On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Wine Bars, Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph HillNeighborhood: SOMA
"Local is one of my favorite places in SF to eat/drink. Not only is the space amazing, sexy and interesting but the food is great. The…" read more »
Sadly, Nua is closed. It was wonderful every time I visited. See David W's review for an explanation of the closing.
07/12/2007
Went to Nua earlier this week and had a solid 5 star experience.
We waltzed in at around 9:00 on a…
Read more »
Another great restaurant closing?? Wow I was just getting to know this place. The food was great and our waiter was really cool and down to earth. I enjoyed our conversation about the beautiful wood choices in your decor.
Yet another place where the quality of the food doesn't justify the pricing. I'm all about quality over quantity...but NO quality here.
As for quantity - wines by the glass (also overpriced) poured into tiny glasses, filled 1/4 way up as if I was doing a tasting at a winery (I am not exaggerating)
THANK YOU YELPER'S!
The 5 stars are for you.
I am the, very soon to be, former owner of Nua.
We have had a great year at Nua and are grateful for all of your support and for your appreciation for what we were doing.
Nua is now permanently closed, it has been sold and will reopen soon as an Italian restaurant with a nice young guy called Francesco at the helm. My partners and I decided to sell the restaurant a couple of months ago and have finally found the right people to take over the space. There is nothing ominous afoot, we are simply focusing our energies on different projects as individuals and moving on.
Personally I am working on an exciting new project which I hope will come to fruition early next summer in a different neighborhood in San Francisco.
There has been a certain amount of speculation as to what was going on, and the usual inaccuracies and unfounded statements from the local media, not least the Chronicle. I just thought it would make a pleasant change to release a little fact into the collective consciousness.
Once again a SINCERE THANK YOU TO THE YELP COMMUNITY!
It is great that the people that actually matter; our customers, have had a voice to communicate with us in a relevant manner.
Look forward to seeing you at the next space.
Peace, D.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (7)
Nua, why did you leave us? So soon? Your food was thoughtful and had charm and soul. The tea was excellent and the wines offered were some of the best in the city. Also, BEST waiters in town...though I feel as if I was lucky. Perhaps this was your undoing, but for the time you offered me, your service and hospitality were impeccable! Truly a study in perfect timing and phrasing in courses, drinks, and conversation. I will miss you, your wonderful fries, and small space. You occupy an equally small, but beautiful place in my memory for the meal you gave to me.
Geez, CLOSED and before I can write my review!
Hope the new owner and restaurant will be good...and open for lunch AND dinner at least 6 days/week.
My sis is moving from the City to the 'burbs, so last night we gathered in her hood for a going-away dinner at Nua. We showed up without reservations AND half of our party was 30 minutes late, but the owner and his servers were nothing but lovely.
They actually managed to pull together a table for five pretty quickly, right by the mellow jazz band. We only ordered small plates and champagne, but the bone marrow crostini with braised pork shoulder was out of this world... and the $24 bottle of champagne was near perfection.
The last time I was at Nua I was just there for the wine, and was really impressed by the sommelier's ability to select exciting glasses based on what we were in the mood for. Next time I go back I'll try the entrees and desserts for sure and hopefully knock this baby up to five stars!
People thought this was:
Useful (10)
Funny (3)
Cool (11)
Nua (not to be confused with Dell'Uva, right across the street)... The atmosphere here is great. Lots of people, all ready to try the excellent dishes and the large wine menu.
Drinks: Since I am not a wine-expert (and never claimed to be) this menu is a bit daunting. What is it? Eight pages long or something? But, the staff couldn't be more helpful. You tell them the taste you are looking for and both times I have gone here I have been impressed by what they pick for me. My most recent visit was with a group celebrating, so we tried to $24 bottle of champagne. We were all a little worried cause it was one of the cheapest. It was, however, very good. We even got another bottle to follow the first. :)
On the menu: Two words, Bone Marrow. I was reaaaalllly concerned when my sis suggested this. But, never one to turn down food, I tried it and loved it. It is so rich. Balance it with the arugala salad. We also got the fries with a wonderful dipping sauce. This place is great to share lots of little dishes. That was you get to sample tons of different flavors.
The staff is really attentive and always ready to fill your glass or offer another wine menu. Some of the best service I've had in a while.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
Hands down the best restaurant in North Beach. And rumor has it, Nua is probably going to make the SF Gate Top 100 this year.
We went on a quiet Wednesday night the with jazz duet playing for most of the time we were there. It's totally cute inside and definitely unsuspecting for the location (sorta sandwiched between a few bars, an alley and the Lobster Shack).
For a casual joint the service was overwhelmingly good. I say overwhelming because they showed me the way to the bathroom the three times I went and the waitress basically wanted to tell us about every single thing on the menu. I'm not complaining though.
Food was deeelicious. From the bone marrow to the stuffed peppers to the beef I had for my main course, I didn't taste a single thing I didn't like. I first had bone marrow last year in Australia and while it still creeps me out, I'm a huge fan because it is damn tastey... Oh and the bread they give you... so good - I couldn't stop asking for more.
Three of us did three apps, three main courses, two desserts and two bottles of wine... $70+tax each... not bad!
Keep the good restaurants coming to North Beach!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Another one of our monthly dinners we can't afford has come and gone. For the mostly mediocre restaurants I've been to in North Beach, this one scored way above the rest. The ambiance was simplistically trendy; I had fears the jazz duo would be an annoyance to our conversation, but they quickly blended into the background, as did a lot of things from our dinner.
The few things that do jump out, however, was my delicious blackened fish entree, as well as the sauteed prawns in garlic and paprika for an app. The other, not so great memory was the wait-staff's over attentiveness. I've been living on my own for a while now, and I am quite confident in my ability to make it to the bathroom by myself, place my napkin on my lap each time I sit down, read a menu... things like that. It's a nice thought, yes, but for a five-star stuffy place, not a Mediterranean bistro in North Beach.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Excellent service, wine, and food. Went in during dine about town and had a lovely three course meal for a great price.
My waiter had the best hair and mustache and impeccable manners. He also poured me Unti wine and fed me delicious risotto, sardines, stuffed peppers and lemon souffle. I really can't ask for more from a restaurant.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (3)
Cool (1)
You know those places that are pretty upscale, but the food is fantastic and no matter the price, you feel like you got a bargain? This place isn't one of them. The food was just...good. Everything else was really nice though: incredibly friendly and helpful staff, extensive wine list, trendy decor.
But if the food isn't great, what's the point, right?
Had the bone marrow everybody's yelping about: I can see the appeal if you've never had bone marrow before, you feel like Anthony Bourdain as you scoop out the brown, squishy marrow. But I've been more satisfied sucking out the marrow from bones in curry, or ox-tail soup. I did think the gnocchi was something special, but the prawns, quail, and risotto were forgettable.
Another great recommendation from Karen and Max. It didn't hurt that we were eating by the window on the first warm & beautiful day of 2008. Started off with some excellent champagne. Everything was quite tasty and service was friendly.
Oh my frickin LORD!!!
The bone marrow dish... I MUST have it AGAIN... two more orders of that puh-leeze. Oh, and can you stop by with more bread?
And no the boyfriend doesn't need anymore wine... THANKS... I swear if he wasn't so cute I would've walked right out of the restaurant cuz he gets embarrassing when he gets tipsy... cute, but embarrassing.
Service was awesome, so friendly, professional and I felt completely at ease in there.. yes it's in North Beach and parking is hell on earth, but if you can cab it here (or better yet take the bus!) you're in for a fun treat.
Nua's is a medium size trendy space with a modern twist on old Mediterranean staples, yummy wine selection (they'll let you taste before committing to a glass), and enthusiastic service by folks who take pride in their work.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (4)
WOW. We had the most amazing meal here tonight. The company was pretty amazing too.
We hit it up early for the blue hair special. OK, no such thing at NUA, but we were the first people in the door and were taken care of like we were family. The service, the food, the wine - all top notch. The gnochi was some of the best I have ever had. The beef, mouth-watering. The cod, and its sides - perfect. I even enjoyed the sardines - AND I don't like sardines!
I expressed my love for Italian wines and with course, had a perfect wine to go with it.
Cannot wait to go back!
Yes, I agree with most here. Nua is very good (especially the marrow bones starter!!), though I suspect it is because there are soooo many other so-so places in North Beach. Don't get me wrong, the food here is great, it's just a bit pricey. But seeing as how you could spend the same (just over $100 with 2 glasses of wine) at other North Beach food holes and get sub-par eats, when in North Beach, go to Nua. If you could go anywhere else in S.F. for the same amount of money.......... well, there's Zuni, Fringale, SPQR.... that has a more exciting menu and I never feel like I spend too much (even when I do).
My friends and I were delighted with the quality of food and service at Nua. I had never heard of this restaurant prior to finding it on yelp by chance. We were heading out in North Beach that evening so I wanted to keep our dinner local and was extremely pleased that i stumbled across this listing.
The lamb gnocchi and bone marrow appetizers were unbelievable. The gnocchi was so tender it practically melted in your mouth.
I ordered the quail for a main dish which, while delicious, probably wouldn't order again. I was disappointed to hear that they didn't have any short ribs left that evening because that's what I was originally going to order.
You MUST order the churros and chocolate peppermint souffle!! The desserts barely touched the surface of our table before they disappeared in a flurry of fork to mouth action.
The service was impeccable with the exception of a short wait for our table(It's one of my biggest pet peeves to wait for a table when I've made reservations). Our server was extremely attentive and spaced our meal out well.
Overall, we had a great experience. I've already recommended it to a handful of my friends who are now excited to try it and thinking about possible birthday dinners here!
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
A rather upscale wine bar with high prices, novel delicacies and passable food. I had the bone marrow that others rave about on Yelp, it was pretty good (but very greasy, as in pools of the stuff). For dinner I had the duck, which was too salty for my tastes and gave me a bit of an upset stomach afterwards.
It should be noted, to Nua's credit, that the staff is extremely welcoming, helpful and friendly.
The clientle is very yuppie-esque. This is the kind of higher-end establishment that is patronized by people that think they have wine smarts after touring Napa. Perhaps I could comment on Nua's wine selection if I knew anything about wine.
an immediate top 5.
I don't think I have had gnochi this good anywhere. spqr's was damn good, but nua is king. the salad was superb. the server really broke out the knee pads. I wanna go tonight. what other wine and food wonders await??!
do not miss dessert. you've been warned.
Sometimes a meal just leaves you feeling underwhelmed. Everything was good enough and more than edible, but there was nothing amazing. Nothing I'll remember for longer than it takes to digest. (ew!)
Went here with the lovely Tinna for their Dine About Town menu, and I have to say, we were probably pretty annoying to them, both ordering the DaT menu and 1 glass of wine each, plus tea after the meal (they carry Red Blossom Tea Company tea). I understand that they probably immediately pegged us for cheap and not available for the upsell, but even so, if you're going to offer DaT, you should probably treat the customers well since the idea is to get new people into your restaurant who might not otherwise become your customers.
Now, don't get me wrong. There wasn't a lot of out-and-out rudeness, but - we had a reservation, and weren't seated until 15 minutes after the scheduled time, we were seated right next to the live music, making it nearly impossible to talk (this is the table they were saving for the reservation?) and I didn't even get a drink until over 30 minutes after arriving in the restaurant and going up to the bar.
I definitely felt like the waiter felt bad about our experience, but his presence became overpowering very quickly. While at an amazing restaurant, the service is almost an afterthought - a natural thing, everything here felt very forced and awkward.
Other points: They were out of at least two of the glasses of wine we ordered, including a Pinot Noir. Sorry, but you're a wine bar. How can you be out of wine? And even if they were out of that particular cheap bottle of Pinot that they sell by the glass, it would have been the correct thing to open another bottle. Pinot is just too standard to not offer.
The dessert was quite good, including specifically the pistachio biscotti. Some parts of the main dish (a fish similar to salmon served with lentils) were good, but the starter was a forgettable salad with pears and a very salty dressing. The portion sizes were on the small side, which was actually good - I didn't leave feeling stuffed.
I don't think I'll be back any time soon with all of the amazing choices for a meal in this city at that price-point and below ($100 for two).
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Cool (6)
I went here last night with co-workers and we lucked out that their live music now changed to Tuesday nights. I was the only one who partook in the DAT menu. So, I had the salad with manchego cheese and fish for first and mains. My dessert was a pot de creme, which by the end of the meal, I could not finish. My friends both ordered the gnocchi with duck (which was really good and tasty!) and quail. The salad had good portions of sliced manchego cheese and slices of pear - yummy. My fish was also cooked perfectly. We ordered a cauliflower side which we thought was the best caulifower we have ever eaten. It had sort of a burned/buttery flavor and a definite must-have.
The only hard thing is parking in North Beach!!! Go early and avoid weekends. Our waiter was also very attentive and funny.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I loved everything about Nua. Great service, amazing food, perfect wine parings and the atmosphere was warm and charming. Can't wait to go back.
Great service (even though we were about 45 min late to our reservation), great food/dessert and wine reccomendations, and a bonus star for funny moustaches! :) No really, though, my experience at Nua was very pleasant and I would return again in a heartbeat to have some fab food, vino, and an overall great time. Job well done!
Wine bars freak me out. Usually the food is compromised because of the focus on wine.
NUA threw all my caution to the wind tonight.
Opted out of the DAT menu and did our own thing: 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, 2 sides & 2 desserts.
A1: Duck hash gnocchi, incredible. The little pillows of pasta were perfectly cooked and the hash was generous and bursting w/flavor.
A2: Salad, wow again, thick fresh shavings of parmesan, a light citrus dressing, candied toasted hazelnuts & sliced pears.
E1: Rib eye steak, this was the size of my head. Seasoned well, and cooked medium. Well prepared and kept the integrity of beef flavor.
E2: Seared artic char, loved the crisp skin, gotta love that they undercook their fish, served w/a pomegranate sauce & on a bed of lentils.
E3: Quail, lovely presentation and flavor. The meat was tender. Very enjoyable.
S1: Fries w/some sort of aioli, fries were a bit small, & over seasoned for my taste, serving was large, but everyone else enjoyed this one.
S2: Wilted Swiss chard, nicely cooked and seasoned. Yum.
D1: Churros & hot chocolate, I would prefer chocolate sauce and a more Mexican churro, okay, I need more cinnamon!
D2: Chocolate souffle, oh heaven, creme anglaise poured LIVE.
If the food tastes THIS good SOBER, imagine the possibilities w/VINO!?
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
Went here for SF Dine About.
It's a nice North Beach location, close to all that wild and crazy Italian action. You'll have a nice time laughing at all the touristas.
Nua is tiny, Wifey and I walked by it twice. No sign anywhere and the printing on their awning is not real legible. In 12-point font on the entrance is the word Nua though...
Interior space is nicely done for how small it is. The pictures on their website represent one of the greatest optical illusions I've ever seen, they make the place seem 3 times bigger than it actually is.
Staff is very friendly and knows the menu well, made some great wine suggestions too. Wished they had real uniforms though... it's kinda hard to take your server seriously when they're wearing blue jeans and a plaid lumberjack shirt.
PARISIENNE HERBED GNOCCHI with braised duck ragout.
One bite of this and you'll come back.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
This restaurant is definitely the place to have a romantic dinner with your girlfriend, or with someone you expect to become in the near future :)
The service is excellent and you can choose between food of various countries. I tried the Grilled Rib Eye Steak and it was simply great!
We were also offered a soup from the chef because he was late with our food, actually I think we waited no more than 15 minutes, so for us was just a nice surprise.
The portions are not so big, so you may want to order more than one per person and then share.
I suggest also the Moscato D'Asti has a sweet wine for the dessert, is one of my favorite!
I hate small, delicious portions. I want to like them, but I can't. I LOVE them - and that's the problem. It makes me hangry (hungry + angry) because they're gone. Woe is me, and "Whoa!" is Nua.
Had a great experience here last night with a buddy after a horrific wine served by an Italian meathead bartender at our previous restaurant, which we eventually walked out on. When I remember the name, I will warn you.
Nua was a complete 180 from the nightmare before. We sat at the bar because the place was packed, and for good reason. The bartender was an attentive, knowledgable man I'd like to think was named Chip. Chip made sure that we were well stocked with all the house-made focaccia and olive oil we could eat, which turned out to be a lot. This was what filled the majority of my digestive system, as the portions were extremely modest.
Great atmosphere (brought us placemats at the bar as well as real coasters for the water). I had a Portuguese wine which was delicious.... my friend loved his Spanish wine. Chip helped us chose both.
We started with a pear and walnut salad with very fresh and interesting flavors. Followed this with the duck gnocci, which really left me wanting more. Finally, we shared the stuffed quail with tomatoes and baby bok choi. SO FUCKING GOOD.
We were very pleased with the entire experience and left satisfied and happy. The only reason I'm only giving it 4 stars is because I'm not into expensive places with small portions. Our two starter plates, main course, and three glasses of wine ended up being almost $90 before tip (and Chip got a big one)!
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Jazz Tuesday rocks!
Ok, perhaps the live jazz doesn't exactly rock, but the little jazz duo they have there is very pleasing to the ears. (not too sure about pleasing the eyes ;)
They've got a lovely little menu and a great selection of wines (especially by the glass) to go with their food. If you're into European wines, I don't think you'll be disappointed here as most of their wines by the glass are Mediterranean.
Their home-made gnocchi was exceptionally good, I could have eaten a bottomless bowl of it, good thing they only have it as an appetizer!
Oh, and their service was top class, at least on a busy Tuesday night.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
My 1st Dine About Town experience for this season!
To sum it up: Service was very professional & is exactly how other restaurants should model themselves after, however the food really wasn't all-around impressive.
My friend ordered the DAT prix fixe which was the Pear-Chicory Salad Arctic Char (aka salmon), and Butterscotch Pot de creme, while I ordered the Mushroom Risotto off their regular menu to share.
The salad started off well w/ its light dressing, settle pear slices, and hazelnuts (which added a nice crunch!), but then when we got to the entrees, they didn't taste quite like I had hoped. My risotto mushrooms were perfect, but the risotto's sauce put a damper on things since it was doused in butter and oversalted. I tried a bite of my friend's salmon and was again disappointed. The lentils made for a classy appearance, but didn't seem to have the right texture to make a good complement to the salmon. I like my salmon moist & tender, but theirs was just average. Once the desserts came around, I went back to being pleased. The rich Butterscotch Pot de creme came w/ a cute side of pistachio-cocoa biscotti & a small but satisfying soft, walnut cookie. It was a nice save-the-day finish to everything.
Kudos to Nua for...
-Allowing us to sample their wines before deciding on a final selection.
-Not rushing us one bit! We were there for THREE hours, catching up & hanging out. They never even set down the bill!
-Making sure to guide me to their squeaky clean bathroom, so I wouldn't get lost. They totally go out of their way to make sure you're taken care of. Oo, and when they called
to confirm the reservation, they also offered to tell me where the best place is to park!
-Creating a clean, welcoming interior
In all honesty, I doubt I'll be returning...well for dinner that is. Maybe just for that tasty dessert.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
FINALLY got to try this gem i'd been wanting to for months. they accomidated our table for 6 so nicely, the service was wonderful. great, reasonable wines, delicous dishes with highlights including risotto, gambas, rib eye, califlower. a sophisticated but laid back spot.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Very cool space! Had a great glass of wine and a snack of their borlotti beans (we were headed to a show and I had already eaten) at the bar which was fun. They brought us a taste of a celery root soup topped with pomegranate seeds and olive oil that was out of this world!
The menu looks good and we were told the new chef is changing it up by 60% so stay tuned for more great food.
great service, cool staff for sure! Food was good- we hade some fish type dish and a pork chop, beans, fries with yummy dipping sauce and they brought us out an extra cauliflower dish on the kitchen- wine was yummy! they have a great selection. The bread you get with olive oil was amazing! small but very cute place- I may go again.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
I'm a sucker for live music...but amazing food and live music?! Heaven!
Two words for you: Bone Marrow. That's right, we started off our culinary adventure with a little bone marrow to tease the pallet. You know what we got? A new appreciation for that small decadent part of substance that came out of the bone. It was delicious, enough said. The waiter was also one of the best parts of the night.....hillarious I tell you. I forget his name but he's a younger guy, blonde hair, wants to be an actor....and has an awesome sense of humor. Anyhow, the rest of the meal was just as good (I had the scallops) and i can"t wait to go back!
Spreadsheet Analysis of Nua:
A B C
1 Roasted Squab Excellent 1
2 Housemade Chorizo Excellent 1
3 Wine Selection Excellent 1
4 Service Excellent 1
5 Ambiance Excellent 1
____________________________________________
=SUMIF(B1:B5,"Excellent",C1:C5)
Total: 5 (Stars)
People thought this was:
Useful (14)
Funny (20)
Cool (20)
Great New York style reataurant. Excellent food and great service. Standouts include the bone marrow with shredded pork and crostini, gnocci and the best ribeye steak I have ever tasted. The ribeye was just to die for. Add the great atmosphere, congenial owner, oustanding food and the cool North Beach location makes this place a true winner. Will keep going back over and over.
So I dined here a couple days ago, and it was supposed to be for the Dine About Town, but when we got there, the menu only had one option, so we chose to order off the regular menu.
The food was fabulous. For starters, we had the garlic shrimp thing, which was really good. I had the Rib Eye steak, which was pretty big, and quite juicy and flavorful. My friend had the quail, which was pretty small in portion, but i guess quails aren't that big to begin with. Then dessert which was just ok. It was a chocolate souffle thing, that didn't quite hit the spot.
The service was extraordinary. The servers were very attentive and patient as i was looking for wine to drink, and even suggested and gave ideas of what would go with what, and what would taste good. Quite an array of various wines from all over the world.
All the reviews rave about the service and I have to agree...from the moment we walked in to the moment we left, it was exceptional. Although it bordered on creepy when the waitress offered to escort me to the bathroom, explaining that it was "far away." Actually, no, telling me that it was straight back and on the left would have been sufficient.
Anyway, the food was clever and excellent, although the menu is somewhat limited. My pork chop was perfectly cooked and I gambled on the peppers to start, and was pleasantly surprised. Excellent wine list and the owner was quite knowledgeable about his wines. The bread was incredible and I could have kept eating it all day.
But what I noticed above everything else was how shiny the wine glasses are. I remarked to the owner that I'd eaten in a lot of restaurants in town, but had never seen such a brilliant wine glass. He thanked me -- and then ten minutes later brought out the guy in the back whose job is, you guessed it, to buff the wine glasses. Nice touch.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (4)
Cool (6)
Had a really great experience here. The service was outstanding - friendly waiter with great wine and food suggestions. Great food - duck confit gnocchi, house-made fennel sausage. Good atmosphere (a tad too loud.) Definitely worth a visit.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Finally! A decent restuarant in North Beach. So much of this area is covered with overpriced Italian joints targeted towards the tourist crowd. Great to have something for the neighborhood folk.
Service was excellent and attentive. Enjoyed my seafood risotto while my date savored the halibut. Nice wine selection. Menu is seasonal, so plenty of opportunity to try different selections on future outings. Made a nice evening by combining the night with jazz/wine at Dell'Uva across the street. However, the 2 bottle red wine hang-over I suffered from the next day may not have been worth it.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)