Pesce
2227 Polk St
(between Bonita St & Green St)
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 928-8025
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Sun 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
170 reviews
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
"It *probably* wasn't the best day to go get a lobster roll. The North Beach Street Fair was in full swing and I had to wait in line for a…" read more »
215 Reviews for Pesce
Totally amazing small plates of cold seafood appetizers. The waiter told us to order 2 to 3 plates per person. . .. we were just fine with splitting 3 between two people plus dessert. The cioppino soup was delicious as was the crab tower.
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So i've never spent $50 per person on a meal of cold appetizers, but Pesce made it feel like it was worth even more.
Great experience all around. Stellar service, nice atmosphere, and amazing food, from the surprising flavors of the capesante scallops to the just-perfect limoncello tiramisu.
I'll be going back.... very soon.
Lover . . lover . . . of small plates . . . of seafood . . of Italian food . . of wine . . . of cute, lil' cozy atmospheres . . . not only does this mean you are likely a lover of life, but also that you will likely be a lover of Pesce.
You can be a trendy lover and refer to it as Italian/ seafood tapas and up the posh factor, but regardless of how you phrase it, this place is great for lots of yummy, somewhat innovative, generally very well done seafood small plates. Good place to go one and one and share a couple things. It is quite cozy (i.e. not super spacious) which goes with the whole feel. Service has been good and wine recs have always been on spot. I recently managed to catch Pesce on one of its crab tower days (a special they don't always have) and was delish. . . as most has been (*resisting urge to rattle of menu items). Good wine. Prices are not bad. It is the whole small plate thiiing, so you kind of determine your own direction for the meal (lighter and cheaper or a pricier production).
Although always a quite happy lover, I have not been absolutely crazily blown out of my mind here, so I guess 4 rather than 5 starts . . . but a close call!
Interesting lil' side note: Pesce is Antica's sister. (Antica being the Itallian place which has also been reviewed by yours truly about a block and half away on Polk and Union) This makes sense with the whole yummy, homey, generally really well prepared food factor . .. if you are a lover of one, you will likely be a lover of the other. I am lucky enough to live steps away from these lovely sisters. Life is good.
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Excellent place! There is not one dish that is not great! The ambience is awesome! Try any of the scallop dishes! Cheap corkage! Eric, the guy behind the bar, is one of the coolest people to ever be behind a bar.
Pesce was a wonderful dining experience. I brought a friend from out of town. The combination of the quaint neighborhood restaurant feel and magificant food left a lasting positive impression of SF on my friend. In addition to the plate size being perfect, the flavor and diversity of the menu is impressive. I will look for more reasons to return to Pesce when I am in the city.
So I went here awhile back with a date. The food was good but definately pricy for the amount that you got. They do small plates, which I love, but the portion could be a liiittle bigger.
There is nothing more I hate the being rushed during a meal.The server while nice I felt rushed us out to turn our table. Our courses came out SO fast! We were not even done with the apps when our entrees come out.
I am really on a fence about this place. I think if I wanted to spend $200 it would be great. Honest I have had better small plates. But the food was well cooked and seasoned.
I may go again. Maybe..
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My partner and I were walking around the Russian Hill area looking for a late and quick bite to eat. This placed looked perfect. It was dimly lit, small, well decorated, and lively. We sat inside. The seating is pretty packed but the low lighting makes your table seem very intimate.
The waitress was nice but a bit slow to come over. It took a long time to get water and bread (which was delicious) and a really long time to get the food (even the salad).
The drinks were pretty good and they had a decent wine selection. You order small Tapas style plates to share. I must admit that their version of Cesar Salad is the most delicious I have ever had. That and the yummy bread would bring me back...maybe. Okay I guess the real reason I would go back is to try the yummy looking dessert that the people at the table in front of us got.
Overall, this is a great little spot. Decent food slow but good and decent prices.
Side Note: I just wouldn't recommend sitting outdoors, unless you like to eat in very close proximity to passerbyers.
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5 stars alone for their lemon sorbet alcohol slushy drink. It made me all warm and fuzzy inside.
Food was great
service was superb.
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I had been wanting to try Pese for awhile, and finally found the right date to go with...you know, one who let's me order whatever I want to try, and is willing to try it.....which really, is a huge plus...I hate picky eaters
The Scene
Enter through the hidden door, past the curtain and into the belly of a sailing ship...ok, not really...but, the dining room is mahogany, the bar is zinc and you can almost smell the fresh sea air of Venice. The crowd here is mixed, the young swankies and the older sophisticated stare over large glasses of wine at each other. Pesce is wonderful for long evenings, bottles of wine, and delectable little bites.
The Food
Polpo-braised octopus, potato, celery & garlic vinaigrette- perfectly prepared, not chewy and light and refreshing
Agnello-merlot braised lamb shank & oregano zucchini-fell off the bone, so tender....perfectly flavored
Salmone-atlantic salmon, pesto & fregula sarda-really, when do I not love salmon....this one was very good though
Linguine-dungeness crab, garlic, white wine & chili flakes-give me dungeness crab over lobster any day.....i know, crazy....but really, dungeness crab.....YUM....linguine was perfectly cooked, seasoned with just enough spice to give it a kick, but not overpower the crab
Pecorino Toscano & Gorgonzola-apples,honey,and cheese....oh my!
Meet was tasty and all, had a great calamari risotto dish. Scallop dish was a little skimpy on the amount of scallops, tasted great but the preparation because of the size, ended leaving the scallops a little tougher than desired. Had a not-on-the-menu dessert, affogato, which was complete awesomeness (yep, i said awesomeness)
I love this restaurant.
Hits my price point perfectly, the carafe of house white wine is $10 for 2+ glasses worth of a very light, honey flavored wine that I really enjoyed. Entrees hover around $10, and they're exactly what an entree size should be, which means you have room for dessert ;)
Most recently (last night), I ordered the linguine, which involved large lumps of dungeness crab and chili pepper, and was delicious with an understated spiciness that snuck up on me. My hubby ordered risotto with calamari, and raved about the "taste of ink," and "why on earth would ink evolve to taste good?" I suggested to him that it was a happy accident and ordered him another drink.
Dessert was flipping fantastic. I don't even know what it was, we just saw another lady order it and pointed. It involved 3 layers: a moist soaked chocolate cake on the bottom, a light italian cream in the middle, and then a bunch of fresh strawberries on top. *_*
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WOW!
I came to Pesce with my date on a Friday night with NO reservation. I should have known better... anyway, the super friendly and cute host found a table for us in just a few minutes, despite the place being packed!!!
I ordered the seared scallops and my date had the salmon affumigate bruscetta, yum.
for the second course, we split the gnocci, the black squid ink risotto and the asparagus, yum yum yum. Keep in mind these are tapas style dishes, kinda small, but that lets you order more and more... and the prices are reasonable.
The service was impeccable. Our waitress took real good care of us - again this is on a fri night with a full restaurant - and made us feel special.
I would recommend Pesce to anyone...We'll definitely be back !
Pesce is a sweet spot on Polk street wherein one may find some exquisitely prepared seafood a la Italian. Upon being welcomed by the host and seated near the window, my lovely young server ran over specials of the day. I quite wisely intuited that she had brains as well as beauty and solicited her opinions as to my dining choices.
Upon her advice, I began with pristine dayboat scallops paired with arugula salad, sweet orange, and carmelized fennel. Lovely. A perfect plate of food.
Next, linguine with a generous helping of fresh crab, livened by garlic and a wine sauce. The linguine was al dente, the crab tasted like crab and was fresh, the garlic and wine brought everything together. Wonderful.
Finally, white shrimp, frisee salad, and ricotta cheese. The five shrimp are a bit rubbery but tasty none-the-less. The are given a bit more life and sparkle by a squeeze of lemon. The frisee and ricotta are just the right accompaniments.
I pass on desert, opting to say my goodbyes to the host and my lovely server knowing that I have had a remarkable and remarkably healthy meal. To quote one of our American egomaniacs, "I Shall Return". You should do likewise.
Great neighborhood restaurant. Good cocktails. My favorite dishes are oyster shot, alici bruschette, polpo, cioppino, squid ink risotto, whole roasted crab and branzino (when they have it).
Really laidback atmosphere and great for any night.
Go on a Friday night, sit at the bar, and get top notch service from Eric and Kique...they are awesome and they made the night really fun!
We had a 8pm reservation, but arrived early, and opted to sit at the bar instead. It was a good choice because we were spoiled by Eric and Kique with their recommendations, drink offers, and very friendly service. I had the Risotto Al Calamari- squid ink risotto topped with grilled calamari. At first I hesitated with ordering this, but was reassured by Kique. Although the sight of the black infused risotto was a turn off, to my surprise, it actually added a lot of flavor to the dish. The calamari went well with the risotto, and overall, I was very satisfied. I had a bite of the garlic lobster noodle and it too was very good.
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Michelle and I had a date here on Friday and it was great. We went down to Powell & Market and took the cable car to Hyde & Green alongside a bevy of tourists. It was more fun than cabbing it, and please! do not begin a romantic evening by climbing on the filthy-ass 49 bus.
We arrived in time for our 8:45 reservations but still ended up waiting almost an hour. It was all good though as the host comped us a round of drinks-- a house version of Venetian spritz named "the Gandolfini" or some such.
Service and vibe was nice once we were seated. Food was clean and simple and well-done. We had a great dish of codfish and white beans stewed in tomatoes that reminded me of Italy. Pasta w/ tuna bolognese, smoked salmon bruschetta, asparagus. We got 5 small plated btwn the two of us and it was perfect. Good red wine and a nice dessert, some sort of puffy chocolate sugar treat.
Oh, and if you've ever wondered to yourself, where the hell are all the cabs in this city-- they're in Russian hill. We stepped outside and were immediately whisked off to the bar.
Guys, this place is awesome! I've been eating the Venetian cuisine since I was born, and Pesce is really expressing the best of it!
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I just don't get it...all the hype surrounding Pesce...
Memorial Day Monday...Polk Street is empty...stores are closed...restaurants empty...felt like a ghost town...
AHHHH Pesce is open and packed!! good sign...plus this is my girlfriends fav spot for taking a date....
Enter...perfect decor...romantic ambiance...flavors galore!
Host was friendly, greeting us w/ a smile and really bad breath...ouch! "flavors galore!!"
Perfect seat and menu options..plus the specials sounded yummy....
then we waited....and waited...no waitress....no cocktail order...nothing....10min passed....all I saw was 2 waitresses running around busy but always empty handed...well it's a holiday weekend, maybe this is just the fill in crew, no worries...we came for the food not the service....
so after risking my right arm flagging down for the waitstaff, she was so embarrassed b/c she didn't see us...no worries....but worse, she blamed it on the host for not informing her...WTF...2 humans sitting at a table in a small restaurant....we are in invisible...don't pass the blame...i really now can't stand this place...but I came for the food....
bread and diet coke arrive....stale bread...no joke! don't "kneed" the carbs anyways ;)
diet coke was funked! no joke...no bubbles....and the lime was crusty...so far no bueno!
so the main entrees came out before our oyster shots...the waitress once again apologized as she realized the kitchen mistake...at this point we are focusing only on the food...so the Marin oysters yummy...esp since they were "on the house"...the Ink Squid Risotto w/ Calamari--had potential....just one big oily mess in my mouth...the Salmon Penne w/ mint/etc sauce yummy...perfectly salted...however this was my 3rd choice/option on the menu---they were out of the lobster and out of the crab tower....so 8pm dinner and menu is tapped...hummm
No thanks Pesce...many other options w/ in walking distance that have far better results on my palate...
The Basil Gimlets are delicious. Super refreshing.
We had a fantastic server who didn't laugh at me when I told her I don't really eat fish. My friend wanted to go to Pesce, so we did. The Wild Mushroom Risotto was delicious, as was the mozzerella. My friend loved the shrimp.
Not sure I would go back (see: I don't like fish), but would highly recommend it to seafood loving folks. Actually, I would go back for the risotto. And, prices were totally reasonable.
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4.5 Pesce is a great little spot- amazing food, casual atmosphere and never leaves me feeling overly full although I always get a chance to try many different things on the menu. I read some of the other reviews complaining about the small portions...um, attention: it's a small plates menu...thats why the prices are $10-$12...hello?!? Order 2 for each person and you'll be good to go.
I never really know what to order when I come to Pesce, so we always just randomly pick stuff, and it never disappoints. Often I've expected some of their dishes to be so-so or lackluster from the description on the menu, but I have been proven wrong almost every time. I usually have dishes that I wouldn't normally pick, and they always pleasantly surprise me with their uniqueness and creative deliciousness. Their lamb shank is extremely tender and delicious, the crab linguine is a favorite of mine-very fresh and simple but absolutely delicious..with large pieces of lump crab meat. We also tried the nightly special "crab tower" last night-amazing! They should make this a staple on the menu...it was so delicious. It was basically a crab tar tar type dish, with avocado and green onions...it was perfect. Also, their baccala and their squid ink risotto dish are both extremely tasty as well. Now that I'm reminiscing about all this great food, I am reminding myself that I really need to make it to Pesce more often! I think its one of the best seafood spots in the city, for sure.
The only flaw in our most recent experience at Pesce last night was the slow service- especially from the bar- all night long. It took forever for them to get our drinks out-so slow that the food came out before the drinks. My boyfriend made a joke about our drinks being "slojitos"...heh... In addition, I felt like our server could have been slightly more attentive and consistent. An improvement on the bar lag and consistency in our server's performance would make Pesce a perfect dining experience.
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Most definitely will be coming back. Nicest people and most delicious menu w/ perfect portions, and not over-priced by any means.
Checked out yelp, it looked good so I convinced my party this is where to go.
We had an 8:30 reservation and arrived at 8:00 to sit at the bar.
The bar tender slowly took our individual drinks for the 4 of us in-between making drinks for the waitresses and other bar patrons. I, being the driver, ordered water. He then served everyone but me. I continued to wait and as my patience grew thin I began to count how many drinks he would make before he served my water.
14 other drinks and a close call with glass in my eye before I finally said something. He was shaking a martini for someone else and the glass popped off and landed in front of me. He was super rude about that little situation so I said, "Don't worry I wasn't thirsty either" he then refused to serve me. Apparently he couldn't be bothered with water.
I walked out and we ate down the road.
So Pesce you will never get my business because quite frankly anyone running a service establishment with that sort of help just doesn't deserve my hard earned cash!
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You can remember Pesce as an Italian Seafood tapas place.
Much like other small plate restaurants, if you are not careful, you end up spending lots of money without becoming full. Our bill turned out to be around $50/person with drinks - which was fair.
So, how was their food? I know generalizing or stereotyping is always dangerous, but I am contemplating on tagging Russian Hill as "a hill with slightly above average food that is usually not worth the climb." Sure, if you LIVE on the hill, having these restaurants would be a treat, but for outsiders like me, there are other neighborhoods with easier parking, offering better food at lower prices. I am usually satisfied with the food quality on Russian Hill, but I usually leave feeling it was over-hyped and certainly wasn't worth the fight for parking.
So I didn't write much about the actual food at Pesce. Why? Well, I forgot - which is saying something. I took all those pictures, which I uploaded to Yelp as my memory aid, but I cannot remember if it was any good. I remember the dinner conversations (a lot on NY Governor), but all I could remember is that I felt that the food was good, but not worth going back for more.
PARKING: As with any other restaurant on Polk Street in Russian Hill, parking is tough. Unless I'm going out with friends, I normally avoid all restaurants in this area for this reason.
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My GF had a friend in from NYC,her first time in SF and my goal was to find a place that was chill, but crackin, nice but not too nice, fun but not out of control, stay out til 6 in the mornin' fun. SO, of course, I came to the most trusted website for food, Yelp! I must have sat at my desk yelping for two hours, trying to find a spot to have reasonably priced great food and with the help of my fellow yelpers, I found a sweet spot!!! I am all about this place. You could probably stroll right by Pesce on your way to the S word, that annoying coffee joint that charges you up the ass for SHITTY, disgusting coffee. You know the place I'm bitching bout SFer's. So, if you passed it by accident and end up standing in front of Starbucks, double back approximately 43 paces and snap chalk to the left. Italiano Tapas is the best way to describe the bar menu. They have a few additions to the menu as well, but as the name explains, Seafood baby!! I'm all about some Seafood and so is my GF Sandra. Here is how we got down:
Oysters on the half shell... Very fresh and delish!!
Smoked Salmon Bruschetta... Very tasty I love Smoked Salmon and this was a great tasting variety
Seared Scallops... Well seasoned, very fresh (NOT frozen like last weeks ep of Top Chef Chicago)
Crab Tower... this was a very interesting dish with great presentation. chilled dungeness crab served with basil oil and my favorite fruit/veg avocado. they put it in a ring mold and it might just be 4 inches tall. very good folks!
Tuna Pittances...blah. I love Tuna, but this dish didn't hit a home run, although the drunk, obnoxious, annoying 60 somethin' lady next to us said "Isn't that the best tune you ever had?" So someone likes it, but that someone isn't me
white shrimp... ab fab. although not sure why it's called white shrimp b/c it looked pink, like shrimps usually do, but well seasoned and very fresh
Limoncello Tiramisu... not too sweet a good tart flavor from the Limoncello marscapone cream and def. not for one person, so, make friends and share it
Strawberry Mojito... YUM!!! Very fresh, sweet strawberries, which if you are not from CA, you DON'T/WON'T know about. I think strawberries are my 2nd favorite fruit, next to the above mentioned Avocado. This drink was not too sweet, not too much alcohol and thank goodness they squeezed the limes fresh. I HATE when bartenders get lazy eeerrrrr "busy" and squeeze citrus four hours before the bar opens b/c when it sits around it gets narsty
The bartender/bar back were super cool and were nice enough to fix us an ab fab aperitif in between meals, which consisted of Prosecco (love it) lime sorbet and something else. It was nice of them to hook us up with that b/c it was quite refreshing.
So, considering this is MY longest yelp review I'd like to say that I am officially a fan of Pesce. This place rocks and I/we will be back for sure! That was truly a great find and I have yelpers to thank, so thanks yelpers!!!!!!!!!!
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I'm undecided on how I feel about this place.
We walked in around 7:30 and the host was nowhere to be found. After a few minutes, a guy who has been chatting with a woman at the bar comes over to greet us. Oh, you're the host? Uh, nice to see you, glad you could take time from your conversation to come over. He tells us the wait for two will be 40 minutes.
Now look. It should be known that a host can never pull one over on another host. And you should make sure your computer faces AWAY from customers, because I know OpenTable like the Pope knows the Bible, and one glance over his shoulder told me that he had no reservations, no one on the wait list, and empty, non-blocked off tables in the back.
However, I hate other people telling me how to do my job, so I didn't say anything. Instead, we headed to the bar to wait. He must have changed his mind, because after about 15 minutes, he came over to tell us that there was a table available (one that had been sitting empty since we got there).
But anyway. I got over that pretty quickly once we got our salads, one with seared scallops and orange sections, and one with shrimp, frisee, and some kind of really good cheese. They were both delicious. Then we shared the squid ink risotto and the milk-braised pork with gnocchi. The risotto was interesting, to say the least....I couldn't really get into the flavor, but I think it was just a personal thing, my friend loved it. The gnocchi and pork was excellent. The portions were REALLY small though. Dessert was a cool layered thing with strawberries and grand marnier cream over a brownie...delicious. Our server was really sweet and very attentive. Wine list--definitely limited. The bill was 100+ after tip for two....ouch. It was good but not THAT good. I'd like to say four stars but I just can't commit.
Small plates
Small prices
Small place
Small taste
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Safe option. Food is NOT the greatest, but for most part their small plates are decent and the service is friendly. There are many things (seafood and meat) on the menu so the most picky person can find something appealing.
Our friend did his homework and ordered the crab tower, which was the best dish in my opinion. There are certainly lesser dishes (like scallops and Cioppino), but even then they were not that disappointing.
It's just one of those places that was nice but don't need to go back for another 1~2 years easily.
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Had a delicious meal. brownie points for the anchovies on bruschetta, if you like anchovies then you'll like them here. If not, then you probably won't like them anywhere anyways.. I didn't like the lamb shank too much but the calamari and the ambiance more than made up for it. Besides I should have known, ordering lamb at Pesce, a seafood joint?
A couple of friendly street people recommended Pesce to us. We were seated right away and started the evening with an Oyster Shooter, bread, and the breaded mozzarella (bear with me, I don't remember many names) which was delightful. I had the Hemmingway cocktail (Rum, Maraschino liqueur, grapefruit, lime) and my partner had a more sophisticated barley whiskey cocktail (I think...).
The drink menu was thorough and for the most part reasonably priced ($8-10 for specialty cocktails). We reasoned since the corkage fee was $20 that our money would be better spent on cocktails. For the more substantial part of our meal, we had the crab over the saffron risotto cake which was perfect, the seared tuna in spicy tomato sauce (my favorite), and an order of asparagus. This all came out to $70 with tax and tip.
Overall, I'd label it a great date place for sampling a couple of interesting plates and bevs. The service was great and we left very satisfied.
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Consistent. Delightful. Fresh tangelo martinis. 30 seconds from home.
Ummm. Yum.
Every dish that we ordered at this seafood-centric tapas bar was surprisingly delicious.
We enjoyed a marinated octopus with celery that was light, and vinegary. Then we moved onto my favorite, a seared tuna in a red sauce that was heavy on olive flavors. The red sauce was a nice flavor contrast to the vinegar of the octopus.
Other highlights: carmelized potatoes au gratin, and roast asparagus (which I wish were a little bigger).
Dessert was necessary and welcome after such a flavor spectacular. Chocolate cake with vanilla gelato, and bread pudding with more gelatto. We watched the table ahead of us order the exact same dessert combo. Both desserts dishes were left empty.
Also, I ordered three raw oysters just for myself, and indulged in an oyster shooter (which sadly was not the best oyster shooter I've ever had. I would say that Elite Cafe and Tien Sushi did it better for me. Elite Cafe uses a jalapeno infused Tequila, and Tien Sushi served bigger oysters in the glass. The oyster shooter here had a small oyster, chopped pieces of cucumber that were a bit hard to chew, and I had to pull a few tiny pieces of shell out of my mouth. This is making it sound like I didn't love the food here. Really the oyster shooter was an accessory to a wonderful meal, so I wouldn't not come to this place on the comments of mine).
Again, yum.
Definitely going back.
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Cute little place on polk. The seafood tapas were delicious:
Round 1: Risotto cake with dungeness crab and Salmon Bruschette
Round 2: Cioppino (mixed seafood stew) and grilled prawns
Round 3: Risotto ai calamari, Tuna and Salmon pasta
The waitress recommended getting 2 plates a person but 7 for the 4 of us was the perfect the amount. I highly recommend the risotto al ai calamari and the Salmon Bruschette.
The wine and beer list was not extensive but there were some good options, like Moretti (Italian beer) and some good reds.
Overall it was a pleasant dining experience. The bartender and our waitress were both super friendly and the atmosphere was very relaxed and chill.
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Went into Pesce having no idea what it would be like. Great atmosphere and lovely service. The food was tasty. Keep in mind, everything is small plates but somehow we ended up full. Was expecting the crab tower to have claws and be a tower but it was still good. The scallops were delicious. I'd definitely come here with a date. Left me comfortably full and a little lighter in the cash department.
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Sorry Yelpers, but I lost a little faith in you after trying Pesce last night. The food was okay, but not worth the price and all dishes could be easily prepared at home. Prices are misleading, as the portions are tiny. The only really description that comes to mind is "faux gourmet". Staff was friendly and seemed to sense our disappointment.
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It's great to talk to people about food. I do it constantly. If there's nothing else to talk about, food's always a great backup conversation piece. And you also get to hear about people's favorites. This is how I got to heard about this nice little place on the corner of Polk and Bonita.
The food at Pesce is not outstanding, but good. The service my friend and I received on our visit was pretty close to outstanding. We were an hour early for our reservation, but declined once to sit at the bar. After "Kique," one of the bartenders, insisted we sit at the bar because it would be a fun time, we caved in and took a seat. Kique and Eric took mighty good care of us serving our cocktails. She had a Strawberry Mojito and I had a London Peach which was quite good. After cocktails, Eric and Kique us various tastes to decide on our wine. She had the Prosecco while I had the Muller Thurgau (White). To our surprise Kique topped off both our glasses when we were almost done. Added to that he and Eric gave us samples of two types of champagne sorbet cocktails. Our favorite was the one that consisted of Prosecco, lime sorbet, and mint. Needless to say we both were feeling good from their service.
Oh, and the food. We shared the Crab Tower, she had the Squid Ink and Calamari Risotto, and I had the Lobster Spaghetti. I also started with an Oyster Shot which had a great kick of horseradish smoothed by fresh mango. The Crab Tower was good, but nothing special. Seemed like a heap of filling from a good and fresh California Roll. The Lobster Spaghetti was good, but the spiciness of the sauce overshadowed the buttery texture of the lobster. I must say it looked great as it was served as half a lobster in the shell. I think the hit was the Squid Ink and Calamari Risotto. It was the flavor of the squid ink that really gave something extra to the risotto. We finished off the meal with the Coppa Di Fragole which were fresh strawberries with ricotta, grand marnier-currant and chocolate shavings. Great way to top off the meal, and of course it was suggested by Eric and Kique. And if you're wondering how much the bill was.. well, it was very reasonable. Oh yeah, they also gave up a taste of Moscato d'Asti to add to the sweet ending.
MUST HAVE: The service at the bar, especially from Kique and Eric.
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After the first unmemorable experience, I came back again tonight to have dinner with an old friend. The service is great here; the waitresses for both occasions were attentive without being intrusive. The restaurant is small and the tables are just way too close to each other.
There are more misses than hits when it comes to the food. Most dishes were just average. The risotto cake with dungeness crab and the lamb shank are definitely a hit while the braised octopus, salted cod, herb crusted tuna, grilled prawns with rosemary, and the dungeness crab tower (special of the night) are just so-so. The oysters aren't the best in town either. And desserts? Choices aren't limited and not very creative. I say skip it...
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Date & Time: Dinner @ 9
Company: Kam or Michael
Crowd: Sophisticated Mix of Neighborhood Peeps
Ambience: Great for Couples and Small Groups
Decor: Tightly-packed Tables and Bar with Specials Written on Chalkboard
Service: Friendly. Nice. Helpful.
Imbibe: Wine. extensive List of Non-Alcoholic Bev like Jughead and Georgia Peach
Devour: Bread. Fish. Oyster Shooters with Vodka. Ciopinno.
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3.5 stars
What a nice little date place!
It's a small restaurant located on Polk Street where there are plenty of choices on where to eat on any given night.
Pesce is a nice, little tapas-type of place where the dishes are best shared -- having a small taste of this and that w/ someone who enjoys food as much as you do. It's not oustanding food, but it is tasty enough w/ good service, sweet ambience, and a nice location. It's Venetian-cuisine - and given the seafood
I didn't have much time this night, and it had to be a speedy dinner. Our server was accomodating about that - and served us up quickly.
We had a variety of dishes including a lox/bruschetta type of dish, Venetian Sardine dishes which were quite reminiscent of the ones I'd had in Venice, and a risotto-crabcake thing that was just OK. We also had an arugula salad, and oyster shots. The server recommended the scallops in a cream sauce, and that was simply "OK".... I've had too many great scallop dishes to "oooh and ahhh" but that one.
We also had a couple glasses of wine on this night, and while they were decent choices - none were memorable. Not really the fault of the restaurant's, since we chose our own wines, but two out of the whole list and both were pretty mediocre....
STILL - - all in all, it's a solid place where you can talk, break bread while sharing pretty good food. Service is also friendly and welcoming. I'd go here again, but given the vast array of food available in SF - - it's not the kind of place I'd go to FOR the food, but rather because it's a nice neighborhood joint at which to "hang".
Three stars for the food itself - but another half star chucked in simply because I love the small plates type dining, and factoring in the service and ambience - - it's just a cool spot.
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This restaurant had incredibly delicious small plates (or cicchetti) and a cute waitress who knew how to throw back a brilliant and quick retort to whatever playful joke my boyfriend made.
We had the wild mushroom risotto which was very flavorful, the creamy seared dayboat scallops in a garlic white wine cream sauce which made me want to roll in the sauce and sop it all up with my bread, and the roasted brussel sprouts with capers which was enough to turn anyone who disliked brussel sprouts into a convert. They also had a very decent pitcher of white house wine that had a slightly similar taste to a muscat even though it wasn't as sweet and thick.
I would've never expected for a "seafood bar" to have the best and most tender-as-a-potroast lamb I have every had, but I kept repeating three words in my head to remind myself of how good it was afterwards: "Merlot Lamb Shaaaaank." It was certainly the climax of the evening and a very hearty portion for being a small plate.
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