Che Fico

About Che Fico

David Nayfeld came home to San Francisco in 2018 after years on the line at Eleven Madison Park and opened Che Fico above Divisadero Street with a wood oven he named Loretta. Bon Appétit put it on the year's best-new-restaurants list within months. The hook is Cucina Ebraica, the Roman-Jewish cooking Nayfeld researched and almost no one else in California serves, run alongside handmade pasta and blistered pizza. James Beard-winning pastry chef Angela Pinkerton closes the meal. Years on, the dining room at 838 Divisadero is still loud and still full.

The Kitchen

David Nayfeld is the executive chef and co-owner, and the menu reads like a chef working out two ideas at once. The market-driven Italian side turns out handmade pastas and pizzas from the wood oven, Loretta, plus housemade salumi. The Cucina Ebraica side, the Roman-Jewish heritage cooking, is the reason critics paid attention: fritto misto, sweet-and-sour preparations, dishes you rarely see outside Rome. The flame-roasted chicken with Marsala and cipollini is the table order; the dry-aged ribeye runs about $165 for a group.

Plan on roughly $90 a head for a couple of pastas, a pizza, and a glass of wine, more if you commit to the steak. Bon Appétit's 2018 best-new-restaurants nod is the dated proof, and the Michelin Guide has listed it since. For the wider city, read the San Francisco dining guide and our best Italian restaurants worldwide hub. If you want the other side of SF Italian, compare SPQR, and our seven signs of a great restaurant explains why the room earns its crowd.

The Room

Che Fico lives up a flight of stairs in a bright, plant-filled room with a painted ceiling and an open kitchen, and it runs loud. The wood oven throws heat and energy into a space that fills with a young, dressed-up Divisadero crowd most nights. Lighting is warm, tables sit close, and the noise tips from hum to genuinely loud after eight. Seating is a mix of two-tops, a counter, and larger tables that suit a group. Dress is San Francisco smart-casual; nobody will blink at jeans or a blazer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Che Fico worth it?

Yes, if you want San Francisco's most interesting Italian and a high-energy room. David Nayfeld's Roman-Jewish Cucina Ebraica is genuinely hard to find elsewhere in California, and the wood-fired pastas and pizzas back it up. Bon Appétit named it a best new restaurant in 2018 and it still draws a crowd. Reviews can be hit-or-miss on consistency, so order the flame-roasted chicken and the pastas rather than chasing the whole menu.

How hard is it to book Che Fico?

Moderately hard for weekends. Prime Friday and Saturday tables want a week or two of notice; weeknights and early or late slots are easier. The restaurant manages its own bookings, so reserve online or call 415-416-6959. Bar seats and the counter sometimes open to walk-ins on quieter nights, which is the move if you did not plan ahead. Larger parties should book well in advance.

What is the average price at Che Fico?

Plan on about $90 per person for a few pastas, a pizza, and a glass of wine. Antipasti and pizzas sit in the high teens to low thirties, pastas around the high twenties, and the dry-aged ribeye runs roughly $165 for the table. A 5 percent San Francisco mandate is added to the bill to fund staff benefits, which is not a gratuity, so factor that in alongside tip.

What should I order at Che Fico?

Lead with the flame-roasted chicken with Marsala and cipollini and at least two of the handmade pastas, then add a wood-fired pizza from the oven nicknamed Loretta. If your table wants the Roman-Jewish angle, order from the Cucina Ebraica section, which is the kitchen's signature. Save room for pastry chef Angela Pinkerton's dessert. A group splurging should consider the dry-aged ribeye.