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Tue-Thu. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"2 Thumbs up, very new yorkey style pizza and for the price you can't go wrong. X large pie like $16 or so? Zero ambiance, take it to go or…" read more »
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This should be 3.5 stars, but 4 stars it is. Food taste and quality: 5 stars. Decor: 4 stars. Price vs. food portion size: 2 stars. Service: 3 stars.
Farina is an attractive, if loud, restaurant with delicious food. Unfortunately, the prices are too high, and the service, while not horrible, isn't as good as it should be. We ordered two glasses of wine, two antipasti, and two pastas, and our total bill was over $100.
Our octopus appetizer with crostini was tasty! Loved it The cold, marinated salmon was definitely good for what it was, although it didn't match J.'s or my particular tastes -- a slight ordering misfire. Adored the famous sheet pasta with pesto, and the long pasta (forget the exact noodle name) with mushroom sauce was quite tasty as well. Would have liked to have tried the focaccia.
The portions are like those you'd get in Italy (i.e., rather smaller than typical American servings), but the prices should be correspondingly smaller. And there are no wines that cost less than $9 per glass.
I'd go to Farina again if I was feeling flush or craving their particular pastas (especially the pesto one), but it won't be my first choice for Italian food (see: Delfina). I wish they'd bring their prices down a bit.
Way overpriced! Dishes are around $25 and come with 3-4 pieces of pasta. Luckily I ate enough bread to keep me full.
The table we sat outside next to the door & corner is horrible! We kept getting whiffs of the sewer nearby, I don't know how they can even put a seat out there knowing customers can smell the stench so frequently.
::BREAD n OIL::
Fresh Baked Bread... love it
::POACHED EGG ON BREAD w SPINACH::
Happy-runny on fresh baked bread... bueno!
::PIZZA::
It's no Pizzeta, but it's pretty dame good
::STAFF::
Not all that on the ball, but mostly friendly enough
::ATMO::
Love the big wooden long table. NIcely done inside. Outdoor seating is almost nice (too much traffic).
Hopping place for a Sat night dinner.
We took our waiters suggestions and went for the popular dishes to share. Small portions, but it worked out well since there was 3 of us ladies. We loved the fresh pastas!
Pesto (the non walnut one) - the best dish!
Pasta w/ meat sauce - good but average
Focaccia with red sauce, cheese, capers, and anchovies. Enjoyed this but the cheese in the focaccia was interesting.
Dessert - beignets and can't remember the other - some ice cream w/ caramel & chocolate sauce. The waiter was so nice and overheard us celebrating a birthday so he added a candle on 1 of the desserts.
BTW, Service was great! I feel prices are a little high for the portions. And loved them for having valet ($12) - parking is such a problem in the area.
Ate here last month and it was the best meal I've had in the city all year. Delicious! Cool space too. I had the burratta (sp?) and it was sooo good.
I was craving Italian and we ended up here with some friends. We started out with one of the pizza like appetizers which was good but if left on the plate, the cheese solidified and the texture changed.
We got some wine which was great and I got pasta and my BF got lamb for dinner. The pasta was good, but a bit too nutty for my taste and some parts of it were tough. I was a bit turned off by the option of truffle shavings for $10, we were already spending a lot of money. The lamb was overcooked, and since my BF was really hungry he ate it but we both felt it should have been returned or better yet, cooked right from the start.
I loved the atmosphere and the menu looked great, but for the price I feel things should be executed better and been more creative.
Oh my. Perhaps moaning out loud was not the 'socially polite' thing to do. Perhaps finishing every bite of my pasta and fish dish, and sipping the last drop of wine was not the 'socially polite' thing to do. Perhaps not talking through half the dinner with a date because I was way too concentrated on my food was not the 'socially polite' thing to do.
To hell with it all. I loved this place the minute I walked in. We sat at the bar to watch the gorgeously hip sous chefs make homemade pasta and prep dishes. From the fresh bread to the last bite of Yellowfin tuna, I was such a happy girl.
I'm going back soooooooooooooooooooooooooooon.
Farina is not a good deal for what it serves up, which is decent pasta, uninspired entrees, in a plasticine environment with a kind of snotty attitude.
This review is based on 3 separate visits spaced over the last 2 years. Because I am a person of hope, and I hoped that the service and food would improve at Farina. But it has turned out to be a false hope.
My biggest beef here is definitely with the snotty service. Come on, guys, you do know that you are a block away from Delfina, right? The service here should be at least on par with that establishment, or else there's no excusing the marginally food.
I was completely unimpressed by this place. It is overpriced and the corkage fee is outrageous at $25 a bottle. The cheapest bottle on the wine list is $60.
At around $70 each I expected to either be WOW'd, full, or drunk. Everyone they brought something out it looked delicious, but then you took a bite and it was just ok. Most of the items I felt like they were missing a few spices or something to make you want more. The best item was the fried dough dessert.
I don't think I'll ever go back here.
We had our latest dinner club at Farina and for as much as I wanted to really enjoy it, overall it was a little disappointing.
The bread that was given with the olive oil was delicious and had just the right amount of salt on it. The the proscuitto flatbread was amazing and the cheesy bread was great as well. Unfortunately olive oil was spilled on our table before we had even arrived but we didn't notice it and it stained one of our friends shirt and jeans and then wine poured by the staff was spilled on my friend's white shirt. Our waitress asked what she could do but offered no apologizes or nothing of substance.
My main entree (veal chop) which I thought was going to be amazing was just alright and so were others in our group. However two guys shared the large steak and sausage and both really enjoyed it saying the steak was one of the best they've had in a while.
The desserts were just ok and overall the service wasn't great. If the service was better or if it felt like our waitress cared I would have probably given Farina a better review.
Farina seems to have quite the reputation on yelp. Not all of it good. Poor service. Snotty servers. Attitude. I enter with trepidation. Fearing the worst. Yet at least early on a Sunday evening with a largely empty place my experience was positive. Attentive, friendly staff checked on me as the meal progressed. How things would be later in the evening when the place fills, I cannot say.
While pesto is not my favorite pasta, I go for it here, as it is a signature dish. Well it might be. The sheets of pasta are al dente, topped with a grainy basil pasta sauce; somehow the pasta nearly melts in your mouth. Very, very good.
Next a fish stew of sorts composed of halibut, rock cod and a large scallop over beans. A visual accompaniment was some roasted basil, which surprisingly was a treat for the eyes only as it hadn't much taste. I tend to like my food well salted and liked the way the plate was seasoned; others might disagree. The fish was all properly cooked, but the beans were unevenly prepared, some being cooked through others not. All in all a nice plate of food.
Overall I had a nice meal in a nice place that was a bit noisy despite being sparsely populated. Later in the evening bring ear plugs.
Let's start with the positives: the bathrooms are decorated adorably!
I'm afraid it ends there.
Farina is way overpriced, the service is poor, and on my most recent visit, we didn't even wind up with warm bread! Plus, I've never seen an Italian restaurant that was so un-friendly to vegetarians.
Our primary waiter was friendly and fairly helpful, though did forget to bring the drinks we requested a couple times. Since there weren't any vegetarian appetizers, he offered to leave the fish off of the the mozzarella and tomato dish. When it arrived, the kitchen staff said there was fish in it. Now, it didn't look like there was fish in it - its just tomato, cheese and oil - but I didn't want to take my chances. By time my party had eaten almost everything on the table (including that appetizer), the primary waiter arrived and cleared up the confusion so I was finally able to eat something. The dish was bland, and I didn't think the tomatoes were particularly ripe or flavorful.
There were 2 vegetarian entree options - one had a walnut pesto sauce, and the other was a $40 truffle dish. Since I am anti-walnut and wasn't convinced the truffle dish would live up to the pricetag, I asked if they could substitute another sauce - surely they have something without meat or walnuts in it? No. He offered to have the chef make me some sort of vegetable plate.
Meanwhile, bread periodically appears, but none of it is warm. And in fact, some of it actually feels cold to the touch - I'd expect it to be at least room temperature. When I inquired, he said they didn't have any warm bread. As a place who's main feature is fresh bread, I expected more. The focaccia was decent, but the other breads were dry and lacked any flavour. We went through a lot of olive oil.
When the entrees arrived, the kitchen staff clearly didn't know what they were carrying and where to place it. Our bill wound up being $71/person, and for that kind of money, I'd expect them not to put scallops in front of the vegetarian, or at least be able to properly state what they were carrying.
I wound up with a plate of side dishes - hericot verts, white beans, potatoes, and mushrooms. I will say that everything on the plate was delicious, and it was an ample-sized portion. Still not worth the money, though - I'd do just as well at Herbivore for a quarter of the price. The rest of the entrees, however, were very small - 3 scallops? pasta that constituted 4 bites? And putting tiny portions on gigantic plates doesn't help - if it was part of a larger tasting menu it would make more sense, but for $24+ per dish, I expect a lot more flavour and a lot more to eat!
So in summary, I won't be coming back. It was my second visit, and there's no reason to return.
I really wanted to like Farina, but after visiting four times, I am not impressed. Yes, the space is great; the design and layout is gorgeous, and the service is decent, but the food is not that good. It is mediocre at best.
I found the focaccia and the pizza dough to be bad. This is hard when you run a resto that focuses on focaccia. Perhaps they aren't using a good flour? In comparison, try the pizza at Nostra, Picco or Beretta - all three have great dough.
Also, I was a bit annoyed by the overpriced wine by carafe. They charge the same for a bottle of wine as they do for half a carafe. This is some serious mark-up folks! The point of having wine by the carafe is that it is simply good, not too expensive house wine!
so I've been waiting for awhile to try this place out-I guess there was a reason why every time I would want to eat here the place was closed....not meant to be?
well I finally answered my own question and realized I wasn't really missing much! (insert dissappointed face)
Service was good, not as hospitable as a lot of italian restaurants I've been to, but they did make sure my glass was full and did check up on us quite often.
I ordered the yellow fin tuna.....it was good but didn't knock my socks off!
oh although we did order the prosciutto and cheese appetizer dish and that was tasty....very light but filling.
The pasta is simply delicious. I have never had handmade pasta quite like the ones that I had on Sunday night. We ordered the porterhouse which was slightly overcooked, but the awesome pasta, grilled calamari more than made up for it.
Our waiter was super nice and hot. He even suggested going to bi-rite afterwards since my brother and sister-in-law were visiting from out of town.
Cute ambience and we were able to sit outside since my sister-in-law brought her dog. Definitely a cute date spot. Kinda on the pricey side, but would definitely come back here for a date or special occassion.
How is it I was both disappointed by Farina, and thrilled by it?
I was disappointed in that, knowing it was billed as a "Ligurian" restaurant, I expected more of what I ate in Liguria--lots of classic focaccia with pizza-like toppings, multiple items with pesto, some salt-baked fish.
Farina's menu is decidedly more focused and upscale than the homey simple fare we found on the coast on our visits.
Thank goodness!
For the handkerchief pasta with the most silky, rich, perfect, Ligurian-tasting pesto, made with clean fresh-tasting Genovese basil imported from Italy, and the fantastic views of the ravioli filling operation, and the sumptuous eggplant ravioli we enjoyed the other night, I grant an unashamed 5 stars, even though Farina was not what I expected and wanted when I walked in the door.
Sometimes surprises and disappointments are secret triumphs!
There are many Italian restaurants in San Francisco to choose from. There are those that serve excellent food but treat you like they're doing you a favor letting you eat there. Some rush your meal and are more concerned with customer turnover, and then there are those that are riding a reputation established long ago and don't care how the food is served, presented or tastes.
Farina is none of these. Our concierge made us aware of farina and this got us a free taxi ride to the place compliments of the restaurant. the decor is simple yet elagant with warm subtle lighting suitable for a business meeting, romantic escape, or just a evening with good friends.
After being seated you are asked if you would like plain water or sparkling water while you consider your menu. They are quick to point out that the sparkling or bottled water is complimentary - not seen often these days. The menu is simple. it is not your typical menu with dozens of items as is seen in many Italain places. Nonetheless it is filled with wonderful choices.
We started by sharing two appetizers: a plate of Parma prosciutto and Burratta cheese of homemade Focaccia, and a hot baby octopus in a out of this world tomato-basil sauce with crustini bread. Needless to say that sauce was slopped up by the homemade bread supplied with all dinners. These were both worth the price and fantastic
Our main courses were the lasagna which was made with littl shrimp which was a surprising and welcomed addition. It was not your typical lasagna. It had a basi-bechemel sauce accenting the fresh tomatoe component. Best I ever had. (just hope grandma doesn't hear that)
The other entree was a yellow fin tuna in a roasted pepper, fresh mozarella, avacado sauce. It was great, fresh, tasty, cooked just right.
For desert we had the canoli flavored gelati- the perfect ending to a perfect meal.
The servers were most attentive, friendly and willing to help with your selections if asked. My water glass never got below half.
You can't go wrong here. We asked others in the restaurant who seemed like regulars if dinner is always good here. they all responded that this is the best Italian food in town.
take it from an Italian from Brooklyn- GO TO FARINA
I'm going for the 5 star review. We visited without a reservation on a Thursday night. It did take quite a while to be seated, but while we were waiting we partook in fantastic cocktails and observing the pasta making and other food preparations, and the fabulous decor. The amazing front window on the place was the thing that attracted me to try the place in the first place.
For our starter we had a proscuitto/cheese dish which was amazing, followed by to die for spinach filled ravioli with walnut cream sauce. The ravioli was perfect; the pasta was perfectly al dente. The texture and flavours in this dish were just wonderful. Finally I went with the Rack of Venison and my wife with the Filet. Both dishes were extremely tasty, and cooked exactly to specification; and fantastic combinations of flavours.
We are normally not particularly fond of Italian wines, but the wines that our server helped us select were also really good. All in all a nearly perfect, if slightly long meal, and a really good find. We'll be headed back to get some of the other dishes that we wanted to try on the menu.
OK. . .I read the reviews for Farina last week after scheduling a dinner out for friends who are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. The bride chose the restaurant, so I was interested to see what others had to say. I was a bit concerned at first for I read a fair share of negative reviews.
Now I want to put your worries to rest. Of course I preface this with the fact that this was my experience last night.
Service -- no attitude that I could see. From the lovely ladies seating us to our more than perfect server and the equally talented bussers, all were outstanding. We never had to ask for more bread -- it simply turned up. Also, we lounged the night away and never felt rushed -- on a Friday night no less.
Food -- Top of the line. The best bang for the buck is the bistecca listed last (I think) on the secondi list. It is a perfectly grilled T bone served with two unbelievably succulent sausages. A bed of perfectly cooked lentils accompanies. This more than serves two and is priced at $46. Our dinner mates ordered other dishes and were absolutely happy.
Wine -- lots of choices. Corkage fee a bit steep -- $25 but they drop that if you also buy a bottle from their list.
Ambiance -- very urban, a bit loud. It reminded our guests of Rome.
Prices -- up there. Not a place for students (unless their parents are visiting and are interested in dropping a serious dime on food.)
Overall I loved it and plan to return for other special occasions. Farina is way too fabulous and a bit too pricey to be a regular stop.
very very expensive. The food is good, but at 70$per head, i think, i won't be going back.
The bread they serve might be the best i have ever had! I had a great salad, and my friend got an amazing sandwich with buffalo mozzarella, basli and tomato. Creative cocktails... can't wait to go back!
My husband and I had a few differing opinions on dinner last night at Farina.
Service + ambiance - we both agreed that it was 5 stars
Food - 3.5 stars (husband)
Food - 4.5 stars (me)
Service: Our server was amazing. Without asking, since we shared two of our dishes, he split our dishes onto two plates. His pace and attentiveness were perfect, but best of all he had great recommendations on cocktails, food, and wine.
Food: Starting a cucumber/basil martini, the traditional cheese filled focaccia, bitter greens salad, paparadelle with meatball sauce, squab with fig wine reduction sauce, and 1/2 carafe of sangiovese, I loved everything! I thought it was the perfect portion for two, well seasoned, and very fresh tasting!
On the other hand, here is my husband's feedback - the portion of the squab did not include the breast (only the back and the leg) and was difficult to eat. The focaccia was too salty. He also thought the meatballs were a bit boring and dry (they use filet mignon, but he thinks they should incorporate some pork and veal). I would agree. Overall though, he loved his cocktail, the salad, the pasta + sauce, and that they have a 1/2 carafe option on the wines (basically 2/3 of a bottle which is nice if you want to start off with a cocktail).
All in all, we had a fabulous time at the restaurant.
Fantastico! It reminded us of restaurants in Italy. Yes, it is that good.
the good:
-pasta with pesto (very good)
-sassotondo red wine (bottle)
-salad
the fair:
-service (not friendly, interupted table conversations)
-bread/focaccia (came cold, rather than warm so had to ask for warm bread)
-loud (hard to talk to table members)
-prices are too high (e.g. some $30+ entrees, etc.)
-out of soup by 7pm :(
I went to MEATBALL Sunday a few weeks back...of course it was titled much more eloquently in the menu ..on that sunday. The service was quick considering my buddy and I walked in 20 minutes before closing. I definitely like the look and feel of the place, the oil and bread were descent, small portion for 2 though. My meal was OK , the Peroni was good, cold, but felt like what we paid was a bit much for what we got. The Pasta wasnt tough or rubbery, and seasoned just enough but quantity could have one upped the star counts.
Do we really need 532 reviews of Farina? No we don't. So, I'll be brief.
The Pesto was very good, as was the Focaccia de Recco. Tiny portions for the price. The pesto was such a small order I had to ask if it was a full order. The server told me that the pastas are meant to be an opening to the meat dishes, none of which inspired me.
The wine list is impressive, and it's nice to know that I bottle I am saving sells for $180 here. Bought it for $75.
Price point is way off.
Um, wow. NEXT!
its funny to see the reviews and the major variance- last time I dined here it was delicious and I was stuffed. Apparently, they changed the menu because I wasn't sure I was at the right place. The Focaccia which everyone raves about was OK. Not great, but OK. especially when they brought the one we actually ordered. I had a bone in pork chop- ordered chef's preference medium/medium rare. It was cooked properly, but you cant turn shit into gold. It was a bad/fatty piece of meat. We looked at dessert menu and decided walking 2 blocks to Bi-Rite was a better choice. As always, the wine was the best part of meal- because we brought our own from home.
After attending a private private party at Farina several months ago, I decided to take friends there as well. But both times the food was less than appetizing and expensive. The wine list is nice but pricey, however; the food was my largest complaint..
And last Saturday's experience was less than memorable with our food being served cold and tasteless. Although I love the ambiance, spending that kind of money shouldn't result in bland, cold food. So it was my last time as I've given it several chances.
Short of 3 stars - 2.8 ish.
In summary, Farina is a trendy, overpriced restaurant with mediocre food. Given that its location is super convenient for me, I might have frequented it (like I frequent Beretta) if the price level had been about 20-25% lower.
The cocktail list here is pretty nice; I liked both mine and my friend's cocktails. It's not quite at the Beretta level but better than many. They also give you plenty of options for wine at reasonable prices (high 30s to 50), which is a plus.
Now, on to the food. As we were seated around 9:30 on a busy Friday night, they were out of four things on the menu, including two appetizers we wanted to order. We ended up ordering the seared scallops and tuna tartar for appetizers. Of all the dishes we ordered, the scallops were the top performer. They were seared perfectly and came with nice buttery sauce. The tuna tartar was nice, clean and fresh-tasting but was quite ordinary and uninspiring. Nice, but eh.
We were seated at the "chef's table" right in front of the counter where the homemade pasta was being made. Having observed the meat-filled (supposedly proscuitto, per the menu) thin sheet of pasta being wrapped right in front of our eyes, we both couldn't resist but order exactly that. The cutting-filling-wrapping procedure looked so cool that our expectations were raised high.
The serving size of the pasta was quite small, about 1/2 the serving size at a "family style" Italian restaurant like Lupe, maybe 1/3 the serving size at a "fast-foodish" Italian restaurant like Bucca di Beppo. We took a bite of the pasta and....pause...wait, where is the proscuitto? Where is the flavor from the veal? This tastes like nothing! Indeed, this pasta dish was quite disappointing. It tasted like a "low-fat" version of the real thing (not saying it was low fat, just saying it was bland like a low-fat version). They didn't overcook the pasta (I absolutely abhor overcooked pasta), so I give them a credit for that. At $18/ plate for the little serving size, though, the quality had to be top-notch. And it wasn't.
The five-piece dessert was OK; again, nice, but not quite remarkable.
Overall, the service was decent, and the energy level was high. But for the price and the food quality, I'd rather spend my hard earned money elsewhere even if that means to walk extra few blocks in my 4 inch heels.
this place had some nice food...although i'm pissed that we got bread versus some focaccia at the start of the meal! hehehe...okay, i'm not pissed, but it woulda been nice, because i really like carbs, and i have no gluten intolerance to speak of...or do i?
the focaccia is apparently a different style from the Liguria region in Italy...ummm, well that's what i read, anyway. it's this really thin, flatbread stuffed with cheese, or whatever. it was good. yeah, i'll lick tasty cheese off a plate if i have to...
the tortellini was good....filled with veal and proscuitto...perfectly cooked....maybe not that huge of a portion, but maybe that's a blessing in disguise....
zucchini was tasty too...
the service was cool (except for the "bread incident")....and they split our tortellini order we shared, which was nice of them.
i definitely would check this place out again....
Service was not fast but friendly.
Food was however, very disappointing.
We have walked past this cute little restaurant many times and finally decided to give it a try.
My friend had spinach pasta with pulled pork shoulder, and i had a seafood ravioli dish. We also shared a salmon salad.
The portions were very small - so small that we went for crepe elsewhere right after dinner.
My seafood ravioli was either under-cooked, or had been left overnight. The dough was hard, and even the shrimps were overcooked.
The salmon salad was very uninteresting (I'd recommend Osha's salmon sashimi salad over this, anytime).
Spinash pasta was tasty, but then again, the portion was way too small.
Without any alcohol, we paid $34 per person, left feeling unfed and unjustified.
CLASSLESS MANAGER AND MEDIOCRE OVERPRICED FOOD
I had the misfortune of dining at Farina last night.
The food was mediocre at best; plain and tasteless was the motif. The small portions were definitely not worth the exorbitant prices. And we waited more than 45 minutes for our main course and our orders still came out wrong. Our main complaint, however, wasn't the food or the wait, but the unfathomly rude manager, Gabriele.
This guy could not have been more arrogant. Because of the long wait for our food, our server had brought us two complimentary glasses of wine. But when we got the bill, we were charged for the two glasses. When I brought this to the server's attention, she told me to go talk to the manager, Gabriele, on the other side of the restaurant--note she didn't bring him to our table; she pointed him out and instructed me to go to him. When I found Gabriele and showed him our bill, he nastily sneared that he never agreed to comp us the wine. I explained to him that his server had. Incredulously, he insisted she didn't have his authority to do so and we should pay for what we drank. I responded, absolutely floored, that we would never have ordered the two glasses had they not been complimentary. He could have cared less and would not remove the charges. Moreover, his demeanor was downright haughty and discourteous. In sum, he was absolutely CLASSLESS. This kind of "customer service" may fly in Liguria--his apparent home--but not here. It is just beyond the pale for a manager to charge for a complimentary glass of wine.
Given the tasteless food and manager's lack of any decorum, I recommend you stay far away from this one!
It is a bit crowded and noisy, and by no means a bargain, but good food and service. Had a very good experience, and would definitely go back.
Food:
Ordered the bacon-wrapped-scallops, focaccia with cheese, and pesto pasta as appetizers. All three were very tasty.
For mains, we ordered two orders of lobster pasta, fish, and pork chops (there were five of us and we shared family-style). The pasta was great, but even with two orders, just enough for two bites each (so agree with other Yelpers that the portions are small). The grilled fish and pork were seasoned just right, and delicious.
The desserts were ok, too, but by dessert, I was already too full - may have left a better impression had I left space.
Service:
Our reservation was at 9pm, but the restaurant was still packed - so the service was a bit slow (or felt that way since I was starving). But our waitress was nice, knowledgeable, and very helpful when we could get her attention.
Would be a gorgeous locale for a special dinner if the service wasn't so rushed. Also portions were small for the price. My pasta with lobster was underseasoned. If I go back, which is doubtful, I'll just hit the bar to enjoy the ambiance and head to Delphina instead.
OK, so Farina's been around for a while.
They're a big hit.
They're packed every night.
So are they any good? And what do I think now that they've been there for a while?
Frankly, I never go there. The prices are too high and the food just isn't that great. As an Italian friend said "Yes, they're like an authentic mediocre restaurant in Genoa."
Some things are pretty good, others are just bad. For instance, their panna cotta has way too much gelatin in it. Panna cotta is supposed to melt in the mouth, not be chewy.
For a little less money, I can go down the block to Delfina and have better food in a more pleasant atmosphere.
And the late night dining and rooftop wine bar never materialized. So when I want italian food at midnight, I go to Beretta on 23rd street.
Oh well. I'm kind of disappointed with Farina.
What an amazing disappointment. No stars if it were possible.
As background: My family is Genovese and we have all visited our other family in Liguria many times. We have eaten at restaurants of all types and levels of refinement there from truck stops to four-star establishments.
The food here is third-rate and served by a posing, fifth-rate staff. A request for a second serving of fugassa (yes, that is the Genovese spelling) was met with "I'm not sure if we have any fresh and I have another table to take care of." Asked for cheese we were told that it was "not recommended for that pasta" and grudgingly applied. If the chef is concerned about cheese overpowering the bottarga and sea urchin in the sauce, maybe he shouldn't have added tomato(?). Genovese food for white people who don't know any better.
Our party walked away feeling unsatisfied and cheated. None of us are ever returning again. If we hadn't been someones guests, my boyfriend and I would have raised holy hell with the head waitress.
In the words of another Mission resident: "Farina, Farina, go back to the Marina."
sangria - gooooooood.
wide, spacious dining room - goooooood.
enticing food and drink menu - goooooood.
execution - meH.
value for money - very very baaaaad.
($800 over 10 not very full people)
I get a little annoyed by reviewers who rant and rave about whether their table was ready on time, and then slap on 2-stars because they were in a pissy mood the rest of the night. Lets talk about the restaurant, not the reservation, right?
Loved the atmosphere the minute we walked in. It had a diner-esque feel, with big windows, lots of white and light wood. We had 6 in our party and I was amazed at how attentive the staff was, making sure we always had wine and/or water in our glasses, and giving us plenty of time to chat over our dishes (instead of rushing to clear them, like some servers compulsively do). I love being able to sit back, relax, and know that all the rest will be taken care of. Farina took great care of us.
Food was delightful, with a good variety of unique and classic Italian dishes. We started with focaccia w/ proscuitto and some nice mild cheese. It was nice and thin, salty, and savory. Our scallops were less thrilling, but cooked perfectly. My pasta dish was divine...ravioli-like dumplings, stuffed full of ricotta and spinach with a walnut pesto. It was a small portion -- probably 5 or 6 pieces, but it was so rich I didn't mind sharing. Plus, Italians like to spread out their courses, so you'll want to save room for what's next.
Next for us was a chocolate "cigar", filled with creamy chocolate mousse, with crushed hazelnuts to dip into. Yum-may!
WIth all the fabulous eateries in SF, I don't like to go to the same place twice. But Farina will lure me back soon, no doubt.
Festo del Pesto extended to March 22nd, Sunday I think I might DO it again and again.....cause I'm a lover not a fighter
Details on my meal here http://cocochanelella.... (shameless plug)
I don't understand.
I don't understand why I always lose my voice when I go out to dinner with my…
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At least I'm not crazy. I went here with boyfriend and roommate and her BF last night. We ate outside, where the heat lamp kept us warm (yay!). Service took a while to get to us which was fine; it was a little busy. We were able to order our meal in full by the time she got to us. I was the only one who wanted tap water, and they charged $8 for a bottle of Pellegrino?! Ridiculous. I had to reminder her to bring the tap water, which was annoying.
Anyway, onto the food. Decent Italian food at kind of ridiculous prices. Not absurd, but pretty high. Our tab ended up being $200 for the 4 of us, including: 4(good but small) appetizers, 2 (more on this later) pastas, 1 protein course, 1 bottle of wine ($38), and a 1/2 carafe of wine (also $38)....too much for what we got.
The pastas. The tortellini with tuna was really tasty, but there were only about 12 on the plate. For 16 bucks, I'm expecting a LITTLE FREAKING MORE FOOD. The handkerchief pasta with pesto... bleh. I dislike the style of pasta to begin with. The pesto (supposedly award-winning) was WAY too cheesy. I like pesto to taste like *gasp* BASIL. It tasted more like a cream sauce with a hint of basil. Not to my liking in the least.
I'll stop rambling here. Don't waste your time. I wish I would have checked yelp before we went.
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Wine Bars
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: American (New)
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