Il Borgo — Restaurant in San Francisco

Let me try to put in words on what I think Il Borgo is and or could be. As so often on one of our long walks through the various neighborhoods of SF we passed II Borgo and decided to give it a try. At first I was a bit hesitant as the place lacked customers. But as we all know the first customer is the most important one and might attract additional customers. The interior certainly resembles many small eateries in Europe and gives a touch of Italy. Rustic, unique, different are some of the words that come to mind. The menu covers most aspects of Italian dining and a taste of home cooking. The owners make you feel welcome in their own way and I certainly can appreciate the ongoing Italian pop songs from the 70s 80s and 90s. So we ordered the Bruschetta, which was a lovely tasty appetizer that went well with the Chianti house wine. The bread served was crisp and warm and a nice way to dip in some of the olive oil. The main courses, one pasta pomodoro and a pizza funghi salsicca . The pasta super al Dante was perfectly cooked but the pomodoro was a bit salty and could have used some more herbs and spice to bring out flavor. The pizza, I watched the chef prepping the dough old fashion style twirling the dough in the air. Major plus points on this one. The dough has a nice crisp and burnt taste to it which I love but I think either the sausage or the mushroom had too much moisture which caused the dough to sag. Bummer , keeping the toppings dry would prevent that. Overall it was a nice experience. I think the place could use modernization while holding on to its rustic touch. A more extended beverage menu could do wonders as well. Portion size to price is certainly a...

Carissimo Sergio. I miss this place and your craziness. I used to come with friends every Friday night 20 years ago. As young professionals, we would save up during the week and on Friday would get that weekly shot of genuine Italian taste that reminded us of our European motherland. From 8pm till late. We ended up closing the restaurant with Sergio and staff every time, singing our hearts away with the help of fermented grapes. The best memories ever in this restaurant, including some epic birthdays. This restaurant has SOUL. And it is AUTHENTIC. Ain’t for everybody though. Other reviews said it and confirmed to me it has not changed much. Yes the service may not be 100% following whatever standards. But it is still a genuine Italian experience. To me it is like when in a small village in Italy: loud, crazy, sometimes slow locals and…you’d better be acquainted to them. This tiny restaurant is an institution to me, and it withstood the test of time as it’s been there for ever (at least 20 years!). The food is truly authentic Italian, as well as the owner. I will be back there for sure this summer with family and friends very soon, travelling back to SF from old Europe. Get ready and prepare la pasta e la grappa grande...

Super cheesy romantic Italian place, but food was awesome. You feel like you're in a really narrow Italian alleyway in the evening summer heat with the murals and decorations (and the lack of AC). Tables are covered in checkered cloth and wine glasses everywhere, but the food really makes this place great. Fresh pasta can be expected for sure, but don't skip out on the antipasto, which was a really large plate with a good variety of prochutto, olives, roasted garlic, artichoke hearts, and caprese (basil, fresh mozzarella, and heirloom tomatoes) . For mains, I did the meat lasganette and he had the penne alla puttenesca. Both were delicious and really flavorful. My lasagnette was made fresh and layered perfectly. The chef rolled out the pasta behind the counter and you could see him stretch it out. The sauces were delicious too. Bread was complementary and was great with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This might not be the cleanest place (glasses weren't completely shiny), but the food...