If you are thinking of having lunch in Hayes Valley or if you are wondering where to dine before attending the opera in downtown SF, you should consider Cafe Altano. I went to see La Fille du Regiment at the San Francisco Opera last night and instead of trying to get a table at Absinthe or Citizen Cake, the usual suspects which are packed on opera nights, I decided to try Cafe Altano at Hayes and Laguna. It’s two blocks down from Absinthe, so still within walking distance from the opera house.

Cafe Altano serves Italian food such as pizza, pastas, and antipasti. I went there once for lunch and had a very delicious grilled steak panini so why not try it for dinner?

• Vibe: warm cozy interior with lots of wood and brick accents, high ceilings, airy, informal.
• Pros: good alternative to Absinthe and Citizen Cake before opera or symphony performances; excellent lunch menu.
• Cons: the thin-crust pizza could be crispier like the ones they make at The Plant Organic Cafe and Pizza Nostra, the tiramisu did not have any liqueur in it at all, it was just very sweet and monotonous.

Cafe Altano
602 Hayes St
San Francisco, CA 94102
+1 415 25 1200
www.cafealtanosf.com

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