BETTOLA — Restaurant in San Francisco

Update as of 6/16/25:

I’m upgrading my review after Bettola invited me back to try their new menu and it is definitely an improvement! They removed some of the dishes that weren’t done right like the baccalà mantecato (smart decision) and added some new dishes, plus they have specials that they change frequently. We had the panzanella salad, the meatballs, the cavolfiori all’amatriciana, the eggplant parm, and the orecchiette al cime di rapa. The orecchiette was our favorite; nice bitter broccoli rabe with a lot of garlic and a good portion. The panzanella was bright and the burrata really delicious, and I appreciate an eggplant parm that gives you eggplant vs. a bunch of breading. The meatballs were too dense but their tomato sauce is light and bright. I’ve never had amatriciana any other way than with pasta but the cauliflower was delicious and cooked perfectly so we really enjoyed that too.

The biggest surprise? The tiramisu. We ordered it on a whim and were blown away. It’s perfectly balanced with a wonderfully strong coffee flavor and lots of texture and they give you a nice big slice. It’s honestly the best I’ve had in SF.

My friend and I both agreed that some of the dishes just need some minor adjustments to heat and seasoning. But really, we had such a wonderful dinner and we’re looking forward to going back. Try Bettola. It’s a place that really listens to its customers and is just getting better and better. Oh, and that tiramisu………….

Old Review: As a former resident of Rome, I was so excited when this place opened in my neighborhood. However, it’s not authentic Italian as advertised. The dishes are just not done correctly. The baccalà mantecato is mostly potato and not cod (there’s no potato in this dish) and the caponata had no vinegar taste and had huge chunks of red pepper in it and no sign of capers, celery, or olives.

The porchetta is really good and the only thing I would consider going back for. Everything else was average.

Also overpriced. $13 for arancini (!!!) and I ordered a $15 antipasto which was a white bean dip that came in a condiment-sized container.

Might be a good Italian American restaurant. Just isn’t Italian. There are better and cheaper places...

I came to Bettola for dinner one Sunday with my husband (native Italian FWIW) and a friend. I was excited to try it out after seeing Bettola on SF Standard, but also slightly wary after reading some of the more average reviews on Yelp and Google. tl;dr: we had such a positive experience!

Between the three of us, we ordered four dishes and a bottle of wine based on the server's recommendation. Timballo di ragù - I've seen this described as a "pasta pie" online, lol. It was really tasty and served in a cast iron pan. Porchetta - One of my favourite Italian dishes! Some people described the porchetta at Bettola as being too salty, but I didn't find this to be the case. The pork was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, just as expected. Polpette al sugo - A more traditional Italian dish, meatballs in tomato sauce, and another one of my favourites to order at restaurants. No frills, just delicious. Finocchiona - My husband warned us we may not like this one as much as the other dishes because of the fennel flavour, which may be less common here. Admittedly, the finocchiona wasn't my favourite, but I was still glad to have tried it. Salami and picked veggies, served cold.

Bettola wasn't crowded when we were here and had a nice, casual atmosphere that was comfortable and not too loud to converse. The only weirdly negative experience I had is that the restroom door didn't lock properly and someone could open it from outside... Hopefully that's fixed now!

Overall, we had an excellent experience with the food and the friendly staff, and will certainly be...

We had a very negative and disappointing dining experience at Bettola, mainly because we were served raw chicken.

The server was welcoming at first but after we were brought our food, they never checked on us. It was difficult to get their attention since they were chatting with staff in the kitchen and on their phone. Finally, after they came to check on the party next to us, I was able to get their attention. I let them know that the chicken was not cooked properly, and they apologized and said they would ask their manager to take the plate off our check. After this, the server was rude for the remainder of the night. They snubbed us as we left, even though we said thank you.

I cook chicken multiple times a week and I know that bone-in chicken can appear pink/red but we tried the chicken and it tasted raw. My partner ordered the lasagna and pizza and both were lukewarm. The salad and bread were good though.

We were excited to try this place after reading positive reviews. The place and ambiance were pleasant but after the overall experience, we will not be returning nor be suggesting this...