Perbacco
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 955-0663
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Battery Street
- Best of Citysearch:
- Italian Food 2007
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri 11:30am-11pm, Sat 5:30pm-11pm
Editorial Review for Perbacco – by Gina Goff
The Scene
A steel sign bearing the restaurant's name (an Italian expression that loosely translates to "wow") welcomes diners into this befittingly striking eatery. Soaring ceilings with blond-wood accents and a sleek, marble-topped bar add modern appeal to the 6,000-square-foot, historic warehouse space, which retains its 1912 brick wall. Partially carpeted flooring softens the din from the exhibition kitchen in back, where an eight-seat chef's table resides nearby. Well-versed servers easily transition between power-lunching daytime diners and the more languorous evening crowd: a mix of silver-haired society folk, small groups conducting business after five and well-dressed 30-something couples.
The Food
The seasonal menu takes diners on a culinary tour through Piedmont by way of Liguria and Provence. An array of meltingly tender crudo and house-cured salumi are simply plated to showcase the fresh flavors. Other highlights include the gorgonzola-butter-dressed ribeye and handmade, filled pastas, which are taken to new levels with the ricotta-and-chard-stuffed pansotti in a mouth-watering walnut-butter sauce.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
The ExtrasThe flaky chocolate tart with dulche de leche, candied hazelnuts and fresh-whipped cream provides the perfect sweet finish.
What to DrinkA wide selection of quarter liters, half-bottles and by-the-glass options allow oenophiles to taste their way through the wine list. Don't be shy about asking for help with pairings.
ParkingValet parking in a secured lot is offered in the evenings for $10.
User Reviews for Perbacco
03/23/2008 Posted by buttermilk
I was looking forward to Perbacco based on some of the reviews I had read about it, but left disappointed and with somewhat of a bad taste in my mouth. I went with a group of four for the last seating on a Friday night. Upon sitting down, we were promptly informed that the kitchen was closing and we had t hurry. This set the tone for the rest of the evening, where the staff rushed us almost to the point of rudeness. For example, three separate runners came by to try to take our shared appetizer plates, the first of which came by when we were only half finished. In addition, the tables are supported by a big round foot on the bottom, making it impossible to pull your chair in very well. As a result, I was bumped by at least six different servers as they made their way to other tables, and not once did one of them apologize. The space is so cramped that I almost knocked a tray of water out of a passing server's hands simply by turning around in my seat -- and was a little surprised to be glared at for this. On the positive side, the house-cured meats were excellent, as is the wine list. Pastas were on the down side, with tired noodles and overdone, gelatinous sauces. They tasted like they been under a heat lamp for half an hour. They probably were, ever since the first person tried to take our half-eaten appetizers! My final observation is that there were some very interesting customers; either the female customers in this restaurant have horrible fashion sense or the place was crawling with Ladies of the Night. Given its business district location, I'm betting on the latter. Overall, Perbacco is worth neither the price nor the hassle.
Pros: Wine list, house-cured meats
Cons: Service, pastas
09/04/2007 Posted by vaportrail
Took my SO here on a date. We were seated promptly, service was solid. Maybe it is the over stimulation of living in SF, but I was not all that impressed. Food was good/ great but not memorable. Not much to make this place stand out from the crowd.
Users Like You Also Viewed
Cacciucco Restaurant
300 Valley St Ste 207
Sausalito, CA 94965
Salt House
545 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94150
