La Ciccia

I want husband and wife owners Lorella and Massimo to be my parents. The moment I stepped inside, I felt like I was back in Italy. delicious food and such a warm family feel! more

You'll appreciate this place most if you have been to Sardinia (Sardegna), the small island state of Italy that is south of French Corsica. It's a place off the beaten path, culturally and politically autonomous from Italy for many years, and of course with its very own regional flare. I spent a couple of years living in Sardinia in the US Navy many years ago and came to love that island and its delicacies- unique cheeses, wines, apertifs, and local dishes from town to town. I ate wild boar, hedgehog, and various things I can't even describe there. And on hot nights in the summer, ""real"" gelato in the piazza in downtown Palau, of course. Italian food became my lifelong ""comfort food"". And La Ciccia became my ""special place"" where I reward or console myself whenever I feel like treating myself to something that always brings good memories. The owners extend such hospitality and warmth- I work in healthcare so I know how difficult it is to be so friendly every single day while working so hard- but I've known about this place for years and they never seem to fail at the hospitality part of their business- how very Italian- and how very Sardinian. They regard your enjoyment with grave concern. I really do love this place and I'm so glad its there when I need it. more

An excellent choice if you and your significant other, or a couple friends, want to get out of the city crowd. (Please note it is located outside the heart of the city). While the service speed isn't quite as speedy as I expected, it seemed acceptable since it's a relaxed atmosphere. Food portions were perfect and delicious. They have interesting menu options since they stick to their Sardinian theme. Before dinner, I mentioned it was my friend's birthday. After she turned down the dessert menu, the waitstaff was nice enough to bring out a complimentary sweet, topped with a birthday candle. You can easily tell the staff cares about their guests. Pros: Close to numerous bus lines. Great staff! Cons: Difficult to be seated with no reservation more

This is not a review as such because many local yelpers have done such a great job reviewing the seasonal... more

This is not a review as such because many local yelpers have done such a great job reviewing the seasonal offerings of one of the truly great neigh... more

The people here are fantastic. They were friendly over the phone and in person, and were authentic about it. Noe Valley is lucky to have such a great place in the neighborhood. Pros: Food, Service, People Cons: Salt, Wine (Cost) more

We are so lucky to have this gem of a restaurant in our little neighborhood of Noe Valley. The food is fabulous, distinctive, while still not straying too far from its roots. The owners are delightful and make their guests feel very at home. The atmosphere is simple and lively (primarily because the place is always packed!!) Have been there several times and have not been disappointed. Pros: delicious food, very nice atmosphere Cons: not great for parking more

Not your parents' Italian eatery, unless they travel a LOT! This is the most interesting small, neighborhoody Italian restaurant we've discovered in many years. Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Philiadelphia, New York Italian have nothing on this: unusual seafood choices, interesting combinations of meats, nicely selected vegetable dishes, it's terrific. Tomato sauces? Fuggedaboudit! LaCiccia is not really about red tomato sauces (though I suppose they have some). It's everything else! Simple, elegant, small. Not the biggest place, not the biggest wine list, not the biggest selection of dishes. But each is authentic and wholesome. Waitstaff? We've found them outstanding in each of our visits. Pros: Unique, regional, rural, simple italian: not like all those other italian restaurants! Cons: Small, a little close. more

The food is quite unique and delicious. Not at all your typical Italian food. Sometimes the dishes need a bit more salt, like the pasta with mushrooms, but overall the flavors are fresh and tasty. Nice simple green salad and delicious, light saffron cheesecake for dessert. Great service. The one detraction is the interior wall color. It has bothered me every time I've gone there. The most recent time, I polled the members of my group about it with an open-ended question, and no one liked it. It just doesn't feel warm and inviting. Overall, a place definitely worth going to. more

One of the best restaurant experiences i have had in SF. The dishes were authentic, this is not Tuscan cuisine so keep an open mind and learn a little bit about a really underrated culinary region. the pizza was good, and the homemade prosciutto was amazing. the entrees were equally excellent. The dishes have very unique flavors, juniper with the wild boar stew, what a great idea. very well thought out wine list with great depth and breadth. very highly recommended. well priced for the quality as well. Pros: wine, authentic cuisine, friendly owners Cons: crowded more

FANTASTIC. I haven't had better Italian food in San Francisco. I haven't had better Italian food in some parts of Italy. The food, the wine, the staff, and the owners were all exceptional and very authentic. I had a fresh pasta in olive oil and porcini, with fresh black truffle (a lot of it!) shaved over the top. The salad, the dessers, I only regret not coming with a bigger appetite. After reading the a couple of the less-positive reviews, I have to wonder if they found their groove over the last few months. I'm looking forward to my next visit. Pros: Food, authenticity, staff, wine, simple decor Cons: crowed more

Great dishes, extremely authentic, it's like being in Italy again. DELICIOUS!!!! A romantic restaurant, good for dates. Pros: Ambience, Authentic Italian food Cons: Potential wait more

(extremely enjoyable!) Reading these reviews on a restaurant can be frustrating - But after reading the lukewarm reviews of the others, I decided I had to try it myself. SOOOO glad I did. Pros: food and wine Cons: parking (as always!) more

Although the lady that works there is really sweet and the ambiance is pretty cool, I really didn't think the food was that great, especially for the price. There's always a ton of people there and it just boggles my mind, as there was be dozens of better Italian places in the city. The waiter seemed annoyed that I did not order wine like my boyfriend did or that I didn't order something more expensive. The pizza was dry and the tuna with mint just tasted weird and was also dry. The green salad was good though. I might try this place again except I'm turned off by the prices. Pros: location, ambiance Cons: food, prices more

What a marvelous cuisine! Food & service were great. A nice personal touch with the chef-owner coming out into the dining room and meeting every table. It's a full house on a Saturday evening. So if you are going, make reservations & get there early. definately a ""keeper"". more

The service was fine and the wine selection abundant. The waitstaff was very helpful assisting our selection of a wine. I did, however, find the food less than fine. First, they served bread with neither butter nor olive oil and balsamic. The daily special appetizer of heirloom tomotoes was very unexciting. Our second appetizer - Mozzarella with Roasted Peppers and Zucchini - was again all right. I was disappointed with the Vermentino braised Tuna with fresh Tomatoes and Mint. The tuna was overcooked to the point where it was dry and flavorless. the tomatoes and mint turned out to be a tomato sauce in which I felt the mint really couldn't compete with the acid of the tomato. It was more like a tuna stew. The beef dish served to our table was - on the other hand -quite tasty. This I would recommend. We only tasted one dessert - the Ricotta and Saffron Cake served with Candied Fruits. The cake was fine; but the candied fruits were actually raisins, which I felt added nothing to the dish other than an obstacle to the cake. I think they have an interesting array of dishes from what I sampled; but I feel some dishes need fine-tuning. more

This is the type of restaurant I love. La Ciccia serves great and simple delicious food and has a fantastic wine list. Pros: great food more

Definitely one of the best restaurant in North Cal, great food and great wine list (some of the best values in town). La Ciccia is like dining in Italy without traveling, the restaurant can get very busy but the food and service is always first rate. Pros: Food and wine more