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Absolutely delicious hidden gem, off the beaten path of the Polk corridor. They pick up the phone, are accommodating and attentive, lovely server and support staff. Was a busy Friday night and we felt well cared for. Menu explained well and food prepared promptly. The pastas are definitely made fresh. Small mistake on the bill but immediately fixed with a smile. We'll come back for sure
Food was excellent! Started with polenta as an appetizer. The freshest noodles - light and tender with a delicious sauce. It was all eaten too fast! The only thing was the kitchen dropped the wrong dish to my dinner mate. The server was a little brusk and insinuated that my mate was wrong and annoyed. They remade the dish but he ate by himself while the rest of us finished before he got his. While the waiter had that moment overall it was super yummy
On the corner of Larkin, Amarena offers Italian fare in a rustic building with decor that could be seen in a small town in Italy. Ambiance aside, the dishes as a whole were slightly underwhelming. One of their signatures, the pappardelle al cinghiale featuring fettuccine and boar meat, ended up being quite flavorless. While they do give you salt on the side, it doesn't balance the dish and instead just tastes like salt poured on pasta. Specifically, better seasoning of the sauce itself likely would have made this dish more satisfying to eat by bringing out more of the tomato and meat flavor. The best item was the appetizer, the bread with house made dipping sauce (a basil pesto-like dip with a strong olive taste), however, when you come to an Italian restaurant you come for the pasta, not the bread, so it's hard to say this significantly changes the overall experience. As a whole, Amarena is a nice choice for a dinner if your focus is on vibes. However, if the goal is to have great Italian food, there are likely other spots more worth trying.
Five Stars! Amazing Italian cuisine. Feels like being in Italy. Polpette is soft and tender. Arancini is gooey crunchy and savory. Ravioli di Zucca and Paccheri pasta are the best I've had outside of Puglia. Simply divine. I wish I had more room to sample more dishes. Definitely coming back
The food I had here was the best I had all week. The food was cooked to perfection. The service staff was very friendly. The ambiance of the restaurant was great as well. My only complaint was that it was a little difficult to communicate with my waiter. I very much recommend the restaurant. I give them 4 stars
Came in here for a quick solo dinner. Butternut squash, ravioli was pretty good. I do wish they graded the Parmesan at the table. It kind of looks like bagged Parmesan sprinkled on top But it was still really good. The place was packed and I ended up sitting at the bar. The staff was attentive and nice. The decor feels very 2010 Italian chic lol
We made a reservation for an early dinner here on a Saturday and really enjoyed our experience. There's a 5-6pm happy hour so my wine and our pastas were 30% off which was a happy surprise. We thought the food was delicious and the service was great. The restaurant is on a corner in Russian Hill that's a little quieter, and we found the whole experience cozy and enjoyable.
Amarena is a great spot near Polk street. They have a great Happy Hour deal on pasta and wine. Even outside of happy hour this place is worth a stop. One of my favorite pasta places with their flavors and making sure the pasta is perfectly al dente. The wine options they have are also pretty good as well. The staff were attentive and nice. They have a good amount of outdoor space and they have heaters for when it gets chilly as well. It may be a bit uphill coming from Polk but is definitely worth the bit of extra effort. Have gone a couple times now and will definitely be back.
I'm glad I tried Amarena. The ambiance is super pretty inside and it was crowded on a weekday evening. We made a reservation and sat at the bar. The service is great and fast here. There are barely any vegetarian options on the menu especially for the entrees which was disappointing. To start we got the bruschetta. The bruschetta are super big and the tomatoes were good but the bread was slightly soggy. I got the taglioni for my entree. I loved this noodle shape and the flavor of the pasta had truffle and mushrooms and it was really good. I think it was maybe very slightly overcooked but other than that I'd get it again. To drink we got Pinot noir and prosecco. For dessert we got the dark chocolate item which came with vanilla gelato. The chocolate part was okay but gelato was good. I'd come back here especially if I can make some of the other items vegetarian.
Quaint Trattoria-style corner location with homemade pastas and traditional entrees. Friendly staff, solid food. Will return,
My experience at Amarena was disappointing. This is a neighborhood restaurant. Parking is very difficult to find and the staff were of no help with regard to suggestions on where to park. All they could tell me when I inquired was that parking is very difficult! Most of the parking in the area are off street parking. We did not find any parking garages within walking distance. We had a reservation to celebrate my birthday here. My son was in SF for business and we decided to try this restaurant after reading the reviews. They had us seated right in front of the front entrance and each time the door opened, there was a very cold draft that came in, making it very uncomfortable to be seated there. We requested to move to another table. This is a very small restaurant with limited seating but there was an area off to the side that was comfortable. However, we were seated near the restroom. This table should only be for 2 not 4 people as it made it very crammed as people tried to squueze by you when they wanted to use the restroom - which is also a single restroom and with a very small waiting area. Our waiter was a little surly and inconsistent - he was friendly some of the time and surly at other times. No idea why! We ordered the Polpette Di Carne and the Bruschetta della Casa to start. The bruschetta was delicious- the flavors were well balanced and by far the best dish we had. The Polpette was good as well. I'm not much of a meatball peerson but my family members really enjoyed them. The portions were relatively large. For our entrees we had the Pappardelle al Cinghiale, Orecchiette con Salsiccia e Cime di Rapa and Pacchetti Golosi. Our dishes arrived lukewarm and quickly got cold before we could even begin eating. I was not impressed by this and I think this affected the taste profile of the dishes. The Orecchiette had a bitter aftertaste. I enjoyed the Pappaedelle best. To round out our meal, we had the Tiramisu for dessert. The serving was quite large and easily shared. We felt that the flavors were inconsistent. Some bites had too much alcohol taste to it, while other bites had too much coffee flavors. As I mentioned, we did inform the restaurant that we were celebrating a birthday and were disappointed that there was no acknowledgment of this. Not even a "Happy Birthday" wish.... Not sure I would be coming back to this restaurant. Perhaps if I lived int he neighborhood, I wouldn't mind giving them another try. But it's not worth a trek from Bay area.
Everything an Italian restaurant should be: cozy, warm, good service and of course all the carbs and cheese a girl could want! We sat outside with heaters, the bruschetta was magic, the mortadella was delicious as was the mushroom pasta, and tiramisu was great!
Great date night restaurant! A beautiful restaurant that makes you feel like you're in Italy! Great food and reasonable portion sizes with good service. Recommend trying this out for a nice sit-down dinner
Lovely and cozy Italian dining spot on a street corner in Russian Hill. There's a lot of indoor/patio seating available. Service was quick, and we got seated right away. Food was delicious. The pear salad was so fresh. Loved the sweet, tangy flavors with balsamic dressing over arugula. Butternut squash ravioli was definitely the standout dish of the night!! Always a fan of butternut squash. Loved the sauce and rich, creamy filling. The roasted potatoes and salmon were also great, just portions were on the smaller side. For dessert we got the vanilla ice cream with cherry sauce. It had a nice tartness to it. Great restaurant and looking forward to coming back :) read more
3 months ago
5 months ago
Came here for a Saturday dinner date with no reservation and still was able to get outdoor seating. The bread starter was nothing special, but the green herb sauce that came with it was good enough to keep dipping into. Also got the Tortino di Melanzane. Eggplant was watery and the sauce just tasted like normal marinara. Not worth it in my opinion. The Tagliolini Ai Funghi E Tartufo was the move. Saucy pasta with strong mushroom and truffle flavor. Really satisfying. Outdoor seating with dim lighting, staff was genuinely helpful with the menu, but once you order, expect to wait. Two hours from starters to dessert is too long. Price felt a bit expensive for what you get. read more
12 days ago
Absolutely delicious hidden gem, off the beaten path of the Polk corridor. They pick up the phone, are accommodating and attentive, lovely server and support staff. Was a busy Friday night and we felt well cared for. Menu explained well and food prepared promptly. The pastas are definitely made fresh. Small mistake on the bill but immediately fixed with a smile. We'll come back for sure read more
5 months ago
Food was excellent! Started with polenta as an appetizer. The freshest noodles - light and tender with a delicious sauce. It was all eaten too fast! The only thing was the kitchen dropped the wrong dish to my dinner mate. The server was a little brusk and insinuated that my mate was wrong and annoyed. They remade the dish but he ate by himself while the rest of us finished before he got his. While the waiter had that moment overall it was super yummy read more
1 month ago
On the corner of Larkin, Amarena offers Italian fare in a rustic building with decor that could be seen in a small town in Italy. Ambiance aside, the dishes as a whole were slightly underwhelming. One of their signatures, the pappardelle al cinghiale featuring fettuccine and boar meat, ended up being quite flavorless. While they do give you salt on the side, it doesn't balance the dish and instead just tastes like salt poured on pasta. Specifically, better seasoning of the sauce itself likely would have made this dish more satisfying to eat by bringing out more of the tomato and meat flavor. The best item was the appetizer, the bread with house made dipping sauce (a basil pesto-like dip with a strong olive taste), however, when you come to an Italian restaurant you come for the pasta, not the bread, so it's hard to say this significantly changes the overall experience. As a whole, Amarena is a nice choice for a dinner if your focus is on vibes. However, if the goal is to have great Italian food, there are likely other spots more worth trying. read more
Five Stars! Amazing Italian cuisine. Feels like being in Italy. Polpette is soft and tender. Arancini is gooey crunchy and savory. Ravioli di Zucca and Paccheri pasta are the best I've had outside of Puglia. Simply divine. I wish I had more room to sample more dishes. Definitely coming back read more
The food I had here was the best I had all week. The food was cooked to perfection. The service staff was very friendly. The ambiance of the restaurant was great as well. My only complaint was that it was a little difficult to communicate with my waiter. I very much recommend the restaurant. I give them 4 stars read more
Came in here for a quick solo dinner. Butternut squash, ravioli was pretty good. I do wish they graded the Parmesan at the table. It kind of looks like bagged Parmesan sprinkled on top But it was still really good. The place was packed and I ended up sitting at the bar. The staff was attentive and nice. The decor feels very 2010 Italian chic lol read more
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Paolo G.
Thanks for the review, we appreciated it.…
We made a reservation for an early dinner here on a Saturday and really enjoyed our experience. There's a 5-6pm happy hour so my wine and our pastas were 30% off which was a happy surprise. We thought the food was delicious and the service was great. The restaurant is on a corner in Russian Hill that's a little quieter, and we found the whole experience cozy and enjoyable. read more
Amarena is a great spot near Polk street. They have a great Happy Hour deal on pasta and wine. Even outside of happy hour this place is worth a stop. One of my favorite pasta places with their flavors and making sure the pasta is perfectly al dente. The wine options they have are also pretty good as well. The staff were attentive and nice. They have a good amount of outdoor space and they have heaters for when it gets chilly as well. It may be a bit uphill coming from Polk but is definitely worth the bit of extra effort. Have gone a couple times now and will definitely be back. read more
I'm glad I tried Amarena. The ambiance is super pretty inside and it was crowded on a weekday evening. We made a reservation and sat at the bar. The service is great and fast here. There are barely any vegetarian options on the menu especially for the entrees which was disappointing. To start we got the bruschetta. The bruschetta are super big and the tomatoes were good but the bread was slightly soggy. I got the taglioni for my entree. I loved this noodle shape and the flavor of the pasta had truffle and mushrooms and it was really good. I think it was maybe very slightly overcooked but other than that I'd get it again. To drink we got Pinot noir and prosecco. For dessert we got the dark chocolate item which came with vanilla gelato. The chocolate part was okay but gelato was good. I'd come back here especially if I can make some of the other items vegetarian. read more
4 months ago
Quaint Trattoria-style corner location with homemade pastas and traditional entrees. Friendly staff, solid food. Will return, read more
My experience at Amarena was disappointing. This is a neighborhood restaurant. Parking is very difficult to find and the staff were of no help with regard to suggestions on where to park. All they could tell me when I inquired was that parking is very difficult! Most of the parking in the area are off street parking. We did not find any parking garages within walking distance. We had a reservation to celebrate my birthday here. My son was in SF for business and we decided to try this restaurant after reading the reviews. They had us seated right in front of the front entrance and each time the door opened, there was a very cold draft that came in, making it very uncomfortable to be seated there. We requested to move to another table. This is a very small restaurant with limited seating but there was an area off to the side that was comfortable. However, we were seated near the restroom. This table should only be for 2 not 4 people as it made it very crammed as people tried to squueze by you when they wanted to use the restroom - which is also a single restroom and with a very small waiting area. Our waiter was a little surly and inconsistent - he was friendly some of the time and surly at other times. No idea why! We ordered the Polpette Di Carne and the Bruschetta della Casa to start. The bruschetta was delicious- the flavors were well balanced and by far the best dish we had. The Polpette was good as well. I'm not much of a meatball peerson but my family members really enjoyed them. The portions were relatively large. For our entrees we had the Pappardelle al Cinghiale, Orecchiette con Salsiccia e Cime di Rapa and Pacchetti Golosi. Our dishes arrived lukewarm and quickly got cold before we could even begin eating. I was not impressed by this and I think this affected the taste profile of the dishes. The Orecchiette had a bitter aftertaste. I enjoyed the Pappaedelle best. To round out our meal, we had the Tiramisu for dessert. The serving was quite large and easily shared. We felt that the flavors were inconsistent. Some bites had too much alcohol taste to it, while other bites had too much coffee flavors. As I mentioned, we did inform the restaurant that we were celebrating a birthday and were disappointed that there was no acknowledgment of this. Not even a "Happy Birthday" wish.... Not sure I would be coming back to this restaurant. Perhaps if I lived int he neighborhood, I wouldn't mind giving them another try. But it's not worth a trek from Bay area. read more
1 year ago
Everything an Italian restaurant should be: cozy, warm, good service and of course all the carbs and cheese a girl could want! We sat outside with heaters, the bruschetta was magic, the mortadella was delicious as was the mushroom pasta, and tiramisu was great! read more
11 months ago
Great date night restaurant! A beautiful restaurant that makes you feel like you're in Italy! Great food and reasonable portion sizes with good service. Recommend trying this out for a nice sit-down dinner read more
Love this place!! I first checked them out for their happy hour deal, which is a total steal at 30% off a pasta and a drink from 5-6pm. Their pasta is incredibly fresh and tasty - I think the pappardelle and the Paccheri Dell'Alpino (a long tube pasta) were my favorite. Service was great, and they have both indoor and outdoor seating with heat lamps. Would come back again!! read more
The food options are pretty limited, I was craving a steak but there wasn't a viable option I saw. I settled on a spaghetti dish, which was fine for an Italian restaurant but I definitely didn't think it was worth the price tag, I expected a larger portion or to be blown away by the sauce. The service was fine, the restaurant is pleasant. It is small so it can get loud and you are seated close together which does lead to a vibrant atmosphere. But overall given the reviews I had much higher hopes read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
super cozy spot! was recommended this place by some friends and it didn't disappoint. yelp shows limited (and late) reservation times, but i was able to get a primetime res over the phone, so def recommend calling. i got the orecchiette and my friend got the pappardelle. i personally prefer my pasta to be al dente, so it was a touch soft for my liking, but the flavors hit. both were delicious, but my friend and i agreed that the pappardelle was the favorite. bolder flavors. portions were good too. i left satisfied, but not overstuffed. i got a limoncello spritz which was refreshing and my friend and i shared the tiramisu. def need to come back for their happy hour (sounds like such a steal) and to try different entrees. very friendly service. read more
3 months ago
This cute and cozy Russian hill restaurant was so accommodating of our group of 10 which turned to 7 last minute! Can't rec this place more for meet ups. The good: - highly recommend their tube pastas. A little pricey for the amount but for amount pasta, but the flavors were spot on - great wine selection. We enjoyed both the bottle of brut we got and another red wine they recommended! - great service though you'll need to grab their attention every now and then The meh: - noting really. We had a great time and were never rushed. Our group was very happy. read more
7 months ago
I loved the ambiance of this little restaurant. It is dimly lit at night, but it created a more intimate feel. I celebrated my birthday here and really loved the wine and gnocchi I ordered. The service was quick and friendly and had a comforting feel. The bread with dip we ordered... not sure what the dip was but it was delicious (it was an oil and, maybe pesto or something?). Anyways we can't wait to come back here again. :) read more
Just not a good experience here... Food was off and so was the service. Came here with a group of seven and ordered quite a bit. Here's the breakdown: *STARTERS* Frittura Mista (8.5/10) - Best dish of the night. Fried nicely and good dipping sauce. The whole table enjoyed. Polenta (5/10) - Polenta was served room temp so it was not as soft as I liked. Sauce was okay and overpowered by the sage. Polpo Alla Grigla (0/10) - DO NOT ORDER THIS. Octopus tasted far from fresh. It had a weird flavor and texture to it. Usually octopus is smooth when you bite into it but this was grainy. We all took one bite and knew it was bad. It gave me a bad stomachache the day after. This was the dish that ruined everything. *MAINS* Bucatini (4/10) - Maybe I'm biased because I'm not a fan of tomato or bacon. Bacon overpowered the flavor and tomato sauce was nothing special. Linguine Alle Vongole (5/10) - Seafood flavor was strong because the clams did not taste fresh. Paccheri Golosi (6.5/10) - The table enjoyed this one. It did have a good truffle flavor but I felt like it was a bit watered down. Orecchiette (8/10) - Everyone's favorite pasta dish of the night. Good flavor with good sausage bites. Ravioli Di Zucca (6/10) - This was a bit too sweet for my liking but overall wasn't bad. Veal (6/10) - Flavor wasn't bad. Texture was a little chewy. *SERVICE* I don't know if it was because we were a large party and they knew 20% gratuity would be included, but service was nonexistent. When they delivered plates to the table, the literally held it in the air for us to put on the table ourselves from the start. We had to move plates and situate everything ourselves. And when we complained about the octopus tasting bad, the waitress just said "okay." No apology and they didn't take it off the bill. Also, we ordered the pappardelle and she forgot to put it in. Again, no apology lol. Service definitely did not deserve a 20% tip. If you do decide to come here, DO NOT ORDER SEAFOOD unless you have strong stomachs. read more
We made a reservation for a Saturday night. It was a small but busy place - felt very comfy/neighborhood vibe. My friend and I ordered 2 pastas to share - the butternut squash ravioli and the cacio e Pepe (a special that night). Both were delicious!! I wish the ravioli dish came with more ravioli. It was a great place with friendly staff I'd definitely go back to. read more
10 months ago
I was here last night for my mom's birthday dinner. We came as a family and were seated right away. We had no reservation. Walk in right as they opened at 5pm. Now this is a real Italian restaurant. Pasta, the bread for starters, and main course to desserts were great! We enjoyed the wine and food we had ordered. I forgot to snap a picture of the others dishes but I had no time but to enjoy a meal, phones aside. The bread was very hard to resist. We had seconds haha. My family and I decided to do A La Carte so everyone can try their dish. I ordered the Agnello Ai Mirtilli, medium rare lamb chops with potatoes and baby spinach. My father had the Osso Buco. Both dishes were fantastic. The Osso Buco especially had the beef so tender it melts in your mouth!! My girlfriend and sister had the Tagilolini Ai Funghi E Tartufo. Those noodles were to die for. My sisters boyfriend had the Gnocchi Al Gorgonzola, super delicious. And my mom had gluten free pasta accommodated by the chefs and staff. They are gluten free/celiac disease aware! Thank you for a splendid night. We appreciate the great service and hospitality. read more
2 years ago
They let me come in for happy hour right under the wire, but the signs out on Polk street really got me wanting to try them. The inside was cozy and a nice environment with a small bar at the back that I sat at. It was pretty empty on a Tuesday but it started to fill up closer to 7pm. The host and waiters were very friendly and gave great recommendations regarding wine and food. The happy hour deal is 30% off a glass of wine and one pasta which really was quite a good deal. I also got the bruschetta, another glass of wine (Rosso really is the best red they have by glass) and a dessert because everything tasted so good and I was having a very nice time. I'll definitely be back! read more
2 years ago
I would recommend this restaurant on a not busy holiday. We reserved a table for 2 for 8pm showed up early but it was Valentine's Day. They were super busy and we ended taking the food to good for one person food had amazing flavors but the service was super slow. Alex was amazing she helped us so much but she was also super busy. They did have great ambiance heaters everywhere which helped so much for the cold weather read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
Best Italian food in SF hands down. Paccheri del appino Lasagna Calimari Arancini Wine I pictured below. Get this meal exactly and thank me later read more
1 year ago
This has become my favorite cozy neighborhood Italian spot for the past year! Been a handful of times, food is always fantastic (lasagna is the BEST), happy hour prices are an added perk, and great ambiance inside. read more
8 months ago
Dinner was fantastic here! I got the butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage with a glass of Pinot Noir. Ravioli could've been a little more flavorful but it was the perfect portioning and was delicious! I love the overall ambiance and lighting level here - perfect for date night or a girls night out! Service was good - had a little pushy moment about finishing desert but overall a great night. Tiramisu was very light and made for the perfect top off to the meal! read more
9 months ago
3 years ago
Amarena is such a cute place, perfect for dates or family dinners. The food was great, the pappardelli was amazing (still thinking about it) and so was the lasagna. The tiramisu didn't have as much cocoa in it as I would have like so I'd give it 3.5/5. The service was pretty standard, no complaints. Would recommend! read more
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2162 Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94109
Russian Hill
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(415) 447-0441
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