Tosca Café

4.7

158 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 13, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 19 times today

About this restaurant

Great for creative cocktails
Neighborhood gem
Romantic

A legendary hangout in North Beach since it opened in 1919, and even more so from the 1980's onward when Jeanette Etheredge took over Tosca. Locals including Willie Brown, Lars Ulrich and Francis Ford Coppola were regular fixtures, Hunter S Thompson wrote his column for the SF Examiner in the corner booth, Bono, Lauren Hutton, and Mikhail Baryshnikov played pool in the back room, singing Opera and drinking Tosca House Cappuccinos. When Restaurateur Anna Weinberg and Interior Designer Ken Fulk heard Tosca Cafe was closing they joined forces to save it. As the new owners and passionate fans of the original establishment their goal was to return Tosca to its rightful place as a San Francisco institution. As Mikey Rapin wrote in Bon Appétit magazine: “It’s the kind of joint Beats got bounced, Bono belted opera, and a bullet hole memoralizes the night an A-LIST actor disagreed with a rockstar's choice of music"

Dining areas

Additional information

Location
242 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133-4509
Phone number
(415) 986-9651
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Cocktail Bar
Hours of operation
Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Bar Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa

Popular dishes

Pesto Tagliatelle$28.00
basil, lemon, pine nuts
Lumache Alla Vodka$27.00
calabrian chili cream, pecorino, fresh basil
Spicy Shrimp Trofie$34.00
white wine, tomato sauce, breadcrumbs
Pappardelle Bolognese$29.00
beef, parmesan, basil, chili breadcrumbs
Bucatini Alla Gricia$32.00
guanciale, black pepper, parmesan, pecorino

Secondi

Eggplant Parmesan$28.00
marinara, mozzarella, shaved parmesan
Seared Salmon$36.00
spinach & cherry tomatoes
Chicken Parmesan$32.00
buffalo mozzarella, marinara sauce, basil
Pork Saltimbocca$40.00
prosciutto di parma, garlic, sage
14oz C.A.B Grilled Ribeye$59.00
sauteed mushrooms, red wine jus

Contorni

Wild Mushrooms
shallot, green onion
Sauteed Spinach
lemon, butter, chili flakes
Broccolini
garlic & shaved parmesan
Crispy Potatoes$12.00
salsa verde

House Cocktails

That's Amore$16.00
gin, blackberry, lavender, lime, sparkling
Buona Sera$16.00
vodka, pomegranate cranberry, cynar, beet, lemon
Mambo Italiano$16.00
tequila, amaro, citrus, basil, black walnut bitters
Tosca Negroni$16.00
gin, campari, sweet vermouth
The Hustler$16.00
rye, sweet vermouth, amaro, orange
Paradiso$16.00
mezcal, passion fruit, lime, mandarin, black sea salt
House Cappuccino$16.00
bourbon, cognac, chocolate, steamed milk
Coldest Winter$16.00
rye, sherry, pineapple, rosemary, lime

Beer

Peroni, Italy$9.00
Ballast Point, Sculpin IPA, San Diego, CA$9.00

What 158 people are saying

Tosca Café reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.5Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Tosca Café is a historic gem in San Francisco's North Beach, offering a "great traditional Italian experience" with "outstanding service." The ambiance is "classic, old-world charm," and the "truffle gnocchi" is a must-try. While the space can be "very loud," the "staff is super friendly," ensuring a memorable dining experience.

158 Reviews

B
Brandon VIP
San Francisco22 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We love Tosca! They have delicious food and great service.
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L
Lee
San Francisco4 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It was a wonderful spot to spend my wedding anniversary. The vodka sauce and bolognese were delicious, as was the fresh pasta. The foccacia was the best I have had in a long time!
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M
Morgan
Los Angeles1 review
5.0
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service, location, and ambience. A little loud. Food was delicious with good portions but the Valentine’s Day limited menu was a bit pricey. Can’t speak to the regular menu prices/value
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M
Marcus
San Francisco3 reviews
2.0
Dined on January 11, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 1
Way too loud for a social dinner. It would be better if the space had noise dampening.
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OT
OpenTable Diner VIP
San Francisco6 reviews
3.0
Dined on January 1, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
dined in the back room for the first time, it was draft and quiet and i would say service was not as great. we were sat 15 minutes after our res but it was bye to be fair. great grey goose martini
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r
rosa VIP
Seattle4 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 29, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was very tasty! Our waiter was fantastic! Did not ask every five minutes if 'everything was ok' and was attentive to our needs from a distance, simply wonderful not to be interrupted!! Thank you for the great evening!
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J
Jen
San Francisco27 reviews
3.0
Dined on December 19, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
Way too loud. Love the old time feel. Good is ok.
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E
Emily VIP
San Francisco11 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 15, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Tosca remains one of my absolute favorites in San Francisco. The space, food, service all excellent. The night we went was Santa Con (ooops) + a huge private birthday party in the back room so it was bonkers, but the team did everything they could to keep it going! Will go back soon.
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R
Ronald
San Diego19 reviews
4.0
Dined on December 15, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Great food and service - but the place is LOUD. If you hope to converse with your dinner companions we suggest you take a sign language course prior to your meal!
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S
Sean
San Francisco13 reviews
5.0
Dined on November 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I've always love the food at Tosca, and have been coming here for over a decade. I was more impressed than usual last night with the service. We were a table of 9 people and felt like we were being taken care of by friends who anticipated what we needed. Can't wait to return.
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FAQs

Tosca Café is rated 4.7 stars by 158 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 13, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 19 times today

242 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133-4509

Dining areas

Additional information

Phone number
(415) 986-9651
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Cocktail Bar
Hours of operation
Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Bar Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa

Tosca Café

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Tosca Meatballs

Pesto Tagliatelle

Mushroom Gnocchi

Antipasti

Charcuterie Plate$35.00

Calamari & Shrimp Fritto Misto$22.00

Tosca Meatballs$24.00

House Favorites

Housemade Focaccia$15.00

Marinated Olives$10.00

Composed Caviar Bites$11.00

Insalata

Burrata$21.00

Chicory & Endive$18.00

Panzanella$22.00

Primi

Pesto Tagliatelle$28.00

Lumache Alla Vodka$27.00

Spicy Shrimp Trofie$34.00

Pappardelle Bolognese$29.00

Bucatini Alla Gricia$32.00

Secondi

Eggplant Parmesan$28.00

Seared Salmon$36.00

Chicken Parmesan$32.00

Pork Saltimbocca$40.00

14oz C.A.B Grilled Ribeye$59.00

Contorni

Wild Mushrooms

Sauteed Spinach

Broccolini

Crispy Potatoes$12.00

House Cocktails

That's Amore$16.00

Buona Sera$16.00

Mambo Italiano$16.00

Tosca Negroni$16.00

The Hustler$16.00

Paradiso$16.00

House Cappuccino$16.00

Coldest Winter$16.00

Beer

Peroni, Italy$9.00

Ballast Point, Sculpin IPA, San Diego, CA$9.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Tosca Café restaurant rated?

Is Tosca Café currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information