Fino – A Hidden Italian Gem in SF

It’s literally hidden.

…inside the Andrews Hotel, a couple blocks from Union Square.

And lemme tell yah, Fino is an awesome Italian restaurant with an old school charm.

Side: First Lady Michelle Obama and her fam came here that one time… and that’s when you KNOW it’s going to be legit. lolz.

Anyway, dining at Fino is awesome because it’s (practically) like getting a really good home-cooked Italian meal with pasta dishes made from scratch. They have a very homey and intimate ambiance with a cozy fireplace, a partially exposed kitchen, and arched ceilings that adds to the lovely interior space.

So. If you want real Italian pasta and you’re sick of Cheesecake Factory, then you GOTTA come to Fino.

Warning: obscenely large portion sizes ahead.

Every meal at Fino starts off with some basic bread.

Except their balsamic dipping sauce is anything BUT basic. It’s divine.

For our first appetizer, we ordered the calamari. And lemme tell yah, that marinara sauce is a total party.in.your.mouth.

You can taste the freshness of all the ingredients they used to make the sauce…

(It’s so good that you could drink it like soup)

But really though, you should definitely dip your bread into it.

The calamari was made perfectly with just the right amount of batter and crispiness. If you like calamari, this may be one of the best you’ll ever have.

For our next appetizer, we ordered the special Bruschetta con Pancetta ($13).

The garlic bread is lightly toasted and crispy. It’s topped with pancetta, grilled eggplant, tomatoes, basil, roasted bell peppers, avocado and fresh mozzarella. All the key ingredients compliment each other in such a way that exceeded my expectations of what “bruschetta” should be.

For our first pasta dish, we ordered the Gamberi Piccante ($24). Omg right??

It comes with about 5 huge prawns sauteed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic & jalapenos in a light tomato sauce tossed with fresh linguine. Basically, it’s a bowl of amazingness.

Noodles were cooked al dente and the sauce was generously smothered. I absolutely love this dish because it’s on the lighter side (compared to other pasta dishes). From the sauce of the tomatoes to the gigantic prawns, you can taste the freshness of every ingredient.

For our last pasta dish, my BF ordered the Gamberi con Rigatoni alla Vodka ($24).

It’s made with prawns sauteed in fresh garlic, basil, spinach & onions simmered in a vodka tomato cream sauce, tossed with fresh rigatoni. The house made sauce is just to die for.

The pasta sauce wasn’t too overwhelming and it was just creamy enough. The prawns were super fresh and a great compliment to the pasta.

And THIS is the famous tiramisu. It’s absolutely F’ing amazing in every way.

It’s light, creamy, and soooo FLUFFY.

You get chocolatey layers topped with chocolate shavings and other heavenly ingredients, every bite was consistent in texture and flavor.

Tip: No matter what you do, you HAVE to save room for dessert. If you don’t, you’re seriously missing out on life.

To sum it all up:

Tucked inside the Andrew’s Hotel in Union Square, Fino has so much culture and personality inside and out. It’s a small little restaurant with big ingredients, bold dishes, and filled with so much energy from the kitchen to the staff.

It’s perfect for a romantic date spot or a relaxing dinner with friends. But if you are in Union Square and you’re craving dessert… come to Fino, snag a seat at the bar, and get the tiramisu. Enjoy!

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