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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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...

Still worth it 3/16/2005

Delfina is still at the top of its game. And contrary to what you might hear, it's not impossible to get a table. We reserved last Thursday afternoon for an early dinner the same day, no waiting for our table (if you want the 8:30 slot, that's tougher). The food was still great, each starter and main dish was consistently good. However, I must say we were shocked at how skimpy the portions have become. A ""large"" spaghetti dish leaves you wishing you had ordered two plates instead of one (and we are not big eaters). When you consider that the prices are are lot steeper than they used to be, this makes for a pretty lousy ""value equation"". But the service remains friendly and very efficient, even if the overall ambience is a bit chilly. Bottom line: pricey and ever so slightly haughty, but still worth it. Pros: Food, food, food, Good wine list, Attractive interior Cons: Small portions, Prices, Could be friendlier more
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Food Delicious but not worth the hassle. 2/24/2005

I LOVE the food at this place. Everything we had was outstanding. But, we waited 30 minutes for our table (and you have to make reservations months in advance practically) without so much as an apology or an acknowledgement from the staff. We had to ask for bread twice. The lack of waiting area make it so uncomfortable to simply stand that we had to wait outside in the cold. This isn't Delfina's fault, but we were all so grumpy by the time we sat down that it was very hard to enjoy our meal. This was on a Tuesday. Pros: Every menu item Cons: Long Wait (w/resie), Way too crowded more
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Overrated 2/16/2005

Delfina can be summed up easily as ""Good, not great."" Calamari appetizer was quite good, but with only four smallish pieces of squid it left us a touch unsatisfied. Fritto Misto app was nice but a touch greasy. Broccoli contorni was overcooked. Crab lingunie was solid but not nothing special. Duck entre was too salty but cooked to a perfect medium-rare. Prices were surprisingly reasonable, which softened the blow a bit. Overall, this was a good meal, but not a great one. Definitely not worth the hype. more
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A Cut Above The Rest 2/15/2005

Great FOOD, SERVICE, ambiance and dining experience. What more can you ask for? My wife and I have been coming here for the last six (6) years and can always count on consistently great food served up by a staff that makes your dining experience enjoyable! Pros: FOOD, STAFF, CONSISTENCY Cons: NONE, NONE, NONE more
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So good 2/3/2005

Finally got a reservation, and well worth the wait. Friday night at 6:00 and the room was jammed. Casual but tony clientele. Sat next to a talky regular but much better than the cell phone dependent downtown crowd. Get the calamari --a great starter. The roast chicken is superb. We're not dessert people but went ahead and ordered the profiteroles (sp?). HEAVEN! Crisp pastry, smooth ice cream, smothered in chocolate with sliced toasted almonds. Prices not an outrage. We'll be back. Pros: Food, Service, Value Cons: Crowded more
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The Most Superb Food Around 1/26/2005

Delfina has by far the most delicious food around. The Pork Sugo and Ragu are sooo flavorful. The grilled fresh calamari is cooked just right and is quite tasty. The squash blossoms are delicate and crispy. The plum crustata was amazing - just right balance of sweetness and tartness with an incredible crust. I can't say enough about how wonderful the food is. I just wish you didn't need to make reservations well in advance in order to dine there. Pros: Incredible food, Knowledgeable staff more
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Sadly Disappointing 1/8/2005

The food and the service were just awful. We're regulars at Delfina and have, unfortunately, seen both the food and service deteriorate over the last couple of years. What used to be a fabulous restaurant (deserved of all the reviews) has now lost itself. We ordered take-out and the meal was a mess. The salad was beyond overdressed (with slops of liquid pouring out of the bottom of the container) leaving the salad limp and soggy. And the steak (although itself good) was thrown into the same container as the french fries leaving the fries an uneatable, mushy mess. We called the restaurant just to give them a friendly heads up so they could know what was going on in their kitchen and the manager, Annie, could care less about how our meal turned out. Her response? A disingenuous ""sorry"" for the salad and its your fault for not requesting the french fries be separated from all the au jus of the steak (which the restaurant should know about more than the customer). It really is just so sad. With all the crowds and staff turn over, something's happened to leave the restaurant a high-volume, revolving door with sub-par food and service. more
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Painfully Overrated 12/29/2004

I'm not sure what the big deal with Delfina is. I had to make reservations three weeks in advance for a very late dinner on a Wednesday night. Nothing on the menu that night was even remotely interesting. Roasted chicken, roasted beef of some kind, bacon wrapped scallops. The waittresses were impatient, and generally incorrect. The dishes we ordered were bland, boring, and too small. I'm not a heavy eater, but I left, after three courses, still hungry, and noticibly lighter in the wallet. Skip it. Go anywhere else. Pros: On a pretty block, Easy to spell name Cons: , Very expensive, Tiny Portions more
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Tantalizing and Mouthwatering 8/18/2004

This is my second time at Delfina. The food was absolutely ingenious and fantastic. Our reservation was 20 minutes delay. But, our witstaff was really affable. She apologized and bought us 2 free drinks while we were waiting. I had the halibut salad and herb chicken for main course. It was delicioso and toothsome. The best racy food you could ever die for. On the other hand, the wine list was moderate but potable. The atmosphere definately gave us a joy of bonhomie. I strongly recommand this restaurant. Pros: food, affable (witstaffs) Cons: , wine more
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Still Awesome 8/17/2004

Delfina has been around for a while but it is still one fo the best restaurants in the city. I dream about their gnocchi! Service is really good too and prices are reasonable (except for the wines which are marked up a bit high). Pros: fresh pastas, service more
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FABULOUS! 7/16/2004

I am so picky (just check out my other citysearch reviews) but I simply love this restaurant! The food is cheap and to die for- the waitstaff are so hip and friendly- and the overall value is incredible. This is SF dining at its best! Every time I anticipate having a guest in town, I immediately make reservations. It can be very noisy though... Pros: desert, food, waitstaff Cons: , new parking more
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Recommended 7/12/2004

Each of the half dozen times I have dined at Delfina have produced a highly satisfying experience. Every dish isn't great but many are. Delfina is one of the best bargins in the city when you consider the quality of the food. My most recent visit this past week I ordered the calamari over white beans, the mozzarella with zucchini, a salad with hazelnuts and avocado and a selection of cheeses for desert. Only the salad didn't reach the heights of the other courses. Yes, the service isn't flawless but you aren't paying top dollar either. One of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. more
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foodielover 7/1/2004

We went to Delfina's for Father's Day. Altho there were several other families there, most of the patrons appear to be the usual yuppy crowd. Our waitress was inattentive & we had to ask another wait staff who was passing by to bring us bread which was served the other tables. Food is overpriced for the portions. The chicken tortellini was good, but appetitizer servings. With all the multitude of restaurants available for dining in SF, we would probably not return to Delfina's for the above reasons. My husband preferred the food & service at Ristorante Bacco over Delfina's. more
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Like an old friend 4/9/2004

It had been a few months since I went to Delfina. We hit at the right time right at the beginning of spring when the chef made the best produce with things like artichoke fritters (I am mad about those thorny flowers.) and fresh pasta with nettles. I only wish more restaurants could be as consistent and conforting. Pros: quality ingredients, service, price Cons: , loud more
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Don't Believe the HYPE!! 3/28/2004

hmmm... overcooked chicken with soggy skin, chewy, undercooked steak with greasy sauce ""bordelaise"" and soggy fries infused with burnt rosemary, veggies taste like dirty pasta water spaghetti was tasty, but noodles were overcooked. service-unattentive, spent more time hanging out with her friends. more
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Delfina 12/29/2003

DELFINA WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME AND MY HUSBAND BY A WINE MAKER IN ST. HELENA. WOW! WHAT A FIND. ECLECTIC MENU, AWESOME DECOR AND ATMOSPHERE AND VERY BEAUTIFUL AND KNOWLEDGEABLE SERVERS. GREAT WINE LIST. A DEFINITE REPEAT VISIT. Pros: excellent menu, awesome servers, wonderful atmosphere Cons: hard to get a table, parking difficul more
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Great food, great service! 11/4/2003

I don't normally write reviews - but to hear all the complaining about Delfina, my favorite recent SF dining experience, I just couldn't stay quiet! The food is absolutely fantastic - from the range of intriguing salads (especially the beet salad!) to the chicken, the steak - we had to share, too much was too good... and the server we had was great, too - she had good suggestions, worked with us in our desires to share some items, and was very pleasant. It was loud, and a little cold - but it was great! Well worth the reputation. Pros: food, service, FOOD! Cons: bad parking, loud, a little cramped more
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Delfina = Fab! 10/24/2003

Delfina is truly a great restaurant- the food is consistently good. Can be very busy and loud, but well worth it. I try to eat here once a week and am never disappointed. Decent wine list with some nice surprises. more
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down right RUDE! 10/20/2003

After years of dining all over the world, Delfina distinguishes itself for the rudest dining experience I have ever had. Eating with 5 of my friends we actually wanted to talk and enjoy our meal at our own pace. We were told several times early in the night by the waitress that our table was reserved for another party. Basically eat up and get out! The food no matter how good is worth such attitude. They suck! more
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Fabulous 9/11/2003

I arranged for a very special dinner at Delfina a few weeks back and both of us were extremely happy with not only the food, but the service and ambience. Great place - I would definitely recommend. You do need resie's, though - it is always packed, even on a Tuesday when we visited... Pros: Ambience, Menu, Staff Cons: Parking, Area, Loud 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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