Scala's Bistro

Friendly staff and a terrific ambiance greet you in this neighborhood Italian eatery just off of Union Square. The resultant contains an extensive wine list and a full bar. Bustling lunch crowd but cozy seating at the bar as well. Worth a trip.

Came here with my wife and kids. We had no reservation but we were greeted and welcome. They were able to take us seated and I do have to say their food was great. Busy noisy and warm but this gives it lots of character and uniqueness. Looking forward to coming back.

Always great food! They try their best to find your a table even if you don’t have a reservation and although they are super busy! Fun atmosphere. Bar service and food is great and also quick (if you are in a rush). Best location for lunch w girlfriends on shopping days!.

Wonderful place for food, friends and good wine. My go to place near union square.

Try the meatballs! Awesome good. Great wine. Definitely one we'll come back to.

Had an espresso martini and pasta with tomato and mushrooms (recommended by waitress). After coming here for last 20 years, I won’t return, realizing quality has fallen tastewise to maybe a 6.5 out of 10 points; meanwhile, portion size has increased. If you want quality, not quantity, seek other options. Sad development.

The food quality is slightly above average. Octopus is tasty. I don’t like the prosciutto on the pizza.

We came here twice for brunch. It’s a beautiful restaurant, reminiscent of something you would see in Europe. We had the burger, Caesar salad, and ravioli in lemon cream sauce for lunch the first time. Not disappointing at all. The burger and salad were so savory and delicious, the ravioli...addictive. But for our second experience we did more breakfast items which were just okay. The biscuits and gravy were disappointing, the Benedict nothing exciting. So I averaged it out and gave them four stars. Still not a bad place if you stick with lunch and dinner.

Fantastic food here and brilliant service. Great Italian which really surprised with the food. Beef carpaccio and Burrata were particularly great. Well worth a visit.

Wonderful service and great food. I had the crab linguini and it was wonderful. My wife had the chicken and it was very good as well. We over did it with a big appetizer plate, which was good, but not were we full. I didnt realize this restaurant is part of the Sir Francis Drake hotel.

Food was mediocre and very overpriced. But I suppose quite normal for San Francisco standards. Interior was very nice and classy. The service however... Just horrendous. Starting with the maitre d'. His aloofness was so close to being rude.. Let me actually rectify that: he was rude. The waitress had no idea what was going on and screwed up the orders. Food came out slow and not coordinated with our table mates. Horrendous experience and would urge all to stay away from this establishment.

I go back here whenever I can. Great food and great staff. It never disappoints. Enjoy! Go!

Good service and ambience, but the food was only average. I expected a bit more out of the food given the higher prices and upscale restaurant feel. With the charcuterie board in particular, the meats tasted comparable to packaged meats from the grocery store.

Good food. Good cocktails. Great wine list. A bit noisy.

A little pricey for the quality and service, however the pasta was good.

Delicious libations served by Vincent .... a French 75 and a glass of Domaine Carneros bubbly

Always go with the specials. Good choice of wines.

Didn't have a reservation, the hostess looked around and was able to get me a table for two. The food was really good bursting of flavor and the service was very attentive and refine.

Headed to Scala’s after an all-day business meeting for some sit down French cuisine. The ambience is clean and formal with jazz tunes in the background. We ordered a few appetizers to start: a charcuterie board, calamari, and cheese plate. All of which were delicious. The calamari took on a Japanese tempura spin, with not just fried squid but also some broccoli and veggies fried alongside.For my main course, I opted for the swordfish due to a pretty heavy lunch. The fish was cooked brilliantly, with a soft, tender center. It was paired with a spinach mash mixed with a few smashed tomatoes.Would definitely come back... a bit pricey though!

Tried the cheese platter and the dessert with sorbet. Cheese platter had two cheeses I liked and two that didn't have as strong a flavor. Portion was small and price was high though. The sorbet for the dessert was good, but the rest of the dessert was average. Maybe I should have tried the mains instead but overall thought the food was average at an above average price point.

Came for brunch after a night in the City. Was a great food, fun atmosphere, and friendly service. We enjoyed the Corn beef hash and Biscuits & Gravy

Italian food and the setting at this place is great. food was so fresh. i will be back with my relatives. prices that won't break you.

All I can say is WOW! I travel and I know my Beef Carpaccio and today, I had the BEST I’ve ever had paired with their house Super Tuscan and it was magnifico! The bartenders are super nice, Juan Carlos and Dan are a pleasant at the bar and a great start before your dinner. The food is old world. The service is amazing. I highly recommend this wonderful restaurant. #IWillAlwaysComeBack

Classy, upscale Italian restaurant with a touch of European feel. You will feel catered and serviced here. Food is delicious. French fries were a bit heavy with extra crunchy coating. Special request to make pizza half and half was accommodated. Nice amount of wild mushrooms in each bite. Caesar salad was exceptional with a wonderful home-made dressing enticingly coating romaine and kale and topped with toasty croutons. Make time to stroll through the adjacent Starlight Room of The Kimpton Sir Francis Drake Hotel lobby bar to feast your eyes on some opulent decor.

The food was amazing and the staff was extremely friendly and ready to help the only reason it's 4 stars and not 5 is the lack of vegan options

Good food and friendly staff. Wait times are short. Great for lunch or dinner.

My wife and I loved this Italian restaurant. The abuince and layout was very romantic. The staff was super friendly from the host, bartender, food runner to our server Bruce. He was very welcoming and attentive. Food was fresh and made from scratch very authentic. Pastas were out of this world. There selection of wine and spirits are amazing choices for everyone. It's a must eat at restaurant if your in San Francisco.

We are happy to have chosen this Bistro as it has Ambience and the employees are welcoming. The Chef had an interesting way of presenting the Caesar Salad. You get individual Romaine lettuce topped with a bit of cheese, pieces of toasted bread,and very good salad dressing. Eating it is a bit of a challenge ....making sure it ends in your mouth not on your lap ! It was good though. The roasted chicken's skin was crunchy, meat tender and very tasty. Our dessert - pancetta with pear and Pumpkin cheesecake were both good. The wine went well with our dinner. We will certainly go back to this restaurant next time we are in San Francisco.

Great atmosphere, hot food and courteous service. For sure will be back.

The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because the entrees weren’t consistently good. The the meatball appetizer was outstanding and the pizza was excellent to. The portions are generous, so beware of over-ordering. The most important factor that made everything pleasant was the service. I bit pricey, but worth it.

We liked everything about it, but not a 5* $$$ place. They need to work a little harder on their service. Pleasant experience though.

Food was amazing with such quality, and each dish had great depth...pesto ricotta filled ravioli with marinara, grilled sea bass with olive tapenade, roasted chicken with fingerling potatoes. Booked through OpenTable for myself and 2 kids (17 & 10) on a Friday @ 7 p.m. Service was on point, and hostess was very warm & friendly. Hostess even addressed me by my name as we left the restaurant... that was a nice touch too! Located in the landmark Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Go upstairs to take photos such as in my pics! I'll definitely be back!!

Two people and a bottle of wine for 200 dollars seems pricey... this in tire stay at this Kimpton has been disappointing! The only plus is the beautiful view of union square. Nice hotel management. .. all I can say

Nice ambience, but the food was just average. We came mid-afternoon and they only offered a very limited menu selection at that time. The worst part, though was the server. We were the only table in his section and we had to ask several times for him to refill our water.

Sunday afternoon not that busy. Food is delicious service could be better. Multiple time waited for refills on water.

One of the best food experiences I've had in a while! I love the menu (especially the lunch!) and the service was simply wonderful. Servers are kind and smiling, hostess was very pleasant and generally had a good time.I have been coming to this place every time I’m around Union Square. Definitely the best food around! The staff is just amazing and the food is so good I can’t stop eating! Beware of extra calories on your diet because it is hard to resist! Yum!

Great food and customer service. The establishment is cute and cozy. Came here for the fried chicken biscuit and it did not disappoint. The portions are huge, I'd recommend sharing. I'll definitely return.

Octopus dish was good. Pizza was OK. Pizza dough could have been better. Don't order linguini unless you like tomato sauce spaghetti from college dorm meal.

Scala's has excellent customer service and the pappardelle pork was delicious! Bruce, our server, was very attentive. I'll be back for sure!

Cozy restaurant with good atmosphere, i have breakfast here for 5 days because i stayed in nearby hotel.Every menu i tried , are delicious such as Ler Lux, American breakfast and salad. My group also enjoyed meal here, however food serving is a little bit slow during rush hour and open at 8AM.

Italian food and the scene at this spot is great. The staff was very helpful and welcoming. Menu is like a cafe in Boston I loved.

Scala’s Bistro is a great find on the busy and touristy Powell street. The restaurant is right next to Sir Francis Drake hotel. It offers a sanctuary from the bustling crowded feel of Union Square. The food is simply delicious. The menu is well designed and offers unique and special flavors. The leanings are toward Italian fare, however there is a French influence as well. The dishes that we tried were all innovative and had special zests that demonstrates the chef’s artistry. Be sure to try the pasta dishes as they are wonderful. The service is exemplary. The interior is warm and cozy. It is an overall very satisfying dining experience and one worth experiencing!

After eating at sears last night we found scalas food to be way below standard. No flavour at all. The price was also too much. Overall our most expensive meal so far in San fran and our least enjoyed. Really not good at all, granted it was busy

Delicious goats cheese salad followed by Salmon on a bed of cauliflower. Grease attentive service in an Italian ambience.

I have been to Scala's many times and it never fails to disappoint -- except for that one time they were out of those delicious meatballs! The food is expertly prepared, their wine list carefully curated, and the staff consistently friendly and helpful. This is a gem of a restaurant.

The food was fantastic. Especially pumpkin cheesecake. Picture below.

The service here was quite good and the food was very good. I ordered the beet salad which had a good variety of lettuce, beets and apples with just the right amount of dressing. I had the ravioli as the main course and at first I thought it was a small dish but it was plenty filling. For dessert I had the strawberry shortcake. Not too sweet and the cake was nice and dense. My only complaint is that it’s a pretty loud restaurant and so it was hard for our group of 7 to talk easily.

Caesar salad was very good and the Salmon was moist and very tender. The mushroom pizza had lots of mushrooms, it was so delicious! Fast service and friendly staff.

Yummy food… great service.....funny waiter.... Inside the Sir Francis Drake ....Nostalgic

EXCELLENT food and good service. The meatballs, in particular, are worth a visit!!!