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    Polenta Restaurant

    5.0 (22 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Apple pie
    Jeff A.

    This is a gem of a small family run restaurant. The food is Michelin worthy exquisite. The food is north eastern Italian. The owner describes it as "having a lot of influences from many other cultures because we have been invaded by everybody". Indeed some dishes are decidedly not Italian like the potato salad that was served with the pork. The portions are small. It's kind of Tapas style Italian. We shared family style so we got a taste of everything. The flavors of some dishes like the carrots I don't even know how they did it. The pastas are all homemade and excellent. Highly recommended for Italian food you probably never have had.

    S G.

    Excellent quality regional Italian cuisine, nice wine list and the owner Gulio is very personable. So glad this opened in our 'hood!

    Frico and snap pea salad.

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    22 days ago

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    24 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Kyle T.
    68
    42
    54

    20 hours ago

    Great new spot in the neighborhood. Everything was very tasty and we can't wait to go back! Menu is well curated and a solid wine list.

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Thank you very much for the kind words!!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    21 days ago

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeff A.
    37
    554
    1556

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    29 days ago

    Excellent pastas, unique wine list (I appreciate the tasting opportunities), lovely and knowledgeable service. Great vibe.

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Thank you very much, hope to see you back soon.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S G.
    0
    21
    21

    3 months ago

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Thank you very much for the support from day 1! See you soon

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Denise H.
    261
    64
    7

    2 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 0
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    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Thank you very much!!!!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 0
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    2 months ago

    Wonderful restaurant in a great spot! The food and wine were excellent and the service was great!!

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 0
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    2 months ago

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Food was absolutely delicious, can't go wrong with any of the dishes. So unique and different from other Italian restaurants

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    Giulio D.

    Thank you , can't wait to have you back!

    Helpful 0
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    3 months ago

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    Giulio D.

    Helpful 0
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    Love this 1
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    2 months ago

    Superb pasta! Came to table fresh & hot. Intimate rest. Small enough. Parkg challenge.

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    3 months ago

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    A sweet little restaurant. Owner and staff very kind and genuine. Unique dishes beautifully prepared.

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    Photo of Giulio D.

    Giulio D.

    Thanks your kind words!!!!

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    Polenta Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

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    Review Highlights - Polenta Restaurant

    Definitely try the Frico - it's tasty and the side snap pea salad is something I could eat everyday - and ask for recommendations on the wine.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Itria

    Itria

    4.3
    (448 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    Solid food and vibes at Itria!…read more My friend and I started with their Rosemary Focaccia with Garlic-Anchovy Oil and one of their Crudos (the Bluefin Tuna, I believe), and they were both delicious. I really like that they went a little more funky with the dipping oil for the bread - it was loaded with umami! The Crudo was super fresh, and all the accoutrements worked really well together. Embarrassingly, I cannot remember the name of my or my friend's pasta, and I can see that it's no longer on the menu for this season... but the TLDR is that they were both great! Decent portion, seasoned well, and pasta cooked perfectly for me. My only gripe was with dessert. When I looked up the item I ended up ordering, it looked like a fruit pie, which I love. Give me fruit pie. What I got was sweet foam with stewed fruit and crumbles... not fruit pie. I think this could be for someone, as it tasted fine, but it was not at all what I thought I'd get based on the name. Just ask in advance what it actually is, because you might want to get dessert elsewhere. All in all, I enjoyed Itria. It's a solid spot if you're in deep Mission!

    We've eaten at Itria twice now, and both times the food has been excellent. We've enjoyed it so…read moremuch that we even gave gift certificates to our families for Christmas because we genuinely wanted them to experience it too. Tonight, we ordered quite a bit of food, and everything was delicious. We had no issues with the service throughout our meal, left a good tip, and overall had a great dining experience, until the very end. After dinner, we called an Uber and stepped outside when it was getting close to arriving. Unfortunately, our Uber driver cancelled, and it was very cold outside so we went back inside to ask if we could sit and wait at the bar for the next Uber. Unfortunately, we were completely ignored. One server in particular, who was wearing army-print pants, was serving tables near the front where we were standing. She made eye contact with us, looked away, and then began talking about us to the workers behind the bar. At no point did anyone acknowledge us or let us know whether we could wait inside. For the remainder of the time, they avoided eye contact and continued to ignore us until our Uber finally arrived. What made this especially disappointing is that we genuinely love the restaurant and have supported it enough to give gift certificates to our own family. We weren't asking for anything unreasonable, we simply wanted to wait inside for 15 minutes because our rides kept canceling and it was cold outside. Even if the bar wasn't available for us to wait at, a simple "I'm sorry, we can't accommodate that" would have been completely understandable. The food is still excellent, but the way we were treated at the end of the night left a really bad impression. I hope this was an isolated experience because we've otherwise really enjoyed Itria but we will likely not dine here again. It felt really unwelcoming and left a bad taste after paying over $350 + 20%tip for our meal.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Glazed Lamb Belly w/ date mostarda, warm panzanella ($45)
    Glazed Lamb Belly w/ date mostarda, warm panzanella ($45)
    Crochette Di Patate w/ roast pork belly, fermented radish, calabrian chili aioli (3 pc - $25)

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    Crochette Di Patate w/ roast pork belly, fermented radish, calabrian chili aioli (3 pc - $25)
    Luisa's Restaurant

    Luisa's Restaurant

    4.7
    (185 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    Thank you, Luisa, for your wonderful hospitality and for sharing your years of passion and…read morecraftsmanship with my friends and me. The experience began the moment we stepped into the restaurant in San Francisco, where she personally greeted and cared for her guests, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The Bruschetta was the perfect appetizer, a delicious, soft bread and fresh flavors of tomato, garlic and basil. For the entrée, I highly recommend Luisa's famous gnocchi with pesto sauce. Unlike the typical flour-heavy gnocchi, these potato-based dumplings were incredibly light, tender, and practically melted in your mouth while pairing beautifully with the savory pesto. To finish, the Cannoli Alla Siciliana provided the perfect balance of crunch and sweetness, with a hint of chocolate chips. Every dish shows the passion and tradition behind Luisa's cooking, making for a truly memorable dining experience and reflecting the diversity of San Francisco!

    My friend snagged a same-day reservation at Luisa's Restaurant for Saturday evening. This was…read moresurprisingly easy, considering we were a party of 6. The interior had simple decor and a swirl of little lights across ceiling. For drinks, we shared a bottle of Chianti, which was excellent. We also ordered a few appetizers for the table - Garlic Bread and Buratta. The Garlic Bread wasn't particularly memorable for me, but the Buratta was very tasty with the fresh pesto on top. I loved that most pasta dishes could be prepared with a choice of sauce, and ordered the Lobster Ravioli with Vodka Sauce. This was so tasty and surprisingly filling! My friends all enjoyed their dishes as well, including the Linguini Tuttomare, Penne Gorgonzola, and Chicken Parmigiana. Service was friendly and quick. Would happily return for more!

    Photos
    Luisa's Restaurant
    Garlic Bread
    Garlic Bread
    ORTOLANA PIZZA

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    ORTOLANA PIZZA
    Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

    Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

    4.2
    (998 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Large group friendly

    Okay, so firstly I apologize, I did not take any pictures of the food. I was so dang hungry that I…read moreimmediately dug in to the shrimp scampi toast and the chicken parm. Both were chef's kiss great, and the portions were just right for two hungry people. Our server, Atilla, became my best friend. He was super attentive, very honest, and had a great sense of humor. My friend and I sat outside in the patio (we got there at 6ish), it was a nice day and we were the first ones to sit in there. Him and I like to talk over each other so I can imagine that when the patio is full, convos are the rage. Inside is super vibey, very dark, and decorated with nostalgic pieces. The price point is very generous, considering the portions and quality of the food. This is also a late-night spot, so either way, come hungry. I ordered the basil sweet tea (deep breath), and it was so refreshing and tasty. My bonus kid texted me after I got home to ask me of any dinner spots I would recommend and I IMMEDIATELY sent him my recommendation of Emmy's Spaghetti Shack.

    Overall such a cute vibe! I didn't take a picture of my pasta but I got the fettuccine alfredo and…read moreit was the best I've had in a whileee we did order the garlic bread and it never came :( but the pasta filled me up so maybe it was a good thing. If you're going at night dress warm because the door stays open so the wind draft gets you! Drinks were okay but definitely a user issue because I should have known it was going to be strong lol

    Photos
    VIBE
    VIBE
    Shrimp Scampi
    Shrimp Scampi
    Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

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    Pasta Supply

    Pasta Supply

    4.4
    (89 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    TIME: came here around 7:30 on a saturday night, it was pretty packed and there was a queue to be…read moreseated, but if you are not dining in and are just looking to do to go or want to buy the stuff they offer to go then there is a separate line for that. PLACE: the place is pretty small, but there is a good amount of tables and chairs to sit at, great date night spot and i love the vibe of how everything is layered as well FOOD: SOUR CREAM + ONION BURRATA W HOUSE OLIVE OIL CIABATTA - probably one of the best burrata i had paired with ciabatta ever HOT MESS SPAGHETTI + MEATBALLS - super good, al dente, and the meatballs were perfectly seasoned + cooked FUSILLI ALLA VODKA - i got this baked with pesto and four cheese, i usually don't like red sauce but everything made it super good. CHOCOLATE PANNA COTTA - love me some chocolate and the panna cotta was just exquisite in itself OVERALL: amazing place, been wanting to check it out and i'm glad i did

    We had a wonderful experience as a party of 3; Amelia kindly greeted us at the door with menus, and…read morethe way it works is that you get a moment to decide on dishes while the hostess gets your table ready, and you order before walking through the beautiful naturally-lit, high-ceiling restaurant to sit. Amelia recommended one pasta dish per person in the party, to share family style (which ended up working well for us, since we also got three appetizers, and finished the meal with a small amount of yummy leftovers for tomorrow) so that's what we did, along with the starters... We got the "big juicy meatballs with tomato and pancetta," which were incredible; the bread was delicious and certainly is not just a side to the amazing (definitely juicy) herbed tender meatballs. I'd definitely get this again, along with the grilled zucchini with worm salt and mint, which was so flavorful and tasty. We also got the smokey romano beans with fire roasted tomato, which was also really good but just keep in mind the emphasis on the smokey flavor! It wasn't my cup of tea but that's for sure a personal thing. For pastas, I'd rank them in this order: 1. our favorite was today's lasagna du jour, which was mushroom! So delicious, with a crispy cheesy crust, soft tender interior, and an almost caramelized tomato sauce accompanying. 2. Reginette with pork sugo (meat sauce) and spicy turnip greens was next, which had wonderful flavor with the tomato-based sauce and pieces of pork but if you like it slightly softer texture it might not be for you (same with the fusilli; the go-to preparation is aldente!). 3. Fusilli alla vodka with tomato, calabrian chili, cream, basil, and added garlic butter shrimps; this one's sauce felt a little underwhelming and more watery than creamy, and I'm just now realizing that although the menu said four garlic butter shrimp (an extra $7), we only got three. I think I'd come back for the lasagna and/or to buy the pasta from their expansive stock, cook it a bit longer, and serve it covered in a decadent creamy sauce.

    Photos
    Store front
    Store front
    Lil' juicy meatballs
    Lil' juicy meatballs
    Inside restaurant and pasta collection

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    Inside restaurant and pasta collection
    Arcana

    Arcana

    4.4
    (273 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    I bought out Arcana for a night and it was a hit! The plants and decor are lush. It feels like…read moreyou've left San Francisco and entered a jungle. I love the wood tables and the steps that lead you to a private room upstairs. The space is amazing and attendees loved it. They have a photo booth too. Staff are wonderful! Thank you, Naz and Ife! Amazing bartenders. They were so friendly, attentive, and personable. Many attendees said they came to the event particularly because they love Arcana. It's conveniently located near BART and multiple bus lines and some Lyft bike docks. I cannot recommend Arcana enough! It's great for date night, girls' night, corporate meetups, and more. It's welcoming and inclusive and the food and drinks are delicious and strong. Will be back!

    Clearly says 9:30pm for the cover/ticket charge. I am uploading this at 9:19pm, but the whole…read moreinteraction started maybe 10 minutes prior. Charging the $10 event fee on discretion before the posted event start time seems... shady? illegal? My two friends got in a few minutes before with no cover. I was dealing with a bike lock while they went in. We were not there for the event but rather as volunteers from the weekly cleanup refuse crew in the Mission. You get perks as a thank-you for doing your part in making the City a cleaner place. We had just had a lovely time at another participating business (Beehive) and planned on Arcana being our final stop. Thankfully I was able to use the restroom without a fee, with my gear held up outside by the security team. While waiting in the restroom line, I told a staff member about all this, and the worker seemingly went up to the front to find out what's going on. The line took a few minutes, my friends also bumped into me, and I told them I'd likely wait for them outside the business post-restroom while they finished their wine. Already reported to the Mayor's Office. Maybe I'll add BBB. Should be honest and equitable! Four out of 200+ reviews by me have been one star, so I rarely share negativity. It's all rather unfortunate as other visits here went off without an issue. I warned a group of four about all this while I waited out front, and after talking to the front door folks, they left and thanked me for the advice. Please be careful if you visit here. . . .

    Photos
    Downstairs
    Downstairs
    Arcana
    Arcana

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    Polenta Restaurant - italian - Updated August 2026

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