Seven Hills

"Most SF neighborhoods have a requisite Italian restaurant for a decent bowl of pasta. Seven Hills is that place in Russian Hill. Sure, the dishes coming out of this spot can be hit or miss. But if you’re in the area and want to get your eye-batting on with a date, Seven Hills gets the job done. photo credit: Krescent Carasso The pastas here are the main attraction, supported by a cast of standard appetizers and entrees, like bean salads, meatballs, and a market fish. The tomato and ricotta maccheroncelli, the most basic pasta on the menu, is a creamy crowd-pleaser and the best dish here. The corn agnolotti with popcorn, however, sounds better on paper, and the tagliatelle with slow-cooked pork lacks salt. Still, the bar and dining room are always full of PDA-happy couples and visiting parents waving over another bottle of wine. You’ll leave Seven Hills just as you entered it (with some extra carbs to your name)—a meal won’t necessarily offend or stick with you in any way. For dimension-altering rigatoni or mafaldine, head to one of these pasta places instead. Food Rundown Garlic & Parmesan Focaccia It’s garlic, cheese, and bread. You will like this. photo credit: Krescent Carasso Tomato Braised Polpette A solid beef and pork meatball, with the added bonus of melty Point Reyes Toma cheese in the middle. It’s a good starter to share with the table, but no one will be reminiscing about it on the way home. photo credit: Krescent Carasso Maccheroncelli The best pasta here, though the “chili” listed on the menu is nowhere to be found. The curled-up tubes are al dente, the garlicky crushed tomato sauce is bright and sweet, and the house ricotta makes everything extra rich. photo credit: Julia Chen Agnolotti These pouches of corn and ricotta are fine on their own, but the addition of popcorn on top is confusing. The puffed-up kernels, which are fun in theory, get soggy in the basil burro fuso. Tagliatelle Some bites of the braised pork shank are tender, but a few are too fatty to enjoy." - Julia Chen

"Now officially in Russian Hill after a three-block move at the end of 2019, Seven Hills is known for comforting Italian and Californian fare, particularly fresh and filled pasta. The special occasion dinner destination serves crowd favorites like the maccheroncelli, a tube-shaped extruded pasta tossed with crushed tomatoes, chiles, and dolloped with fresh ricotta. For a slightly more casual vibe, head to sister spot Collina, located in the original Seven Hills space." - Lauren Saria, Eater Staff

"Seven Hills has been a jewel box in Russian Hill for nearly a decade, and the restaurant jumped a few blocks over into a bigger space in fall 2019, bringing all the fresh pasta along with it. The neighborhood would have revolted if the chef took the freshly extruded maccheroncelli and house ricotta off the menu. (Pro-tip: the original space is now home to sister restaurant Collina with a tight menu of Italian classics.)" - Lauren Saria, Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

"This small Italian restaurant is a good spot for catching up with friends, or dinner with someone you’ve been dating for a while. The tables are pretty close together, so we wouldn’t talk about any projects you’re working on that require triple top secret security clearance to even know about (but you weren’t going to do that anyway, right?) Focus on the constantly changing California-style Italian pastas, all made in-house. There may be a casoncelli with suckling pig and rich pork jus that will remind you why you love pasta in the first place, or a pappardelle with tender braised short ribs that fall apart under the weight of your fork. " - will kamensky, julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez

"Strong pasta and small plates in a cute space in Russian Hill. If you have siblings or aunts and uncles in tow, or just a very hungry gene pool, the family-style menu is a good way to get a little bit of everything. And maybe even have some leftovers to take home." - taylor abrams