Pesce Seafood Bar

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2227 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109

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(415) 928-8025
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Pesce Seafood Bar - San Francisco, CA
Reviews
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Best

Pesce is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. They have a great selection of fresh oysters (try a vodka shooter here!) and a decent wine list. You can't go wrong with any...

Worst

All reviews seem positive

The food here is so creative and fresh... 9/28/2007

Pesce is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. They have a great selection of fresh oysters (try a vodka shooter here!) and a decent wine list. You can't go wrong with any of their seafood dishes. I love the seafood soup (not the cioppino). The orzo/crab salad is delicious as well. Their menu changes all the time, so try something different. Service is usually good also. Great food, great wine, great service, great ambiance! Pros: Beautiful space, great food Cons: sometimes long waits more
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Good Tapa's great Value 8/19/2007

my boyfriend and I had reservations at Pacific Catch, and arrived there via cab only to decide that it looks like Taco Hell, so we decided to make a back up plan. We caught another cab and went to Pesca, we walked in and was seated imedaitely. The decor was clean and kinda hip, the bartender was full of personality, and they bought our first drink on the house! We were seated promptly, and ordered a multiple tapas, the Crab pasta dish was great, big portions. The veggies were the best the green beans with lemon zest. The grilled asparagus and sole with capers in a garlic lemon butter was the best. Only draw back was a homeless man stuck his head into the door and scared me to death by sneaking up on me and asking for money. He was quickly asked to leave by the bannister. Easy to catch a cab going back to the hotel in the finance district. Good meal total tab was $115.00 for 2 people and we had 8 cockatils / glasses of wine. Pros: Great value on the tapas, easy parking could be found Cons: fish was alittle salty, homeless people hanging around the community more
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Think Venice without the pigeons 7/6/2007

This place is so authentic you will be looking over your shoulder for the pigeons...the dishes here remind us of Venice, and the fact that they offer the small dishes (cicchetti) encourages you to try everything....best dishes are (remember the menu changes frequently) halibut fixed in a variety of ways....octopus both in cold salad and warm with potatoes, grilled sardines...truely amazing...and the best selection of Italian wines a small restaurant could have Pros: Food, service, wine and ambience Cons: parking...always a challange in this neighborhood more
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Excellent seafood, great service! 11/1/2006

I am new to the area and thought I'd try a hand at seafood small plates. All of their seafood is the freshest. Highlights were scallops with chanterelle mushrooms and truffle oil and fresh clams and oysters. The bellini cocktail was also delightful. Was very pleased and all of the positive reviews below are all right on! Pros: small plates for sharing, fresh seafood more
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One of my favorite "small plate" places in the city 10/31/2006

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I love the small plates. It lets you try different things without overstuffing yourself on one dish. One of my favorites is this fresh crab tower. It's is very refreshing. It has lemon and avacado mixed into chilled fresh crab shaped into this little tower. Unfortunately it's seasonal. They also make very nice cocktails and use fresh ingridients. They use fresh fruits rather than mixers for many of their drinks. I guess raw oysters is pretty much the same wherever you go, but they always have a nice selection and I always order 6-12 on each visit. The service is always good. Great place. I wish there were more restaurants like this in the area (maybe there are). Pros: food, fresh crab, oysters Cons: none really, maybe the drunken tuna :p more
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Great Local Hub for Two or Stag! 10/8/2006

This is a great restaurant that is medium priced considering its neighbors. Can get a little crazy on Fri & Sat with the noise level too high and the fallout of drunken Russian Hill personas after a sporting event. Most often than not, you can get a seat immediately at the bar. Don't expect great service from Reza, unless you're a pretty girl. The other female bartendar is very cool and has great suggestions. Favorite Dish: Drunken Tuna (which is off the menu right now) Pros: Price, Ease of walking in, menu demonstrates local harvest in season Cons: parking, neighboring sports bars more
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Small plates - big plate it's all good 7/27/2006

Had dinner on a Thursday night. We were able to sit quickly and enjoyed the evening. The server made a great wine recommendation that went great with our food. You have to try the swordfish rolls. They were out of this world! The oysters and crab linguine were great too. Pros: Great food, good wine list, intelligent server Cons: parking, small space more
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Very good seafood small plates for lite dinner or larger plates for full meal 7/26/2006

I have gone to Pesce a few times and have not been disappointed. If you just want a light dinner they have reasonably priced small plates or full size dinner plates. Loved the sardines, if you don't mind the bones and the fish stew was very good too. The atmosphere is warm and cozy, very unpretentious, great neighborhood place. Pros: Can just drop in, no attitude Cons: If busy you may wait or eat at the counter (not so bad) more
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Excellent all around 7/14/2006

Finally a mid-range restaurant in SF that delivers. My friend and I ordered the smoked fish sampler plate (particulary fond of the sturgeon!) and the crab rissotto tortino, which I have since attempted to recreate chez moi (close, but not as good as at the restaurant!). Both were fresh, tasty, well-prepared and serve by a nice but non-intrusive. Very satisfied. Pros: fresh, excellent quality seafood & interesting preparations Cons: none more
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User review by lotsofmoney 4/8/2006

The raw oyster was fresh, the crab was really good, and you have to try the sidecar. It is the best drink I ever had at a restaurant. more
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Good food, small plates 2/19/2006

So the food was pretty good here, but everything that we ordered came in such small portions. Not sure why this was but just our pics I guess. Overall it was a very good restaurant that had some really good food. I felt the service was a bit mediocre and some of the folks seemed somewhat pushy. more
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Better tapas in the city 11/18/2005

My friend took me here last week and I was pleasantly surprised! The four of us tried altogether 8 dishes and most of them were delicious. My favorites include the black olive gnocchi, bruschetta trio, mussels, and scallops. Drunken tuna, though sounds cool, was not as good (strong red wine smell but was overcooked). The lamb shank was popular but I would try something else first. Do not need to get 2-3 plates/person...way too much food. Should average it to about 1.5 plates. Tiramisu was good...bread pudding also but not as moist as I would like. Overall, I think this is one of the tapas in SF that's worth trying first. Pros: Tapas, Variety Cons: Small, Too busy more
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misleading editorial 10/8/2005

Just wanted to note that yes, this place has very good food, but contrary to the Editorial profile, it is not at all elegant. This is a casual Polk St restaurant that does not have a noteworthy ambiance or decor. Also it is quite small. It is not romantic and tonight there was a kind of annoying techno music in the background. The tiny back room can be extremely noisy if there is a large table back there. A good place for a casual dinner with friends or a group. Not for a special evening. Pros: food Cons: mediocre ambience, can be loud, parking more
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Great food and drinks! 8/24/2005

I've brought friends here, and they always love it as much (or even more!) than I do. The atmosphere of this place feels cute and cozy. All the food here tastes really fresh and delicious. They offer both wine and cocktails, which can be a nice change of pace. If you go for a cocktail, I recommend that you try their Ginger Rogers (if you like ginger, you'll like this). I don't recommend their sangria, though. The service ranges from average (at tables) to excellent (at the bar), but overall this restaurant is among the top of my list. I keep coming back, because the food is so good. Make sure you notice the chalkboard menu on the wall with daily entrees listed. The menu that they actually hand you is a list of all smaller portion items. Pros: seafood, food, atmosphere, ginger rogers! more
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wow, what a great place 8/11/2005

Went there earlier this week and was HIGHLY IMPRESSED by the GREAT GREAT food. Very very good. Will certainly go back again when i'm in town and encourage any of you to check it out. Definitely good stuff on every dimension. The only complaint reinforces something a previous post mentioned. I think my party of five was typecast as "tourists" and I sensed an annoyance on part of our waiter. He got better as the night wore on, but initially you could sense "irritation" on his part. Dumb tourists, he no doubt thought. Well, he was waiting on business-trip people who all had PhD's. Would I go back though? Sure, I would. The food is fantastic. (And we did leave a 20% tip, by the way). Pros: food, food, food Cons: waitstaff more
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User review by rubiacaliente 7/29/2005

This place is a definite keeper! I've been a few times both with friends and most recently on a date. The oyster shooters are fantastic...the coolness of the cucumber is super refreshing coupled with the fresh horseradish and squeeze of lemon & is a nice start to enjoy while you're waiting on other items to arrive. The seared ahi on a bed of fresh argula was cooked perfectly (read: medium rare) & could easily have been a large plate or an entree. The smoked trio of fish is a nice starter & the fennel encrusted halibut was to die for! We polished off the meal with tiramisu which had a nice flavor with lady fingers that weren't overly soaked in espresso/kahlua. Nice wine list & the owner, Reza, and our bartender server were both fantastic. Pros: Great food, Great service, Great value Cons: Parking more
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Good food 5/3/2005

This place was great. It started off rocky with the bartender spilling an entire glass of water in my lap, but the food was very good. The small plates are bigger than normal tapas. The drinks were interesting. Good wine list. The seafood was fresh and the ambience was cool. I had the seafood risotto. REAL tasty! The tuna was fantastic and the lamp chop was great too. The service was just ok, but we had a great time! Pros: Ambience, Small Plates, fun Cons: service more
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Great little place 1/14/2005

Recently, I was listening to a talk show on KGO and I heard the Chronicle's Food Critic Michael Bauer say that Pesce was one of his two favorite Italian restaurants in the City. I have to say that I couldn't agree more. Great little place. Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance more
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YUM! 8/15/2004

I have brought a number of family and friends here, and everyone has been impressed. The food is delicious, the service is wonderful, and the timing of the food is great. If you don't want to wait, I suggest going on a weekday or getting there early. Enjoy! Pros: diverse menu, satisfying food more
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Amazing Service 7/21/2004

Ignore the not-too-helpful "average" review posted. The reason why the "portions are small" is because its a small plates restaurant. Duh. And the back corner? I couldn't have asked for a more romantic intimate setting when I took my significant other. If you want more hustle and bustle, sit at the bar. Speaking of hustle, the night I was dining there the place was filled to capacity, and my server (the striking, sassy blonde) was slammed. Still, she managed to provide us with exquisite service, committing all of the dishes we ordered (ten or eleven I believe) to memory, and as soon as we were done with one, another appeared. Most importantly, I thought the food (especially the swordfish rolls) and the wine pairings were excellent. What a fantastic menu. I highly recommend this restaurant. It's a gem of a place. Pros: Service, Drinks, Menu more
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Menu for Pesce Seafood Bar


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Editorial

  • In Short
    Diners can sit either at the zinc bar or in the mahogany dining room. The menu features the regional seafood cuisine of Venice, Italy--specifically the small-plate dishes known as "cicchetti." Akin to Spanich tapas, the Venetian specialty includes dishes like braised octopus salad with potatoes, celery and garlic-lemon vinaigrette, or seared day boat scallops on arugula with roasted fennel. Full-size seafood dishes are also available.

  • 3/3/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Sunday through Thursday 5:00-10:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 5:00-11:00 PM
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Master Card, Discover
  • Neighborhoods: Russian Hill, Northeast
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