04/06/08

fantastic !!!

by salnmia

It was so good we had to come back a week later and guess what, we all ordered the same dish.

The food , the service the ambiance .... it's all excellent ;

Keep it up "Aperto" - we are definitely coming back. Cheers !

11/03/07

Love it!!

by august26

One of the best experiences we have had in a long time. The service was friendly, yet very professional. The food was some of the best we have had in a long time. Aperto is such a joy to dine at, if your not in the mood to be out, order take out.

• Pros: Fresh, menu changes, specials
• Cons: parking can be a drag

01/31/07

Refreshingly Consistent, Good Food

by taylors_mama

We've eaten here 3 times now, and each time the food has been spot on. The ingredients are fresh and cooked well, and the combination of flavors on the plate are wonderful. <br><br>

We bring our daughter (now 13 months old) each time, and we don't feel out of place bringing such a young child with us. It's a perfect place for a tasty and satisfying dinner out (with the kids) for Mom & Dad. We're grateful that we're able to expand our daughter's pallet with quality food in an comfortably, elegant restaurant. <br><br>

I highly recommend Aperto, whether it's a first date, a cozy family dinner or a dinner out with a visiting friend.

• Pros: Consistently good food, Great for any occasion
• Cons: None

01/24/07

Wonderful neighborhood restaurant, delicious dishes, affordable prices.

by toodles2

My boyfriend and I eat here at least once a month; not because we live in the neighborhood, but because of the delicious food and great service, not to forget, Aperto is easy on the wallet. We usually start with a Caesar salad which we share. I love the large homemade croutons and pungent anchovies. Although this Caesar is a solid choice, upon our last visit we found the dressing watered down probally because the romaine leaves were not dried properly. For our main course, my boyfriend never fails to order the Pepati Pasta. A mixture of oven roasted tomatoes, pancetta, arugula, garlic and jalapenos--sounds strange, tastes divine. The chalkboard features daily specials of fish, meat, pasta and a contorno(veggie sidedish). I generally order the fish special which is always accompanied by a vegetable and starch, such as potatoes or risotto. Not like other restaurants that charge you extra to get your daily dose of greens or leave you to raid the bread basket. Although the wine is not as extensive as some of the more fancy restaurants of SF, it has plenty of variety and most bottles are under $40. Even if I lived on the other side of town, I am sure I would make the trip to this neighborhood gem on Potrero Hill.

12/13/06

Too many other stellar places in SF to settle for mediocre service and average food.

by jsis

A group of friends and I tried Aperto for the first time last night and were in heaven as soon as we sunk our teeth into the crab cakes. Perfect, "crabby" (not full of filler and bread crumbs like many others are) cakes with just the right amount of crunch on the outside. It's unfortunate the rest of the meal didn't follow suit. Our waitress might have been new to the industry because when we showed her our steak, which was ordered "medium rare," but was a dark brown (we're talking dead, well done) all the way through, she merely said she'd never heard of that before and that the cooks, "probably cooked it too long..." Gee. Ya think? She did nothing about it. The mussels were the smallest ones we had ever seen...overcooked so they were shriveled and half the shells arrived empty. One saving grace at the end of the meal was the apple pie dessert...delicious. We won't be back, too many other stellar places in SF to settle for mediocre service and average food.

• Pros: Crab cakes
• Cons: Mediocre service and average food.

12/05/06

Solid Tuscan dishes and moderate prices ensure a packed house at this cute, welcoming Potrero joint.

by Contributor

The Scene
The tiny dining room is crammed with tables, a tiny open kitchen and racks of wine. The no-reservations policy means there's often a wait, but the vibe is more relaxed than hectic. Gracious, efficient waiters cater to the typically Potrero Hill crowd: Upscale but casual arts types.

The Food
It likely won't redefine any notions of Tuscan cooking, but everything is fresh, well-prepared and appealing. To start, sumptuous crab cakes are awakened by a spicy aioli, while shaved sunchokes add an unexpected twist to a fennel, frisee and radicchio salad. Entrees are also dependable. Though pancetta can overwhelm the subtleties of the house-made butternut squash ravioli, a splendid union of sauteed mahi mahi with beets, fava beans and peashoot tendrils bursts with spring exuberance. A particularly noteworthy dessert is the made-to-order chocolate souffle.

11/20/06

Warm Fuzzies

by thejakethe

The food, the atmosphere, the service, all enduringly great. Never had a bad meal here. It's become a bit tougher to sit down on a Friday night; but don't worry, you can sip a cocktail across the street at Lingba Lounge and the host will come get you when your table is ready.

06/15/06

Nice Neighborhood restaurant

by sbgirl

I've now been here twice. Once with my boyfriend for dinner & once w/ some out of town relatives for brunch. I picked it based on the reviews. Dinner: very small cozy local dinner joint with great daily specials. The food we had was very good for a small neighborhood restaurant and I'm sure we'll be back (but agree if I didn't live close by in SoMa - I wouldn't cross the city just to eat here). Brunch: again great since it was so close to me, the portions were generous but not too overwhelming in size. The Bacon & Cheese Omelette was very rich & delicious and my guest loved the baked banana pancake. Everything both times was made fresh & served promtly. I will be back.

• Pros: food, good street parking
• Cons: none

05/16/06

Brunch

by vcam

We made a reservation based solely on reviews from this website after looking up best brunches in San Fran. We were visiting the city over Easter weekend and wanted to go to a nice place for Easter Brunch. We were pretty disappointed when there was no "brunch" menu it was basically a breakfast menu with not a lot of choices. The food was so-so... small portions. Bottom line it might be a good "local" place for casual meals, but definately not a special occasion place.

• Pros: good parking, out of the way, quaint
• Cons: out of the way, too small, crowded

04/10/06

Very Tasty Brunch

by rgates

I definately rank this establishment high on my "most favorite brunch" lists.

• Pros: easy parking