Fiorella Noe — Restaurant in San Francisco

Fiorella, Clement is one of my favorite restaurants in SF, having lived in the Richmond neighborhood for years then moving away. I thought I’d give this location a chance because it’s close to where I’m staying on my visit.

Sadly, I was not impressed and truthfully, I was disappointed.

We got the funghi pie, crostino alla norma, and the radiatore alla vodka diavolo. I enjoyed the pasta dish the most. I’d say everything was good but not “omg, WOW!” particularly the pizza. The food did not jazz me.

I rated an overall 3 because the experience was lackluster. Fiorella Clement when I went was charming, it felt local and intimate. When we sat down, the waiter at Fiorella Noe was nice but he checked in twice and at the end. During those times, it felt very transactional and as my friend said (who has never been to any Fiorellas) “it seemed like he was asking us questions for asking them…he was quick to move on.” Like he expected us to say “good,” as he was already in movement to the next table. I expect more for the price point and level of restaurant. This is casual but not that casual.

Second, the pie came out before the appetizer in 10 minutes or less. It was a bit of a shocker. Then very quickly after, the appetizer followed by the pasta. It was SO quick. We were in and out after an hour. I told my friend the pie came out as fast as when you go to a pho place.

The overall experience coupled with the good enough food made me feel like I had hyped something up for a friend that didn’t meet the standard of “a favorite SF...

I’ve eaten here several times before since it’s opened. The food is good and up until today I’ve had a high opinion of this place. That all changed when I walked in on the evening of 3/15 and asked for a table. The bartender was very polite and said he would ask the hostess to see if they could seat us. The hostess arrived and proceeded to do the absolute worst job at hospitality I’ve seen in a very long time. Before letting us know if a table was available she chose to focus on telling my wife there were no outside drinks allowed (she was drinking tea from a thermos alert the FBI). She then asked me if my 2 year old would be ok sitting in “a high chair”. I asked her if she meant an actual high chair or a tall seat like bar seating. She did not respond, I took it to mean bar seat. Rather than respond she informed me that we could join the waitlist for a seat approximately two hours later and we left. At no point in this interaction was she warm or remotely pleasant. I don’t think she looked me in the eye one time. I wish that hostess luck in her next career because If that’s her idea of hospitality she’s got no future...

UPDATED REVIEW After posting my original review, the restaurant reached out to me to hear more about my experience and understand why I had those opinions. They provided me another opportunity to visit the restaurant to see that they had taken my input seriously. I returned several months later and came away with a completely opinion. The food was well prepared and very flavorful. We had the rigatoni and a NY Pepperoni pizza, both of which were excellent. Needless to say I was very impressed. Clearly this restaurant is invested in providing a great experience and truly cares about what their customers think. I will absolutely be returning.

Ugh. Food here is not good. In any way. Salsiccia pizza almost inedible. Strong taste of vinegar (WTF!). The sausage on the breakfast sandwich was undercooked. Poor ventilation in the dining area led to a very uncomfortable experience. Worst of all, not a single smile amongst any of the employees. I've eaten at the one on Polk - an entirely different experience. This space must be cursed as there's no way anyone with a decent palate and another choice is going...