Cotogna

Been in several times and it’s always the same thing– food: amazing, service: not so amazing. Every time I stop by it seems to be an entirely new service staff. Always a great meal, yet always frustrating.

I wish this place wasn’t so packed all the time but I know that it is due to the amazing chef. Every dish that I tried was so good, healthy and inspired by seasonal vegetables and fruits. It is funny because the menu is in italian so you kind of need the waiter to explain you everything, but it brings some more cosiness to the place. Go for lunch and you might find a spot without booking!

My favorite place after nearly a week in SF and the peninsula. Great lively atmosphere. Sat at the bar and received first rate service. Great wine menu — dozens of wine by the bottle and a first that I have seen: all glasses $ 12, all bottles $ 50. So don’t worry about the price — get what they recommend!
I had the Serrapartona — spicy red — that was delicious and a perfect pair for the main dish: agnolotti. A dish that I had never had so I had to try even though I love gnocchi and tagliatelle and bolognese sauce. I highly recommend.
I started out with the burrata. Delicious. Melt in your mouth. While it came with yummy, toasted bread, I also ordered the homemade focaccia which was perhaps the highlight of the meal (I have been bread deprived but this was outstanding with a peppery spice added to a buttery, soft texture). Paired with the Gavi — like the red, an Italian wine I had never had before and loved.
I highly recommend this restaurant for an amazing meal and a wonderful atmosphere, and not a crazy expensive price.

My favorite restaurant in SF, Cotogna is reliable, consistent, always cozy, and never disappointing. It’s a hybrid between a great neighborhood resto and a special occasion destination. I prefer the a la carte menu, though on the right night the Sunday Dinner can be the better choice. The wine list is a treat, whether you order a bottle for the table or by the glass, and the cocktails are up to the same standard. If you still have room, the desserts are worth tipping yourself over the edge, though I wouldn’t necessarily save room just for dessert.

Bartender is super fun and friendly! Only had drinks here so will return for food

It was really cold when we arrived at Cotagna. But it got real hot, real fast when we jumped at the chance to sit at the chef’s table facing me hot very hot wood-​fired oven at close range. While romantic and all that, my wife snatched two seats at the neighboring bar, where we moved. Way better.
I had eaten at Cotagna two times before and enjoyed everything I’ve had. But today I ordered the tagliatelle Bolognese and a side order of focaccia bread. it was excellent. And an extremely well made Bolognese in the tagliatelle was perfect. The focaccia bread was an excellent go with. In fact I ordered two. I enjoyed the environment. it’s a very open and friendly atmosphere. I really enjoy sitting at the bar. Their bar stools have backs — a small detail, but one that I really appreciate. I would recommend this restaurant. Definitely.

My boyfriend and I had a wonderful meal on Saturday. The dimly lit place was great for a date night. People were generally nicely dressed (most guys had button up shirts on with or without jackets) and the service was good. We ordered:
* Burrata
* Tagliatelle alla bolognese
* Orecchiette w/​mussels, cauliflower (my favorite)
* Octopus
Everything we had was delicious and cooked well. I’m definitely coming back here for my fix of pasta carbs.

We loved the mescal sour, beer and focaccia. Sat at the kitchen station watching them make pizza and grill meats.

The food here is actually amazing. That’s about it though.
I sat at the chef’s counter and was intrigued by the chop salads that weren’t on the menu. I asked for one and the server said «Let me check.» Within earshot of me, the server asked the cook and manager in the back if I could have one. They asked «Is it for a red guest?» The server said I wasn’t and the Cotogna team deemed me ineligible to receive the chop salad. As I was leaving, I asked a different server if «Red Guest» meant VIP and they said it did. I’m not important enough to get a salad here? As my meal progressed, I watched 3 more chop salads leave the kitchen.
This place must be an amazing experience if you’re a «Red Guest» but for normal folks like me, not so much. Maybe I’ll have Postmates deliver some of your delicious food and I can enjoy a Cotogna meal without judgement. Nah…

One of the best places in the city for pasta to satisfy any foodie in SF. I’ve never had a bad meal here and I’ve been going for years. The menu changes frequently, but I always enjoy their heavier, meatier, pasta sauces (sugo, bolognese) with pappardelle, tagliatelle, and other noodle pastas.

I thought this place was good, but honestly I was a little disappointed.
Ambiance: very cute and in a quiet neighborhood. I liked the vibe, but the tables were VERY close together, which was a tad uncomfortable for having a conversation.
Wine: We got a bottle of the CARMIGNANO, AMBRA «MONTEFORTINI». It was a Sangiovese/​Cabernet and it was really really good. One of the better wines i’ve ever had at dinner.
Food: The food was what made me disappointed. We started with the brussel sprouts appetizer which was delicious! (⁵⁄₅). It was covered in a creamy sauce and perfectly browned. Then we got the bufalo mozarella with crostini which was a HUGE disappointment (¹⁄₅). It was $ 21 and nothing special at all. Very little flavor and very little food. If it had been amazing burrata it might have been worth it, but it was not. Then we got two pastas– I really liked the cacio e pepe (⁴⁄₅). It was creamy and flavorful and I could tell the pasta was homemade. We also got the Agnolotti del plin con sugo d’arrosto which was a ravioli with rabbit, veal, and pork (or beef, I can’t remember). I could tell that it was very fresh, but I really didn’t like the combination of meats. I give it a (³⁄₅) because I could tell that it was high quality, even though I didn’t like the flavors. My boyfriend liked it though, but didn’t think it was amazing.
Overall: I would probably come back if someone else wanted to and try the pizza and get the brussel sprouts and cacio e pepe pasta again, but it was a very expensive meal for half of it being mediocre.

I came here for Sunday supper + wine pairing. Service was a bit confused, perhaps because we had a large party. I thought the food was ok, but nothing was really amazing besides the dessert: a date and nut cake. I don’t like sweets or dessert but I couldn’t stop eating this heavenly dense mass of sugar and amazingness.
I am giving Cotogna 3 stars because this place is PRICEY for the food and service I experienced.

I stopped by for lunch on the recommendation of a friend around 1 PM on a Tuesday. Super easy to get a seat at the bar/chef’s table. It was fun to watch the chefs work though boy were the ovens hot. Service was slow but they eventually got around to me. I ordered the nduja pizza and the gypsy broccoli antipasti. The gypsy broccoli was awesome, awesome. I know I keep saying that all these salads and veggies are my favorite dishes of the year but people are just getting more creative with vegetables, what can I say. I could eat that dish everyday — I love charred broccoli! The pizza was good but it didn’t blow me away. It was a little too salty and the dough wasn’t blackened enough for my liking. The guy next to me also got it and leaned over and asked if I liked it, then added «I didn’t like it.» So there’s your unsolicited man on the street assessment of the pizza too.
I think if the prices were a little lower I would give it four stars but for how much I paid I was hoping to be blown away which I wasn’t.

What can I say that hasn’t been said before? Literally everything at Cotogna; the ambiance, food, wine, dessert, and service, was top notch.
I made reservations a month in advance for my birthday dinner. They assured me that we would be out in time for our show at Club Fugazi and they delivered on that promise. We had to wait about 10 minutes upon arrival but it didn’t throw off our schedule.
Upon sitting down, I noticed they had specially printed placemats out that wished me a happy birthday. The servers all wished me a happy birthday (quietly, no singing here!). It was a nice touch. Our server recommended a delicious Chianti to go with our dinner and the sommelier was professional and cordial to our group. He was also very knowledgable about all of the menu items and talked to us more in depth about the pasta dishes on the menu that night.
We ordered:
–spring onion focaccia and country loaf
–brussels sprouts au gratin
–tagliatelle bolognese
–bucatini Amitriciana
–pumpkin and squash tortelli
–gnocchi with cavolo nero (kale) pesto
— lime meringue tart with blackberries
–pine nut and pomegranate tart
–salted caramel gelato
Everything tastes fresh, the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, and the desserts were refined. We all sampled each others dishes. Most of the pasta dishes are smaller portions, though my gnocchi was rather large so I shared most of it! The runaway favorites of the night were the Brussels sprouts au gratin (even the sprouts haters LOVED it!), tortelli with pumpkin and squash as well as the pine nut and pomegranate tart. I do recommend the focaccia over the country loaf, based on the intense and delicious flavor of the focaccia.
Overall, a fabulous dinner made even better by the warm atmosphere and kindness of the staff. Thank you for a memorable birthday dinner!

Chopped salad, melt in the mouth octopus in a tomato sauce and white beans, followed by the sea bass and a special pizza with no cheese, mushrooms and basil… EXQUISITE
Lilly was charming and attentive as our server. Thank you!
Cotogna always lives up to our expectations… Every time. WOW!

As someone who works in a bakery, I try to limit my carbs outside of work as much as possible. So, in general, I don’t go out to Italian to eat pasta. However, meeting my cousin for lunch at Cotogna, it seemed like I’d need to give in. Happily so!
Everything was really really good. The sand dab fritto was crunchy and perfectly cooked, with a great dipping sauce. The seasonal salad was awesome, too, and then we had our pastas. The squid ink pasta with king crab was so so good, as was the corn and chive trianguli. So glad we went and if people need an Italian recommendation, I’ll happily give them this one!

Worth the hype. The raviolo ricotta was AMAZING. Pizza has the perfect crust, stretched so thin you could see through it on the peel. Creative pizza combinations take this dish to an all new level. Sitting at the bar in front of the wood burning oven was great entertainment and probably a nice warm place to be in the fall.

Need a fresh pasta fix head to Cotogna. Daily change up on pastas dishes. From tagliatelle with ramps, that’s a veggie like a leek. To halibut. If you have hunger pains go for the Bistecca Florentine for 2!
Casual attire, servers are friendly
Get out of the fog head inside for a drink!

Saturday lunch at 11:30 for 2 (Mother’s Day weekend)
This is the ‘twin’ sister of Quince. Same owners and Chef (my understanding). We stayed at Marriott Courtyard, and it was a delightful 1 mile stroll (no hills!)
Great ambiance, easy conversation levels and great food. Wait staff was a little disconnected from our needs, but knowledgeable once we got her attention.
Salads were amazing (see photos) and quite tasty. «Fried Egg and Asparagus» really blew me away (I have since googled the recipe– How DO they do that). Just try it!
Wine pours are not ‘generous’, but a nice selection of interesting wines that pair well with the menu.

Sunday supper IS the way to go!
Get their regular emails that includes their monthly supper menus. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. After forwarding to an aunt, she took my uncle to try their duck confit one week in March and, unable to score anything more than a table for two, invited me to try the ensuing supper menu. Parking is a breeze in the Financial District normally Sundays so we waited a few minutes for the restaurant to open around 5 pm. Once seated, things really get simple. The menu is your place mat, though there are some other regular menu items available. Here’s what we had for this four course meal:
1. English pea and mint croquettes (
) — Think super sized tater tots with in season English peas and a subtle mint flavor. Garnished with pickled in season green strawberry.
2. Tortelli di carbonara (
) — My aunt touted this and have to say one of the best pasta pockets I’ve had in a rich carbonara sauce.
3. Watson Farm spring lamb, share plate (
) — A mix of tenderloin and sausages, aunt touted «best lamb she’s had»! Served family style with artichokes Alla Romana, Riverdog Farms purple carrots, and marjoram. We couldn’t finish so my uncle and cousin were able to enjoy this at home.
4. Lemon — extra virgin olive oil sorbetti (
) — Light ending to a rustic meal, nicely garnished Dirty Girl Farm strawberries and almond vanilla shortbread. My host was a bit tipsy and sprinkled her grappa pairing on mine so can’t really detail the flavors well.
When we finished, my eyes had a bit of a glazed look. How such a ‘simple’ meal can be so amazing! My thoughts repeated Vince Vaughn’s words in «The Internship», Farm to table, F to T baby!”. The dining room was pretty much full by the time we left. My host struck a conversation with three gentlemen at our neighboring table who hailed from Austria. Obviously, someone did their homework in referring them to dine here. Curious about the cooking of the lamb, we walked by the kitchen oven to peer at how it was cooked. Though I’ve never been to Europe, this is exactly how I’d imagine dining there. No wonder these supper reservations are so difficult to get!
Try this when you have a chance.