SPQR

This review is for service only… not the food since we never made it that far. I made the reservation a few weeks in advance which required a credit card. A few days prior to the reservation my wife got very sick and was in intensive care for days. The day she started to get better I got a reservation reminder message from SPQR. I called them back to apologize and explain we couldn’t make it because of the hospitalization. Their response:
«OK, we will cancel with no charge this one time but please try to be more understanding of our policy in the future.»
If this isn’t all you need to know about this place then enjoy having people like this serve you whatever crap they say you should eat.

Food incredibly creative and full of unique and broad glavors. Enjoyed the black truffle homemade pasta special. Double yum! Only issue for me was the portion sizes, just a bit on the small size for price paid. That knocks off a point, otherwise perfect.

Last night, my boyfriend and I dined at SPQR to celebrate our anniversary. We thought, «SPQR is a ‘special occasion’ type of restaurant,» so we reserved *this* meal for *this* special occasion. Overall, it was nice but we probably wouldn’t return.
I’ve lived in Pacific Heights for several years and heard praises about SPQR even prior to moving to San Francisco. I knew their pastas were delicious so that was what we came in for. We had an 8:15 reservation and got there closer to 8:20. There was a slight wait so we weren’t sat until 8:35 or so. Because the restaurant is rather narrow there is nowhere to wait. So, outside it is! In the meantime, I decided to use the restroom. As I walked towards the back, I couldn’t help but notice the restaurant blasting hip-​hop in a pretty upscale joint full of men with collared shirts and women in Ann Taylor dresses. (As a result, the clientele makes SPQR feel a bit stuffy.) Personally, I found this juxtaposition rather humorous. The hip-​hop was muffled but you could sorta hear it despite the loud dining room (which by the way, you should be prepared for. My boyfriend and I could barely hear each other all evening.) It kinda makes sense though. The kitchen appears to be run by millennials. Nice move, SPQR.
We sit down and are immediately asked for a choice of water. Water is poured and menus are given (main and a wine+beer list). The wines are presumably all from Italy. It’s broken down by type and I must say, the regional diversity of the Italian wine list was stellar. One of my favorite white wines, Petit Arvine, is grown in Valle d’Aosta (which borders France & Switzerland). I saw this on their list and immediately asked for a glass ($ 16). While we were deciding on our dishes, a boisterous group of four was seated to my right while a duo was seated to my left a few minutes later. It wasn’t until all parties were sat that we realized how tight the quarters are. In other words, be prepared for a rather intimate dining experience. I could clearly hear the conversations of both groups near us which made it sometimes awkward when trying to talk within your table.
For antipasti, we ordered a Gem Lettuce Salad with artichoke, snap pea, potato, radish, goat feta, and crisp pig ear ($ 17). The salad was a nice and refreshing start. The artichokes had a slight sour note to them (this is a good thing to me) so I’m going to assume they were soaked or pickled with vinegar. The potatoes and radishes tasted as if they were treated with white wine. Together, these ingredients were great. We then received the «Dirty» White Grits ($ 31). The grits featured a dried plum stuffed duck, sliced pluots, and Calabrian chili popcorn. Presentation-​wise: this was lovely. The grits were nicely cooked as was the duck. My boyfriend and I disagreed with the presence of popcorn. I personally thought it was a funky and welcomed twist. It added a surprising texture to the otherwise soft grits. My boyfriend didn’t feel it was necessary. Overall, this was good but I thought the grits were a bit salty and for some reason, there was a slightly fishy note towards the end. I’m not sure how that came about.
Our favorite of the night was the Quinoa «Creste di Galli» ($ 30). This contained a short rib sugo, quinoa leaves, and provolone. The pasta shape was gorgeous and the texture was al dente. Yes, these were toothsome though I did bite into a couple that could use another 90 seconds in cooking time. Nevertheless, the flavor was too spot on for me to complain. We liked this a lot. Now, from our favorite to our least favorite: the «Degustazione» (or tasting) of Sucking Pork ($ 40). This secondi plate featured some chunks of tart rhubarb, magenta chard, and grain mustard sauce. The presentation was quite elaborate: you had pork chops, porchetta, head cheese (!), blood sausage, and pork confit. From what I could tell, this was almost every part of a suckling pig prepared in multiple ways. In theory, this would be fantastic. But this was a bit disappointing. We agreed the pork chops were moist (difficult to achieve sometimes!), the porchetta was great (nicely crisp skin), and most of the other pork preparations were okay. In other words, this particular plate wasn’t a «must.»
In terms of service: pretty good. Our server was attentive. Another server came by often to refill water. There was a moment where I hoped they’d automatically refresh our obviously soiled plates; I asked. No big deal. Our server brought out complimentary marshmallows to end our meal since we were too full to order dessert. Together, the meal came out to $ 150 (before gratuity). That said, in terms of value, I wouldn’t say this is a place I’d drop down a couple of big bucks for again. There were some highlights, but I think SPQR is a place I’d say to a friend, «It was good. Wouldn’t go back. But at least we tried it!»

Amazing, start to finish! I have lived in the Fillmore for over 12 years. This place has been just doors from my place since it opened, but I never went in. I think I have considered making a reservation on-​line numerous time, but don’t follow through cause they take a credit card # to hold. Last nite was different. We rolled in around 8:30 and took to two best seats at the bar. Were promptly and warmly greeted by an extremely knowledgeable server who started us off with wine. The atmosphere, music, lighting are all just perfectly #cool. It was hard to order cause everything seems to be «special,» so we started with the decadent version of carbonara (sea urchin,) followed by the scallops, and instead of desert, the pappardelle. Amazing, each dish! Outstanding service… I left leaving wondering why I’d never been before.

I was hesitant to keep my reservation due to the negative reviews but I was very glad I did!
We were promptly seated for our 6pm reservation. The dining area is small and you’re practically elbow to elbow with your neighbor but in some sense it is quite nice. We had lovely neighbors with whom we had a brief conversation about appetizers.
My dad and I settled on the smoked cod and sweet potato salad appetizer. Both were flavorful and fresh. The sweet potato salad brought both sweet and savory notes together in one amazing bite. I really enjoyed the homemade sweet potato chips. The cod was fantastic but the smoked flavor was strong– it might not be the app for you if you don’t like strong fish flavors. The sauces in the dish along with fresh peas was a flavor and texture extravaganza.
Our entrees were both fantastic. I don’t even know where to start. My scallops were buttery and delicious. I enjoyed the different zucchinis that were sliced in a few direct ways leading to different textures. The two distinct sauces enhanced all the components of the dish. My dads pork chops were fabulous. The combination of sweet from the rhubarb to the saltiness of the pork was amazing.
The desserts were an adventure in of itself but alas we only chose two– the green tea and strawberry and the caramel cake and cream. I enjoyed the caramel dessert most because of the variety of textures and sweet notes of the caramel with the the cream and cake.
The bill came to $ 350 including tax and tip. This being said yes it is expensive. This is not a cheap place to eat and the quality my not be as up to standard as it once was, but it is still a culinary adventure worth experiencing if you’re up for it.

A little surprised at the low rating. I think a lot of it has to do with the expectations of the reviewers going in.
We walked in on a whim on a weekday evening, after getting out of the nearby spa, and were seated immediately. The service was excellent, even though: a) we were quite out of place in our ratty T-​shirts and jeans; and b) we ended up leaving well after closing time. Our server was very helpful with her suggestions, and didn’t rush us at all.
We only tried vegetarian items on the menu, all of which were fantastic. It was also great to see so many inventive vegetarian dishes at an Italian restaurant — much more than the usual pasta with mushrooms.

The food was pretty mediocre for the price. My bf and I went, each had 1 appetizer, 1 entrée, and a shared desert, with 1 Carafe of wine. The bill was $ 200.
Everything was a bit salty — the smoked waygu beef, the brocoli salad (which was my favourite dish of the evening). The pasta was okay, but it was hard to taste any of the ingredients since there was so much on top. The presentation of the food is amazing, but the flavour is kinda meh.
The service was great though– very prompt.

The food was definitely a 5, creative, original and fresh. Checkout the menu, better than I imagined.
I rated it a 4 because the hostess gives off a negative vibe. She never smiled and made us feel we were an inconvenience. Our 1^st table was wobbled a good bit. It took at least 20 minutes from the time we arrived till we were served a beverage. The waiter was well informed and helpful about the menu but also not a happy person. Loved the décor. The owner needs to make a few adjustments to the staff attitude and he/​she will have a first rate place.

This was a really really bad experience.
We made a reso for 2 at 9:30 pm.
We were not seated until 10:05 and the hostess seemed to think that was totally normal. No apology, just a cheery smile and a matter of a fact ambiguous «You’ll be seated soon!»
We ordered a bottle of wine, and, wow surprisingly, the wine was bad. They wouldn’t let us taste the wine it was that bad.
We were not given our entrees until 11 pm. It’s not worth waiting until 11 I assure you. The linguine was overtly greasy and also too salty.
I was also surprised at the audacity of the staff to give us a full price of the entire dinner.
We will not return and would not recommend to anyone.

We had an incredible dinner at SPQR.
The chicken mousse was an outstanding appetizer.
The bacon-​wrapped rabbit was worth the detour from NYC.
We also shared several dishes and two bottles of Barbaresco. No misses, only hits.
An expensive dinner but the food and atmosphere made up for it.

Still a good place, but has gone downhill over the years.
My bucatini was overwhelmed with goat cheese. So overwhelmed it was hard to enjoy.
I wouldn’t come out my way for this place. A casual night with my BFF dining here came to $ 104us.
we should’ve had dinner across the street for a fraction of the cost.

I’ve been wanting to try this restaurant for years and have heard great things about the fare from friends who are regulars. When I finally dined, I was far from being blown away.
Open dining at the bar. Their seating is usually reserved unless you called in ahead of time. We tried and they didn’t pick up.
Menu offering totals 1 page and has the usual apps along w/​pastas and proteins. Wine list is a separate menu.
I had the Sea Urchin Fettuccini while the BFF had the Bucatini. My pasta was salty. Perhaps it was the bits of pancetta or not but it was over seasoned. Not much Uni in there and the quail egg was too small to add much value although the pasta was already creamy. BFF stated her pasta was ok. Portions are small for the price.
2 pastas + 2 glasses of wine = $ 104.

I finally scored a reservation on a weekday night at a decent hour! My friend & I shared the
brassicas and burrata starter — fresh and light. I ordered the semolina pasta w/​shrimp which was sooo delicious. I believe their menu changes constantly so I couldn’t find it on their website. The pasta portions aren’t large but because the dish is so rich it’s a perfect size.

The menu at SPQR looked very promising, but I wasn’t wowed by the pastas that we ordered. Even if I had been wowed, the prices were too high. Most of the pastas were $ 29. There were 2 specials with black truffle shavings that were $ 58 each. (I know black truffle is expensive, but still!) Comparing SPQR to other pasta places, I enjoyed both Nostra and Spaghetti Brothers more. Their pastas were tastier and roughly ²⁄₃ the price. While Flour & Water’s sauces have been hit or miss in the past, I prefer the texture of Flour & Water’s noodles much more as well.
We shared 3 pastas that were $ 29 each. Ranked from favorite to least favorite below:
* Winter mushroom francobolli with mushroom crema, espresso BellaVitano cheese
The creamy cheesy mushroom sauce wasn’t mind blowing, but it was plate-​licking good. My S.O. found some of the francobolli to be unevenly cooked, but the pieces on my side of the plate were fine.
* Meyer lemon linguini with abalone «Alfredo,» bottarga, garlic chips
Thick yummy sauce. Noodles were good, but I wish they’d been springier.
* Buckwheat fusilli with cider and bacon braised suckling pig and spigarello
The texture of the buckwheat pasta had a slight grittiness that didn’t appeal to me. I’ve noticed it in other things made from buckwheat too, including buckwheat pancakes and some soba noodles.
Nothing on the antipasti, secondi, or dolce menus really stood out to me, as is usually the case when I am offered lots of pasta options, so we didn’t order anything else. Everything felt expensive though, with prices around $ 15-​$ 22 for antipasti, $ 38 for secondi, and $ 15 for dolce.
The space was cramped. Our table was less than 6 inches away (literally) from the table next to us. As long as we kept talking, we wouldn’t have to hear the conversations around us, but if we even fell silent for one moment, we would feel like we were eavesdropping. The people next to us actually felt like they had to say hi and talk to us when we sat down because of how close we were.
Service was good. Our server’s wine recommendations were spot on.

I came here to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I knew she loved Italian, so I was happy to take her to SPQR. I was able to get a reservation at the chef’s counter, which we thought was pretty cool! The food was delicious and the flavor profiles were a lot of savory, salty, and pungent. We devoured everything we ordered — 3 apps and 2 entrees. The truffle pasta with cheese sauce (almost like a fondue) was really outstanding!
Our server was attentive and friendly. However, when we ordered both a bottle of red and flat water for the table, we were told the price of each. It was like the server didn’t think we could afford a nice dinner.
The chef’s counter was really interesting. It was cool getting to watch these amazing chefs work in their element with such control. I took a quick video of the open kitchen and was seen by one of the chefs. She said, «we’ve got another one» to whom I think was the executive chef, as he was standing outside of the kitchen and firing orders as they came in. For the remainder of our meal, we felt slightly uncomfortable as they would glance over at us. I get it, maybe taking photos or videos of your dining experience might not be favorable to some, but at least be more discrete with your comments, especially in an open kitchen.
The birthday girl loved her meal and we both left satisfied. I would consider going back to SPQR, but next time, I would prefer to sit at a table and not at the chef’s counter.

The Good/​Great:
–Ricotta and quail egg ravioli (rich, creative, delicious)
–Sweet carrot and lentil salad
–Wine selection
–Service
The Disappointing:
–Bacon wrapped rabbit
–The black truffles (which we had on two different dishes; lacked the earthy flavor that truffles should have)
–Environment/​space
This was a hard restaurant to rate. Though I might normally give it 4 stars if it was a «regular» restaurant, I think it lacked the special «factor» that you would expect from a Michelin-​starred restaurant and for the price you’re paying.

SPQR has its flaws, but the food is so spectacular that it gets 5 stars anyway.
Clearly expectations run high when a restaurant is Michelin-​starred and the menu looks expensive (i.e. a single raviolo topped with black truffle flakes costs $ 53). But the truth is you can get an extremely reasonably priced meal if you order smart.
A few of the critics on here seemed unhappy with the portions, which are a tad small, but just be aware that you’re meant to order appetizers + pastas/​entrees here. This isn’t a one-​course meal type of restaurant.
The rotating menu can also be challenging to understand (if only I had realized the senise pepper torchio with dry aged beef bolognese, burrata and kale was a PASTA — omg the photos look so amazing I’m tempted to come back to SPQR next week), so I highly recommend asking your server for recommendations. Our server was unbelievably sweet and enthusiastic, and very helpful with our final decisions on pasta and wine.
We ordered the following:
— CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE = OK, hands down this was one of the tastiest liver mousses I’ve ever had in my life. And it came topped with strawberry marmellata and balsamic gelatina, and accompanied by such buttery, rustic bread (I think maybe from Tartine?). I typically don’t like diluting my mousse with jam but all the flavors came together perfectly in this one.
— RED TROUT AND ROE WITH FINGERLING POTATOES = A playful take on the classic tuna nicoise salad, only with far more elevated ingredients in lieu of lettuce — and so much more fun and delicious. The red trout had perfectly crispy skin, the green beans were so tender yet crunchy, and the dill cream sauce was positively addictive. I would order it again without a doubt, every time.
— SMOKED FETTUCINI WITH SEA URCHIN = Oh my freaking god, I am going to dream about this pasta for the rest of my life. It’s definitely in my list of top 3 pastas (along with pastas from Scarpetta and Flour + Water). It’s by far the most decadent one, with crispy salty bacon pieces adding constant bursts of flavor, an oozing quail egg and the most delightfully creamy uni sauce. Please do yourself a favor and order this if you come here, or you’ll be doing yourself a major disservice. One word of advice, though: You should probably share this dish — it’s so rich that you’ll enjoy it more in smaller portions.
— SEAWEED PAPPARDELLE WITH DUNGENESS CRAB = Sadly not at all impressed, though my boyfriend loved it. The description said it was lemony which didn’t come through at all to me. On the other hand, I’m a freak and don’t like crab, so take this part of my review with a grain of salt.
Besides the seaweed pappardelle, my only complaint is that the space is kind of small. I was sitting so close to other guests that our tables (and knees) were nearly touching which was rather uncomfortable. But certainly that’s not enough to deter me from future visits!!! Can’t wait to come back here again and again!

Why had I not been to SPQR sooner and more often? I’ve passed by it so many times.
SPQR is an abbreviated Latin phrase referring to the ancient Rome. Well, it definitely doesn’t look like the ancient Roman days in here. This is a trendy looking restaurant, both inside and outside, which goes along with the neighborhood.
The inside has a cozy atmosphere with pretty dark lighting. The tables are a little too close in proximity. Call it intimate, but it makes dining a bit uncomfortable. I forgot that as soon as I tasted the delicious food. Overall, I give it a ⁹⁄₁₀.
$ 15 Chicken Liver Mousse, rhubarb marmellata and balsamic gelatina:
The garlic toast was perfectly toasted and good on its own. The creamy mousse was amazing. I was hesitant about the rhubarb and balsamic gelatina, but it was so good. The chicken liver mousse on its own was already very rich, but the rhubarb added a lot of sweetness, and the balsamic gelatina gave it tartness. It came together in one super rich, creamy, delicious spread.
$ 23 Wagyu Beef «Carne Cruda», burnt flour cracker, horseradish jello cube and pickle:
It was a good solid take on steak tartare, but I felt a twinge of sadness knowing that wagyu was ground up to make it. Oh well, it was really good beef.
You could tell it was plated with a lot of care; thinly sliced cornichon rolled up into little circles; horseradish jello cubes strategically placed in a few spots; a couple dollops of mustard along with a little bit of mustard seed. It was packed with tart flavor. I could have done without one of those sour components since the horseradish jello cubes and pickles are plenty sour already.
I’d rather it come with toast or crostini instead of the odd crackers. It looked like long, thick, fried pasta noodles, but didn’t have any flavor. It was also an awkward shape to eat with the tartare.
$ 29 Smoked Fettuccini, Sea Urchin, Smoked Bacon and Soft Quail Egg:
one of the most amazing pastas
This signature pasta dish has really gone up in price over the last couple of years. I would still say it’s worth a try, but as it pushes near the $ 30 mark, it’s getting super pricey.
Still, it is a favorite of mine. There’s something so satisfying about breaking into a runny egg. The quail egg was delicious, but didn’t add much to the flavor profile, because the pasta sauce is probably already egg-​based.
The fettuccine was cooked perfectly and encased in super creamy sauce. The uni also adds creaminess but with a different texture. It doesn’t seem like there is a lot of uni, but there’s a good amount interspersed in between layers of pasta. Bacon added a little bit of savoriness, protein, and color to the dish.
Variations of Buckwheat & Rhubarb:
This is the strangest dessert I have ever had. I hardly ever make such extreme statements. Mr. Joy said he wanted to try this out of curiosity. I think from now on I’ll be choosing the desserts. It’s no longer on the menu and for good reason.
I don’t even know where to begin. I could barely keep up with our server when he was explaining the different ways buckwheat was utilized in this dessert. The spongy bits of buckwheat cake looked and tasted like cardboard. The strange fruit leather was odd and out of place. The ice cream and morsel of panna cotta-​ish looking thing were the only redeeming pieces on the plate. None of the components came together and didn’t look like they even wanted to be on the same plate.
Good effort trying to be creative.
The bill came with complimentary marshmallows, which were terribly disgusting. I stood up to leave, so I just tossed an entire marshmallow in my mouth. Big mistake. It was like eating a congealing eraser.
Strange desserts aside, I still stand by the smoked fettuccine and chicken liver mousse. It’s been a while, but I still crave them every so often. I would love to come back and try other delicious pastas. I couldn’t help glancing around at other people’s pasta dishes as the savory aromas wafted up to my face. I may or may not try a safer dessert option.

Dined at SPQR on a busy weekday night.
Five Stars: Food
–Japanese Wagyu — delicious and worth the $$
–Buffalo with burrata
–Angel hair pasta with Truffle oil and Fontina cheese *special*
Three Stars: Space
I was hoping for a little more intimate setting. They pack people into this restaurant so do not be surprised if you can hear the entire conversation of the loud people sitting next to you.
Four Stars: Service
Staff is incredibly friendly and will help assist you with any and all questions. Very knowledgeable.
One stars: Getting sick
I don’t know if it was an incorrectly cooked meal or something had gone bad but both my boyfriend and I ended up with upset stomachs. All of the food was delicious and didn’t taste wrong but unfortunately that was the result.

AAAAAmazing! food was spot on, service was attentive, ambiance was not stuffy despite the 1 star Michelin designation.
Booked about 1 month in advance for a Sunday night reservation, via OpenTable.
Highlights:
— chicken liver mousse
— burrata with green goddess and olive oil
— kabocha squash ravioli with brown sugar, dates, almonds
— smoked fettuccini with uni and quail egg — (very rich– would recommend sharing this one)
— maple panna cotta with poached apple
Free meter parking on fillmore st on a Sunday night — was convenient.
The only critiques were that the seating was snug (elbow to elbow) and wine pours were small. i’d consider bringing my own bottle next time.
Overall, we loved our dining experience here and will definitely be back!

What a great experience at such a cute, intimate restaurant in the Fillmore. I took my bf here for his birthday dinner and our stomachs couldn’t thank us enough. I had made a reservation about a month in advance and had requested to sit at the Chef’s Counter. If you are interested in how your meal is being prepared, I definitely recommend this — it was such a fascinating experience to see how upscale kitchens work. I think sitting at the Chef’s Counter made our experience at SPQR!
When we got there, our waitress informed us of the specials, and to our surprise, they had several white truffle options available for the night! When she said the prices of them, our mouths dropped — $ 70 for each! At first, we didn’t even consider them, but we were celebrating an occasion and when would we ever get the chance to try something like this again?! In the end, we decided to go for it and order the white truffle risotto. In addition, we also ordered a summer squash and burrata appetizer and their version of an adult mac n cheese with a mushroom ragu (don’t remember the exact names of the dishes).
Everything was simply amazing! The appetizer was nice and light. It came served with a pumpkin seed pesto sauce which was delicious! The combination of all the ingredients was a party in your mouth and it was one of the most unique dishes I’ve ever tried. The mac n cheese was very good, but a little too heavy at some points. There were many different types of cheeses sprinkled and mixed in so if there was one dish to skip, I’d say this one. Don’t get me wrong, it was also very amazing, but my least favorite out of the 3 we got.
Finally, the white truffle risotto! I can’t say enough about how good this dish was! I would eat this everyday if I could and believe me, I wish I could! So much yum, I will probably be dreaming about this dish for a while!
We ended with dessert even though we were so full already. We tried the maple budino and it was also amazing! We finished the entire thing despite being extremely stuffed. Probably one of the best budino’s i’ve ever had. I would highly recommend this to finish off your meal!
I loved basically everything about SPQR! The ambiance, the staff, the food! It is very clear in my mind why this restaurant got a Michelin star. Go here for a special occasion or just for fun, but make sure to make a reservation ahead of time!
Side note:
There aren’t a ton of vegetarian options on the menu, but there are enough for 2 people to have a couple of options to decide between! Why do you need more than that anyways?

unimpressive and overpriced. We came for the lunch special, but there was blood in the pasta and due to religious reasons we couldn’t order it. They were unwilling to change the sauce for us. Which was understandable. The dissapointing part was the food. Abalone pasta –eh. didn’t really work, it was like throwing in an expensive seafood ingredient just to name it abalone pasta. Meyer lemon pasta? don’t think it worked. dessert? average. all in all, average food at too high of a price point.

Jesus what happened to this place?!
I used to LOVE this place and wanted to keep it as a secret by not reviewing it so it’s not so darn hard to get a reservation. But wow it has gone down hills so much…
Let’s talk about food first, and then we would talk about others.
Octopus appetizer was the best dish of the meal, flavorful, exciting textures, great pesto, overall a great fish. Love the fried kale.
Duck breast and liver mousse was good, but the balance was off, needed more chucks of that fried squares (tasted like soft tofu, which was very good) to go with the mousse. The breast was dry, tiny, not very flavorful nor tender.
Sea Urchin fettuccine was always my favorite dish all along, but it was off last night. Too salty, not in a good way, and sauce had too much starchy agent or something, the consistency and the texture was strange.
The risotto with king crab was the worst and the most expensive dish of the night. $ 35 for 3 small pieces of crab. I was hoping the risotto would be oceany savory and succulent, but it was just extremely bland, and wasn’t cohesive with the crab flavor. It felt like a bowl of congee decorated with a 3 pieces of crab meat, and romanesco.
The dessert was as bad as the risotto. The chocolate crepelle dessert was of Cheesecake Factory size, with flavorless chestnut icecream, random tasteless sponge cake, ultra sweet chocolate sauce and caramel that tastes like coming out from a Hershey’s bottle, and then some coffee dusting.
I remember it when their food was so good, full of flavored textures and creativity that I could never put together myself. Now it’s Unperfected basic, large portion in support of $ 25 – 35 per dish of pasta, service that kept rushing us while the place was half empty.
The price tag here is crazy that it’s really not worthy anymore. We got some wine that I’ve had at A16 before, and wow it’s expensive here!
The other thing that’ll definitely stop me from coming here in the future is the reservation system. You can rarely get a reservation on opentable, you need to call and ask, AND put your credit card down for $ 50 per person if no show of change of mind.

After writing my 1 star review and my boyfriend leaving a message with the general manager, we finally received a response about 2 weeks later. The manager was generally apologetic and explained the reason why she waited so long to respond was because she wanted to ensure no other customers called to complain of the same thing. Though she didn’t openly admit to anything at SPQR being capable of causing our food poisoning, she was gracious enough to offer us a comparable meal so that we could redo my birthday dinner.
I now understand why everyone constantly raves about this restaurant. Everything we ordered this time (literally everything) was much better than our first meal.
— Chicken liver mousse — delicious and a great combo of sweet and savory
— Mushroom fusilli — I love mushrooms, so I loved this dish. Definitely a unique pasta
— Smoked fettuccini — though the mushroom pasta was tasty, this one was phenomenal. The combo of all the flavors (uni, quail egg) is a foodie’s dream come true.
— Duo of lamb — Perfectly cooked lamb served two ways — if you’re looking to skip pasta for one of your courses I strongly recommend this dish.
All in all, this was an excellent example of exemplary customer service and delicious food. The fact that SPQR was willing to redo our meal shows that they actually care about their customers and their reputation. I would genuinely recommend this restaurant to anyone for a date night, people visiting, etc.

So we just headed back from a ski trip craving for delicious hearty food. Pasta sounds perfect!
I was pretty illiterate about how to deal with primi secondi… and ordered a whole set of pasta tasting for primi and white truffle for secondi. Considering my normal portion, this is a little too much BUT how wonderful it is to experience different pastas paired with fruitti di mare, cheese and Italian sausages… The white truffle dish is so simple yet so memorable, highly recommend!
Complimentary biscuits are served with butter, housemade jam out of apple and wine (recipe please haha). And finally too hard to leave an Italian restaurant without tiramisu ;)
For good food, I always forget counting calories and it’s more than satisfying.

Fantastic food — there’s s reason why SPQR is a Michelin-​starred restaurant. If you come here, you must (MUST!) try the pasta. I had the Smoked Fettuccine tonight and honestly it’s one of the best pasta I’ve ever had in my life.
The chef should win the James Beard Award for 2015 — well done!

I’ve been wanting to try this place because of their uni fettuccini. I didn’t like how close I was to the parties next to me because there was no privacy. My table was literally two inches away from another table. The customer service is standard for this type of restaurant. I enjoyed the food and especially the textures for most of the dishes. The food was good, but not outstanding from my point of view. I had the wagyu beef short rib appetizer, uni fettuccini and chestnut dessert while my friend had the sole fish and meatball appetizer. One thing worth mentioning is the smoothness of the gelato and the creaminess of the sole fish sauce. Food is good, worth a try and make sure to make a reservation. This place is tiny, so be careful when you’ve to get up to sue the restroom.

This place is awesome! Since I don’t see my boyfriend very often, I demanded – I mean, kindly requested, a date night for the moment I stepped off the plane (hehe). Luckily, he picks good places (because last time I picked one in SF, it was kind of disastrous).
Food:
1) chicken liver mousse appetizer: interesting texture, amazing bread. Neither of us were ones to pile on the liver onto our bread so we quickly ran out of bread. Service was on point – waitress immediately asked if we wanted more and brought us some warm bread to finish up the liver. And olive oil, in case we had leftover bread, which was a nice move.
2) farro strozzapretti: cooked al dente with a very good sauce
3) spinach francobolli: probably my favorite dish. Amazing little spinach filled raviolis. I was so sad when we finished this.
4) complimentary chocolate marshmallows: light and airy. My boyfriend jokes that he’s allergic to sugar, but after tricking him into eating one, even he thought it was not too sweet.
We also shared a glass of wine, which I enjoyed. Service, as hinted above, was amazing. We came a little late past our reservation due to the rain but they were very accommodating. I didn’t quite like where we were initially sat (the left half of my face being near other patron’s behinds as they were sitting at the chef’s table) and they graciously reseated us. Even though the tables were pretty close together, I felt like it was still an intimate environment. Would come again.

I am sorry to say that after having such a great lunch here a year ago, our dinner last night was a disappointment.
We were sat in the teeniest two top next to the draft door and nearly impossible to get up and go to the bathroom. We decided to order three pastas and requested they be brought one at a time. The smoked fettuccine ran out right when we ordered it and we were directed to try the surgeon cavier pasta. It came out with no share plates and needed salt. By the time we go both of these, the pasta was cold and the worst part about it was that the dish cost $ 60.
The rest of the meal was similar and ended up costing $ 200 and neither of us were drinking.
For a michelin starred restaurant, I expected/​hoped for more.

I came here with my boyfriend for dinner on a Sunday night. I had actually made reservations for 6:30pm the weekend before, and was surprised there were so many open reservations. Maybe it’s because it was Sunday. I forgot to mention that I wanted to be seated at the chef’s counter, and they quickly responded over email to accommodate. They called to confirm on Friday and an additional friend wanted to come, and they were able to accommodate the extra person as well, even though they didn’t end up coming.
Sitting at the chef’s counter was great, and it really helps when you’re deciding what dish to get! The menu can be quite lengthy with antipasti (appetizers), primi (pasta) and secondi (meat/​fish).
Antipasti: so. good.
Chicken liver mousse, persimmon marmellata and balsamic gelatina: amazing. I don’t laud many things… but wow it was perfectly buttery, not too salty, and the bread that comes with it is also delicious. The persimmon gave it a slight sweetness that was the cherry on top. Sadly I did not taste the balsamic gelatina… it could have added something.
Broccoli and hen of the wood mushroom, aged gouda «budino di pane» and la quercia acorn ham: The whole dish was very impressive and all the ingredients went well together.
Primi: so. so.
Meyer lemon linguini, abalone «alfredo», american bottarga and garlic chip: pretty good but not amazing, the abalone sadly got lost and could have been mistaken as clams or some other seafood.
Mustard cappellini, guinea hen ragu, savoy cabbage and mimolette cheese: better than the previously dish, but also not amazing. The mimolette cheese was tasty though, and the mustard went well with the dish.
Dessert: only okay. especially for the price. We got a seasonal dessert, toasted panettone with gelato. It was good, but maybe not worth $ 15…
We ended up spending $ 140 including tax and tip, so $ 70/​person for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert.
TLDR: Great antipasti — chicken liver mousse most definitely! Sit at the chef’s counter.

What an incredible dining experience! We came as a group of 4 for my birthday the meal was fantastic from start to finish. We had a very personable and knowledgable server, whose suggestions were incredibly helpful. The menu is a bit overwhelming at first glance, so I’m very happy that we asked our server for recommendations. We ended up ordering dishes that we probably wouldn’t have (mostly because some of the food terms were foreign to us), and we were so glad that we did!
We ordered four starters for the table and were able to share everything as the portions were very reasonable. The brassica and grains dish was probably my favorite starter (the green goddess and burrata flavors were incredible), followed by the kombucha squash dish with smoked burrata. We also ordered the broccoli and hen of the woods mushroom dish which was surprisingly delicious (not a big gouda fan), as well as the red trout and roe (which even our anti-​fish friend enjoyed!).
We each ordered a different pasta dish, which allowed us to have a few bites of everyone’s meal. I ordered the whole wheat lumache, which I thought was the best pasta dish out of the four. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the shaved brussels sprouts /​beef cheek sugo was SO tasty. My brother ordered the farro strozzapretti, which I thought was the second best. I loved the texture of the farro pasta. His girlfriend ordered the seasonal squash tortelloni with sage and brown butter sauce which was delicious but incredibly rich for my taste. My husband ordered a lemony spaghetti dish which I enjoyed but was not as memorable as the others (as you can tell by my lack of description).
Their wine list is mostly (if not completely) Italian and was extremely diverse. Our server recommended a fantastic bottle of Barolo that we all really enjoyed.
For dessert we ordered glasses of dessert wine (recommended by our server) as well as a molten chocolate cake accompanied with coffee gelato. The dessert came with a candle which was a great touch!
All in all we had a very memorable evening at SPQR (worth every penny) and I can’t wait to return!

Is it bad to say that sometimes I like eating by myself at these nice places?
I have some great friends, but none of my close friends that I like eating with were available so I had to risk it and hope that the dishes that I was choosing would be amazing (and they were).
Food:
Chicken Liver Mousse: This is a highly recommended dish (both by the staff and the couple sitting next to me who seemed like they had been there quite a few times). Mine came with 6 large pieces of challah and this awesome strawberry jam. I didn’t know how much I was going to love the strawberry with chicken liver, but I loved it. Definitely recommend.
Smoked Fettuccine — Mine was with sea urchin (uni), pancetta, and a quail egg. It was actually really cool to see them made it in front of me and plate it, but it was amazing. The other time I’ve had uni pasta, it was way too salty, but this one was not and still great! The bit of pancetta added a great salty component, but it was so good!
Coconut Bombolini — The waiter highly suggested this donut, with donut holes, with whipped cream, gelato, and passion fruit curd. The donuts were good, but the best part was the passion fruit.
Protip: Chef’s counter!

1 star Michelin, but is it Michelin worthy? The menu lists divine and delectable descriptions of beautifully, hand crafted dishes; however the taste is just as important as presentation.
Celebrated a birthday here on a Friday evening. The family and I were originally given a reservation at the chef’s counter, but they made note of our request at a table — they luckily were able to fulfill that request.
Antipasti: We began with the buffalo meatball and chicken liver mousse + fig. The liver was to die for, but the cabbage wrapped meatball was a bit dry, and the burrata in the middle was just sub par.
primi: Squid ink mezze maniche with gulf shrimp and a farro strozzapretti with pork cheek. Both pastas were cooked to perfect al dente, but flavored with too much salt.
Secondi: quail sausage over a bed of cabbage. The quail meat melted in your mouth, however this too was incredibly salty and lacked intricate flavor.
Dolci: coffee chocolate wafers with liquid crème cake and dark chocolate gelato, with a chocolate fondue poured over. this, was fantastic. One of the best desserts I’ve ever had
So Michelin worthy? Well you could argue for the artisanal work behind crafting each dish, as well as the skill required to create these plates. However, beside the laundry list of ingredients on the menu, the final execution is mediocre.

Incredibly disappointed. I flew all the way out here from NYC to try the uni pasta (fettuccine with sea urchin), and it was not on the menu. It was available only a few days ago!
No matter. I figured everything would be divine so I ordered my go-​to dish at all restaurants — the octopus.
Octopus with kale sprouts: the fried kale was the best thing on that plate. The panissa (fried chickpea dough) was also tasty. But the octopus was inedible!!! Quite possibly the worst I ever had. It was rubbery, and there was a slimy membrane that got stuck in my teeth. Sitting at the Chef’s counter, I noticed some plates received 2 tentacles, whereas I only had one. This would have irked me if the octopus was actually prepared properly.
Whole wheat lumache with beef cheek and brussel sprouts: the pasta shells were cooked perfectly but the flavor didn’t impress. The beef cheek was chopped into teeny tiny cubes. The sprouts weren’t caramelized.
Honestly this restaurant does not rival NYC’s finest (Marea, Maialino, etc). Maybe I didn’t order the right things, maybe the chefs had an off day. But I don’t think there should be any excuses for a Michelin star restaurant.
On a positive note, it was great fun to sit at the Chef’s counter, and I didn’t have to wait after walking in at 6pm.

I highly recommend the pumpkin polenta with berkshire pork and the petrale sole with brown butter. Flavors and presentation were exceptional.
For dessert, I recommend the panna cotta — elegant and delightful. The suggested pairing was a sweet dessert wine, but dessert wines tend to be too sweet for my liking. I thus got the moscato with a touch of frizzante, which worked out quite nice.
Overall nice ambiance, pleasant staff, excellent food.

Been here a handful of times (including before they received their Michelin star years ago) and it’s has always been a pleasure.
Food/​Drinks– delicious. One of my favorite antipasti that I get every time is their chicken liver mouse that comes with garlic toast and strawberry jam… So smooth, with the perfect level of richness… Hmm delicious. Pastas are delightful and cooked perfectly; there is often something new on the menu so you’ll be able to try new things. This time we had the radiatore which was cooked with arugula pesto, bay shrimps, in a shellfish brodo– omg the taste of the ocean! We also had the bludnudien with Tuscan blood sausage ragu– yummy. If I have to pick a weakness, it would be their desserts that are good, just not amazzzing. Like their wine list selection. French press coffee is on the tart side, but even a small gives you two large cups.
Ambiance/​Décor– cozy and dimly lit. Regular seating and a couple small tables for outdoor seating available. Nice counter/​bar seating inside that you can chat with staff (if you like that).
Staff/​Service– great! Orders always taken correctly and waitstaff is good at suggesting wines that you’ll like. We used a spoon to cover some food that we couldn’t finish, thinking staff wouldn’t see it and take the plate away, but our waitress saw the food underneath and so she didn’t take it away! Darn, so attentive!
One of those restaurants in SF with consistently delicious food. A reliable choice if you’re looking for a great meal. Nice place for any date or celebration, too. ;)

I arrived a little after 6 pm and scored seats for two at the chef’s counter. I’ve been outta of the scene so to speak, so I had no idea that SPQR had a Michelin star. I’ll start off by saying that we definitely had Michelin quality service. I just wish I could say the same about the food. Maybe we ordered the wrong things. .. and that may be because I couldn’t understand lots of the menu. Maybe I’m not fancy enough haha
To start, we shared the chicken liver mousse topped with some rhubarb jam. Tasty. I’ll always happy with some fatty meat spread, so I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but it wasn’t really what I expected. I expected the mousse to be more like pâté, but the texture was more like nutella.
We also share the asparagus, «separated egg,» wagyu, marrow, with truffle vinaigrette starter. I know I’m at a fancy restaurant, so I shouldn’t balk at $ 25, but I balk at the $ 25 for a fried egg with asparagus shaving, even if it looked pretty and had a few slices of wagyu with truffle oil drizzled on the side. Regardless, it was tasty, just not quite worth the price tag.
The entrees were the real disappointment. My dining partner ordered the buckwheat tagliatelle with bacon braised pork. I had a couple of bites. It was dry; and even though the bits of pork were flavorful, it wasn’t enough to make the dish remotely enjoyable.
I ordered one of the night’s specials: duck lasagna. It was not what I expected. It was dry, almost sauceless, except for the dash along the side to make it pretty. Instead of cutting a square from a lasagna pan, they cut two thin slices and plated them on their sides, so I didn’t get the sheets of pasta I expected from a lasagna.
~$ 70/​person (including tip) isn’t bad for a Michelin star restaurant. I just wish the entrees had lived up to the hype.

There are certain things if I see on a menu, I will almost always order them, and duck meat with risotto is one of those things.
I could go on about SPQR, but I will focus on some highlights:
— Sea urchin fettuccine with smoked bacon and quail egg is the most delicious offender. Creamy, rich, and savory.
— Pekin duck with risotto and fried garlic is moist, tender, and delightfully balanced in flavor.
— Pork belly with crispy pig ears and lightly sprinkle pomegranate. A great starter.
— Caramelized pineapple cake with vanilla and caramel gelato is enjoyable delicious.
The folks at SPQR are so dedicated and hardworking. Did you get to see how small and congested the kitchen look? It is amazing how they can fit at least 5 chefs in such a small space.
I’m truly impressed. I hope you give this worthy place a try. Cheers!
The simple things in life.