Che Fico

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

An Italian Taverna Rooted in California

Since 2018, Che Fico has occupied a corner of San Francisco's Nopa neighborhood with a clear and confident idea: Northern California imagined as a region of Italy. The result is a California-Italian kitchen that draws on Italian culinary practices while remaining grounded in the market rhythms and producers of the Bay Area. The wine program earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024 — a fitting recognition for a list that balances Italian and Californian bottles with the same even hand the kitchen brings to the food.

The Building, the Team, the Idea

The restaurant inhabits a building with more than a century of San Francisco history. Originally constructed as a stable after the 1906 earthquake and fire, it later served as an auto body shop before co-owners David Nayfeld and Matt Brewer transformed it entirely. Interior designer Jon de la Cruz of DLC-ID brought the space to life, and the result has earned multiple design awards of its own. Nayfeld, who also serves as Executive Chef, works alongside Culinary Director Evan Allumbaugh, Wine Director Jason Alexander, and a full team committed to what the restaurant calls "perfecting simplicity."

What's on the Table

The menu is rustic and market-driven, built around handmade pasta, pizzas, antipasti, housemade salumi, and preparations of meat and fish. A distinctive thread running through the cooking is Cucina Ebraica — the Jewish-Roman culinary heritage — which adds depth and specificity to what might otherwise be a broad Italian-California brief. The beverage program leans into amaros, seasonal cocktails, and a wine list that earned its recognition precisely because it treats Italian and Californian producers with equal seriousness.

The Room and the Welcome

The atmosphere is convivial rather than formal — the restaurant describes itself as "a place to gather with friends." Walk-ins are actively encouraged, and the bar area offers a comfortable place to wait if the dining room is full. Large groups, private dining, and full restaurant buyouts are all accommodated. The space is on the second floor, accessible by elevator, and the kitchen is practiced at working around dietary restrictions, though guests with celiac needs should note that pasta, pizza, and bread are all made in-house.