Octavia

"We’re starting to have a problem in San Francisco. People have discovered a formula for a "successful" restaurant menu and are sticking to it. That's fine: like most everyone else, we appreciate a good piece of meat swimming in some rich sauce and surrounded by seasonal vegetables, placed on an earth tone-colored plate from Heath Ceramics. Think of it as the edible version of starting "the Uber for XYZ" or putting Chris Pratt in a movie. Everyone's convinced it'll work. And hey, it might! But we're starting to reach a saturation point. Rich Table, Frances, Central Kitchen, Zuni, Aster, Huxley, Park Tavern, Marlowe, Delfina. And now, Octavia. Octavia is fine, but it doesn’t quite do enough to stand out from the rest of the upscale American-Italian-Californian bunch. At least not enough to push it into must-visit territory. The spot, in the old Baker & Baker space, follows the standard menu guidelines (deviled eggs, chicken, butter lettuce salad, small plates, fancy soup) and jumps through all the hoops mostly correctly. And it’s a perfectly pleasant place to go out to dinner, provided you can get on OpenTable quickly enough, but there’s not much that's unique or noteworthy about the place. We really wanted Octavia to be a restaurant we could confidently recommend to friends, but there are simply a handful of slightly better, generally similar places to send you. That said, if you're looking to entertain the plus 50 crowd, the fancy farmhouse setup definitely caters to the older Pacific Heights crew, and it absolutely nails the Dinner With The Parents scene. The older people there seemed to be enjoying it the most. Got a 60-year-old woman wearing a flowy, rag-like gray sweater that actually costs $600? Yeah, she'll probably love it here. Almost all of food is pretty good - especially the turnips and soup, but the desserts are hit or miss and most things involving pasta are a mess. We know trying new things is scary, but we are itching for some interesting food in the Pac Heights area, and even though Octavia checks all the boxes, we just can't get super pumped about it. The menu changes super frequently, so we're hoping things go in the direction of more miso grilled turnips, and less trying to make pasta your thing. And we'll take more of the free bread and butter. That sh*t is awesome. Food Rundown The menu changes often, so many of these dishes may not be on the menu, but should give you an idea of what they do well. Squid Ink Noodles Salty, chilled noodles that are very simple but very good. They are not kidding when they say small plates - this is so small it’s tough to share with more than one person. Soup Changes almost daily - we’ve had the garlic and white bean and it is outstanding. Rich, velvety delight. Comes with hearty mushroom chunks that are really good. Definitely low-calorie. Miso Grilled Turnips The grilled turnips were one of the dishes that felt most new and exciting. Fried onions and a little bit of miso topped off the crispy but soft on the inside little turnips. It's a tiny, tiny plate of food but that felt totally worth it. Paccheri This pasta comes with salt cod, and the flavors are OK, but the pasta was undercooked. Or it went stale. Which might be impossible. Either way, not very good. Chicken Nicely done. Crispy skin, tender inside and super-fresh corn and tomatoes on the side. Gulf Snapper Flaky, tasty, well-cooked fish. The charred romano beans that come with were fantastic. Risotto While very creamy, the main flavor is basically "cream." Bland and boring, skip it. Eton Mess Excellent fruity sorbet and fresh berries. The merengue pieces are just ok. Crumb Pudding Not a pudding, more of a bran muffin with some fancying up. Very good and would be even better if they soaked it in rum." - Taylor Abrams

"Star chef Melissa Perello has always hired outstanding pastry chefs, who established first Frances and then Octavia as dessert destinations over the years — the lumberjack cake at Frances remains one of the iconic cakes of San Francisco. These days, pastry chef Melissa Loar rules the sweets at Octavia, and her after-dinner menu features fig leaf semifreddo with strawberries and buckwheat graham crackers, as well as stone fruit with almond cake and dulcey ganache." - Becky Duffett, Eater Staff

"Executive chef Nico Pena took the reins from chef and owner Melissa Perello in 2023, putting his touch on the restaurant’s already-strong reputation for elegant, seasonal cooking that refrains from being overly fussy. On the menu, look for an abundance of vegetables, oodles of fresh pasta, and delicate desserts. There’s also an option for a $110 tasting menu that includes a couple of options for appetizers and entrees. Don’t skip the housemade bread." - Lauren Saria

"This "deviled" egg from Octavia's Melissa Perello is in quotes for a reason: It's not what you might expect. Coated with fresno chile relish and spices, it's parboiled rather than hardboiled and served whole for a runny yolk when you cut into it with a fork." - Rose Garrett, Caleb Pershan

"Tucked among the Victorians that line its picture-perfect street in Lower Pac Heights, locals count themselves lucky to claim this charming, elegant dame as their neighborhood spot—though they may still need to plan ahead to score a table.Executive Chef Nico Pena adds his own creative touch to Chef/owner Melissa Perello’s signature brand of simple-yet elevated cooking. A meal might progress from impeccably crispy fried artichokes to silky hand-made fettucine with morels, followed by juicy quail with grapefruit and spinach, each showcasing spectacular local products in their best light. Don’t skip the baked goods: house-made levain is excellent, as are seasonal desserts like a bay leaf panna cotta with rhubarb granita and tarragon crumble." - Michelin Inspector