Cafe Zoetrope

Excellent meal in a historic building. My friend had the spaghetti and meatballs and said it was delicious. I had a Caesar salad and a caprese sandwich. The salad especially was amazing. Excellent service from a lovely server. Cool atmosphere. Overall, a fun find!

A restaurant owned by the famous Francis Ford Coppola, yes, the one and only Coppola who directed the all time classic Godfather trilogy!!! The restaurant itself is so "Godfather" if you know what I am talking about, so low profile from the outside, you wouldn't even notice that there's a restaurant inside, but the interior design is authentic Italian style, you will definitely enjoy a cup of espresso here.

I loved my little lunch there so very much!!! I totally trusted the waiter with his suggestions for wine and pizza and didn't regret it at all. Had a glass of Primitivo and Prosciutto pizza. Delicious!!!!!! The pizza crust was the best I ever had. The staff is super friendly. They charged my phone and as locals, suggested places to visit through my stay in SF. I liked the vibes of the place. From the pictures and posters on the walls, you can see many memories were made there. Love the place and would definitely visit again when back in San Francisco!!!

Overall experience was good. The amount of pasta didn’t reflect the price but the linguine with clams was delicious and the meatballs made from veal were delicious as well. We sat outside to enjoy the nice weather and service was also great as our waiter scooped spoons of Parmesan cheese to our liking on our plate. The Italian soda and complimentary rolls were good also.

Cafe Zoetrope is a cute Italian restaurant in Little Italy in a gorgeous building on the ground floor. The big draw for us to make reservations was the short story vending machine, which is free. For the vending machine, you can select a story in 1 minute, 3 minute, or 5 minute read times. It prints on thick receipt-sized paper (think a thick extra-long Walgreens receipt). You get a randomized short story and it’s a cool experience. The food isn’t anything exciting. It was decent, but nothing memorable. I had the Linguine Alle Vongole, which was fresh clams, white wine, parsley, and red pepper flakes. I added more pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt because it wasn’t very flavorful. For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse, which was more firm than I’m used to, but it wasn’t anything I’d write home about. Our server was attentive, friendly, and knew the menu well. After the short story vending machine, the service was the best part of the experience with the food coming in last.

Tired Midwesterner from a full day of travel. We.. just.. need.. pasta! Google Maps + Francis Ford Coppola ("Godfather") + his wines + unique old building = love. It was "dead" at 1830 local time, so perfect for us to get the best seat in the house! Waitress recommended the wine tasting ($23) and really, all 3 were good. Fennel salad was fresh ingredients and refreshing, but needed a smidge of salt. The pasta.... the pasta! Puttanesca! The pasta was chewy al dente with a hearty tomato sauce (more like a jam) filled with whole roasted garlic gloves (easy to see if you want to eat them first! or remove - boo), calamata olives, and capers! So good: food, ambiance, wine, and how they treated us (gave us bday champagne and let us linger a little).

Got the spaghetti and meatballs and it was delicious. The meat especially. I wish they had Lasagna to offer. Also the wine was very good too and to top it off with a exceptional cappuccino at the end.

A cool Italian cafe downtown SF. Friendly staff with a short wait time for orders to arrive. Try their tasty tiramisu, a nice treat yo taste buds.

Excellent meal in a historic building. My friend had the spaghetti and meatballs and said it was delicious. I had a Caesar salad and a caprese sandwich. The salad especially was amazing. Excellent service from a lovely server. Cool atmosphere. Overall, a fun find!

A restaurant owned by the famous Francis Ford Coppola, yes, the one and only Coppola who directed the all time classic Godfather trilogy!!! The restaurant itself is so "Godfather" if you know what I am talking about, so low profile from the outside, you wouldn't even notice that there's a restaurant inside, but the interior design is authentic Italian style, you will definitely enjoy a cup of espresso here.

I loved my little lunch there so very much!!! I totally trusted the waiter with his suggestions for wine and pizza and didn't regret it at all. Had a glass of Primitivo and Prosciutto pizza. Delicious!!!!!! The pizza crust was the best I ever had. The staff is super friendly. They charged my phone and as locals, suggested places to visit through my stay in SF. I liked the vibes of the place. From the pictures and posters on the walls, you can see many memories were made there. Love the place and would definitely visit again when back in San Francisco!!!

Overall experience was good. The amount of pasta didn’t reflect the price but the linguine with clams was delicious and the meatballs made from veal were delicious as well. We sat outside to enjoy the nice weather and service was also great as our waiter scooped spoons of Parmesan cheese to our liking on our plate. The Italian soda and complimentary rolls were good also.

Cafe Zoetrope is a cute Italian restaurant in Little Italy in a gorgeous building on the ground floor. The big draw for us to make reservations was the short story vending machine, which is free. For the vending machine, you can select a story in 1 minute, 3 minute, or 5 minute read times. It prints on thick receipt-sized paper (think a thick extra-long Walgreens receipt). You get a randomized short story and it’s a cool experience. The food isn’t anything exciting. It was decent, but nothing memorable. I had the Linguine Alle Vongole, which was fresh clams, white wine, parsley, and red pepper flakes. I added more pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt because it wasn’t very flavorful. For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse, which was more firm than I’m used to, but it wasn’t anything I’d write home about. Our server was attentive, friendly, and knew the menu well. After the short story vending machine, the service was the best part of the experience with the food coming in last.

Tired Midwesterner from a full day of travel. We.. just.. need.. pasta! Google Maps + Francis Ford Coppola ("Godfather") + his wines + unique old building = love. It was "dead" at 1830 local time, so perfect for us to get the best seat in the house! Waitress recommended the wine tasting ($23) and really, all 3 were good. Fennel salad was fresh ingredients and refreshing, but needed a smidge of salt. The pasta.... the pasta! Puttanesca! The pasta was chewy al dente with a hearty tomato sauce (more like a jam) filled with whole roasted garlic gloves (easy to see if you want to eat them first! or remove - boo), calamata olives, and capers! So good: food, ambiance, wine, and how they treated us (gave us bday champagne and let us linger a little).

Got the spaghetti and meatballs and it was delicious. The meat especially. I wish they had Lasagna to offer. Also the wine was very good too and to top it off with a exceptional cappuccino at the end.

A cool Italian cafe downtown SF. Friendly staff with a short wait time for orders to arrive. Try their tasty tiramisu, a nice treat yo taste buds.

We just had this craving for muffuletta and we knew cafe Zoetrope has that. We sat outside because we had our dog with us. We ordered half a muffuletta to share between 2 people and the Argentinian short ribs. They actually split the muffuletta for us with salad on both plates. The short ribs were good size with chimichurri sauce. The muffuletta was delectable and reminded me of the one from the central market in New Orleans. Service was excellent. They even brought water for our dog. A great lunch all in all.

Cafe Zoetrope is a cute Italian restaurant in Little Italy in a gorgeous building on the ground floor. The big draw for us to make reservations was the short story vending machine, which is free. For the vending machine, you can select a story in 1 minute, 3 minute, or 5 minute read times. It prints on thick receipt-sized paper (think a thick extra-long Walgreens receipt). You get a randomized short story and it's a cool experience. The food isn't anything exciting. It was decent, but nothing memorable. I had the Linguine Alle Vongole, which was fresh clams, white wine, parsley, and red pepper flakes. I added more pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt because it wasn't very flavorful. For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse, which was more firm than I'm used to, but it wasn't anything I'd write home about. Our server was attentive, friendly, and knew the menu well. After the short story vending machine, the service was the best part of the experience with the food coming in last.

Iconic locale for Francis Ford Coppola fans - there's plenty of memorabilia and photos to look at. Menu is a half flyers worth of items and the backside is wine and cocktails. Pizza Originale Love the fresh authentic tomato sauce which is light, fresh and airy. Sausage is packaged and uninspiring and the dough is average. Braised Lamb Shank Thick heavy sauce, with an over salted shank. Fortunately there are potatoes to balance out the salt. Roasted Cauliflower Theres a rather unique cumin type of spice that I don't think was the best choice. It just doesn't integrate well. Caesar Salad Very good choice - the anchovy dressing is mouthwatering and a can't miss for Caesar salad lovers. You gotta come here once for the experience but I definitely wouldn't put it high on my list of north beach eateries. That's all...

We had the most lovely experience today for a long leisurely lunch. Cafe Zoetrope has always been a favorite but we have not been lately for no reason. We started with the anti pasta dish. see photo. The Teleme cheese was amazing , the olives special but the Tapenade was the star - especially with the Teleme. Of course the beautiful bread, salami and meats we yummy with some Sofia sparking rose began the meal. We then had some pizza and the salmon sandwich and long conversations. The staff did not rush us and was just a beautiful afternoon. Thank you all .

Came for lunch on a weekday. The food here was good enough. The bread that was brought to our table seemed like prepackaged dinner rolls. The spaghetti Alla carbonara was good and filling but was not hot. The prices were reasonable and the service was friendly. The decor was inviting and casual.

Great bar, excellent Italian fare, tender lamb chop, pasta all terrific, friendly efficient service, great SF vibes.

Huge film fan so this was like heaven for me. One of the best filmmakers of all time and the atmosphere and decoration in here was incredible. A Mon Oncle poster what a surprise. Highly recommend for anyone who's a fan of FFC and his work. Besides that, the pizza was great too. Got the pizza marinara and that was amazing. Highly recommend.

Francis Ford Coppola wrote the iconic movie, the Godfather. He bought this building back in 1972 to be a homebase for his movie work, and later opened this restaurant. The restaurant was named for Francis Coppola's venerable production company, American Zoetrope. This place has some of the best coffee in SF. The staff is generally quite helpful. A popular item that people rave about is the Salmone Affumigato Sandwich. It has smoked salmon, avocado, tomato, and arugula in freshly baked Puccia bread. At $17 it is not cheap, but then again what is in SF these days. This place can get busy during the lunch rush, so we try to time our visits for mid afternoon. Its open on week nights till 7pm and weekend until 8pm. Parking is very challenging as this is on the busiest section of Kearny.

Ordered chicken cacciatore and broccoli rabe for dinner it was 107 for two servings of each. It was trash, I forced myself to eat the chicken but I couldn't even stomach the broccoli it had the worst taste to it, neither of us could eat it. I would not recommend either dish to anyone.

TLDR: Come here for the absolute VIBES. Food is standard and good, but the indoor decor and general atmosphere is really special. FOOD: 1. Calzone (4.5/5): They can make any of their pizzas into calzones so I had them make the sausage, mushroom, and mozz pizza into a calzone and I IMPORTANTLY asked them to add tomato sauce (which wasn't originally on the pizza). This was absolutely delicious and filling for two! 2. Soup of the Day (4/5): It was also enough for two people and was a nice, warm start to the meal, especially on a rainy day. Our soup was like an Italian vegetable and sausage soup. 3. Caesar salad (4/5): A simple, good Caesar salad but I wouldn't say best we've ever had. 4. Not going to lie, their restaurant bread was REALLY good. Incredibly soft like milk bread. I loved it and I'm usually picky about restaurant bread. SERVICE: - I thought we had really attentive service! Our waitress was super accommodating, bringing us more salad dressing quickly when we asked for some and walking us through the pizza/calzone section when I could t make up my mind ENVIRONMENT & AMBIANCE: - The pictures can't capture it fully but the inside of this restaurant is just completely transformed to bring you back to another time period somewhere in Europe. Photos everywhere, a revolving door entrance to add to the magic of feeling transported, old artifacts carefully placed around. I thought definitely one of the more unique places to dine in SF. OTHER: I wouldn't say you need a reservation for this place and can probably walk in. We barely found openings for reservations so we thought it would be packed but when we got there, there was definitely space for walk ins.

Something has changed - either the chef, recipe or both. The historically remarkable Spaghetti and Meatballs (exceptional for such a standard dish) now lacks any notable flavor and is too salty. Gone is the amazing depth of flavor. The meatballs were dry, didn't taste fresh and flavorless -- and felt like a chore to eat them (like those bad cafeteria meatballs from childhood). $27 is steep, but was justifiable when this dish was extraordinary. Would have given 3 stars, but to charge so much for mediocre food pushed it down to 2 stars. Another change that shows decline is they don't grate fresh parmesan over your pasta - it's now a bowl of finely grated parmesan that's not as good. The bread used to come warm and delicious and these were cold and stale. This place was such a gem. It''s sad to lose a special place with outstanding food.

Very delicious! Small place with big flavor, came here on a quiet Friday evening, requested for bread, found out if was made in house so it was very soft, server split our Caesar salad and meal which was lovely, and my French 75 was 10/10! Got a delicious decafe affogato and tiramisu! Very old school decor, but loved the ambiance.

Cozy ambiance, great staff, but average food. Along with the complimentary bread, we tried: - Pasta carbonara ($24) - Grilled chicken sandwich with a side cedar salad ($17) - Tiramisu ($12) The carbonara was good, but not super memorable or different than other carbonara I've had. The portion is pretty small for $24 The chicken sandwich was also good but didn't stand out. I read reviews that the "Cesar salad is the best I've ever had" and not sure why. Again, it was GOOD! But not "THE BEST I've ever had" haha and same goes for the tiramisu. I really wanted to try to chocolate mousse but our waitress said the portion is tiny so we opted for the tiramisu. The restaurant itself has a great vibe and the bathrooms are super clean

I never leave bad ratings- this rating is for the food alone, service was fine. I am a wine and cheese girly. I love my cheese. This platter was soulless. The cheese tasted like paint, somehow the olive lacked any salt, the meat was not fresh... and it was served on this prison tray. I would have happily paid the $30 for high quality ingredients- but I feel robbed . And my appetite is no more

Mmmm, yummy yum yum! Yummy yum yum yum! Mmmmm mmm! So yummy yum yum yum! Yummy! Mmmm mmm! Yummy! Mmmmmm mmm!

Me gusta! Arrived during happy hour and ordered the Wine flight (deliciosos Reds), the calzone (pesto) and rice balls. Also, the spaghetti and meatballs + a sparkling rose. Nice ambiance, comfortable, messy bathroom, spotty service.

I came here as a part of the sidewalk food tour. We got the Pizza Marinara and it was good but it wasn't great! The pizza had a good balance of crust and cheese but I felt like it was lacking in sauce. The decor in the restaurant is super cute. The restaurant is small and can feel a little cramped if there's a bunch of people there. Overall, i dont think this restaurant impressed me enough to come back on my own.

Our group had a show in the evening and decided to have dinner in North Beach beforehand. We decided to try Café Zoetrope at the edge of North Beach having heard that this was Francis Ford Coppola's restaurant. The restaurant is located in the Sentinel Building, a SF historical landmark at the corner of Columbus and Kearny Sts. Coppola opened this restaurant in 1999 and created the menu with many of this own recipes. The signage on the pillar at the entrance provides a history of the building and the Café. The restaurant has a feel of a place in Italy and it decorated with art and momentos from his film career. We had 6:30pm reservations, but they were overbooked. So the maître d' seated us at a corner table, that is Coppola's private table. That was pretty cool! Checking out the menu, we decided to try the House Specialty Caesar Salad, which is made daily with fresh egg yolk. Salad is dressed with croutons, anchovies and grated Parmesan. Good salad, but was not the best I've had. For my entrée, I had the Spaghetti alla Carbonara Classico, made with Niman Ranch guanciale, egg, black pepper and pecorino Romano cheese. It was very thick and creamy. Very tasty. Braised lamb shank in red wine sauce and risotto. This was fork tender and tasty. This dish was a tad salty. One of our dining partners ordered the Asado de Tira Short Ribs Argentine style. It came with chimichurri, roasted potatoes and green salad. Each piece was a pair of ribs, but they were not fall off the bone tender and were tough. This dish is not recommended. We were served house rolls with our dinner. These were not the typical sourdough rolls, but more of a dense style. Overall, service was friendly and attentive. Food was good except for the Asado De Tira short ribs. Glad we were able to try Coppola's restaurant in this historical building.

Aside from one member of staff saying the place 10000% doesn't serve mochas, and then giving us a menu at the end that showed they did serve mochas the whole time, (a language barrier that was small though and totally fine, she was apologetic and I myself have an accent that can be tricky,) the purple pasta here is amazing and refreshing. Great selection of wines, the mocha is to die for, enjoyed it thoroughly.

I feel like I need to update my review as it's been many many years since it was posted, and I started going there more regularly after that review. I am giving them five stars because now that I live in Minnesota, I think very often about the spaghetti and meatballs, picada tray, and the Argentinian steak dish. I can't get anything that tastes even remotely similar to those dishes here. I miss the ambience and fun staff. And I can't wait to go back for a visit or, ideally, when I move back to San Francisco.

Such a beautiful little space. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, they allowed us to sit outside with our pup while they had an event happening inside. We ordered the tasting flight (which were very generous pours, shared between two people) and enjoyed the complimentary bread w/olive oil and balsamic. We can't wait to come back and actually enjoy something from the menu.

Too small, too crowded, overpriced, food just so-so. You can get better food at more reasonable prices elsewhere. The movie themed decor is cute-but you can't eat the ambience

I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at Cafe Zoetrope. We came in around noontime on a Sunday to order a pizza to go, and all of the staff were helpful and welcoming from the moment we walked in. The restaurant, both inside and outside, had a lot of character, the walls decorated with beautiful and unique artwork all over, even a couple statues inside to add to the charm. My favorite feature is their Short Story Dispenser by Short Edition, where visitors can obtain a free random piece of literature with the click of a button (I wrote a whole separate Yelp review on this). There's also both indoor and outdoor seating available, a small bar inside, and so many wines on display.  We ordered the Pizza Funghi e Salsiccia, and I thought it was really good, flavorful toppings (italian sausage, mushrooms, and mozzarella), on a creamy white sauce, and a perfectly cooked crust (though the crust is more on the plain side). Size-wise, it's 12 inches in diameter. I also tried the caesar salad, and I'm pretty sure it's the best I've ever had, anywhere. I finished every last bite. Fresh romaine mix, topped off with a couple anchovies on top, with a generous side of perfectly creamy and savory caesar dressing and crunchy lightly seasoned croutons. Soooo good! Apparently, a popular underground restaurant, Caesar's Grill, originated in the historic Sentinal building long before Cafe Zoetrope existed, and "claims to be the birthplace of the Caesar salad".  There's a lot to love about Cafe Zoetrope. With the excellent service and great environment, there's no question that I'll be back.

Great, cozy romantic restaurant - even though I'm flying solo tonight. Stumbled in because I'm staying down the street for a conference. Wait staff was quick and friendly. Decor is charming. Wine recco was good. Monday night vibes - chill but not dead. Can we talk about the chicken salad? Chicken. Pears. Gorgonzola. Slivered almonds. So much goodness and beautifully hardy. Large portion. So if you're ordering an entree, split this salad with a friend. I'd love to come back (after I lose my covid 20) and try the pasta and bread. Wonderful meal.

I've only been to Cafe Zoetrope one time for lunch, so this will be a short review. What a great little cafe! I dropped in for lunch one afternoon and was sure glad that I did. I had a coffee and a sandwich and both were stellar in their own rights. The entire crew was great and the whole cafe was very clean. The bill was fair for the food and service I received. I guess one of its main appeals is the building that the cafe is located in. Columbus Tower is a cool piece of history so it makes eating and quaint cafe that much better! Next time you're in the area, give Cafe Zoetrope an try.

I've been wanting to check out Cafe Zoetrope for a hot minute now and finally made it happen! The vibe in this place is so chill and relaxing. It's like stepping back in time with all the historic memorabilia and pictures of the famous filmmaker family, the Coppolas. We had just a coffee break with my friend and the coffee was great + the service was on point. A light music was the best background for a girls talk. Oh, and let's not forget about the cool green tableware that matched the color of the building - so dope! I would recommend to have a seat outside in a warm sunny day. The location is perfect because it's at the end of Kearny Street, where it's nice and quiet. Definitely recommend checking this spot out!

Food was ok. Service from everyone but our chosen waiter was great. The interior was nice with lots of history all around. Food came out before our drinks did. A little unique compared to normal. Could go back again or never again. ‍

We believe that a visit to San Francisco should ALWAYS include dining or obtaining food to go from Cafe Zoetrope. Dining in this beautiful historic building built in 1907 allows you to step into and truly enjoy a European cafe-style vibe, including an outdoor dining space with a gorgeous sidewalk. Our favorite salad is the Caesar Salad which was evidently created originally in this building at Caesar's Grill in 1924. Following the salad, we enjoy scrumptious cooked to order pasta dish such as Spaghetti Alla Carbonaro Classico and Spaghetti Pomodoro Basilico. A glass of Francis Ford Coppola Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon wine and an espresso completes a perfect meal! The staff is very friendly and professional. VERY highly recommended.

Keep in mind I went when the restaurant was participating in restaurant week, so they had a special menu for lunch and dinner. I was surprised to see a low rating for this place. I enjoyed the food, service and the ambiance. As part of this restaurant week menu, the lunch includes an arugula salad and mushroom lasagna for $15 in total! By far the best price you'll ever see for a full meal at a nicer establishment in SF. Francis Ford Coppola of Godfather fame owns this restaurant (and the whole building i believe) and as a result the cafe has a really unique film-centric vibe, with pictures of tons of movie stars, awards shows and scenes from the Godfather.

A couple of blocks away from the heart of the North Beach neighborhood but in a lovely historic building doing really great Italian trattoria food. Loved, loved their pasta a la carbonara and Tony's pizza. Celebrity owner Francis Ford Coppola has a great thing going for us! Enjoy great Italian food and ambience!!!

I went to Cafe Zoetrope on a whim - a friend met me at my work, a couple blocks away, and I suggested this place as I had never been there but had walked by many times. We sat outside on the Kearny Street side, and as it was about 1:30pm - after the lunch rush - it was not crowded, and in fact fairly quiet given our close proximity to the street. A waiter quickly brought out bread and water, and then we ordered - a chicken salad for my friend and a chicken sandwich for me. Both were very good. I took half my sandwich with me, it was so filling. The bread came with oil and vinegar, instead of butter, which we both liked. After, we ordered coffees - a cappuccino and a latte for me - and enjoyed some conversation before returning to work. Our waiter came and checked on us unobtrusively during the meal, refilling our water glasses and taking away our dishes when we were finished. I really enjoyed the meal, although it cost a little more than I usually pay. But both the food and the service were excellent, and I will be back.

I must have driven by Cafe Zoetrope a thousand times. During 1980s or 1990s, I heard that local movie actors and actresses frequented there due to movie company offices of famed director Coppola upstairs. My friend offered a free lunch there, and a restaurant bucket list was checked off. The ambiance is funky, it is a classic San Francisco building, it was a bit cold out, we enjoyed our lunch inside. Props to the three attentive servers who helped us, and went out of their way to make our visit enjoyable. Unlimited Bread with balsamic and olive oil was presented and on point. We both had pastas, desserts and wine, portions were ample and delicious. I selected the Coppola family recipe Spaghetti and Meatballs. Sadly, Italian restaurants are closing left and right in North Beach. I hope Cafe Zoetrope bucks the trend and is there for return visits.

Great paper airplane cocktail, and the Mufaletta sandwich is the best I've ever had. Highly recommend ordering a full sandwich: housemate bread holds the sandwich in such a great crunchy and yet soft texture

I took my niece to this cafe before seeing a show in a theatre nearby. I made a reservation in advance but the place was not that crowded. I loved the cool ambiance and the unique decor of the cafe. The menu is rather limited but everything we ordered was delicious. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Our food came quickly and was cooked perfectly to order. My niece really loved her meal as well. The place is not overly loud and has a great location. It is conveniently near a few public parking lots as well. If I go back to that part of SF again I will for sure visit this cafe for some more delicious food.

Excellent food, drinks, and service. Plus I'm in love with the short-story-generating machine. How cool is that!

Delicious food, great drinks, stunning historic building and fantastic service! We will absolutely be back!

This place gives an amazing energy and vibe. It's an artistic exterior and interior which makes it one of the best places to enjoy a meal. The pizza was delicious along with the pasta. I also like decor with pictures of one of the greatest filmmakers to ever do it. The location is on the border of Chinatown and North Beach which is great to be at with so much to eat and see in San Francisco. Dessert was yummy with a slice of tiramisu. The service was good. An enjoyable experience.

Beautiful restaurant, decorated with pictures from the Coppola movies and the family Vinyard. There's not much to say about the service, average. It was weird that when we placed our reservation they asked if we were celebrating anything and we were celebrating my wife's birthday, not a single mention of her birthday, until we said something then they brought out a piece of tirimisu. Now we talk about the food... the picata tray was decent, tiny portions of cheese, and meat, expensive but it was good. The chicken cacciatotre wasn't good at all. It was lacking in flavor, very soggy. Tasted like boiled chicken and wine sauce.. the pizza was pretty good though. I may go try it again sometime as I have heard from others that it's delicious. But we definitely didn't have a great experience.

This is a San Francisco gem! Had the Caesar salad and the spaghetti and meatballs, and was not disappointed in the least! The staff are friendly, welcoming, and attentive. Highly recommend!

This place is a gem in the North Beach area standing out with their iconic building. I was urban hiking in the area and looking for some pasta and wine, like it just completes the circle of visiting the North Beach neighborhood. On a weekday in SF and no crowds was a sight to see but what the hell, I'm not gonna complain but enjoy my visit. Being a lunch meal I had to order spaghetti and some appetizers to start. And you gotta have a glass of house red to rinse that palate of mines. As I'm waiting I'm coming to find out that this is one of Coppola's place which really was exciting as I'm a big Coppola fan. Which reminds me of the Coppola wineries in Napa and Sonoma. My plate: Aranchini Balls - FREAKING amazing with the crispy crunch and soft creamy inside. Broccoli Rabe - great flavor but not sautéed enough to have that char for that smoky taste. And spaghetti - what can I say, the nice oily rich oil and acidity of the sauce soaked in the al dente pasta. I love some red pepper flakes in my pasta, something about that nuttiness when chewing on the pasta. Really great service and prices and definitely the locale of the restaurant.

I enjoyed this place more for the ambiance, historical location, and friendly staff than the food. The inside is very cozy and the walls are decorated with wine and natural wood. The waitress we had did a great job recommending wines and cocktails. This is an ideal place to bring someone who enjoys historical spots here in sf. The food was okay but felt very generic and had a lack of flavor. I ordered the linguine alle vongole and expected to have more of that authentic garlic/ seafood taste but it tasted like flavorless noodle. I can't wait to try this place again eventually and t try other dishes.

Cafe Zoetrope, named after Francis Coppola's venerable production company, American Zoetrope, is located in the historic Sentinel Building in the heart of North Beach. Cafe Zoetrope is an European-style cafe, offering authentic Italian cuisine and a wide selection of Italian and California wines, including premium wines from Coppola Winery. The pasta is made fresh so plan on appropriately 20 minute wait after ordering. One-of-a-kind mementos from Coppola's film career adorn the walls, while the awnings and heated sidewalks make it comfortable to dine outside even in foggy San Francisco weather. Service was attentive and friendly, despite our waitress having limited familiarity with the wine menu. Perfect cozy spot for a date night!

The best thing about this place is it's cultural significance in the movie industry due to the fact that many famous movies were written and inspired here. We went here for SF restaurant week. We had a 2 courses lunch for 15 dollars. We got the mushroom lasagna and Insalata Verde (Arugula salad) for the 2 courses. The quality for the food was excellent for the price we got. I also had Americano as the cocktail, which was very good.

Smoke salmon was great, cozy relaxing environment, great history, a bit small but nice service and great location

I usually stop by after work to grab a cocktail and people watch. The Cesar salad is good, I love the meatballs and typically order them Al a carte and 2 to 3 are enough to make a meal out of it.

I kept seeing this building in the San Francisco Instagram and was excited when I found out there was a restaurant in it. The building is just beautiful and it gives the interior of the restaurant some fun angles. We really wanted mozzarella sticks and our server said the had rice balls and we got them and they were really, really good. We each got a pizza. Hubby got plain cheese and I got Sofia pizza. It was so good. The restaurant really has a neighborhood favorite type of vibe to it. We will come back here for sure.

Really solid Italian restaurant! The calzone was incredible and had some of the best cheese I've ever tasted on top of a delicious breaded shell. Their homemade spaghetti was also really tasty. The cocktails were a nice addition with our dinner too. I went on a weekday and didn't need a reservation, but you'll probably want to make one for weekends.

Located in an amazing flat iron structure , this cafe offers so much. From food to drink to lots of history this is an amazing experience to be had!

Francis Ford Coppola is a fascinating filmmaker who has retired. He owns Cafe Zoetrope in North Beach. It's been open since 1998. I was told he lives in Geyserville, CA mostly near his winery. I decided to visit Zoetrope for a meal. The space is nice and ambient. The menu is overpriced and has like pizzas. I decided on the chilaquiles, which I didn't like completely. It was nachos and some mushy stuff like egg mixture. I don't know really what I was eating with the chilaquiles. They had free bread with olive oil and balsamic(no butter). I don't know what I would eat if I came back here again, but there might be some better options in North Beach. Zoetrope is Coppola's, but there was not much magic today. North Beach Apocalypse!