Delfina

I would give 5 stars for the food, 2 stars for the service.
I made reservations for a Saturday night for my boyfriend’s birthday. We got there right on time, had a beautiful table right by the window, and the ambience and décor of Delfina are absolutely beautiful. When we checked in with the host, I made a quick note with her that it was my boyfriend birthday. I also mentioned it at the time I made the reservation. It was a bit annoying on my part, but it was a special day and I wanted it to go well.
Our server was super personable and gave great recommendations on what to order. We started with the tartine bread which was amazing. My boyfriend had the mint tagiatelle and I had the spaghetti. When the server asked if I wanted parmesan, I clearly said «none for me, thank you» and she proceeded to put cheese on my plate! I was so confused and shocked. I’m vegan so I don’t eat dairy, and when my boyfriend asked if I could get a new plate, she said it would take another 20 minutes. So my boyfriend scooped up the top portion of my spaghetti and ate it. It was just a mess, and clearly a mistake that could have been so easily avoided. However, the spaghetti was the best spaghetti I have ever had in my entire life. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the sauce had the perfect amount of richness and tartness.
Furthermore, during our entire dinner, our server was nowhere to be seen. He never once came to check how we were going or if we needed anything else. On top of that, no one ever came to clear off the plates. Our plates and utensils from our appetizer crowded the table even when our entrees came out. Nothing was cleared until we were finished with our dinner. We ordered our desserts, and as I mentioned twice already that we had a birthday, when our desserts came out, there was no inclination of birthdays. Yes, I understand that this is an upscale restaurant and I’m not asking for anything free or with a blaring candle on top, but I have never been to a place that doesn’t even do something a little extra? Plus I had read reviews that this place was so accommodating for birthdays and really made people feel special with dessert and service. When the host walked by she realized this, and I saw her speak to our server while looking at our table and in half-​assed effort, he brought out this disgusting drink for us as a «birthday treat» after we were already finished with our entire meals and our dessert. We couldn’t even swallow the drink it was horrible.
All in all, we tried our best to enjoy our time here. It was a beautiful evening and the food was great, but the service was upsetting. Food for thought: we overheard the table next to us say «we can probably get better service at the Olive Garden» How ridiculous is that? The service could definitely use some work.

Great pasta, and the best Panna cotta I’ve had. Plus super friendly and helpful service.

All of the logistics about this dinner were perfect — made a reservation for the next night easily online, called to let them know we’d be 15 min late and was greeted with a friendly and grateful host, showed up and had a perfect table by the window ready, told our waitress we were in a time crunch (had to take one member of our party to the airport) and she got everything going and us out exactly on time!
We ordered:
— Tartine bread & bufala butter — a must get, even if you don’t like paying for your bread. The bread is so fresh and soft and delicious, and the butter is unique and mild (I added salt to mine).
— snap peas served with crème fraîche and mint — super delicious, though a tad bit oily
— prosciutto and peaches — this was good, as prosciutto is always good, but I wouldn’t get this again
— chicken liver — the stand out of the whole night — the chicken liver is grilled and served on a skewer with cubed toasts and is OUTSTANDING. served with an arugula salad
— gnocchi ragu — the 2^nd stand out of the evening — perfectly al dente chewy delicious gnocchi with a very tasty ragu
— chicken agnolotti — these were good, but a bit disappointing. The chicken filling was a bit grainy and certainly not as good as the gnocchi
— salmon — served in a fig leaf, perfectly softly poached, delicious green beans and potatoes and a butter sauce that was delicious to dip the potatoes in.
Highly recommend!

I’m never disappointed when I have a meal here. The vibe is relaxed and easy and the staff is always friendly and on top of everything. The food… always so delicious and easy. That’s what I love. simple and just darn good. They serve Tartine bread to start… Oh Em Gee and we pared with warm citrusy/​spicy Castelvetrano Olives. A meal between the two all themselves. Shared a lovely pappardelle pasta dish with a rich sugo sauce, then I had the steak and frites. Everything perfectly cooked, never waited long for food. Such a relaxed vibe while enjoying good food and drink, what could be better? My mouth is watering just remembering how good everything tasted. reservations are recommended.

took the boyfriend here for his birthday, and for a farewell to our favorite kind of food for a cleanse that we were starting the next day. bread, yum. spaghetti was incredible. simple and perfect. he had steak, and still can’t stop talking about it. we also had some little chicken stuffed pasta appetizer which i highly recommend.
you’re very close to other tables there and it’s always busy. we knew a cardiology conference was in town and heard the guys next to us talking about it so we started conversing with them. sometime around then, one of the men had been brought an extra side of olive oil potatoes. which he asked if we wanted as soon aa they came.
whats a girl who’s about to go on a cleanse do? kindly accept the strangers side of EVOO mashed potatoes, of course. THEY WERE SO GOOD! THANK YOU STRANGER FOR LETTING ME TRY ANOTHER DELFINA DISH. LOL. but seriously. and then they brought us a free dessert for his birthday. chocolate yumminess.
we’ll be back!!! i need to check out their piZzeria, too.

I came here on Monday night with a few friends for a birthday dinner. We had to sit outside, but no wait around 8:30pm.
We ordered the peas & shoots as appetizer (delish), and the funghi and carbonara pizza for our main dish. Funghi was too mushroomy, as anticipated; the carbonara was so delicious with juicy, fatty guanciale, which is essentially high-​quality bacon.
For dessert, we had the baba rum cake. I will probably never order this again; the cream was pretty good but the rest just tasted really dry and overly sweet. The waitress put a nice candle on it for us though. Great service overall!

I chose this place for my birthday dinner because I thought if pizzeria Delfina is that good, I’m sure Delfina will be at the same level, but unfortunately that was not the case. The restaurant is nice and service is impeccable, but I was just a tad bit disappointed by the food. I was able to make a reservation pretty easily a few weeks in advance.
Funny enough, the best thing I had here was the butter that came with the tartine bread we ordered. I think the waiter said it was made from buffalo milk. Whatever it’s made of, it’s literally the best butter I have ever had!!! It’s so creamy and the flavor is amazing. It was so good that we asked the waiter if we could take some of it home. Of course the tartine bread was also amazing.
Monterey calamari: this appetizer was good, but I felt like it lacked something. I think the sauce could’ve been better. The calamari tasted fresh though.
Spaghetti: this was a simple classic dish. Good, but not amazing.
Bolognese: this was probably my favorite dish I had that night. Pasta was cooked perfectly and sauce was delicious.
Quail: tasted too salty for my liking. It was nice that they split it onto 2 plates for us though.
We passed on dessert since the food didn’t impress us. I probably won’t be coming back since I can get better Italian food at Flour+Water. I’ll still be coming to Pizzeria Delfina next door though!

Dinner at Delfina for Mother’s Day was an incredibly enjoyable, relaxed occasion. My father has always had an affinity for Italian food, and I hadn’t made it past the pizzeria next door yet, so this seemed like the perfect choice for a nice family dinner. We booked reservations about a month in advance, although I’m not sure if that is necessary for non-​holiday-​ish weekends.
THE OVERVIEW.
+ Friendly, outgoing servers who skillfully navigate crowded a crowded dining room without a slip
+ A menu full of beautiful, simple, seasonal dishes with some classic (and lesser-​known) Italian specials peppered throughout
+ They have a major focus on using local farms, vendors, bakers, and more (their bread is transported a whole whopping 30 feet down the street from Tartine!)
+ A location where it’s easy to dress up or down and not feel out of place
+ It feels like a San Francisco institution (a James Beard award winner, no less!)
We had an entirely delightful shared dinner of:
+ WARM CASTELVETRANO OLIVES
+ FRESH CURED ANCHOVIES NOSTRANO
+ WILD RAMP SFORMATINO w/​LOUISIANA GULF SHRIMP
+ CHICKEN AGNOLOTTI w/​LEMON-​CHIVE BURRO FUSO
+ ROASTED CHICKEN w/​OLIVE OIL MASH
+ QUAIL w/​WARM CHICORY BREAD SALAD
+ HANGER STEAK w/​FRENCH FRIES
The wine flowed steadily, it was a delight to be able to try and share so many different dishes, and it was a lovely evening, completely. I need to make sure I come back here (with reservations) more often!

Deflina Restaurant is (IMO) so much better than Deflina Pizzeria! Order the hay and straw, skip the regular spaghetti.
— Tartine bread (5 stars): A must order. Ask for the thicker crust bread only. The baguette is good but not as good.
— Spaghetti (2 stars): Famous item that remains on their menu ²⁴⁄₇. Too sour for me.
— Hay and Straw (4.5 stars): My favorite pasta of the night: mixed yellow and green spaghetti noodles, perfect texture and a raw yolk mixed in like carbonara. So rich and delicious with the perfect amount of chewiness.
— Steak and fries (4.5 stars): Sounded kinda boring but it was so delicious and tender! The fries were also good — very flavorful, mixed with generous amounts of rosemary, crunchy on the outside and a bit soft on the inside (just the way I like it).
— Budino (4 stars): Good but I have had better. It’s like a wide flat flourless chocolate cake. Very decadent and topped with ice dream and raspberry purée.

So after alllllll the hype I figured I had to try Delfina. Not the pizza place but the actual actual restaurant. Deli films didn’t disappoint the food was delicious.
We ordered the tartine bread first because. Bread. And dang was that some good freaking bread. I mean Tartine is famous and ok now I get it. I would like to eat that bread every single day of my life. Order it because who doesn’t love doughy crispy delicious hot bread and butter. Unless you aren’t a human then I dont get you. Or gluten intolerant than I’m sorry.
Anyway I digress. We ordered the insalata di campo to start. The crispy prosciutto was the star of the dish. I feel like I purely stole that off the plate and left my friends with the leaves. For entrees we ordered the gnocchi al Ragu and the ranch hanger steak with French fries. Both were DELICIOUS and huge portions. Pretty bomb not going to lie.
I do wish the gnocchi was a little lighter with a more pillow like texture but I’m not complaint. It was pretty good and I may or may not have eaten the entire plate. Ah man pasta is my kryptonite.

3.5 Stars
Delfina serves mostly great Italian food that will definitely satisfy any pasta cravings you have. I came here for dinner a few nights ago — we had an 8 PM reservation but showed up a bit early and they were able to seat us. Strangely, I felt as though our server kept rushing us through our meal even though we’d gotten there before our reservation time. Anyway, on to the food:
— Chilled California Asparagus
— Fennel Sausage
— Tripe alla Fiorentina
— Special of the Day: Black Squid Ink Corzetti with Octopus
— Berkshire Pork Saltimbocca
The asparagus was a light and refreshing start to the meal, though admittedly it didn’t taste like much. The fennel sausage was very flavorful and prepared well. However, I was most excited about the tripe. I’ve been told that having tripe on the menu is a sign of old-​school Italian cooking, and tripe is one of my guilty pleasures. I was really pleased with how it was prepared.
The Berkshire pork saltimbocca, sadly, fell short. The pork was very dry and not particularly flavorful. It was a disappointing conclusion to our meal but given that I mostly enjoyed the rest of our dishes, I’d be willing to come back and give Delfina another shot.

I was having one awful week (torn ACL and car accident) and it was showing bc when trying to pick a restaurant for a «cheer me up» dinner, I was struggling (that’s when you know my week was off) It was a Friday night but I was optimistic when I chose Delfina 20 mins before dinner and arrived at 7pm and got seated right away! It could only be up hill from there :)
We started off with a bottle of Cab, the burrata, and the Tartine bread. The burrata is served with pickled leaks, and some type of grain which I thought was the perfect combination of flavors.
It was so good that we stuffed our selves on it. We split a the cauliflower soup and a large order of the much awaited Spaghetti. I think both were very good but not omg amazing which was okay with me. I wish we could’ve tried a few more dishes but our tummys wouldn’t even allow for dessert!
The décor is crisp and clean which I like and the service was on point, especially as the girls at the front! All in all it was a pleasant experience!

I never want to give out my best kept secrets in SF but I think the secret is already out on Delfina. I love this place so much, and it’s probably the only place in SF I’ve frequented more than 5 times for dinner.
The spaghetti is amazing. The tagliatelle is amazing, the date cake with coconut gelato is fantastic, everything is just superb and it never disappoints. The menu is always changing but the quality always remains the same. I love the pastas and the appetizers. The salad in which they’ve had on their menu for 17 years is delicious. The calamari is good. The wine selection is fantastic. I would say, this is a great date spot, low key dinner night, catch up night, or just an amazing Tuscany dinner spot. Any way possible, you should find an excuse to dine here and get the large spaghetti. Yeah, it’s pricy but it’s amazing. I would say hands down, this is one of the best spots in SF.

I’ve heard a lot about Pizzeria Delfina but Delfina the Restaurant blew me out of the waters with their pasta. Definitely my favourite Italian restaurant in the Bay Area (yet). The pasta is fresh made and cooked just right. We had the spaghetti, the daily special of the pappardelle and the beef cheek cappelletti.
The spaghetti with red sauce seems so simple but it was flavourful, just a bit spicy and absolutely delicious. The pasta in the pappardelle was so so chewy (I’m a sucker for freshmade pasta) and they gave a lot of duck (although portion size is not big). The beef cheek cappelletti had this really awesome sauce (I couldn’t figure out what it was but it was so good) and I would highly recommend. I only wish that I had thought to ask for bread (especially as it’s right next to Tartine) so we could soak up the pasta sauce!
We only had the pasta dishes this time but would definitely return for the entrees.

This is the 2^nd time I’ve been to Delfina! I remember having no expectations the first time I was there and being very pleasantly surprised. My experience this time was just as great, and the food was delicious.
The boyfriend and I split a few things, but we had a little too much food. We added on the soup at the last minute as the waiter got to our table, and that was probably overkill.
1) Gnocco fritto & black truffle mortadella — I thought this would be similar to gnocci (I know. probably not valid to assume that just because gnocco is one letter off, but I did), and was completely caught off guard when the dish actually came. The gnocco fritto are actually large and airy squares of dough that are completely empty on the inside (think empty, fried ravioli shell)! The gnocco is salty already, providing more flavor, so it isn’t just mortadella on dough.
2) Brussels sprouts — I love brussels sprouts, and these were fantastic. The caramelized glaze was slightly sweet, and the brussels sprouts themselves were roasted to just the right level so that the outer leaves were browned but not burnt. Still undecided how I feel about the hazelnuts in this appetizer, but they weren’t bad.
3) Chicken liver rustica — Mediocre. The chicken liver pâté comes spread on pieces of toast already. The sometimes fishy taste of liver that turns people away was not overwhelming, but none of the other flavors in the pâté were very strong either.
4) Celery root soup — Creamy and celery-​y.
5) Dry-​aged Liberty duck — With pomegranate and turnips, the duck was delicious! It was cooked a little more than medium rare and so tender. I just wish they had plated it with just a touch more sauce though.
I also had a glass of montepulciano with my meal. No complaints there. And sidenote, their glass pours are actually pretty generous!

Probably the best chicken dish I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Flavorful, succulent, and came with the world’s most scrumptious mashed potatoes. We had the truffle mortadella with gnocco frito, the calamari with white bean salad, and the Tartine bread… everything was so delicious. Minus one star because the atmosphere was a little hectic. We had a seven PM reservation yet didn’t get seated until 7:30 and when we did we weren’t in the cozy main dining room but in the window of the bar, elbow to elbow with two other tables. There wasn’t a great place to wait for our table, so servers kept bumping into us while they were schlepping food and beverages over to the pizzeria (technically a separate space next door), which was distracting and a little bizarre. Regardless our server was great and once we were seated, each plate was more decadent than the next. Glad we picked this spot for our Italian fix in San Francisco. Next time will have to skip one of the apps to save room for dessert– portions are plentiful here !

Still a great neighborhood gem.
This is what we ordered, ranked from favorite to least favorite:
Spaghetti — amazing red sauce with plum flavor, this was the standout and very tasty. Usually I think spaghetti is boring, but not this.
Gnocchi al ragu — very tasty but I was too full to finish it, had a bechamel sauce.
Calamari with white beans — good but not stand out.
Celery soup — was fine, my wife liked it.
Mint tagliatelle with black trumpet mushrooms — my least favorite; this was a review highlight and I usually love both tagliatelle and mushrooms, so I thought it was an easy win. The sauce was uninspired and I probably wouldn’t order this again.

Food here was AMAZING. We ordered the chicken and the risotto and both were out-​of-​this world delicious. Chicken was extremely moist and flavorful. The Mashed potatoes it came with were divine. Portions were huge. We loved the vibe and our waiter was great. Highly recommend.

I can’t believe I haven’t been back to Delfina in almost four years! Where did all the time go?
I do digress, back to the food… I took a glance today at their menu and noticed they have made a lot of changes on the menu which makes me wish I could go back and try the new things they have because they sound delicious!
Our menu selection was solid but didn’t have the pork sugo with pappardelle so was bummed I couldn’t relive that experience again. What we did have was pure in flavor, well executed and offered a great balance of texture.
Some call-​outs; only bottled beer and wine, reservations a must, portions vary by dish but you won’t leave feeling hungry or overly stuffed
Overall Thoughts
Nostalgia aside, Delfina serves clean straightforward Italian fare that highlights the ingredients and captures the essence of pureness

A few of my favorite places in this part of the Mission are super close to Delfina, so we’ve passed by Delfina many times to and from such places. Last time we were at Tartine, I told my husband that we really should try Delfina soon. We finally did, and Delfina proved to be a good choice!
We were celebrating the end of the first semester at work, so I thought why not some bubbles to start off our meal! I was very happy to see a Blood Orange Bellini on the menu. I love blood oranges, and they’re in season right now. The Bellini was a beautiful color and the flavor, even better. If they have it when you dine, get it! The hubby decided on a glass of Chianti which really opened up and got better the longer it sat on our table.
We started with the Monterey Bay Calamari appetizer. The calamari was grilled and rested on a bed of a white bean salad which had frisée, arugula and olives mixed in it. The creaminess of the beans balanced out the bitterness of the frisée, the pepperiness of the arugula and the saltiness of the olives. And of course the star of the dish was the calamari, which was perfectly cooked. It had a hint of sweetness and just melted in your mouth. Too bad there were only about 5 or 6 pieces of calamari on it!
If you have not had Tartine’s famous country loaf, you can get an order of their bread here to start the meal. We saw Tartine staff deliver freshly-​baked loaves to Delfina as we were waiting outside for the restaurant to open. The only reason why we didn’t order the bread was because we actually bought a loaf and started eating it before dining at Delfina. As a result, we were not that hungry when we started eating!
For our mains, the hubby ordered the Spaghetti. It was good, and it would be a great choice for a vegetarian. I ordered the Grilled Swordfish which also came on a bed of beans. We ate a lot of swordfish when were in Greece, and it has become one of my favorites. Like the calamari, the swordfish was perfectly cooked. The gremolata and the peppered fennel wedges added a boost of flavor to the fish and beans. The dish was a nice portion, so I was perfectly full after the main course.
Consequently, we declined to have dessert here. Plus, Bi-​Rite Creamery was only a few steps away. I just really needed a small scoop of ice cream to end the evening.
Service was great throughout the meal. The place is beautiful, but a little cramped. Our table for two was next to a table for two, and we can hear everything they were talking about. Kinda awkward. 2 drinks, 1 app and 2 mains added to about $ 95 without tip. If I come back here, I’d eat at the bar.

In a neighborhood with its fair share of buzzworthy dining establishments, let alone Italian ones, Delfina remains a solid bet. You can’t go wrong with just about anything on the menu here, like starting off with the «bread service» that might seem overpriced at first, but features quality, fresh-​baked bread and is a meal in and of itself. Pasta dishes like the pappardelle and rosemary tagliatelle are solid and decently portioned, and who can resist scrumptious desserts like the panna cotta?
The wine offerings here are also extensive, and the California flight is a good way to sample several different white wines over the course of your meal. Service is also professional and on point. Deservedly a local favorite that continues to draw large crowds after all these years.

It was a Friday night date with my wife so we wanted to try Delfina. We had a reservation and they were busy by the time we got there for our dinner. I thought I would try the Spaghetti, since I hardly make it at home. My wife ordered the Swordfish. The service was very good and we got our dinner within a short time. The presentation was wonderful. My Spaghetti was delicious, and very simple just a light sauce and the pasta, topped with a nice amount of parmesan cheese. The Swordfish was delicious. The portion size was perfect. I had a very nice Italian red wine. I was slowly sipping and enjoying it since it was very good with the Spaghetti. My wife had a blood orange Bellini cocktail which she enjoyed. Our dinner with drinks was about $ 85. Overall we had a very nice dining experience at Delfina.

He had me at tripe.
Came here on a Friday night and was seated right away.
Spaghetti– A little under cooked but apparently that’s how they make it in Italy. Could’ve used more cheese but overall still a good dish
Brussels sprouts– YUM. Perfectly cooked.
Tripe– The look on our faces when the server placed the dish on our table. WTF, this does not look like tripe in phở. Took one bite of the tender tripe in tomato sauce topped with crunchy bits and fell in love.
Great service, good food.

I’m wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars. Our food was great, like really really good, but not mind-​blowing. Service was fine — the servers were present, but not especially friendly. The space is exactly as lovely as every other upscale Mission restaurant.
We started with Tartine bread and house-​cultured butter. The bread was amazing, obviously, but the restaurant doesn’t get any credit for that. We had the mint tagliatelle and spaghetti with plum tomatoes. Both were delicious — the tagliatelle was delicately flavored, fresh, and creamy, and the spaghetti was wonderfully made. I may be less excited about it than I normally would be because we just had life-​changing spaghetti (seriously) at Scarpetta a few days ago. We also split the gingerbread torta with persimmon sorbet, vanilla gelato, and huckleberries. We absolutely loved the gingerbread, which was extra spicy and flavorful, but the persimmon sorbet wasn’t our favorite.
The tagliatelle and spaghetti were the only two vegetarian options, which was kind of disappointing. I’d be happy to go back again if the menu rotates to try a new veggie pasta.

5:30 reservation on a Saturday night, we got there at 5:33 and there was already a line to get in. By 6:30 the place was packed! Definitely get a reservation to get into this place. Ordered Tartine Bakery baguette, grilled squid bean and frisée salad, spaghetti with tomatoes and the cuttlefish uni pasta. Everything was on point. The baguette was to die for and totally worth the $ 4 since I couldn’t wait in line for an hour to buy it myself at Tartine Bakery and the house made butter paired so well with it. The salad was doused in delicious olive oil and seasoned perfectly. Both pastas were cooked perfectly but the spaghetti with tomatoes was definitely the winner (and I love seafood pasta). The servers were so attentive and were accommodating of our time limit and had the kitchen rush all of our dishes so that we could make our flight in time.

The waiter told us that the Spaghetti was the best we will ever have… Hmmm I said, «I will be the judge of that.»
He was right! The best ithis side of Italy!!!
Little Gem salad was so flavorful that I couldn’t get enough.

Some of the best Italian food you’ll get on the West Coast.
Delfina immediately teases you with its aroma of fresh bread, heavenly wine, and potent garlic. It’s hard to recommend anything on their menu because not only are all the menu items fantastic, but the restaurant changes their menu frequently, surprising their guests with new flavorful experiences.
On my first trip to Delfina, I sampled the prosciutto and calamari appetizers. The prosciutto was combined with chestnuts to create a uniquely savory dish while the calamari was not coated in bread and fried like most Italian restaurants, but instead lightly grilled and served with greens for a much cleaner taste that brought out the flavors of the seafood.
My main coarse was the humble spaghetti. But for its simplicity, Delfina made the dish with love and care, to the point where I was using the bread to scoop every last bit of sauce on my plate.
If you don’t mind splurging on good food, then Delfina is a must for leaving with a full and happy belly.

Best pasta I’ve had in SF! I’ve been wanting to try this place since I moved here 6 months ago. People keep telling me how good it is and I wanted to know what the hype was all about.
The first time I went, my friend and I weren’t very hungry so decided to just get two pastas to share. After we spoke to the server, he said they can do half portions for all the pastas! I love trying more things but in smaller portions.
We ended up getting 3 pastas, all half portions. One was their classic tomato spaghetti, second was the pulled pork pappardelle, and the last one was butternut squash tortellini with chestnuts. All 3 pastas were amazing, despite not being hungry we finished all 3 so fast and nothing was left on the plates. Our favorite was the tortellini (and I normally don’t like stuffed pastas!)
We went back again a week later (Delfina changes their menu almost daily!) and had the calamari app, the calamari was cooked perfectly. Pasta FOR SURE as our mains (this time no half sizes!) — again the classic spaghetti, another stuffed pasta and chitarra integrale. Hats off to the pasta chef — all 3 left us wanting to come back the next day. I’m so happy with the pastas that I’m not going to waste my time on the mains hah! Can’t wait to go back again next week. :)

I have to be honest: as an Italian, I had some great expectation for this restaurant, it surely has a famous name!
But I have to admit that I have to give 3 stars for this restaurant since I honestly had one of the worst services in U.S. First we saw people eating pizza and then when we sit down and ask for it, they say that actually don’t serve it, really?!
Then when we order, they serve wine from my region in italy, Piemonte and when I ask for more details, they say that I should just enjoy the wine. Well for paying 85 $ for a one course meal I expect better than that!

Four and a half stars! When I go out to eat I try not to order food that I could make at home, but trust me folks, order the spaghetti. Without a doubt the best spaghetti I have ever eaten in my entire life. How could something so simple taste so spectacular? We ordered the large and shared. They split it in half and brought out 2 plates, perfectly portioned.
You have the option here to make pretty much everything on the menu a half-​order, so we did that to start with proscuitto and pears. Not the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten, but tasty nonetheless.
We also shared the chicken and mushrooms dish. I didn’t know it was possible for chicken to be so tender. Literally fall off the bone amazing. And the mushrooms. Please. Feed. Me. More. Shrooms.
Very extensive wine menu. We ordered red champagne (or something like that… clearly I’m no wino) and finished the bottle faster than I’d like to admit.
I would recommend trying to get a reservation. I made one in the morning for the same evening and was glad I did because I only saw 1 other open table when we got there.

This place can be quite busy on the weekends, so plan ahead. One of the nice things I liked about the restaurant is that you can get half-​size on the pasta dishes if you so choose. That’s not advertised on the menu, but you can make the request.
We had three pastas: the tagliatelle, plain spaghetti, and the linguine with clam sauce.
The tagliatelle with meat sauce was the best of the three pastas I tried. The pasta was cooked at the right texture and the meat was tender and flavorful with the sauce. The herbs actually made the dish quite balanced as well.
The regular spaghetti had the al dente pasta, but the sauce combined with the pasta made the entire bite in my mouth mushy for some reason. It was like the sauce overpowered the texture of the pasta. The sauce tasted like it was missing something. It wasn’t as balanced as I would expect from a relatively fancy restaurant. It was a bit too tart. Overall, I was disappointed in the dish considering it’s supposed to be a classic Italian dish that a highly-​rated Italian restaurant should have.
The linguine with clam sauce was really salty. The clams came out fine and was probably the best of part of the dish. I typically like salty food, however, even I thought this linguiine dish was too salty. Other than that, it was pretty good.
I might be willing to come back again and try some of of their other dishes. May want to skip the pasta section all together.

Gnoccho with prosciutto — ⁴⁄₅
Leeks with capers — ¹⁄₅
Ragu tagliatelle — ³⁄₅
Prosciutto ravioli — ⁵⁄₅ — Great sauce, lemony. Ravioli filling was perfect.
Overall, Ravioli was «as good as it gets.»

Very good food, very very good service. We ordered everything that held interest for us. Place is well managed, well organized, a treat, and popular. Don’t forget to make a reservation.
The bread is from Tartine, and it’s worth the $ 4. The Delfina pizzeria is next door. Unless you want a delicious pizza, make sure you enter through the correct door. Dinner opens at 5:30. The line forms to the right. When you enter, you are matched with a server, who is also in line to meet you. It works very well and even though the line is long, you are seated quickly.
Recommendations…really superb:
* Corn Sformatino-​gulf shrimp, cherry tomatoes, salsa verde
* Spaghetti… really!-plum tomatoes, garlic, lots of olive oil, pepperoncini
* Hanger Steak and French Fries-delicious…the fries were spectacular with the juicy and flavorful beef
We will be back often. Enjoy!

Delfina was definitely one of my favorite places I ate at while in SF!
My boyfriend and I met up with a friend here while in the city. Delfina is located in the Mission District and appears to be very popular, as there as a 45 minute wait at 7pm on a Wednesday. Our wait was cut about 15 minutes shorter than expected as we opted to sit at the bar (which was honestly fine). It was well worth it though, as their food is very good.
Both my boyfriend and I ordered their Spicy Spaghetti (which actually wasn’t that spicy). If I remember right, our friend ordered some pasta and chicken dish. For an appetizer we ordered their bread and butter. The food here was delicious! You can’t really go wrong with bread and butter and spaghetti, but this place puts it in a whole other league. The spaghetti had just the right amount of spices in it and it tasted wonderful. I’m drooling just thinking about it. The bread was fresh and tasty as well — apparently the bread is made at a store just around the corner from Delfina, which is great that they buy locally. Everyone in my party seemed to love their food as well all cleaned our plates!
Service here was very good. Our server here was very friendly and knowledgeable. I liked her. Prices here are also on the higher side, as our three meals and the appetizer came to close to $ 100 (and no drinks were even ordered!). I guess you pay for service and ambiance!
Would I come back here?! Yes! I would just make a reservation first!
Cheers!

This is literally the best spaghetti that I have ever had in my life. I never order such a basic meal but it was so worth it. The sauce was thick, savory, and rich and you could totally taste the basil in it.
Now beware, this place is pricey and requires log waits. We waited over an hour to get seated which was a lot but worth it. Also the wine is pricey so be aware.

Je suis allé tester les pizzas de Delfina sur la recommandation d’un ami. D’abord, attention à né pas se tromper d’entrée: à gauche, c’est la pizzeria, plus claire, plus cantine, en un mot plus popu :-); à droite, c’est le restaurant italien, plus sombre, plus cosy, plus classe. Moi, je me suis trompé et né l’ai compris qu’une fois assis avec la carte sous le nez, mais la serveuse né m’en a pas tenu rigueur et m’a indiqué le bon chemin. Ils doivent être habitués !
Une fois installé au bon endroit (ça peut prendre un peu de temps, il y a souvent de l’attente, dans ce cas comme souvent ici, on inscrit son nom et le nombre de convives sur un tableau à l’entrée et on attend sur le trottoir de se faire appeler), et après avoir commandé sa pizza (il y a aussi des entrées diverses et des pâtes), on a vue directe sur la cuisine et l’agitation des cuistots.
La pizza en elle-​même a fait honneur à la bonne réputation de l’endroit même si j’aurais préféré une garniture un peu plus généreuse. La pâte était très bonne mais l’ensemble donnait une certaine impression de sécheresse à cause de ce manqué relatif de garniture.
Prix pas donné et ajout d’un montant forfaitaire (1,50 $) à chaque addition pour financer je né sais quoi… Service à l’amabilité variable suivant sur quel serveur on tombe.
Bön, une bonne adresse quand même pour déguster une pizza bien faite, mais on doit pouvoir trouver mieux.
Une nouvelle fonction de Google Street View vous permet une visite guidée intérieure de la partie pizzeria:

Das Delfina ist ein hervorragender Platz für alle die gutes Essen in einem quirligen und lebendigem Ambiente geniessen mögen. Sollte man sich lange genug im Voraus einen Tisch reserviert oder mit Glück einen Tisch ergattert haben wird man prompt und freundlich bedient. Die Servicekräfte sprechen gute Empfehlungen aus. Sowohl das Essen, als auch der dazu servierte Wein war sehr lecker.
Die Speisen reichen vom Rindersteak bis hin zu Spezialitäten aus Fisch oder z.B. Wachteln. Preislich ist es den lokalen Gegebenheiten angepasst und nicht zu teuer.
Ein gemischtes, angenehmes Publikum, die halb-​offene Küche und das gute Essen machen machen das Delfina zu einem empfehlenswerten Restaurant.