To follow our SF City Hall wedding we held a private luncheon reception at Caffe Delle Stelle which couldn’t have been better. Me and my fiancé looked at a number of Hayes Valley restaurants but are completely happy that we were able to hold our reception at Delle Stelle. The owner Enrico was easy to reach, straightforward, and very thoughtful in helping us think through the schedule and design a delicious menu. He was happy to accommodate my requests to serve appetizers, vegetarian dishes, and some special meals, and allowed me to bring in flowers, pictures, and a wedding cake. The venue was the perfect size and comfortably rearranged for our group of almost 60 people. When we arrived the staff was very attentive and friendly. Our entrée for the luncheon was a delicious side by side combination of stuffed filet of Petrale sole roulade and a breaded and stuffed chicken breast with tangy ricotta. We also had a nice arugula salad, focaccia, and vegetables. Our family and friends have had only great things to say about our reception. The whole day seems(and from our many photos) looks like a dream. This would not have been possible without Enrico and this wonderful caffe.
Alex J.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Los Altos, CA
VEGAN/VEGETARIAN OPTIONS: The menu had plenty of meat-free dishes, but most of them had dairy in the sauce. You can order them without the sauce if necessary, but not the best place if you’re not eating dairy. I ordered a spaghetti with smoked salmon, arugula, and dill cream sauce. It came exactly as the menu stated, plus some peas, and it was lovely. It had just the right amount of sauce, enough salmon and fresh, flavorful vegetables, and a perfect combination. My friend ordered the Seafood Risotto, which was not too creamy, and had just the right amount of seafood flavor. We weren’t expecting it to have a tomato sauce, and it was too salty, but the seafood was fresh and cooked very well. We also tried a barley, tomato, and white bean soup, which had the perfect consistency and was overall great. Our server was very kind and everything was brought out in a timely fashion. The portions are just the right size for a light meal; I’d recommend ordering a salad/soup/appetizer for sharing. Considering the portions, you could say it’s a little overpriced, at least for lunch, but the food was great and I would recommend this place for a slightly above decent Italian meal.
Laura H.
Rating des Ortes: 1 San Francisco, CA
This place is all smoke and mirrors. The sorriest excuse for an Italian restaurant I’ve ever has the displeasure of eating at. Though I’ve been living in Italy for over a decade, this is not why this place is so bad, the waiters/resses are very nice, The bus boys are definitely on it, The location is right down the street from me, so I’m a local. The food is simply disgusting. The bread flavorless, the carpaccio di manzo is flavorless and cheap, the orecchiette were absolutely drowned in a horrible salty sauce and the sausage was scarce at best. You want real Italian food? Going to the opera, the symphony the ballet or to hear some great jazz? Just go to one of the amazing French restaurants all in the same area. or Rich Table, or Sauce please go to Franchino or Thommaso’s or Vicoletto in North Beach. What a horrible disappointment. The only thing Italian about this place is the name. Shame on you for disgracing yourself to a nation that prides itself on the best of the simplest pleasures in Italian cuisine.
Navid N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Mateo, CA
We came to this establishment to get dinner before going to the symphony. We started first with their bread and tomato sauce, the bread was cooked perfectly and the tomato sauce added great flavor. For appetizer i ordered the calamari topped with salsa verde sauce. The coolness of the calamari with the spiciness of the salsa Verde sauce created a nice contrast of flavors making this appetizer very appetizing. entrée, I had the night special, homemade ravioli stuffed with lamb, ricotta, topped with a creamy mozarella and rosemary sauce. The ravioli was generally good bit the rosemary was too overpowering for my taste. I was too full for desert. So overall l, nice resturant, nice staff, totally recommend this. Bön Apetite!
Andrea L.
Rating des Ortes: 3 San Francisco, CA
The pasta was decent but not amazing, especially for the price. Service was very friendly but pretty slow. It was a nice place to try out once but I would probably not go back.
Sergiiy O.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Mateo, CA
Hi All, This is not a typical review, since I actually haven’t eaten at Caffee Delle Stelle as of writing this review. I did see one of the waiters from the restaurant bring out silverware and a bowl of soup for a homeless man outside. It was really cold outside, and this human gesture was beautiful. Good job Caffee Delle Stelle! Good job!
Rachael G.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Castro Valley, CA
My husband and I would like to share with everybody how wonderful the restaurant and staff is and of course, the owner Enrico at Caffe Delle Stelle. The proactivity, diligence and support provided by the restaurant made our wedding dinner one of the most unforgettable moments in our lives. We came across Caffe Delle Stelle based on a recommendation and quickly found that the flexibility that they offered along with the commitment to accommodate 70 people was unbeatable and exactly what we were looking for. We would definitely recommend Caffe Delle Stelle. Oh, and don’t forget to try the meatballs! Delicious!!!
Pranati R.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Austin, TX
Very sweet family owned restaurant, but has all the finesse of a fine dining restaurant, and it fits right in in the Hayes Valley vibe. We went in a massive group to celebrate a friend’s 21st and they brought out the best tiramisu I’ve had so far. Our host told us that they used the traditional Savoiardi lady fingers for their tiramisu! Tried their seafood risotto — watch out, it’s not the common cheesy risotto but a traditional fishy seafood infused risotto. I even tried their house Moscato — didn’t pair with the risotto but it’s a personal favorite! Definitely makes for a good date night location and is good for groups as well!
Crystal B.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Vallejo, CA
Wish I could’ve gave NOSTARS. I called to make a reservation for 8 at 11:30am instead I was given a time for 1pm. When I said that was too late the as&hole on the other end of the phone rudely said«well I can’t help you then» and hung up before I could say anything else!!! My coworkers and I were planning to celebrate the completion of a newly renovated building near by that we all worked on but instead chose another business to dine in being that this business did not deserve our presence let alone money. I will never give them the luxury of supporting their local business because of the way they treat their customers.
Maureen B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Bay Area
This joint is just down the street from the Opera House. We walked in with no reservation, and were warmly greeted. The overall experience was an A+!! Focaccia starter, rustic italian menu and a bottle of Chianti. Ooh lala. We had a stuffed chicken breast that was lick the plate good, and a spicy pappardelle. Food is fantastic, the ambience isn’t very swank and doesn’t match the quality of the food. That would be my only nudge. Skip the trendy spot across the street and grab a table here next time!
Jon C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Riverside, CA
What to say came here for lunch, first day of my trip. Sandwich was nothing special to much bread for my liking. The pizza on the other hand was very good since I’m a fan of thin crust! Would have liked to sit on the street but it was kinda windy.
David R.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Bonita, CA
Literally the worst dining experience I’ve ever had. I ordered ahead online and the confirmation email said it would be ready at 11:40. I arrived at 12:15 and my food wasn’t ready. Since a hangry young lady was with me, I asked if we could sit in the restaurant so she could order a meal. A manager and server both responded with«No. Your order is to go. That means to go. You can’t eat here.» After we left and got her some food nearby, I dug into my seared tuna salad. I guess by «sear», they mean ‘luke-warm slow cooking technique that makes the fish tough and gray’.
Insa N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Düsseldorf, Germany
We just had a good dinner there — my ravioli portion probably was a bit too small but of good quality and tasteful! The Valentino dessert(a somehow very rich chocolate tart cut in thin slices) was nice and something I had never eaten before! We were wondering why not more people go to this place and would recommend putting candles on the tables to make it more inviting!
Cece E.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Dublin, CA
Usually don’t need air conditioning in San Francisco but this weekend was uncomfortably hot. Maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy my meal here as much as I should have. The ceiling fans were there merely as decoration. They were whirling around too slowly to do much. They stirred the hot air around but did not dissipate it. Started off with grilled calamari. Yummy but was oddly served on mashed potatoes. My friend had the stuffed crêpe in a light cream sauce. The corn and other summer veggies were nicely cooked but were a bit under seasoned. Had the black spaghetti. OK but too heavy for the hot weather. I picked at it and finally just ate the seafood. My friend had the petrale sole. Again, just OK. Lastly, had the almond semifreddo for dessert. It is like a grainy custard. Tasted OK but didn’t care for the texture. Nothing wrong about the Italian music. However, wish they didn’t blast it over the speakers. Pretty loud for background music. Should have been softer. I’ll give this place another shot. Think the reason for this blah review had more to do with the weather than any food or service faux pas on the part of the restaurant.
Lewis C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Saratoga, CA
Had lunch here recently on a weekday. Our group had: Orecchiette pasta w kale and sausage Lasagna Bolognese Grilled chicken salad Ravioli special in cream sauce We started w calamari fritti that came with a creamy tomato based dipping sauce. All the food was very tasty with good sized portions and nicely presented. Service was solid — no problems. Restaurant was not full, so I would not expect slow service. The space has a nice atmosphere inside. Prices seemed fair. We all agreed we will come back to try more items on the menu.
Natasha P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Oakland, CA
Really, the four stars is for their sea salt, rosemary, onion focaccia that I discovered when we placed a takeout order and were given a whole brown bag of it. This was almost as dangerous as a warm Acme baguette for me. WOWZ. The food is okay. The petrale sole was huge and flakey and garlicky, but their mashed potatoes were super salty. I ordered one of their salads with the black figs and it turns out their dried figs — meh. Another time I ordered the fish burger and it was a fish cake on blah bread. My friend had a couple chicken bones in his flatbread sandwich. So basically, I’ll come back for the bread, and maybe next time I’ll check out their soup selection.
Tracey A.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Marin County, CA
Whatever the reasons behind Caffe Delle Stelle’s 3-star rating I can assure you it’s got nothing to do with their take-out window. As another reviewer remarked of said window, «the to-go menu here is awesome». A lunchtime take-out window on the Gough Street side of the restaurant has a chalkboard menu of specialties each sounding better than the one before. The menu listed enticing sounding pastas and panini but it was the salad selection that had me swooning. Really. Five different entrée-sized salads all coming in at under $ 10? That’s a steal. My Grilled Chicken Breast Salad was filled with spinach, fresh croutons, grilled pears, and maybe bacon. I was expecting not even to review the place so I barely paid attention to what I’d ordered but when I sat down to eat it elsewhere I was completely wowed so excuse me for not taking copious notes. Before handing me my salad the friendly chap behind the counter asked if I’d like«bread» with it. With all the gluten bashing these days he looked like he was sorry to even ask but obviously, one look at me and you know I have no problem consuming gluten. Don’t miss that«bread» which is actually a soft, salty, herb-flecked slice of fresh focaccia. This meal sated me for hours. I don’t know what’s going on inside the restaurant to merit only 3 stars. Even the photos posted look little like anything I ate there. If you’re in the area, stop by that take-out window and prove me right. Let’s show this lunchtime take out window some well-deserved love.
Jason B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Francisco, CA
Ring my bell. Disco: Delicious: Excellent roasted chicken panini with homemade pickles, greens and tomatoes. Awesome angel hair pasta in a tomato sauce with basic and garlic. Former had so much flavor and served with a salad. Latter had so much everything there was plenty to leave for the less fortunate. Served with focaccia. Both came from a weekday takeout window to the side of the main entrance: Friendly gentleman took my order and $ 20. Clearly enjoyed what was given back. Stepped inside the main restaurant to use the facilities and found a classic interior with checkered tablecloths and Italian inspired paintings. Inside or outside bet you can’t go wrong. Four chimes/stars.
Andrea R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Livermore, CA
We showed up on Caffe Delle Stelle’s doorstep quite serendipitously. My previous review on a different establishment led us here. We were greeted immediately and the hostess was very friendly. Someone brought us waters right away as well as an incredible garlic bread along with bread sticks and a sun dried tomato dip. Our order was taken promptly and the service was friendly and attentive not only to us, but also our teen daughter which I find very important. Hubby and I each ordered salads(he, Cesar and myself the house salad) which came out swiftly and were tasty. Our entrees took a little longer to arrive, but when they did they were also quite delicious. Overall we were well-pleased with the experience. The staff was friendly and attentive, the ambiance was pleasant, and the food was delicious.
Al L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Caffe Delle Stelle was the site of my co-worker’s final hurrah, to celebrate his retirement after 34 ½ years of service. For the occasion, 75 current and retired co-workers filled the restaurant for the private affair. While the guests were mingling, bruschetta, herb focaccia and bread sticks were provided as appetizers. For the lunch, we had choices from a pre-selected menu. Opted for the butternut squash and kale soup with a drizzle of olive oil. First time that I’ve had kale in a soup. It was creamy and tasty. Entrée — Petrale Sole with a tomato white wine sauce, mashed potatoes, and sautéed vegetables. The sole was moist and well-seasoned. Mashed potatoes was on the thin side, it need more texture. A piece of tiramisu was provided for dessert. It was good, but presentation was after-thought. They provided complementary carbonated water, which was a nice touch. Given the large group, service was organized and efficient. Would probably be back to try in a non-event setting.