Sotto Mare

What you need to know

Sotto Mare calls itself an oysteria but the cioppino is what most people are waiting for. A narrow North Beach spot serving cioppino, fresh oysters, and seafood from a tightly packed dining room.

What to Order

Cioppino: A massive bowl with Dungeness crab, clams, mussels, shrimp, and fish in a tomato broth. Bring an appetite and ask for extra bread for soaking. The dish Italian fishermen invented on these blocks more than a century ago.
Crab Legs: Simply prepared with butter and garlic.
Oysters: Fresh from the raw bar. Ask what’s in that day.
Calamari: Fried tender inside, crisp outside.
Pasta with Seafood: A solid alternative if a full bowl of stew is too much.

The Space

A narrow space on Green Street with a counter wrapping around the open kitchen and a few tables crammed against the opposite wall. About thirty seats, almost always full. The counter seats are the better experience. You can watch the cooks work and chat with regulars.

Practical Info

Price: Cioppino around $35 to $40
Reservations: Parties of 3 or more only. Parties of 2 are walk-in. Waits run 45 to 60 minutes during peak.
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-10pm, Sun 11:30am-9pm
Address: 552 Green Street

What to get

Cioppino (the reason you're here), crab legs with butter and garlic, fresh oysters, fried calamari