Florio Bar & Cafe

Florio is a grounded, Italian-leaning San Francisco bistro that sticks to fundamentals done well. The Steak au Poivre was our anchor dish and comes with a brandy peppercorn sauce that delivers on pepper and depth not cream. The olive oil cake was excellent and closed out the meal without any heaviness. The room is warm, service is steady. Reliable, classic, and worth returning.

Nice atmosphere and attentive server, somewhat surly host. Had wanted to stop in for months. Chicken Milanese special was decent not great somewhat dry breaded and reasonable in size and quantity but average in taste quality. The killer was the Romain salad, which was probably 2 ounces of Romain lettuce with some cheese, sprinkled on top and three croutons for $16. That felt like we were being taken to the bank. Wines by the glass were of decent quality, and we own a wine bar so we’re very much aware but small in size probably around 4 ounces a pour though there were at least a few selections to choose from by the Glass, which was a nice plus.

My friend and I felt immediately comfortable in Florio Bar & Cafe. This welcoming restaurant is nicely appointed. The Brussel Sprouts were exceptional. The Fresh Roasted Eggplant and Goat Cheese Ravioli boasted complex flavors that scintillated the palate. The service and presentation of each dish was perfect. Oh, and the dessert we shared, an Olive Oil cake, (not pictured) was delicious. I look forward to returning to this restaurant. Update from recent visit on a Saturday night: The food and service is still top notch, but wow, the restaurant ambient noise sure is loud on a Saturday night!

5 stars for everything. We booked a reservation online for a group of 7 night before Saturday dinner. We were pleasantly surprised to be seated in a private dining area, which made the dinner special. The food tasted like it was made with care. The service was wonderful too.

Excellent food, attentive service and great atmosphere, can’t wait to go back!

Everything was pretty good. Particularly the arancini appetizer and the Fillmore East cocktail. Service was fantastic and a nice date vibe. Only slight gripe is entree price was a bit high for quality and portion size, but overall very good.

There are several restaurants in SF that make “simple” dishes extremely well. Florio is one of them. Both trout and steak frittes were excellent. The atmosphere is not as warm as I like it.

Nice, relaxed friendly restaurant with beautiful bar. Excellent food (some of the best Moules I've eaten) and absolutely outstanding service. Good drink selection (although maybe could use some more beer options) - extensive wine list and very good cocktails.

I came here for a pre-concert meal at The Fillmore. What a warm cozy place for a chilly night. I have to say, sitting here is so comfortable and relaxing, I'm less focused on whatever they bring me to eat. They could serve me a dish of spaghetti o's and I'd be thinking of the wine pairing, ha, ha... I had a caesar salad w/anchovies and the mussels. Both were not the best I've ever had, but I've thoughtfully enjoyed my visit! The service was extremely attentive. I feel compelled to add this disclaimer to all my ongoing reviews - I'm eating low carb. This often involves not selecting the tastiest things on a menu.

Great intimate dining spot. Nice bar when you enter with just the right amount of seating. Each time I have been here the food and service has been wonderful. I love the cozy dim lit vibes inside. Very clean restrooms also. They make a great martini! They also have daily specials. I usually go for a yummy pasta, the lasagna is yummy. Really fair pricing. Great spot for date, friend or solo dinner.

A friend of mine from out of town and I just stumbled in for what we thought was going to be a quick drink, but we ended up staying for dinner. The drinks were superb. The food is awesome. What made our experience fantastic was the professionalism and superlative service by Peter behind the bar. Warm, funny, attentive, and an amazing mixmaster. I definitely will be a return patron!

Ambience and service was great. Food was on salty side though and my pasta plate was small on portion.

Located in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, Florio is a charming French Italian restaurant with intimate, romantic atmosphere that's great for dinner date. I tried the special dinner dish that was offered that evening which was handcrafted bucatini with salted cod and it was delicious. Florio also offers modern cocktail drinks. Our server was very patient and accommodating and flexible to our request to slightly modify the classic Manhattan drink and the portion of the pasta. Overall, Florio is a fantastic choice for a romantic date night or a casual dinner with friends. With its diverse menu, impeccable service & warm yet inviting atmosphere, Florio is a must try restaurant in San Francisco.

Loved the papardelle pasta and the watermelon salad was pretty tasty too! This place is perfect for a weeknight dinner and the service was great!

I came here for a birthday dinner and it was my first time at this place. It's located on Fillmore street so there's several retail stores, other restaurants, and coffee shops nearby. Parking can be tough in this area. The restaurant sat us in a private room in the back. It's a table for 6-7. There was a heavy dark red curtain that enclosed the room. Our waiter was wonderful. I ended up ordering the Eggplant Parmesan. Unfortunately, I thought it was ok. I've had better elsewhere. The eggplant was cooked a little too much. I had trouble cutting it into little pieces because the skin was a little tough and the eggplant was drier than I would've liked; however, It was tasty still and I finished it. I thought it was a little pricey but everything is these days. I would come back again and maybe try the halibut or the spinach ravioli. Those were my other options. Some of my friends got that and they said it was delicious. I will probably order that next time I come back. It was pretty packed so if you can make a reservation, I would highly recommend that.

My service and experience was impeccable, and the food is always delicious. I look forward to many more fabulous meals at Florio in the future!

I came here with my partner for our anniversary. The food was delicious and they had a great wine selection. The ambience was lovely, and they had great service.

Very delicious food with limited outdoor seating, ample indoor seating. The osso buco was delicious as was the chicken. The pasta is freshly made and very tender and delicious. The stuffed squash blossoms were so tasty I didn't manage to get a picture before we ate them!

I cannot I haven't been here since Covid. What a mistake. Tonight was an experience that made me remember that I really want to eat out more often. So grab a friend and go. The bouillabaisse is by far the best in the city, the crab & corn raviolis rocked. The duck confit wars perfectly cooked and accented with sweet fruit and base farro. Cocktails were awesome. And our server, Jerry, who OMG has been there forever was so charming. Will return. So should you!

I don't understand why the reviews are so low. We had an amazing time there. Great spot, the food was very good, the service was fast and friendly. The barman John is beyond friendly. You should definitely try it out. I had steak frites and the chocolate desert. Home made. Super good

Excellent meal! We had 3 starters: a special of melon and prosciutto (3/5), Stuffed Squash Blossoms (4/5) and Arancini di Salsiccia (5/5 - amazing!). I ordered the Tonnarelli Con Gamberi E Pomodorini. It was great (5/5). Tomato sauce tasted super fresh and shrimp was cooked perfectly. I also got to try the Homemade Pappardelle Alla Bolognese Bianco (5/5) which was incredible. Our waiter was super nice and attentive - really great service! Would recommend :)

One word: Horrible. Ambiance? What ambiance. They got an old snobby host who looks like he hates his life. Overall: 0/5 stars :)

Our waiter was super kind and accommodating. There was no crowd or line which is always nice. Definitely an underrated place. Had an amazing pasta dish with squidink spaghetti and shrimp.

Very cool small bar and restaurant. Busy but not too busy. Eclectic menu. I had the asparagus "salad" and lasagna. Basically the asparagus was a vegetable sidedish. Crunchy...salad-like. But great flavor. I added a side of balsamic. Lasagna was so "gourmet". Small. Great presentation. Tasted yummy tho. 5 layers of homemade pasta, but meaty. It's not very cheesy. Ricotta and parm was a light layer on top. Being from NY, I was craving a big cheesy piece of 'zag! Not happening. Apple crisp for dessert with Gelato. Apple sauce with stale oatmeal crumb topping. Disappointing. Salad, lasagna and dessert $53.

We stopped in for drinks at Florio and were charmed by the neighborhood friendliness. Everyone was nice and down to earth, not like the usual San Fran smugness. The menu looked wonderful, and I wished we dined here rather than the fancy place up the street where our reservation was. I wish Florio was opened for lunch, but we'll go back for apps tonight before we meet friends for dinner.

The service and the noise level were both fine. The halibut dish was extremely salty. The crème brûlée wasn't creamy under the caramelized sugar crust. Instead, it had the texture of room temp polenta squares or firm tofu! Disappointing dinner.

Great neighborhood spot for food and wine. Staff is always friendly and accommodating, never making me feel weird when I want a table when dining alone (a lot of places say oh well the bar is open...)

Classic San Francisco atmosphere with good Italian food, nice cocktails, & great service. No walk-in seating available at 6:15 on a Tuesday so we ate at the bar. John was an outstanding bartender. Personable, knowledgeable, and just like a true professional, he anticipated all our needs. He pours a great Gibson. The bar itself is beautiful polished wood with a tall well lit back bar and hooks for your coat or purse. Some of the food we ordered was fantastic. The highlights were the brocollini and the hanger steak. Would definitely recommend these both highly. Cacio y Pepe is one of my favorite pastas, and ever since eating it in Rome, I've tried to find it's equal in the states. Nearly every time I've ordered it I've been disappointed, and Florio's was no exception. The flavors of the cheese were perfectly sharp and bold, the pasta quality was very good, but it just didn't have the creamy sauce that this dish is supposed to have. That being said, I still ate every bite. :) We also met a few really friendly regulars at the bar. It feels like a great neighborhood spot for the locals. I wish it were in walking distance to my neighborhood.

Why this place gets such an average score is beyond me. Came here on a packed Saturday night and made a reservation for three at 715pm. We ordered a trio beet salad, bread, and something else I can't remember. Our mains were a crispy roasted chicken (must get for $30 bucks!), black ink pasta with shrimp, and something else my partner got. It was delicious. We also got dessert and my only note is the chocolate budino. It wasn't a true budino and we were sad about that. All and all, still a good experience. Try it and you decide.

Had dinner here last night before heading to see Los Lobos @ The Fillmore; ate at the bar. Bartender worked solo and was busy but his service was excellent. Had the Fuji apple salad with Gorgonzola and walnuts- delish and had the hanger steak with bearnaise sauce and pommes frites. I normally order steak medium but this time my SO asked for it medium well. Glad he did because it came medium rare. (Still good, just a little rare). Apple crisp dessert was sooooo good. The restaurant is small but it is lovely. Definitely recommend this neighborhood spot.

GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. The indignant bartender who thinks he's better than you sets the tone for a TERRIBLE experience. Fillmore has so many great spots that treat you well that you should skip this place. Seriously, to be talked to like I'm a teenager sitting at a bar is ridiculous. GO ANYWHERE ELSE!!!!!

Came here pretty late around 8pm for dinner and this place was still packed. There might be 3-4 tables open still. The tables were slightly cramped in the center of the room but other than that the bar and cafe had a lot of decor that was very warm and inviting. Menu was pretty extensive but as it was getting late, I didn't want something too heavy. Ended up getting brussel sprouts (not shown) to share and the radicchio & pear salad. Brussel sprouts were halved and were really crispy with a nice sprinkling of parm. The radicchio & pear salad was really light and the pears added some freshness to the dish. I also liked the light touch with the vinaigrette. Service was great and the server came to check up on us to see if we wanted anything or if we wanted to get dessert (even though the kitchen was near closing at that time). Overall impression? It's a really good, decent neighborhood bar and cafe.

This place has such a classic San Francisco vibe. But yet some modern drinks and food choices. I want to give 4.5 stars btw. The service was really fast. They got everything within the perfect amount of time. Food was great quality! Anyone visiting SF should go here for a true yummy San Francisco experience.

Real Italian food well served in this great restaurant. Great service, classic decor Sidewalk table

Everything we ordered was amazing. Starting with dessert: Finally tried the famous olive oil cake, and wow soo moist! Their crème brûlée is a must try; made extremely creamy and delicious. Appetizer's was okay. Of the 3 appetizers ordered, the Shishito peppers were by far the best. burrata plate and fried artichoke were ok. Main: Fish stew, so amazing the broth was just perfection, will def be coming back for this. Octopus, super tender and paired perfectly with olive and dabs beans. An finally my personal entree, the trout was perfectly cooked, light brine-y and delicious.

This is an ideal neighborhood restaurant... dark, cozy, good food and service from long time employees. Would be packed all the time if millennial yuppies didn't have bad taste

Absolutely outstanding ambience, meals and service! Will bring family back for sure! Ravioli and steak frites were amazing. Dessert and wine pairing were too!

Came to have dinner with two friends. We each had a cocktail and salads and one pasta dish and two of their special with filet of beef. Everything was delicious and the service experience excellent. Support small businesses in your neighborhood.

Amazing Italian Food! 5/5 Stars. The service was amazing! Directed me to my seat and took orders immediately when you decided!

The food & service was very good. I had not been in there in 15 years but was not disappointed. The only negative experience was the bartender telling us what not to talk about while seated at the bar. It made us feel uncomfortable. We were not talking loud so he was probably listening intently. In my opinion, a bartender should not interfere with conversations of patrons unless they are loud & threatening to others.

I have been enjoying Florio for years. If you enjoy a warm, cozy ambience, a good cocktail, good wine, delicious steak, Caesars salad or chicken, get to Florio and enjoy the evening. Definitely a restaurant on my list of recommendations for a date night or to take visitors.

This is also a decent place The drinks were good. The salads are good, but it just didn't look good enough to order dinner so we checked another place out.

Delicious new menu items. Tuna tartare on croutons ($$ at $16 for 4 tiny pieces, but fantastic flavors-we could have eaten 4 orders). On Feb. 15, seared dayboat scallops served on tiny red risotto cakes and a delicious sauce-perfectly prepared and the presentation was magazine cover beautiful. A delicious and imaginative dish. The Budino chocolate dessert was sinfully yummy. Recently, a perfectly prepared filet mignon ($55, but much better than the prior 4 sliced pieces of NY steak, which at one visit was delicious and at another was mostly inedible gristle). It was a high quality piece of beef). The fries were not crispy, but we forgot to ask. Service was excellent, as always. We sat at a favorite quiet corner table. Florio: please keep these dishes on your menu.

We booked Florio for our anniversary dinner and were not disappointed. Everything was perfect, from Jerry's attentive service to Korina's extras for our celebration. We had the burrata appetizer - delicious - and their risotto and Kobe steak for dinner. Topping it off with the very special olive oil cake for dessert. Wonderful! Korina's special touch; the card, the rose petals and the bottle of Santorini wine (how did she know we love Greek wines?) put this meal in our top ten! Thank you, Florio, for the special anniversary dinner!

I made a point to get our servers name, Veronica. Veronica Matthews. Her body odor was so offensive we could not enjoy our meal. They should really enforce some kind of hygiene standards. Also, this is just my read... you ever get a feeling about someone? I don't know her it's not like I've known her for 15/20 years or anything she was just my server but if I had to guess I would say that she's a really really terrible person. Like a pathological lying, steals from her friends, you know just someone who plays the victim any time they get a chance? She made my dining experience very unpleasant. Hopefully she gets a hint and I don't have to experience bad service anymore because when someone continues to provide me with inadequate service I will continue to review them poorly.

Came for a family meal last Sunday. Everything was ok....we were a party of 6 and we're not seated in the "private" alcove but a party of 4 was The food was just Ok. Everything from the seafood stew, hamburger, fries, steak frites, pasta and the roast chicken (a little too roasted) needed salt. I guess it could have been worse but it was t great. The service apart from seating was great. Friendly, efficient. It felt like dinner at a Great Aunts if that makes sense? ‍

We dined on a Thursday night before a show at the Filmore ( 2 blk away) and were truly delighted; easy to reserve an ample table for 5, delicious fresh menu, incredibly thoughtful professional service... we also had children in our party and the entire restaurant was extremely friendly and thoughtful to their needs. We will be coming back before every Filmore show :)

Neighborhood gem. Find a seat at the bar if one is available. If not, you'd better get reservations. Definitely somewhere you could eat every week with a classic old school cool ambiance.

Sit at the bar. It's lighter than the table seats Food high quality and drinks are strong.

There are a lot of other great options on Fillmore that I would recommend. It's usually easy to make a last minute reservation at Florio, which always makes it tempting, but the food, ambiance and service could all be better.

Lovely spot. My fiancé and I popped in for a drink, sat at the bar and got the Florio 75 and Birds Cage. Both great - the Birds Cage especially was a flavor I've never tasted before in a cocktail that I really liked! We munched on the warm olives app (very good and good portion size). Watching the bartender was a lot of fun too. My one suggestion would be to play some quiet music - jazz or similar vibe - otherwise the ambiance is perfect (low lighting, feels like you're in a restaurant in Europe).

Came here on a date. First issue was they sat us at a 4 top when there were plenty of 2 tops around, we asked to move and it was fine. The waiter then immediately asked us what we wanted to eat, we weren't ready. He came back 3 mins later, we still weren't ready and being on a date didn't want to be rushed. He came back about 5 mins later and before my date could even get the words "shrimp" out of his mouth, the waiter barked at him that the kitchen was closing - it was wild, I've never seen this kind of sudden aggression at a restaurant and it caused my date to clam up. I tried interjecting and explaining that he was literally just about to tell him what we wanted to eat, but it really ruined the mood. We were thinking about maybe getting a second dish but the waiter gave us no room to ask for a recommendation. Took us some time to come back from that. If your kitchen closes at 8:15, don't seat people at 8 or at least let them know the kitchen closes soon before barking at them to order. Really negative experience for an otherwise fine restaurant. The food was ok - $16 for what I think was 5 small shrimp in oil is insane though. Bread was plain. To top it all off, I was wearing a dress exposing my legs, and when we walked out of the restaurant our server was standing next to the bar and looked me dead in the eyes and then stared my body up and down. Absolutely classless and disgusting. Won't return and definitely won't recommend to friends. That guy should be fired (black facial hair and olive skin on April 11)

Went for Valentine's Day--service was awesome, delicious food (had the filet mignon-- super tender and perfect with the accompanying sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts), very cozy setting, warm and lively but quiet so you could still hold a conversation.

I stumbled into this dining situation because I wanted to go to Roam Artisan Burgers a few doors down, but the line was out the door and I was starving. Enter the intimate Florio Bar & Grill. Think mood lighting, sleeky and sexy bar, dining by candlelight. It's a small place but we were lucky to sneak in without a reservation at 6 p.m. My table shared warm olives for an appetizer and I was unoriginal and got a hamburger (see: original dining preference above) with fries, which was very good despite it being more undercooked than I preferred. The cherry chocolate tarte was the perfect end to the meal! This seems to be the kind of quaint neighborhood eatery that the locals flock to, which assures me that I made the right dining choice.

This place was sooooo good! What a find! My boyfriend and I easily got a reservation through Open Table, came in and the place is all dark wood and very cozy and dimly lit. Super romantic. We got two negronis, which were done super well, and then some wine, which was great. Great apps, we had the mussels and Caesar. The food was outstanding. He got the Kobe beef with fries, I had the roasted chicken. Both were so flavorful and perfectly cooked (chicken is a huge portion, FYI). The desserts were fab too, get the creme brûlée, it's perfect.

I really wish that this place would have been better. I have come here one time and it was very disappointing. None of the food was very great and the one item that we ordered that was somewhat good, they ran out of immediately (mind you, we got here the moment the restaurant opened on a Saturday and tried to order the same thing within 30 minutes and they were out? WHAT? How?? ). This didn't just happen once, it happened 2 times during our time there. Once with an appetizer and another time with a dessert. It just seems like a poorly run place to be running out items within the first hour of being open on a Saturday. To top all of this off, the over all atmosphere was really unwelcoming. I felt uncomfortable the entire time I was there. This is not a place I would recommend to anyone.

My daughter, Joy (Joyita A) took me to this low-key lighting restaurant just blocks away from her SF home. Cool place . . . had a similar vibe to Le Zinc, but more sexy, demure lighting. Joy and I failed to call in advance for reservations for this last Friday evening, 4/25/2008. Due to failing calling ahead for seating reservations: We waited for about 1 hour sipping on Sancere wine at the mohogany bar. Delectable, savory, buttery tasting wine opened up our palates receiving our sumptuous meal served an hour later . . . I remember eating at a very French restaurant on the Marseille waterfront: Dining experience was taken at a very s-l-o-w, leisurely pace. Florio reminded me of that magnificient Marseille restaurant's ambiance and their food concocted by 5-Star French Chefs. Food: Joy is a true food efficionadista, so I know Joy will take me to a restaurant worth spending $70.00 for two peeps to eat at a sit down restaurant. We ordered the steak and frites dinner. All I can say is, "WOW!" I couldn't eat the whole meal, so I took the leftovers home. Surprisingly, the french fries and veggies were crisp and not soggy when I reheated the fries and veggies in the oven. The steak was fork tender when re-heated, too. I will surely return to this retaurant because: 1. Staff was helpful, kind, and gave excellent customer service 2. Ambiance was delightlfully sexy and very demure 3. Dinner was a triple home run! I am truly impressed with Florio. KUDOS!