Seven Hills

Most SF neighborhoods have a requisite Italian restaurant for a decent bowl of pasta. Seven Hills is that place in Russian Hill. Sure, the dishes coming out of this spot can be hit or miss. But if you’re in the area and want to get your eye-batting on with a date, Seven Hills gets the job done.

The pastas here are the main attraction, supported by a cast of standard appetizers and entrees, like bean salads, meatballs, and a market fish. The tomato and ricotta maccheroncelli, the most basic pasta on the menu, is a creamy crowd-pleaser and the best dish here. The corn agnolotti with popcorn, however, sounds better on paper, and the tagliatelle with slow-cooked pork lacks salt. Still, the bar and dining room are always full of PDA-happy couples and visiting parents waving over another bottle of wine. You’ll leave Seven Hills just as you entered it (with some extra carbs to your name)—a meal won’t necessarily offend or stick with you in any way. For dimension-altering rigatoni or mafaldine, head to one of these pasta places instead.

Food Rundown

Garlic & Parmesan Focaccia

It’s garlic, cheese, and bread. You will like this.

photo credit: Krescent Carasso

Tomato Braised Polpette

A solid beef and pork meatball, with the added bonus of melty Point Reyes Toma cheese in the middle. It’s a good starter to share with the table, but no one will be reminiscing about it on the way home.

photo credit: Krescent Carasso

Maccheroncelli

The best pasta here, though the “chili” listed on the menu is nowhere to be found. The curled-up tubes are al dente, the garlicky crushed tomato sauce is bright and sweet, and the house ricotta makes everything extra rich.

photo credit: Julia Chen

Agnolotti

These pouches of corn and ricotta are fine on their own, but the addition of popcorn on top is confusing. The puffed-up kernels, which are fun in theory, get soggy in the basil burro fuso.

Tagliatelle

Some bites of the braised pork shank are tender, but a few are too fatty to enjoy.