Ideale

First time here and it was satisfying. Staff were attentive and friendly. The pasta was delicious, however the beef could’ve been better cooked. Wasn’t a fan of the dessert but would definitely go back and try other items off the menu.

AMAZING. Hands down the best Italian food we’ve had in the states. Do yourself a favor-be greeted by the Italian music, fresh garlic aromas and an all Italian speaking staff that makes you forget you’re not in Italy. Drink menu offers spirits commonly seen in Italy!

What a beautiful treasure Ideale is, right in the heart of North Beach. Maurizio, the chef and owner, is from Rome and he is a most gracious host—and cyclist. He serves the most wonderful homemade pastas and sauces, pizzas, freshly baked bread, gorgeous salads, daily fish specials and delectable desserts. Gluten-free pastas are also available and they will custom make any of their entrees to suit anyone’s dietary or eating preferences. The food is so tasty and comforting and the two dining rooms are cozy and nicely decorated. There are two nearby parking garages on Stockton Street if street parking is unavailable. We really enjoyed the Insalata Primavera, the gnocchi with pork ragu sauce, a vegetarian version of the fettuccine with porcini mushrooms and the daily fish special which was a fresh sea bass today. Highly recommend!

Pasta was solid! Though service was a little slow, we waited over 45 mins for our pasta to come out.

A wonderful dinner. Dinner of Veal Saltimbocca and king Salmon was outstanding. Fish was cooked to perfection. The wait staff was incredibly attentive but not overbearing. The wine list was extensive.

We flew into SF for the weekend and had found this wonderful restaurant on line. We could not have been more pleased. The atmosphere was just what we were looking for an intimate dining experience with white table cloths interesting artwork with a few window tables. We were seated quickly with a 7 PM reservation and the restaurant was quite busy. Our server was from Rome and was friendly, knowledgable of the wine list and very pleasant to talk with. We ordered the sautéed Calamari Rughetta which was a good sized portion and enough for us to split. We ordered 2 pasta entrees - Fettuccine Norcina and Spaghetti Carbonara and both were superb. We enjoyed our Chianti Vignoso but passed on the desserts. This restaurant was as good as it gets when it comes to well prepared Italian food. We loved it and highly recommend.

Fabulous small, authentic Italian restaurant in North Beach. Cramped, crowded, people yelling in Italian, but that's part of its charm. Amazing food. Best bolognese sauce I've ever had at a restaurant. Highly recommended.

We had a great time here. Very nice place for family dinner outing. Great service. Everything we ordered, Pizza and pastas were delicious. Tiramisu was also great. Very good Italian food experience. Highly recommend this place.

My husband and I recently returned from a two-week vacation in Italy, where we fell in love with authentic Italian, especially Roman cuisine. We were thrilled to find out about this restaurant through word of mouth and decided it was worth the 50-mile drive to give it a try. From the first bite, we knew we'd made the right decision. The traditional Roman pastas were absolutely delicious, bringing us right back to our trip to Italy. The pizza was also fantastic - fresh with a perfectly made dough - and the service was just as impressive. A special thank you to Fabio, who guided us through the menu with such passion and dedication, really working to capture the essence of Italian dining for us.

I ate here during SF restaurant week so keep that in mind. :) Ideale is a lively, Italian spot in north beach that's been around for a long time. The staff is super nice. Overall, the food is good yet not outstanding. The prix fixe menu of an appetizer, pasta and entree for $60 is well worth it, though.The portions are pretty generous. The cacio e Pepe was good, but the meat on top seemed a little strange. It tasted like bologna or some sort of deli lunch meat (sorry!).

So here's the thing. Everytime I go it's so hard to get sat at a table, it's seems as though there's no host or anyone to greet and seat. But if you do get a seat the food is incredibly delicious and beautifully prepared.

We came back! A few months ago, we stumbled in for a drink and dessert. But this place made an impression on us so this time we came back for dinner. We had wine, two appetizers, a salad and two pastas. We love the calamari. Fresh and delicious. The burrata bruschetta was great as well. Pasta-wise, my friend likes her daily special pasta while I like my spinach pesto pasta. Also, we got the tiramisu to share again because it was yummy. When we first entered the restaurant, there weren't that many diners, but the place filled up fast. The outside dining room by the door was also packed due to a big birthday dinner celebration. On a side note, my phone battery was drained from my frequent use and I needed some charge so I can call a car later. I brought my charger but of course, it doesn't work when it's plugged, so one of the nice waiter/staff (sorry I didn't get his name) helped me out by charging it for me as we ate dinner. Really appreciate!

Here's what they promised: "We will be having a very special dinner on Sunday, November 17th. It will be a fun, celebratory dinner with lots of food, wine... both included in abundance for $100/person." There was no "abundance" in the food and wine but a very real "abundance" of lackluster service. Here's what we got: flat tasteless semi-stale bread, mushy mushy mushy tomatoes, pears that were hard-as-a-brick-under-ripe (completely inedible), risotto that was so undercooked that the rice was as chewy as cardboard and watery beyond belief (and tasteless -- inedible AGAIN), and dessert for two on a single plate of these inedible things wrapped in plastic. Photos attached. $100 per person. Incredibly disappointing. And .... when it came to the "abundance" of wine....well, we had to beg for the tiny bit of wine that we got. Terrible terrible terrible experience.

Delicious homemade pasta, attentive service. Highly recommend. One in our party who's a great cook in her own right raved about the lasagna.

We had a reservation for dinner and we waited 45 minutes to get our table. Food was mediocre. The pasta was decent/good but the pizza was terrible. The wine was pretty bad too. Staff was cordial but not the level of service I would expect for that price range. I hadn't been there in years but definitely changed for the worse. Doubt I'll be back

Another lovely dinner: Fettuccini, gnocchi, lasagna. While all were delish, fettuccini w truffle was a standout. We had the pleasure of meeting the charming Maurizio at the bar. Even though the restaurant was full, we were well taken care of at the bar.

Loud environment, slow service, under sauced gnocchi, bland food. We didn't bother staying for desert. Won't return.

Cute little Italian restaurant with authentic Italian food! One of the few places with authentic carbonara in the city. The staff was very friendly and spoke Italian as an extra plus!

Ideale is tucked away on a small street in North Beach and quite unassuming from the outside, but it's truly a hidden gem that has yet to be discovered by many. The first time I was here I came with my friends and I for Valentine's Day dinner. It was crowded and took awhile to get our food, but understandable on such a busy night. Between the four of us, we split a burrata bruschetta appetizer, two pastas, and a pizza. We gave our compliments to the chef/owner and he was kind enough to give us limoncello shots on the house! Everything was so fresh and flavorful. We enjoyed everything. I couldn't stop thinking about the fettuccine alla norcina so I ended up coming back with another friend the following week. I tried the tiramisu this time and wow... it was the best I've ever tried. The bitterness of the espresso really balanced out the sweet cream. It was just delicious in every way. Prices are reasonable, ambiance and service is good, and food is authentic and flavorful. I'll definitely be back and bring more friends & family :)

Fresh pasta? Say less. My friend has given high praise for this spot so I got to see what the hype was all about. I ended up getting the Bucatini All'Amitriciana which was a tomato-based sauce. The pasta was chewy and delicious. Would highly recommend for red sauce lovers. My friends have also had high praises for the cacio e pepe and carbonara too. The server was super kind and even gave us a round of complimentary limoncello (?) shots!

Ideale's restaurant week deal is amazing: homemade suppl alla roma, paccheri alla gricia, tiramisu and a glass of Prosecco or red wine for $45. Our waiter was so patient and kind. I don't think he stopped smiling the entire time we were there. It really made us feel welcome. I'm excited to return and try more things!

Had a reservation but walk-ins were seated before us. Kind staff but extremely chaotic and slow service. Waited over an hour for a bland piece of fish and set of pastas (only served once prompted). Did not bother staying for dessert. Had to go across the street for additional food due to unfulfilling meal.

If you're looking for high quality Italian this is the place! The pesto pasta is sooo good but you can't go wrong with anything the menu. highly recommend!!

This lovely cafe has an interesting menu with fresh salads, beautiful pastas, pizza and treats standard assortment of secondi. This is the third time we've been there for dinner and it was delicious. Staff is attentive but not hovering.

Still excellent after the pandemic. We haven't been here for awhile and had another amazing meal with another couple. Prices also stayed reasonable which I really appreciate We share family style one appetizer two pasta two secondi and two desserts and a bottle of wine and it's was less than $250 including taxes and tip. Zucchini julienne still excellent. Gnocchi with pork ragu was perfect. Gnocchi was like a soft pillow. Another pasta dish 5th on the menu where I forgot the name. Was perfectly Al dente Lamb chop breaded was surprisingly good Fresh halibut with mushroom truffle sauce also was excellent and I don't even like halibut usually. They do it very well here We wrapped with panna cotta and baba desserts and were so happy. Will be back.

Great pasta, appetizers and wine. Perfect Italian spot for a casual dinner with fresh food!

We had been running around San Francisco for a few hours participating in the "Chinese New Year Treasure hunt", needless to say we were really hungry! We got seated promptly (we did have a reservation) but ended up with a single menu for a company of seven! Well, camera phones to the rescue! Just as we all had managed to get the photos shared and zoomed to go over the options our server returned with more menus! Well, that little mess aside we had a great evening. Food was plentiful on the plates, the appetizers shareable between two or three persons (even really hungry ones) and the pizza that I ordered was just the right size for one (maybe two if you're not starving and shared a few appetizers as well). Our servers were attentive, service was quick and friendly. The place is very unassuming from the outside, but inside it's a great atmosphere and the noise level is not intrusive. This was a good find for a Saturday night.

I've eaten here a number of times and come here whenever I'm in San Francisco. The food is top notch. Unlike most of the Italian spots a few block away on Columbus, Ideale clearly isn't catering to tourists. Rather, they are cooking for people who appreciate first-rate, authentic Italian food. The veal dish I ordered was outstanding though everything my wife and I have ordered is on that level. We also get the tiramisu every time we come - just insanely good. It's also worth noting that the owner and all the servers are Italian, which is a bonus in my book - they're also a fun bunch (if you've ever spent time in Italy, that won't surprise you.) Highly recommend this place.

Absolutely fantastic neighborhood Italian spot! Specials are always amazing and the sausage/mushroom pasta is the best I've ever eaten. Fresh homemade bread and wonderful service. Will be going back next trip to SF.

It was one of the best Italian dining experiences for us for a long while. It's great to have such an amazing restaurant neighbor for our own business just a block away! The pasta here is to die for. We had the carbonara and their daily special of ricotta stuffed ravioli with beef ragu, and both are fantastic! The veal and prosciutto dish, a traditional Roman dish, was really delicious and a very unique experience, and the seated tuna special was cooked to perfection. The wine list full of classic Italian regions is a great deal and the bottle prices are really generous here. We found an amazing bottle of 2017 Valpolicella Reposado Superiore that was perfect for the beef ragu for the ravioli. They have a great selection of house made dessert here as well and we enjoyed all items. It's such a romantic perfect restaurant for an intimate dinner for 2 but as great for a group dinner with their large room.

Service and food amazing! Great 1st night in SF with dinner here after a long traveling day. Would recommend. Added sausage to spaghetti and it was delicious with wine! Ambiance feels like

Staff was excellent! Friendly, attentive, and worked as a team with many taking care of us. Food was really lovely, ambience was nice, and we didn't feel rushed even though they had a full house with people waiting for a seat. Great experience!

Amazing food and super unique dishes. Had the veal saltimboca, please excuse the bad spelling. Pasta was super good, desert was great. All was solid. Check it out.

The service was very good and they were very accommodating to our party of 6. We were originally going to be 2 separate parties but they were gracious and accommodated us by putting us together at our request. Since the service was so friendly, I hate to report that the food was disappointing. Appetizers were good: Prosciutto w/pear Steak bruschetta Sadly all the pasta was mushy and overcooked. Very disappointed. Was expecting much better. The carbonara tasted very "porky" and sauce was a little "curdled" rather than being creamy. The special seafood pappardelle was underwhelming and sauce was a bit bland and acidic. I really wanted to like this small intimate restaurant but the food was not worth a second visit.

Roman Italian food!! Delicious cacio y Pepe! carbanara!! Great pizzas.., Great wine list. Service is knowledgeable and helpful.. If you want wonderful Italian food, go...

We came here for the SF RESTAURANT week. The seating process was little bit slow that day and we were seated outside. We didn't get a menu until I went to grab it myself. I guess it was a slow and busy day for them. We ordered the restaurant week menu and other items like veal saltimbocca and millefoglie. We like the zucchini tartufate which is very refreshing with the pate and fettuccine pescatore which has good seafood flavor with the pasta and tiramisu. We are not impressed with burrata which has taste of lacking of salt or pepper and veal dish which is normal taste to me and millefoglie which has a too standout chocolate of it. Oh the wine there is really good. We really like the Sangiovese and montepulciano and moscato.

About 1/3 of my beef dish was not eatable. I mentioned it to the waiter who said he could see it was full of nerves. There was no offer of substitution or compensation. Wow!

So authentic and delicious! My entire family raved about how delicious the food was. And Mauricio, the owner, was the best server!

When you think of a wonderful neighborhood restaurant with the cozy, family feel- this place comes to mind. Service is wonderful and food is made fresh! We came here with some family friends (who have been coming here for years). The owner and chef are very friendly and service is great. The pasta is fresh and soft. We got the Pizza Margherita as an appetizer and it was super tasty and the crust was crunchy! I personally got the Fettuccine alla Norcina and it was creamy and delicious! For dessert we got Tiramisu and it was also soft and almost melted in your mouth. Our friends told us that some times if you come during the weekdays you can see the chef rolling out the dough to make pasta. Perfect place for a simple date night or a family meal!!

This was not the best "Ideale" for us! We should've gone back to California Fish Market. It was the Friday night before Halloween and restaurant week to boot. So all the freaks and Eats were out that night. The service was slow, and the food was very salty. In the world of restaurant week, you have one chance to impress...ONE. Pardon another pun, but this place was not "Ideale." BB

Enjoyed a wonderful time at Ideale - located in the heart of North Beach, but was not too busy on a Saturday evening. Cozy ambiance and service was friendly. Would recommend the Tiramisu!

We had a lovely dinner at Ideale this past weekend. We went there before seeing the new show at Club Fugazi (fabs btw). I had the fish special and broccolini. Both were top notch. My friends ordered a pizza. I scooped up a leftover slice at the end of the meal and, even after sitting there for a while and getting cold, it was still delish (and my standards are much higher now than when I was in college ;).

A bit too expensive - Carbonara + one glass of Montepluciano = 40 bucks... Staff is nice though and the ambiance is as it is in Rome

Really nice authentic italiian. Live in the area and have not been here before last week. Sorry now we did t frequent. It's often. Great food!

Food was extremely fresh and light. Nothing was heavy but we left satisfied. The staff was very kind... definitely come here if you want authentic Italian food. This place was recommended to us by a local and we are glad! My favorite dish was the gnocchi, but nothing disappointed. We ordered calamari (liked very much because not fried), gnocchi, fish of the day (halibut), and millefoglie for dessert.

We had a blast eating at Ideale this past Friday night. The place was bustling with energy, the menu is fairly simple and has all of the classic Italian dishes that everyone tends to love. We ordered the grilled calimari, Cesar salad (they politely put anchovies on the side), spaghetti in a white wine sauce with clams and then last was mushroom linguini with sausage and truffle oil. They also brought us a ton of fresh bread with a light olive oil drip over it. Since it was our friends birthday and the entrees were so good, we decided to order dessert. We had the lightest and airiest tiramisu and my friend exclaimed, I'm in airy fluffy light layers of dessert heaven. We also ordered the Nutella crispy layer desert which was amazing. Last, we wanted coffee but asked anyway if they could make us espresso martinis and they said of course we can! The espresso martini was so good, we ordered a second round and they let us stay past close. An amazing night out in Little Italy. Ideale was lovely and it was nice to meet their Italian staff.

Maybe I picked a bad night. Thoroughly Italian but not in a convivial way. Rushed, brusque ambivalent service. And we were there early. Party of 4. Weird everything came out one person at a time. Was clumsy. Everybody waited for the other before starting or toasting. Food fresh and authentic but not enough to transport your taste buds back to Italia. Porcini pasta w sausage asked for parmigiano still waiting. Kinda stressful vibes. Still ranking Milano Cafe and Montesacro best boutique Italian in city.

Delicious, homemade pasta,, great service, and bread that we could not stop eating. Maurizio took great care of us and made solid recommendations.

The food and wine was delicious. The service was fine, but slow. Other tables were being sat around us and receiving service, but a table of 2 with a girl with a birthday tierra on had to ask for service about 10-15 mins after we sat down. The veal saltimbocca and beet salad were tasty. The sauvignon blanc was okay. We had to rush out the door to make our show even though we showed up an hour and 45 mins before. Side note: I hope they didn't pay for any of the art on the walls. Overall, was not impressed with Ideale and would not choose it again for a birthday dinner.

Outstanding food. Visiting from Chicago, loved it Prosciutto Wrapped PearsHomemade Pasta.

One of the many Italian joints dotting North Beach. Kinda intimate compared to big places like Original Joe's. Seems like they make a lot of pasta in-house; their lasagna was sure nice. Pizza Pepperoni: Super thin and light crust, which I suppose is Roman-style. Makes eating an entire pie yourself very possible. I like that the edges got crispy, like a fancy cracker. The sauce and cheese were nice, getting more spotlight since there was less dough to distract from their shine. Only drawback is that thinner crust means it gets cooler faster, which can result in lukewarm (or even cold) pizza when ordering it for takeout or delivery. Lasagna Ideale: Thick, hearty and still piping hot after a walk home. Lots of pasta layers. Between the pasta the filling seemed kinda sparse. But there was tons of meat and cheese and sauce on the top and sides. I appreciated that it wasn't just one congealed square like some reheated lasagna can be It feels like the finished this to order, since there was a nice searing on some of the pasta.

Decided to try out Ideale after passing by, and seeing the menu in the window. We were greeted when we walked in like we were known patrons. We were given a choice of tables, sat down and had a glass of water while looking over the menu. After ordering, wine came, then a plate of bread drizzled with delicious olive oil. Not much on the oil, but the small drizzle allowed us to know they used quality ingredients. My husband had the spaghetti with clams- an abundance of clams. I had the spaghetti with dried tomatoes and arugula. Both beyond delightful! We had asked for Parmesan and were treated by a server with a generous amount. The meal was absolutely delicious. More bread came ( someone was paying attention!) but again, they could have been more generous with the olive oil, or offered butter/garlic. Pasta was homemade and stellar! We declined desert, however, again, one of the servers was REALLY paying attention ( this man needs a raise and pat on the back!) and must have seen we spent time waiting ( worth it!) and brought us a plate of tiramisu to share. My husband can not stand the taste of coffee/espresso, but tried it, and absolutely raved about it! This restaurant is a gem. We will return when back in SanFrancisco!!!

This was the first time my husband and I had gone out for Italian food after our honeymoon in Italy. Ideale seemed pretty legit, and we felt nostalgic walking into the restaurant. I believe we had reservations, but the place was relatively empty, so we didn't have to wait anyways. The pace of staff was leisurely, which I learned is very Italian. Great way to practice patience. My husband (part-Italian) excitedly ordered our wine and food in Italian. The waiter was quite pleased. Wine selection seemed limited but I've learned that all the options are fantastica. We ordered octopus to start while waiting for our food that took awhile. My pumpkin ravioli came out first, which I felt was a little undercooked, even for al dente. Unfortunately my husband must have mis-ordered in Italian (or it was a mistake of the waiter, who knows) because he received Eggplant Parmesan rather than Chicken Parmesan. Oops. It took just as long to prepare his replacement meal, so I tried eating slower. Kinda put a dent in our dinner date, but it was a relaxing experience in the end. I know North Beach has lots of other great Italian spots I'd like to try. Our time at Ideale wasn't ideal, but I'd give it another try if someone made the suggestion. Service was eccellente, and I appreciate everyone accommodating our requests and humoring my husband's broken Italian. Seems to get great reviews from other Yelpers!

An Amazing experience. Food was delicious wines were awesome and service was top notch. We had the grilled Calamari and it was very tasty - Highly recommended. Gnocchi with pork was a winner as well. If in the area, give this place a try- you won't regret it!

Outstanding Italian food in a city with a lot of good competition, and friendly attentive staff too. Really warm and welcoming atmosphere and just absolutely delicious pasta. The wine list is a great selection at really reasonable prices, we had a wonderful barolo that outdid much pricier bottles I've had at other SF restaurants. I was here with a friend from out of town and Ideale really showed him what makes San Francisco incredible. Come for a meal here and remind yourself why it's incredible to live here.

Amazing authentic Italian food and wonderful, kind service. You almost feel like you're in a friend's home. I recommend it to everyone who visits SF!

Loveee! Went to Ideale for dinner with colleagues and the food was amazing. Ideale is traditional, authentic, and reminded me of my travels to Italy. Most def. will be back!