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Ideale

4.6

1337 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Top Tags:

"For an authentic Roman holiday without the airfare, this undiscovered North Beach gem is worth seeking out."
(Zagat)A bright, colorful Italian restaurant, Ideale is the modern version of a traditional Roman trattoria. It is "festive and boisterous...la vera cucina italiana."Ideale has been bringing a slice of Rome to North Beach for over 20 years with it's highly acclaimed chef, Maurizio Bruschi. Maurizio hails from four generations of Roman chefs, lovingly taught by his grandma, la Nonna Serafina. The pastas and breads are all homemade and the ingredients are hand-picked daily. Zagat gave Ideale a 25 for food and wrote that the "Italian fare is the real deal...one of the few no tourist eateries in North Beach..excellent pasta and pizza..the service makes you feel like a friend..a delightful experience." Ideale has won numerous awards, including being listed in Zagat's "Best Italian Restaurants in America" and The Chronicle's "Best Pasta in North Beach."

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Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Jun 27, 2022

11:00 PM

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Delivery

Private dining

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Italian, Pizzeria, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
(415) 391-4129
Website
http://www.idealerestaurant.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Maurizio Bruschi
Catering
Please contact us for more information.
Private party facilities
Ideale welcomes larger parties, opening for lunch or dinner. We are amenable to creating a menu that you are happy with, both in terms of budget & food selection. We take extra care with large parties to ensure that they are beautifully executed with an abundance of food, Italian-banquet style.
Private party contact
Shanna Bruschi or Paolo Fraschetti: (415) 391-4129

Location
1309 Grant Avenue San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood
North Beach
Cross street
Vallejo
Parking details
Vallejo Street Garage766 Vallejo St, San Francisco, CA 94133Phone: (415) 989-4490North Beach Garage735 Vallejo Street San Francisco, CA 94133415.399.9564https://www.sfmta.com/garages-lots/north-beach-garage
Public transit
1. Columbus Ave & Green St - (0.09 miles )<br />2. Broadway & Grant Ave - (0.09 miles ) — Muni<br />3. Columbus Ave & Broadway - (0.09 miles ) — Muni
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Zucchine Tartufate$16.00
zucchini julienne tossed in truffle oil & parmigiano with black truffle pate crostini
Calamari e Rughetta$18.00
fresh local calamari, grilled and served with organic arugula
Bruschetta con Pomodoro$13.00
bruschetta with fresh organic tomatoes & arugula
Antipasto Vegetariano$18.00
mixed vegetarian platter with carciofi alla romana (grilled roman artichoke) & organic vegetables including eggplant, zucchine, fennel, grilled in a balsamic vinaigrette
Insalata Ideale$15.00
beet salad with organic arugula, fava beans, italian chestnuts and goat cheese
Insalata Cesare$13.00
caesar salad with organic romaine, anchovies, fresh parmigiano from parma & capers
Prosciutto e Pera$15.00
prosciutto from parma wrapped around pear and mascarpone
Insalata d'Aranci & Finocchi$14.00
thinly sliced fennel w/ orange, walnuts, capers, gorgonzola in a champagne vinaigrette
Burrata con Arugula$16.00
burrata from italy, with organic arugula & tomatoes

Pizza

round, individual roman-style thin-crusted pizza

Pizza Margherita$16.00
pizza topped with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil
Pizza Funghi e Salsiccia$18.00
pizza topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, home-made sausage & mushrooms
Pizza Pepperoni$18.00
pizza with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & italian pepperoni
Pizza Zucchine e Funghi con Salsa Tartufate$18.00
pizza with mushrooms, zucchini and truffle sauce

Pasta a Mano

homemade, organic pasta (gluten free pasta available)

Zuppa di Pasta e Fagioli$16.00
traditional italian winter bean & pasta soup
Caccio e Pepe$19.00
traditional roman pasta with spaghetti, pecorino cheese & pepper
Rigatoni alla Carrettiera$21.00
rigatoni with tuna, mushrooms & pancetta in a white wine sauce
Gnocchi di Patate con Spuntature di Maiale$21.00
potatoes dumplings in a pork rib ragu'
Tortelloni alla Paesana$21.00
tortelloni, stuffed with veal, prosciutto, peas & mushrooms in a light cream reduction
Orecchiette alla Pugliese$21.00
pugliese-style shell-shaped pasta with broccoli rabe & hot chili peppers
Paccheri All'Amatriciana$20.00
paccheri in a traditional roman sauce with guanciale, pecorino cheese & tomatoes
Spaghetti alla Carbonara$20.00
roman-style spaghetti with guanciale, eggs, pecorino & parmigiano
Lasagna Ideale$20.00
lasagna in a beef ragu' with fresh mozzarella
Fettuccine alla Norcina$22.00
fettuccine with porcini mushrooms, italian sausage & black truffle in a light cream sauce
Risotto alla Pescatora$23.00
risotto with mussels, clams, prawns, calamari in a white wine, garlic sauce
Spaghetti con Vongole e Bottarga$23.00
spaghetti with fresh clams and bottarga (smoked mullet caviar from sardegna)

Secondi

all served with roasted potatoes & fresh, local vegetables of the day

Saltimbocca di Vitella$29.00
veal saltimboca, sautéed with sage and white wine
Petto di Pollo alla Parmigiana$26.00
chicken breast, lightly-breaded & oven-baked with tomato, mozzarella & parmigiano
Stinco di Agnello$33.00
local, oven-roasted lamb shank, with mixed mushrooms and roasted potatoes
Bistecca alla Fiorentina$45.00
extra-large, 18-ounce porterhouse steak, grilled with italian herbs
Pesce del Giorno
fresh fish of the day. served with rosemary-roasted potatoes & vegetables of the day
- AQ

What 1,337 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.5Service
4.4Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

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A
Audrey
San Francisco
7 reviews
4.0
7 reviews
Dined on June 18, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience4
We visited Ideale for a birthday dinner. Quality of everything was great and the ambiance was really good. We had a three course meal and everything was delicious - can totally tell these are recipes that have been around a long time and perfected and were all very reasonable price points. You can tell the staff really cared about their guests. The tables are a little cramped together but every single one was full the whole time so a good vibe. Not a super special place, but a superb authentic experience all around so highly recommend for a casual date night! We’ll be back for sure.
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 4, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We love Ideale. It’s a great, true North Beach experience. We live in North beach and this is where we and all our neighbors walk to for a nice night out. Everything is fresh, homemade and authentic. True Italian place, not touristy. The service is great too.
KG
KatherineG
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 3, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful as always! Great food and wonderful service.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Mexico City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 23, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Es un lugar delicioso. Hace 3 años habíamos cenado ahí. No recordábamos el nombre y logramos llegar de nuevo, y la experiencia fue igual de deliciosa y la atención tal cual la recordábamos
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent the food was well prepared, delicious, everyone agreed., great service, waiter and staff were friendly and detail oriented to our needs and wishes. We enjoyed our evening Highly recommended.
SL
SummerLD
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Ideale was the perfect setting for a delicious yet casual and fun night in little Italy!! My mom and I came and all of the food was amazing, the service was super friendly, and the vibe was lively:)
d
dfood
Salt Lake City
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on May 15, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food, authentic Italian, great menu, felt like I was back in Italy. It is my go to North Beach restaurant
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
22 reviews
vip
5.0
22 reviews
Dined on May 15, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience4
Girls trip dinner. Good food. Lovely service.
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent service….our waiter Marco made some great suggestions. Will go back for the swordfish special…..delicious!
J
Jane
London
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on May 7, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
High quality authentic Italian. Best tiramisu in SF. Service excellent.
RE
RonaldE
San Francisco
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on May 2, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Chef Maurizio continues to impress us with his delicious Roman cooking. This time highlight was Yellowtail carpaccio just such a delicate taste. My wife had swordfish which was grilled perfectly and I had great Paccheri a la Matriciana . Great meal and fantastic wine.
F
Fwayne
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on April 28, 2022
overall1food1service2ambience2
Ideale came well recommended by a friend of mine and when I read their reviews online, they were mostly good reviews. I have been in the restaurant industry for over 32 years as a server and bartender and am an avid chef at home. I grew up in the 80's, as a teenager, in my Grandmothers restaurant in Ireland and have been taking care of people in restaurants ever since. The food at Ideale was "dated" and mediocre at best. Cheap ingredients (canned peas on the tortellini pasta dish) and too much truffle oil on every dish that offered it, were just a few of the things that made it hard for me not to write a bad review. I am disappointed in myself, for not researching this place better and definitely do not recommend it, unless your into underwhelming Italian food.
D
Dessertfirst
San Francisco
202 reviews
vip
5.0
202 reviews
Dined on April 24, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
2nd time here, and we'll keep coming back. Fresh food, delicious flavors, located on one of my favorite streets in North Beach. Make a reservation and your tastebuds will thank you.
CA
CynthiaA
Central Coast
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 23, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience3
The fish special was outstanding.
C
Cole
San Francisco
34 reviews
vip
5.0
34 reviews
Dined on April 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always enjoy this place! If you’re looking for true, traditional Italian – this is your place
OT
OpenTable Diner
Seattle
9 reviews
vip
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on April 10, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
We ordered cacio e pepe, a rib eye steak and lamb chops. Best cacio e pepe we have had, and my partner loved the lamb. The steak was okay…. Nothing special. This was a southern Italian with Roman flair to the food. We loved it.
DD
DownersDad
San Francisco
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on April 4, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Visiting SF this time, we used to go here for date night. Great spot!
D
Dessertfirst
San Francisco
202 reviews
vip
5.0
202 reviews
Dined on April 2, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
First time, won't be the last time. We walked through an empty dining room to be seated at a table in the dining room next door. It was filled with people enjoying their meals and their conversations. The bread they brought us was delicious, and helped to make the decision not to order a pizza, since we didn't want to overdo it on the carbs. The Cacio e Pepe was perfect, and the branzino special was just as good. We had a nice chianti Classico and an amazing chocolate dessert. On our way out, the first dining room was completely filled, letting us know that our desire to eat early was why we were able to get a reservation the same day.
m
mamabear
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 27, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fabulous to come back to Ideale after so many years and this time, bring my adult daughter! Felt so welcomed and embraced by everyone. Love love love it here!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on March 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was fantastic
1
1foodie
Los Angeles
28 reviews
vip
4.0
28 reviews
Dined on March 26, 2022
overall4food4service4ambience3
Small restaurant in North Beach, gets loud with large parties. Pasta dishes are excellent, just a little heavy on salt. Would return.
f
fundiner
San Francisco
27 reviews
vip
5.0
27 reviews
Dined on March 13, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
So much Italian fun!!
SF
SF2DCDiner
San Francisco
22 reviews
vip
5.0
22 reviews
Dined on March 11, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Chef Maurizio has the most superb preparation for swordfish:: a thin slice grilled in olive oil. His roasted potatoes never fail to impress!
R
Robert
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 11, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience4
All the dishes, including homemade pastas, were very good. Service was perfect, until it got very busy, but was still acceptable.
J
John
San Francisco
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on March 11, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Once again it was an outstanding evening. We came thinking we would dine in the parklet but it was not crowded and tables were spaced nicely. Enjoyed the special swordfish. We will be back.
a
anum
San Francisco
41 reviews
vip
5.0
41 reviews
Dined on March 6, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food here is amazing! The service is warm & wonderful, very homely. We had the burrata, the gnocchi, the margareita pizza, the monk fish, tiramisu and 2 other desserts. All the food was fantastic! Highly recommend! This is a neighborhood gem!
DW
DaveW
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 3, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience3
Nothing flashy, just very well prepared Roman style trattoria food, well cooked fish, simple but tasty all'Amatriciana pasta, really good appetizer of clams and mussels in their shell; subtle use of spicy pepper. Very friendly service, just chatty enough; about Rome.
J
John
San Francisco
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on February 17, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
First experience in a Parklet. Better than expected. Little traffic noise from Grant Avenue. Heater was fine later in the evening. Floor was not flat, but not a serious drawback. Service and food were excrllent. Will retiun.
FF
FabFlavors
Palm Springs
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience4
Valentines Day
RJ
RaymondJ
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 13, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always great!
c
claudio
San Francisco
8 reviews
vip
1.0
8 reviews
Dined on February 13, 2022
overall1food3service1ambience4
No one came to our table for 15 minutes upon being seated. We ordered a salad, pizza and lasagna. After one hour we received the wrong pizza (it was really bad), the lasagna and never received the salad. The table next to us looked to have the same issue. REALLY disappointing.
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
29 reviews
vip
4.0
29 reviews
Dined on February 13, 2022
overall4food5service4ambience4
Booked outside. Didn’t have that available. Fortunately, there was an inside table near an open door.
AM
AndrewM
Kuala Lumpur
16 reviews
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on February 7, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
This was a regular place for me to visit years ago, when I stayed nearby, last time I visited was 6+ years ago. Just as I remembered, simple fare, well clocked and presented
AP
AustinP
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 30, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our go to Italian spot in SF. As good as ever. Highly recommend for anyone eating out in The city.
C
Cindy
San Francisco
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 28, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Nestled in North Beach, Ideale is a great stop. Service was great from host to busser. Got a few apps to share (proscuitto wrapped pear and mascarpone is a treat!!!), a carbonera to share and then i got one of the best lamb shanks i have ever had! Perfection!! Had to run to theater but want to go back for dessert!! Go, eat, ENJOY!!
C
Cjcli
New York Area
15 reviews
5.0
15 reviews
Dined on January 23, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience3
We both had Pasta dishes and a nicely sized glass of wine. We shared a dessert and appetizer. Everything was fresh and well prepared. Nice service. Cant wait to return and try other specialties.
MM
MaryamM
San Diego
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on January 16, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience5
Paolo was our server. He is the best. He knows the wine list very well and gives good suggestions. We have been there 4 times already and we will go back. The fish of the day is usually amazing 🤩. Nice dessert. Friendly staff.
MF
MarinFoodie
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 14, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food and ambiance. This place is a gem. Maurizio is the owner/chef and takes pride in his incredible cuisine from Rome. The place is truly Italian. I took my Italian in laws here and they were impressed. Save room for dessert! The specials are always worth it.
C
Cole
San Francisco
34 reviews
vip
5.0
34 reviews
Dined on January 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love this place. Consistent in excellent food and service for the more than 10 years that we have been going to Ideale. This is where we take those from out of town for authentic italian food.
j
johns
Grand Rapids
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 7, 2022
overall4food5service4ambience4
Food was incredible. Fresh pasta, crusty home baked Italian bread and thin Roma style pizza like you get in Italy.

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used

Protective equipment
- Waitstaff wear masks

FAQs

Ideale does offer delivery in partnership with Postmates and Uber Eats. Ideale also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (415) 391-4129.