Trattoria Contadina
1800 Mason Street, San Francisco 415.982.5728
23-Food
16-Decore
22-Service
“Skip the touristy spots on Columbus Avenue and hike the one block up Union Street” (or better still, “arrive in style by trolley”) to this “upbeat, boisterous” “little trattoria” where a nice mix of “locals” and “out of towners” tuck into “fabulous homestyle Italian” food and “are made to feel like part of the family”: although it’s a little loud and close seating, you’ll leave with a smile on your face and money left in your wallet.

"Hands down one of the best Italian restaurants in the city, Trattoria Contadina serves up healthy portions of simple, delicious southern Italian food.  The wait staff is great...I would say some of the best service in the city.  This tiny restaurant is a block off the beaten path of Columbus and a favorite among locals, for good reason!  Start out with the roasted bell peppers stuffed with 3 cheeses, covered in a spicy tomato cream sauce...oh my mouth waters just thinking of it!!  My personal favorite dishes are the Rigitoncelli Carlisimo and the Chicken Valdostana....finish it off with their signature desert drink - the Totara!  Yum, yum!!"

great food!
Posted by boisedale21 on 06/06/2006
Tratoria Contadina has incredible food and a great neighborhood atmosphere - away from all of the tourists. Their pastas are fantastic and their wine list is also very good. It is a small place but there is a larger room in the back that is ideal for private parties or larger groups.
Pros: food, walkability, away from tourists
Cons: parking, old school decor
Overall user rating: Highly Recommended

We love this place!
Posted by ukgrad04 on 04/26/2006
My friends and I love coming here because it's good Italian food without all the fluff. It's not fine dining, but it's not a ma/pa restaurant either. The service is always wonderful and my favorite dish is the Frutti Di Mare!
Pros: food, service, prices
Cons: parking
Overall user rating: Highly Recommended

Traveler rating:
Mar 28, 2006:  A TripAdvisor Member, Austin, Texas
We ate here on a recent Saturday; the place was packed, so call ahead for reservations! Definitely lots of locals there, but some tourists as well. Immediately upon entering this restaurant you are greeted with a smile and some wonderful aromas. The staff treats you like family, and the service is excellent.

They start you off with rosemary-infused olive oil and fresh bread. Our two dinners were veal tenderloin with wild mushrooms, and beef filet wrapped in pancetta. We finished with lemon cheesecake. All of the food was top-notch and surprisingly affordable for San Francisco. Highly recommended.

Skilled Italian cooking with rustic flavors. Excellent polenta with wild mushrooms, grilled wild salmon with lemon sauce. Snappy service. -- Bill Daley
There's an Old World simplicity about Trattoria Contadina, slightly removed from the congestion of North Beach that attracts the neighbor down the street as well as the tourist from overseas. Nothing fancy, but crisp white linens, a centrally situated bar for customers waiting for tables and walls lined with celebrity-signed photographs make for a comfortable setting. Wide windows rounding the corner of Union and Mason give an immediate neighborhood connection that feels all the more San Franciscan when the Mason cable car wheels by.

I have been coming to Trattoria Contadina for 20 years. Every time I dine there it is better than the last time. Hard to imagine a better meal and atmosphere anywhere

DINING UPDATES
Trattoria Contadina still packing them in
Well-executed fare and snappy service
Eating at Trattoria Contadina makes you feel like part of one big family. It's not just because the tables are so close together. There's a sense of pride, of caring, that comes through nicely in this traditional Italian cooking and makes it possible for you to adhere to the restaurant's motto: "Leave your problems at the door and eat."