Highest-rated Italian restaurants in San Francisco by diners
Highest-rated Italian restaurants in San Francisco by diners
It's no surprise that, in most countries, traditional national cuisine is the most popular, according to a 2024 report by Statista. But Italian food isn't just top-rated in Italy—it ranks as the second-most popular cuisine in Germany and France and takes the bronze spot in the U.K., Mexico, and India as well.
Of course, it's also among Americans' favorites—and there's lots to love about it. Just thinking about dishes like chicken Parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs is enough to get your mouth watering, even though many of these world-famous dishes are actually Italian American creations more so than true Italian fare. Traditional Italian food embraces an assortment of sumptuous recipes that aren't dependent on fried breadcrumbs and red sauce—think frittatas and focaccia, or carpaccio and panna cotta.
Italian immigrants have been weaving their cuisine into the fabric of the American food landscape for generations since they arrived in the United States nearly 150 years ago. And the cuisine, like the culture it hails from, tends to give off warm and fuzzy "family" feelings. For many people, the quintessential local Italian American restaurant—complete with its red-and-white checkered tablecloths, pour bottles of olive oil, Parmesan cheese shakers, cute little jars of red pepper flakes, and wicker baskets of oven-fresh bread—brings back memories of special life moments, like first dates and milestone birthdays.
Luckily, today you don't need to be in a major metropolis like New York or Los Angeles or an area with a large Italian or Italian American community to score top-notch buon cibo. You can find excellent Italian offerings in almost every city from coast to coast. To celebrate all things mozzarella and marinara, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Italian restaurants in San Francisco based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of January 2025.
Read on to see if your favorite is among the top-rated or to find a new spot in your neighborhood.
#30. Little Original Joe's
- Rating: 4.3/5 (197 reviews)
- Address: 2301 Chestnut St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Norcina
- Rating: 4.3/5 (345 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3251 Pierce St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Pasta Shops, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Itria
- Rating: 4.3/5 (372 reviews)
- Address: 3266 24th St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Acquerello
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1305 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1722 Sacramento St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Golden Boy Pizza
- Rating: 4.3/5 (4596 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 542 Green St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#25. il Cilentano
- Rating: 4.4/5 (301 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 579 Columbus Ave. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#24. La Ciccia
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1289 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 291 30th St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Seafood, Sardinian
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Frascati
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1315 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1901 Hyde St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, New American, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp
#22. InoVino
- Rating: 4.4/5 (231 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 108B Carl St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Pearl
- Rating: 4.4/5 (543 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 6101 California St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Seafood, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp
#20. La Connessa
- Rating: 4.4/5 (183 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1695 Mariposa St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Italian, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Montesacro SOMA
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1026 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 510 Stevenson St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Ciccino
- Rating: 4.4/5 (116 reviews)
- Address: 1400 California San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Pasta Panino
- Rating: 4.5/5 (117 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4150 18th St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Pasta Shops, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Luisa's Restaurant Wine Bar Since 1959
- Rating: 4.5/5 (938 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 759 Columbus Ave. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Seafood, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Pinsa Rossa
- Rating: 4.5/5 (168 reviews)
- Address: 2101 Fillmore St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Seven Hills
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1451 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1896 Hyde St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Heroic Italian
- Rating: 4.5/5 (118 reviews)
- Address: 572 Castro St. Swirl on Castro Wine Bar San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Sandwiches, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Ofena
- Rating: 4.5/5 (168 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2529 Ocean Ave. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Roma Antica
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1642 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3242 Scott St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp
#10. That's Amore Woodfire Pizza
- Rating: 4.5/5 (265 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1901 Ocean Ave. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Pizza, Beer, Wine & Spirits, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Pink Onion
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1155 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 64 14th St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Gastropubs
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Serafina
- Rating: 4.6/5 (165 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1701 Jones St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Bocconcino
- Rating: 4.6/5 (158 reviews)
- Address: 516 Green St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#6. The Rustic
- Rating: 4.6/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 215 Church St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Modern European, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Piccolo Forno
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1031 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 725 Columbus Ave. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Marcella's Lasagneria
- Rating: 4.6/5 (579 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1099 Tennessee St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#3. AltoVino
- Rating: 4.7/5 (244 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1358 Mason St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Wine Bars, Italian, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Luisa's Restaurant
- Rating: 4.7/5 (147 reviews)
- Address: 1001 Guerrero St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Italian, Wine Bars, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Corks
- Rating: 4.7/5 (118 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4342 California St. San Francisco, California
- Categories: Wine Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jennifer Huizen, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 290 metros.
