altoVino

Jesten Grant

Our team dinner at Altovino tonight was nothing short of spectacular. From the moment I stepped into this beautiful establishment, I was greeted with warm smiles and genuine hospitality that instantly set the tone for the evening. I even had the pleasure of chatting with Chef Nick himself and WOW. Hearing him talk about his passion for cooking and his love for family was truly inspiring. You can taste that heart and dedication in every dish he creates. My entire team could not stop ranting and raving about the incredible cuisine. Every single bite was an explosion of flavor, finesse, and pure culinary magic. Chef Nick's hands are undeniably gifted! And then Ariana. Our server was absolutely phenomenal. Her welcoming personality lit up the room, and her knowledge of the menu was impressive. She gave spot-on recommendations, and her wine selections? Smooth, vibrant, and perfectly paired from start to finish. She elevated the entire dining experience with her grace and expertise. Altovino delivered an evening that felt warm, special, and unforgettable. I cannot WAIT to come back on a personal basis and relive this incredible experience. Thank you, Altovino, for an extraordinary night!

Nancy

We recently had an amazing experience at this Italian restaurant and ordered everything family style so we could try a little of everything. The Bagna Caôda was super savory with a unique twist that really woke up the palate. Caramelle, a vegetarian pasta, ended up being my favorite of the night. The Maccheroni alla Chitarra was delicious but a little too al dente for me. Maiale (pork with jus) was a table favorite. We fought to soak up every bit of sauce with crostini. The panna cotta was the best I’ve ever had, slightly denser in a really good way. It’s on the pricier side, so more of a special occasion spot, but we’ll definitely be back to explore more of the menu. Bagna Caôda ($18.75) 5/5 Ascolane ($12.50) 2/5 Vitello Tonnato ($21.75) 3/5 Maccheroni alla Chitarra ($26.75) 5/5 Caramelle ($28.75) 5/5 Maiale ($29.50) 5/5 Buttermilk Panna Cotta ($14.50) 5/5

Manana Hakobyan

Oh my! Where do I start?! We discovered altoVino when my college friends were visiting me in SF. Not only the food was delicious, the atmosphere was so cozy and welcoming that we stayed there for hours chatting and enjoying ourselves. Food: 5/5 The evening started strong with Spuma di Funghi appetizer. It was creamy and rich perfectly harmonizing the flavor of truffle with the freshness of herbs. It was served with warm oil toasted bread which was the perfect crunch next to the smooth creamy texture of the mousse. From the pasta dishes we tried out Cappellacci which was filled with seasonal flavors of squash. The addition of pomegranates and hazelnuts really brought in some edge with a texture. But the wow of the evening was the creamy mushroom sauce tagliatelle with shaved truffle on top. I think this dish might have been an addition for the SF restaurant week. Lastly, for dessert we tried out Panna Cotta and Zabaione with poached pears. Needless to mention that both tasted fantastic. Presentation: 5/5 All the dishes were plated neatly, effortlessly and tastefully. We did feel like we were in a high-end restaurant. Service: 5/5 Service was amazing! Our waiter has been very attentive towards us but not in an overwhelming way. He explained many of the dishes beforehand and all his recommendations were on spot. He brought us extra bread which we really appreciated. At last, when we paid the bill and were captivated with the conversation of old friends, he didn’t pressure us to leave. He even encouraged our stay with constantly refilling our glasses of water. Atmosphere: 5/5 A cozy corner in SF. We loved everything about the atmosphere. It was not too chic, which made it feel more relaxed and approachable. The hall was not loud and it was perfect for reconnecting with old friends. Value: 5/5 I would say the restaurant is on the pricier side, but the quality deserves the value. Overall Rating: 5/5

Hv V

Altovino is definitely one of the best Italian restaurants in San Francisco. The service is warm and friendly, with waitstaff who are very knowledgeable about both the menu and the wine list, making it easy to get great recommendations. The atmosphere is comfortable, and the vibe is perfect for enjoying a good meal. The kitchen stands out for the quality of its ingredients, especially the fresh house-made pasta and high-quality vegetables. Must-try dishes include the pork and porterhouse, and the desserts are just as recommendable. The menu changes regularly, which keeps things interesting, and while it tends to get busy on weekends, it’s absolutely a spot worth visiting. I give it a 10/10.

Rachael Annabelle Yong

10/10 food and service - favourites were def the mushroom mousse, and anchovy butter with veggies (so good when you dip with bread?!?!?) pastas were all great, got the fried stuffed olives, and tiramisu + panna cotta were def solid desserts. great for group dinners too, will come back :)

Sara Rahimian

The service was a bit slow but it was Easter evening so our sample experience may be inaccurate. The food was so delicious. The desserts were good but I would focus on starters, antipasti and mains.

Dahlia Nasrah

We came here for my moms birthday and I think this is one of the best birthday dinners we have had within my family in terms of service and speed. The service was so personable and lovely, the food was fresh, and the ambiance was great. I would highly recommend coming here for special occasions. One thing I would say is that I do wish it was just a tad bit brighter in there, it was hard to see what we were eating at some points.

Alexis

All that an Italian restaurant should be: intimate and cozy, friendly service, great flavors and the carbs!

Amina Ahsan Haque

OVERALL: 5/5 Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 - The bar area is casual, but the dining room is very intimate. Had been on the list for a while, so glad we were finally able to make it. The service was exceptional and the food amazing!!!!

M Wu

Definitely a gem. Hidden in a quiet block, low light, low volume, the environment was very pleasant. Honestly everything was fantastic, but I would give the crown to Pappardelle—the pasta was cooked just right to remain chewiness and the sauce was tangy (in a good way) with a strong note of tomato which I just loved too much. We ordered quite a few and nothing let us down, from appetizers to dessert. I’d come back for more :)

Hayley Kelly

My self and a group of friends ate dinner last night. Everything was excellent and so delicious! Highlights are definitely all of the pastas, but don’t sleep on the anti pasta and starters. The fried olives are a great way to start the meal. The salad was one of the best salads I’ve had in a long time. The anchovies melt in your mouth and also so does the Panna cotta 🥰 Service was exquisite and so was the wine.

Helen Hollander

I had an excellent dinner experience at Alto Vino sf. The food and service were excellent. Every bite my son in law had came out with a loud Mmmmm! Chef Nick Kelly, his lovely wife Calli, and the whole staff made it warm and welcoming. Delicious food, service and ambiance. Too bad I live more than 70 miles away.

My new favorite spot in the city! Really lovely, super cozy place. The atmosphere is warm and intimate, and the staff are genuinely friendly, you feel welcome right away. The food was excellent, especially the mushroom mousse – honestly one of the highlights of the night. I'm definitely will be coming back and bringing friends here just for this mousse alone! Everything else felt thoughtful and well balanced. Great wine selection too, very well chosen and pairs perfectly with the food. A place you want to come back to for a relaxed evening with good food, good wine, and good vibes.

The food was 11/10 amazing and the vibes were perfect. Ariana was also the best waitress I’ve ever had! She was so warm and welcoming, she somehow made the food taste even better just through her presence as she kept pouring us another glass of wine!

Yogurt Mars

My new favorite spot in the city! Really lovely, super cozy place. The atmosphere is warm and intimate, and the staff are genuinely friendly, you feel welcome right away. The food was excellent, especially the mushroom mousse – honestly one of the highlights of the night. I'm definitely will be coming back and bringing friends here just for this mousse alone! Everything else felt thoughtful and well balanced. Great wine selection too, very well chosen and pairs perfectly with the food. A place you want to come back to for a relaxed evening with good food, good wine, and good vibes.

AltoVino is a cozy neighborhood Italian spot with a charming ambiance and genuinely warm service. The plating across the courses was elegant and inviting - clearly a lot of care goes into presentation. That said, the food was hit or miss. The standout dish of the night was the pappardelle - perfectly cooked with a rich, satisfying sauce that showcased the kitchen’s pasta expertise. Unfortunately, the cod was far too salty, overwhelming the fish itself, and the Amatriciana lacked the depth and punch the dish typically promises. Overall, AltoVino has potential, and the hospitality and aesthetics are definitely there, but the food could use more consistency to match. Worth a visit for the pasta, but temper expectations on the rest.

The food was delicious but they seriously need some sound absorption! Couldn’t hear my fellow diner for beans. My favorite was the autumn pear salad which had two types of pears on a bed of hazelnuts and Gorgonzola. The Bartlett pear was delicious but its main role was to highlight the decadence of the red wine pear!

Food: 3/5 Service and ambience: 4/5 The portion of each dish is quite small and the food is overly salty. We also tried the Neapolitan rum cake, and will definitely NOT recommend it.

JonLuca DeCaro

AltoVino is a cozy neighborhood Italian spot with a charming ambiance and genuinely warm service. The plating across the courses was elegant and inviting - clearly a lot of care goes into presentation. That said, the food was hit or miss. The standout dish of the night was the pappardelle - perfectly cooked with a rich, satisfying sauce that showcased the kitchen’s pasta expertise. Unfortunately, the cod was far too salty, overwhelming the fish itself, and the Amatriciana lacked the depth and punch the dish typically promises. Overall, AltoVino has potential, and the hospitality and aesthetics are definitely there, but the food could use more consistency to match. Worth a visit for the pasta, but temper expectations on the rest.

Alicia DiGiammarino

The food was delicious but they seriously need some sound absorption! Couldn’t hear my fellow diner for beans. My favorite was the autumn pear salad which had two types of pears on a bed of hazelnuts and Gorgonzola. The Bartlett pear was delicious but its main role was to highlight the decadence of the red wine pear!

Hannah Jin

Food: 3/5 Service and ambience: 4/5 The portion of each dish is quite small and the food is overly salty. We also tried the Neapolitan rum cake, and will definitely NOT recommend it.

Came highly recommended but I thought average. I had the highly recommended Ascolane. It was fried olives. The rest of the ingredients were totally overwhelmed by frying and the intense saltiness of the olives. The salad was decent but nothing more. And the same for the papperdelle. No big deal. Sorry. Nice people working there. Way too expensive.

Mott U D’Potyou

Came highly recommended but I thought average. I had the highly recommended Ascolane. It was fried olives. The rest of the ingredients were totally overwhelmed by frying and the intense saltiness of the olives. The salad was decent but nothing more. And the same for the papperdelle. No big deal. Sorry. Nice people working there. Way too expensive.

I had a 6 PM reservation on Friday (2/27/26) and was enjoying my meal when, about an hour in, the staff repeatedly asked if we were ready to leave. They brought out the check, cleared our water (which I wasn’t done drinking), and brought out a to-go dish before I requested it — even though I had asked that it be prepared hot and planned to pick it up a few minutes before leaving. I could tell the food was cooling, which added pressure to leave. Finally, what appeared to be the manager asked us to move to the bar because a large party was arriving soon. By about an hour and a half into our reservation, we left, feeling rushed and uncomfortable. I spent over $100 and expected a high quality dining experience. This was rushed and unreasonable. I reached out to the restaurant on Friday asking for an explanation, but they did not respond, which was disappointing and dismissive of customer concerns. It was an unpleasant experience overall. If the restaurant cannot accommodate diners staying for a full meal, they may need to reconsider how they manage reservations. I won’t be returning.

The food was fine, average, nothing extraordinary but acceptable for the price. The pricing wasn’t cheap, but it also wasn’t outrageous, so overall it felt reasonable. I also want to note that the service during the dining experience itself was actually really nice. The staff was friendly and attentive. What really bothered me happened at the end of the meal. When I asked for my leftovers to be packed to go, I was handed someone else’s leftovers instead of my own. I didn’t realize this until the next morning when I opened the container and it was clearly not my food. I shouldn’t have to inspect a to-go box just to make sure it actually belongs to me. Mistakes happen, but mixing up leftover food is a hygiene and food safety issue, not a minor slip. It definitely left a bad impression and took away from what was otherwise an okay dining experience. I hope the restaurant takes more care with something as basic as properly labeling and handling customers’ food.

Julia Murzy

The food was fine, average, nothing extraordinary but acceptable for the price. The pricing wasn’t cheap, but it also wasn’t outrageous, so overall it felt reasonable. I also want to note that the service during the dining experience itself was actually really nice. The staff was friendly and attentive. What really bothered me happened at the end of the meal. When I asked for my leftovers to be packed to go, I was handed someone else’s leftovers instead of my own. I didn’t realize this until the next morning when I opened the container and it was clearly not my food. I shouldn’t have to inspect a to-go box just to make sure it actually belongs to me. Mistakes happen, but mixing up leftover food is a hygiene and food safety issue, not a minor slip. It definitely left a bad impression and took away from what was otherwise an okay dining experience. I hope the restaurant takes more care with something as basic as properly labeling and handling customers’ food.

Such a disappointment. Food was bad and server was not attentive & he wasn’t there much. The bar tender was really nice on the other hand. The atmosphere seemed nice but once u sat down, the acoustic design is almost zero so when guests talk, it bounces through all the mirrors plus the high ceiling height, it’s impossible to hear your friend talk in the restaurant. And it’s only 8-10 tables, we are not talking a lot of tables. This has to be addressed or else it’s almost impossible to chat without yelling

Jaz Cheerios

Such a disappointment. Food was bad and server was not attentive & he wasn’t there much. The bar tender was really nice on the other hand. The atmosphere seemed nice but once u sat down, the acoustic design is almost zero so when guests talk, it bounces through all the mirrors plus the high ceiling height, it’s impossible to hear your friend talk in the restaurant. And it’s only 8-10 tables, we are not talking a lot of tables. This has to be addressed or else it’s almost impossible to chat without yelling

Very annoying and disappointing experience. We had reservations for outdoor seating at 530p and arrived on time. It was a cold, windy San Francisco evening 59F, and the restaurant had plenty of empty indoor tables, but the waitress still told us all inside tables were “reserved”, unless we finished our meal by 630p we could not be seated indoors. When we offered that we could eat quickly and finish in an hour, they then said we could only order one course, which was completely unreasonable. So we were forced to sit outside. It took almost 20mins for them to turn on the outdoor heater properly. Meanwhile, when I checked OpenTable, I saw a 6p bar seating option and I immediately booked and received confirmation emails from both Resy and OpenTable. However after I told the waitress, I was told“their calendars aren’t synced,” which was clearly a lie. Food was actually good: the mushroom mousse and 2 different pastas were all delicious. But the $50 black cod was kind of mediocre. The worst part: despite us freezing thru dinner and rushing to finish by 645p, when we left, there were at least 3 empty tables inside and vacant bar seating (check my pics). It’s definitely the most frustrating and disrespectful dining experience I’ve ever had. No matter how good the pasta was, I will not go back.

Venus Zhang

Very annoying and disappointing experience. We had reservations for outdoor seating at 530p and arrived on time. It was a cold, windy San Francisco evening 59F, and the restaurant had plenty of empty indoor tables, but the waitress still told us all inside tables were “reserved”, unless we finished our meal by 630p we could not be seated indoors. When we offered that we could eat quickly and finish in an hour, they then said we could only order one course, which was completely unreasonable. So we were forced to sit outside. It took almost 20mins for them to turn on the outdoor heater properly. Meanwhile, when I checked OpenTable, I saw a 6p bar seating option and I immediately booked and received confirmation emails from both Resy and OpenTable. However after I told the waitress, I was told“their calendars aren’t synced,” which was clearly a lie. Food was actually good: the mushroom mousse and 2 different pastas were all delicious. But the $50 black cod was kind of mediocre. The worst part: despite us freezing thru dinner and rushing to finish by 645p, when we left, there were at least 3 empty tables inside and vacant bar seating (check my pics). It’s definitely the most frustrating and disrespectful dining experience I’ve ever had. No matter how good the pasta was, I will not go back.