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Bacco or Albona? We are six people from out of town who want to dine in one of these two restaurants. We would like casual, interesting, fun, flavorful, QUIET enough to talk, and in a neighborhood that would be entertaining for a stroll. Have you tried either or both? Which fits our needs the closests? Thanks.
Bacco:
http://www.baccosf.com/
Albona:
http://www.albonarestaurant.com/index.html
San Francisco diners -- which of these two restaurants, Bacco or Albona?
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Wow - North Beach & the Noe Valley are two very different types of neighborhoods. We lived around the corner from Bacco (actually, it was before Bacco's time) and have dined there many times - most recently about 2 years ago. We've been to Albona, but it was about 15 years ago.
If your daytime sightseeing is going to include North Beach, then I would dine at Bacco and take a stroll up & back on 24th street before dinner. The Noe Valley is a wonderful neighborhood - the Chronicle called it the best neigghborhood in the Bay Area. Note, however, that the Noe Valley (my favorite neighborhood in the City) is not nearly as active as North Beach at night.
Stu Dudley
Albona is a nice restaurant, but the food is not your typical Italian, it's from Istria and a bit different, you should check that you like the menu.
I would choose Noe Valley, Bacco.
Thank you. Stu, we won't be in either neighborhood prior to dinner. The gentlemen in our group will be working and near Masconi all day. We're just looking for someplace fun and casual away from the convention crowd for dinner. We'll most likely taxi to which ever from our hotel on Taylor near Un. Sq.
Susanna. We do realize that Albona is Istrian. It is one of the things that attracted us to the restaurant. Unlike other postings regarding SFO dining, our group will eat darn near anything. The more interesting, the better. "Typical Italian" I can cook.
I've eaten at both and can recommend both. As Stu has noted it is a choice between North Beach and Noe Valley. NB would be a much less expensive cab ride from Moscone, but you certainly will be away from tourists and conventioneers at Bacco. Noe Valley at night is considerably more quiet than NB--after 9pm it will be dead quiet because it is a residential neighborhood. NB will definitely be more lively. If I was to go strictly by food, I would pick Albona because the food is a little more interesting, but neither is everyday Italian.
A note about our dinner in SFO -- we chose Albona and could not be happier. The food was divine and the staff are so warm and charming. It is a tiny place, so one must reserve, but the food was heavenly. We had the fried gnocci, the carmelized pear and the sardine starters. The pear and sardines were both surprisingly wonderful. Then we had what they call "strudel" pasta and finally entres of the lamb, the seafood stew and the veal shank. All pronounced delicious. The entire party of six agreed that they would return in a heartbeat. Thanks to all for your guidance to this little jewel.