After 29 years of business, the famous Venticello Ristorante, an Italian dining establishment located on top of Nob Hill in San Francisco, is closing forever.
San Francisco Chronicle, which shares similar ownership with SFGATE, first reported that the restaurant’s closure was the effect of the pandemic in the city’s tourism.
The initial closure of the restaurant happened in March last year when a citywide shelter-in-place order was announced. The double-level restaurant on Taylor Street mainly relied on guests from out of town who were staying at the nearby Mark Hopkins and Fairmont hotels. They also benefit from people going to the Masonic for shows.
The Italian restaurant’s co-owners Mike and Christina Deeb also operated the Nob Hill Café. In an interview with the Chronicle, they said that shutting the area was their only option last summer.
“At the moment, COVID has made it impossible to keep the doors open,” shared Mike Deeb to the Chronicle. “It’s been a harsh reality.”
Apart from its food choices including pappardelle with mushroom ragu and spaghetti carbonara, Venticello is also a favorite for its location that features the view of the Bay Bridge and the passing cable cars.
The area was occupied by Mike and Christina Deeb in 2002 after their father, an acclaimed restaurant owner Michael, died.
Meanwhile, Nob Hill Café will continue in business and will accept customers from 5 to 9 in the evening on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; and 5 to 10 in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays. The café is situated a block away from the former location of Venticello. It also caters to online orders for take-out. Dine-in customers can also drop by 1152 Taylor Street.
