Flour + Water
Italian restaurant · Mission ·
Handcrafted Italian grub, including pasta & wood-fired pizza.
Handcrafted Italian grub, including pasta & wood-fired pizza.
"It's still hard to get a reservation at Flour + Water—and that’s because they continue to make the best pasta in the city. The constantly changing menu of pastas are made with flavor combinations that'll make you do a double take. Corn-and-cheese-stuffed pasta topped with mint, anyone? But after you try them, they’ll be burned into your mental list of things you want to eat again. Reservations are released 28 days in advance at midnight on Resy. They also save space for walk-ins (grab a glass of wine and a snack down the street at Flour + Water Pasta Shop if you have to wait). You can also see if their more casual but just as fantastic sister spot, Penny Roma (also in the Mission), has any open tables." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"If a Pasta Hall of Fame museum existed, an entire gallery would be dedicated to Flour + Water. Since 2009, the Mission restaurant has been churning out pasta dishes made with ingredient combinations that make no sense on paper, but actually work—like corn and chocolate or lobster and fig. The best part is they’re the only SF spot we know of with a pasta tasting menu that’s a 10-course carb spectacle. It will definitely involve at least two pasta shapes you’ve never heard of. Reservations are released 28 days in advance at midnight on Resy. They also save space for walk-ins (grab a glass of wine and a snack down the street at Flour + Water Pasta Shop if you have to wait). You can also see if their more casual but just as fantastic sister spot, Penny Roma (also in the Mission), has any open tables." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"Pasta pasta pasta....and pizza and wine! If you're in the mood, this is the spot! A reservation is recommended but if you show up just before opening you can probably get a table. If not, sip some wine while you wait. The menu here is constantly changing but you're sure to have a pasta combination you'd never thought up but won't ever forget! They also have delicious pizzas and salads. All their doughs and pastas are made fresh in house." - Avocados and Coconuts
"If a Pasta Hall of Fame existed, Flour + Water would be its forever MVP. That’s because the city’s most iconic Cal-Ital restaurant (est. 2009) makes pastas out of ingredient combinations you’ve probably never seen before (much less thought to put on a pasta dish), and pulls them off with flair. Think veal tortellini with horseradish, corn-and-cheese-stuffed pasta topped with mint, and cocoa and rutabaga casoncelli. Over a decade after opening, Flour + Water is still going strong—as are its multiple casual offshoots and sister restaurants (Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pizzeria). Paying a visit to this institution at least once should be high on your SF bucket list. Reservations are released 28 days in advance at midnight on Resy. They also save space for walk-ins (grab a glass of wine and a snack down the street at Flour + Water Pasta Shop if you have to wait). You can also see if their more casual but just as fantastic sister spot, Penny Roma (also in the Mission), has any open tables." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez
"As the name implies, two ingredients create a world of possibilities at this always-packed Mission stalwart. Affable service, plus a space that’s both buzzy and approachable, partly explain the evergreen appeal of this humble space, but it’s really the kitchen’s vibrant blend of Californian and Italian cuisines that draws the crowds. An ever-changing array of expertly handmade pastas is the main event, with creative offerings like squid ink bucatini sauced with octopus ragu and Calabrian chili crunch, plus lesser-known regional shapes, like a plate of lusciously taleggio-filled scarpinocc. The option of half portions helps to ease the difficulty of choosing only one, but for those seeking even more variety, a multicourse pasta tasting is a real treat." - Michelin Inspector