Isola Osteria

Review summary

1. S

   Steve VIP

   San Francisco24 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 2

   Great food and service as usual, but the noise level tonight was everything I read about when they first opened. Unbelievably loud 90% full house inside, and as a four-top with a four-top next to and behind us, the din was horrible. All four of us had to lean across the table to hear what the others were saying. We left without dessert because we couldn't take it any longer. To the owner: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE get a sound deadening wall and ceiling treatment installed ASAP! This room would be fine for a nail salon or a take-out donut shop, but you just can't fill the space up with people talking...louder and louder, actually, to be heard...and expect people to enjoy it. You need a sound engineer in there, and pronto. Never going back on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night until the sound deadening has been done. We saw the owner working the tables, and when he came to our table and introduced himself, I couldn't hear his name or what he said! Is that enough of a hint. Fix it please and your customers will be thrilled!
   

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2. M

   Michelle

   Los Angeles8 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on 23 February 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 1

   The Dining Roonm is VERY Loud. Not a good place to go if you want to have a conversation. The food was mediocre and not seasoned enough. I was really looking foward to the Frittura Mista appetizer which included calamari, shrimp and artichoke. Unfortunately both the shrimp and calamari were overcooked. The Fiore di Zucca (Stuffed Sqaush Blossom) had a thick batter which made the dish doughy. The pasta entree was ok. Overall, for this type of food, there are better restaurants in the area
   

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3. M

   Mary VIP

   Central Coast9 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on 23 February 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   The servers were not attentive and the noise level was high. Glasses were dropped and the tables were crowded together. We enjoyed the food but not the atmosphere or service. More training is needed in that respect.
   

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4. r

   rick VIP

   New York City4 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on 22 February 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 1

   If you’re not seated in the main restaurant you’re herded into an adjacent room that feels like a church social hall. Terrible experience in adjacent room. Additionally they apologized that our salads were taking too long. Then they finally arrived and the entrees were brought out literally 2 minutes later. Poor. I want to like this restaurant but this past weekend was my third and final time trying it.
   

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5. N

   Nancy VIP

   San Francisco21 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on 21 February 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   I really want to like this place because I’ve had a great experience here before, but tonight was not their night.
   

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6. J

   Jennifer

   San Francisco1 review

   2.0

   Dined on 17 February 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Beautiful setting. Unfortunately the chicken was DRY. it was not enjoyable. The lasagna was flat, so not as fresh as would be expected? The ambience was very nice. But we did not enjoy having the tables next to us so close we couldn't even talk without hearing thier conversation. Not great for a date or intimate dinner.
   

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7. R

   Robert

   San Francisco6 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 16 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   The food was delicious, with hearty portions and outstanding flavors. The staff was attentive and friendly. Inside is noisy, but outside was very nice.
   

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8. E

   Elaine

   San Francisco1 review

   3.0

   Dined on 16 February 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   I was looking forward to eating at this Restaurant for the first time, I had looked at the menu before booking a reservation. I planned on having the lamb shank dish. To my disappointment, they were out so I ordered the slow roasted pork, Big mistake it was tuff and tasteless. My husbnads salmon dish he said was good. He ordered a wedge salad, which came out all the inner part of the letture barely green all the ribe pieces, llooked like what i would throw away. Sadly disappointed.
   

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9. P

   Pete

   San Francisco1 review

   1.0

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Terrible experience. Completely disorganized and poorly run. Showed up for our Valentines Day reservation and joined a crowd of 15+ people standing outside, waiting for their reservations. Crowd grew to about 25 people when we were seated before people with earlier reservations. As we waited at our table for a waiter that never came, they set for dinner the accent table next to us. Poor couple couldn’t get their legs under the table when seated. This table wasn’t designed for service. After 15 minutes waiting outside and another 20 minutes waiting at our table, we figured out that this was the way the night was going to go. No one around us had food. We cut our losses and walked out. Thanks, Isola, for a memorable Valentine’s Day.
   

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10. E

    Ed VIP

    San Francisco4 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1

    Went valentine’s day and we had a terrible experience. Poor planning from this owner. Sat and waited for 20 minutes before being seen. Took another 20 minutes to get water and another 15 minutes to get table bread and my drink. My timing is accurate because this is not the first time this owner sat customers (including us) and leave. There is always an excuse from this guy (Angelo?). Never his fault. The people around me were also complaining of the same things. Waitstaff are wonderful and kind but too busy running around to be efficient. If I could leave a “zero” I would. So here is the breakdown: 1) Service = 0 star, 2) Food = 4 star, 3) waitstaff = 4 ( for the effort) and 5) owner = 0. I hope this guy reads this and won’t be too great and staff appropriately.
    

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