This little slice of Italian food heaven is located in the MIssion district of SF. The atmosphere inside the place is pretty energetic and while it’s loud, it’s not glaringly so. It’s advisable to call ahead for reservations as the time to wait for walk-in could be a while. If you do have to wait though, you can take a glass of wine with you outside on the benches!

Food-wise and service-wise, they are both outstanding. The food is pretty reasonably priced for SF considering the portion size and the quality you’re getting. The wine list is pretty extensive and the waitstaff is very knowledgeable when it comes to ordering “the good stuff.” I’ve got a reputation for always being on the lookout for new, good restaurants, but Delfina always keeps me coming back.

I had heard such great things about Delfina, as well as how hard it is to get a table, so when I stumbled upon a 5:30 reservation, I grabbed it. My friends and I showed up excitedly looking forward to a fabulous dinner. When we got to the door, we were seated quickly with a generous serving of warm fresh bread and soft butter. The interior was pleasantly upscale casual while the wait staff was cheerful and attentive.
But the food itself? Not that great. None of the dishes were bad but they weren’t wonderful either and I left the restaurant thinking I could probably make the same things at home.

That being said, three dishes did stand out as worthy of the hype, the fennel sausage, the rabbit and the lovely calamari. (see below)

Despite the mostly just-okay food, my friends and I ended up having a great time, laughing and talking the night away. Much to Delfina’s credit, they never rushed us to leave our table and let us stay as long as we wanted, even with crowds of people jostling to get inside as the night wore on.

Delfina is a very nice restaurant. My friends and I had good evening. They serve genuine Italian dishes ( ie. read very fresh ingredients) at reasonable prices combined with a casually upscale vibe that is sufficent for the average Jane’s lovely evening. However… if you are a genuine foodie searching for inspiring culinary delights, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Unfortunately, later that night our party encountered another problem with the so-so food. Early the next morning, my friends and I were all sick with food poisoning.
6 AM found us slumped over our toilets, exhausted from throwing up and uh.. other things. To be fair, mild food poisoning can happen at the best of restaurants, despite what they tell you, but it is never fun and certainly wasn’t from my end- both of them.

It should be noted that we did not try any of the pasta dishes or the ribs, two meals that have gotten great reviews by other writers on this site. Perhaps if we had tried those dishes and managed to avoid our early morning vomiting marathons, this review might have been a little different. :)

ADDITIONAL NOTE: After I called the restaurant about our party getting sick, both the manager AND the Chef made sure that they got in touch with me personally and apologized profusely for the mishap. They couldn’t have been nicer and sent me a gift certificate for the full amount of the meal. While this is standard practice when a restaurant’s food makes you ill, they were very gracious about it and I think that is worth noting here.

Okay, so I’m lactose intolerant. Finding an italian restaurant that I can eat at where I don’t have to eat the same boring pasta (hold the cheese!) is a pain. But, this place is a God send. I love love it. Crowded. Loud. But, who cares. The food makes up for it. Not every damn thing is smothered in cheese. Plus, having friends who can always get in without having to make a reservation is a cute little bonus! =)

Outstanding food in fun atmosphere. Prices are reasonable for what you are getting. I’d go back once a month if it weren’t so hard to get a rez.

Have you ever have an appetizer size pasta dish that you think it’s out of the world? You can get that at Delfina. Have you ever have chicken that is moist from start to finish? Delfina has the dish you crave. Have you ever have a short ribs fall off the bone but in a very affordable price? You need to go to Delfina to experience the good food and decent price and great atmosphere. Enough said.

everything about their food is savory. one of my favorite places to dine in sf.

One of the cal-italian institutions in the city. The inside of the restaurant is nice, but tables are all stuck close together. The dishes are not extraordinary, but are all pretty good, especially the homemade pastas. Solid value, considering the quality of the food.

Their pasta is very unique…wish they had more meat. haha