Reviews & Ratings for Lupa

05/11/08

Real Italy

by piotrowski at Citysearch

GREAT ITALIAN FOOD without N. Beach prices, parking or wait times. We take out of town guests here including the Italian ones. Everyone loves it. It has a wonderful neighborhood atmosphere. Most of the staff are Italian or speak it fluently. This isn't the Americanized red sauce stuff. (I do not think I've ever eaten anything here with a red sauce.) The wine list is simple yet it has many wonderful wines of Italy with a knowledgeable staff. I've learned the owner / chef had a restaurant in Rome before coming to America and many of the wait staff are Italian students. The staff works well together. The fish specials are wonderful but don?t expect to see salmon in 2008 because it is not available wild and they do not serve farmed. (Yah!) Although we live in the East Bay, we have become regulars. Were a little biased but for good reason. Buon appetito! PS: The bread is really fresh and gooood...

08/28/07

Awesome rigatoni, awesome fettucini, awesome carpaccio.....

by eurosurfergirl at Citysearch

Coming from Italy and now living here, this is one of my favorite places! I just wish I found it sooner when I moved here 9 months ago. Service is impeccable, I always go a little early so that the waiter isn't swamped and can actually hang out and talk a little. Every suggestion he's made has been wonderful even though I mostly try the specials each time I go. Lupa and La Ciccia are by far the best little authentic italian restaurants in the city!!

• Pros: Not too many people know about this place yet
• Cons: Stomach never big enough to eat everything I want here!

08/22/07

new rule: two strikes and you're out!

by graymalkin at Citysearch

sloppy service (literally sloshing wine across the floor) and not waiting for us to answer the question "how is everything" before the waiter was stumbling off again. while it's true that the service can ruin an otherwise good meal, the food was terrible and after barely eating any, it gave me a terribly belly-ache. this was my second bad experience at what should be an otherwise quaint neighborhood restaurant. it's no wonder being seated quickly is so easy, nobody ever returns and i regret my attempt. just say "no".

• Pros: this could and should be a cute little neighborhood place but falls significantly short
• Cons: bad food, bad service, bad stomach-ache

04/06/07

One of the best Italian resturants in the city!

by oasisgirl at Citysearch

The best Lasagne I had ever had! It's amazing and tastes wonderful! I love the fennel salad that was a great appetizer! It is so authentic and the chef is a really great with desserts try the profiteroles!

• Pros: Lasgne, antipasto

12/31/06

La Dolce Vita!

by sfglen at Citysearch

We've been a fan since this chef was located on Nob Hill and the room was called La Luna Rosa.

Yes, the food is fantastico! The appetizer selections are all wonderful. The pork and pollenta dish is extraordinary, as are the wide array of homemade pastas. The scalloppini melts in your mouth. And, of course, the deserts are real guilty pleasures!

Lupa, though, has more than just good food. It has a quality that is difficult to describe - an authentic, welcoming, friendly environment that almost makes you feel like you are eating at the home of a favorite uncle. The owner takes the time to greet his guests, shake their hand and have a chat. The wait staff warmly engages diners, without being intrusive, and the overall service is very good.

Lupa's atmosphere is up-to-date and comfortable, without being overdone, and it seems to draw a diverse clientele who are "in the know" about good San Francisco dining. "Cross table conversations" are not uncommon.

In short, this is a great restaurant that is exactly what people are referring to when they say San Francisco has so many fine, hidden neighborhood dining experiences. We've been back many times, as a couple or with a group, and will hopefully return many times more.

12/12/06

Around the corner from the pulsating Castro scene, this quiet trattoria turns out traditional northern Italian fare.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
The front entrance, etched with Rome's legendary twin founders Remus and Romulus, belies the casual neighborhood feel inside, with wood tables, a fireplace and a gleaming steel-topped kitchen. The brightly lit, quiet space is populated with small groups of Castro locals, taking a breather from the neighborhood party scene.

The Food
The northern Italian menu focuses on seasonal Roman-influenced fare. Bucatini Amatriciana is a perfect balance of salty and acidic, and penne with spicy tomato sauce is simple and satisfying. Less successful is the house-made ricotta and spinach ravioli, which can have a watery, flavorless filling. Nightly fish specials, such as halibut, are sometimes overcooked, so stick with meat entrees such as a succulent, juicy Cornish hen.

10/19/06

Amazing Restaurant!

by frecklefan at Citysearch

I have to disagree with some of the comments in the editorial review on Lupa. I live a few blocks from Lupa and eat there several times a month and every meal I've had here has been excellent. I love exploring San Franciso's restaurants, but I never tire of Lupa, and I can't go more than two weeks without eating here. The meal will start with their amazing homemade bread. It's divine. All of their pastas are excellent & homemade -- I've had several versions of their ravioli-- all fantastic. I've had most of their meat dishes and they were all delicious as well. Lupa has a reasonable and great selection of wines. The owner is very friendly & most of the wait-staff is wonderful (there's one surly one, but what can you do?). This is your quintissential neighborhood restaurant -- friendly (not formal) service, warm and comfortable dining room, and you can almost always get a table. They will definitely accomodate large groups -- I called at 7 on a Saturday night and they set up a table for eight within half a hour. The only thing I can't figure out about Lupa is why there isn't a line out the door every night . . .

• Pros: Excellent food, wine, ambiance
• Cons: I guess parking? (Park past 25th St.)

10/19/06

Excellent Restaurant

by frecklefan at Citysearch

A note to Citysearch: This posting should be deleted as it is duplicative -- it is also listed as Lupa Trattoria on your website, and there are several reviews for this restaurant there. But just in case people miss that link, I'l paste in my review here:

I have to disagree with some of the comments in the editorial review on Lupa. I live a few blocks from Lupa and eat there several times a month and every meal I've had here has been excellent. I love exploring San Franciso's restaurants, but I never tire of Lupa, and I can't go more than two weeks without eating here. The meal will start with their amazing homemade bread. It's divine. All of their pastas are excellent & homemade -- I've had several versions of their ravioli-- all fantastic. I've had most of their meat dishes and they were all delicious as well. Lupa has a reasonable and great selection of wines. The owner is very friendly & most of the wait-staff is wonderful (there's one surly one, but what can you do?). This is your quintissential neighborhood restaurant -- friendly (not formal) service, warm and comfortable dining room, and you can almost always get a table. They will definitely accomodate large groups -- I called at 7 on a Saturday night and they set up a table for eight within half a hour. The only thing I can't figure out about Lupa is why there isn't a line out the door every night . . .

• Pros: Delicious food, wine, bread
• Cons: parking?

09/16/06

Great food

by aliciaerin22 at Citysearch

Great food, Great waiters, you can hear the italian roll of their tongue as you eat the amazing food. It's always a shock when you walk out of the resturant because you feel like you should be walking out onto the street of Italy. mmmm

• Pros: Food, Service
• Cons: parking

09/06/06

Authentic and fresh

by mbuczek at Citysearch

I am also surprised by the average review of Lupa - it is the most authentic Roman food in California (I lived in Rome for 2 years so I should know). Perhaps the reviewer is used to Americanized Italian food. Anyways, I had the ravioli last week and it was very flavorful and cooked perfectly. service was great and I found all of the Italian bantering very charming. I get to SF every few months and try and get to Lupa each trip.

• Pros: fresh handmade pasta, roman style, salads
• Cons: parking not very easy