Doesn't Recommend

TopShef

Joined 5 years ago

Horrible Service - Very Unprofessional. I have eaten at the restaurant a few times now and have not been overly impressed with the food; however, my last experience was enough to keep me from ever setting foot in the restaurant again. I went to the restaurant with a friend of mine this last Sunday and the place was dead (only two tables taken when we walked in). I politely told the hostess that we were only going to be ordering desert and maybe a bottle of wine or coffee. She replied that we have to sit at the bar if that is all we are ordering. No problem I thought ? we walked over to the bar area and sat at a high top table just next to the bar (can actually see this in the picture they have on this site). The hostess rudely approached us and said we were not allowed to sit at the high top and that they have ?rules that need to followed?. I politely asked if all the tables were reserved and if they were planning on having a rush of people to which she responded ?rules are rules? Moral of the story is that I walked out and I do not plan on returning. If the restaurant was full I could understand (and even then feel it is wrong) but seeing how it was empty I feel as though it was a very bad play on their part and definitely not handled in the right manner. There are much better places to visit in this City.

Recommends

catholicoldman

Joined 6 years ago

Rose Pistola -- A North Beach Must.... What a great place to eat! I was there on a Saturday night and really enjoyed the Jazz. I happen to be a Spumante fiend and truly enjoyed the Ca? del Bosco ?Brut? Franciacorta, Lombardia.

We started with the Iron Roasted Skillet Mussels and Ahi Tuna Tartare with Green Olive Tapenade & Grilled Ciabatta as appatisers. Then we had the Mixed Grill for Two, which is a wonderful combination of Tai Snapper, Calamari, Mussles and Whole Shrimp. Then for desert you cannot miss having the Brown Sugar Corn Cake with Blueberry Basil Sorbetto & Fresh Blueberries -- it was out of this world!

For really GREAT service please be sure to ask for Jen -- she really makes this place ROCK.

Recommends

calladaddy

Joined 6 years ago

Rose Pistola a Great Dining Experience!. This is only my second review online. In my last review I stated that Terzo was one of the best eating experiences in my 80 years in SF. Well, Mike over at Terzo recommended that I visit his wife here at Rose Pistola. Sorry Mike, I think I have to ammend my previous statement.

I've got to say that Jen at Rose Pistola was the shining star of this place. Her knowledge of wine and cusine was highly impressive. If she wasn't already taken and I wasn't swinging the other way...

I really had a great evening. I followed Jen's recommendations all the way and enjoyed everything!

Lauri, the owner sure knows how to pick her staff!

I'm definitely coming back!

If you don't ask for Jen when you visit Rose Pistola you have no one to blame but yourself!

Thanks Jen!

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ishafoodlover

Joined 6 years ago

Love, love, love it. Love,love,love it.

I'v eaten there many times and The food is always great (super fresh & authentic) the servers are always friendly and knowledgeable. I would recomend it to anyone that likes "real food' or would like to try real italian

Doesn't Recommend

randykaiser

Joined 6 years ago

Extremely disappointed. My wife and I chose a late dinner to hopefully enjoy the live music while we dined. But the noise level in the building was so high, it was impossible to hear the band. Besides that, the service was poor, especially the bartender who continued a conversation for roughly five minutes while I waited to place my order. The food was average at best. Prices are way too high for such average food and service.

Doesn't Recommend

italian_baker

Joined 6 years ago

Disappointing. I had been to Rose Pistola's a few times in the past & thought that it was very good. Last night I took my fifteen year old son to the restaurant expecting it to be the same as it was in the past. Let me tell you that it was not! 1st, I had a reservation when most people were just walking in and we were seated at one of the worst tables in the house. I am of Italian descent and specifically Ligurian which is the type of food that they profess to serve. I ordered the Farinata for an appetizer which is made from Garbanzo Bean flour. It has a mild and slightly nutty flavor, when done properly. It wasn't, it was burnt to the point of not being able to taste anything but the charcoal. For our entrees, my son ordered the Osso Buco & I ordered the whole grilled sole. Osso Buco is veal shank which comes with a rich, deep sauce. The meat was over done to the point of being stringy and tough. They put Arugula on top which had a vinagrette dressing that was so acid that it actually overpowered the sauce and changed it's character, (it should of been dresed lightly with olive oil). As an aside, this dish traditionally comes with polenta but they took the easy way out and served it with mashed potatoes. The grilled sole was done well but then they laided it in a bed of greens they were covered in a lemony broth that ruined the crispness of the sole, again overpowering the delicate fish. My son had a diet Pepsi with a refill(which they charged for) and I had one glass of wine. The bill was $92 which I expected to pay but charge for one refill of soda? The wait staff are all young and as far as I could see were all girls, which were all standing around the kitchen talking to each other rather than being attentive to the customers.

All in all, the whole experience was just horrible and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.

As an aside, this is my first review of a restaurant. I registered onto Citysearch because of how horrible this experience was and just had to vent.

Recommends

tallandcreepy

Joined 6 years ago

Fantastic service, great food, huge wine list!. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable on the wine list. He suggested a fantastic Barolo for under $100.

If we had been thin skinned, our meal might have been ruined by the 10 people ranging from ages 8-108 sitting behind us.

They demanded his attention, claimed to be ready, then made the poor guy stand there and answer 100 questions, on top of wanting to change every order from what was printed on the menu. Through all of that our server still dealt with them in such a pleasant manner.

I don't understand why people go out to a nice restaurant and demand that the restaurant cooks the food in a way other than the menu suggests. I understand allergies etc... but just not wanting to try something different is not a good excuse. STAY AT HOME if you want to do that.

Food Great, Service Great, Wine Great,

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audreyjl

Joined 7 years ago

ok. We came here after work for some wine and a light dinner and found just that. Although our watiress was not knowledgable at all on the wine list which was somewhat annoying because the list is quite extensive. We had a few appetizers, all were tasty. The place is pricey, but has a nice atmosphere, but would have expected better service overall from the decor, attitude and price of the place. Had a nice time.

Recommends

stentorian

Joined 6 years ago

Kid Friendly. Made an early reservation in mid January for a party of 4, including my almost two year old son. Although we arrived before the kitchen opened, we were graciously invited to wait at the well stocked, comfortable bar. The bar staff was friendly, courteous, and professional.

At dinner our server, Natasha, provided assistance with entree choices and wine selection. Her recommendations did not disappoint. My osso buco was very good, and my dinner companions were pleased with their lamb chops. Appetizers and desserts were also very good. The service was excellent.

While Rose Pistola is not the place for your child's birthday party, we experienced no difficulty about our son, even after he became cranky. Of course, we did dine early, before the tables became exceedingly busy. This is a marvelous restaurant in a hopping area of San Francisco. It was on the expensive side but worth it.

Recommends

dewalker

Joined 7 years ago

Reliable fallback. I like the fact that you can order food here late, though it will be a limited menu. Good- not great- Italian. You don't get good house cured sardines everywhere, and the very-thin-crust pizza is very very good. The octopus is shockingly overcooked, even for Italian. Portions could be a bit more generous, and I'm not into humongous meals.