Poggio
at Casa Madrona
Sausalito, CA 94965 (415) 332-7771
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
202 reviews
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
"This is the best Italian food I've had in San Francisco. If you're like me and avoid the Boyardee gauntlet on Columbus Ave., walk over the…" read more »
111 Reviews for Poggio
I work on Bridgeway and if we have a good sales month at our store, my boss will typically take us out to dinner at Poggio.
The pizza margherita is stellar. I'm a cheap date so I usually get that, the carpaccio and a Peroni to drink whenever we go.
Their booze is a bit overpriced. Once had a double serving of Glenlivet 18 year and it set me back $90! Ouch!
They always seem to hire the most stunningly beautiful hostesses too.
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Great view.
We had a goat (?) cheese appetizer that shocked us at first. It was very green. We thought it would taste like vegetables or something, but it was a pleasant surprise. The mushroom sauce was delish.
The pastas are solid. K had the linguine with clams and A had the braised pork with homemade pasta.
It's hard to write more about this place. It's a classic Italian joint with great pasta, a nice ambiance, and excellent service. One of the best restaurants given its location.
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The food here tasted very fresh and the patio is dog friendly. They have two different types of water (no ice) they serve:frizzante (sparkling) and naturale (flat). I got a kick out of it because it reminded me of being in Italy where they automatically give you sparkling water (no ice) and if you wanted flat, you had to ask for it. I recommend the gnocci with beef ragu and the agnolotti, which is veal ravioli with sage sauce. I really wanted to give this place 5 stars, but the service was very slow and since it was a happy go lucky day we weren't in a rush but I was getting a little antsy. But overall, the service was good.
Recently, my girlfriend and I went to Sausolito for a spontaneous romantic dinner. We took the ferry to Sausalito from San Francisco arrived at Poggio at 6pm. The restaurant is very romantic and the ambiance is very charming. Upon placing our order, we told our server that we were in a bit of a hurry to make the last ferry back to San Francisco at 720pm. The service was great until a party of around 20 sat down at the table adjacent to ours. Long story short, we had to box our main course and eat it on the ferry back to San Francisco. Consequently, the food was fairly good but the service and timing was very poor.
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It was a wonderful birthday dinner!
(Ok, so the 22nd is my real birth date. I just like celebrating all week long, hence the endless reviews about the wonderful parties I've been having.)
When we checked in with our reservation, the hostess immediately wished me a happy birthday. So sweet! We were seated promptly and got right down to business. We chose still water (I don't like the sparkling stuff, which is what most European places serve and I am so over the euro - at least until the dollar wakes from its coma). I also ordered a strawberry mojito. Pretty strong drink, light strawberry flavor. I would've preferred a more pronounced fruity taste. They don't have any beers on tap so Jeff got a Fat Tire. Oh, and the glass they gave Jeff for his water had a lipstick stain on it. Gross. Our waitress, Deb, apologized repeatedly and brought out a new glass. Small, minor bump in the experience.
We started with the Margherita pizza - a "classic neapolitan pizza with tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and evoo," and added prosciutto di parma and arugula. Yum! The crust was thin and crispy and the arugula brought all the flavors together.
Next, I got the gnocchi - "spinach ricotta "pillows" with beef ragu." It was good, but honestly, I barely ate half of it. The pizza filled me up! I don't know why I always order a bunch of things, but then I get full so easily and it kind of takes away from my being able to eat other stuff. Seriously, though, the menu was great - I wanted to order at least half a dozen other things! Since it was my birthday, Jeff told me to go ahead and order the whole menu if I wanted. Yeah, like I'm gonna pig out right before going away for a weekend to LA to visit a girlfriend and more likely than not, hitting every "hot spot" club because she loves to dance and freak cute boys.
Jeff ordered the linguine - "pasta con vongole" with garlic, parsley, white wine, manila clams. He said it was "delicious!" I thought it was pretty freakin fantastic. There was a nice garlic flavor and the noodles tasted fresh (although I don't think they make their linguini there - other pastas, they do). I asked if it was better than the Pasta con Vongole at Piazza D'Angelo. He said it was different. Hmm. I think it was better, but it's not my go to dish like it is his so what do I know.
At this point, the dishes are cleared and there are 2 to go boxes on the table (leftover pizza and my pasta). Deb asked if we would like dessert. Full or not, of course I'm gonna look at the menu! Ooh, there's a strawberry shortcake. Oh, but we're at an Italian restaurant so I should get the Tiramisu. I wish Jeff ate desserts so that I could get both and share, but he doesn't have a sweet tooth so I stuck with just ordering one - the Tiramisu.
Deb brought out the dessert with a single candle on top and she and Jeff sang Happy Birthday to me. Oh, it was delightful! Corny as it sounds, I felt pretty special. To add to my happiness, the dessert was light and wonderful. The cream on top reminded me more of sweet foam than cream, but it was still yummy. And yes, I ate the whole thing!
And wouldn't you know it? They comped us the dessert because it was my birthday! Yay!
The whole meal wasn't extravagant or expensive, and I can see us coming back here time and again for the wonderful food and excellent service. I love Poggio!
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Not too bad. Pretty good actually. I would go there again to try some different stuff. Went and sat at the bar. Good drinks, great pizza, great beet salad. Sadly, I have to say bad service. It could have just been an off day. The two bartenders were openly fighting with each other. At one end it was hilarious and entertaining, at the other it wasn't relaxing in anyway.
This place is excellent for people watching, especially fat older men with women way to young for them who have had way too much plastic surgery and too many toy dogs.
Being a local and watching it change from the Sausalito Trade Fair I wanted to like this place. The smell of that oven when I walk by is just heaven. I have been there 6 times and only ONE lunch was memorable. The service was just awful every single time. Why did I go back?
4 of the times I received a gift certificate and one time was a surprise for my birthday and the first time I went on my own with neighbors. Again, I wanted to like this place, but the service was so odd each time it left me wondering how this place is getting good reviews. My chef friend who lives close by tried cooking there but quit on the second day because it was such a disaster in the kitchen. He has 20 years experience so it's not like he hasn't seen a well-run kitchen.
For now, I give up. Ronn Owens and Gene Burns from KGO give it a great rating, but as I wrote to both of them, who wouldn't fall all over themselves to make either of them happy in a restaurant?
I never received great, consistant or good service from the hostess or the wait staff, well, except that one lunch I referred to earlier.
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I've never eaten at the restaurant tables, only at the bar. The bartender is fantastic (Tony), he knows everyone, remembers what kind of wine you drink, and makes you feel like you've just arrived in Venice. The place is warm in tone, and the chicken liver salad with balsamic vinegar and a side of bread is memorable. The personal pizzas are quite good as well.
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When a gourmet restaurant has Pork and Beans on the menu....order it! Very good gnocchi has well. Great wine list. Don't order the wines from Napa...Sonoma makes wine, Napa makes auto parts.
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It's a place where the waiters welcomes you by asking if you want complimentary sparkling water or simple water. It's a place with the greatest starter breads. It's a place that doesn't frown upon you when you order Plain Cheese Pizza.
We devoured all the vegetarian entrees/salads and appetizers on the menu (All 4 of them).
The wines were great. Try their Pinot Griggios. And don't miss their coffee.
It would help if the menus weren't written in Italian and tranlated into more obscure Italian.
I came here on a date and had a good meal. It was a generally good experience. The space was beautiful, great location, good food, good service.
I liked the fact that the water choices for carafes include both flat and sparkling. These are the little touches that make the restaurant memorable for me.
My date told the waiter I didn't need to finish my dessert.
How well do you think that went over?
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Went there for a weekend lunch outing and got the pappardelle which was tasty but heavy for a lunch dish. The pasta was cooked perfectly and really did taste homemade. We brought our dog and sat outside but they didn't offer her any water, which some other "dog-friendly" restaurants do. Still the service was pretty good, wine list really extensive, and parking easy to find right across the street.
I sat at the bar and had a nice prosecco cocktail and ordered the lamb meatballs appetizer. deeeeeelicious. My lovely cohort had a dessert that was outstanding. So, we didn't sample much but it was damn good.
Tony was behind the bar..his immense charm made up for the fact that it took _for_ever_ to get served. But what are you gonna do? It's Saturday night, it's busy....
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I went to Poggio with my dad and my brother on a friend's recommendation. We were greeted and seated immediately in a cushy booth. My brother observed that it was the softest, springiest booth he had ever had the pleasure of sitting on. They had a great lunch menu with so many fab choices it took us ten minutes to come up with a game plan.
We ordered "polpettine" - lamb and ricotta meatballs to start. I enjoyed them but not as much as the delectable baseball sized meatballs from Lo Coco's in Oakland. Then we each ordered the corn soup with basil oil because no one was interested in sharing. I had to send mine back because it was ice cold - When it returned it was piping hot and possibly the best soup I have ever had: Sweet and creamy with touches of heat and sweet basil. Yum.
Next, my dad and I shared the chicken mattone which came with fingerling potatoes, artichokes and yummy lemony chicken jus. It was a great and generous dish but I wasn't sure if it was dangerous to ingest the prickly bits of the artichoke. We ended with two pastas - the gnocchi with peas and mint and some unpronounceable pasta with oxtail. Both were quite good but I had already stuffed myself with bread and soup and sparkling water. We skipped dessert.
Overall, we had a wonderful time at Poggio: Friendly and attentive service and a really great meal. Dad paid for this one but I think it was a pretty good value. I loved the old school waiters who offered freshly ground pepper at every turn. Bonus points for the complimentary warm rosemary bread and sparkling water!
3.5 stars
Pretty decent food, but marginal service. I wish they had more of a vegetarian selection, but what they did have was very tasty.
I just wish the service was better here. It was quite slow and our waiter brought me the wrong dessert because they ran out of the one I ordered, but just brought out a different on without telling me. Oh well, at least he took it off my bill.
I dunno...I think Sausalito's becoming too fake and pretenious. Some jackass with a midlfe crisis parked his red ferarri in front of the restaurant in the red zone....what a douche....
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I came here still fuming mad from a bad day and blasting "Dragula" by Rob Zombie on my iPod. My poor date (not the person I was mad at), did his best to cheer me by taking me to this place.
I must say the place is quite gorgeous. The line of trees along the street brightly decorated with yellow christmas lights, the numerous windows, and the charm of the outdoor seating helped cool the steam coming out of my ears.
The food was portioned well, sauces mixed with a light hand, simple yet focused presentation, and homemade pastas served perfectly al dente. The taste was sometimes hit-or-miss.
A "hit" for me: The "Pappardelle" had a perfect ribbony texture. The shredded duck meat was moist and meaty, if my eyes had been closed I could have sworn it was beef or lamb.
A "miss" for me: The "Chicken 'al mattone'" was a half-chicken, de-boned, and cooked with a brick on top of it. It came out fairly moist, the flavor slightly smoky from the oak, but the sheer density of the meat made it feel very heavy on the stomach. Thought I was hungry enough to handle it, ended up getting my butt whooped. Just something that may not be for everyone.
Sides were a must at $4.00 each, great for the type that feel there's never enough veggies with the entrees. Loved the lack of traditional cream-smothering, and portioned just enough to get a good scoop on each plate.
In terms of general value, the waiter said prices run around $5-6 cheaper here than what's expected in the city. But at the same time, I can't say for sure I'd spend $5-6 more for the same food.
Still, besides having to kill a large mosquito-like bug with my napkin, and watering down a mixed drink that felt like it had too much syrup in it, it still ended up being a great and relaxing night to a really crappy day.
Good solid 3 1/2 stars.
Thank you boo.
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i love this restaurant because of its location, decor and fresh ingredients. the dishes definitely bring out the natural taste of the food. the service is good, however i've always gone when its been very busy and have been sat at some very tiny tables. the ambiance and food have usually been good enough for me to overlook that though. the prices are also very reasonable. ive had very enjoyable evenings from this restaurant.
I've walked or ridden by this place a million times, so I thought I'd give it a try. We were seated almost immediately, and the ambiance was quite nice (this is what lured me in anyway). After the expeditious seating, this is where things fell apart. We were offered a choice of still or sparkling water, to which we ordered sparkling. What arrived was still. No big deal - lost in translation is pretty common. Now I'm a self-admitted margarita snob, but I do know my margs, and I do know good tequila. I ordered a marg with high expectations, but it was cotton-candy sweet, and the tequila was nowhere to be found. I sent it back in exchange for some reputable red wine. The first appetizer was quite good - Sardines. The follow-up Endive salad, equally delicious. I ordered the gnocchi, and my expectations were dashed to the sidewalk. Not only were they lacking in flavor, but they were a bit too soggy and wet for my palette. Overall, just a plain old blah meal, and far from the fine dining experience that the prices & acclaims should command. We mentioned this to our waitress, purely as an inroad to understand if maybe we just hit this place on an off night. While the staff were gracious enough to take a discount off the meal, they forgot to remove the forlorn Margarita from the bill. I gave up and waved the white flag at this point... I paid the bill, and walked out knowing that the utility of this place would not exceed that of offering a place for good people watching and a cold beer. Don't believe the hype surrounding the previous reviews of Poggio's... Fine dining is as much about overall consistency as it is about the quality of the food and service. My first visit will regrettably be my last visit as well.
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Totally average food. Nothing shocking, nothing ill-prepared, but also nothing impressively fresh or exciting.
Out party was large and I felt confirmed in my belief that tourist town dining = crappy cuisine because no one will ever have the occasion to go back.
Service is old-school, borderline rude especially if you aren't an AARP member.
I really don't like giving 2 stars to anyone. I'm in the biz and I try to be fair and objective. I will start by saying that our server did a great job. He was attentive, helpful. Otherwise, pretty blah experience.
Beautiful day in Sausalito by the way...perfect for outdoor dining. They have a nice big section of outdoor tables that span the entire length of the restaurant, and the weather was perfect. It took a minute for myself and my guest to be acknowledged, which was annoying since many in uniform passed us by without so much as a nod. Host sat us without much in the way of eye contact or body language...not a big deal really but noticeable.
The clams were pretty lame- the broth was great, but if you're adding sausage to this dish, it better be an accent- there were big chunks of italian sausage that overpowered everything AND they were pretty flavorless. Bresaola was okay but it didn't blow me away. For contorni the Maiz (sweet corn with basil butter) was very boring and unispiring- I don't want to be dazzled, but sweet corn and butter are normally slam dunks...it just lacked anything. Potato puree was essentially mashed potatoes but, again, very flat and missing some sexiness.
Again, I really hate to give a restaurant 2 stars when I feel like they are capable of much better, but I have to relay my experience. Maybe another time.
The thing to do at Poggio is sit at the bar and talk and listen to Tony, the bartender, who is from Italy. He is funny, knowledgable and charming. He'll tell you what to order. We had the salami plate - Tony told us the chef made the assortment offered himself. Then Tony, and my husband who is European, told me this is what poor people eat in Italy and Europe and my husband said he was not poor enough to eat the "lardon" but Tony and I agreed it was delicious. My husband ate all the salami. I also liked the Mortadella, which is really nothing like the kind you remember from delis as a kid. Tony makes a nice Margarita with fresh lime juice that is very tasty. I like to go early before it gets too crowded and hang out and enjoy Sausalito before it turns into a scene and there is no parking. I recommend the duck pasta, it is smoky and fulfilling.
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I greatly enjoyed dinner at Poggio in Sausalito. When I picked it, I was merely trying to steer my friend (who lives in San Francisco and spends a lot of time in Marin County) away from taking me to a touristy spot with a water view. Water views are nice and all, but I know that views often equal overpriced, undistinguished fare. Plus it was getting dark.
Poggio was a complete treat. I really didn't know what to expect. At the "could be bad" end of the spectrum, I noticed the aging diners (median age 60?) and huge dining room. At the "could be good" end, we noticed the bustling crowd and cheerful staff, as well as a menu with lots of appealing choices. We put our name in with the host and was told the wait could be 90 minutes for a table for two.
Hmm.
We made our way to the far end of the bar, near the door to the kitchen, and were pleased when two bar stools opened up.
Deciding to dine there instead of the dining room worked out very well for us. We chatted with various members of the staff as they visited the bar area, as well as our fellow bar diners, all of whom were very welcoming, cheerful locals. By the end of our meal, we felt like part of the crew of regulars. To start, we shared the burrata appetizer with sun dried tomato pesto and grilled bread (not the burrata preparation presently noted online). My friend's entree was the perfectly al dente bucatini alla amatriciana, and mine was the polpettone, a terrific braised meatloaf that I'm going to be trying to replicate for the rest of my life.
We passed on dessert, intending to get ice cream at one of the two shops we had seen on our way in. Sadly, both were closed by 9:30. I suspect businesses close later during the summer--Sausalito was a ghost town as we walked to my friend's car.
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I'm not quite sure what to say about this place. The food was good. The space was beautiful. The service was.....a job for the server. I guess I was supposed to be impressed by the "reverse osmosis" filtered water that was "free." puh-lease! I thought it was a cool restaurant and would probably be great in the summer when the patio opens up. I had a steak that was delicious and a beet salad that was mediocre. I chose a wine that the the server was unsure if it was the bottle I chose when she brought it to the table.
All in all a not so funny, humurous, or impressive experience. The rolls were amazing however. Would I go back? Sure. Is this a place you HAVE to go to? eh.
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Ok, so i know a lot of people who love this restaurant. I'm not too big of a fan. The first time the meal was not that memorable and the second time the waitor was deaf or something. It was kinda weird having to re-order the same thing four times in a row. Stranger when he repeated it back and still was dumbfounded when you asked about it. We ordered variety of things to share (probably 5-6) and we had to re-order, had a problem with them for about 4-5 dishes. Hmmm...not a good ratio.
The answer is "No". Italians DO NOT just eat pasta and pizza. Italians also feast on short ribs, chicken, snapper, clam, and even meatballs. EXCEPT for this one little fact--their short ribs are braised with a side of celery root puree; thier chicken is "al mattone" (which means it's cooked under a brick); thier snapper is paired with lemon and roasted sunchokes; their clam is braised in a stew with calamari and polenta; and their meatballs are chard and made with ricotta.
I've never been to Italy, however, my dining experience at Poggio's transported me to a small rustic town on the outskirts of Florence where I found myself sitting outside a trattoria enjoying a steaming bowl of clam stew with polenta, while the handsome Italian waiter (with perfect eyebrows and an alluring smile) refills my glass with house-made sparkling water. I open my eyes and I find myself in Sausalito, eating the same stew and being served by the same Italian waiter, who asks me in English to refill my water.
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You can come here in casual attire, or with a full on suit/jacket and all is well. After a walk along the coast, we stopped here with my puppy for a late lunch. The seating was nice, and on such a cold Sunday, the outdoor heaters right above our tables were much needed. The dog was welcomed as well, and was provided her own water bowl. The service was great, especially on a laxed, non-rushed afternoon.
The boyfriend ate this fennel sausage pasta--very flavorful. I had a small strawberry salad with watercress and arugula. Portions were considered "medium" but I could've eaten twice as much!
Prices were reasonable, given the type of eatery (about $30 for the both of us, not drinks).....the Italian deli down the street was just as expensive, actually.
Would come here again on a warmer day for a glass of wine.
The best thing about this place is that the staff tries hard to please and the bread was good. The salad was unforgettable (I have no idea what I had) and the pasta was average (I got the 'special' vegetarian one. It was just ok.) I really wanted to like this place. On a positive note, I had heard that this place was great for brunch, so I might return for that meal and give it another shot.
oh well.
After reaching out to my fellow yelpers for advice on where to go in sausalito for lunch, I decided to go with Poggio and I wasn't disappointed.
The food is diverse and well made, the service is great and attentive and they really know their menu. I was there with someone with some severe food allergies and she was accomodated beautifully.
Also, they serve complimentary sparkling water, which impressed everyone.
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Yeah, I know, it's Sausalito. It's expensive. And there's lots of tourists. But sometimes your city friends don't want to drive farther than Sausalito to see you and sometimes you don't want to drive over the bridge to see them...you know how it is.
The food for the most part is well done, Kinda plain on the plate, "remember you eat with your eyes first".
The service was efficient and friendly.
I tough the price was fantastic, compared to places in the city.
Good dining in Sausalito? Thankfully, it's getting a bit easier to find. Poggio proved to be the perfect place to catch up with an old friend on a rainy off-season night.
Maybe not overall quite a 4-star experience, but perfectly seared chicken livers served with grilled greens-definitely 5 star.
The endive salad was super-sized for the small plate it was served on.....hard to complain about hearty portions, but it was a bit difficult to eat piled up so high, and seemed hastily prepared, with 2 huge chunks of gorgonzola thrown in. I'm going to stop complaining about it because both dishes were really good value at $10 each and I couldn't finish them.
My chum loved her pasta, it was a dish she'd ordered several times before...if I hadn't been so distracted with hot gossip I could tell you what it was, but their pastas are made in house so I trust that they know what they're doing!
The lovely dining room was practically empty, yet we had a hard time getting attentive service in the bar area....perhaps they could deploy their forces better.
Wines by the glass are well-priced and the selection provides many choices from Italy & California.
I look forward to returning and sitting outside on a bright sunny day,
on the cusp of a Tourist Season.
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I went to this place when they first opened a few years ago and had a great experience, but when I went back last week I walked away feeling less then satisfied. I guess some good restaurants do go down hill after time.
The server seemed overly pushy with the expensive vino, the food was decent ( best thing we ordered was a simple verdure plate), and the man at the table next to us (for great people watching sit outside) stood up every 15 min to walk 3 feet away for a cigarette-you would think an overly-pushy server might push him away!
Needless to say, as a local I think it is an okay spot if you are looking for something okay. . . just be cautious of the amazing awards they received 2-6 years ago
Also one of my favorite Italian restaurants! I was there on Valentine day 2008. It was last minute plan and we had no reservation and they still were able to seat us.
It's in Sausalito so parking was not a problem like SF, plus its free street parking.
Food is good, service is great, can be pricy depending on what you order, if its veggie dishes then it can be really cheap :-)
I ate at Poggio's on January 25, 2008 for dinner and I would go back 10 times over. The food is awesome, full of flavor, and done up right. Service is great. Had a table overlooking the then rainy streets of Sausalito. My only complaint would be it is a tab pricey but really for the quality it is not too bad.
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Wow. This restaurant was such a pleasant surprise. J. and I were in Sausalito around dinner time on Sat., 2/8/08, so he used Yelp on his phone to see ratings for the restaurants in the area. Poggio won by far. I think we've had a string of really good luck in our restaurant selections lately, as each one has been better than the next. Believe me, I'm not the type to give a place 5 stars if I don't really mean it!
Anyway, back to Poggio. We walked in, and it was already fairly busy, since it was Saturday night. The hostess asked if we had a reservation, and we didn't, but she still seated us immediately in the area near the bar. Granted, it wasn't as fancy as the candlelit tables further into the restaurant, but it still had a pleasant atmosphere. The waitress arrived and offered our choice of free sparkling or tap water, and we got one of each. She also explained that the menu changed daily based on the food available that day. She took our drink order (J. got wine -- I'll try to update the review with the name when I can) and brought warm rolls. The rosemary one was delicious! We also liked that the butter came in a dish that was covered in paper with the Poggio logo on top -- nice touch.
To start, we ordered a salad to split: Baby beets - marinated beets, haricot vert, arugula, balsamico, ricotta salata (according to their Web site). Everything was fresh, and we loved the mix of red and sweet yellow beets, as well as the contrast of textures between the beets and cheese.
I looked at the tables to either side to see what our fellow diners were eating, and one dish looked amazing, so I asked the waitress, and she said it was Pappardelle, which, on that night, consisted of duck, mushrooms, a red wine sauce, flat noodles, and a cheese whose name I'm having trouble remembering. (That version is not currently listed on the restaurant's Web site.) SOLD. The first bite was sweet and savory, and I felt like I had lucked out with my choice of meal -- there was a good balance between duck, mushrooms, and pasta so that none of the ingredients was overwhelming. Best of all, the portion size (generous, but not gigantic) allowed me to take some home to enjoy for a snack the next day -- it was just as tasty!
J. ordered Orecchiette, which, as their current online menu states, contained fennel sausage, red onion, broccoli di cicco and pecorino romano. I also tried this, and it was a hearty dish that also had a lot of flavor.
J. and I both thought that the service was impeccable -- even though we were seated near the bar, the waitress never forgot about us, and our water glasses were never empty.
Tip: The bathrooms are out the front door, up the elevator to the second floor.
Next time we're in Sausalito, we're definitely planning to return to Poggio.
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I love Il Fornaio, and this is a venture by the same guy. I just don't get it. Inattentive service at the tables, bland, carboard style pizza (I know what they are going for, but it falls short). The novel idea of branding their own bubbly water is fun, but it isn't anything special. Nor are the breadsticks.
Average... and I would never ever go here aside from the fact that they have the sheen such that every business lunch is forced into this blah blah blah place....
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4.5 stars. Sat at the bar, had a light dinner and watched the game. Food, drinks, and service were excellent. A little pricey, but not too bad, and the quality reflected the prices.
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I use to live in Sausalito, as a matter of fact right above the hotel and Poggio. I use to pass this place daily and told myself I need to try this place out one day.
Well last night was the day.It was my 21st birthday. My husband had a gift card for Poggio, so we decided to come here.
The host was really weird. Didn't make us feel welcome at all and we had a reservation. I thought oh no this is not going to be good.
We asked to be seated outside. If you come here outside is better. They have heaters so you'll still be warm. The inside looked really stuffy and crowded. We had a really nice quiet dinner outside.
The waitress was nice as well as the other staff members, so if you get turned off by the host don't worry everyone else is pretty nice. She helped us with the menu.
We ordered a Burrata to start, then I had the Romaine salad and my husband got the soup. I didn't really like the Burrata. The cheese was like cottage cheese, and I don't like cottage cheese. The Romaine salad was good. I really liked the vinagrette on it. My husband's soup was very good. Tasted like onion soup.
For the main course I had the Game Hen and Husband had the lamb. I wished I gotten the lamb. The hen was good, but it came with beans and grits. It was very bland. My husbands lamb was overly salted, but at least when you got past the salt it tasted pretty good.
We didn't order any wine. I'd recommend wine with the dishes. That's probably why everything tasted the way it did.
If you're looking to eat and get out, this is not the place for you. I didn't mind that the food came out slowly because my husband and I had a wonderful conversation. Plus, there was plenty of warm delicious bread.
The funniest part of the night was when the manager came and took our order. Then a minute later the waitress comes back and asked if we're ready. We told her someone took our order. She was like hmmmm, I wonder who that was. Then the manager comes back and takes the order of her other table. This sort of kept happening the whole night where the manager would step in and help the waitress, but I don't think she liked that very much. Pretty entertaining.
Would I come here again? Probably not. You get good portion sizes for the food, but it was just okay.
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Service = great. Even though we were at the bar, and watching the game. Everyone is so friendly and service-oriented.
Food = delicious. Dinner was the bar, so we munched on the individually wrapped breadsticks. Then we were served with hot crunchy crusty rolls. I had the beef oxtail stuffed pasta (similar to ravioli) with mushroom broth. It was to die for. Full of flavor, and moist. Very good Italian! And they have lots of 'homemade' pastas.
For dessert, I had the Caramel Balsamic gelato...sweet, with a nice little tart kick. It was heaven.
Decor = classy. Marble, glass, and fine wood everywhere.
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After having a lot of so-so Italian fare, I found that Poggio was a step up from the ordinary.
As the other Yelpers indicated, it is a bit more pricey, but I feel that Poggio is worthy of its price tag.
I've been on a quest for the perfect gnocchi and I came pretty close here. I had the sweet potato "rottelini" but it was really gnocchi that had been shaped like rottelini pasta. The sweet potato flavor was very apparent and the sheep's milk Italian (can't remember the name) cheese sauce that it was served with complemented the sweet potato flavor. The gnocchi was soft and pillowy like good gnocchi should be.
We also had the house cured beef appetizer which was very flavorful and went well with the accompanying arugula.
The apricot sorbetto didn't taste like apricot and was way too sweet, but the overall dining experience was excellent.
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