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Sotto Mare
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Italian Seafood, Italian [Edit]
552 Green St(between Jasper Pl & Bannam Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
(415) 398-3181
Announcement
Our entire dining room is available on Sundays for private parties of 30 or more. Call us to book your party!!
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
961 reviews for Sotto Mare
Review Highlights
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"Started with the delicious sand dabs (a must." In 159 reviews -
"The cioppino smelled and looked amazing as well." In 347 reviews -
"Clam chowder so good will make you want to slap yo mamma." In 193 reviews
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960 reviews in English
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Review from Grace K.
5/22/2012
I like the lady who's in charge of seating. She is very direct and runs a tight ship. Finally a restaurant who keeps guests from being obnoxious. We caught on quickly- speak only after being spoken to and wait in the corner patiently. She offered us complimentary glasses in red or white wine which helped pass time. Anyone who complains about this lady in their reviews is daft and doesn't deserve to eat here.
We were drinking our wine watching the game and were seated during the 11th inning. Rob and I got a nice table against the wall which usually seats four, we lucked out! Their bread was fresh and went perfectly with our cups of clam chowda. This is by far the best clam chowder I've ever had. It was piping hot, not too thick, and perfectly seasoned.
Our half bottle of house white wine reminded me of the good times in Italy where house wine is cheap but damn good. The Giants won, could our dinner get any better? Our dishes arrived- sand dabs and fettucine in white sauce with bay scallops. They give you a lot of sand dabs. Each fish was immaculately deboned with a slight sear on the outer edges and tips. Our pasta was very simple and the only thing that came to mind was... Rome. Finally a place and a pasta that reminds me of Italy, FTW! -
Review from Andrea B.
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Totally memorable experience at Sotto Mare yesterday evening. Here are my tips:
1 - Don't come dressed up and expecting any pretenses. This is a family run seafood restaurant that is fairly cozy - bumpin' butts and bibs kind of joint in North Beach. Our server and hostess made it very clear that this restaurant values good food but wants you to eat and get the hell out! We loved it - they don't serve coffee or dessert, just AMAZING, quality seafood.
2 - Do expect quality seafood, and only seafood. Everything is fresh. Nothing is fried. The only meat they serve is a bit of bacon in the clam chowder.
3 - Do GET THE CIOPPINO. Amazing. Perfect broth and worth every penny of $38. Bursting with crab, scallops, mussels, clams, shrimp, penne. Fantastic.
4 - We had the steamed mussels/clams, scallops, and seafood risotto and we loved everything.
5- We dropped $110 on the dishes above plus 1 beer (plus $20 for tip) but we left very very satisfied. I will so be back.
6 - Very important - DO GET A RESERVATION. We did, and we savored the hateful stares of those waiting in line. -
Review from summer r.
San Francisco, CA
5/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I could just swim in their clam chowder it's so delicious. Mussels were fresh and the broth was good, but I thought they were so overcooked they shrank to nothingness. I truly enjoy the home-y feeling here though. One of those "everyone knows your name" joints with the Italian grandma serving us the bread and butter.
Until next time, ciao. -
Review from Rachel T.
5/24/2012
This was a great seafood restaurant in SF! I really liked the atmosphere, where it was small and casual, with an open kitchen. The food was excellent, and the prices were not that bad considering you had fresh caught seafood and that it is in San Francisco. However, we came here on a Friday night and the wait took a REALLY long time, especially since I came here with just my boyfriend and they don't take reservations unless you have 3 or more in your party.
On to the food... the clam chowder was SOOO GOOD!!! I would come back here just to eat gallons of that stuff. The scallops were cooked to perfection as well, and the light sauce that came with it really complemented the dish. I got the chef's seafood risotto, which was super delicious and came with a lot of seafood, way more than I was expecting, so it was really filling. I will come back here to try other dishes again! -
Review from Briana A.
Portland, OR
5/24/2012
We just went here on a recent trip to San Francisco. The place was recommended by a local in the area and we were very impressed with everything from the taste, freshness and service. Felt like family when you were there and such a fun place to have fresh fish. We had to wait about an hour to sit at the bar area but it was well worth it. We tried the combo shrimp and Scallops with a white Italian wine that went great together. Looks like Cioppino is a favorite here since it was almost on every table that we saw. We will definitely be back.
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Review from Mark L.
Fort Collins, CO
5/24/2012
Just the best cioppino I ever had
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Review from Brian L.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2012
Cioppino and clam chowder are to DIE for.
The broth of the cioppino is mouthwateringly delicious. Great assortment of seafood in there. It gets messy with the crab and mussels, but definitely worth it. Good to the last drop. The clam chowder actually has a lot of clams in it! Not little bits and pieces of sand either. Real good large chunks of clam. Makes Boudin clam chowder its bitch. -
Review from Laura C.
West Jordan, UT
5/24/2012
Best cioppino ever!!!!! We have to wait for about 45 minutes but actually was not bad since we were offered 2 glasses od wine ans we could seat outside talking with the other people waiting
All the servers were attentive and friendly..the cioppino ESPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!!! also the bread. the wine
Everything was Wonderful -
Review from Bryce K.
5/1/2012
Sadly, parties of less than three can't reserve a table, so you have to stand for a while if you don't come early. But, it's worth the wait, trust me.
I was disappointed that they were out of oysters the night we went. No matter, one-half litre of the house white wine (simple, but pleasant, and not too expensive) and a pot of cioppino later, we rolled ourselves out of the restaurant.
The cioppino is so good that even when we were full, we had to keep eating. Given how messy it is, I wouldn't recommend it for a first date.
Service was great - waters were constantly filled, bread replenished.
Outside seating looked cold in the evening, so bring a jacket. Inside is chaotic and noisy as the host increases the music volume and sings along. It's a tight fit to sit inside, but totally worth it. -
Review from Rachel E.
San Francisco, CA
4/30/2012
My boyfriend and I came for dinner on Saturday night around 6:45. They said the wait would be about 15/20 minutes, it was more like 30. Also, there's no room to wait inside so bring a jacket! (They do take reservations for parties of 3 or more so definitely make one.)
We were seated at the bar which was fun to watch the kitchen staff, albeit a bit loud and chaotic. We ordered the cioppino which was delicious! I have only eaten cioppino once before in my life so I'm unable to really compare, but it was REALLY good. They also gave us bibs which were much needed. Picky eaters beware: there are things with tentacles in there.
We never ran out of bread, water was refilled promptly, and although the servers looked exhausted, they were courteous.
The house white wine was surprisingly good. We ordered the half-liter which was perfect for two people.
This isn't just dinner, it's an experience and an experience I highly recommend. -
Review from Loon E.
Seattle, WA
4.25, very good and lived up to my expectations, we stopped in for lunch yesterday as a party of 4. Service was attentive and quick. Had my mind set on getting the sand dabs, but they were sold out and had a ton of other options for specials and I settled on a petrale sole with a delicious lemon butter caper sauce. Tried bites of the other dishes, seafood linguine and the mussels, and they were fresh and tasty as well. Also got a bowl of clam chowder that was yummy. Like the casual, family atmosphere in there and well worth it for a $30-$35 lunch with really fresh seafood. Can't beat it. Will be back, because I must try the sand dabs everyone has raved on about. Parking was a bitch, but when isn't it in the area.
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Review from Rob P.
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
I hate giving 1 star ratings, but this place deserved it. I showed up with a friend, who is an SF local, and was told how amazing the food was there. When we walked in, the girl working the front desk started yelling and waving her hands, "NOT NOW! I CAN'T GET YOU IN!" I thought she was friends with my buddy, but nope, this was how she greeted potential customers, apparently. My friend tried to talk rationally to her about how he was hoping to bring me to his favorite restaurant, but she just kept arguing back at him and walked away mid-conversation. Then she brought in some people from outside who physically threatened my friend if he didn't leave. It was just an unreal experience, and I can't believe the owner would want this girl representing his business. Not only that, but a busboy or something came over to apologize to us saying, "That's just how she is... she's a bitch." Uhh, yeah she is.
I don't care how amazing the food is here, I WON'T be eating it after this rude treatment. -
Review from david d.
San Francisco, CA
4/29/2012
One star service in a place with five star food. Service first. The owner puts on the gruff, pushy old guy schtick. Problem is he crosses the line to being a boor and rude. The joke really isn't funny after a certain point. And my server belatedly came to me after I brought myself to her attention. She assumed a weary, I've seen it all attitude. So just order was her attitude.
But the food is well-sourced and the plates are well sized. I started with a cup of their clam chowder. Nicely seasoned and the potatoes and clams within this were just great.
Next their crab salad. A very nice portion of fresh and tasty crab surmounted by a dollop of cocktail sauce. Good stuff.
Finally, I was told that they were out of sand dabs. But rex sole was a great alternative. Plenty of fresh filets. And they weren't drowned in some brown butter sauce or olive oil or some other stuff. Just the fish with a lightly astringent sauce served on the side. Also on the plate were brussels sprouts and carrots that hadn't been messed with. Sauteed just enough to have been seared through while retaining their taste. Wonderful.
The owner just about pushed me out the door. Yet I will return. -
Review from Kayla V.
4/14/2012 1 photo
This has to be one of my favorite restaurants in the city. It's not pretentious, not a tourist trap, and doesn't charge an arm and a leg. Sotto Mare was my first real find in SF. Before that it was nothing but tourist traps (e.g., Swan Oyster Depot. Yea, I said it.)! With all that said, Sotto Mare didn't blow my mind. It was just delicious Italian food, great service, and a good value.
Three of my girlfriends and I dropped in on a rainy Thursday night and snagged seats at the bar right away. The restaurant itself was small, but had a fun Italian atmosphere (bustling!). All the employees were so nice and friendly! They really made it us feel like family! Marilyn N. and I shared the Linguine with Seafood; we were stuffed! The chefs are really generous with their portions, so go easy on the appetizers or split the pasta dishes. Our pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the seafood, super fresh! Delicious comfort food on a rainy day!
Sotto Mare isn't hip, fancy, or posh; but it's great for a satisfying plate of seafood pasta. I really want to go back and try this Cioppino yelpers are Yelping about :) -
Review from Practicaldreamer N.
5/20/2012
Great dining experience...
One hour wait was well worth it. Cioppino dish was amazing. -
Review from Ben H.
4/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was skeptical walking into this place. It looked touristy with the seaside decorations, the lanterns, the fishermans gear on the walls. Sitting down, we were served water and bread immediate and service was prompt and courteous.
After tasting the bread, I was disgusted. It was hard and dried, even smearing tons of butter didnt help. I just at the inside and threw the crust out. We proceeded to order the cioppino and oysters. The oysters were fresh, chilled and refreshing. the Cioppino, not overly salty but flavorful. It made the hard bread edible. The Cioppino was filled with fresh and good quality seafood - I was impressed.
Overall - I would come back here again. -
Review from Ben C.
San Jose, CA
5/6/2012
Maybe the seafood is amazing - I dunno - but the pasta was just average. Bread was below average. Service and atmosphere were fine.
yo yo -
Review from Peter L.
4/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cioppino looked similar to dishes that I've tried, but I'm pretty sure I've never had it before. For a first-timer I thought SM ($38) did pretty well! It is at least worth a try if you like cooked seafood, red broths and sauces or stews. That's the best I can explain it.
We also ordered two dozen oysters which were fantastically fresh, and a mussel/clam combo steamed in broth ($19) and it didn't disappoint either. I like linguine and their Linguine with Manila Clams ($17) was something I could have eaten on my own no problem. It is a basic dish, but here it was good. The Grilled Sand Dabs ($19) was okay, not bad but not great - but I'm not a fish fillet person to judge it accurately but I did have a few. All of that food fed four people well.
The confusing part was the entrance as the place has patio and then the front door and then a wall/divider next to another Italian restaurant. This is the second time I've been to the area and it still took me a bit to focus on which restaurant is the correct one, lol. We sat downstairs, going through some twists and turns to reveal dining areas that were two or three times the size of the upstairs, which felt like a small diner. The people here are friendly, yes. Corkage is $10/bottle now.
I read about Sotto Mare from one of my favorite yelpers, KathyV, so I made her take me here, lols! Okay, just kidding, but I can see why she had noprobs returning here. Reservations on a Friday night is recommended. -
Review from Lily W.
Skillman, NJ
5/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food was AMAZING, even the bread. I ordered a bowl of clam chowder. I'm not kidding, it was the best clam chowder I ever tasted! The art was beautiful dowstairs, and we loved the kind waiters and waitresses!
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Review from ruggy j.
4/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
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This delectable pot of seafood stew is filled to the brim with octopus, clams, mussels, Dungeness Crab, white fish, and just about every other sea creature you can imagine (except for narwhal -- they're endangered and magical), smothered in a savory tomato broth and served piping hot atop a bed of perfectly cooked penne pasta. Though I know I'd burn my naughty bits leaving my prospects for procreation null and void, if it were legal, I'm certain I'd make love to this impeccable dish from Sotto Mare in two shakes of a tiger prawn's tail. Do tiger prawns have tails? Should research that...
At $38, it's best reserved for a special occasion, but being that I'm moving far away and attempting to blast through my SF bucket list, I just may have to go broke eating here as often as I possibly can in the next three weeks. Undoubtedly, my favorite food stuffs in all of North Beach.Listed in: San Francisco at its finest!, North Beach, Seafood!
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Review from Valerie H.
Daly City, CA
5/17/2012
Best ciopino ever!! Everything taste awesome and service was okay too. Would definitely come back here for italian! Seafood linguini was beyonf expectation too!
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Review from Vithiet L.
San Francisco, CA
4/10/2012
Since this place is famous for cioppino apparently, I had to try. I thought it was really good but since I've never had cioppino anywhere else, I didn't have much to compare to!
Oysters were also very fresh and delicious. I got to try my friend's fish (I forgot what it was exactly) and it was also very very good. I'm glad we decided to come here on a Saturday around 11.15am because it was also not very crowded, as opposed to famous brunch place Mama's a couple blocks away that had a very long line. This is a very decent brunch alternative!
Service was to the point; I'll leave it at that. -
Review from Matt M.
Sacramento, CA
4/17/2012
This place has a homey Italian seafood restaurant feel to it. The kitchen is placed on the side and if you sit at the bar, you can see the cooks prepare the seafood. I really like seeing the chefs calling out orders and flipping food in the pans.
I ordered a clam chowder bowl ($6.50) and a seafood cioppino ($38) to share with my girlfriend. Right after we ordered the waitress immediately bibbed us up. It was really cute (maybe not for first dates since it gets messy) and we took some pictures after we dug into our food with our bare hands.
The clam chowder was good, not great. Just simple and delicious. The cioppino had mussels, clams, crabs, scallops and pasta (might be missing a few things but you get the idea). I really enjoyed the different seafoods in the dish. The sauce was really flavorful and I soaked my bread in it just to give the rock hard bread some flavor. All in all, this place fresh with good quality seafood and great service. I would go back again when I crave a large pot of seafood :) -
Review from John H.
4/6/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Solid 4 "plus-plus"
This casual family-run eatery has been here for 5 years, previously was New Pisa I believe. The Yelp reviews and the Yelpers' "get the sand dabs" tips tipped me over the edge and I stopped in.
After being greeted warmly and shown to the marble-topped bar, I had no sooner taken my seat than was greeted by my friendly server who promptly set me up with an order of sand dabs & Bass ale.
Now - I try not to write reviews until I've had several meals at a spot, but who knows when I'll get back here next? So I'll just say, I've had sand dabs at several SF dinner houses and always felt they could've been better. Au confrere, mon frere, these were excellent! Couldn't have been fresher had the fish jumped off the plate and bitten me in the nose. NOT oily or "buttered" up, delicious light flavor. Delivered quickly - and no sooner had I set down my empty ale tankard (ok it was just a glass) than I was offered a second helping of suds.
Accompanied by local sourdough (meh) and fresh brussels sprouts/carrots, I enjoyed all until my fork noisily announced that the plate had been wiped clean.
The place is narrow, not necessarily great for larger groups 'cuz it's small, and it's casual so it would be good for a first date if you want to do it Jerry Maguire-style. Also I visited mid-day so you might want to call ahead for reservations/to see if they have seating room!
Try it if you're anywhere near North Beach and want fresh seafood. -
Review from Eva G.
5/7/2012
Luckily, we did not have to wait for a table during prime lunch time. We got a half dozen west coast oysters on the half shell (I think I remember them saying they were from Seattle), and they were nice and fresh. Wearing the provided paper bibs, we dug into the bowl of crab cioppino, which was a pretty good share (for 2-3 people); is it the "best damn" one of its kind out there? I haven't tried enough to weigh in on that, but I would've thought they'd put more damn crab in there to give it that name.
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Review from Taryn L.
4/1/2012
Before you go, know that if you're making reservations, this lady means business. A friend of mine who lives in town told me that he got a severe talking to for showing up one short of his large reservation one time. And when he made reservations for our group this go-round, she reminded him three times that if we were one minute late, our reservation would be canceled.
We were on time. All 10 of us.
She greeted us heartily but still all business and hurriedly led us down to the basement; she told us to be as boisterous as we pleased. We took her up on that but soon learned that the hard surfaces and low ceilings threw our laughter every which way and eventually drove the other small group seated shortly after us into the adjoining room (they laughed when we apologized and told us to continue enjoying ourselves - sorry!)
We skipped apps and went straight for the real thing. We had one pregnant friend who was limited to the few non-seafood options on the menu: basically pasta with a couple different kinds of sauces. Others went for the crab cioppino (absolutely the right choice) and about half us ordered the sand dabs. These highly acclaimed dabs didn't live up to my expectations: relatively dry and not especially flavorful. The other dish my hubs and I split, the linguini with seafood and red sauce, was far superior. -
Review from Jeff G.
3/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
I finally found a seafood place in SF that I love. This place is friendly, quirky and has darn good seafood. We came in there around 5 based on the Yelp reviews. I was skeptical as there was no one there. By time we left, it was packed. The Cioppino was absolutely amazing. The sauce tasted like it has marinated since the hippy 60s to a perfectly refined bisque.
The Sand dabs were decent but not as awesome as I would've expected. Oysters were fantastic...go west coast ones for sure.
A unique place in SF to go. It's not super fancy but your tastebuds and your wallets will appreciate Sotto Mare. -
Review from CeCe C.
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
THE BEST DAMN CIOPPINO!!
I totally wasn't expecting crab legs, penne pasta, clams in shells, etc. in my cioppino! Dip it with their warm bread! It was amazing! Thank goodness I had Rodney H. to help me finish the huge bowl of cioppino! Definitely servers 2+ for $38!
It's funny, when we were there, I saw a girl at the counter eating her cioppino straight out of the bowl! ALL BY HERSELF! Brave soul! O_O Props to her!
Sotto Mare is right next door to Vicoletto! It's a super small restaurant and has the warm, homey feel. You can only make reservations via phone for parties of 3+ or it's first come first serve. Mainly seating at the counter with a few side tables. The bathroom is surprising new and clean!
I'm craving another bowl of cioppino!! Who wants to join me? :D -
Review from Ryan L.
Palm Springs, CA
Updated - 3/17/2012 2 Check-ins Here
So you'll see that I've previously given this joint 5-star reviews. I loved eating here whenever I'm in the city. The cioppino is the best. But this past week, they let me down big time. I called to make a reservation for 4 people ... all of us flying in from out of town ... 3 of whom have never been to SF. I thought this would be the perfect introduction to the city. I was told that my request was taken down and that she would have her manager call me.
Time went by and no call. On the day of the proposed reservation I called the restaurant a couple times to try and confirm ... no answer ... until just a couple hours before the reservation. I was told that I was wrong and they never handle reservations that way. Well, sorry, that is the way it was handled, but she was focused on telling me that I was somehow imagining this.
In the end, her attitude got snippier and snippier when I told her how disappointed I was that I couldn't dine there until much later, even though I did my part and tried to make the reservation.
So ... the moral of my story is: great food, nice atmosphere, generally friendly service, but I'll definitely not try this place again for reservations and the whole experience has left a sour taste in my mouth.Listed in: Best Cioppino
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/7/2011
Yes, each time I go back I have the cioppino and each time I eat the whole big pot all by myself I… Read more »
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Review from Maria G.
3/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have to make it a point to go to Sotto Mare any and every chance I get! I know I promised to not give a restaurant a 5 star rating unless I've at least visited it more than once, but this place really deserves it - I swear!
This place is delicious! I had the pasta with scallops and the mussels. Oh man! I can't even explain to you how delicious both dishes were. The pasta melted in my mouth, with a creamy sauce that simply had me wanting more. The scallops were fresh and amazing! The mussels.. oh the mussels... I enjoyed each and every bite so much, my heart was racing!
The prices you ask? Totally affordable and the food is worth every penny!
Just trust me and go to this place, even if it means waiting outside for a little bit in the blistering cold and/or rain. It's super worth it. -
Review from Therese F.
San Francisco, CA
One of the best Seafood/Itialian Restaurants in the city for it's reasonable price!
LOVE the BEST DAMN CRAB CIOPPINO: served in a metal pot to keep it HOT(just how I like it), generous amount of seafood, tomato base was perfecto in flavor and in texture (not watered down nor thick)
LOVE the Risotto with seafood: generous amount of seafood, creamy rich flavor
LOVE the Boston Clam Chowder: generous amount of clams
LOVE the Pesto Pasta: I might be biased because I love anything with pesto
LOVE the owners/hosts: interactive, funny, enthusiastic
Note: For one of my visits, I got seated downstairs and the service was not as good. The food took quite a while and the server boy gave the wrong order to the table next to us (which was our order). When we tried to get his attention to inform him, he totally ignored us. He did not check up on us once to see if every thing was ok.
Regardless of that one experience, I'm absolutely in love with this place and I can't wait to go back! -
Review from Sandy L.
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
We came here the night before the Chinatown YMCA 10k run in hopes of eating some hearty ciappino....and it was a SUCCESS! We were instantly greeted with welcoming arms by the host...sarcastic sense of humor. We were seated at the bar, READY TO EAT.
He provided us the menu and let us know right away that the ciappino was the perfect size for two and there was NO dessert as there are excellent dessert places all around North Beach area so best to leave for those options.
Happy they tell the truth because really, their ciappino is AWESOME. You get a cute crab bib to wear and a huge POT of ciappino. It's filled with tons of pieces of crab, calamari, mussels, scallops, fish and pasta. So hearty and the broth was very full of flavor.... on the edge of being TOO flavorful. But really, that is nothing to complain about. Just soak that sauce with some french bread and you're GOOD TO GO! We considered ordering another item on the menu but were happy we stuck with only ciappino cuz we were TOTALLY STUFFED.
Great experience and would recommend anyone to come here. Only thing to be weary of is LINES so plan accordingly! -
Review from Kathy V.
In retrospect of being a true catholic, beliefs are not to eat meat every Friday starting lent. My favorites wanted to eat Korean food, but two of us couldn't eat meat, what comes to one of our minds was a recommendation to Sotto Mare.
*Note make reservations or come early!! we waited for 45mins and the hostess said we were the last party they were taking.
Sotto Mare is a family owned business, located in the north beach area next to many local bars. Upon our wait, you are given a light up lobster to notify your table is ready. What's cool is that the lobster has a high frequency that can reach the end of the block, so you are able to bar hop while waiting LOL great idea right?
As we walk in, our welcoming hostess kept us informed that we are going to love it here since we were newbies. Browsing through the menu,Yelp guided us through what were the hott items we should order. What looked appealing & got me sprung?
Only the finest/fresh bed of oysters and an oyster shot! Drove me bananas!!! yes perfect aphrodisiac that will get your engines started!! Seconds please!!
Pay attention right here- The Cioppino-It's big enough for three, brimming with clams, mussels, shrimp, tiny scallops and loads of crab. The sauce thickly coats all the seafood, the spices flick the tip of the tongue. Penne pasta in the bottom is a surprise addition, but a good way to help capture more of the sauce; what's left can be sopped up with the bread. Baby light my fire!!
Sand Dabs- filleted, generally 10 pieces splayed on the plate with little room left for the vegetables - thick chunks of orange and yellow carrots and a long-stemmed bouquet of broccoli de cicco, all cooked almost too al dente.
Did someone say I want Pasta? A light linguine pasta smothered with their special sauce. We needed some carbs besides bread, so it came in handy.
In the midst of eating, the food left our tummies feeling full. Shall I say I'm fiending to go back again? YES I am!! -
Review from Derek W.
Los Altos Hills, CA
5/7/2012
Bad service, nasty mushy frozen seafood risotto...the scallop is just tasted frozen and mushy to the core.... I swear I'll never go back again!!! Change me $19 for crap like that, they should pay me to eat it!!!!
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Review from Aidan P.
Portland, OR
Amazing seafood!
This place is old school North Beach, and what I love about San Francisco. Italian style eatery, close-in with your neighbors, solid food and from a simple menu and perfect service.
We had the cioppino, and a few pasta dishes with seafood - they were amazing. The waitress showed us a few dishes as they went by, which helped us make our decision. Make sure you make a reservation, because space is limited, but make sure to check this place out as it will soon become a favorite. -
Review from Allen L.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2012 3 Check-ins Here
The Cioppino was excellent and had lots of crab flavor! Seafood linguine was very fresh, served with a generous amount of seafood. The seafood risotto is basically the same thing, and personally the sauce goes better with the risotto. A must for seafood lovers, but be prepared to spend some time looking for parking, especially on the weekends. I'd park the car at a parking garage nearby to save you the frustration.
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Review from diantha l.
San Diego, CA
5/21/2012
Excellent! We had to wait, but it was worth it! We had the cioppino=wonderful!
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Review from Steve C.
Hoboken, NJ
3/12/2012 2 photos
My girlfriend and I LOVED this place!!! If u could give 6 stars I would.
We ordered the West Coast Oysters and house salad to start, both were very fresh and prepared nicely.
The real reason we came was for the Cioppino and it didn't disappoint! The dish served 2 for $38 and my girlfriend and I were able to fill out bowls at least 3 times each. My girlfriend was extremely skeptical to start but after her first bite she said, "they should bottle this sauce, it's great!"
Service was quick, and direct which we liked. Plus the owner/host pointed us in the direction of a great cafe for dessert (not served at Sotto Mare).
Once again I strongly recommend :) -
Review from Rebecca H.
Los Altos, CA
3/5/2012
A very cozy friendly atmosphere. just make sure you are not late if you have a reservation. We were 10 mins late for the our 630 dinner. the group behind us got a little hard time too. So it's not just us. but the place had quite some empty tables at that time.
the seafood risotto was very testy. the rice was a little too soft. so When we ordered second run, we asked if they could cook the rice al dente, then we were told that the rice was cooked in the morning. but i was a little shock to know that they make the pasta in the morning too. i didn't expect that from a restaurant like this.
we ordered quite a lot. spaghetti and linguini were average, clam and muscle steamers were good but i won't order again. oysters were fresh. the cioppino was as yummy as people claimed. we ordered sand dabs twice. bread and wine was just so so.
after all, a great family style restaurant. -
Review from Julie M.
Suisun City, CA
4/1/2012
Hubby and I shared a wedge salad (3 stars), a half litre of the house red wine (3 stars) and the Ciopponio (5 stars). It was jam backed with quality seafood. The tomato sauce was good, but the main star here is the seafood. Extra bonus points for personalizing it. I have a severe allergy to scallops and the server assured me it was made to order, and a scallop wouldn't touch it. Our bread basket never went empty, and our server checked on us often. I want to come back and try the risotto, it looked great.
The hostess was friendly and helpful. She recommended a nice dessert place around the corner, Stella's Bakery (on Columbus to the left). It was a perfect end to the evening.
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