Emporio Rulli Gran Caffe
2300 Chestnut St
(between Divisadero St & Scott St)
San Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 923-6464
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
290 reviews
Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury
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127 Reviews for Emporio Rulli Gran Caffe
The service has always been poor. I don't know what happened to this place as it has evolved a few times. They spent a ton of money building out this place and I hope that the owner can make their money back.
They tried it as a breakfast/lunch place at first and now serve dinner.
I haven't been back in years...
Having a few minutes to kill before we had our Sunday Brunch, we decided to go to Emporio Rulli in the Marina. Emporio Rulli is an Italian cafe best known for serving great coffees and desserts.
My husband will always order the single espresso and I order a Sweet Chamomile herbal tea. The single espresso reminds him of the espresso served in Europe, with the creamy foam top and robust dark roast flavor. My herbal tea was a nice relaxing tea with a unique sweet flavor to it.
Our desserts of choice are the Apple Tart and the Mixed Berry Torte. While we didn't get them this time around, we are fans of these tarts as they are the perfect individual size. (In the past we have ordered these tarts about a dozen times) The apples are fresh and thinly sliced while the mixed berry includes blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and sometimes kiwi (nice colors in presentation).
I have seen some of the mixed reviews for lunch and dinner. We had lunch a while back and remember it as being okay. There are many dining options in the Marina, and I believe that Emporio Rulli does a great job in the dessert and coffee arena. Always a favorite!
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Took my little sister here for dinner on a Friday evening. It was the only restaurant on Chestnut that didn't have a 2 hours wait list. Were seated promptly in the candle-lit main dining room, very pretty - Italian place that felt French.
Bread basket with bread sticks was tasty. We ordered a yummy mozzarella appetizer that said it came with zucchini and olives... yeah, 3 paper thin slices on zucchini and literally a smattering of finger nail sized olive shavings. (They really should have only advertised the cheese in the description.) That was $11. I ordered the Margarita pizza for dinner $13 and she got some cheese and spinach stuffed triangle pasta special, which was surprisingly good. Total bill was $44 pre-tax, and we got Pellegrino, but no dessert.
Ambiance was nice, but something was missing. With so many other killer restaurants in the area, I can't say I'd ever rush back.
I hate to give such a bad review to a place with nice staff and great wine.. but I went in there yesterday (I go there a lot on the weekends, or I did) and ordered a pasta dish. The noodles had a swarm of dead gnats inside, I pulled out about 5 before seeing more and sending it back. I instead just ordered oatmeal and fruit. My friend had an entree and we both had wine. I was a tad surprised that they had the courage to still charge me for the oatmeal after this experience. Not a big deal about the $ thing, I just thought it was sort of a weird thing to do after serving someone a bowl of dead gnats. :( Sweet staff though, even with the ordeal. However, I don't think I can eat there again.
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*This is just for the cookies and staff*
On their website- Dinner: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
They were AWESOME for letting me come in 45mins AFTER they closed to buy these cookies.
Last night:
10:38PM
*Getting off 101 Lombard exit and thinking to myself*
Hmmm...I was such a brat to him today. I shouldn't show up at his work empty handed. What's around here that's open? That Emporio Armani place should be open. It's European- you know how Europeans are up late drinking their espresso and eating their fancy schmancy desserts.
10:45PM
*Parks car around the corner on Scott St. and thinking to myself*
It looks empty, but there's a few people still at tables. I hope they aren't closed just yet!
*Walks in and scans for someone I can beg/plead with*
Me *batting eyelashes and smiles*: Hi.
Man in his chef white's: Can I help you?
Me: *pouring on the sugar THICK* Oh- can I buy some cookies? I'll be quick, I promise.
Man in his chef white's: Sure! We'd be happy to help you. So and so will help you.
*Gosh, so and so is REALLLLY freaking hot*
Me to so and so: SORRY! I know it's late!
So and so: It's ok. I was going to leave in about 2 mins before you came in.
Me : I'm sooooo sorry. I'll make this quick. I promise. I really am sorry.
So and so: It's ok. What do you want?
Me: Well, I need to make it up to a guy, so since you're one (yes- my pick up lines suck), maybe you can help me pick some cookies out for him. *Stop flirting, you're buying cookies to make it up to another guy- REMEMBER?!?!*.
So and so: I like these, and these and these.
Me: Perfect. I'll take the ones you chose and these. 8 cookies and 2 tartlets.
10:53PM
The $6 worth of cookies/tartlets worked! He loves them and all is forgiven;)!
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Went here for a friend's bridal cake and coffee party. We had the San Franchesca (cream, fresh raspberries, bits of meringue), which is my favorite cake ever. Coffee is strong.
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Finally.....! A great cup of coffee in San Francisco.
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I just grabbed a cornetto and cappuccino from Rulli and now I am sitting at my bay window enjoying them. And I mean, ENJOYING them. Rulli really is under-rated. The cappuccino is fantastic, the coffee is fantastic - made the way Italians meant it to be made. Where the "foam" is creamy, not foamy and airy. And then.... the cornetto (an italian croissant). It's simple (semplice) and meraviglioso. Makes me very nostalgic for Roma.
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The five stars is for the cappuccino...benissimo! Went here with my girlfriend, we started with cappuccino's and pastries (we sampled four different varieties all were good not great) we chatted so long we decided to stay for lunch. Each of us had a bottle of Pellgrino and a panini, I had the toast (ham & cheese) she had the special which was vegetarian, our paninis were OK, the side salad they came with were good and our waitress was wonderful. This was my first trip and I will definitely be back for the coffee..... I will give the food another shot though for now I give it 3 stars.
Right around my house. Word. Van, Stephanie and Kris were happy with their food, and they are hard to please, word.
My egg was pretty good. I wish they had more stuff on the menu. Service very very excellent. Mimosa real good with fresh squeezed OJ in it.
Good sunny day brunch we had here, and I will most likely go back there for another occasion.
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I did something yesterday that I rarely do. I went to the Marina.
*gasp*
Now I know this part of town gets all kinds of crap talked about it, but my friend was in town for the afternoon, I had the day off and we wanted to sit outside and drink wine, so Bin 38 sounded like a great bet. Only problem was, Yelp said they opened at 3pm, but they really opened at 4pm. Crap, that left us with two dehydrated palates and an hour to kill. Oh but look, is that a cute little Italian place with the words Wine Bar across the street? Sweet, let's go.
And in we walked to Emporio Rulli Gran Cafe. At first I was kinda impressed and thought the looks of this establishment were pretty nice. The cases with tasty treats looked intriguing and after a minute or so, a gentleman named Jose came up to us and told us to sit anywhere we liked. We chose the little table by the window as that looked like the perfect little spot to sip some vino and eat some cheese.
As we perused the menu, we didn't see any wines that we recognized since both of us aren't really into Italian wines...Italian men, yes, but wines, gimme the Argentina ones. You can also throw in some Argentinean men too. Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yes, the wines. So we asked for a recommendation and he said that one was his favorite and a really full-bodied one. Score, that is exactly what I love in a wine, so lemme taste it. My friend asked to try another one and after what seemed like a very long while, he brought over 2 tastes.
The one he loved, ummm, I can only describe it as, "Ooof!" That might have been the worst wine I've ever put in my mouth. It tasted rancid and olivey and full bodied? Ummm, what bodies have you been hanging with. My friend's was just as unimpressive and we quickly changed up gears and decided that if this was the kind of wine we were working with, let's just go with Prosecco.
We then ordered the cheese plate and after about 15 minutes it arrived. Definitely seems like a long time to wait for 3 piles of cheese, a fig and....wait for it....pineapple? Who puts pineapple on a cheese plate? When we asked Jose what the cheeses were, he expounded on their names and replied with, "Well, that's cheese, that one is cheese and that is cheese." Had he been kidding, it would have been funny. Sadly, we wasn't. So we asked him to go and check and after another 10 minutes came back with a list of names he couldn't really pronounce. Yikes.
From there it was a waiting game of getting a knife to cut our cheese with, a napkin and change for our meter as Jose, pretty much defines the term, "Slow service." Luckily for him, we weren't in a hurry, but even so, that was just really bad and the only prompt service we did get, was the dropping of the check. As for the cheese plate, it was a pretty sad display of dairy products and I think it is extremely safe to say, that I will not be returning to Emporio Rulli Gran Cafe after our experience here. Lucky for me and you, Bin 38 is amazing (see coming review), so don't settle on this place.
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I've only ever had sweet treats & cookies for take-out & based on the reviews, maybe that's all I'll ever do. I don't want to think of their yumminess as less than 5 stars.
5 stars for the best little sweets in town. They truly are wonderful & delight every guest (when there are a few stragglers that don't make into my belly first).
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I have only tried Emporio once, and I think I went for the wrong meal: Dinner. Looking back on it that was a silly move. I walk by this place every single day, and most of the people I see on the patio are having drinks, appetizers, or pizza, or dessert, or a cappacinno. They are snacking and socializing. This is probably the better way to do Emporio because entrees were nothing to write home about, and the service left much to be desired.
My hudband's almond crusted chicken was dry and bland. My pasta was ok. Nothing I would return for.
I think that the atmosphere is definately its selling point. Great outdoor patio, and the inside is nice too. But if I want a hearty Itilian dinner, I walk a few blocks down to Parma.
I will say this, I don't like giving bad reviews, so I will return soon. then I will update this with hopefully a few more stars.
We arrived at the Emporio Rulli by pure coincidence, while looking for a place to have a nice pre-Mother's Day meal. The egg plates we ordered were good, though not out of this world: they mainly lacked a bit of salt. However, the panini my son had was great, the wine I sipped (a Barbera) was excellent and, above all, the coffee (I had a cappuccino) was the best one I have had in a very long time. My wife also deeply enjoyed the pastries.
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I thought the help, the prices and the service were wonderful. I spent a nice hour or so while the husband was up the street tasting wines, and
the double espresso was very cheap. The service was prompt and those pastries really tempted me. I held back because I knew that in an hour I was going to A 16 for meatball monday.
Those dishes I did see looked very good and I will probably return soon
for some good salads that I saw and the pastas.
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Nice trendy Italian/Euro cafe that serves breakfast and a light lunch. Breakfast was good, but egg substitutes cost extra and the egg omelette w/goat cheese tastes bland and has a weird texture. The panini are delicious. There are dozen of pastries, including Italian types. The apple strudel was good. The coffee drinks are good. The prices were moderate. The tap water, even with lemon, tasted bad. Recommended for casual stop in the Marina District.
One of the best coffee's in San Francisco, no crowds and very dog friendly
Food is completely hit or miss, and the service is consistently hapless. They do have good pastries, though.
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I had the worst experience in terms of bad service there. My waitress Lucy, a red haired woman in her thirties with a harsh face and tons of red lipstick served us. I went with a business partner. First of all we received bred and butter with no plate and knifes. We received no water the whole time we were there. We did not say anything since we had to talk about something important and did not even care. We both had lunch and the service was still very mediocre. My business partner ordered something which was not pointed out as spicy on the menu, but since she has some issues she could not eat the whole thing because it was that spicy! The whole time the waitress did not show up once to ask if the food was ok and my business partner, who is a bit shy did also not say anything. Anyway, at the end I paid and gave 10% tip. Well guess what. The waitress come up to me and complained and told me "In the United States we usually tip 20% (I have an accent, that's probably why she approached it that way) and I am not making that much so..."
Not so good service. OK food. Ask for red pepper or hot pepper, told they don't have it? Really? At an Italian restaurant? I'm thinking it was a language barrier, because he came with black pepper mill.
Minus stars for all the above plus minus for small food selections and prices for what you get.
They have nice selections of cookies, one star. Good but not great Americano, another star.
I wouldn't go back here unless it's for pastries and coffee, so I doubt I'll be back.
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The worst service in the city. Period.
I get the hot-x-buns (which are the price of a small city in Asia) around Easter, take-out. Only.
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Tuesday evenings with Rulli are not to be missed. This is a very special experience, and should be shared. When you want a relaxing evening of fine food, or you want to impress some guests, Tuesday evening at Rulli's is the place to be.
I went with my parents for a superb meal, hosted by Chef Angelo, flown-in from Santa Monica each week for a Tuesday-night appearance. Gary Rulli is also regularly on-hand. Royal treatment from both staff and chef and owner alike make this a gourmet and special experience. The price-fixed menu is set at $50 per person--a very reasonable sum for the feast. I have been blessed with many, many memorable meals around the world, but Chef Angelo's expertise in the kitchen trumps most all I have experienced.
Get over to Rulli's on Tuesday evening. Get there around 6:30/7 to take advantage of good parking... and then a fantastic eating experience that I promise will compell you to write a review the next morning. Just like me...
Cheers-
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This neighborhood is the other side of the planet for me but I've been finding myself there frequently due to a few dance classes that I attend on Chestnut.
I came in last night after walking away from the over-crowded A16 in the rain by myself. I was welcomed immediately by the pleasant staff and I was impressed with the cozy ambiance despite the high ceilings and huge dining room. I sat in the back in the plush wine library area filled to the brim with Italian vino. The seats were comfy and red, my favorite color. The by-the-glass wine options were mostly Italian but very approachable and affordable. I tried an interesting Pinot Nero, a smooth,earthy Dolcetto and round it all off with a complimentary pour of Cannonau by the owner himself. To top off the hospitality and the warmth of a true Italian restaurant the manager served up a fresh from the oven pizza bianca.
This place is my new favorite Italian restaurant.
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yum yum! dessert- warm bread pudding with vanilla gelato
lunch- almond breaded chicken with sauteed veggies and potatoes.
very good
nice staff
quiet atmosphere
Nice atmosphere, attentive service, and wonderful food.
Changes are afoot at Emporio Rulli. The menu has been spiced up, the service is excellent, and the wine list is very thorough. I'd definitely recommend it for dinner, especially if you're looking for a good place to go where there won't be a long wait.
I haven't been (yet) for brunch, but I've heard it's a lot of fun.
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We walked down to Chestnut today for brunch with the dog. Since she was along, we needed to find a spot with outdoor seating and all the usual spots were packed so we decided to give this restaurant a try. It was just ok.
The good: the service was excellent. Quick, efficient and thoughtful. They have a large bowl of water outside for our furry friend. They have great tables and chairs outside on the sidewalk. Being at the end of Chestnut, there is less foot traffic so its quiet but there is still enough action for some decent people watching.
The not so good: The food. It was very plain and bleh. I had the vegetable fritatta with goat cheese that was pretty much missing the goat cheese. The boy had the french toast and while it tasted good, it was made from what appeared to be the top of a stale pastry so it was a bit hard to cut and chew. The coffee was very mediocre for being billed as "dark roast Italian". The fresh squeezed orange juice mysteriously had no pulp...? The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't great.
Next time we'll stick to Bechelli's.
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Date & Time: Daytime: Coffee, Brunch, Afternoon
Company: BFF Kam or Michael
Crowd: Sophisticated Locals and Marina Peeps
Ambience: Soothing
Decor: Beautiful Italian with Grand Counters filled with Scrumptious pastries and tightly packed tables. Outdoor patio on one side and tables on the other.
Service: Bit Snooty
Imbibe: Lattes, Mochas, Cappucinos and Espressos
Devour: Panninis, Pastries and Apple Tart
Notes: Another Charminglocation on Union Square Park
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i'm so sad this place is getting bad reviews! we had such a cute saturday morning brunch on a beautiful blue sunny day. we wanted to sit outside but everything was crowded except for this spot, which worried me. but everything turned out so yummy! from the mimosa, to the french toast, the fritatta, and coffee. the texture of all the bread was just as i like it, chewy/crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. fritatta was light and fluffy and full of flavor (goat cheese), way better than the one i had at BLD in los angeles. service was also excellent. dunno what everone is complaining about. maybe people should just come for brunch?
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I've lived in the marina 3 years and I had never been here. My husband wanted to try it. Really cute with an outdoor heated patio- there is no where else that has this kind of curbside dining in the marina, at least not to this extent. We had a glas of wine and a delicious cheese platter. The bread was fresh out of the oven. The only reason I didn't give it the 5th star was that the service was a little strange. We got service, but 3 people tried to take our order, and the bus boy brought us our first glass of water about 30 seconds before the check was delivered. As an x-waitress, I would say that the management is a little lax for such a classy menu and decor. Little kinks, but wonderful place, cool ambiance, and sidewalk dining. I definitely reccomend it, even just for a glass of wine.
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I had read so many good things about this place for when their chef flies up on Tuesday nights, so we finally gave it a go, and boy, was I ever not impressed. Mind you, we didn't do the special chef's tasting menu, but still. With places in this city like SPQR, Incanto, and Bacco, I don't see us coming back. It is definitely cute in there at night, especially compared with how it feels in the daytime. But we just weren't impressed at all. If you're in this neighborhood and want good Italian, go to Parma. It won't be life-altering, but they do the classics really well.
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First it was raining, then it was pouring, and then we decided to duck in to this beautiful cafe for a late lunch.
I had the Florentine omelette (spinach, shallots, ricotta). It came with applewood smoked bacon and potatoes, which could have been crispier. But the omelette, itself, was perfect. One friend had the brie panini and the other had the turkey panini. We each picked a pastry for dessert. Thumbs up all around.
Service was fantastic, our waitress offered great suggestions and best of all, they didn't hurry us through the meal. We were able to sit and talk for over two hours.
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Great place for afternoon brunch, people watching and wine drinking. Nice selection of paninis, pastas and and eggs. On a warm sunny day, sitting outside is great for people watching.
If you have had bad service here, you didn't sit at the bar and have Tristan serve you. He is such a great bartender that we came back to Emporio Rulli just for him.
He immediatly asks what you are in the mood for and once you tell him, he will give you a generous pouring of his choice. If you don't like it, he'll offfer something else. Often when bartenders do this, they choose the most expensive on the menu, but he doesn't.
So I am only rating this for him and the wine selection.. and I have only tasted one dessert.
Very comforrtable atmosphere and was very welcoming compared to A16- where we had just come from.
Tristan rocks!
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This place is under rated, probably because it's hard to figure out if it's a cafe or a restaurant ? doesn't matter. The interior is beautiful, probably one of the nicest cafes in town. The food is excellent, I had some of their home made ravioli with a glass of great Italian red wine. If you're considering A16 (which I think is good but over rated) and can't get in, then go to Rulli (unless you're going for the "scene").
For a cup of afternoon coffe with a nice cake, this is the best place outside of North Beach.
Only go for the cookies and tiny adorable little pies and tarts. The coffe is good, the food not so good
*update 10/8/2007*
Wow, what a difference a year makes. I stopped by Rulli with some friends on Saturday night around 9pm for dessert and coffee. The host was quite rude, telling us we couldn't sit in the (mostly empty) dining room for dessert only and to have a seat at the bar. When I pointed out that the bar was full he relented and took us to a table off the bar area.
Fast forward to the bill - when it arrived my friend put down a $100 bill and the waiter (without checking with anyone) said he couldn't break it. Eh, what type of restaurant doesn't have change for a $100 bill?
The type of restaurant that I don't go back to.
The dessert was good but not so good to make up for the rude service. I won't be back.
*original review 10/5/2006*
Five stars for the cookies....mmmm, cookies. I've never had a full on sit down meal here and doubt I will but if you want to impress at the next dinner party make sure and stop in for a box of tasty Italian cookies. Mmmm, tasty Italian cookies.
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Even though the guy behind the counter is routinely one of the rudest and least service-oriented I have ever encountered (and not even remotely as hot as he thinks he is), I can't stop going back there for their tiny cookies. Those li'l things make a big splash at every gathering I bring them to. They're totally worth putting up with the attitude.
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Normally, I try to stay out of the Marina on beautiful days because it's just too crowded and crazy...but as luck would have it, we found rockstar parking and and outdoor table at Emporio Rulli for brunch at 2pm on Fleet Week Saturday (you can still call it brunch at 2pm if you haven't eaten anything yet that day, okay?).
We shared a platter that had steak AND bacon on it, served with eggs and potatoes, and another plate of eggs (it was THAT kind of morning), and proceeded to down four cups of coffee and two mimosas. Although they may want to revisit the differences between "medium" and "medium rare", the food overall was delicious. Our mimosas were a delightfully refreshing complement to our meal. The service was quick, friendly, and attentive, without being overbearing.
Our outdoor seating was great for people watching, as Fleet Week tends to bring folks from all over to the Marina, so they are walking distance from a good spot to watch the Blue Angels. However, I found myself mostly watching the two 40-something bleached, Botoxed and belly-baring ladies at the next table getting hit on by all these creepy older guys and some skeevy younger guys that passed by. I couldn't get past one of these ladies' gold glitter acrylic talons...
One beautiful Saturday afternoon.
Two mimosas.
And a couple of out-of-towner cougars at the next table.
A four star brunch experience.
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AWFUL! I am blown away that so many reviewers are giving this place more that 2 stars at the most! The service was the worst I have ever seen, and my husband and I come from serving backrounds so we tend to be sympathetic when it gets busy...it wasn't.
We were there on a Friday afternoon around one p.m., we didn't get our wine until close to 2, much less our food...we ordered sandwiches. We watched as table after table left because nobody was serving them. We never saw the same waiter twice and our bus boy was the most attentive person there. The restaurant was less than half full and the gentleman that finally brought us our wine wasn't even on the clock! He stopped in to get his paycheck and they made him deliver it, the sad thing? He was nicer than any of the other waiters we saw...helpful with the menu and actually seemed to care about us.
But the thing that put the cherry on top for the both of us was the fact that a table got sat near us at least an hour after we arrived...clearly they knew the owner because a very nicely dressed man came out and made sure they got everything they needed. We sat there while they got their food and we hadn't even gotten a water refill. Sad, sad service. The only reason we sat through? Frankly it was comical and we were in no hurry. I would not recommend this place...the food wasn't even that good.
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Good food...*^itty service. This place has good food but the service/management sucks. The service seemed like it was a play from the book of our friends across the pond that constructed the maginot line. We never saw our servor after the food was ordered and when we asked another servor for some ketchup she never delivered. If this place doesn't get their act together then it will flounder like the rest.
Memo to owner: Get someone in there that knows how to run a restaurant and you will be successful...food is great...service sucks. period.
