Zagat

"You'll find fish at this eccentric yet excellent Italian seafood spot in North Beach, which looks like a dive bar full of neighbors who sit at the counter or outside when it's sunny to feast on what may be the best cioppino in the city."

Laura Siciliano-Rosen

"What makes this cioppino so good is the broth. It’s rich with bright, sweet tomato flavor, given depth with a hearty pour of wine, and laced with enough garlic for a good bite."

Michael Bauer

"Where to find the best cioppino in the San Francisco Bay Area: Sotto Mare - Before the dish arrives in a big stainless steel bowl the waiters bring out bibs so diners don’t get spattered with the thick tomato sauce that coats the clams, mussels, shrimp, tiny scallops and loads of crab. It’s enough for two."

Tim Luym

"Damn! This is the truth! Nothing more to say..."

Mike Winston

"All of the seafood was cooked perfectly to absolutely ideal tenderness. The tomato sauce took on a subtle seafoody flavor profile without tasting too fishy. And all of the seafood – mussels, clams, bay scallops, and prawns – was great, but I think the tender Dungeness crab meat stole the show."

Avital Ungar

"Our recommendation is to head over to Sotto Mare in North Beach for the best San Francisco Cioppino."

Hui Jun Ng

"Sotto Mare’s Crab Cioppino is essentially a gigantic pot of piping hot aromatic seafood stew that can feed up to three customers. Rummage through the savoury dish and you will find generous amounts of clams, crabs, mussels, scallops, shrimps and penne pasta submerged in an addictive tomato-based broth."

Tom Molanphy

"Sotto Mare serves an excellent cioppino, San Francisco's signature seafood stew."

Elise Craig

"The restaurant is famous for its cioppino, a huge steaming bowl of crab, shrimp, calamari, clams, and mussels in a red broth (with minimal noodles) that's enough for two (at least). It's my favorite in the city."

Ellen Fort

"Tuck into a big bowl of seafood-laden cioppino at Sotto Mare, where the walls are covered in flair and diners wear bibs to consume the tomato-based stew in droves. Fresh crab is the centerpiece of the ample serving, which is enough for two. Grab a glass of the house vino, and all your worries will melt away."