Ideale

Amazing authentic Italian restaurant!!! Came per the recommendation from our concierge from the Hyatt and absolutely loved the food, the service, and the atmosphere! Would come back for sure!

We had a great dinner here at Ideale with a party of 5. The waitress we very helpful with wine pairings to go with our dishes. We started with the burrata which was delicious, and I ordered the Mezzelune Di Zucca. It was stuffed with sweet pumpkin in a butter sage sauce, and I have never had anything like that before. I highly recommend ordering that if you want a pasta that is not too heavy. To finish we shared the tiramisu. I am usually not a fan of this dessert in general, but this was creamy and rich. The service was very accommodating to our table and happily help us split the check, something that a lot of restaurants give patrons a hard time with.

The bloom is off the rose. We paid our third visit to Ideale the the other night and while the food was perfectly fine, the ambience was not.
We made reservations several days in advance. On arrival we were greeted by a visibly nervous waiter who seated us after hurriedly showing a group without reservations to a table. We were seated promptly after that — a simple action that was the most relaxing part of the night.
The first dinner we had at Ideale was late in the evening. It was about 60 percent full and humming with an infectious energy. The wait staff was warm and engaging. The food was very good. The second time we were treated like regulars, the restaurant was closer to full and noticeably louder, and the food was good. This time it appeared Ideale was overbooked. Our waiter rushed us to order and rushed the food. The entrees arrived before our salad plates were cleared. We weren’t offered ground pepper — fortunately there was a grinder in sight so we helped ourselves. We requested grated cheese that never arrived.
The restaurant was disturbingly loud on arrival and only got worse when a party of eight was seated right behind us and made us feel like we were standing on the tarmac at SFO. It was so loud we were physically uncomfortable and unable to finish our dinner.
Now, many of the parties around us seemed unaffected by the noise, even if they weren’t contributing much to it. They were enjoying their meals and having a good time. So be it. However, if noise is a factor to consider in your dining experience, you are duly warned. We won’t return.

Quieter, less touristy place off the beaten path was recommended to me by a colleague that used to live in North Beach. Delicious carpaccio and burrata appetizers, reasonable wines, ample portions of veal. I like that lamb ragu, but the homemade pappardelle over which it was served was too thin and broken, disrupting the texture of what should have been another superb dish. The tiramisu was tasty, but not unique.

Ok, I haven’t been to Olive Garden since last year and this is barely a step up. Bread was stale, waitress smelled of cigarettes. We had the ravioli ricotta and some other unmemorable dish yet both sauces tasted the same. Do Not order the burrata… And don’t expect sea salt. On the upside the restaurant was quite…

Great setting and decent food, but the staff is positively clueless. Really– like two (quite pleasant) monkeys trying to Fk a football. It’s a shame, as the place is really cool. But ~½ of the way through the evening, it grinds you into a state of rage. Think twice.

I was here for a birthday dinner with a friend a couple weeks ago, and it was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night.
We got the Calamari E Rughetta for a starter, and my main was the Pappardelle All’ Agnello. Everything we got was solid, but not mind-​blowing.
Service was good, and prices were reasonable, but there wasn’t really anything that jumps out about the experience. The main time I could see myself coming back here is if we were in the area, but Baonecci was too packed.

Amid the hustle & bustle of eclectic bars & restaurants on Grant Ave. resides Ideale, an authentic Italian restaurant with all of the comfort foods that we’ve grown accustomed to. Immediately, this restaurant reminded me of the Italian restaurants in the North End neighborhood of Boston — relaxed dining experience with affordable food faire.
Burrata — creamy interior encased in what we typically know as mozzarella. The arugula, cherry tomatoes and EVOO serves as a light and refreshing app.
Seafood special pasta — the fresh spaghetti provides a nice chew that’s unique to fresh pasta, which also seemed to soak up all of the flavors from the other ingredients — small bite sized pieces of calamari, artichoke, and garlic.
Prosciutto pizza — upon initial gaze, the pizza crust itself didn’t look special because it’s baked to a blond color. However, after taking a bite of the savory, thinly sliced prosciutto with the crisp pizza dough, a satisfied smile was across everyone’s face.
Carbonara — decadent mouth sensation from the cream, egg and pancetta — a classic executed very well.
Veal ravioli — you could tell these raviolis were handmade, since each was slightly irregular in shape. I thought the dough was a bit thick and had more of a bite/​al dente texture than I’m used to. Each was filled with a nice mixture of veal and spices.
Tiramisu — wow, really delicious and a perfect pick-​me-​up after a proper carbo loading meal. The cake was moist, not soggy, and flavored with espresso and had a light whip cream topping.

The best of Italy in North Beach!
This is a lovely, quite intimate restaurant and you receive a very warm and friendly greeting on arrivalI have been here five times and every time it gets better even though I am very demanding when it comes to Italian food.
This place, though located in a touristy spot, does not feel touristy at all. Sometimes you have to wait a bit to get a table, but it is totally worth it.
My favorite appetizer is the eggplant, might be the best prepared I have ever tried. The Carbonara & spaghetti vongole are the BEST in their kind. The panna cotta is outstanding although I prefer tiramisu with more mascarpone than whipped cream.
The service is impeccable and the price very reasonable. 100% Italian in the best sense of the word. I would come back many more times!

Such amazing hospitality. «These Romans are the real deal and know how to make grandma’s pasta» says my Italian husband. We had a lovely meal here, my husband got the carbonara and I had the pappardelle with beef ragu instead of lamb. Perfectly cooked and very flavorful, we also had the seafood arugula salad to start and that was very refreshing as well.
Generous pours to their wine glasses, great atmosphere overall. We came on a weekday, which was much better to get away from the weekend crowd. Definitely coming back to try more dishes.

Crazy appetizer of prosciutto wrapped pear with mascarpone
The fettuccine with veal ragu special was perfect
Margherita pie above average
Looking forward to coming back!

Disappointing. If you happened to live around the corner and wanted to keep a lower mid-​priced (by San Francisco standards) place for fresh pasta on your backup list, you might add Ideale. But, it is certainly not worth making any effort to visit. If you skip alcohol, dinner for 2 with the tip is about $ 100. You can get much a better meal for the same price at many other places in SF.
Ideale is small and crowded and the dated and dark late 1980’s décor makes it seem more cramped. It also suffers from the restaurant syndrome of «let’s cram as many tables together as possible,» so the place is very noisy and you get to hear every single word of the conversation of the people sitting next to you.
When we walked in on-​time for our reservation, the host seemed confused as to why we were there. He gestured us to follow him to the middle of the restaurant where he left us standing while we were jostled by waiters scurrying around us. After standing there for about 10 minutes, we walked toward the front door when the host suddenly reappeared and lead us to a table that had sat empty since we first arrived.
Although our waiter showed up shortly and the food arrived quickly, the whole time we were made to feel like they couldn’t wait to flip the table to seat the next guests (presumably after leaving them standing around for awhile, too). The food server slammed two glasses of water down in front of us while we waited for our appetizers. And, each time the waiter checked in, he acted like he just hoped we would leave – he couldn’t even bother to attempt a smile.
The food was also a let-​down. Our appetizers were okay, but the main dishes were very bland. The pasta was generally light and well-​cooked, but it lacked seasoning and had almost no taste. Even the much hyped tiramisu was completely bland aside from the too-​sweet taste. I could have had the same effect from swallowing a packet of sugar. The coffee was luke-​warm and bitter. A sad ending to a sad dinner.
The only reason this place has lasted so long is because it is in the tourist-​trap North Beach. (Also, my understanding is the food used to be much better when it first opened). It needs a fresh coat of paint, some padding under the tables to absorb the noise, a revamped menu, and better training for the staff. Until things change, spend your money elsewhere.

My wife and I were on a 10 day trip from Chicago, and came here on Saturday night, Dec. 26^th, after a glowing recommendation from Amy at Sweetie’s Art Bar.
It was 6pm, for sure early, but they made a serious effort to snag us a table. It was greatly appreciated; it soon became clear that nary a person who then showed up DIDN’T have a reservation, so we felt fortunate.
I had some of the best lasagna, and she gnocchi, of our collective lives. We will do everything in our collective power to get back on our next trip in. For the day after Christmas, on a Saturday no less, we really felt treated to exceptional quality food and service.
To top it all, we had a delicious bottle of a 2011 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano by Fattoria del Cerro. Heavenly.

Had our Holiday office dinner at Ideale tonight and was pleasantly surprised at this lovely, small, intimate yet cozy and elegant Italian restaurant in the heart of North Beach. This is a lovely, quite intimate restaurant and you receive a very warm and friendly greeting on arrival. I found out that Ideale has been bringing a slice of Rome to North Beach for over 20 years with it’s highly acclaimed chef, Maurizio Bruschi.
All the waiters are Italian. We took half of the restaurant and the service was great, from our appetizers until service of our dessert.
The restaurant is bigger than it appears, because its second dining room, in the adjoining storefront, is fully separated from the main one and the entryway. And its walls are hung with splendid paintings, which we supposed to be oil on stretched canvas. Only complaint is acoustics are bad, gets a little too noisy when the restaurant gets full.
The menu selection was fabulous!!!
Appetizers:
~prosciutto from parma wrapped around bosc pear with fresh mascarpone
~fennel salad-​thinly sliced fennel with orange, walnuts, capers & gorgonzola in a champagne vinaigrette
~burrata-​yum love this fresh artisan burrata mozzarella with arugula and tomatoes
PIZZA– crusts were delicious, great texture and fresh hot of the oven-​enjoyed trying each one
~pizza ai funghi e salsicciapizza topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, italian sausage, mushrooms and garlic
~margherita pizza with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & basil
~pizza al prosciutto with mozzarella & arugula
Pastas worth gaining a few calories for:
~mezzaluna di yucca stuffed with fresh pumpkin, amaretti & parmigiano in a butter-​sage sauce
~homemade papardelle in a lamb ragu
~spaghetti alla carbonara-​one of my all time favorites — spaghetti with homemade pancetta, eggs, pecorino & parmigiano, love this dish and this restaurant makes it right
Main Course just as delicious:
~rack of lamb
~veal scallopini with prosciutto di parma & sage
~boneless pork-​chop with pine nuts in creamy vodka sauce
~sea bass was the fish of the day, it was the fresh and soft
Save the best for last to clear my palate were there tempting desserts:
~tartufo al cioccolato rich truffle ice-​cream rolled in praline nuts and powdered cocoa-​OMG
~panna cotta-​w strawberry & chocolate sauce
~tiramisu-​my all time favorite
Definitely coming back with friends. Really quaint and really authentic amazing food. Staff was authentic, food was spot on, and prompt. The staff of course all spoke Italian that made the atmosphere superb for the ambiance. A great place for business or a romantic dinner spot. Can’t go wrong with this for your next stop in San Francisco for tourists and for locals!

This place is my GOLD Standard for Authentic Italian in my heart and stomach, to which all others are compared! Hands down the best lasagna I’ve EVER had. It’s made with homemade pasta in a savory beef ragú with fresh mozzarella add some Chianti is simply TO DIE FOR! I dream about this place and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I’ve been here before but this time I also tried the Pappardelle Lamb Ragú and was seriously BLOWN away by this dish! Tender lamb, flavorful Ragú and al dente pasta. Two amazing dishes in one place! Little Italy I heart you! Most of the customers seemed like regulars, knew the staff. The service was attentive and the ambiance is relaxed and unpretentious. Home cooked authentic Italian comfort food doesn’t get any better than this, a true GEM!

Good food, nice décor and ambiance, and attentive service.
Less visibly touristy than some of the other Italian offerings nearby.

This place deserves as much praise as possible! The family working this restaurant are absolutely wonderful.
The bread and oil is great, but very easy to load up on before eating so be careful!
The entrees are all amazing. The sauces are the most authentic I’ve ever tasted and all the meats are extremely fresh.
Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or a graduation dinner, this is my go to place for great Italian food!

Came here for Saturday evening dinner.
First, any place that serves gluten free pasta has immediate bonus points for me. A place that also serves Super Tuscan wine by the glass is double bonus points.
I came here to have the pasta carbonara. It is my favorite pasta. While it is a seemingly simple dish, its quite complex to deliver. I ordered it with gluten free spaghetti which was fine with me. The flavors were amazing together and the prosciutto was cooked perfectly within the pasta.
We ordered their 2009 Super Tuscan pictured below. The wine was $ 49 a bottle and is an amazing deal for such a wonderful wine.
For dessert I had the Tiramisu their signature dessert. The cream the chocolate, how everything came together without being overly sweet or saturated was balanced perfectly.
I love this place and can’t wait to come back.

Great service, no frill food. Def a great neighborhood Italian spot.
— grilled calamari… no breading, fresh and well seasoned with a perfect touch of smokiness.
— seafood stew: filled with all the seafood goodness, this cioppino was a great value!

A gem. Food is authentic & delicious. Having dined at Ideale since they opened (1994), I’ve tried just about everything on the menu, several times over.
The carbonara, the gnocchi, the bucatini, the ravioli, the pappardelle. All of them shine. The bucatini is a personal favorite.
Pizza. The margherita & the prosciutto are fantastic. Crust & sauce done to perfection.
The lamb & the saltimboca… both excellent.
The ambiance is la familia, like many other NB establishments, which only adds to Ideale’s overall appeal.
Charming, cozy, festive, warm, & comfortable. Good food w good people. What life’s about, right?
Mangia.
5 stars.

Wir (Eltern mit zwei Kindern 11 und 15 Jahr alt) finden das Preis-​Leistungsverhältnis nicht gerechtfertigt. Wir bestellten Calzone, Pizzen und Salat. Die Pizzen waren sehr klein und nicht besonders schmackhaft, ebenso die Calzone.
Der Salat bestand aus exakt acht Blättern, zwei Sardellenfilets und einer Parmesansauce. Die dafür veranschlagten 8 Dollar waren in keinster Weise gerechtfertigt.
Der Service war weder besonders aufmerksam noch freundlich. Zusammengefasst war es unsere schlechteste Restauranterfahrung in diesem Urlaub. Die positiven Bewertungen auf Google sind uns nicht nachvollziehbar.