“Fantastic food, amazing service (way above and beyond), true Italian feeling from the staff, reasonable prices.

Details: We walked in here after having a margarita down the road, looking for lighter Italian style food as opposed to deep fried Mexican fare. From the outside I wasn’t sure if this was a club or a bar or a restaurant. Inside it was modern and immaculate, though not packed with customers at 7pm on a friday.
My friend was disappointed by having to leave the bar with TV’s in every corner, as he was fixated on watching the steady demise of the Celtics. Upon entering Specchio he glanced around hopefully for a TV and noticed the gigantic projection screen above open kitchen showing some kind of arty Italian film…sigh…no TV. My friend’s sympathetic and adoring girlfriend tentatively asked the waiter if he it was possible to switch the artsy movie to the basketball game. The waiter was very accommodating and said he would check.

Moments later a smiling man appeared in a chef’s jacket and asked what channel the game was on before graciously heading to the back to try and find it on and project it on the giant screen. Wow.

We then had a fantastic meal, shared an appetizer and two pizzas as well as a very good and reasonable bottle of wine . On our way out we thanked the chef again and commented that we loved the food and that it reminded us of Italy. He suggested that we come back again, and that if we were willing to be dietarily flexible (ie eat fish, meat etc), ask for the chef’s choice, and he would cook us up a fantastic meal of his specialties. I can’t wait to go back.”

- Jessie B.

“We had a great dinner at Specchio last week. We love, and are very picky about, Italian food.

Appetizer: Carpaccio, Parmigiano with aged balsamic. Both of these were delicious. The cheese was so flavorful and the balsamic was so aged it was like a sweet syrup. Great pairing.

Pasta: We had two pastas. The fettucini alla norcina was great, rich but not too heavy. I LOVED the papardelle with boar ragu. The juniper berries were a great touch.

We were stuffed, but had already ordered a secondo — the fish of the day, which was a halibut served over fingerling potatoes. Cooked perfectly, moist, with delicious flavors.

Service: The chef had great suggestions for wine–the Montefalco rosso. Wait service was attentive and friendly.

All in all, we were very happy! Alas, we had no room for desert.”

- Ruth W.

“This restaurant is a hidden jewel, been there a couple of times. It is a true escape from the craziness of the mission, love the ambiance and modern decor. The food is incredible, authentic and hearty; the staff superb.

Top picks: vegetable antipasto, parmigiano with balsamic vinegar-simply delicious! pork chop- if you are not vegetarian, just get it! the sauce is heavenly spaghetti nero- it’s a classic and they do it beautifully fettuccine with peas and mushrooms- I crave this dish, divine! once I had the pasta special with fresh salmon in a pink sauce and it definitely hit the spot!

Enjoy!”

- Jimena S.

“I went to San Francisco for a birthday weekend with every intention to be glutinous and merry. Three of my friends and I decided to go the Mission district. We went to a few other places before stumbling across this jewel.

For me Italian restaurants tend not be very impressive. They seem over priced and can be lack luster. Our expectations were low since we simply wanted a beer or a glass of wine. So we sat at the counter ordered a round and began talking to the staff. One gentlemen in particular was extremely accommodating and interesting to have a conversation with, and he convinced us to order dessert. Good call. Best tiramisu I have ever eaten. Amazing. He also went on to tell us about the food menu, the origins of the food and what set them apart. Real Italian food.

Next time I’m in town, I will go back to eat a full meal there and enjoy some of the best hospitality I have received in a long time.”

- Kat C.

“My last minute dinner reservation here — superb.

I’m really not usually big on Italian food, and my opinion is that most restaurants can make it, but it’s never all that good. Shit, I can make it. But Specchio rose way above my expectations.

Great ambiance — mod, dim lighting, high ceilings and comfortably buzzy. Hostess was very accomodating, wait staff were friendly. I don’t think there was a single dish, except maybe the pizza, that I considered to be just “good.”

Entree: Their eggplant/tahini bruschetta was awesomely innovative/delicious, the classic mozarella perfected with the reduced balsamic, the salmon carpaccio was fresh.

Main: Lobster ravioli + asparagus — cream my pants good. Pork chop and potatoes? HOLY SHIT. I dont usually eat meat, but their pork chop is precisely the reason why I’m not a vegetarian. The pistachio pesto was deliciously balanced with its nutty/basil blend, and the sausage/mushroom fetticuni was homey yet gorgeous. Like I said, the only thing not wow-worthy was the pizza.

Best part of it is, it’s extremely reasonably priced. For all that. I’m in. Again and again.”

- Chieh T.

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Specchio is glad to host large parties or private events in our private reserved space upstairs!