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From Citysearch.com

A North Beach standby still delivers the Italian goods.

The Scene
Columbus Avenue gets its fair share of tourists and this North Beach institution, with its exposed wood beams and sleek design, is no exception. A wood-burning oven roars away at the center of an open kitchen, while white smock-clad servers scurry around the multiple dining areas providing warm, if perfunctory, service.

The Food
Make no mistake--the olive oil-drenched antipasti are the highlight of the meal. In high spring, plates include bright-green fava beans speckled by cubes of soft pecorino; sashimi-like tuna crudo with crunchy shaved artichoke salad; and grilled rabbit livers wrapped around skewers of fresh rosemary. Main courses spotlight seafood, with more than five varieties prepared in several ways, from roasted with fennel to braised with a spicy tomato broth.

Opentable Reservations

Voted the best new restaurant in the country in 1996, Rose Pistola is a celebration of the bawdy, friendly but sophisticated side of San Francisco's Italian district – North Beach. This stylish gathering place personifies the vibrancy of its namesake, a North Beach denizen who ran the most colorful bar and restaurant in the neighborhood. With its San Francisco-style dining counter, booths cozy dining room and lively bar, Rose Pistola invites everything from a leisurely glass of Chianti and a bowl of pasta, to a traditional, Italian-style feast of seasonal antipasti, whole roasted fish and rotisserie meats.

Make a Reservation