Caffè Macaroni

Another fantastic dinner at Cafe Macaroni last night. Probably the fourth or fifth visit for me over 15 years, and each time I recall thinking, "It's been too long!" I gotta stop doing this to myself! This restaurant is a favorite! The service provides an authentic family vibe, as the staff/owners are determined to ensure your good time as if you're guests in their home. We had two seafood appetizers (clams/mussels in tomato sauce and a dish of lovely mild anchovies) to start. Entrees, we also opted for seafood options, one accompanied by a perfect risotto, the other a sublime snapper alla puttanesca. The soup of the day was a divine Italian bean soup (vegetarian) that featured incredible flavors, leaving us all oohing and ahhing in delight. A feast like that demands a sweet finish, and the Tiramisu sent us off into the night smiling. Now I need to return in months...not years!

I only wish I had more stars to give. Last week my wife and I went to San Francisco for a business trip. Unfortunately it coincided with her birthday, so after a day of meetings all we wanted was a nice dinner to celebrate. We wandered into this amazing restaurant by chance. The food was spectacular, but that was only a small portion of the experience. Mario and his wife Stephanie acted more like friends hosting a dinner party than owners of a restaurant. Stephanie even sat down with us for probably a half hour, chatting about life and toasting with us. When the evening came to an all too soon conclusion, she and Mario waved us down the street as we headed to our hotel with full stomachs and huge smiles on our faces. Top 5 all time dining experience, and we will certainly be returning at the first opportunity!

After walking through FiDi, Barbary Coast and the entire North Beach looking for just the right place to eat, we finally settled on Caffe Macaroni run by a husband and wife team for over 30 years. This is old school, it’s simple and tiny (we had to sit on the sidewalk). The menu is focused with a solid set of specials and the food was spot on. A fennel orange salad was bright, juicy and salty. A piece of sole over a bed of caponata was perfection. Bread with a garlicky dip was generous. Service was warm and personable and thankfully they were able to provide the tangible version of the menu on request so we didn’t have to view by phone . Prosecco could have been a touch colder for my tastes but all round - this was a dinner that surpassed our expectations and that we thoroughly enjoyed.

One of the worst front-of-house experiences I’ve had in a long time. We booked a reservation in advance, arrived exactly at our scheduled time, and were immediately dismissed. The hostess was openly condescending and made it clear our reservation meant nothing, directing us to wait in line instead — despite the entire point of reserving. It felt chaotic, poorly managed, and unnecessarily hostile. We ended up taking our business at Sai Vietnamese, across the street, where the staff was incredibly warm, respectful, and delivered top-notch food.

I actually really enjoyed the main dish here, but there was just a couple things that made me choose 3 vs 4 stars. Ravioli - 4 stars super tasty Table bread - 4 stars really good oil mixture Spaghetti - 4 stars my friends said (but hard to believe it’s better than Berettas on Valencia but i’ll try it next time!) White sangria - 2 stars skip it Red sangria - 3.5 pretty good I’d try it again Tiramisu - 2 stars, frozen in the middle 😑 Even tho I only gave this place 3 stars I would go back and try more things, i think the mains will be worth it!

Cafe Macaroni on Columbus is a solid spot for great food. The dishes are consistently excellent, and you can tell a lot of care goes into the preparation. The owner/chef is always present and incredibly kind, which adds a nice personal touch to the experience.

We really enjoyed this spot. After walking by it many times we finally stopped in for dinner. The food is closer to what you would get in Italy than the normal Italian-American eateries in North Beach. Get one of the seafood pastas and a glass of wine. A taste of Napoli in North Beach.

Mario and Stephanie are the Owners of this Italian Restaurant. "Love Them"! A must visit with Superb Dining and Excellent Service! "When Mr. Coppola periodically comes out to eat here down the block from his place, you know they are doing something right!"