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PRICE RANGE
$20 - $25
Special Diets
Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Late Night
CUISINES
Italian, Seafood
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Reviews (2,459)
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2,017 results
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveler rating
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106
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All reviews cioppino sand dabs seafood scallops west coast oysters penne pasta clam chowder bread salad open kitchen small place hole in the wall worth the wait old school sf broth hostess
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Reviewed yesterday

Super fun and lively spot to try out San Francisco seafood! On a Friday afternoon, me and a friend got seated at the counter and so we could watch chefs work which is really exciting! The service was fast and efficient even though the place...was sort of busy and packed. We went there specifically on a word of mouth suggestion to try Sorto Mare and we were not disappointed. Unlimited bread and butter to start off our lunch experience. My friend ordered Linguine with Seafood which includes a medley of different types of seafood. His dish was huge! While I ordered a Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon. That was big enough to share as well. I’m totally happy with checking out this North Beach Italian restaurant and planning to come back again for more pasta and other kinds of dishes.More

Date of visit: March 2024
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 2 days ago

We were on our last remaining hours in San Francisco and came across this recommended restaurant from Francisco at the Harbor Court Hotel. Wow were we glad we stumbled across it! What a fantastic way to get a feel of historic San Francisco in an...iconic restaurant such as Sotto Mare. As they say "When in Rome..." (or San Francisco ) you order the Crab Cioppino! Didn't even know I had room to fit all that we ate, but it was a pleasantly full, airplane ride back to Canada.More

Date of visit: January 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile

The food was delicious and the service was great. We had to sit at the bar because we did not make reservations on a Saturday night and we actually enjoyed sitting there watching the activity all around us. The bartender was prompt, we were brought...water and bread right away, and she made great recommendations. We researched the menu before we went and knew what we were going to order, and that’s exactly what she recommended. We had the Cioppino and Seafod pasta In a delicious white sauce. Good wine and beer selection as well. The location was pretty close to the cable car stop but it’s a good hike to get back up and work off all we ate.More

Date of visit: February 2024
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 4 weeks ago

Even on a busy Saturday, the wait was short and entirely worth it for the best cioppino in town. The dish, large enough to share between two, was packed with fresh, tender seafood in a sublime tomato-spice broth. A great find for those looking to...enjoy San Francisco’s culinary delights.More

Date of visit: February 2024
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed February 11, 2024 via mobile

Excellent range of seafood. A busy and bustling atmosphere, quite crowded but that added to the vibe. Open plan kitchen was good to watch. Prices good as was service. Would return.

Date of visit: February 2024
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed January 22, 2024

This restaurant is one of San Francisco's staples! I brought my grandkids and they tried the cioppino for the first time and they loved it. make sure to make a reservation because theres not a lot of seats. i always get their oysters and have...the greatest service whenever i come here.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed January 15, 2024 via mobile

Sotto Mare is popular place for seafood . We had thair famous crab cioppino. We definitely recommand this place. We will come back for sure.

Date of visit: January 2024
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Reviewed January 7, 2024

I went with normal expectations, but I was disappointed, horrible service, it was raining and the attendants didn't let us in and left us in the uncovered area. They don't care about customers at all. Run away from this establishment.

Date of visit: January 2024
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Reviewed December 16, 2023

We got here before 6:00 on a busy Saturday evening, and waited 15 minutes for a table. Unfortunately it was outside on the sidewalk, but the many people waiting in line got to eye our Cioppino enviously. And it was the best cioppino I’ve ever...had! Huge portion, more than enough for 2 to share, loaded with fresh tender crab, mussels, and other seafood. But what really made it special was the broth, which was a subtle blend of tomato and spices and was just sublime.. Overall, a noisy, busy crowded restaurant but as soon as you take that first sip of cioppino you forget the surroundings and get lost in the food. That’s what a truly special dish does to you.More

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed December 10, 2023 via mobile

Not overly pleased with our food or service. Our bread was almost burnt, meals were average ( we had fabulous seafood the night before that was so good we wanted more). We felt rushed to leave. They are very busy so it looks like the...place to eat but disappointing.More

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed November 29, 2023 via mobile

Great service, fun atmosphere, and some of the best seafood EVER! We sat at the bar overlooking part of the kitchen and were entertained watching the prep and cooking process. We ordered a dozen oysters (fresh, delicious, and very reasonably priced) and Benito’s Baccala (a...fish spread made from dried and salted cod) and both were amazing. For main course we got the “Best Damn Crab Cioppino”, which serves two, and it was beyond delicious. We absolutely loved it and were stuffed after finishing off the seafood stew with generous portion of crab, mussels, clams, shrimp, and scallops. It really is enough for two without appetizers - but I still didn’t regret ordering the oysters and baccala. We LOVED Sotto Mare and can’t wait to return!More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed November 20, 2023 via mobile

As the sign over the cash register (yes, cash register) says. “Welcome to the chaos.” And what a delightful chaos it was. We sampled the crab and then the shrimp and scallops combo. Everything was absolutely delicious and the waitress kept a watchful eye on...our wine glasses. The place was full and everyone seemed to be having a good time.More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?
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Reviewed November 1, 2023 via mobile

We had so much fun at Sotto Mare - it was Halloween and the vibe was great. Jazzy music from across the street, jovial tables outdoors, perfect service and great food. There were well behaved Trick or treaters everywhere. We were concerned that the menu...had a lot of seafood, but there was A wonderful selection of fish on the specials menu such as Halibut, Branzino, Ahi, Sea Bass etc with a selection of cooking styles/sauces we could choose from. Our friends had the Cioppino and raved about it - And they live in SF. My Branzino in Capers & Lemon was beautiful as was my husband’s Halibut. Everything was far better than we had expected. House salad was amazingly great and generous with a selection of dressings that were made in house. Wine is reasonable too - especially for California restaurants. North Beach is not the dining Mecca it was 30-40 years ago, but Sotto Mare was packed and just as good as ever. I cant wait to return.More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 21, 2023 via mobile

We found this wonderful restaurant on our last day in San Francisco and felt so lucky to have the opportunity to taste their cioppino - it was incredible!! Plenty enough for two, and packed with so much seafood! The staff were friendly. This was a...great end to our holiday!!!More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 6, 2023

Super busy place. We showed up about 15 minutes after opening on Friday. Sitting at the bar. Small restaurant. Mostly, you will likely sit at the bar at busy times. Ordered the sole and the shrimps and scallop sauteed & a small order of the...pasta with pesto sauce. Portion - decent. The sole is a full portion & the seafood comprises 4 shrimps and 3 scallops. Taste was just OK for both. The pesto pasta was atrocious... Way over cooked and the pesto sauce had zero taste... We normally do not sprinkle salt but ended up putting some just to eat. Left 3/4 of the pasta. Not sure why this is rated so highly. BTW - the bread was just like something you get at a grocery store. No flavor nor texture. Also, the female wait staff was atrocious.... Super rude and she acted like she really doesn't want to be there.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
Navigator00765860615
November 8, 2022|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from Watsson | Reviewed this property |
Sand dabs yes. Sole???
0
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Lynn H
October 12, 2022|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from ChicagoTraveler26 | Reviewed this property |
We went there and put our name in, they gave us a pager. You can go next door with it and have a drink while you wait.
0
Votes
Trip54604537264
February 14, 2022|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from LHS329 | Reviewed this property |
They make reservations for the outside tables. We ate a late lunch, 3-ish, and walked right in. I think your grandm
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SOTTO MARE OYSTERIA & SEAFOOD, San Francisco - North Beach - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Order Online Food Delivery - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Sotto Mare Oysteria & Seafood

Sotto Mare Oysteria & Seafood is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4.5
  • Atmosphere: 4