What an absolute North Beach gem!! Love the staff, they are very family oriented, warm and ready to crack a joke. The food is fresh and delicious, with deep layers of flavor and nuance. The pizza is thin and light with a thin crust with just the right amount of crunch. Dark lighting keeps the atmosphere soft and intimate. Half price bottles of wine on Mondays! read more

Ideale - Fettuccine alla Norcina - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Last minute reservation in Little Italy. Despite having a few go to Italian spots, this place deserves recognition and 5 stars! Amazing food, drink and ambiance. Despite last minute reservation the staff treated us incredibly and served some amazing food. Try the. Cacio e Pepe! It's a must try and not on every menu! read more

Had a Mothers Day dinner there and it was such a delightful experience. It's a cozy place with cool art and a bustling vibe of a popular place being enjoyed. I ordered the fettuccine with a mushroom and sausage light cream sauce. It was perfect. Tasty but not too heavy. We started with the beet salad with arugula and fava beans. Very fresh. Also little bruschetta slices served with a velvety burrata served in the middle. My dining companions ordered the carbonara pasta, cacia pepe pasta and a mushroom sausage pizza. They were ALL very good. Now don't miss the desserts! Their cannoli is to die for. They have something called a limoncello flute that is like a parfait with cream and limoncello. Incredible. Service was great. Friendly, efficient, giving time to dine leisurely. The owners are two brothers who wait tables and work alongside their staff. They can be entertaining to watch as they bicker in Italian. This place is a gem. Unpretentious. Just simple, delicious food. read more

The food is really good. I ordered the burrata and bruschetta, and it had been a long time since I'd had such a great one, this was amazing. The carbonara was delicious, just perfect. The servers were very attentive and cared about every detail. You can also hear them speaking Italian, which adds to the authentic atmosphere. The prices were reasonable for San Francisco. This is one of the few places in the city where you can find classic Roman pastas. I'll definitely be back. read more

Ideale - Spaghetti alla Carbonara - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

The service was super slow; we waited 45 minutes before our food arrived. The food tasted pretty average. We got the margarita pizza and the pizza with mushrooms, as well as a couple of pastas. The ambiance is cute and okay for a date night, but honestly there are better places in San Francisco for Italian food. This one is a skip. read more

Absolutely delicious! Very happy the restaurant was open on a Monday. My friend and I shared the zucchine tartufate, which was refreshing and had a delicious truffle flavor. We also shared the veal saltimbocca which was so tender you could cut it with a fork and extremely delicious. We also shared the tortelloni alla paisana which was also awesome -- salty and savory in the best way! And we finished our dinner off with an excellent tiramisu. The service was very friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back! read more

A neighborhood gem! Great ambience. Wonderful food, wine, attentive service by Alexandra! Love Ideale!

So much potential but something is off in the kitchen. I had been once before during restaurant week but something had changed. 5 stars for the service, ambience and menu. 2 stars for the bucatini. It came out hot and presentation was great, but the sauce was bland/soupy and lacking any real substance. I found myself begging for a salt shaker. This place is a good deal for the price and there are plenty of other options on the menu. If quality is what you're seeking perhaps spend a little extra and visit Mare E Monti read more

Ideale - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love Ideale - the food is amazing, authentic and fresh. The staff are friendly and lovely. Took my parent here for dinner and they LOVED. One of my favorite places in North Beach. read more

I ate here during SF restaurant week so keep that in mind. :) Ideale is a lively, Italian spot in north beach that's been around for a long time. The staff is super nice. Overall, the food is good yet not outstanding. The prix fixe menu of an appetizer, pasta and entree for $60 is well worth it, though.The portions are pretty generous. The cacio e Pepe was good, but the meat on top seemed a little strange. It tasted like bologna or some sort of deli lunch meat (sorry!). read more

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We came back! A few months ago, we stumbled in for a drink and dessert. But this place made an impression on us so this time we came back for dinner. We had wine, two appetizers, a salad and two pastas. We love the calamari. Fresh and delicious. The burrata bruschetta was great as well. Pasta-wise, my friend likes her daily special pasta while I like my spinach pesto pasta. Also, we got the tiramisu to share again because it was yummy. When we first entered the restaurant, there weren't that many diners, but the place filled up fast. The outside dining room by the door was also packed due to a big birthday dinner celebration. On a side note, my phone battery was drained from my frequent use and I needed some charge so I can call a car later. I brought my charger but of course, it doesn't work when it's plugged, so one of the nice waiter/staff (sorry I didn't get his name) helped me out by charging it for me as we ate dinner. Really appreciate! read more

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The ambiance and service are fine. However, when my food arrived I almost laughed. The portion size is pretty ridiculous. I ordered the chicken. It's not an appetizer. Devoured it in about 4 bites and left the restaurant really hungry. To be honest, I could have eaten the same dish several times over. Oh and it wasn't cheap either. You can find far better value somewhere else but I can only speak to the dish that I had. read more

Ideale - Chicken - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Half-price wine on a Monday night? Yea, please! Ordered a beautiful bottle of Barolo to wash down the most delicious burrata appetizer, followed by handmade stuffed tortelloni with veal and prosciutto, served in a bolognese-style red sauce. Cozy atmosphere with native Italian-speaking servers at the ready for our every need. Capped off with a champagne flute of lemon sorbet and limoncello--a light, airy, perfect end to a great dinner. Highly recommend! read more

Nice place in Italian restaurant area. Food was good and it was not too loud. I would return except I live on the other side of the country. Very lively area. read more

The food was fabulous. The service, though, was very very slow. The ambiance was relaxed. It was fun to watch passersby on a busy side street near Columbus St. in North Beach. read more

Ideale - Dining room. - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went for dinner at opening, packed. Cold apps served but zero hot food emerged from the kitchen for seemingly any table in the 100+ minutes before we left. Managers kept saying food would be out in a few minutes. A little honesty and class would've gone a long way here. Staff didn't show/scheduling screwup? Gas/electrical/equipment failure? Just apologize, drinks on the house, send people away so they can still eat elsewhere. read more

Great food and service. The fresh pasta and bread was delicious and all the food was authentic and fabulous. Our server was very attentive and friendly. read more

Ideale - Bucatini - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We had such a HORRIBLE experience here!! We came on a Friday night and they were very busy and seemed short staffed. Everyone looked a little frazzled. We were a party of 3 and they told us they would seat us in about 10 or 15 minutes. Right after we sat down and the server came over and said "ok, you know what you want?"...We literally just sat down! After some time, he finally resurfaced and took our orders. So we placed everything at once because we didn't know when he would come back and we were trying to catch a show. We ordered two glasses of wine, one of which was corked and made my friend extremely sick! They claimed we didn't know what good wine was, but this was clearly old and not good at all! It's horrible that they would even serve it and then try to insult us in such a way. My friend owns a wine bar, so I'm pretty she knows what good wine tastes like. For our appetizer we ordered the Burrata and it took forever! The table next to us sat down and received their entrees before we even got our appetizer. Last I checked you don't need to cook Burrata so I'm not sure what happened here. For our entrees, we ordered two chicken plates and one pasta dish. I'm actually giving 2 stars for the pasta dish because that's the one thing that actually tasted good. Unfortunately, the chicken was dry, came out cold and the veggies were burned. Such a disappointing meal and they seemed to care less. I will definitely not be returning here. read more

Nice place but the entree I had tasted like Hamburger Helper - linguine with mushrooms and truffle sausage in cream sauce. Not a home run.

This lovely cafe has an interesting menu with fresh salads, beautiful pastas, pizza and treats standard assortment of secondi. This is the third time we've been there for dinner and it was delicious. Staff is attentive but not hovering. read more

Ideale - Mixed seafood grill. - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We were very disappointed. In order: it was very cold with a cold wind coming in from the back of the room under my legs. My friend's prosecco was completely flat. We shared the prosciutto with pear which was unripe and hard and had to ask for plates. My water never came till I asked for it again. When my lasagne came I warmed my hands on the edges of the hot plate since that was the only warmth I could find. We finished our lasagna which was ok but not great. Had to wait 15 minutes to get the bill since our waiter was serving the two tables next to us and ignored us. We couldn't wait to get out! I do not recommend this restaurant. read more

Here's what they promised: "We will be having a very special dinner on Sunday, November 17th. It will be a fun, celebratory dinner with lots of food, wine... both included in abundance for $100/person." There was no "abundance" in the food and wine but a very real "abundance" of lackluster service. Here's what we got: flat tasteless semi-stale bread, mushy mushy mushy tomatoes, pears that were hard-as-a-brick-under-ripe (completely inedible), risotto that was so undercooked that the rice was as chewy as cardboard and watery beyond belief (and tasteless -- inedible AGAIN), and dessert for two on a single plate of these inedible things wrapped in plastic. Photos attached. $100 per person. Incredibly disappointing. And .... when it came to the "abundance" of wine....well, we had to beg for the tiny bit of wine that we got. Terrible terrible terrible experience. read more

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Still excellent after the pandemic. We haven't been here for awhile and had another amazing meal with another couple. Prices also stayed reasonable which I really appreciate We share family style one appetizer two pasta two secondi and two desserts and a bottle of wine and it's was less than $250 including taxes and tip. Zucchini julienne still excellent. Gnocchi with pork ragu was perfect. Gnocchi was like a soft pillow. Another pasta dish 5th on the menu where I forgot the name. Was perfectly Al dente Lamb chop breaded was surprisingly good Fresh halibut with mushroom truffle sauce also was excellent and I don't even like halibut usually. They do it very well here We wrapped with panna cotta and baba desserts and were so happy. Will be back. read more

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We had been running around San Francisco for a few hours participating in the "Chinese New Year Treasure hunt", needless to say we were really hungry! We got seated promptly (we did have a reservation) but ended up with a single menu for a company of seven! Well, camera phones to the rescue! Just as we all had managed to get the photos shared and zoomed to go over the options our server returned with more menus! Well, that little mess aside we had a great evening. Food was plentiful on the plates, the appetizers shareable between two or three persons (even really hungry ones) and the pizza that I ordered was just the right size for one (maybe two if you're not starving and shared a few appetizers as well). Our servers were attentive, service was quick and friendly. The place is very unassuming from the outside, but inside it's a great atmosphere and the noise level is not intrusive. This was a good find for a Saturday night. read more

Another lovely dinner: Fettuccini, gnocchi, lasagna. While all were delish, fettuccini w truffle was a standout. We had the pleasure of meeting the charming Maurizio at the bar. Even though the restaurant was full, we were well taken care of at the bar. read more

Ideale - Italian Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ideale is tucked away on a small street in North Beach and quite unassuming from the outside, but it's truly a hidden gem that has yet to be discovered by many. The first time I was here I came with my friends and I for Valentine's Day dinner. It was crowded and took awhile to get our food, but understandable on such a busy night. Between the four of us, we split a burrata bruschetta appetizer, two pastas, and a pizza. We gave our compliments to the chef/owner and he was kind enough to give us limoncello shots on the house! Everything was so fresh and flavorful. We enjoyed everything. I couldn't stop thinking about the fettuccine alla norcina so I ended up coming back with another friend the following week. I tried the tiramisu this time and wow... it was the best I've ever tried. The bitterness of the espresso really balanced out the sweet cream. It was just delicious in every way. Prices are reasonable, ambiance and service is good, and food is authentic and flavorful. I'll definitely be back and bring more friends & family :) read more

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I have come to this restaurant a handful of times, for my birthday and to dine in with friends. I have been a fan of this place since I was first introduced to it back in 2019. I love it so much that I bring every friend who remotely loves Italian food and is visiting me in San Francisco to try it for themselves & every time it does not disappoint. Ideale is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in San Francisco and as a loyal customer, they provide consistent quality of food and service. I love it here. Great for a gals night out or a date night. Also! They have unreal gluten free pasta that almost tastes like normal pasta. I've had non-celiac friends try my pasta and they've said they wouldn't have known the difference. Chefs kiss to Ideale. read more

Ideale's restaurant week deal is amazing: homemade suppl alla roma, paccheri alla gricia, tiramisu and a glass of Prosecco or red wine for $45. Our waiter was so patient and kind. I don't think he stopped smiling the entire time we were there. It really made us feel welcome. I'm excited to return and try more things! read more

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The best Spaghetti Carbonara in SF, I think. A perfectly balanced blend of moderate richness and crispy Pancetta.

Fresh pasta? Say less. My friend has given high praise for this spot so I got to see what the hype was all about. I ended up getting the Bucatini All'Amitriciana which was a tomato-based sauce. The pasta was chewy and delicious. Would highly recommend for red sauce lovers. My friends have also had high praises for the cacio e pepe and carbonara too. The server was super kind and even gave us a round of complimentary limoncello (?) shots! read more

We came here for the SF RESTAURANT week. The seating process was little bit slow that day and we were seated outside. We didn't get a menu until I went to grab it myself. I guess it was a slow and busy day for them. We ordered the restaurant week menu and other items like veal saltimbocca and millefoglie. We like the zucchini tartufate which is very refreshing with the pate and fettuccine pescatore which has good seafood flavor with the pasta and tiramisu. We are not impressed with burrata which has taste of lacking of salt or pepper and veal dish which is normal taste to me and millefoglie which has a too standout chocolate of it. Oh the wine there is really good. We really like the Sangiovese and montepulciano and moscato. read more

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So here's the thing. Everytime I go it's so hard to get sat at a table, it's seems as though there's no host or anyone to greet and seat. But if you do get a seat the food is incredibly delicious and beautifully prepared. read more

Delicious homemade pasta, attentive service. Highly recommend. One in our party who's a great cook in her own right raved about the lasagna.

If you're looking for high quality Italian this is the place! The pesto pasta is sooo good but you can't go wrong with anything the menu. highly recommend!! read more

This was our first visit to Ideale and we were delighted! Many friends have enjoyed themselves at Ideale and it was highly recommended. We were greeted warmly and seated promptly and soon were enjoying warm appetizers and chilled Prosecco! My companion's gnocchi was heavenly--light and fluffy and delicious! Some of the best I've ever tasted. My tortellini was likewise perfect. For dessert we shared a delicious tiramisu, and soon we were off to the theater where we raved about our delicious meal right up to curtain time! I hope we get back to Ideale again soon! read more

What a fabulous restaurant...very family atmosphere with delicious food. I had veal piccata and loved every bite. A wonderful atmosphere and makes you feel like you are in Roma. We live in Dallas and wish we had such a truly Italian restaurant. read more

We had a reservation for dinner and we waited 45 minutes to get our table. Food was mediocre. The pasta was decent/good but the pizza was terrible. The wine was pretty bad too. Staff was cordial but not the level of service I would expect for that price range. I hadn't been there in years but definitely changed for the worse. Doubt I'll be back read more

Loud environment, slow service, under sauced gnocchi, bland food. We didn't bother staying for desert. Won't return.

This was not the best "Ideale" for us! We should've gone back to California Fish Market. It was the Friday night before Halloween and restaurant week to boot. So all the freaks and Eats were out that night. The service was slow, and the food was very salty. In the world of restaurant week, you have one chance to impress...ONE. Pardon another pun, but this place was not "Ideale." BB read more

what a great meal. I think I left my phone, I'm desperate if someone can open the doors for me.