Venticello Ristorante

This place is a charming, traditional SF neighborhood restaurant. I’m a sucker for corner cafes and this place did not disappoint. I had a really yummy pre-​birthday dinner here. It’s best just for a two person date — I wouldn’t come here with a group larger than 4. Get the risotto.

Wanted to go somewhere near the Masonic and this was really good and convenient!
We had the meatballs to start — good flavor but odd texture. We still liked them. Then we had the salmon special. Grilled. With mashed potatoes and cherry tomatoes. What a delicious combination! Loved it. Would definitely come back. Really nice atmosphere and good service.

We went there for New Year’s Eve and had a great early (prix fixe) dinner. Seamus was wonderful! The bisque and gnocchi were to die for!

Second time at Venticello’s, and I think the second time solidified it into my rotation of places to dine.
A VERY San Francisco experience — perfect dinner spot post drinks at the Fairmont or The Big 4 Restaurant.
We were seated about 20minutes past our reservation time as the restaurant was busy and diners were lingering after paying their check (what the server said). The table for two was the best of the house, overlooking the Bay Bridge.
Once seated service was great, and food was fantastic. Server happily offered me half orders of the duck pappardelle and carbonara to complete my meal because I could not make up my mind. I regret no sticking with the full order of the carbonara; it was delicious! Meatball appetizer was nothing special, as were the salads. All the pastas and pancetta wrapped shrimp were the highlight of the night, with no room for dessert.
Will happily return for the food.

Solid 4 restaurant: I walked past this restaurant and from the street, thought it looked like a very cute neighborhood restaurant. I came here with a 7:30pm reservation on a Monday night. We were seated at a two top with a great view of the street corner and beautiful restaurant ambiance. The restaurant wasn’t too busy, which added to the calm, pleasant feel. Service was attentive and friendly. We ordered the meatballs (highly recommend, smells and tastes delicious), black kale salad (average salad, but you’ll probably need greens somehow), sea bass (thumbs up) and chicken wrapped in prosciutto (too salty for me, but my date enjoyed it).
Overall, I think this restaurant makes a fabulous dinner selection if you’re looking for nice ambiance and decent food. It’s not AMAZING food, but you won’t be disappointed. The space works very well for two people and small groups, and even private parties. It feels like the inside décor is meticulously picked out and arranged for the pleasant ambiance.

Venticello is great. If you are looking for a solid Italian spot with a romantic atmosphere, it’s a great spot.
The space is tight and not the most comfortable chairs, but it’s worth it for the enchanting arrival at the corner of Taylor overlooking the bay and the sparkling bay bridge below. If you care about that sort of thing.
Food was delicious. We got the meatballs and eggplant to start which while very similar dishes were both worth getting. Definitely not the best meatballs I’ve ever gotten (they were a little overcooked), but hearty and warm for a cold night in San Francisco. Eggplant was covered in a delicious tomato sauce and melted cheese — yum.
We then shared the sausage pizza and the fettucine with tomato cream sauce. Both were perfect and just what we wanted.
Not the most amazing Italian food you’ll ever have in your life (or maybe it will be depending on your experience), but very solid and worth trying for a romantic Nob Hill date.

Delicious meal and great service!
Food:
–Pappardelle with wild boar: Fresh-​tasting flat-​noodle pasta with a light, flavorful sauce. The wild boar tasted like a tender, stewed beef. I was concerned it might be gamey, but it wasn’t at all.
–Sea bass: Moist, flaky fish wrapped in crispy pancetta. The polenta was prepared differently than I’ve seen before. It was like a barley. I ordered the tapenade on the side because I don’t like olives, but my tablemate tried it and enjoyed it. I thought the flavors were great without it.
–House bread: this was like a focaccia, very light, subtly salty on top.
Ambiance: this restaurant is very tiny. It is also WARM. It was completely full on a Sunday night. I’d definitely make reservations if you’re set on eating here. We were lucky and went here on a whim and got the last available table. If you sit on the lower level within view of the window, you can see the Bay Bridge – so pretty!
Service: No complaints here. The waiter was very friendly and prompt. The assistants brought bread quickly and kept our drinks full.

The gnocchi was good, very rich but good. The fish was fishy. The waitress was just plain old rude.

Great neighborhood restaurant. Excellent food and service. Intimate atmosphere in a charming setting. We (party of 3) had salmon, gnocchi, and lamb shank. All outstanding. Make reservations. If you want to arrive at 7:30 or so be prepared to potentially wait a (short) while as the folks at your table will probably linger to enjoy this place a bit longer.

Fresh and delicious Italian food, and a very intimate, upscale restaurant. My boyfriend and I celebrate our anniversary there every year. Parking is the only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars… Mostly because depending on the time of day, parking can take longer than the time you’ll be enjoying your meal. I would definitely take a cab from a garage for our next visit. Also, if you’re under 35, you will be among the youngest in the restaurant. BUT its excellent food, and a nice ‘special occasion’ place to dine.

Small more intimate restaurant. Make reservations!
I ordered the braised lamb with polenta and roasted brussel sprouts and we shared a meatball appetizers which came with 6 baked, plump, juicy, cheesy meatballs. I loved that they left the bones on the plate that when picked up had the meat slipping off. Being the classy lady I am, I successfully sucked out the bone marrow and gnawed at the cartilage without making a big scene.
While waiting for my order, I happily munched on their fluffy, warm focaccia bread and dipped it in oil and balsamic vinegar.
They’re able to pull off excellent service with really only 1 or 2 servers and the hostess stepping in from time to time to help out. Great neighborhood gem and can’t wait to come back!

Excellent Italian restaurant with fair prices and amazing food. The interior is adorable and romantic, and my waiter was wonderful. Found Venticello via Unilocal and made a reservation for my bf’s birthday on a Saturday. We arrived around 6:30pm and the restaurant was half full. By the time we left around 8:00pm, the restaurant was packed. Venticello definitely looks a lot nicer in the evening!
We ordered the pappardelle with wild boar and lamb shank as our entrees. Both were lovely! The pappardelle pasta tasted extremely fresh and savoury, just the right portions too. The lamb shank was great as well, but the meat was just a little too tough for my taste. I’ve definitely had much tender lamb shank elsewhere, so I might recommend trying a different meat entrée. The lamb shank came with polenta (yum) and brussel sprouts. After our meal, our waiter surprised my boyfriend with tiramisu (totally recommend ordering this as a dessert) and a candle on top for his birthday which I thought was a really nice gesture!
I love the authentic feel of Venticello and how the waiters are really detail-​oriented to make sure that you’re enjoying every aspect of your meal.

Small yet inviting. Just around the corner of your typical SF crazily steep streets. For appetizer, I tried the meatball which was okay. Me and my friend, we shared Gnocchi. It’s tasty but I wasnt impressed. For entrée, I got the lamb shank, which was amazing. Its very juicy and tender and meat was loosely attached to the bone. Yum. The restaurant was packed on the weekday around 630PM. Our waiter was not prompt and rarely checked on us. But we weren’t so bothered since the food was pretty good. Will I come back? Hmm not sure. SF has too many great restaurants and I would like to explore as many as possible.

I liked how this place was tucked away hidden among residents. We came here for my sister’s birthday and it was really packed, but I had a res. The wait staff was very nice and the food was delicious. We started with carpaccio and margarita pizza. I can say I liked the pizza, it’s rare in SF to find good pizza. The bread was thin and crispy enough and the fresh ingredients really made it.
I got the T-​bone and my husband got the lamb shank. Both meats were really tender and juicy. Can’t believe it was only our first time. Would definitely want to come back to try other dishes.

Been to this place a few times now… It’s a great neighborhood gem. Everything I’ve had here is really good. I really like the beef carpaccio and the spaghetti carbonara. But honestly, everything is good.
The service is impeccable. I always get the same girl (she has a cute lip piercing) and she’s super sweet and nice. Last night, we were the last ones in the restaurant and she didn’t rush us at all. She even brought us gelato compliments of her so that we didn’t feel rushed finishing our after dinner ports. Super sweet of her.
The place doesn’t have a full bar, but has a good selection of hard liquors. And of course wine. =) Great for me since I don’t drink wine and always want a nice cocktail with dinner instead of wine.

My wife and I ate here before a concert (2014) at the Masonic. Just a short walk from Venticello to the venue.
From the service to the food, this is a wonderful place for a romantic evening. The pasta and fish were excellent. I plan to come back soon!

Scanning the room as I entered the softly lit room, I could feel the warm buzz of reunion melting into the easy quiet of old friendships. A smartly dressed man with a carefully concealed urgency took my name as I squinted to find my purpose here. He had not yet arrived. I decided to wait by the door, pressing myself to the mirrored wall so as to glimpse the servers as they swung through the doors from the bright kitchen, sweeping doubly across the floor as their shadows grew and shrank before them.
Soon my old friend had arrived and we were sitting so that our knees swept against the fresh linen as we crossed and uncrossed our legs with the waxing and waning conversation. Course after course poured seamlessly out of the swinging doors, all painted to match the candlelight: an auburn soup, meatballs which sunk deliciously into their red sauce, pale scallops atop a bed of golden cubes of butternut squash, a crisped slice of fish, and, finally, the darkness of chocolate cake to signal an end to the frenzy.
My body seemed to pull apart, pressed downward by the weight of food and friendship against hot organs, and yet floating with the fiz of champagne, each word bringing us closer to an end, yet delightful to observe as it bubbled up from some unseizable force of communication toward the air – interrupted only briefly by the kind busser Santos slipping in and out of view as he poured water cleanly over our ice. The rush of those waves would certainly cover us forever, and yet, as such endless evenings always must, the tide ebbed and we exited to find our way through the dark hills and shake off our champagne.

Underwhelming
Nice venue… The potential to be a good restaurant if they knew how to cook and serve food!

My friends took me here for a belated birthday dinner and it was my first visit. My other friends highly recommended this place so it was on my list. Get a reservation early as it was packed by the time we got our food. The manager was very attentive and was able to recommend dinner options for us.
The dinner was fabulous and the wine by the glass selection was wonderful.
I love smaller neighborhood places and this place fits the bill.

I found this Italian place great, and would be a great place to enjoy a slow and quiet evening. Among my friends and I, we did not get alcohol but we got an appetizer.
FOOD: We started with an appetizer, which was meatballs. Mighty delicious as the meatballs were not dry or drowned in sauce. That’s always my complain about most meatballs. I got the seared ahi tuna (the special), and found it to be heavenly. My friends also got the lamb shank, which I tried and found to be heavenly.
SERVICE: Nothing out of this world, but very good for the price of about three dollar signs.
I will say the wine list prices are pretty steep, so that’s why we opted out. But overall, mighty good Italian food and great ambiance.