Delfina Restaurant

4.0
120 reviews
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id: 1616
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3621 18TH ST
San Francisco, CA 94110

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(415) 552-4055
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Reviews
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Best

Delfina Wine List Review Delfina has been a staple on the San Francisco restaurant scene for over a decade....

Worst

If you live in San Francisco, this is probably a place to see and be seen for the ""Beautiful People"", but it certainly isn't a good choice for top line, authentic Italian cuisin...

Their pasta is very unique...wish they had more meat. ha... 7/20/2007

Nan Provided by Partner
Their pasta is very unique...wish they had more meat. haha more
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One of the cal-italian institutions in the city. The ins... 6/9/2007

One of the cal-italian institutions in the city. The inside of the restaurant is nice, but tables are all... more
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One of the cal-italian institutions in the city. The ins... 6/9/2007

Gemmy Provided by Partner
One of the cal-italian institutions in the city. The inside of the restaurant is nice, but tables are all stuck close together. The dishes are no... more
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Excellent regional Italian - great pastas! 3/16/2007

This place is excellent. Great regional Italian cuisine, with very reasonable wines! Unfortunately, they don't take any parties more than 6 people. There is a red wine with a ""rooster"" on the label. Very good and not over $25/btl, I think. The pastas are all cooked perfectly, since I think that they cook it all from scratch per order, so the pastas take a little longer, but worth the wait. The salt cod is amazing, if they have it when you go... Pros: pasta, wine, salt cod and everything else there... Cons: sometimes hard to get a table more
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Best Italian in the Mission. 3/8/2007

Delfina is a solid Cal-Italian restaurant that shines with their use of veggies. They recently improved their wine list and wine glassses--although their markups are high and I wish they had better and more by the glass options. I love all of their salads and sides. Pastas are often fantastic, but once in a while you get a dud, like parpadelle with duck sugo that had to much rosemary. Meats can be good or miss, but generrally the meat out of the wood oven is great. Desserts are fantastic. Service friendly. It is my second fave Italian after A16. The restaurant is a bit loud, but the only thing that keeps going more often is how hard it is to get a table. Pros: Great veggies Cons: crowded a bit overpriced more
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TERRIBLE, OBNOXIOUS SERVICE; good food; but not worth the punishment one goes through... 1/13/2007

After all the hype about this place, I was excited to have dinner here last weekend. Until my girlfriend and I walked through the door and were not even greeted by a rude and obnoxious hostess who pointed her finger at us and said, ""wait a sec"", walking off into a sea full of robot servers with no personality or conscience whatsoever. \r \r In short, the food was good; a 7 out of 10, and the service was embarassingly neglectful and poor. Not worth your time, especially when you and all the other patrons in the restaurant are elbow to elbow. Oh, and I think I may have been the only straight guy in the joint; and paid for that as a result from the not so girly girl server. Cons: Rude hostess, unaware servers, a punishing affair to dine through... more
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Bad experience turned good 1/10/2007

I had emailed Delfina my complaint and they kindly responded with a free dinner, very professional. Pros: Friendly hostess Cons: A little high in price for pasta more
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Best Pasta Pomodoro in Town! 12/5/2006

My husband and I eat here all the time! Yes you need reservations far in advance but that's because they're soooo\r good. Our secret is to walk in around 9:30 or 9:45 without reservations and they can usually squeeze us in by then. If you're visiting SF this is the place to go to get away from the usual touristy restaurants and get a real feel for San Francisco! If you live in town...you need to make this place your usual spot for late night dining! Their spaghetti with the plum tomato sauce is made perfectly every night of the week! The pasta is al dente (never mushy!) and the sauce is divine! Oh, did I mention that the service is excellent! They are so efficient and friendly...I just love this place! Pros: delicious, fresh, consistently great! Cons: none that I can think of! more
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Great food.... 11/24/2006

This is a great place for a date or getting together with friends. The menu is always exciting and the wines are great. If you have questions about the menu the staff always has an answer. Try visiting on a warm day and sit on the back patio. It's worth circling the block a few times for parking.... Pros: Food, Wines, Ambience Cons: No Parking... more
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Simple, beautiful food 11/20/2006

An expensive little place but worth every penny. Dishes are very simple but feature ingredients and preparations that I never think to shop for. Full, vibrant flavors and they're not afraid to spice things up. I still think about the fried baby artichoke from at least a year ago. Fabulous calamari. Great people-watching. more
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Great Mission neighborhood Italian restaurant 11/2/2006

This little slice of Italian food heaven is located in the MIssion district of SF. The atmosphere inside... more
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Great Mission neighborhood Italian restaurant 11/2/2006

Peter Provided by Partner
This little slice of Italian food heaven is located in the MIssion district of SF. The atmosphere inside the place is pretty energetic and while it... more
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If you like Seafood... 10/28/2006

This is the place to go. The menu looks delicious but I don't care for seafood. Seafood takes over the menu. THere is not to many options for people who don't like to eat seafood. more
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When Can I Go Back? 10/17/2006

I relocated from New York City five months ago and have eaten out twice a week since then. This is the first restaurant where I've felt like I'm back in the East Village--hip, delicious, well decorated, charming, just a fun atmosphere that made me want to hang out there all night. We sat at the small bar, which was great because we got to chat with our server/bartendress, who was fun/funky/entertaining. My favorite place so far! Pros: Ambiance, lots of energy, fun vibe Cons: Crowded, loud more
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delicious! 10/12/2006

I went for my friends birthday recently and the food was amazing. I had the best gnocchi I've ever had in my entire life. more
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I do love Delfina 7/3/2006

Thou their portions become smaller and smaller, unless i'm getting hungrier and hungrier. My favorite dish is those very simple spaghetti with tomato sauce. I make those at home, my mom makes it too, but at Delfina, they are special. The last time, i had to order a second plate for myself, and i got an appetizer too. I never ordered anything else than my spaghetti but i always tasted my guests's orders and it's good, very good. The portions are small, that makes me feel guilty to have a try on my friends' plates. Pros: Consistently good food Cons: small portions, need reservations ahead of time more
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Soothing apetite 6/23/2006

A lovely restaurant. When you crave for fresh, spicy, italian food, Delfina is the perfect place to go to. I urge you to make reservations or you'll be waiting outside the door for an hour! My favorite dish is the spaghetti. Who else could make spaghetti that amazing? Pros: best italien Cons: 60-minute wait before coming in more
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Great Food 5/20/2006

I really enjoy the food at delfina. It seems like everyone I know that lives in SF has been here at least once. It is very very hard to get reservations here as they seem to cater to regular locals who tend to ""walk-in"". The wine list is amazing. I reccomend the calamari and the panna cotta. They are the best that I have ever had. This place is a hit. Pros: Food, wine Cons: parking , reservation system more
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Fantastic 5/12/2006

The food is perfect Italian with a focus on simple flavors done well. Every bite was amazing, and the cauliflower soup is to die for. Every member of the service staff was friendly and delightful. As everyone has said, the space is an issue with tables having to be moved aside for you to squeeze into the booth. If you're dining for two, I would recommend sitting at the counter behind the booth. It provides for a more intimate interaction since you're sitting right next to each other and will allow you to hear each other better. And as long as you make a reservation, you should be seated right away. Pros: Food, Service Cons: Close tables more
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not recommended 5/4/2006

We were able to squeeze into seating for two at the tight fitting bar at Delfina on a Sunday night after finding out the Blue Plate in the Mission was closed. I'd been looking forward to it, as Delfina has such a reputation. Aside from the somewhat pretentious types that frequent this joint, I wasn't overwhelmed by the food. By far the best dish was the little greens salad. Perfect mix of blue cheese, dressing, and fresh leaves. But the steak portions were very small. Though the prices are reasonable, it's not so much when you consider the portion size. This place is okay, but not worth the effort to get in every time. Pros: OK peoplewatching Cons: TOO CROWDED!, noisy, small portions more
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Menu for Delfina Restaurant


Editorial

  • The Scene
    Yellow walls, skillfully placed mirrors, squeezed-together tables and an outdoor patio add up to a warm and buzz-happy experience. The crowd is typical for the...

  • 8/31/2006 Provided by Citysearch
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