If any single man ever happens to stumble upon this review, I have a secret for you about dating. Seriously, it's simple, but it makes all the difference: Plan the date. That's right. Ask a girl out. In person, over the phone, even (if she's more tolerant) by e-mail, but not by text. Set a firm day and time. No, not "let me know when you happen to be in town from your town a few miles away" or even worse, but not unheard of in San Francisco, "let me know when you're in my neighborhood so I don't actually have to drive or figure out alternative transportation." Also, that day and time shouldn't be "today" or "in an hour." Trust me, you'll do a lot better with a little built-up expectation. With a date set, you're ready for the next step. CHOOSE A DAMN PLACE. Don't make her do the research. Make reservations yourself. So maybe you don't buy into all this traditional "real" man stuff, but you do expect her to buy into some of this traditional woman stuff, don't you? You're going to be pretty turned off if she arrives without makeup and wearing overalls. You might even feel a little funny if she began holding doors for you and ordered for you. So drop the fake-feminist excuses and show some manners. If you get that far, you couldn't do much better than Vino Rosso. This is a great place for a date. It's small, warm, cozy, and unhyped. It will make you look like someone who knows quality when he sees it. And it has a great wine list. They even offer a taste portion, which is great for those of us who can barely drink. The sparkling red is amazing. Vino Rosso is mostly a wine bar, but they do serve food. A small menu lets them concentrate on a few very good items. The portions are small (although the salads are generous), which allows for extremely reasonable prices ($11 for homemade lasagna). I enjoyed warm green olives, and an arugula salad with almonds and parmigiano. The vegetable lasagna was just okay. There is something to be said for the non date planner. He does make us appreciate the well-mannered men out there (like my boyfriend). But for the millions of fed-up single women out there, pass this secret on. read more

VinoRosso is a real nice spot to have a little bit of wine, a little bit of food, and a whole lot of dessert - come on, who skimps on dessert? It's especially nice after a long work day when you're in need of a quite place to chill before heading home. When considering the generous pours for their wine tastings coupled with a nice selection of cheeses and homemade desserts, it should be no surprise how often the wife and I frequent this neighborhood place. All that being said, if you should ever find yourself in these neck of the woods, consider stopping by for a quick respite from the hustle and bustle of it all and relax with a glass of Pinot Noir. read more

Whoa. Thought I'd give this place another chance, so went in to pick up my togo order, and just got berated by the owner!?! He showed me on his ipad how he was stalking me online (creepy in any right, but how did he know it was me ordering over the phone??) and he said he wouldn't expect an Ayn Rand lover to be against monopolies. He knew WAY too much about me. He accused me of eating half my beet salad before taking the picture I uploaded to yelp (nope not true). While I do appreciate an owner giving his kitchen staff the benefit of the doubt, especially considering I know a few of his staff and they don't think highly of him, nope sorry dude, that's how they sent that dish out, I got no reason to really lie about that... He continued to berate me in front of his customers, and I finally had to ask if he was ok, did he have a rough day??? He said "What does it seem like?" I laughed him off, paid for my food, and left. Poor dude, but man, don't let your shitty day roll this downhill! Food review, since you asked for it buddy: burrata was nearly tasteless, a shame cause the last burrata beet salad was tasty! So seems their quality has gone down?? Meatballs were salty, polenta was dry, and the bread was, probably intentionally, burnt. The food overall isn't bad, just not really worth more than a couple bucks or getting majorly creeped and bitched out over. Dude..... read more

I thought that good service, and great food in one location were a thing of the past. You can image how pleased I was to discover both qualities happily co-existing at VinoRosso (one word, capital R). The owners are incredible. Vega & Giuseppe moved here from Rome, lucky for San Francisco! On Wednesdays from 4:30-7pm they have Wine & Whiners Wednesday, I'm sure this will become a new family tradition for many people with children. Apparently there is some hater on here who only gave them one star because of Wine and Whiners Wednesday. If you don't like kids --- don't go early on Wednesdays, duh! Sure, there might be the occasional child there once in a while. If you want to ensure there are no children at all when you attend --- go later. VinoRosso is an adorable and cozy place in a great location in Bernal Heights. If you've never made it to the southern edge of the Mission, now you have a great reason to come with your friends. I'm a huge fan, and I'm sure you will be a convert as well, once you step foot into this wonderful San Francisco establishment. Updated 6/10/07: I'm now officially addicted to the chocolate decadence cake that Vega makes - it is amazing. Yum, yum and yum!! read more

Vino. Vino. Vino. This cute & cozy Italian restaurant is located in the lovely Bernal Heights neighborhood. I absolutely adore Bernal Heights! A girlfriend & I hooked up for an early dinner and walked into Vino Rosso. Perfect timing because we made it in time for their happy hour specials. HH is from 4-7pm. Daily Specials: -$4 Prosecco & Lambrusco -$3 Beers -$6 Homemade Lasagna & Eggplant Parmigiana (both VERY good) Wednesday "Family Friendly" Special: Yep, you can bring the kiddos during HH, order pizza, & have a glass of wine. Whoa, it's possible. Quarterly Specials: Italian wine tasting classes As for the food, the cheese platters ($10-$15) are a must! Not only was it amazing, but it was completely satisfying. We opted for the following DELICIOUS cheeses: -Pecorino Romano DOP-hard, aged sheep's milk cheese -Tronchetto di capra- soft goat's milk cheese w/ honey &walnuts -Parmigiano Reggiano DOP- hard, aged cow's milk cheese Bottom line: wine shop, wine bar, & great Italian eats. You can't go wrong with that. Yep, I'm coming back. read more

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After failing to get a response from either of the two staff members as we stood inside the door, we slowly made our way to the closest of many empty tables. Before sitting down, a second look behind the bar (countered by a blank stare from a staff member,) reassured me that I was my own guide in this place. We sat ... and sat ... and sat for over 5 minutes until the waitress came over with menus (still no communication.) The staff to customer ratio was 1:2, unfortunately, there were only 4 people in the place; one was drinking water and not eating. The couple next to us ordered before we arrived, but still hadn't received their wine. VinoRosso serves a lot of Italian wines that aren't found elsewhere and charge anywhere between $9-$22 for a healthy pour; that's a bit on the high side. The service, atmosphere, and prices were enough to quickly erase any good feeling about the place. bottom line: Have a glass of wine on your way to dinner elsewhere. $$$ = 2 glasses of wine. We didn't eat. read more

First I want to thank our host. My wife and I had some time to kill before a dinner reservation nearby and stopped in for a glass of wine. It was packed but the young Italian host went out of his way to accommodate us. We made it clear that we just wanted a quick drink and didn't want to disrupt anything. Nevertheless he graciously dismissed our concerns and wrangled us seat. While enjoying our wine we were taken with the buzz and cool vibe. Patrons were having fun and the food looked and smelled delicious. We immediately made a note to return and have a meal. Very small. Very cool. Two highly energetic Italian hosts (seemed like owners). Great wine selections. Can't wait to try the food. read more

In an age of WalMart-brand Wines, thank god for VinoRosso. Giuseppe and his wife make you feel right at home (at least for us Italians) and in fine fashion, just like my Nana, they'll practically force feed you until you pass out. Still, the perfect way to end your day or start your night, whether you're a Jack, a Miles or whatever Sandra Oh's character was named. read more

A friend who lives in the neighborhood and I stopped by for dinner last night. I had a coupon for VinoRosso so we went all out - yummm! This is a wine bar with a lovely selection of sparkling, white and reds, plus dessert wine to boot! I love the wine rack decor on one wall displaying their wide selection. I had a lovely prosecco to start off our meal - mmm! We picked appetizers and dishes from different sections of their Italian menu. We had the crostini w/ proscuitto (tasty good starter), salumi w/ mozzarella di bufala (I'm such a fan of mozzarella di bufala & the salami was a nice balance of taste), baby greens w/ gorgonzola and ahi (love the gorgonzola and the ahi was perfecto!), scallops wrapped with pancetta (can't go wrong with this combo!!), homemade tiramisu (this was gone is seconds, tops for me!!), flourless chocolate cake (dense chocolate flavor, heavy but very good!), and we ended our meal with a creamy cup of coffee (mmm!). We enjoyed ourselves so much choosing our dishes from their yummy menu, the service was nice & friendly, and it was a nice quiet, relaxed place for us to enjoy our meal and chat. Definitely a good, solid, authentically Italian restaurant. Loved it, and I will be back - ciao! :) read more

Attended an engagement party for a friend of ours. They chose to celebrate here. What a very nice and intimate experience. I felt like a scene out of a movie. Friends, drinking wine and have a great time. Owner was busy making sure we had everything. Saw families come here with their kids and eat dinner. So I guess this is also kid friendly? read more

My friends and I had were treated very rudely by the waiter. We made a mistake on the tip not realizing we had already been charged an automatic service charge. When I asked for it to be changed he became very defensive and told us we weren't welcomed back. We were all really shocked and of course will not go back. We did receive the credit but were treated very disrespectful by him. read more

VinoRosso is our neighborhood date night spot. We haven't been able to go in months, but found out they were open just in time for our anniversary! The owners are so wonderful. If you want yummy wine bar food and delicious wine, this is your spot. We had our go to wine and cheese date night delivered and couldn't be happier! We can't wait to see you all in person again VinoRosso, but until then thanks for a little romance delivered to our door! read more

Italian beer great, and the food & Service no complaints. I would say the place is small, but the location in Bernal Heights is perfect. This place is a Go! read more

This wine bar was cute and the prices we're pretty moderate, so that was good. I got excited to come here because with my check in, I got a free glass of wine ! But the waiter was really rude about it when I asked -- he wasn't happy that I was trying to get a free drink, even though we also bought another drink and a cheese plate! He even stated "we are going to get rid of that soon" and was just being overall super snooty. The ambiance was nice and quiet , this would be a good date place read more

VinoRosso - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

VinoRosso is fantastic. I love Italian food and everything we had was wonderful. Four cheese gnocchi, cheese plate, olives, lasagnes, bruschetta were all fantastic. Eat here now! read more

Hmmm.. lipstick on the wine glass Orange mold inside the glass water bottles Super greasy lasagna Stingy with the goat cheese on salad. Bruised, old leaves in salad. Plus side was the place was cute and cozy and the bathroom was immaculate. Would maybe return for wine, though it's kinda pricey, but not the food. read more

Is it just me, or is it totally inappropriate to bring your toddler or infant into a small, intimate wine bar? Babies not only don't and can't legally consume wine, they also cry, drool, scream and distract adults. It's bad enought to have to deal with this in romantic restaurants or coffee shops, but no way will I tolerate it in a wine bar. VinoRosso apparently encourages this practice. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hater, but I think that there's a time & place for everything. If there's no kids menu, then that's hint. Please be kind to those of us who want to get buzzed in peace & quiet. I am boycotting this local establishment based on the number of times I've passed by and seen strollers parked outside or inside. Stop encouraging them! For the cost of a nice glass of wine, you can get a babysitter for 2 hours. read more

Settled upon one of the many hills that define San Francisco's engaging topography, VinoRosso provides a winning touch of food and wine. Quaint, intimate, petite... that sounds very promising for anybody who is looking to have a good time with great company while sipping on some grape juice. Four stars all around... The wine menu was good but i didn't find anything great. The bruschetta, chicken stuffed prosciutto and tiramisu/choco cake was fine. And the five cheese plate seemed ok. I'd rather go with a selection of 3 cheeses... in hindsight. Anyways, a good time enjoyed by all... May the gentle hand of the cool summer fog escort you safely home. read more

This is a brand-new "Enoteca Italiana" in Bernal Heights: wine shop, wine bar, Italian eatery. I think I may have accidentally manifested it by wishing so hard for some nice wine and a cheese platter last night that it magically appeared where a rundown jewelry store used to be. Strange psychic incidents aside, this is exactly what it should be. Nice decor, good wine and snacks lists, super friendly owners that know their stuff and can make a recommendation on the fly. They also offer a wide $3 tasting menu. UPDATE 3/07: They now offer 4 tastes for $10, and on Sunday nights you get the tastes for free if you can Guess the Grapes. This is harder than you'd think, but it's more fun than you'd imagine. read more

Yet another fantastic reason to love Bernal Heights. This quaint (small) wine bar also stands out for its outstanding service and food. Seriously - the food is really (surprisingly) good. Try the flight of desserts! In terms of wines, there are about 50 of them, primarily Italians, and all available by the glass. Make a reservation since it can get packed and you won't want to be turned away! read more

Romantic, candles, dim, cozy-warm "red" decor. I am still very new to wine... trying to move on from the 'classy' boxed wine to actual wine served in a bottle :) Ask the owner for recommendations on wine AND food... their cheese munchies are excellent. A wide variety of gourmet cheese that compliments specific wine well. Great for after dinner, but before nookie moment. read more

Wine and Whiners Wednesdays. You can drink wine and bring your baby with you. What's not to love? Thank you, Vino Rosso, for showing the love to those of us who may have gone ahead and procreated but who don't think that means we have to be hermits or move to the suburbs. Also, the food I've had here (appetizers -- never been for a meal) is yummy and I've never been let down by the wine. read more

There are a lot of reasons I love Vino Rosso, & I am troubled by some of the reviews that are so negative. The only reason I'm going to give it 4/5 stars is because it could be slightly more comfy, but other than that, it's awesome. They have some great ideas, like Whining Winers - where parents can bring their toddlers on Wednesday evenings. I notice people complaining, but just read the sign out front & it's obvious what you are walking into. I don't have children myself, but some Wednesdays I feel like being around them, and swing by just to sit & have a glass of wine w/children around. You feel a real connection with Italy from Vino Rosso, especially after taking their wine tasting class, led by Luca, and it was worth every penny. I highly advise getting your name on the list for the class. They don't have a big food menu, but it's enough to grab a light meal, or a salad with some wine. I don't think they intended a full read more

Stopped by on a whim on a Thursday evening. Pros: The wine, salad, and pasta entree's tasted great. Although the corner location is really tiny inside, they have patio seating and both the inside and out were full throughout the evening. There was only 1 server, however we experienced really great service from her and all food came out fresh and timely. Cons: The menu is really small, but if all the food tasted as good as our orders, you should get something tasty. There is only 1 server, which to some, may not work if on a deadline. Try to arrive for early dinner or get all of your order in for best service. This is a great place in Bernal Heights and a wonderful romantic or meet up place for a glass of wine and/or dinner. read more

Great little joint with really friendly service and a super wine list. Not hella cheap but reliably good vino and really helpful owners. The small range of foods are very well prepared and seriously tasty and fresh. Can get a little loud considering its petite nature but always enjoy our times here! Disclosure: so my cousin and her husband own the place, fine, it still ranks. Fo shizzle. Plus I got introduced to Jovannotti here too, phat Italian rapper/muso, awesome stuff. read more

I must echo Cary M on VinoRosso hosting the wine and whiners on Wednesdays--thanks for knowing that having a glass of wine does not mean you are a bad mom--millions of European women cannot be wrong! I have attended the W&W three times and have enjoyed the wine, food and mingling at VinoRosso. I LOVED the cheese plate--of course, and I usually let my server choose a wine since my knowledge of Italian wines does not go far beyond a cheap chianti. Also, and I hope I do not jinx the place, babies seem to enjoy it too--I have not seen a melt down yet. read more

Nice laid back atmosphere in a small wine bar. The waitress was very helpful and brought me a small pour to sample the wine before we ordered a bottle. Although the food was good (Caprese salad, prosciutto & melon, gnocchi, etc.), you aren't coming here for the food, it's definitely all about splitting a bottle of wine or 2 over a small table with good friends. It was surprisingly empty when we showed up on Saturday at 7/7:30p, which is definitely a plus when you're not in the mood to wait to hang out and drink vino. read more

What's not to like about this place? 1 star - 10 bucks for 4 generous pourings of wine (red or white whatever suits your fancy) as their taster sample 1 star - excellent cheese plate - we had the Robiola (soft goat and sheep cheese) which was fantastic, a goat cheese, and one made with truffles. All excellent. My favorite was the Robiola 1 star - nice small wine bar with large open windows, great staff - professional and helpful. I forget the name of the red wine I enjoyed, the owner (?) took a whiff and named it off in a heart beat. 1 star - for the good company read more

I am not a wine snob or aficionado but I certainly can enjoy a beautiful palate experience which I just had at Vinorosso. A friend who lives in Bernal suggested we try his favorite little corner wine bar (enoteca). We were greeted with warmth and friendliness by Leslie, one of the wait staff, and after chatting for a few moments she completely understood the type of experience we were hoping to have. She brought us the generous 4 glass tasting flight with 2 whites and 2 reds - all four were terrific (even to us being a not-so-into-white audience - Leslie suggested that a cool glass of wine on this hot afternoon might be quite refreshing and she was right) and the reds (Lacrima & Aldiano) were actually extraordinary and two wines I now have on the top of my list to share with good friends! This flight went very well with the 5-cheese plate a perfect array of soft, creamy, hard and salty, sweet and pungent. The cool water and bread were plenty and flowing. The overall experience was what I remember when I was in Italy; inclusive service, generous servings and a noticeable love of what they are serving. I can't wait to go back! read more

Had a relaxing girl's night out here. We had a cheese plate, a couple of glasses of wine and finished off with a dessert flight: tiramisu and pannecotta. Delicious. Love this place. read more

If you, like me, enjoy the idea of asking your knowledgable waiter to select you an interesting glass of wine accompanied by an artful spread of meats and cheeses, look no further than this cozy, bright nook. Great for a date or catching up with a couple friends. The lobster ravioli was amazing. read more

Wine Tasting with Dogs and Discounts 1) Destination? Rockin' right down the street from the Bernal hill dog park. 2) Dogs? Outside only but yes. And by "dogs" I mean my 70 pound lab, not a pocket rocket or purse pooch. 3)Discounts? WEDNESDAYS: 4pm - 7pm Wine and Whiners ~ great prosecco for $4 a glass read more

First things first, the food was good, the wine was good. The service was just okay. But that deceptive $4/$8 pricing is bullshit. The server did not even ask which we wanted, just served a glass. And who orders half a glass of wine? So my friend and I went here last night and we each had two glasses of wine = $64.00. We had the beets, 4 slices of beets with burrata on top of each slice = $9.00. We each had the ravioli, five big delicious raviolis = $28.00. Are you with me here? It was overpriced. I know I know, a nice meal should cost too much, so that when you leave you know that the bitter taste in your mouth is not from the food. read more

Came by this tiny neighborhood spot on a Fri night at 9:30pm and it was almost empty. Lucky for me, though, I wasn't deterred. I had a couple glasses of wine and the cheese plate. The wine was good enough, but what really impressed me was their cheese selection (we got all 6 of their offerings). My favorite of the lot was moliterno al tartufo, a medium hard cheese with truffles-- DELICIOUS. Second favorite was a mellow goat cheese with walnuts and honey. read more

VinoRosso - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cute interior and nice warm vibe. Good wine selection. I had a polenta dish with tomato sauce & meatballs which was good but a little smaller than I expected, and also surprised it didn't come with pasta. (In hindsight it makes sense since the polenta replaced the pasta, but I was surprised at the time.) Took some time for us to be acknowledged and to get water etc, overall the service could have been better. Overall an ok spot but I wasn't blown away. read more

The name says it all: Vino Rosso Their wine selection is ample, and the servers DO know the wines. Problem is: the food is, well, it is... average :( I have been there 2 times for dinner and 1 other time just for wine. The wine was always fabulous, but the food was just-- blah... boo! Although it is not very expensive, it is not cheap either, and for those prices, I was expecting a bit more, oh well! Go there, it is a cute and intimate place. But go there for Vino Rosso, conversation, and leave it at that. read more

We had a fun afternoon of snacking on the cheese platter and sampling the wines. Aside from being insanely convenient to where we were staying with family, the super friendly and accommodating young lady who waited on us and made the experience so much richer. Thanks for a cool little spot and for putting up with a bunch of rambunctious Sicilians! :) read more

I've been to VinoRosso on two separate occasions. It's near my house and near my friend's house so we meet here for dinner + wine. Glasses of wine are between $11-12 but if you and your company can agree on a wine it's better to buy a bottle (~$40-45 per bottle). The food is very good. I've had their cheese plates and small dishes. Today I had the mushroom lasagna which was tasty, but a little on the oily side. The service can get a bit slow but there's usually one person serving and one cook (it's a small space). I don't really mind the slow service though because the server is very kind and knowledgeable. He let us sample a few wines today, which was greatly appreciated. We came around 7PM and it was a little slow, but business picked up around 7:15PM. Since it's a small space you may consider calling to see if there is a table available. This is a good place for a couple or two people since it's so small. read more

The waiter of this "cozy" winery offended me saying get out just only because I wanted to photograph the shop from the outside. When I went inside, and indignantly asked what it was, he just as rudely kicked me out, and the manager was standing aside and watching this scene. I'm afraid to imagine what kind of service they have. Think twice going there. read more

Nick and I have been in once for a proper sit down pour and snibble, but mostly we've gone in for their 5-week Italian wine course. It's a blast and well worth the course fee. The course has opened my tastebuds to Italian wines. Unfortunately, the kitchen's closed on class night, and we're left roaming the area for Italian cuisine -- area Italian restaurants should subsidize the class. We've nearly dropped the couse fee twice to get our garlic on as quick as we can. Pours are generous and diverse, and the food tasting menu is loaded with interesting antipasti. VinoRosso has got to be the best non-California wine bar in the City, and the best wine bar period in this corner of the city (Noe/Castro/Mission/Potrero/Bernal). read more