Acquerello

Acquerello
Interactive map of Acquerello
Restaurant information
EstablishedJuly 1989 (1989-07)
OwnersSuzette Gresham, Giancarlo Paterlini
Head chefSuzette Gresham
ChefGonzalo Agliozzo
Pastry chefTheron Marss
Food typeItalian
Dress codeJackets required
Rating2 Michelin stars (Michelin Guide)
Location1722 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, California, 94109, United States
Coordinates37°47′29.7″N 122°25′17.3″W / 37.791583°N 122.421472°W / 37.791583; -122.421472
Seating capacity
50
ReservationsRecommended
Websitewww.acquerellosf.com
Table setting at Acquerello

Acquerello is an Italian restaurant in Nob Hill, San Francisco, California, United States, with two Michelin stars. It is co-owned by Giancarlo Paterlini and executive chef Suzette Gresham, who founded it in 1989.

History

Executive chef Suzette Gresham and general manager Giancarlo Paterlini left another high-end Italian restaurant, Donatello, to open Acquerello in July 1989.[1][2][3][4] Gresham has remained the executive chef,[5][6] with chef de cuisine Mark Pensa,[7][8] followed as of 2026 by Gonzalo Agliozzo.[9][10] Paterlini is the front of house manager;[2][11] his son Gianpaolo Paterlini has succeeded him as wine director.[4][12][13]

The initial selection of 70 wines was based on four cases of Italian wine acquired in trade for a case of 1983 Mouton Rothschild.[4] This was expanded to 600 selections and under Gianpaolo Paterlini to 2,000.[12] The restaurant took over the location of Zola's, a French restaurant,[1][2] with 14 tables, a very small kitchen, and the wine collection housed in the foyer; in late 1997 the restaurant was enlarged by moving the kitchen into an adjacent space.[3] The dining room was redecorated in 2011 by interior designer John Wheatman.[7]

Restaurant

Acquerello is housed in a converted chapel in the Polk Gulch section of Nob Hill.[9][14] The dining room, which has stucco walls and a high open-beam ceiling,[7] is decorated with watercolors of Italy; acquerello is the Italian word for watercolor.[3]

Acquerello serves a seasonal menu of Italian food, either traditional dishes à la carte or a tasting menu of modern Italian cuisine with wine pairings.[5][11] It is among the few San Francisco restaurants that still have a dress code, requiring jackets for men and "the equivalent for ladies".[9][15]

The restaurant has an extensive wine list, primarily of Italian wines but also including rare and high-end California wines,[3][14] with the cellar containing about 15,000 bottles as of December 2024.[13] It has one of the most extensive offerings of Italian wine in the United States.[4][16]

Reception

Acquerello was awarded a Michelin star in the first Michelin Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area, in 2007,[2][17] and a second star in the 2015 Guide; Gresham was the third female chef to achieve two Michelin stars in the United States.[6][18][19][20] It has retained the two stars.[16][21][22][23] Acquerello has held Wine Spectator's Grand Award since 2012.[24][25] In 2025, Gresham was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef award.[26]

Acquerello has been called one of the best Italian restaurants in the United States.[27][28] The Michelin Guide describes the cooking as "top rate, promising finesse and bold flavors in equal measure", and highlights the dessert offerings, with "one of the best mignardises carts in town".[16] In the San Francisco Chronicle, long-term restaurant critic Michael Bauer noted in 2018 that the tasting menu at Acquerello was the only Italian tasting menu in San Francisco, and called the prix fixe menu "one of the best bargains" in the city given the quality of the food.[29] He included Acquerello in his lists of the 100 best San Francisco Bay Area restaurants.[30][31][32] It was also included in the 2019 list by his successor, Soleil Ho,[33] and is on the Chronicle's 2025 list of the best Italian restaurants,[34] but it was not included in the 2025 or 2026 Top 100 lists.[35]

Bauer repeatedly praised Acquerello for its service,[7][27][36] and it is on the Chronicle's 2025 list of restaurants with the best service.[37] It has also been recognized for its cleanliness, by both the San Francisco Health Department and the SFGate news website.[38]

Associated ventures

In 2013 the owners of Acquerello opened a sister casual restaurant, 1760, at 1760 Polk Street, one block from Acquerello; it served an international menu.[2][14][39][40][41] In 2021, Sorella, described as a cicchetti bar, replaced 1760 at the same address.[42][43][44][45]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Bauer, Michael (July 26, 1989). "Restaurant's Upscale Italian Menu". San Francisco Chronicle.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Pape, Allie (August 27, 2014). "Acquerello's Owners on Female Chefs, Changing Times, and the New Face of Italian Food". Eater SF. Archived from the original on November 30, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Unterman, Patricia (January 2, 1998). "Acquerello: Intimate, magical". San Francisco Examiner – via San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Mobley, Esther (November 1, 2018). "Acquerello's Italian wine list is old-school, expensive — and essential". San Francisco Chronicle.
  5. 1 2 "SF Insider: Which Is Better at Acquerello San Francisco: A La Carte or Tasting Menu?". SFGate. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Suzette Gresham, a Chef who Leads by Example". Michelin Guide (video). June 13, 2019. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Bauer, Michael (November 3, 2011). "Acquerello review: still a standout". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  8. ↑ Demicheva, Valerie (March 11, 2013). "Rising Star Chef - Mark Pensa, Acquerello". San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. 1 2 3 Mr. Happy (March 26, 2026). "Aquerello (San Francisco, Nob Hill)". Hungry Onion.
  10. ↑ "Menus". Acquerello. Archived from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Hu, Janny (January 4, 2013). "Acquerello's 'Chef Mom' mentors staff". San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. 1 2 Fiedler, Jennifer (July 31, 2012). "Sommelier Talk: How to Design an Award-Winning Italian Wine List". Wine Spectator. Archived from the original on September 10, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Mobley, Esther (December 27, 2024). "Red wine sales are tanking at S.F. restaurants: 'We've never seen anything like this'". San Francisco Chronicle.
  14. 1 2 3 Mobley, Esther (May 2, 2016). "California's new generation of sought-after wines". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 3, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  15. ↑ Ho, Soleil (September 26, 2019). "Jackets required for gentlemen — but who's a 'gentleman'?". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 21, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 "Acquerello, San Francisco". Michelin Guide. Archived from the original on February 13, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  17. ↑ Ness, Carol (October 3, 2006). "Bay Area stars fail to make Michelin cut: French Laundry is lone restaurant to win top rating in guide's S.F. edition". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 12, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  18. ↑ Merwin, Hugh (October 21, 2014). "Here Are the 2015 Michelin Stars for San Francisco; Benu and Saison Both Get Major Upgrades". Grub Street. Archived from the original on May 4, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  19. ↑ Pape, Allie (October 21, 2014). "The San Francisco Bay Area Michelin Guide 2015, Mapped!". Eater SF. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Two New Three-Star Restaurants Awarded in the Michelin Guide San Francisco 2015". Michelin Guide. October 21, 2014.
  21. ↑ Phillips, Justin (June 4, 2019). "Michelin releases 2019 California guide: Angler and Sorrel get stars, Saison loses a star". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  22. ↑ Avalle, Alma (December 6, 2022). "A Full List of California Restaurants That Kept, Earned, or Lost Michelin Stars in 2022". Bon Appétit. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  23. ↑ Bicchieri, Paolo (June 30, 2025). "Here Are the 2025 Michelin Star Winners in the Bay Area". Eater SF.
  24. ↑ "Acquerello". Wine Spectator. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  25. ↑ Harans, Julie; McBride, Taylor; Grant, Emma; et al. (June 18, 2026). "Snapshots of Wine Spectator's Grand Award Winners". Wine Spectator. Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  26. ↑ Pershan, Caleb (January 22, 2025). "Bay Area restaurants make strong early showing in 'Oscars' of food world". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 31, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  27. 1 2 Bauer, Michael (January 14, 2005). "Dining Update: For Italian cuisine, Acquerello still a dish". San Francisco Chronicle.
  28. ↑ Felch, Trevor; Barringer, Daisy (January 21, 2022). "The Absolute Best Italian Restaurants in San Francisco". Thrillist. Archived from the original on February 24, 2025. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
  29. ↑ Bauer, Michael (March 21, 2018). "Chef Suzette Gresham bridges classic to contemporary at Acquerello as it nears 30".
  30. ↑ Bauer, Michael (May 10, 2015). "Top 100 Restaurants 2015: Acquerello". San Francisco Chronicle.
  31. ↑ Bauer, Michael (May 1, 2016). "Top 100 Restaurants 2016: Acquerello". San Francisco Chronicle.
  32. ↑ Bauer, Michael (April 26, 2018). "Top 100 Restaurants 2018: Acquerello". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 16, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  33. ↑ Ho, Soleil (June 27, 2019). "Top 100 Restaurants: Where to eat in San Francisco, Oakland and the Bay Area". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 26, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  34. ↑ Fegan, MacKenzie Chung; Hernandez, Cesar (October 10, 2025). "Top Italian Restaurants". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  35. ↑ Cortez, Mario (April 15, 2026). "The restaurants that should've been on the Top 100, according to readers". San Francisco Chronicle.
  36. ↑ Bauer, Michael (August 7, 1992). "Elegant Italian Dining: Acquerello". San Francisco Chronicle.
  37. ↑ Fegan, MacKenzie Chung; Hernandez, Cesar (November 17, 2025). "Top Bay Area restaurants for incredible service". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 21, 2026. [E]very detail at this two-Michelin-starred restaurant is in service of quiet, refined comfort.
  38. ↑ Guerrero, Susana (September 5, 2018). "So clean you could eat off them: These SF restaurants earned perfect health inspections". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  39. ↑ Lucchesi, Paolo (September 13, 2013). "1760 opens in San Francisco". San Francisco Chronicle.
  40. ↑ Bauer, Michael (November 2, 2013). "1760, Acquerello's sister restaurant, a letdown". San Francisco Chronicle.
  41. ↑ Bauer, Michael (October 14, 2015). "Polk Street's popular 1760 finds its groove". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  42. ↑ Kadvany, Elena (December 1, 2021). "S.F.'s Michelin-starred Acquerello team is opening a casual Italian spot with fresh pasta". San Francisco Chronicle.
  43. ↑ Dreizen, Collin; McBride, Taylor (December 2, 2021). "Grand Award–Winning Acquerello Team Opens More Casual Sorella in San Francisco". Wine Spectator. Archived from the original on July 20, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  44. ↑ Mobley, Esther (November 21, 2022). "Michael Mina's Italian-cocktail spin-off bar bets on S.F. downtown renaissance". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Sorella, San Francisco". Michelin Guide. Archived from the original on January 22, 2026. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
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