Brindisi Cucina di Mare

Brindisi really does resemble a little trattoria you'd find in Italy. It's on the corner and has a bright sign out front and inside there are tons of cute little tables. The salmon I ordered was fanstastic and our server was very sweet and attentive. We had the creme brulee for dessert and I was pleasantly surprised. more

We went to Brindisi last night, making up a table of four well-travelled, notoriously fussy eaters. At the end of the meal, the general concensus was that Brindisi had given each of us one of the best meals we had ever eaten. Simply excellent. I have long been a seeker of the perfect Calamari; I think I may have found it at Brindisi. The caesar salad was also the best any of us have had in a long time. Three of us chose puttanesca (with prawns) and all three of us were delighted with the portion and the flavour. The third member of our party chose a simple roasted chicken dish and said it was perfect (roasted chicken in restaurants can be dry and boring -- this was not). We were all full after our starters and entrees, but the lure of the desert was too strong. Their pistachio ice cream will redefine ice cream for you forever. We had it with profiteroles and chocolate caramel sauce. Double yums from everyone. The prices were very good, the waiters were attentive, charming, and informed without being overly obtrusive. An evening to remember and one we intend to repeat while we're in town. Pros: Absolutely everything. Cons: None. more

Great ambience...it's as though you've left the country and are visiting Italy. If you live in the East Bay, take a ferry to truly take it all in. The food's great, and the wait-staff is too. more

Brindisi's is a wonderful example of old San Fran. It has a unique feeling of being straight out of little Italy. The food was great and every sea food item looked great. Sitting outside only made the experience better with the sea gulls and streetcars in the background I felt like I was in a scene of a movie. A truly magical place. more

the staff is welcoming and the owner is lovevely. I started with gnocchi al pomodoro,homemade delicate gnocchi sank in a fresh tomatoes puree. I shares a delicious fish sicilian cous cous...TO DIE FOR. We order the sicilian cannoli a variation to the traditional recipe but so fresh and crispy tha we wanted more. Overall the food is highly reccomended, such as the service. We asked twice to change our wine glasses because they were dirty and came back with other dirty wine glasses,preatty common in San Francisco more

We dined here for a low-key Valentine's Day dinner. We were seated quickly (almost rushed by the hostess) into our seats which was snug(!) in between another table of two and the table with five middle aged men... Needless to say, it wasn't very romantic.\r \r Next came the appetizers. We ordered oysters which didn't come to the table chilled and half of them didn't even look like full oysters. The sauce that came with them were pretty good though. We also ordered bruschetta that never came. They looked pretty yummy on the table next to us, but I guess we'll never know...\r \r For the entree, I had spaghetti with crab which was pretty good, but a little oily. My boyfriend had the linguine with 1/2 lobster that I thought was delicious. Getting the meat out of the lobster might be messy, but if you're with someone you're comfortable with, it's not too bad.\r \r Overall, the experience and service, especially, could have been better. We might try Brindisi again on a weekday when there's not a crowd and a hostess that's harrassing everyone that walks by to come, sit and eat. Pros: Outdoor seating Cons: Service more

Traveling through Europe i've had many experiences that were memorable. Brindisi Cucina di Mare moved me to write this review the very day after the magnificent time my wife and I experienced. We were given the choice to sit inside or on the patio. We choose the patio and asked our waiter for his wine choice. He choose a smooth full bodied barolo. He also recommended the oysters on the half shell. They were from Washington and extremely fresh. (if you have a chance and enjoy oysters they are mild and the lemon caper sauce has a nice flair from the norm.) We then moved on to the main courses. My wife choose the tuna and I choose the prosciuttio wrapped sole on risotto. Both dishes melted in our mouth. By far the best meal we've experienced in years. We ended the meal with creme brulee' and the profitoroloes. Their expresso is smooth and a bit nutty and was a great finish to our night. It may be a bit difficult to find but the reward is a meal that you'll remember for a lifetime! more

My husband and I visited Bridisi about a month ago for dinner. My husband had the snapper with risotto; I had the lobster and linguine. My husband went on about his entree for weeks afterward--so much so I tried to duplicate the recipe at home. :) (It was good, but not as good as the original.) My lobster was perfectly cooked, though a little spicy. The best thing about the place, however, is its ambiance and the service. The wait staff speak to each other in Italian, making you feel like you're actually in some little restaurant in Italy. And in addition to our very attentive and funny waiter, the maitre d checked in on us a few times too, wiping off our water glasses when they had too much condensation and bringing me a fresh napkin before we even had to ask. Check it out--you won't regret it. more

This is a very authentic italian restaurant with italian hosts, waiters and cooks. The food was amazing. I had ordered the seafood skewers on a bed of couscous. It was the best dish I have had for a long time. The waiter was very friendly and accomodating. I am chlostrophobic and so the hostess and the waiters set a special table for me and my boyfriend, away from the people so I can be confortable, and I didnt even have an RSVP. Try their cannoli or the pear tart for dessert. They also have a great wine selection. Pros: Food, Service more

We went here based on Citysearch reviews and were not disappointed. The person who seated us was somewhat brusque (seemed to be her personality, not anything to take personally) but our server was lovely - very informative about the dishes, wine, etc. Service was prompt and professional. We had the mussels for an appetizer, I had lobster with linguine in a spicy sauce. My husband had the Dungeness crab spaghetti. The food was definitely not underseasoned! If anything it was a slight bit salty to me, but then we try not to put much salt in our food. Very flavorful. \r \r I would recommend arriving early or making reservations as it gets very busy as the evening progresses. Pros: Flavorful food, great service from our waitress Cons: Potentially very crowded more

While during the majority of 2005 this restaurant went through a terrible time of pleasing anyone, they have finally gotten things in order. With new management and the help from the Tiramisu chef, this restaurant has really changed to become one of the best on the alley. Not only is the food delicious, but service has been revamped, and you are not asked to pay outrageous prices. The bartender makes great drinks and the wine list is extensive so while prices are lower, quality and selection are not. Pros: great food low price large wine selection Cons: small, a bit noisy more

Tried making reservations for Belden Place through Opentable.com and I was only able to get Brindisi. Looking at the reviews here, I figured I'd give it a shot. When I got there, almost every table was empty at each of the restaurants I wanted (6:30pm on a Saturday). It's like a street-fair with scantily clad women hocking their menus, but it's a fun setting. If you're looking for something but can't get reservations, just show up. Brinidisi's service was excellent, but the food was average. I ordered the seafood skewers which were perfectly cooked but needed more seasoning. Overall, it was worth the money we paid since the food is extremely well priced! Word to the wise, since it's outdoor seating, people smoke. Pros: Excellent Value, Service, Atmosphere Cons: Food under seasoned, Smokers all around more

Brindisi is so wonderfully Italian, the food, the servers, the ambiance. I just loved it. My friends & I enjoyed every thing & just had a good time. more

Woman at the door not so friendly but everyone else there was nice. Owner (or manager?) did come to see if we needed anything else at the end of our meal. Large portions for sharing - so food/value was equal. Actually was a little cheaper than other restaurants in row. Would go back again. Tight seating and moving of tables duing dinner. Pros: food, wine, Close to Hilton FD more

The Bartender made amazing drinks for us and and a host, named Antonio, couldn't do more to make us feel welcome and at ease. I've been here a few times but this place has DEFINITELY improved in service and food quality from just six months ago. I hear the Chef is formerly of Tiramisu-- same food without all of the pomposity! Food is no longer a seafood only restaurant-- better variety of dishes now. Service is much crisper, better than before as I believe they have new management (maybe a new Chef helps too?). The prices are no longer skyscraping the four star restaurants, but still could be tweaked to be made more affordable. The heated lamps outside and the cozy dining room on the inside make this a good romantic place to take a date on a non-weekend night. Pros: Friendly, Romantic, Wine List (Huge) Cons: Cramped tables, Need reservation, Very Small more

The food at Brindisi is good, particularly the fried calamari appetizer, the baked seafood canneloni, and the meat tortellini. The atmosphere, with exposed brick, is also quite nice. However, the service is terrible. We asked a waiter what the delicious-looking dish was one table over and he gave us the hand. Literally. Palm out, towards our faces. It was so ridiculous that we thought no one could be that rude and that we'd misunderstood. We gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided that his hand meant ""wait"" but he never circled back with us. It was him really giving us the hand! It took about 30 minutes before someone else took our order after that. Even though the food and atmosphere were good, I don't recommend this place. They act like they're doing you a favor by serving you and taking your money. Pros: brick atmosphere, food Cons: service, prices more

Great place for cocktails,very good wines and really flavorful food to share. Tapas style dining allows you try more items on the menu. The seafood is really fresh, the oysters are melt in your mouth good, the pizzas are fun too. The seabass is always excellent, Try the taglioni pasta it's got a spicy kick, and the mixed grilled seafood with cous cous. Antonio is always a wonderful host They have heat lamps for their outdoor seating. Pros: fresh seafood, hip atmosphere, wine list Cons: tables are tight, noisy more

Ordered the ""pasta of the day"" for lunch, which was gnocchetti with tuna, tomatoes, and green beans, but was served the squid ink pasta. They insisted twice that they had 2 pasta specials, but the printed menu only listed the one and the blackboard also only listed one. Since it took quite a while to get the food (they were at most only 1/2 full), I decided to just keep the squid ink pasta (my second choice, anyways); however, 10 minutes later, they whisk away my partially eaten pasta and present me with the gnochetti telling me that they wanted me to be ""happy"". No wonder they were the only restaurant on Belden that had a lot of empty tables! Cons: highly disorganized more

Hostess took her sweet time bringing menus, though we made a point to come after lunch rush. Then she told us we had the wrong menus, and we waited longer to get new, abridged menus. When we ordered, we found out what we wanted was sold out! Meanwhile, they only brought water. Bread was not brought out until AFTER we ordered. Olive oil for dipping did not arrive until much later. Cheese plates were brought instead of salads. What's unacceptable is the lack of training and disorganization which results in the awful service. I'd forgive all this if the host or hostess would take responsibility for this, but the hostess ran around like a hyperkinetic chicken and the host was more interested in flirting with some Italian model-looking chick who was on her lunch break from a different restaurant. This place should just shut down. Pros: Location Cons: Service, Food, Value more

On a warm night it was the only restaurant on Belden Lane that I had a table available outside. Now I know why - I should have read the other reviews before! The plates are expensive for what they are (small). The gnocchi with prawns were particularly disappointing, lacking flavor and prawns! more