Cotogna, San Francisco

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

Cotogna

490 Pacific Ave. (Near Montgomery Street)

San Francisco, CA 94133

415-775-8508

Cotogna Website

Book Reservation

Cotogna, San Francisco

Cotogna (meaning ‘quince’ in Italian), offers a seasonally-changing menu featuring spit-roasted or grilled meats and game birds, wood-oven pizzas, house-made pastas, fresh local fish and seafood, salads, salami and cheeses in the warm atmosphere of the restaurant’s refined urban design. This is the sister restaurant to Quince, which is located next door.

Cotogna San Francisco parklet outdoor decor

Our last visit was in the Summer of 2021 during the Pandemic. They have a beautiful custom parklet that easily spans half the block. They are a difficult reservation, requiring a couple weeks buffer time to find a lunch time.

Cotogna Dinner Video

Cuisine – Italian
Chef – Michael Tusk
Location – Jackson Square

Cotogna San Francisco open fire

Decor, Vibe – Cotogna is not a large restaurant, a large hardwood communal table situated in front of the kitchen counter seating. A bar area is on the far wall. Large Windows open to the Street, exposed brick, large mirrors, wine glasses on a rack lined the walls. The place was packed, loud, and full of the well-dressed 30s to 50s set.

Cotogna Menu

Fairly short Menu has classic antipasti, several primi options, fish, grilled items, 2 pizzas, and dessert.  They had a family meal as well as the expensive steak option. Limited options for vegetarians.

Cotogna Signature Dishes – Pasta and roasted items.

Cotogna Food Picks:

Cotogna San Francisco Tuscan Mixed Grill Salad

Cotogna San Francisco Tuscan Mixed Grill

Tuscan-style mixed grill – Wolfe Ranch quail, spit-roasted pork loin, belly & housemade sausage ($145) was our one and done choice in 2021.  It includes:

  • Fresh Run Farm frisee with farm egg & romano beans
  • Zucchini fritti with pickled shallot & espelette
  • Shelling beans al forno
  • Swiss chard with pine nuts & currants
AND FOR DESSERT:
  • Honey & fig panna cotta

It was plenty of food for 3 adults. The standout was the juicy quail and bits of crunchy pork belly. A great meal for those who love spit roasted meats. Add a pasta and you’ve hit all the corners! 8.5/10

Fresh Run Farm frisée with figs, shishito peppers & opal basil ($17) is perfect for vegetarians. A nice fruity starter with good balance. 9/10

House made focaccia with chili flake & sea salt ($10) was fresh and hot. A great addition to the family meal. Slight hint of heat. 9/10

Mojito ($10) was tall and strong with no mint leaves floating but flavor infused within.

Cotogna Country Bread ($6) rivals Tartine Bakery’s legendary bread. No need to wait! In 2016, they stopped making this. Too time consuming.

Brokaw avocado, kumquat, beets & red quinoa ($15) was very good. Some tangy avocado chunks plus guacamole all over. Crunchy quinoa gave it a texture blend.

Ricotta de la casa with hedgehog mushrooms ($12) was an excellent dish that included some crispy bread that we topped with the warm ricotta cheese and super fresh mushrooms. We needed extra bread to contain a wonderful cheese combination.

Cotogna San Francisco_spinach Sformato

Spinach Sformato with grana padano fonduta ($12) was a very creamy egg/creamed spinach like combination. This rich dish really needed some bread to balance itself. Do not hesitate asking the waiter for some!

Bucatini with pistachio pesto ($19) was a chewy eggless thick spaghetti type noodle pasta cooked very al dente. A nicely done dish that we can highly recommend.

Cotogna San Francisco Agnolotti del plin

Agnolotti del plin con sugo d’arrosto ($20) are tiny ravioli like pillows filled with tender meat.  Braised rabbit, pork, and pork! A signature dish and it shows. Not al dente.

Cotogna San Francisco Casarecce with lobster

Casarecce with lobster, tomato & nepitella ($23) was a little lacking in lobster and a bit salty.  Nice al dente pasta and a touch of spice and some crispy bread crumbs tossed on top.

Cotogna San Francisco wild nettle Gnocchi

Wild Nettle Gnocchi ($16) was an excellent pasta dish, fluffy, soft, creamy in a spinach like green sauce. Great for vegetarians and foodies alike.

Cotogna San Francisco pasta Pici with sausage Ragu

Pici with sausage Ragu and roast chestnuts ($16) featured a very very al dente eggless thick pasta with lots of cubes of meat. We really didn’t notice the roasted chestnuts. Portion size was on the small side.

Wolfe Ranch quail ($31) is another secondi from the spit roaster.  Fantastic dish with juicy tender quail possessing a smokey flavor. Carrots, Fiddle hen ferns and potatoes were also nicely done.

Spit Roasted Pork with wild fennel and satsumas ($20) was an excellent dish with very juicy and tender pork that reminded us of Lulu’s. A must get for pork fans. We could have eaten a double serving.

Cotogna San Francisco Spit roasted arista di maiale pork chop

Spit roasted arista di maiale ($28) or pork chop looked great and was fairly juicy in the middle.  Their open fire spit looked awesome, forcing us to order something from it. Nice char’ing all around. Not as good as the big ass pork chop we had in Moody’s of Truckee the previous week, but still satisfying. The next day, as leftovers, it improved even further.

Cotogna San Francisco_Margherita pizza

Margherita pizza ($19) was not on the menu but the waiter introduced it to us. This pizza was very thin, had no sogginess, had a very crispy edge crust but could have used a little more cheese on it.

Salsiccia, dandelion greens & provolone piccante ($19) looked beautiful, but definitely more Californian than Napoletana. Good flavor, but a bit on the bitter side with the dandelions.

Jenn’s Strawberry Sorbetto ($8) is awesome. Definitely artisan with strong strawberry flavor. 9/10

Cotogna San Francisco_Panna cotta

Crème fraîche Panna Cotta with pine nut cookies ($7) have had very smooth Panna cotta and that wasn’t too sweet at and looked ravishing on the plate alongside couple slices. 8/10

Sierra Beauty Apple And Quince Crostata ($7) was a healthy dessert that resembled a cold Apple pizza. Thin slices of fresh apple and quince topped a flaky crust. This is not a dessert for those looking for something decadent.

OK: (Order if you like this dish)

Stone fruit, almond & arugula Salad ($14) looked fresh and lite, but could have been better with more of a sweet profile. It was a bit to savory aka salty.

Monterey Bay squid, grapefruit and puntarella ($12) was a disjointed dish with a mixture of decent squid blended in with some bitter greens. This was also a pretty small dish.

Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)

Venetian style bigoli with octopus ($16) had reasonable pasta but a very fishy octopus that just did not belong in the dish.

Orecchiette con cozze e broccoli ($20) was made well but a bit too sour. Nice pasta.

Service – Cotogna had solid service with a friendly and knowledgeable waiter. Service did fade when the place got full. We had to wait a while for the pasta dishes to arrive. Salads, bread, roasted items arrived fast. Service in 2021 was not perfect, but hey it was typical Pandemic perfect, where we were just grateful.

Value – Prices are in line with restaurants of this caliber. The prefix menu and wines are well priced. Pastas are small, so appetizers are necessity.

Alternatives – While the food here is very good, we find Delfina and Perbacco a slight cut above this restaurant.
Nearby restaurants include neighbor Quince, Chinese stalwart R and G lounge, and Spanish tapas restaurant Bocadillos.

Verdict – Cotogna brings an informal, accessible, and affordable twist to Quince with solid Italian food at reasonable prices. We can’t wait to come back and try some of the other spit roasted items.  They seem more robust than the pasta.
$10 wine by the glass, very reasonable $40 bottles of wine. 4% healthy SF surcharge. 18% gratuity added parties of six or more.

Restaurant Map:


Cotogna Overall Rating: (Very Good 2.5)

Come Back?

Food Rating: (Very Good)
Service Rating: (Very Good)
Atmosphere Rating: (Excellent)
Value Rating: (Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:Full Bar
Attire:Casual
Hours:Monday - Friday: 11:30 AM - 5:30 PM, Monday - Thursday: 5:30 Pm - 11:00 Pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:30 Pm - 12:00 Am
Parking:Street
Reservations:Yes
Prices:$15 - $125

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7 Comments

  • 2010 Best of San Francisco Restaurants | Foodnut.com
    January 5, 2011 at 9:49 am

    […] Cotogna […]

  • Kelley
    June 11, 2011 at 12:35 am

    We ate here last week with friends and we all enjoyed it. I would come back!

  • New Michelin Guide San Francisco 2012 | Foodnut.com
    October 26, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    […] – San Francisco Contigo – San Francisco Cook – St. Helena Corso – Berkeley Cotogna – San Francisco Crouching Tiger – Redwood City – Not that great! Cucina Paradiso – […]

  • foodhoe
    January 18, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    I am looking forward to eating here tonight, only two of us tho… so many delicious looking dishes!

  • Foodnut.com
    January 19, 2012 at 8:24 am

    Let me know how it was. Cotogna is getting pretty hot these days!

  • Quince, San Francisco | Foodnut.com
    June 11, 2012 at 12:01 am

    […] Quince has a more casual restaurant next door called Cotogna. […]

  • New Michelin Guide San Francisco 2013 | Foodnut.com
    October 22, 2013 at 5:22 pm

    […] – Oakland Comal Contigo – San Francisco Cook – St. Helena Corso – Berkeley Cotogna – San Francisco Crouching Tiger – Redwood City – Not that great! Cucina Paradiso – […]

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