About 25-26 years ago, I was in Tosca late one night when I ran into Keanu Reeves. We talked at the back of the bar for about an hour over a couple of beers. He is, or was, as cool in real life as he appears to be. See, that's the thing: Tosca used to be one of those places in San Francisco, where you just might run into someone who's had more than 15 minutes of fame. So, one week ago, here with a good friend with whom I dine frequently. No reservation, but we were seated right away on a busy night. I had seen the Chronicle's new critic unkind review of Tosca earlier that day and needed to see for myself. The menu was complete but not overwhelming. My chicory salad was well presented but a bit pricey. My companion enjoyed the burrata salad. My kale pesto pappardelle was excellent but, again, not priced to sell. I realize that there are several factors that go into pricing restaurant dishes (e.g., ingredients, labor, etc.), but this dish just felt $5 too high. Wines by the glass were in the $13-$22 range and there was some variety. I enjoyed the Sangiovese. The after dinner drinks were served as requested and dessert (of which I did not partake) looked damned good. Service was outstanding. Service sealed the desire to return. - workingman's gourmand

An excellent Italian restaurant if you're in North Beach. This dim lit restaurant is perfect for a date or if you want to just grab a drink you can definitely sit bar side. I came in with my friend & we got seated right away..which I love. The menu is slightly on the shorter side, so it didn't take long for me to order my drinks & food. I started with a glass of wine & The Burrata Salad. I can honestly say that salad was so delicious! Mm! Next, for dinner I had the Short Rib pasta and good lord...that pasta was so freaking good!! I'll definitely go back just for that pasta! I was kinda skeptical at first but I'm happy I got it! Then for dessert I just got the Panna Cotta which was a excellent dessert choice! Overall I would rate this restaurant a 8/10..and the Short Rib Pasta a 10/10!!

Tosca will always be a place we keep returning to again and again. We had family in town visiting and this place is perfect for guests or just a date night. The ambiance is always lively with a retro vibe and mood lighting and the food and service are always great. I tend to always order the same dish time after time because let's be honest, I crave the Short Rib Rigatoni. This time my pasta wasn't as great as it has been in the past and the fried chicken that the others ordered was considerably smaller in size, as well. The cocktail menu is always amazing! Perhaps the recent woes of the restaurant that were aired in the newspaper have to do with a little glitch in food quality but I'm sure they'll be recovered asap.

Grumblings from my stomach, needing food that isn't a French fry while drinking at my work holiday party. Having to impress my boss's boss while he's visiting town. What could go wrong? Fortunately we were able to get two separate tables at Tosca while roaming around the FiDi after our holiday party happy hour. I ordered a dirty martini per usual and loved their Sicilian olives in my glass. We ordered a few starters and the star was the focaccia with a small side of burrata. The focaccia was thick, warm and felt almost dense, and I absolutely loved it. The meatballs were delicious and the fried eggplant was just okay (a bit too salty). I loved their cheesy cacio e pepe shells the most, the gnocchi was a close second and the hearty bolognese wasn't bad but nothing to write home about (I could never get past the taste of fresh pees). Overall, the pastas were all very al dente upon arriving and eventually softened a bit more which wasn't bad either. I loved the small personal raised rim plate with the tiny Tosca logo in the center that they gave us so that we could have our pastas family style. I finished my meal with an ice cold Peroni and wished I had left room for dessert. The dimly lit incandescent atmosphere was buzzing with charm amongst the guests, and overall I thought it was palatable joy.

Homey, Cozy & delicious --- this little Italian quarter gives of New York vibes with its interior brick design and mood lighting. The food ain't bad either (see: food is amazing!) and the drinks high quality. (Great Negroni!!!) My GF and I sat at the bar for dinner, however there's ample seating on the floor to hit on those more cozy vibes. Enjoy

Tosca the Italian opera may be of a tragic story of passion and jealousy, but Tosca Café, venerable Italian restaurant located along Columbus Avenue in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood is a story of revival and renewal as it has returned to its glory as one of the city's prime destinations for fresh pasta and other Italian inspired dishes. Tosca Café may have been around for over one hundred years, since 1919 to be exact, but Tosca Café was unable to celebrate its first century in style due to drama going on behind the scenes and real-life world events, but the good news is that it is back and perhaps better than ever thanks to an updated dining room and refreshed menu from a new ownership trio of Nancy Oakes of Boulevard, Anna Weinberg of Marlowe and designer Ken Fulk. I have been wanting to come and try the new menu and experience the ambience of the new and improved Tosca Café since they reopened to indoor dining in mid-2021. Reservations for a recent early Friday evening dinner were easy to make via the Tock website, with a simple thorough walk up Columbus Avenue from the Embarcadero Bart station and we were immediately sat in their refreshed deco dining room, which wasn't too busy by the time we arrived but was packed by the time we left. The menu is now streamlined to that of ala carte at Tosca Café and changes seasonally and with sections highlighting their Raw Bar & Caviar, Antipasti, House-Made Focaccia, Pasta, Entrées, Served for Two, Sides and Dessert. After reviewing their menu, my dining partner and I decided that their Pasta dishes were the way to go for a starting meal, and their dish entitled "Spaghetti" and Meatballs that was topped with spicy tomato sauce, basil and parmesan was our best option as it was a combined meal from their Pasta and Antipasti sections of their menu. For our entrées, I decided to order Nancy's Tuscan Fried Chicken served with a side of crispy potatoes, while my dining mate ordered their Pan Roasted Swordfish which was served with cannellini beans, artichoke, crispy pork belly, and salsa verde. For a side, we opted to order their Parmesan Polenta because we were both previously in love with Tosca Cafe's polenta cake and hoped they would be presented in a similar vein. For our beverages, we both ordered from their cocktail menu, I opted for their That's Amore which was a combination of gin, blackberry, lavender, lime and sparkling wine, while my friend ordered their House Cappuccino which was a combination of bourbon, cognac, chocolate and steamed milk. As we sipped on our delightful cocktails, which were presented with such panache that we couldn't expect anything less from the bar staff at Tosca Café, our Spaghetti and Meatballs came out as we requested from our server Ana, and it was in a word perfection as it was the perfect combination of freshly made noodles with multiple hearty meatballs topped with plenty of marinara and basil. Our entrées were presented soon thereafter and they were both adequate dishes, as my Fried Chicken were multiple varieties from drumsticks to thigh pieces of nicely deep fried chicken topped with sprigs of thyme with a side of small potatoes that were seasoned and salty in every way possible. My friend's swordfish was a little heavy on the gravy, and wasn't as buttery as she hoped for, plus she was hoping for their autumnal fish dish that was previously on their menu and was slightly disappointed when it was changed out for swordfish. Luckily she wisely ordered a glass of chianti to wash down her dinner entrée. Perhaps we were both disappointed by their creamy parmesan polenta side dish as it was a basic dish that was acceptable but not a standout as we scooped up dollops of the creaminess we were still reminiscing about the polenta cakes that was previously on their menu years ago. For dessert, their menu isn't very expansive, so we opted to order their Olive Oil Cake, which was served with a cherry and berry compote and topped with dollops of whipped cream, and their Chocolate Budino which was topped with salted caramel and a pistachio crumble. Both were wonderful ways to end our meal but that Budino was so rich with flavor that I could literally eat a whole bowl of that on my own. Being open for business for over a century, Tosca Café has managed to survive earthquakes, pandemics and gentrification and I am so glad they have managed to reopen for dinner. Certain things have changed for the better like the refreshed but still similar interior and outdoor patio dining on Columbus Avenue that reminds diners of European al fresco dining, some things on their could use a little more refinement as we could have used more options on both their entrée and dessert section of their menus to select our meal from, but what cannot be denied is that their pastas still remain some of the best I have had. There is a passion with the rebirth of Tosca Café, and may they rule the North Beach dining scene for another hundred years!

Tosca Cafe is a North Beach classic that is worth the hype! Starting off we had the arancini and the focaccia. 100% get the focaccia - it was so light with a subtle crunch to it. You can tell it was made fresh. My friend got the braised short rib rigatoni and I ordered the truffle gnocchi. I'm not always the biggest truffle fan but this dish changed my opinion. The waitress recommended it without hesitation when I asked what her favorite dish was so I knew I had to try it. It was the highlight of the meal and when I go back I'll be ordering it again!

This place is incredibly classy, low lit and has a great selection of wines (they have a Nebbiolo by the glass which is wonderful!) The truffle gnocchi with mushrooms are absolutely delicious. Wonderful sauce and so flavorful. The seared salmon with extra crispy skin comes with some fresh arugula which paired really nicely together. Cooked to perfection. The burrata salad was also a nice dish--arugula and burrata. Simple, fresh and delicious. Overall a great experience and will be back to try a pasta dish next time!

We had to check out this SF institution in North Beach. Parking: Good luck! Service: Great Ambience: Cozy spot that transports back in time Here is what we ordered: - Meatballs: Juicy, tasty and great to sop up with bread - Pasta with meat sauce: al dente and the ingredients melded together perfectly - Fried chicken: crunchy and tasty but I prefer a lighter batter This place is worth checking out when you're in North Beach. They have a cool bar with lots of cocktails and would be a fun location to people watch.

I finally paid a visit to the legendary, Tosca Cafe (apparently where Beyonce and Jay Z dined two nights in a row during a trip to SF)! We were seated in the secondary dining room, which was nothing but trendy, private, and well decorated. Our dinner consisted of: cocktails (Tosca Negroni & That's Amore), the House-made Focaccia (with ricotta), Buratta salad, Truffle Gnocchi, Seared Black Cod, and Olive Oil cake. My favorites were the focaccia (definitely don't miss this) and the Truffle Gnocchi! I wasn't a fan of the cod as it tasted too fishy for my liking. Apart from the delicious meal, one of the best parts of the night was the playlist -- a blend of old & new memorable tunes. It would have been nice if they had done something a little more special for us, given we were celebrating our anniversary (we got a candle with our dessert). I'd certainly visit Tosca Cafe again, and recommend it to those looking for Italian fare in a swanky environment!