Panta Rei Restaurant

I came here with a few friends before going to a comedy show down the street. We were in a bit of a rush, and the food took FOREVER! The waiter was very accomodating once I told him we were in a hurry and the food came out shortly after. I had the tomato soup with shrimp. It was DELICIOUS! I also tried my friend’s risotto, which was also very good. Both items tasted fresh and flavorful.
I recommend Panta Rei, but only if you’re not in a hurry.

Super disappointed. I was looking forward to this place for Thanksgiving dinner, but afterwards I regretted not dining at E’Tutto Qua instead. Service wasn’t very warm and welcoming, and did not care that my mom did not like her dish.
My mom ordered the pesto gnocchi with shrimp. Although the pesto sauce was good, she didn’t like the texture of the gnocchi. We both had gnocchi many times before, and they tend to be more chewy than soft, but their gnocchi seemed way too soft– almost like it was overcooked. We asked the waiter whether it was supposed to be «chewy or soft», and they answered «soft». Although they clearly intended for their gnocchi to be soft, we made it clear that my mom did not like it and won’t be eating any more of it. Despite this, they did not make any attempt in offering another dish or anything.
I got the Margerita pizza, which was ok, but it looked like the mozzarella they used were shredded instead of the circular dabs. It just makes it less authentic. The basil leaves also looked a bit sad. However, it was still pretty good though (especially in comparison to the gnocchi)– the crust and sauce were on point.
Overall, the service seemed very cold. They did not check up on us once during our meal, which was something that would be the total opposite at other Italian restaurants in the area. They were not very busy either, so I expected better service.
As for the food, in general it was alright (not the gnocchi though), but perhaps there were better items on the menu that we should have ordered. It’s just too bad we ended up having a disappointing Thanksgiving dinner.

Great hip little corner Italian restaurant. Definitely don’t eat here if you’re in a hurry. Great service, or server had great knowledge of the wine list and menu. Never had an empty water glass very attentive staff.

A italian staff ready to serve you fantastic italian dishes. My favorites are tuma tartare, pizza, homemade pasta (ravioli or gnocchi or pappardelle) and the chocolate soufflé with gelato! Love it!

After watching Beach Blanket Banylon on a Friday night, we walked down the street to find some food. We came across Panta Rei and the menu looked good, so we went in and were seated right away.
The tables are close to each other so you have to carefully shimmy in between tables so as not to disturb the diners at the next table. It doesn’t really matter anyway, because you will overhear stories about lost loves on your right and travel plans of the tourists on your left. Nevertheless, the attentiveness of the waiters and the delicious food made this a great experience! I would definitely come back to try the other dishes.
Ambience: With high ceilings and a bar that faces the dining area, there’s some noise and a lot of movement. So if you’re easily distracted or want a quiet, sit-​down dinner, go elsewhere.

Okay vibe. Music was nice. The server was some awkward handsome Italian dude that made the experience pretty funny.
He recommended the cappuccino. We got it.
He recommended the chocolate soufflé and the crème puffs with Nutella. We got it.
Long story short, give this place a try in the Italian district. It was good for a quick coffee break and some sweet desserts. Next time we’ll try the entrees.
FYI — we getting your change back if you give a $ 20 and are getting $ 13 back — specify you want the change in 5’s or 1’s otherwise you end up with a tip dilemma. Hope this helps :)

Too expensive, the pasta was too hard and thick.
Tourist trap! Don’t go there.
One of the dishes was late, so we asked to cancel it, but they refused.

If you want pizza, this is not the place to go. Me and my husband had one each and neither of us liked it particulary. Lots of bread and little cheese. Also a bit expensive considering what you get.
I’d say this is a thypical «trying to act Italian» restaurant selling overprized courses to tourists.

Stopped by here for happy hour on the way to a comedy show. $ 3 mimosas and bellinis, and $ 5 sangrias. Decided to give them all the a try, and they were worth the deal. The bruschetta, pasta, and soufflé were all good, but nothing too extraordinary. Our server was very friendly and did a great job. For a North Beach spot this place is pretty good, I would give it a shot if you are looking for some pasta.

Stumbled into Panta Rei after a night at the Exploratorium night event yesterday. My friend and I had already been walking up and down the street looking for a decent place to eat after our original pick turned out to be closed for a private event. I remember noting to my friend that the exterior of Panta Rei looked kinda cool and that we should just go over and check out the menu.
The lady out front was helpful and said if we didn’t like their awesome pasta then they’d pay for it. Or something like that, I wasn’t clear in the head, if you know what I mean. We were swayed — me mostly because she was already talking to us and I was hungry.
It was past 10 already and there was no wait. Clean and cute interior. I kept staring at the green flower in red liquid centerpieces and couldn’t get complementary colors out of my thoughts, idk just a little fun sidenote. Anyway, my friend ordered one of the pastas that came with meatballs and I ordered the calzone. We were promptly served bread while we waited and that was gooood — I liked the salty end taste.
The calzone was bigger than I expected and was filling — I have leftovers that I’m gonna eat for lunch today. Looking forward to eating it on this Friday work day! The meatballs my friend had were really interesting. They were… soft? Like a boiled texture. But they were good. My friend said there were nuts in it which I didn’t realize, but the texture and taste went well together. Also, it looks like their menus change every day or every so often, which is exciting. I would want to check out future menus.
Waiter was nice and attentive. He was always ready to help because he stood right by the doorway, which was close to our table. It kinda made me uneasy that he was so close, but that’s just me and my strange aversion to people watching me eat. Okay, I guess it’s not that strange…
We didn’t order any drinks because we already had a couple earlier in the night. Overall a nice, casual dining experience. Food was a little pricey for our recent-​college-​grad budgets but still affordable, especially for the quality.

We legit only went because I had a coupon. The food was amazing, but they gave such small servings that we were definitely still hungry afterwards. But the ravioli was magnificent, I wish they had given more.
Our waiter was kind of pushy, he kind of felt like a car salesmen or someone on commission, trying to get you to spend more. But the atmosphere was really nice and overall we had a good time. Probably won’t be back though cause even with our coupon, it was pricey.

Great experience — no wait, immediately seated and taken care of the entire evening. The Margarita pizza was amazing.
Had a true authentic Italian feel with the open windows and great waiter. Even gave us time to sit and chat after dinner was over before coming with the check. Never felt rushed.
Will go again.

Foodies love when the menu isn’t static. This place changes their menu daily. That’s awesome for the ADD foodies in this world. I walked from the ferry station without a destination. Found Little Italy, Outdoor seating, TV at the bar where single people sit and the beautiful hostess kindly offered to suggest bites.
Great service with awesome personalities. Nice level in the sound of music, just enough beat so your not falling asleep and you feel comfortable no matter who you are. For the vodka lovers, Stoli elite, Chopin, Belvedere and Tito’s. Common, what’s left to say. Oh– buy wine by the bottle because the glass choices, house, eh-​but that’s what happens when it sits past 2 days. But the lovely bartender provides taste samples. Recommending that route for wine by glass.
Food– spinach ravioli with boar sauce which was good. Nice portions. I probably would go beyond just «good» but I think I wasn’t in the good mood.
I will be back and if i lived here this would me my neighborhood restaurant.

Nice little spot with in the heart of north beach. We started off with a Cesar salad and found some lettuce that was clearIy browning. I got their meat lovers pizza and it was good and hot. Nothing crazy special about this place but they are in a good location with plenty of shops and shopping nearby

Great food and service. Price comparable to food quality. In fact my Linguine Nere should be worth more than $ 18.95. Best one I’ve ever had.
Service was fast; our server Lucas was very personable and charming.
This was worth the wait on finding a good restaurant past lunch time.

I had a pasta here that I CAN NOT stop thinking about. It’s a duck meat/​pink sauce pasta and it was fabulous. I was on my way to an event afterwards so I couldn’t take the leftovers with me which was so disappointing.
The glass of wine I got, a Cab Sauv, wasn’t particulary good, but that’s my only minor complaint. We got a few appetizers too– best calamari I ever had and some awesome bruschetta.
Must convince someone to go back here with me :)

It’s been four years since we’ve been here and it appears to be part of a ritual when visiting San Francisco: pesto after buying new jackets! LOL! We came in for a late lunch. Still a great vibe when we walked in! We feel they have the best pesto in San Francisco. If any fellow Unilocalers feel there’s somewhere better, let me know. But Panta Rei is one of our favorite restaurants when visiting!
Our friendly sever, Lucas, told us the wine we wanted was not available and offered his favorite.
L: It’s also a dollar cheaper. Did you think I was going to upsell? I wouldn’t do that to you!
The wine was excellent and paired nicely with the pesto! We also ordered the bruschetta with nice chunks of buffalo mozzarella! It’s been a while since we’ve been here but it felt like we were home!
Grazie Panta Rei! Ti amo!

Let me just say that this is the most authentic Italian restaurant I’ve been to and both food and service were incredible!
WHAT I LOVED:
Décor — lovely, modern, chic.
Ambience — beautiful and modern. Great place to come for drinks and food on a date or with friends.
Service — best I’ve experienced in a LONG time. Owner was there and very friendly! Staff was all amazing too. All Italian, definitely have the culture and friendly spirit of Italy down! Attentive, quick, caring. Loved every minute of my experience.
Location — downtown in the heart of little Italy. It doesn’t get any better than that! Street parking available, can be difficult to find.
Food — PERFECT! had the Salmon Alfredo, Tiramisu, Linguini Nere, Bellinis! Absolutely amazing.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH:
Nothing. This place was perfect! Honestly.

I went back and made reservations on Opentable. We got a table right away.
It’s a very modern restaurant and the décor is great. But one thing that I noticed right away is that it is really loud. It’s not that the music was loud but some of the patrons at their bar were loud. It seems like the acoustics are not really good in the building or something because I could hear everything across the room. Not exactly a quiet romantic evening. I felt like I was shouting at my boyfriend all night.
The food was great and the service attentive. We did not have to wait long between plates and the servers were always looking around to make sure the guests had everything they needed.
Turns out they have happy hour all night. Too bad I did not see the sign when I walked in or I would have taken advantage of that. $ 3 mimosas and bellinis and $ 5 sangrias! No wonder the guys at the bar were so drunk and loud.

Great food at pretty reasonable prices, but rudest service I have EVER seen. We came in at 2:50 to watch a World Cup game, eventually ordering around 3:45 at half-​time. Everything was pretty good until the check. First of all, we asked for the check to be split between us, but it wasn’t. Then we realized the prices looked off because my lasagna was less than a friend’s calamari, even though we noticed it was the opposite when we ordered. Turns out we had ordered off a lunch menu (even though I had actually wanted to see the dinner menu, but it was too early), then they come around and boom! charge us dinner prices because we paid after 4.
When we merely just asked to see the lunch menu, they protested and couldn’t understand why. We replied that the prices looked wrong, and our waiter legitimately started arguing with us – YELLING, laughing, arguing. I understand he’s Italian or whatever, but really? My dish was cheaper but a friend’s got more expensive, and we just wanted to get the prices right since we were splitting the check. We explained this to him, and the table next to us started laughing at how he couldn’t understand what we were asking for. But the waiter started laughing with them and making fun of us, saying, «Okay, I’ll just make your lasagna more expensive then! You can pay more!» In essence, the bill would’ve been basically the same for them, so I don’t understand the stubbornness. But not just that, the yelling. No waiter has ever yelled at me before for just wanting to see the menu we got.
It pains me to rate them so low since the atmosphere of watching the World Cup was nice, and the lasagna was some of the best I’ve had outside of Italy! Pretty unfortunate. Skip on the lemonade though; it’s too expensive, and all ice and water.