatnik dive. It's more expensive and it can be for locals and tourists. So I treated myself to a lemonade that was sparkling to start. Then I had the "mantecato," which was salted cod fish mixed with potato. It had some onions. It came with crostinis. It was alright, but a bit strange to taste. At least was not fattening...because, well, it's fish. Then to end the meal, I treated myself to the sorbet, which came with 2 scoops. I picked vanilla bean and lemon sorbet. The bill came to $26. This is a great place to visit with company. It has so ambiance and history. It is awesome!! Viva North Beach! I needed my North Beach fix and I got it! read more

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So happy this LEGEND has reopened! We've been wanting to try it for a long time and finally we're able to. The brunch was divine and the service was awesome. Can't wait to enjoy their baked eggs + house cappuccino again soon!! read more

Tosca Cafe - Baked Eggs - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Tosca Café is one of the original establishments in North Beach. Having dined in many restaurants in the area, it somehow has escaped my visit. I noted that it was also listed in Michael Bauer's Top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area. What a treat it was as I was here for a birthday dinner. With reservations on a Wednesday evening a 6pm, you walk by a large bar before you check in with the maître d. We reserved and were seated in one of the 6 booths along the wall in the main dining room. There is supposedly a special dining room in back with celebrity memorabilia from the original Tosca. I understand that several years ago, the new owners of Tosca did a remodel but maintained the charm and character of the original Tosca. Our table had a nice view of restaurant to the entrance. On the right, we had a view of the opening to the kitchen with the kitchen staff preparing the meals. After ordering some drinks, our waitress answered questions about the menu, which was one page with six appetizers, 15 salad, soup and dinner items and four dessert choices. Two off-menu items were the famous meatballs and focaccia. Our orders: Meatballs to start - three small size meatballs to the order. They were made from three meats and were moist in a tasty sauce. These were not the large meatballs that "grandma made'. So at $15, they were quite pricey. Rigatoni - Puttanesca, garlic and marjoram. The Puttanesca sauce was delicious and paired well with the rigatoni. Roasted Pork Loin with grilled sweet potato, apple and salsa verde. The order consisted of three slices of pork, which was very moist and tender. Perfectly roasted. Tiramisu - the cognac, marsala with orange zest. One of the best tiramisus that I've tried. The case was super moist with the cognac and marsala with a perfect amount of mascarpone and dusted on top with cocoa nibs. It was great to have finally dine at Tosca. The food we had was delicious and the prices reasonable, maybe except for the $15 meatballs. read more

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Classic old SF bar now "updated" with more food. Good place for locals as well as visitors. Okay to go wearing jewels or gym shoes. But best to go when you want a good cocktail and want seen/be seen energy that's not a pickup place. Noted celebs may stop in but it's not the domain of rich and famous, and absolutely an every-human-kinda joint. Good for small groups, or large with the room in back, or good for sitting alone -and being left alone - lingering over a cocktail at bar. read more

They took away the booths. They'd maintained the cozy and elegant historical feel for awhile, but by doing this it just doesn't feel the same. Acoustics are terrible and can barely have a conversation at a 4-person dinner without shouting. Food is good. read more

At last, Tosca. Finally made it here now that it has turned into destination dining with a pedigree for the past three years. Jamie W. and I ate at The Spotted Pig on a trip last fall to New York and liked it enough to get excited about trying Tosca since the same duo, chef April Bloomfield and her partner Ken Friedman, own the place. I believe Bloomfield visits only quarterly, and it's really executive chef (and Bloomfield protégé) Josh Even who runs the kitchen and keeps the Italian-American dishes so alluring and tasty. But first we hung out at the bar as you would have normally done the past 95 years of its operation. We squeezed ourselves between sets of anxious tourists and ordered some libations. Old-school cocktail for Jamie, a $12 Godfather no.II, which blends Scotch whiskies with amaretto, amantillado sherry, maraschino, and brandied cherry into a heady creation with bite (photo: http://bit.ly/2fhPhSr). I went lighter and ordered the $12 Penny Toss, definitely a more girlish drink with apple brandy, sour apple, honey, lemon, and absinthe (photo: http://bit.ly/2e8XNR7). Still enough of a kick to give me a pre-dinner buzz. I had never been in the dining room before, and it still has remnants of its old bar setting but with more refined touches like naugahyde replaced by leather in the booths (photo: http://bit.ly/2dYvDVF). Our little table for two was almost dineresque by comparison. We decided to share the $16 Heirloom and Dirty Girl Tomato Salad with cucumber, dill-yogurt, pickled pearl onions, and toasted sesame seeds (photo: http://bit.ly/2f3qWeh). No surprise how refreshing it was and probably a far cry from anything Tosca would have served up in a peanut bowl in the olden days. We chose to undercut the freshness with the $10 Crispy Pig Tails, which were just my speed - chewy, crispy and enough to sustain us until our entrees showed up (photo: http://bit.ly/2dYAp5C). In an unusual move, Jamie went for the pricier option, the $34 King Salmon with fresh polenta, Italian butter beans, summer squash, and roasted cherry tomatoes (photo: http://bit.ly/2eTUi29). Here's where Bloomfield's touch appeared most evident as the mix of flavors and textures really elevated what was a fairly ordinary slab of salmon. Mine was the $27 Pork Shoulder Steak with mustardy potatoes, roasted spring onions, and white balsamic vinegar (photo: http://bit.ly/2e8Y1HX). It consisted of three tender chunks of braised pork with the hearty potatoes and spring onions bringing a nice contrast. Jamie insisted we get the $8 Crispy Potatoes in pork fat, garlic and rosemary (photo: http://bit.ly/2ePVf8R), and it turned out to be quite a portion which had me a bit saturated on spuds and deep fat. But alas, we finished them with little challenge. We was in North Beach, so we had to have dessert. At least that was my weak rationale to order two - the $7 Cannoli, which consisted of a pair, lightly crisped and filled with fresh ricotta, chocolate and hazelnuts (photo: http://bit.ly/2dRuCDy), and their classic $10 Tiramisu with cognac, marsala and grated orange zest (photo: http://bit.ly/2eH6rXT). The cannoli was old-school tastiness bar none, while the tiramisu bordered on classic and a nice finale save for one inevitable item, the $12 House "Cappuccino" 1919 with the cappuccino in quote marks because it contains armagnac, bourbon, Dandelion chocolate ganache, and milk (photo: http://bit.ly/2f0GC3d). That was cherce. Overall a classic well worth revisiting. FOOD - 4 stars...classic Italian-American dishes spun up to a higher level by knowing hands AMBIANCE - 4 stars...retains its North Beach bar-fight sturdiness with a more refined decor SERVICE - 4 stars...good and not too intrusive despite the cramped quarters TOTAL - 4 stars...now this is how you revive an old-school institution read more

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Met up with a group of friends after work on Friday, August 19th around 6pm for a quick happy hour. They arrived before I did, so they grabbed some stools along the wall near the entrance. We had about 3 stools and about a party of six. Not super roomy, but at least we had a little space to put down our bags, etc. *GODFATHER no.II: Scotch Whiskies, Amaretto, Amontillado Sherry, Maraschino, Brandied Cherry ($12) *FATA MORGANA: Armagnac, Jamaican Rum, Lemon, Sparkling Wine ($12) I believe the Godfather was the only cocktail on the menu with whisky, so of course I ordered that one! I was afraid it was going to be too sweet since I'm a scotch neat kind of girl, but surprisingly, it wasn't. Pretty balanced. Reminded me of a manhattan. I don't remember tasting the other cocktail, but my girlfriend seemed to like it. Overall, I had fun. Not sure if I would be back for cocktails as my old a$$ likes something a little more low key and not as crowded. But I wouldn't mind checking them out for dinner one day. I guess we'll see. read more

Tosca Cafe - GODFATHER no.II: Scotch Whiskies, Amaretto, Amontillado Sherry, Maraschino, Brandied Cherry ($12) - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This place is a beauty For a glass of wine, Tiramisu, a port or Dinner. Lovely ambiance - gives you the feeling that indeed, it has been there a long long time. Indoor dinning and Live music when available are a must when we go. The people watching at the big entrance window is outstanding! read more

Chef April Bloomfield is an awesome culinary bad ass. Only 1% of all Michelin chefs worldwide are female; she has two Michelin starred restaurants. Two! She was named Best Chef, NYC in 2014 by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. She's the highest scoring Iron Chef competitor who beat Iron Chef Vin Diesel (aka Chef Symon). AND, her newest restaurant, the revamped Tosca Cafe was named #4 in The Best New Restaurants in 2014 in America by Bon Appetit! It was only fitting to end the year with a bang and have our last meal of 2014 at Tosca Cafe before KO at 9:30 pm and waking up 10 minutes before the countdown...only because I thought it was an earthquake. Come to find out it was just our puppy, Tater Tot furiously humping Mr. NSS' shoulder. I guess we know who's boss! Anyhow, the stars were aligned when we able to snag last minute reservations at Tosca Cafe and were seated in a cozy booth with front row seats to the kitchen. Reservations are a must on the weekends unless you have 2+ hours to kill. Tosca Café serves Italian food with a twist. The prices are really expensive for the small portions (hello, $4 for a chunk of bread!) but worth it. Prepare to spend about $80-$100 pp for food and drinks. ~ * ~ C O C K T A I L S ~ * ~ All cocktails are $12. *Polo Cup: http://bit.ly/1DftXBk *Choke Hold: http://bit.ly/1BDY8xO *Suffering Bastard: http://bit.ly/14sfbZB My fav was the Polo Cup because it's super refreshing. Choke Hold was super stiff. The Suffering Bastard was a bit too sour for my liking. ~ * ~ F O O D ~ * ~ Reading all the reviews complaining of the food being overly salty, we requested "lightly salted" for our order which was just right. *Pressed Pig Ear ($5): 3 STARS http://bit.ly/1xvMbeM Nothing special; reminded me of thinly sliced headcheese. *Crispy Pig Tails ($9): 5 STARS http://bit.ly/1tDFJwF These were phenomenal. Think super crunchy and juicy chicharrones. The drizzle of balsamic reduction perfectly cut through the richness. It was SO good that we ordered another round. *Meatballs w/ house baked focaccia ($12 + $4): 5 STARS http://bit.ly/14qkeKj These were disappointingly tiny but the flavorful meatiness and airy texture made up for it. The crunchy yet cloudy focaccia dipped in the marinara sauce was deliciously satisfying. *Lucamoni w/ prosciutto, treviso, lemon breadcrumbs ($17): 4 STARS http://bit.ly/1AxfL4r All their pastas are made in-house, and you must order one. The lucamoni had a great toothsome bite and I loved the light saltiness from the prosciutto and the crunchy texture contrast from the breadcrumbs but it was way too lemony. *Roasted Half Chicken For Two w/ ricotta, pine nuts, marsala ($42): 4.5 STARS http://bit.ly/1Ihkh7t For the price of 8.4 whole rotisserie chickens at Costco, you get a whopping half a chicken at Tosca Café...BUT, this roast chicken beats Zuni Café's hands down (their chicken is so boring and overrated)! The skin was lightly crisp and the meat was succulently moist; even the breast meat. The marsala sauce added a great complex savory sweetness. Loved the crusty bread topped with creamy ricotta and pine nuts. Best roast chicken ever but the price tag is just too ridonkulous to warrant 5 stars. *Crispy Potatoes w/ pork fat, garlic, rosemary ($7): 2 STARS http://bit.ly/1xLmnNg People raved about this but our order oddly tasted like bitter, burnt garlic. *Tiramisu ($9): 4 STARS http://bit.ly/1xvNt9u This tiramisu will rock your taste buds. The espresso flavor is super strong; way too strong for me but it was well-executed and nicely fluffy. ~ * ~ S E R V I C E ~ * ~ This would be a 5 star review except the staff is cold and the service very slow (we had 5 pm reservations). The only friendly people in the army of staff are the hostess and the American Indian waitstaff (super nice guy). Hopefully one day their kindness will rub off on the rest of the other staff. Obviously, it's their job to get sh*t done and they do but a little kind reciprocation would be appreciated. They wouldn't even acknowledge our "thank you"s. Don't expect them to ask you how your meal is either. Our meal was coursed out so there was an unbearably long lag between courses. Dinner took over 2.5 hours for 4 courses so liquor up! Only knocking off a star for service because we expected this given all the other reviews. ~ * ~ A M B I A N C E / D E C O R ~ * ~ Dark, old skool, and insanely loud. There's 6 tight booths, 3 four tops, 4 two tops, and a private room in back for large groups. Not recommended for an intimate date. ~ * ~ P A R K I N G ~ * ~ Insanely difficult street parking which is why I normally avoid the area. They need to offer valet parking. read more

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Tosca has long been a witness to SF's history -- this bar has been around since 1919. Spend a leisurely afternoon at City Lights bookstore across the street then head over to this classic bar -- dim lighting, jukebox on the corner, faded paint on the walls, long dark wood bar, old leather stools, and antique espresso machines. When you're here, you'll wonder if there was a time when socialites came here to be less conspicuous. When politicians brainstormed their next move. When laymen came in to rest their tired feet. When lovers met here for stolen moments in their red vinyl booths. It was lovely afternoon indeed. That house cappuccino is something else -- it's really hot chocolate with brandy. It warms you through and through. You won't even miss the marshmallows on top. read more

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Once a landmark San Francisco restaurant, now ruined by a spotify playlist at earsplitting volume.

I recently had a bday party at Tosca Cafe in the Chef's Lounge and the experience did not disappoint! The staff was warm, attentive and an absolute dream to spend the evening with --- my friends and I had a ball! Everything from the food to the drinks were delicious (we tried almost everything!), particularly the fried chicken and black cod! The Chef's Lounge was also so fun and intimate! If you are celebrating a special occasion, then this is your place! A special shoutout to Chef Dre, who was so thoughtful and really made the evening special for us, in addition to being an AMAZING chef! He's a great addition to the Tosca staff! read more

Tosca has an upstairs private room called "The Chef's Lounge" that you can book with a food + beverage minimum of $1000. The space fits 8 seated or 12 standing. I dined here a couple weekends ago and enjoyed a leisurely three hour dinner. Tosca's menu is moderately priced, so the minimum was hard to hit for our group of 8 - come hungry and thirsty for sure. FOOD: ANTIPASTI - We had a selection of cured meats and pressed pig ear. Nothing particularly stood out, but a good starter. CRISPY PIG TAILS - Wow, extra crunchy, fatty pig tails that went perfectly with the tangy balsamic reduction. A must try. HOUSE-BAKED FOCCACIA - Just the right amount of crisp along the edges, fluffy inside, and dangerously filling because you can't stop eating it. SPRING SALAD w/ Cucumber, Asparagus, Radishes, Mustard Vinaigrette, Bottarga - This salad edged out the other. The tang of the mustard vinaigrette with the bottarga (salted fish roe) was a great combination. MARKET SALAD w/ Wild Oregano Vinaigrette, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Parmesan - Very good salad as well, I just preferred the spring salad more. GEMELLI w/ Kale Pesto, Ricotta Salata, Crispy Quinoa - My favorite pasta dish because I'm sucker for pesto. Simple and delicious. BUCATINI w/ Tomato, Guanciale, Chili - Loved the salty bits of guanciale. RIGATONI w/ Braised Octopus, Chickpeas, Creme Fraiche - I love octopus, but this was probably my least favorite of the pasta courses. The flavors didn't wow me as much. MEATBALLS (off menu) - Lived up to the hype. We got a generous portion of seven large, juicy, and flavorful meatballs. GRILLED POLENTA w/ Roasted Mushrooms - I love polenta, I love mushrooms. The end. ROASTED CHICKEN - This dish, while impressively presented, was a bit of a letdown (Zuni is my gold standard). The chicken was on the dry side, though the bed of ricotta covered bread was ridiculously good. CRISPY POTATOES - Extra crispy and garlic-y, definitely a winner! ASPARAGUS w/ Toasted Almonds - Enjoyable. SERVICE: Good service, although we were left alone for long periods of time. This was understandable, as we were in a private room closed off to the wait staff to observe. The kitchen was flexible and able to tailor the timing to our needs. We were running behind for an event, and they kindly brought out the remaining entrees all at once. AMBIANCE: The main dining room and private room are kept fairly dim. The private room has a small bar where diners can help themselves and are charged by volume. The room is cozy, with no windows, but it does have one small vent to the kitchen. Décor is old-school with lots of paintings and a large cow head mounted on the back wall. The space is intimate and quiet, great for a small dinner party. read more

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I've been going to Tosca for over 2 decades. I've had a birthday party here, I've even had a photo shoot here. So, I, like a million or so others, eagerly awaited the reopening; & very much appreciated the interior upgrade that did not sacrifice the integrity of the original space. It's been almost a year since the addition of dinner service, so time to review... Oxtail terrine. Thumbs down. We did not care for this at all. Too gamey & fatty, which is not a good thing for a cold dish. Pass. Egg Tonnato. Fresh & different. A boiled egg served chilled dressed w anchovies & served w tuna & lemon sauce w capers. Bucatini. The undeniable star of our dinner cast. The sauce was zesty, spicy, & uber flavorful. Absolutely delicious. The pasta was cooked to perfect bite. A must order. Crispy potatoes. Oh, wow. Who doesn't love potatoes fried in duck fat? Decadent & addictive, like the bucatini. Do it. Roasted carrots. OMG. These were the BEST CARROTS I've ever had in my life. EVER. So unexpected. This dish won for best supporting actor in our dinner cast. Even against the crispy potatoes. A must. The host was delightful. Despite how busy it was, he was calm, cool, & collected. Genuinely helpful & professional. Nice. Service can be spotty, but that's par for the course at most restaurants, unfortunately. The server was flustered, but we ordered through the bar, & they were great. There was a 45 minute wait between our cold apps & our dinner, but it was Friday night & a packed house. When I brought it to the attention of our server, it was rectified immediately w finesse & positivity. Impressive. Another great night @ Tosca. read more

Checked out the newly reopened Tosca Cafe. We got there around 6pm on a Sat and the place was super busy, was told an hour wait. Gave them a cell number to call us when a table was ready. Got the call to return back for our table almost 1hr later. They have a music jukebox, I couldn't get it to play, but I think it does work. FREE still or sparkling tap water. That's nice. We got sparkling. Tried out: Oxtail terrine $8 - tiny portion of some cubed oxtail meat and other stuff, served cold. Pretty gross, Skip it. Cesar salad $12 - tiny portion of salad, I think barely enough for 1 person, 2 people not enough for both. I did like it, but not for $12! Rigatoni pasta $16 - tiny ass portion again, too al-dente for us, we didn't like it much. Bucatini $17 - small portion of the pasta, we liked the taste though. Overall, overpriced & tiny portions & super LOUD in there, Won't be back. read more

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Thought the food was just alright for the price. Very loud so it is difficult to understand the people sitting at your table. Staff was friendly and attentive, so that's where most of my stars are coming from. read more

Tosca Cafe is located somewhere in North Beach. It is a very busy part of town regardless of when you go. I was really excited to come to Tosca Cafe as I have been following Chef April for so many years. The small plates and my vegetable plate were absolutely amazing but my main course - the black cod was just so beyond subpar that it totally ruined my experience. For starters we got the deep fried sardines which were fried bone in and I knew about that because of reading ahead of time. The sauce was delicious but was only liked by me instead of other people at the table. I had ordered the mozzarella di bufala which I was not made aware of had prosicutto. That was really upsetting because I don't eat pork and we had made the server aware of this ahead of ordering when she asked if we had any dietary restrictions or allergies. Thankfully, one of my friends ate that and I was still able to enjoy the rest of the plate. But that was the beginning of a somewhat absent service. The mussels and clams came in a rich garlicky butter sauce. However, the charred bread that it came with was just burnt toast. For the main course, I had ordered the black cod and my friends - one of them had ordered the hangar steak and the other the black cod. The black cod tasted nothing like the black cod I have had before. I'll be honest, the first time I had it was at Nobu. It changed my life. The second time I had was when a friend of mine got it from Wholefoods and followed a recipe to make it at home. It tasted buttery and a little dense. As I learned that evening, black cod is actually the same as sablefish and I remember having that while I wasn't living in the US. Anyways, this was nothing like the black cod that I remember eating. The sauce it was in might have been it's saving grace but even then I couldn't stomach more than two bites out of this dish. The vegetable that I had ordered for the table but ended up eating it as my main course was the charred eggplant. Halved and grilled to a nice char (not burnt like the bread), this was absolutely delicious. Fleshy, meaty, and cooked just right. If I had skipped the fish, I probably would've rated this place a lot higher. read more

this place is way too loud and crowded for Friday night. it reminded me of those crowded New York places that I came to dread since I moved to San Francisco. Better check it out on a weeknight. the murals on the wall were quite impressive, reminding one of the renaissance height of Italian art without being too pretentious. Good collection of cocktails and the food was quite delicious. We ordered the fried artichoke where small pieces were lightly battered with some capers to counter the slight grease. If one could chase the crowds away, this place would be perfect! read more

Been visiting the city every year but our first time coming here and boy how I am glad that he chose a great place after all that walking, excellent food and service, our server Francis is exceptional and the recommendations he made are on point. We will surely come back! Update: We went again as promised and it surely did not disappoint! We came with great expectations (per our previous experience) and surely this experience exceeded it, it's a great place, a little loud but also nostalgic for some who have been in there when it used to be a bar with out food. Learned so much about the history of this institution on my last visit. Highly recommended! ilalalalalalove it! read more

Tosca Cafe - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Dinner review. Pressed pig ears - 4/5 Foccacia - 5/5 Crispy pig tails - 3/5 Meatballs - 4/5 Polenta - 4/5 Crispy potatoes - 4/5 Roasted chicken for two - 5/5 - 7x7 Tiramisu - 5/5 Overall, roast chicken was great. Tiramisu was probably the best I've had yet in SF. "As good as it gets." read more

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Solid late night eats at an old school SF spot. 4.25 stars Food: 4.5, Service: 3.5, Atmosphere 4 Cost to worth it rating: 3.5 (pastas ~$17, sides ~$8) Return worthiness: yes Eve award: best sit down SF late night meal Highlights: - Special hot cocoa (aka house cappuccino: bourbon, chocolate ganache, etc how can you go wrong especially on a rainy night??? - Italian wedding soup: delicious, light, and topped with lots of Parmesan - Pastas: forget if we got the gemelli or bucatini but pasta was fresh and delicious - Crispy potatoes: tasty salty crunchy filling side - Late night meal: had a reservation at 12:30am on a Saturday night which was awesome Lowlights: - Waiter misheard us order a dish and fought us on it. Manager came over and was cool about it Had a fun 2nd dinner and would return for more eats and that coffee. read more

Tosca Cafe - Excellent boozy chocolatey cappuccino, soup, pastas, and crispy potatoes - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food and drinks were good wait staff fine but they lost me on the 10%! Fee Healthcare whatever mandate .. was like $32 highest I have ever seen . Isn't that already priced into the $62 Ribeye? Left a bad taste won't be rushing back. read more

Food was sublime. Pork chop and Tagliatelle with pesto. Worth the flight to SF to try it. Wine list was not impressive but atmosphere made up for it. The cocktails were a hit with my friends. Had a fun time. read more

How cute are you? Been around since 1919 and still have a flare, a glimpse of history and good food. What more can we ask for. I hope you stay around forever. read more

Did a quick pit stop to get a Tiramisu and the house cappuccino recently. I love Tiramisu as it is, so I was not a big fan of the orange flavor - it was overall very decadent. The cappuccino was a little strong for me. I loved the art they have in here, where can I find it :D read more

Dined here in the private room on Christmas Eve and our group of 9 had a pre-fixe 4-course menu. To start- Crispy Pig Tails- really delicious and oh so fatty! "Point Reyes Blue" Salad- there was a lottt of blue cheese! House-baked foccacia- we asked for refills like 3 times. Fresh and addicting. 2nd course- Bucatini. Wow, the pasta was amazing! The perfect bite and just enough sauce. Highly recommend getting this dish. 3rd course- Whole Roasted Chicken. (Broccoli and Crispy Potatoes as sides) The chicken was so moist! Their marsala sauce was perfect atop the chicken and sides. The crispy potatoes were fried in pork fat- reminded me of my favorite potatoes at Plow except more fatty and fried! 4th course- Tiramisu with orange zest. A perfect end to the meal! There was definitely a lot of rum which we all loved. As in other reviews of the restaurant, the service was spotty but not entirely horrible. It was tolerable but there were some long pauses in between courses and getting refills of anything. Overall, a solid 4 stars and definitely want to try their famous "Cappacuino" next time. read more

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Food was good. Hostess Vanessa was very uptight and unfriendly. In addition to that the SF Health/Covid fee of 10% is automatically added to your bill whether you like it or not and then they expect you to tip. R.I.P. San Francisco. read more