Ofena

4.8

68 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 10, 2025

11:00 p.m.

Booked 5 times today

Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions
Good for groups

“Cooking, for me, is storytelling.” —Tim Humphrey, executive chef.
Finalist in both “Best Italian” & “Best New Restaurant” in SFGate’s Best of the Bay.

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s Lakeside District, Ofena draws inspiration from family roots in the quaint sheep-herding village of the same name in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Chef Tim Humphrey proudly presents his ode to Italian cuisine in the form of an expertly crafted menu showcasing the bounty of California and emphasizing the flavors of Italy. Ofena takes modern Italian cuisine to the next level with a fresh, ingredient driven menu. Enjoy inventive craft cocktails in our fully stocked bar and satiate your pasta craving in our warm and intimate space. Located in the old Lakeside Cafe, we aim to continue the tradition of bringing the neighborhood together to be welcomed the Italian way - as family! Come be apart of the story at Ofena! Buon Appetito!

Additional information

Location
2529 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132-1613
Phone number
(415) 347-7272
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian, Modern Tuscan
Hours of Operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking

Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio US$22.00
calabrian chili, olive oil, red onion, meyer lemon, crispy capers, parsley
Boquerones Toast US$16.00
grilled focaccia, garlic aioli, parsley & shallot, salad, soft boiled egg, boquerones
Funghi Misti Arancini US$17.00
bay leaf aioli, radish, parsley, grana padano
Mozzarella in Carozza US$15.00
spicy marinara
Pickled Garnet & Gold Beets US$17.00
whipped ricotta, blood orange, candied pecans, cress

Insalata

House Greens US$16.00
baby mixed lettuces, oven dried tomatoes, wild oregano vinaigrette, grana padano crisp
Caesar Salad US$17.00
romaine lettuce, browned butter focaccia croutons, caesar dressing, grana padano, boquerones

Pinsa

Italian Flatbread

Margherita US$17.00
marinara, mozzarella cheese, basil, arugula, grana padano + Pepperoni / $4
La Bene US$18.00
potato, mozzarella, garlic-ricotta, calabrian chili, rosemary, arugula, grana padano + Mortadella / $4
PositanoUS$20.00
shrimp, mozzarella, garlic-ricotta, calabrian chili, meyer lemon, parsley, arugula, grana padano

Pasta

Rigatoni US$31.00
don angelo's meatballs, italian sausage, pomodoro, ricotta, grana padano + Add Extra Rigatoni / $7
Swiss-Chard Caramelized Onion Lasagna US$27.00
parmesan fonduta, marinara + Add Extra Lasagna / $7
Gnocchi Carbonara US$33.00
duck confit, egg yolk bottarga, pecorino, crispy duck skin + Add Extra Gnocchi / $7
Saffron Risotto US$34.00
poached shrimp & squid, fennel agrodolce, calabrian chili + Add Extra Risotta / $7
Chitarra alle Vongole US$32.00
clams, spumante butter, meyer lemon, chili + Add Extra Chitarra / $7

Secondi

Pork Bistecca Fiorentina US$36.00
fennel seed gremolata, charred lemon
Bone-in Beef Steak Tagliata US$48.00
aged balsamic, browned butter, garlic, rosemary
Eggplant Parmesan US$27.00
pomodoro, mozzarella
Yellowfin Tuna Picatta US$42.00
puttanesca sauce, caper, parsley, castelvetrano olives
Fried Chicken Cotoletta US$29.00
calabrian chili pepperonata, fennel pollen

Sides

Soft Polenta US$9.00
truffle mascarpone
Grilled Broccolini US$9.00
browned butter, garlic, charred lemon
Romano Beans US$9.00
pomodoro, olive oil & herb bread crumbs
Gigante Beans US$9.00
escarole, garlic, shallot, calabrian chili, lemon juice
Squash Caponata US$9.00
golden raisins, pine nuts, basil
Crispy Smashed PotatoesUS$9.00
fennel-calabrian chili relish, rosemary

What 68 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.8Service
4.6Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Ofena in San Francisco is a "hidden gem" known for its "delicious" and "authentic" Italian dishes. With a welcoming atmosphere and "gracious" staff, it's perfect for celebrations or casual dining. Highlights include the flavorful gnocchi, diverse menu, and "attentive" service. Ample parking adds convenience to an already "special" dining experience.

68 Reviews

S
Steven VIP
San Francisco17 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Pleasant surprise in Lakeshore. Good quality food, friendly service, music was a like loud.
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P
Pam
San Francisco20 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
What a lovely restaurant, so glad we selected it to celebrate our anniversary. The ambiance is dark, moody, modern and even though there were 2 birthday celebrants the noise level was low. The pickled beet salad was fabulous, tangy and sweet offset by the cheese. Caesar Salad was another winner. (Note that each salad is enough to feed two.) My husband had the steak and I had the fried chicken. The steak was cooked perfectly although a bit chewy. The fried chicken was crisp and moist and the sauce takes it over the top. Sides included polenta (very loose consistency), grilled broccolini, and crispy mashed potatoes (the best of the sides). We ended with the pistachio cannoli which were delicious. Overall the service is superb, great ambiance and the food is good. Prices are high. If you order a $48 steak, you expect it to come with sides, unfortunately everything is ala carte. We will likely return for lunch, but limit dinners to special occasions. Thank you for making our anniversary special!
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A
Amy VIP
San Francisco44 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We had a delicious meal at Ofena. The antipasti, pasta, tuna puttanesca, broccolini, gelato all were top notch! Service is helpful and attentive. The smaller dining area was full of happy diners, and a bit loud - sound bounces all over the place. After 8:00pm, things settled down and so did the noise level. This did not detract from our experience, and we will be back!
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MM
MaryM
San Francisco2 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 1, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was delicious! Outstanding service helped add to a really fun evening. We will be back!
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S
Shelley
San Francisco31 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 21, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Every item that we ordered was delicious. The servers were gracious and attentive. We will return!
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J
Joe
San Francisco1 review
5.0
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is what we would call a “hidden gem in San Francisco”
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P
Paula
San Francisco1 review
5.0
Dined on February 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was outstanding and the service was excellent.
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N
Nerissa
San Francisco4 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
as always Ofena delivers on their menu, wine selection and their staff. Attentive staff. Atmosphere is great, you don’t feel like you’re being rushed out the door. Will be back again! Thank you
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N
Nicole
San Francisco2 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We sat at the bar and Michael was an awesome host! My girlfriends and I had a great first experience there and can’t wait to go back! Great low key local spot, awesome staff, delicious food and plenty of parking.
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M
Mike VIP
San Francisco54 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food and service were both good. Chef was accommodating for some special requests. A nice experience.
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FAQs

Ofena is rated 4.8 stars by 68 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 10, 2025

11:00 p.m.

Booked 5 times today

2529 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132-1613

Additional information

Phone number
(415) 347-7272
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian, Modern Tuscan
Hours of Operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking

Ofena

Make a reservation

Additional information

Pane

Warm Focaccia US$9.00

Antipasti

Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio US$22.00

Boquerones Toast US$16.00

Funghi Misti Arancini US$17.00

Mozzarella in Carozza US$15.00

Pickled Garnet & Gold Beets US$17.00

Insalata

House Greens US$16.00

Caesar Salad US$17.00

Pinsa

Margherita US$17.00

La Bene US$18.00

PositanoUS$20.00

Pasta

Rigatoni US$31.00

Swiss-Chard Caramelized Onion Lasagna US$27.00

Gnocchi Carbonara US$33.00

Saffron Risotto US$34.00

Chitarra alle Vongole US$32.00

Secondi

Pork Bistecca Fiorentina US$36.00

Bone-in Beef Steak Tagliata US$48.00

Eggplant Parmesan US$27.00

Yellowfin Tuna Picatta US$42.00

Fried Chicken Cotoletta US$29.00

Sides

Soft Polenta US$9.00

Grilled Broccolini US$9.00

Romano Beans US$9.00

Gigante Beans US$9.00

Squash Caponata US$9.00

Crispy Smashed PotatoesUS$9.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Ofena restaurant rated?

Is Ofena currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information