InoVino

A hidden gem. The owner has curated a truly unique collection of wine, which is perfectly enhanced by the warm atmosphere, friendly staff, and delicious food. Their recommendations are always on point and the option for a 3oz pour makes it easy to try multiple new wines throughout the night—we always find a bottle or two to take home.

Alex

A hidden gem. The owner has curated a truly unique collection of wine, which is perfectly enhanced by the warm atmosphere, friendly staff, and delicious food. Their recommendations are always on point and the option for a 3oz pour makes it easy to try multiple new wines throughout the night—we always find a bottle or two to take home.

Noah Dahl

Very charming and cute hole in the wall Italian spot! We were immediately greeted by a kind and attentive server who was from Italy and made us feel comfortable and well taken care of. We ordered delicious spreads of meats and cheese, nuts, and the amazing picked cauliflower, carrots, onions, and bell peppers with whole star anise in the mix. While the meat and cheese board was out an order of stuffed squash blossoms came which was the perfect accompaniment with a side of tasty marinara. Next was a lamb ragout, porcini and black truffle gnocchi, and a spinach/ricotta pasta dish. We were ELATED. We capped the evening off with a delicious serving of tiramisu which was plenty to split among three (especially after tasing a considerable portion of the menu ) Great food, easy street parking, attentive servers , broad wine selection and terrific food! Will be back!

Lauren Bennett

Great neighborhood spot in Cole Valley! Some of the best charcuterie boards in the city. The staff is always very welcoming when we come in and willing to give suggestions on their selection of Italian wines

My boyfriend and I stumbled on InoVino on a Friday evening. They have limited seating but we luckily didn’t need reservations to snag a table and got a spot of their outdoor patio. Our server was friendly, timely, and had recommendations for wine and food. We each got a glass of wine and shared one of their meat and cheese boards. I would be interested to try it again, but explore more of their food options. It was a fun way to kickoff the weekend 😋

A good little spot for some flatbread pizza or some pasta. Limited menu, but a good Italian wine list. The staff cares about their restaurant and the ingrediants are good quality

The cutest little wine bar and Italian food spot within walking distance of my apartment. The artichoke appetizer was so delicious and even though I didn’t recognize at of their Italian reds I enjoyed all of the ones that we tried! We got pastas; one pesto and one vegetarian red sauce. I liked both a lot! We sat at the bar and watched it all get made which has a nice entertainment value :) will definitely come back

Isabel Hernandez

My boyfriend and I stumbled on InoVino on a Friday evening. They have limited seating but we luckily didn’t need reservations to snag a table and got a spot of their outdoor patio. Our server was friendly, timely, and had recommendations for wine and food. We each got a glass of wine and shared one of their meat and cheese boards. I would be interested to try it again, but explore more of their food options. It was a fun way to kickoff the weekend 😋

Paul-Elie Nauleau

A good little spot for some flatbread pizza or some pasta. Limited menu, but a good Italian wine list. The staff cares about their restaurant and the ingrediants are good quality

Kayla Wright

The cutest little wine bar and Italian food spot within walking distance of my apartment. The artichoke appetizer was so delicious and even though I didn’t recognize at of their Italian reds I enjoyed all of the ones that we tried! We got pastas; one pesto and one vegetarian red sauce. I liked both a lot! We sat at the bar and watched it all get made which has a nice entertainment value :) will definitely come back

Cute, inviting atmosphere — this wine bar has a cozy vibe that makes it feel like a great spot to relax. Unfortunately, the service felt extremely rushed. It almost felt like the moment we took our last bite, our plates were cleared and the check was brought over, which took away from what could’ve been a more enjoyable experience. The food was good, but nothing especially memorable or standout. Overall, a pleasant setting with decent food, but the pacing of service made the visit feel hurried rather than leisurely.

Sat down and it took them 15 minutes to even bring us a menu. In fact the only reason they brought us a menu is because we asked for one. After ordering, food took an incredibly long time to come. They gave us focaccia instead of sourdough which we asked for. The gnocchi was under seasoned. The rigatoni was over salted considering the guanciale which adds a lot of salt. The yakitori was overcooked by lamb and beef standards. To top it off, after asking for the rigatoni to have no cheese on top, it came with cheese! What a way to end it. The positives were that the pasta was cooked to a nice al dente and the bresaola was very good. Wines by the glass were reasonable. Appreciated the 3oz option for opportunity to try a few different wines.

I don’t usually write so-so reviews but I will say I wasn’t a huge fan of this place. The service was a bit slow. The portions for dinner were really small, especially for the price. Of the food options I would say the rigatoni was the best, perfectly on the al dente and a great blend of flavors. The pesto pasta was quite bland. The gnocchi was pretty one dimensional with essentially just a tomato flavor.

Portions were tiny but priced as if they were large. Pesto was mediocre; the flavor was thin. The rigatoni was pretty good though and had a nice kick. Given the size of the dishes, you really need an appetizer, salad, pasta, and dessert to get full.

Luke Knight

Sat down and it took them 15 minutes to even bring us a menu. In fact the only reason they brought us a menu is because we asked for one. After ordering, food took an incredibly long time to come. They gave us focaccia instead of sourdough which we asked for. The gnocchi was under seasoned. The rigatoni was over salted considering the guanciale which adds a lot of salt. The yakitori was overcooked by lamb and beef standards. To top it off, after asking for the rigatoni to have no cheese on top, it came with cheese! What a way to end it. The positives were that the pasta was cooked to a nice al dente and the bresaola was very good. Wines by the glass were reasonable. Appreciated the 3oz option for opportunity to try a few different wines.

Margaret Guo

I don’t usually write so-so reviews but I will say I wasn’t a huge fan of this place. The service was a bit slow. The portions for dinner were really small, especially for the price. Of the food options I would say the rigatoni was the best, perfectly on the al dente and a great blend of flavors. The pesto pasta was quite bland. The gnocchi was pretty one dimensional with essentially just a tomato flavor.

Cyrus Ghaznavi

Portions were tiny but priced as if they were large. Pesto was mediocre; the flavor was thin. The rigatoni was pretty good though and had a nice kick. Given the size of the dishes, you really need an appetizer, salad, pasta, and dessert to get full.

SF Eater recommends this place. I do not know why. Small selection of wines by the glass and an offbeatcselection as well. While that may sometimes be good, we tasted 5 wines and none were very good. Thexservice was poor too. Tinned seafood is pricey. Best part of visit was the meat charcuterie. Not recommended, especially in a town full of good wine.

Pros: food and wine were good. Same with service. Cons: it is small and the tables are very close together. So it is loud and not intimate. Also a bit brightly lit. Not a place for a date.

J G

Pros: food and wine were good. Same with service. Cons: it is small and the tables are very close together. So it is loud and not intimate. Also a bit brightly lit. Not a place for a date.

Robert Kaestner

SF Eater recommends this place. I do not know why. Small selection of wines by the glass and an offbeatcselection as well. While that may sometimes be good, we tasted 5 wines and none were very good. Thexservice was poor too. Tinned seafood is pricey. Best part of visit was the meat charcuterie. Not recommended, especially in a town full of good wine.

came for happy hour (weekdays 3-5pm) and food and drinks were pretty tasty but service was terrible. wouldn’t go back just for the lousy service. service: it took 30 minutes after ordering to get any of our food and drinks and even water! i called for the waiter multiple times and was ignored consistently. when they finally came out with drinks, they forgot my drink and then gave me the wrong one! a part of me felt like it was racially motivated since the waiter attended the adjacent tables fairly closely. prices: the spritz’ were $14 which is pricy for a happy hour. felt like we were paying regular prices. food/drink: meyer lemon spritz: the best spritz on their menu. i enjoyed it a lot and was refreshing 2 cheese 2 meat board: this was actually really good, high quality meats/cheese and accompaniments

Andrea Santos

came for happy hour (weekdays 3-5pm) and food and drinks were pretty tasty but service was terrible. wouldn’t go back just for the lousy service. service: it took 30 minutes after ordering to get any of our food and drinks and even water! i called for the waiter multiple times and was ignored consistently. when they finally came out with drinks, they forgot my drink and then gave me the wrong one! a part of me felt like it was racially motivated since the waiter attended the adjacent tables fairly closely. prices: the spritz’ were $14 which is pricy for a happy hour. felt like we were paying regular prices. food/drink: meyer lemon spritz: the best spritz on their menu. i enjoyed it a lot and was refreshing 2 cheese 2 meat board: this was actually really good, high quality meats/cheese and accompaniments

I came at 4:45 for the happy hour which lasted until 5. When we sat down and asked if we could have the happy hour menu they said it was too late. When we said that it wasnt 5 pm, the waitress laughed and left. I then ordered a small wine and was charged double for the big glass. Waitress was quite rude and standoffish. I dont think i would come back here.

Rafi Amar

I came at 4:45 for the happy hour which lasted until 5. When we sat down and asked if we could have the happy hour menu they said it was too late. When we said that it wasnt 5 pm, the waitress laughed and left. I then ordered a small wine and was charged double for the big glass. Waitress was quite rude and standoffish. I dont think i would come back here.

InoVino is a disaster. The food is overpriced, and the service is appalling. It doesn’t even compete with the other Italian restaurant in the neighborhood, Bambino’s, which is significantly better. The food is nothing to write home about, the meatballs were bland, the pasta undercooked, the insalata has no depth. Portions were laughably small for the absurd prices they charge. There was at least a 25 min gap between our appetizers and entrees and the pinsa was served lukewarm. After receiving our bill, we noticed the “SF Mandates Employee Benefits” junk fee of 5% which is not required by law. We rightly deducted this from the tip, leaving a more than generous total of 17% for the quality of the service and restaurant. Apparently, that wasn’t enough for our server, who decided to confront us, yelling why we left a “10% tip”. Even if you do remove the fee portion, I’m not sure how he arrived upon this number. We calmly explained to him that we subtracted the tip based on the fee he charged us following which he again screamed at us to leave the restaurant and never come back again. Having a difference of opinion is ok, but screaming at your patrons and the toxic behavior which is evident from the replies the owner leaves on others’ reviews, makes me worried for others who visit this despicable restaurant. We’re certainly not missing out on being barred from this substandard place. I’m sure the owner’s inevitable unhinged reply will only reinforce what a dumpster fire this place truly is. Attached are images of our receipt and the food.

Shiv Kehr

InoVino is a disaster. The food is overpriced, and the service is appalling. It doesn’t even compete with the other Italian restaurant in the neighborhood, Bambino’s, which is significantly better. The food is nothing to write home about, the meatballs were bland, the pasta undercooked, the insalata has no depth. Portions were laughably small for the absurd prices they charge. There was at least a 25 min gap between our appetizers and entrees and the pinsa was served lukewarm. After receiving our bill, we noticed the “SF Mandates Employee Benefits” junk fee of 5% which is not required by law. We rightly deducted this from the tip, leaving a more than generous total of 17% for the quality of the service and restaurant. Apparently, that wasn’t enough for our server, who decided to confront us, yelling why we left a “10% tip”. Even if you do remove the fee portion, I’m not sure how he arrived upon this number. We calmly explained to him that we subtracted the tip based on the fee he charged us following which he again screamed at us to leave the restaurant and never come back again. Having a difference of opinion is ok, but screaming at your patrons and the toxic behavior which is evident from the replies the owner leaves on others’ reviews, makes me worried for others who visit this despicable restaurant. We’re certainly not missing out on being barred from this substandard place. I’m sure the owner’s inevitable unhinged reply will only reinforce what a dumpster fire this place truly is. Attached are images of our receipt and the food.

Why can’t you give zeros??? Inovino might just be San Francisco’s premier restaurant for anyone who enjoys being publicly humiliated by a host with a grudge. We showed up for our confirmed 7:00 pm reservation, only to be told that—surprise!—it wouldn’t be honored because the host didn’t feel like working past 9:00 pm. Apparently, the owners hadn’t staffed properly, so instead of handling it professionally, the staff decided the solution was to torch the customer experience right in our faces. Let me translate: at Inovino, your reservation is basically a polite suggestion, and your presence as a paying guest is viewed as an annoying obstacle to their workplace soap opera. Imagine spending your time getting ready for dinner, arriving on time, and then being told: “Yeah, nah, we’re mad at our boss, so you don’t get to eat here.” It was less “hospitality” and more “petty meltdown in real time.” San Francisco has world-class restaurants run by people who actually understand food and service. Inovino is not one of them. This is amateur hour in a city that doesn’t tolerate amateurs. Do yourself a favor and book literally anywhere else—unless, of course, you’re in the mood for a masterclass in how to alienate customers, sabotage your own business, and turn dining into a cringe reality show. Avoid Inovino. Unless your idea of a good night out is being treated like collateral damage in a staff tantrum, in which case—bon appétit.

Poor Management and Unpleasant Experience We came to Ino Vino with two separate reservations (a group of three and a group of four) and clearly asked to be treated as two distinct tables. The food arrived late, part of it was incorrect, but the waitress remained polite. The real problem began when the restaurant combined both groups into one bill and automatically added a 25% service charge. When we questioned it—especially given the disrespectful attitude we received from the manager—we were told the charge was “the law” and threatened with the police when we didn’t immediately agree to pay. A simple billing request turned into an uncomfortable and unnecessarily hostile situation. We won’t be returning.

Great Hill

Why can’t you give zeros??? Inovino might just be San Francisco’s premier restaurant for anyone who enjoys being publicly humiliated by a host with a grudge. We showed up for our confirmed 7:00 pm reservation, only to be told that—surprise!—it wouldn’t be honored because the host didn’t feel like working past 9:00 pm. Apparently, the owners hadn’t staffed properly, so instead of handling it professionally, the staff decided the solution was to torch the customer experience right in our faces. Let me translate: at Inovino, your reservation is basically a polite suggestion, and your presence as a paying guest is viewed as an annoying obstacle to their workplace soap opera. Imagine spending your time getting ready for dinner, arriving on time, and then being told: “Yeah, nah, we’re mad at our boss, so you don’t get to eat here.” It was less “hospitality” and more “petty meltdown in real time.” San Francisco has world-class restaurants run by people who actually understand food and service. Inovino is not one of them. This is amateur hour in a city that doesn’t tolerate amateurs. Do yourself a favor and book literally anywhere else—unless, of course, you’re in the mood for a masterclass in how to alienate customers, sabotage your own business, and turn dining into a cringe reality show. Avoid Inovino. Unless your idea of a good night out is being treated like collateral damage in a staff tantrum, in which case—bon appétit.