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SPQR
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian
1911 Fillmore St(between Bush St & Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94115
Neighborhoods: Lower Pac Heights, Pacific Heights
(415) 771-7779
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1004 reviews for SPQR
Review Highlights
"But my new favourite: FRIED BRUSSEL SPROUTS."
(in 53 reviews)
"which brings me to the wine list - super reasonable."
(in 130 reviews)
"i love this place for small plates."
(in 82 reviews)
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1004 reviews in English
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Review from Foodie S.
San Diego, CA
2/8/2012
AMAZING FOOD AND AWESOME SERVICE!
Thank you Chef,
Thank you Kristen! -
Review from Stephanie M.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
How to have a guaranteed fantastico Brunch at SPQR for 4:
Sit outside
-People watch (Heat lamp doesn't work, so its pretty cold, but bear w it)
-Say hi to people you know who walk by
-Have many Mimosas or Wine
-Share 1 delicious Cheese made by Andante Dairy
-Have 2 orders of Buttermilk Biscuits w lardo and jam
-2 people order the 64 soft poached eggs, white bean, delicata squash, goat cheese, and fried kale
-1 person order the Fettucini with sea urchin and quail eggs
-If you are a veggie like my friend: Not to worry, the chef will prepare you something special like a Crepe
-Try to order before 2:30pm when it closes
Lastly, no need to order dessert, go to Fraiche across the street -
Review from Michael E.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
Very good. The food was all very inventive and delicious.
A couple things were off however: i got lobster, mini scallops and beans and the beans were undercooked. Also: the resturant is totally cramped. They have way too many tables and no room to even wait to be seated. I guess thats forgiveable on account of the great food, but.... -
Review from Katie R.
Marina/Cow Hollow, San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
I went to spqr for a family Sunday dinner and the experience started out great with a really personal and spunky hostess with an exotic name that I wish I remembers that I'm sure started with a z. We were seated much more quickly than told and had a wonderful dining experience. The food was amazing, I do love Italian though.. And the atmosphere was so much fun! Would definitely return thanks to amazing service and delicious food
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Review from Amelia M.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
Went here last week on a date. I was quite impressed because my companion just loves good food... so he has never let me down with his restaurant selections. But lets move on to the food.
This place is quite small and narrow. Reservations are a must and you will be sitting quite close to your neighbors. I would not use this place to divulge any serious news like... "Honey, it's not you it's me."
Options... there are various food options, but if you are game to follow the pasta tasting menu, I highly recommend it. The flavors are just divine. The sea urchin was so tasty. I had never had sea urchin before, but I decided to carpe diem it all and loved it!
We ended up sharing a dessert which i actually liked. It is a Tiramisu which did not taste like your traditional Tiramisu, but you need to remember... this place is Italian inspired.
At the end of the tasting, I had to give most of my food to my date. I don't think he was too upset over it all!
I know the bill was high, but I did not get to see it. Would I go back? Yes. It is really a special occasion place to me. You won't catch me going there once a week. Unless I win the lotto. Give it a try!
PS - I LOVED the service. They were nothing but nice and friendly to us. But I can see how some people I know would see it as a bit pretentious. This is why SF has a plethora of places to go. If you feel uncomfortable with a place where you might not be able to pronounce most things on the menu... then this place may not be for you. I just point t the menu and eat! LOL -
Review from Ying F.
1/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came here for my best friend's birthday brunch and it was wonderful. Thank goodness this place takes reservations cause we had a huge party. Actually, this place is really small so making a reservation is highly recommended.
Cute little fancy restaurant.
Just FYI we ordered a lot cause my friend is pregnant and wants a bite of everything.
Brunch:
-Buttermilk biscuits, whipped lardo and butter- nice and fluffy! Great whipped lardo!
-Cherry scones, kumquat jam - This was ok. A little on the dry side. The jam was sweet! Loved the Jam
-Spiced pumpkin bread, marshmallow - My favorite out of all the pastries. That's cause I'm a sucker for pumpkin. I didn't care much for the marshmallow. It was too sweet for my taste. But I love the Pumpkin Bread!!
-Fall squash soup, nantucket bay scallops, pumpkin seed oil, ricotta farro bombolini - I wanted a larger bowl of this! So creamy and savory! Absolutely one of the most memorable dish I've had at this restaurant.
-64° soft poached farm eggs, delicata squash, fennel sausage, goat cheese - Simple and delicious. Got my breakfast crave fix.
-buckwheat spaghetti, suckling pig ragu, bacon, raisin, rapini, sarvecchio cheese - not a fan... I felt there was not enough sauce for the pasta. Too dry for me.
-farro bucatini, green onion, poppy seed, salumi, buttermilk, ricotta salata - This was an awesome pasta dish. I really enjoyed the flavors of this than the buckwheat spaghetti!
Overall, I would skip the pasta plates on the brunch menu and stick to the pastries and breakfast dishes. Unless you come here for dinner, then you must try the whole wheat torchio, veal and porcini bolognese, sage breadcrumb. DELICIOUS!
Service was wonderful and it was an awesome birthday celebration for my pregnant. -
Review from Simone G.
New York, NY
1/15/2012
This is one of those places that prides itself on a an enigmatic, eclectic menu. Go here to sample something you would never make yourself, nor pine for, unless of course, you saw it on a menu in front of your face.
No pizza. No lasagna. Nothing remotely close to knee-jerk Italian. But superb gourmet dining with ingredients so fresh they ostensibly could have been born day of. (Read: fresh picked, fresh caught, fresh prepared)
We had more of an issue with bookending patrons at our elbows then we did with the staff. You have to squeeze. Look folks, do you know what makes you a badass? Not sitting at a gucci Italian restaurant thinking you and Moses just parted the sea because you snagged a table at the coveted SPQR. What makes you a badass is trying out novel, super yum cuisine with good company. Coming here and paying $20 for a salad is non consequential unless you tried one with an ingredient you either can't pronounce or don't know what it is.
Be adventurous. Make reservations. Warm up with some wine prior to sauntering over so you don't break the bank on probably the only replicable variable: a good bottle of wine.
The rest is truly a marvel of cuisine. Cruise the menu to get a better pulse as it changes often. -
Review from Ty T.
1/10/2012
I was here over the past weekend for brunch, nearly right as SPQR opened their doors. And we were quite pleased that our party of 3 were immediately seated without much haste. Undertaking quite impressive due diligence, our waitress was concise in her descriptions of some of the offerings /ingredients on the menu, and not through a flourish of adjectives, nor superlatives either. It seemed as if she had just had a tasting of the full menu the night before!
The interior of the place was quite gorgeous, it held a cohesive look of refined elegance with an ample amount of light seeping both from the front of the facade, to the recessed light being omitted from the overhead skylights above the bar; onward through dark monochromatic painted walls, a lush warm wainscot that wrapped its arms around the entire span of the restaurant, also matching the dark hardwood of the tables and thornet chairs throughout.
This 64° farm egg antipasta dish was absolutely mouth-watering, and lip-smackingly phenomenal. Everything from the perfectly cooked bits of bacon, white shrimp, and american ham in each bite. I adore the simplicity of most pasta alla carbonaras, and this one is definitely one of the better tasting ones' I've had the pleasure of experiencing. My Verbena citrus punch cooler made a perfect drink compliment for this savory dish.
As often as I frequent this neighborhood, I can't believe it took this long for me to finally have tried this place. Now if only I can learn the mastery of poaching the perfect egg at home, I'd be all set for the new year.
Highly recommended.
I can't wait to return to the charm, and great food of SPQR.Listed in: Places That Make Me WHET
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Review from G R.
San Francisco, CA
Order the 64 degree egg with celery root, bacon, white shrimp and America ham.
Need I say more about the talent in this kitchen.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/21/2010
Update: started with the winter salad and if was a hit. Bitter greens, persimmon, walnuts in a… Read more »
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Review from Olga D.
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
SPQR was a pleasant surprise. The restaurant was one of the places recommended by our hotels' concierge. We didn't make reservation (Sunday night), but once we got there I wished we would have. The place is small and it was packed.
The hostess offered us bar seats, right next to their kitchen. Once I got the menu, I was a bit put off by it. Not to say that I've never been to fancy restaurants or am not sophisticated enough, I just like to understand what I'm ordering. SPQR's cryptic menu was a bit of a challenge. But after discussing a few options with a bartender/server, I ordered button mushroom soup, squid pasta and my fiancee ordered kale and goat cheese filled tortelli.
Best mushroom soup EVER!! Maybe it tasted so good, because I got the last cup... but it tasted excellent. Squid pasta had a bit of an unusual and strong taste, but I liked it. Tortelli was excellent, but with a LOT of butter. You could smell it, you could definitely taste it - very rich dish. I love butter, but was glad we shared both entrees, otherwise I'm not sure if I could finish tortelli by myself.
Our bar seats were right next to the kitchen, which is inside the dining room. It was really cool to watch the chef and his staff do their thing. The place is very small, so make reservations. -
Review from Steve P.
Oakland, CA
1/19/2012
I really wanted to like SPQR. Don't get me wrong, I went with the best intentions in my heart. Upon entering SPQR, I felt like this may be one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. The ambiance was initially very nice. Somewhat quiet, nice lighting, artistic decor. It looked good.
Initially upon looking over the menu, I noticed a lot of interesting dishes, and my party ordered a ton of them (4 appetizers, 5 main courses, 3 desserts in total). However, as the night moved on, I became less and less enamored by their service, the quality of their food, and their overall approach to "fine dining."
First, let me cover the drink menu. Now, I understand that nobody is holding a gun to my head and forcing me to pay these outrageous prices. However, $35 for a 22 oz beer? It better be made with pure unicorn tears (not those imported ones from 3rd world unicorn tear sweat shops either).
Second, the appetizers: $15 for essentially some soggy carrots dripping with oil and some pickled veggies. That's totally worth the price. Actually, there was one appetizer which totally blew me away (and sadly was one of only 3 dishes out of all of the ones ordered that I could say that honestly about) and that was the pork belly/ pig ears. That was amazing.
The portion size here leaves a lot to be desired. When I'm paying 26 bucks for steelhead salmon, I'd expect it not to be a 3 inch by 5 inch filet with miniscule amounts of veggies on the side. I've been to a lot of fancy places, but this seemed quite ridiculous.
The desserts are really amazing, especially the chocolate cake and the butternut squash cake.
All in all, the food did not blow me away. It was tiny portions, more on the greasy side, and I shouldn't leave a 300+ dollar meal feeling like I need to stop off at another place before going home because I'm still hungry.
I suppose overall, this place is just heavily pretentious, and sadly that is what you pay for. -
Review from avalon e.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/9/2012
3.5 stars, rounding down to 3.
Pricey, pretentious, and miniscule portions of greasy cholesterol bombs.
We had a biscuit and 2 of their pastas for lunch.
One with uni and lardon, the other was a chestnut pasta with suckling pig.
Not hard to notice a hint of the taste of A16 here (I think Nate Appleman was here before he moved to NYC) but dishes are a wee bit less refined/well executed. -
Review from Anthony M.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012
If you want good Itailan Food and Wine This is your spot.
The service is excellent and everything on the menu is wonderful. I've been here a few time and there is nothing to complain about like so many italian eateries in SF. -
Review from MARIANA L.
New York, NY
1/4/2012
Cozy and delicious.
I loved watching the compact kitchen plating unique dishes so efficiently. The pastas were unusual but they all worked. Homemade cocoa tagliatelle with pancetta and mushrooms was my fave, as well as the mustard cappelini.
Yum, I will be back next time I am in SF. -
Review from Maxwell M.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
SPQR is a small restaurant with a frequent wait time to be seated. As someone who visited the restaurant before Accarrino rescued it, I was eager to see what has changed.
For a modest kitchen, they put out quite a menu, though it appears to have been reduced from what I recall. A great selection of appetizers, pastas and a modest selection of entrees. The menu changes day to day, but is always done with interesting and modern ideas.
I started with the chopped wagyu beef. The texture was excellent, the fried oyster was crispy, and it was garnished with shaved cornichons. The new potato element of the dish was basically thinly sliced potato chips, with which I found two problems. One, they were so brittle, it was hard to enjoy the tartar on the chip. Second, they were absurdly salty, especially because the tartar was beautifully seasoned. Minus a few potatoes, I cleaned this plate up. I would order it again, perhaps with a side of toasted bread.
I moved onto the saffron and herb pappardelle with the lamb ragout. Pasta was nicely cooked, meat was tender, and it was a plate my meat resistant wife enjoyed as well.
I ended my meal with the suckling pig (included belly and loin chops) with beets and red cabbage. Now, it's hard to go wrong with suckling pig, but it was an amazing dish. The belly was velvety and crispy, the loins juicy, and the entire dish just melded so well. It was one of the best plates of food I have ever had.
I will absolutely return to SPQR for another fantastic meal, however I will comment that the service received was very disappointing for those who may be interested, to the point that I regret not talking to a manager about it. I don't mind the tightly packed dining room (some may find it claustrophobic), but I did mind waiting 50 minutes for a 7pm reservation, and our server was never to be found after taking our order unless the wine bottle went dry. They were so slow to clear our plates after we finished that we sat waiting 15 minutes for our first and second courses to be cleared. Also, the food runners gave every person at our table the wrong dish every single time, which was quite frustrating. This resulted in a less than adequate tip from us, and rightly so. Nonetheless, I will come back for Chef Accarrino's delights. -
Review from Lisa P.
12/21/2011
SPQR defines what posh dining in San Francisco is. The restaurant is romantic and cozy with a decidedly upscale feel, and now that it's all decked out for the holidays the ambiance is even more delightful. I've only dined at the bar because reserving a table can be difficult, but I've never had a bad experience here.
The 64° egg antipasti is probably one of the best things I've put in my mouth in 2011, all joking aside. A perfect preparation and presentation, with a crispy to the point of melting in your mouth piece of bacon tucked on the side, I will count this as one of my all-time favorite dishes of the year.
Perhaps not surprisingly, my primi pasta course of rigotta gnudi with lamb meatballs in a buttery reduction is a close second, almost tied to with the egg. My dining companion's truffle-spiked tortellini looked pretty immaculate as well, as evidenced by the fact that she literally drank the remaining sauce with her spoon like a soup as I sipped away at our $48 bottle of petit rouge.
Having spent the better part of a year and a half dining all over our amazing city, I can say with confidence that SPQR has joined the echelon of my favorite restaurants of all time in ANY city. Enjoy your visit to SPQR, because it's always a perfect experience.Listed in: Top Restaurants - SF
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Review from Layla L.
1/16/2012
The hostess here had the WORST ATTITUDE I've ever encountered. She was a downright SNOB; she was so rude and condescending I seriously thought it must be a joke...but it wasn't and therefore the 3 other people I was with and I will never come back to this place unless they find someone nice to replace her.
My friend had been raving about how good the tiramisu is here but I only had one night left in town and had plans to eat elsewhere so, on an impulse, we figured we would go there for dessert. The four of us walked in explained that we really wanted to just get dessert and asked if we could either sit at the bar, a table or take it to go. She immediately said no, we don't do "to go" and we don't have tiramisu...when I persisted she said "i'll have to ask the chef" [soo.. they did have it, she just didn't want to give it to us I guess..?] she left for 1.5 seconds- not even enough time to get to the kitchen, returned and said "no".. not even an "i'm sorry" or any other type of suggestion, the way she said it was soooo rude! Now, I get that this is a nice restaurant, and that typically nice restaurants don't do take out, but you know what they do DO?! They always make customer service a top priority- high class restaurants (like The Palm, Smith & Wolensky etc) always go out of their way to make the customer happy and if that means letting a customer order a dessert to go they're usually happy to comply and that, along with great food, is what makes a customer return.
I guess I underestimated how hard and inconvenient it is for them to cut a few slices of tiramisu, put it in a box and swipe my card. -
Review from Jo S.
Oakland, CA
1/6/2012
We scored a last-minute reservation to SPQR and we're so glad we tried this place!
The cocoa tagliatelle had a great depth of flavour and was very good, as was the melt-in-your mouth burrata paired with persimmons. We also had a luxuriously-airy duck terrine and an agreeable potato salad laced with lardo and roe.
The real-scene stealer, however, was the decadent, crazy-good tiramisu - Layers and layers of creamy, espresso-soaked goodness, topped off with a dusting of salted cocoa.
This is an excellent place to bring visiting relatives - The atmosphere is cozy and busy, but not too loud. Service was efficient and friendly, our server was knowledgeable.
The only downsides - Very snug fits at tables means my busting belly barely made its way out the door. -
Review from Antara B.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went back again ... was a little disappointed that as an Italian place, it only had one vegetarian entree on their menu (and it was with chestnuts, which I hate)-- but there was a vegetarian option on their tasting menu which the chef offered to make as an a la carte -- this was a kale, goat cheese tortelli and was EXCELLENT. My salad was ok, as was my friend's, but the okra persimmon burrata cheese appetizer was really good -- I would get that again if it's still on the menu.
Also, the hostess was really nice -- we had originally had a reservation for 2 people, which we changed to 3 people, and since there was a 45 minute wait, she told us we could get a drink at the bar next door, and she would come over and get us. What nice personalized service!
The dessert we got, however, was quite horrible. I have never seen such bad plating in my life -- one of the components on the plate, I kid you not, looked like barf on the plate. The salted caramel chocolates were really good, we should've just stuck with that.
So, aside from the fact that it's always impossible to get a damn reservation at this place1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/27/2010
I would like to give this place a 3.5 only bc I didn't get to try the dessert. But totally cute… Read more »
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Review from Brooke S.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2012
We ordered the buckwheat spaghetti, suckling pig, bacon, raisin, rapini, sarvecchio cheese. This was the best pasta I have had in a very long time - hands down. The mushroom soup with truffle cream was warm and hearty - we loved this as well.
Service was just OK - kind of cold. Ambiance is typical bistro, meaning tables are really close together, so you will definitely get to know your neighbors. It's a little expensive but it's justifiable by the quality, flavor and creativeness in the food. I am looking forward to dining here again and again. -
Review from Ziyan C.
12/11/2011 5 photos
Wow SPQR definitely lived up to the hype. I loved that while there are brunch options (though not much on the sweet side), you could still order the pasta they are known for.
Definitely coming back to try more pastas and even get to dessert this time - they have my favorite ice cream in the city (Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous)!
~~SERVICE~~
Our server was perfectly friendly yet professional, and completely patient considering one of our party was half an hour late looking for parking. He had a great demeanor and suggested a lot of things without being too pushy about it. He had a good balance of presence without being overbearing.
~~STARTERS~~
* pumpkin bread with marshmallow spread ($4)
- 4.5 stars
Fantastic! Dense, sweet, moist. The marshmallow spread was just a tiny bit toasted so it was soft & easily spread, and it was a tiny bit toasted too.
~~PASTA~~
* capellini grain mustard pasta, guinea hen ragu, cabbage, mimolette cheese ($19)
- 4.5 stars
The hen ragu was perfectly tender - such high quality meat, so well cooked. And there was tons of it, unlike a lot of other pasta dishes where you have barely tasted the meat before it seems to be all gone. Also, the pasta was delicious, not too hard and not too soft, and the cheese added a great savory flavor.
* buckwheat spaghetti suckling pig ragu, bacon, raisin, rapini, sarvecchio cheese ($16)
- 4 stars
Also delicious, and the pasta also had perfect texture. But looking back to the ingredients, as delicious as it was, I realize I really didn't taste the pig ragu or the bacon! Just wish there was more meat. -
Review from Stephen S.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
My dining experience at SPQR was a mixed bag, good food, pretentious vibe, pretty good service. First off, we were met by notice that as we were late for reservation (admittedly we were due to parking, but not by more than 10 minutes), she had to give our table away as they had a policy to not hold tables for more than 15 minutes for reservations (see previous statement). She then acted as if she was doing an enormous favor for us to "try to fit us in now" and that she wasn't sure if it would work out but we should anticipate a wait. She really wasn't acting as if she was doing us a big favor even letting us in at this place. I'm sorry, there's lots of places to eat in San Francisco and you're business actually functions because you have customers, please be a little nicer to us.
We ended up getting seated, although at a pretty undesirable location (outside on a cold night). The food came at a very authentic Italian pacing. I would have enjoyed this much more if I wasn't so cold outside but was pleased to see that even on a crowded night they weren't rushing patrons through the courses but really did want people to enjoy the experience. The waitress was helpful and patient, willing to offer advice on dishes, wines, and put up with all of the questions our table slung at her. The portion sizes were small, I did the right job ordering (as I listen) but not everyone at my table did. The appetizers were somewhat difficult to share amongst a party of 4 and it would've been nice if they told us when this would be the case as we indicated we were sharing. The food was good, although a bit inconsistent. I really enjoyed the spaghettini with squid ink although will admit it is a very distinctive taste and might not be for everyone. Some of the other pastas were met with mixed reviews at our table.
Overall, given the fact that I was greeted with an attitude that they'd really prefer if I didn't dine here, I'll follow their lead and they shouldn't expect me back. There are plenty of places that actually treat their customers with hospitality and gratitude and I'd rather frequent them. The food at SPQR is no better than other high end Italian restaurants in the city. -
Review from Maria C.
12/5/2011
Came on a Fri. night with no reservations, lingered by the bar for about 2 mins before scoring a seat at the bar. I had a hard time settling on a wine, but the patient bar tender continued to pour tastes until I found the one.
The two of us shared 3 plates, and I actually expected to leave hungry since the portions were tiny, but they were spaced out well and somehow, by the time we finished, I was satisfied It is hard from the descriptions of the dishes to really know what you'll get, so it was a bit of a culinary adventure and overall a great experience. -
Review from Meredith C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 11/29/2011
BRUNCH only
Walked in on a Sunday after 11:30am and no wait. In fact there were several tables available. My girlfriend & I shared everything and had a hard time choosing. Of course we started w/ Bellinis!
Warm pumpkin bread - nicely done w/ some kind of delicious butter
Crostino burrata - honey, nuts, sage...what's not to love?
Sunny side up eggs crispy pig ears, fingerling potato, chili vinaigrette, green onion - the ears were good but overall it was ok, I probably wouldn't order again.
Bucatini farro flour pasta, green onion, poppy seed, salumi, buttermilk - our waitress recommended this over the buckwheat spaghetti. it was ok, and on the rich side. it didn't compliment the rest of our meal. so overall loved the first 2 and the entrees were ok.
Prices are high, service was good.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/27/2011
Another...finally! Walked in around 9pm on a Tuesday evening and I was surprised the restaurant was… Read more »
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Review from Ashley H.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011
Really beautifully presented, interesting dishes. Interesting enough that I had to use my iPhone to look up what half of it was. Honestly, I was underwhelmed by the appetizer and the dessert (and the price--ouch!), but the gnocchi was INCREDIBLE. Some of the best I've ever had. I'd go back for that dish alone.
Not a fan of feeling like I was on top of the people beside me. Having bench seating and tables so close together it's hard to get between them (and I'm pretty tiny) doesn't lead to a very comfortable environment. I could hear the conversations happening to either side of me better than my date at times. -
Review from Gill P.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
One of my favorite go-to places in the city. Service is really great, the pasta is probably my favorite. The real stand out is the wine list, not over the top, not boring, ask for some ideas if you don't know Italian wines.
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Review from Inga W.
11/27/2011
Came here for brunch with the girls, cute place, looks like a nice place for a casual dinner as well. We ordered poached eggs, buratta, and bacon. The eggs were very well prepared, I had squash in mine along with some sausage. The flavors were great, light, complex, a nice surprise for brunch.
Our hugest complaint was portion size, it was tiny. Each one of us ordered sides to get full, like bacon, garlic bread and extras. That's not great for brunch, especially for the price. We're not having a multi course meal, we're here for brunch and conversation so step it up and make the portions a bit bigger. -
Review from Nho H.
Oh shizsnap, this joint gets me all excited. Very quaint and romantic setting - perfect for a date night. Came here with the bf and his parents.
For appetizer, we ordered the orecchio crispy pigs ears & pork belly, watermelon, fennel agrodolce and pickle. Dahs! I don't even know how to describe this amazingness. That combination of crispy pig ears and pork belly with a touch of watermelon? Sounds kinda strange but it went together SO WELL. The other app we had was with uova soft farm egg, chanterelle, bacon, garlic chive and burgundy truffle. This dish got pretty fancy, I'm not sure what it was all exactly but tasted like chilled eggs mixed up with truffle and everything else thrown into it. The garlic chive and bacon was a belly pleaser. Once again, I was extremely satisfy.
For the main course, I got the torchio whole wheat pasta, veal & porcini bolognese, ricotta salata. The veal and porcini bolognese was so amazing. The perfect hint of all the flavors combined.
The tiramisu is something to scream about!!!
Can't wait to go back here on a date night. We came here on Sunday night and luckily made reservations. Otherwise the wait was 1-2 hours so make sure to plan for it! -
Review from Claudine V.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2011
Love this place. Had a fabulous time during dinner. Everything we ordered was excellent ( porkbelly with citrus and pigs ears, smoked fettucini with quail egg,bacon and uni , papardelle pasta with lamb chunks, 4 glasses of wine, chocolate cake with condensed milk and passion fruit sauce, 2 espressos) . Its a great place for an intimate dinner date . Tables are quite close to each other since this place is small , so I think it was better to actually sit by the bar or by the bar across the kitchen. The server behind the bar knows her wine very well and was very pleasant and helpful.
Will definitely come back and try the other appetizers and pasta. -
Review from Megan M.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
All in all the food was okay; nothing to write home about or run back for a repeat visit. The portion sizes for the prices are laughable. The atmosphere was sub-par. When my husband and I were shown to our table I was shocked at how close we were to the tables on either side of us. The tables were two inches away from being one large, communal table. I would suggest going to the bathroom before sitting down because you feel trapped and the tables will have to be moved in order to get out. The service was probably the best part of the experience. I can't see myself coming back.
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Review from Emmy L.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2011
I went here for the first time this week and was very impressed. Yes, the food is expensive, but everything I had was absolutely delicious and worth every bite!
I started with a truffle cream mushroom soup which was sinfully good - I mean OUTRAGIOUSLY good. I even convinced my Vegan friend that she had to try a bite, (there is cream in the recipe.) For a second course I got the gnudi ricotta with pork meatballs and felt each bite melting in my mouth. We finished with salted caramel chocolates, which I swear (and don't tell my boyfriend) were better than sex. Seriously, they were that good.
The wait staff was attentive as this quality of restaurant should expect. I cannot remember our waiters name but he was friendly and had good recommendations for wine.
When the check came I did have a mini-heart attack, but I am think every now and then you have to splurge on a good meal, and this is one of those places where you should do it. I highly recommend this for a date or special occasion; just make sure you make a reservation since there are not many seats. -
Review from Michelle L.
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Amazing food ,wine and service. You are in for a treat.
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Review from Gev M.
11/20/2011 2 photos
This review is for their BRUNCH only.
Mr. T and I walked in without a reservation at 11:10 am on Sunday (they open at 11) and were seated right away. However, a mere 20 minutes later, there wasn't a single open seat in the place, even at the counter. I suggest you either make a reservation through their website or just show up really early.
It's the little things: they took our coats, hung them up, and gave us a coat check ticket. I also saw the seating hostess take and put away people's umbrellas. Pretty cool not to have to worry about these little things.
Food: The bomboloni was out of this world. I remember Mr T staring at other people's orders everytime we'd walk by this place in the past, so we had to order them. They are basically fried donut holes covered in cinnamon/sugar and served with jam. Awesome! The poached eggs, on the other hand, were a miss, unfortunately (and I love poached eggs). It may have been the course squash, the goat cheese or the fact that I substituted mushrooms for the bacon, but something was just not right. (http://www.yelp.com/us...). Mr. T's baked eggs on the other hand (with polenta and tomatoes) were quite tasty and well-balanced. Not at all heavy, as anticipated. (http://www.yelp.com/us...)
Please know that if you order the filtered water vs. the tap, you will find an annoying $5 charge on your bill for it. I wish I knew this beforehand. -
Review from Christina R.
Orcutt, CA
12/10/2011
Surprisingly delightful!
Loved the crudo and the unusual handmade pastas were wonderful.
We were given a complimentary glass of moscato that was not too sweet so was delightful! Tables are tight and service could be a little more friendly but will go back to try again. -
Review from Chris M.
San Francisco, CA
11/11/2011
Our current favorite restaurant if SF! Every dish is prepared with such care and attention to detail. Favorites include the burrata, corn souffle, and any pasta with uni. In addition to a delightful menu, the wait, host, and bar staff are all very knowledgeable and friendly.
My only complaint is that it's hard to get a table without some advance notice - I guess that means I need to plan better :) -
Review from Craig L.
San Francisco, CA
10/23/2011
The favorite in SF for my wife and I.
We are foodies, and have tried a number of Michelin rated (1-3 star) places, and SPQR still tops our list in the city :) -
Review from Katie S.
Santa Monica, CA
1/6/2012
Anytime you start off a meal with squid ink pasta with dungeness crab and topped with sea urchin, its gonna be a good one.
I ate at SPQR with my Aunt and Uncle and was able to snag a seat at the bar in front of the kitchen. At first I thought it would be hard to talk, but the view in the kitchen became a great highlight. Even though Chef Accarrino was busy, he explained dishes going out and other chefs also talked with us about each ingredients in the courses.
Our server was also amazingly nice. Suggesting wines that were delicious and even going above and beyond by giving me a wine list marked with the wines we had drank with the pairing menu.
It was incredibly difficult to decide what to eat. Everything looked unbelievable. We ended up doing the pasta tasting menu: Cocoa pasta with truffles, guinea hen ragu, rabbit ragu and lamb ragu were all fantastic, but I went to sleep thinking of that amazing first dish. All the pastas are made in house and each one is perfect and flavorful.
I cannot wait to go back and try the items on the regular menu!! -
Review from Andrew M.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of SPQR, and I'm surprised that I haven't reviewed them yet - they probably would have gotten 5 stars.
But I made a reservation for brunch this weekend, and was pretty disappointed. The food was delicious, as usual, but 1) there wasn't enough of it, and 2) it was incredibly slow in coming.
There were five of us and a baby, and SPQR was kind enough to provide a high chair as I'd requested. So far so good. We all had coffee, and my latte was excellent (tasted like Blue Bottle). Brunch was off to a roaring start.
At the waiter's suggestion (maybe he knew the kitchen was backed up), we ordered some "breakfast bread", which consisted of some truly delicious little shortbreads, but there were only four of them, and we were five. Seriously - you guys couldn't have thrown an extra scone on there? (I later learned this was a $12 dish, which made me even more annoyed.)
Thirty minutes later, the food finally shows up. Two pastas, and three egg dishes. I had the sunny side up eggs with crispy pig's ear and some tiny roasted potatoes. Delicious. Truly delicious, but such meager portions that it was disappointing. There were probably five little potato pieces scattered around the plate. There was no bread. Come on, people - this is brunch.
I'll reiterate - I love SPQR, their space, their menu, and their food. I'm pretty sure brunch is a new-ish thing for them. I hope they figure it out soon. -
Review from Lisa C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/15/2011 17 Check-ins Here
This is my fourth SPQR review and my five-star rating still stands. I would rate it a 10 if I could. Matthew Accarrino's seasonal menus never fail to impress me. Sure, there are a couple of dishes that are a little overseasoned, not seasoned enough, or are just not my cup of tea, but the flavors of the top quality, fresh ingredients always come through. Pasta dishes at other restaurants have been ruined forever, for wherever I go, I'm always comparing it to the fresh pasta at SPQR. Always.
Current spuntini and antipasti menu highlights for me are the fried surf clams, crostini burrata, fagioli haricot vert, fried heirloom peppers, and chicken liver w/ grape jam (YUM). Primi highlights are the fettuccini smoked pasta, sea urchin, bacon w/ quail egg and the bucatini farro flour pasta, green onion, poppy seed, salumi, buttermilk. My all-time favorite that I wish would become a menu regular is the cocoa linguine w/ pork cheeks and broccoli crema...wickedly delicious. Sadly, I only got to have it once back in June. Chef Accarrino, please bring it back!
Desserts are always delicious. The tiramisu has become our new favorite. The local Mr & Mrs. Miscellaneous ice cream is on the menu as well.
Impeccable service and the atmosphere at SPQR brings the overall experience to a whole new level for me. I always have an amazing time there, especially for dinner. It's so intimate, yet lively and fun. I dig their music selection - one night it was 80's alternative, another night the black keys.
If you're not a fan of being so close to your neighboring table, request to sit at the bar or the chef's counter. There is also a table to the right of the entrance that is somewhat private.
SPQR is definitely my favorite restaurant in all of San Francisco. Definitely.3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/8/2009
We needed to get a late lunch/early dinner and happened upon an open outdoor table at SPQR, which… Read more »
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Review from Raina B.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Definitely took me way to long to go here since I live less than a 5 minute walk away. I was a little disappointed given the ratings about this place, but again, it may have been that the vegetarian options were a bit limited.
Things we got:
1. crostino burrata, chili, honey, hazelnut: THIS WAS DELICIOUS. The combination of ingrediants was definitely innovative and went together splendidly.
2. rigatoni basil pasta, tomato braised japanese eggplant, burrata, garlic breadcrumb: This was so-so. Nothing worth going back for, but got the job done.
3. tagliatelle squid ink pasta, calamari puttanesca: I didn't personally try this but my friend seemed pretty happy about it given that the calamari is grilled which apparently is not common (being vegetarian my whole life, I miss these things) so I think he would recommend it.
Would love if you could come up with more creative vegetarian dishes so I could be a regular!
