Sotto Mare
4.2 ★ average from 9 reviews
Neighborhood spot with nautical decor and a menu of pasta, cioppino, and other Italian-style seafood.
Location
Hours
- fri
- 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM
- mon
- 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- sat
- 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM
- sun
- 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- thu
- 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- tue
- 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- wed
- 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Recent reviews
- ★★★★★
非常好吃的海鲜汤，早点去不用等太久的位置，坐户外比较舒服
- ★☆☆☆☆
I'm a hospitality specialist that works in SFO and some customers of mine recommended this place. I googled them, took one look at the cioppino and it was official: I KNEW what I wanted for my birthday. I talked about going to this place for weeks. Finally the day was upon us. I had called ahead to check on the foot traffic and to determine the best time to get there. As they open at 11:30, after speaking with someone over the phone the week before, my wife and I determined the best time to get there was 12:30pm, they don't take reservations for parties of 2. We arrived, saw they already had a wait but were on the list by 12:30pm. We were told the wait would be 30 minutes. No problem. We received the buzzer from them and walked around the block and ended up two restaurants down the street around 12:50pm. At 1:09pm, the buzzer still hadn't gone off and my wife, who went in initially to put us on the list, went back in to check on the status of our table. At the host stand, she heard the manager tell a woman who clearly didn't have a reservation she would be sat in 3 minutes. After hearing that, my wife showed the manager the buzzer we had been given and asked, "So how much longer for us?" The manager replied "It may be another 10 minutes." We then watched them scramble to clear a table and immediately give the table to the woman who had arrived after us. Upon this disappointment we decided to leave because if they can't get something simple like seating guests respectfully right, I can only imagine what else they'll screw up. People don't remember what you do... They remember how you made them feel. As a hospitality professional, not only was this experience totally unavoidable but it left me feeling disrespected and not valued - as a customer; as a person. In being honest, I have to mention that, oddly enough, as I looked around during this disappointment I noticed that everyone seated and being rapidly seated were of one particular ethnic group. Everyone waiting was part of various minority groups which made this incident even more sickening - reinforcing our decision to not only choose to spend our money somewhere else on that day, but to never spend any money there... EVER. I was extremely excited to visit this place and to be shown this kind of treatment further proves that there are still some places that don't want minority dollars so much they simply don't care how they treat you. And unfortunately for them, I'm certainly sharing this experience with as many visitors to the city as I can letting them know "There a MANY fine places to eat in the city... but I'll tell you where NOT to go - unless you feel like being treated like a second-class citizen." Please check in with your personal values before choosing to support this place. Sotto Mare... you all really need to invest in some cultural sensitivity training. It's 2026. Highly disappointed.
- ★★★★★
Delicious 😋
- ★★☆☆☆
hopefully it was just after a bad batch but after coming here for years my cioppino yday was watery and flavorless 🫠 also if u sit inside u rly have to commit to the bit
- ★★★★★Tamir Bermann
A lively North Beach restaurant with tradition and character. We got a table for two on a busy sunny Sunday noon with outdoor seating, very close to neighboring tables, but that's part of the atmosphere. The oyster plate was fresh and good; 12 oysters with minimal garnish (had to ask for extra lemon). The house cioppino was the standout: a generous, flavorful seafood stew that's clearly the dish to order here. Service was friendly, attentive, and efficient despite a full house. Good value for money. Recommended!
- ★★★★★Robert Bojorquez
We very much enjoyed our shared crab cioppino dish. I was definitely enough for 2 people and absolutely delicious. Plenty of fresh bread and a bottle of wine made for an excellent meal. We sat at counter which was interesting as you had a view of everyone working very efficiently. Staff is very helpful and engaging. My wife very much enjoyed the meal and atmosphere at this establishment. Parking can be a challenge, but definitely worth a visit. Everything on menu looked delicious. Can be a Long wait line for a table. Inside and outdoors seating available.
- ★★★★★Karl Chong
Long waits on a Saturday night, but you get a buzzer so you can walk around. The last time I was here was 2018, and the food is still excellent. I always order the cioppino and although still good, it seems like the recipe has changed a little bit. The oysters are superb as is the cobb salad. Wines are well priced and service is great. Sitting outside is preferable to inside.
- ★★★★★Richard H
Located in the heart of Little Italy, North Beach San Francisco. This is my favorite place for classic cioppino, fresh oysters and marinated Dungeness crab! They offer raw oysters either on the half shell or as shooters, west coast or east coast species with a spicy red sauce. Be sure to ask for their fresh horseradish. For starters, we also love their bay shrimp Louie salad, which is big enough to share with 2-3 people. I also recommend their marinaded, cold whole Dungeness crab, which comes in an olive oil, lemon garlic sauce. Be sure to order their marinaded”Best Damn Cioppino” , which is served in a large bowl: Dungeness crab, mussels, clams, squid, and scallops.
- ★★★★★Sy W
Such amazing Italian food!! Ordered a half dozen of east + west oysters. I personally prefer east cuz it’s sweater. Absolutely favorite is the seafood risotto, so much seafood and fresh. Same with their signature seafood soup(?) forgot the actual name of the dish. But it’s served with so much fresh seafood. Crab, shell, squid, mussel. Seasoning is absolutely spot on. Not too heavy or creamy. Such delicious food for amazing price! Def a 10/10!! Server was so nice. Just be aware they have added a 4% service fee. I didn’t take it out because I feel they deserve that and to better survive in sf as such an amazing Italian restaurant.