Florio Bar & Cafe

This restaurant was highly recommended by a friend. Lively bar scene, and a small dining area. We had requested a quiet table, which did not really exist here. We had as the first course lamb belly which was excellent, and the special salad with spinach, which was really «organic» and resisted biting (which wife did not like, but I like tough greens…). Wife had trout which was excellent, and my seafood stew was quite good. They also know how to make an East Coast gin martini. Service was excellent. Overall, good, except for the noise level, which younger folks do not seem to mind but we do.

pleasant bistro style food. wouldn’t go out of my way for it but would return if friends wanted to dine there

Ok.
Looking for a place near where we were going to the movies, and ended up here.
The food was a little boring and predictable, and the service was lacking — our water glasses struggled to retain any water. We also felt very close by the others dining near us — got to know all about them, which was a turn off.

Hadn’t been back for four years. It was as good as always. Great food, great service, nice people. Wonderful to see Brad who remembered us. Made us wish we still lived in SF.

I always say I’m going to write a review after a bad experience, but never take the time to do it. Well, tonight is the night it finally was that bad. Worst service and horrible food. Everything had zero flavor even the vodka martini. The seafood stew was like Campbell’s tomato soup that you add water to. I will never be going back here or recommend to anyone.

He suggested to meet there for dinner. She said okay but she thought he meant another location. The place sounded like another place that was affiliated with him. The names of the places were just one letter apart. As if he could read her mind, he sent her the link to the restaurant, and preemptively told her to not show up at the other place.
She arrived an hour early. So did he. Neither knew each other’s early arrival, they went about their own business. Until they both figured out they were early and they could have hung out together waiting for the restaurant to open. So they went to a neighborhood bar, then to the restaurant where he had made a reservation at. He said that he had always liked this restaurant, it’s been around for about 20 years, he added.
Service was great. They were lost in each others’ stories. She had so many questions. He told her tales after tales. Entrees were large portioned. She had the seafood stew and he had steak frites. He had a couple of glass of red wine to go with his steak. She told him that when she first met him a few years ago, he was into whites. She found him a bit non-​sophisticated for drinking white. But now she’s older and could no longer tolerate reds, she’s resorted to a white wine drinker. Meanwhile, he had gone back to drinking red. An extensive wine list was offered. She tasted his wine, it was very good.
Between story 2 and story 3, he reached across the table to grab her hands. She knew what he was going to say so she let him. The lights went dim, it seemed everything faded away like the movies. Wait staff moved through the entrees and dessert swiftly. This was not the wait staff’s first rodeo. This restaurant is good for that early evening dinner spot with that special someone, it seemed.
At some point in life, we learned that just because something is good, it does not mean there needs to be an advancement to make it better. And perhaps life’s best adventures are not at all about the destinations but the journeys that eventually led people to the very beginning. Like the restaurant, the journey has been good for a long while now. He observed that nothing has changed really for this restaurant: the clientele has grown older with the restaurant, but it’s still stylish and classic. Food and service are good. A nice vibe. So it’ll always be a good spot to tell stories over nice dinner and wine.
The waitstaff said goodbye to this couple. They walked out the door, her hand looped in his arm. He looked back at this restaurant, and said, «you know, I still like this place. Did you like it?» She said, «Yes, as long as I’m here with you.»
They went their separate ways at the traffic light intersection. But they would meet again.

Small portions for the sea scallops and steak but they were both very tasty! The sea scallops had a slight burnt smokey taste– which I loved, since I love burnt flavors. The steak was very good, I recommend getting it medium rare, they are cut into 6 pieces for you, so a bit small but delicious. The frites for the steak were also crispy and yummy. The chicken looked like it was filling so get that if you are very hungry. Good ambiance for a date or a nice intimate meal. Good service.

The host made us feel so welcome. Warm and friendly. Felt like eating dinner with family. I loved the meatballs

Rueben is the man. Came here on a Sunday, early evening, sat at the bar and was treated like family! Fantastic drinks, diverse wine menu and delicious eats. New neighborhood favorite, will certainly be back again and again. :)

Lovely restaurant. Swordfish was yummy, arugula salad with strawberries and hazelnuts was great. Wine was okay and reasonably priced. Ambience is romantic and relaxing. This is a terrific neighborhood gem in Pacific Heights.

Florio’s pan roasted chicken is phenomenal. Get it now!

I came here on a Sat night for dinner. i felt like i’m in europe the moment i stepped in! The lighting is dark and romantic, tables are close to each other, and the place is packed with people and everyone looked classy. The location of the place is also perfect — being in Fillmore there’s still a lot going on after dinner for a drink or just a walk down the street. Overall, this is a fantastic place for dates!
Food: 4
— House-​made Mozzarella: 5
— Prosciutto: 5
the burrata that came with it was gorgeously soft and creamy!
–Steak frites: 3 – 4
the steak was a bit dry and salty for me though it’s medium rare. the fries were perfectly seasoned and were absolutely delicious.
–Dessert: Gianduja: 5
Chocolate hazelnut cake with frangelico icecream — can’t get enough of it!
Service: 3.5
The waiter didn’t seem very knowledgeable. He also spilled water from the table next to us. luckily we didn’t get wet.

I like the dark interior.
Pan roasted mary’s chicken, crispy smashed fingerling potatoes, garlic & rosemary $ 26
Steak frites (bistro filet), sauce bearnaise, arugula, grana padano $ 32
Olive Oil Cake $ 10
Red Zin, Carafe $ 20
We enjoyed the convivial romantic atmosphere.
My gf said feels a little bit like Paris.
Service was pleasant, paced with a European sensibility as befits such a meal. Wonderful.
Recommended.
I just found my old Unilocaler friend wendell a’s review who does not writing any longer, but I must say, I had to use her lines because she was expressing this restaurant really nicely.
I totally adore her style of writing.
As she wrote:
Wonderful.
Recommended.

Popped in, on a whim, for dinner, with an hour to spare before a show at the Fillmore, mid-​week. This cozy, unpretentious bistro was populated with neighborhood families, post-​shoppers, and date-​nighters. The ambiance feels authentically European, right down to the no-​nonsense waiters adeptly zipping around.
We were welcomed and immediately seated, with delicious warm bread, followed by a lovely gem salad. The wine suggested by our waiter was a perfect match.
My meatballs with tagliolini (I ordered the small portion) was so outstanding, that I was reluctant to trade a few bites for my companion’s steak-​frites. Glad I did, as his was perfect also.
We made it to the Fillmore in ample time, with happy bellies.

I’ve been to Florio multiple times for drinks, but last Sunday night was the first time I ate there. We had a reservation at 8, arrived promptly and were seated quickly. The restaurant was still relatively full but most parties looked as though they were winding down.
My friends and I had all planned to get the steak frites after my friend raved about the bernaise sauce, but when they said spaghetti and meatballs (a slightly different long noodle but pretty much spaghetti and meatballs), that’s what I was getting. We were famished and were ready to order pretty quickly but it took a bit of time for the waitress to take our order. We ordered our starter salad and entrees but it took a long while for the food to come out. It took about 40 minutes for the salad to arrive, and it took until 9:15 (an hour after we ordered) for our entrees to arrive. The waitress kept telling us that the kitchen was backed up but there were only 6 or 8 tables of people at the restaurant.
I understand that mistakes happen and service gets mixed up for lots of reasons but what I don’t like is when there’s limited acknowledgment of the mistakes. They could have comp’ed us a dessert, an additional appetizer or a round of drinks while we waited but nada.
I was mixed between 2 and 3 stars because the food was good but the service was bad. I’m going with 2 stars because I wouldn’t recommend it or choose to go back again.

Was there with my girlfriend recently and they were having some major service problems, resulting in a 35 minute delay in getting our main course. We had tickets for the kabuki and were very pressed for time. We explained this to the waitress, but it seemed to be a kitchen issue.
After a lot of frustration (and building hunger), we finally got served our main course. As much as I wanted to hate the food, and give myself another reason to hammer them on Unilocal... .. it was absolutely delicious.
AND then we were told that the whole meal would be complimentary. We told them that we insisted on paying, but they refused. They told us that waiting for the check would make us even later. A very, very classy move.
Good food and management that knows how to treat its customers. Very rare in this city. We will go back very soon.

Stopped in for a quick drink at the bar before heading to another place. Ordered the El Diablo!
The drinks were made perfectly, the bar tender was very friendly and provided great recommendations.
The décor was very intimate and great for a date or a small group of friends!
If In the area again, I will definitely return.

Great restaurant, super hot host. Great consistent food. Great service. What else do you need?

VERY disappointing and overpriced for what we got. $ 32 for a delicious, well-​cooked but mostly average and not humongous steak frites is ridiculous. Fries were good and crispy. «Side» of little gems salad with the entrée was like three leaves, exactly the same salad I had to start but with no dressing (that’s just lazy… at least give me some sauteed chard, etc.).
Florio used to be so much better, but this time (maybe my fifth or sixth there) even the specials were weak (what happened to the creativity, like that Kobe beef for two you used to have?)! Service was perfunctory, bored at best and we got the cold shoulder over and over once our waiter figured out my male cousin and I were not lovers. Not trying to be a homophobic dick here but he really changed his tune with us.
Really a shame… corkage $ 25, really? I even offered the snooty waiter a glass of my $ 50 Navarro but he just smirked «Oh, we serve that here already.» (No, you don’t, dumb ass — I brought the Deep End Blend, if you had bothered to read the label when I showed it — but you serve a much more pedestrian Navarro Pinot then mark it up 75−100%!). Oh well your loss roly-​poly-​waiter-​guy-​with-​pretentious-​stick-​up-​ass.
After very basic meal of two antipasti, two entrees, a beer + a Campari, and one simple dessert (that was not too sweet, pretty good, ricotta tart) I paid a bill of almost $ 180 including the average 15% tip (which I basically default to because SF servers gotta deal with so many lame ‘foodies’ and other generally idiotic fools). The next night I had a FAR SUPERIOR meal at Ristorante Ideale with MUCH better service, cuisine, and overall vibe for less than $ 120. Sorry Florio but my once-​burning love for you has been extinguished.
PS if you go to Rist Ideale get the pasta pescatora, it was plate-​lickin damn good.

Steak frites done just right.
Tradition always trumps trends.
Martini, olives.

Un peu chère et en plus pas très français. Mais je crois que c’est un des avantages d’être aux Etats Unis: avoir toujours un menu éclectique. Même si j’ai goûté des meilleures choses quand j’étais au Sud de la France (des combinaisons italiennes/​françaises), je crois que ça va.
Le verdict: Assez bien.