Everything You Need to Know about San Francisco Cioppino

Updated October 27, 2025

Cioppino is considered by many to be San Francisco’s signature dish! This rich and hearty Italian seafood stew was born right here in the City by the Bay. In this guide we are giving you the download on everything Cioppino in San Francisco, CA.

San Francisco Cioppino Highlights

• 💬 You pronounce “cioppino” like chee-oh-PEE-no.” 
• 🎣 Cioppino was invented in the late 1800s by Italian fishermen of North Beach
• 🍴Alioto’s was the first restaurant to serve cioppino in 1925
• 🦀 Ingredients vary but the seafood typically includes crab, mussels, shrimp, and fish
• 😋 Sotto Mare is Avital’s top recommendation for cioppino today

How Do You Pronounce Cioppino in San Francisco​?

You pronounce “cioppino” like chee-oh-PEE-no.” Emphasize the “PEE” sound, with a slightly longer “p” sound due to the double “p” in the Italian spelling.

What is San Francisco Style Cioppino​?

Cioppino is traditionally made with whatever the catch of the day was, so there is often a combination of clams, Dungeness crab, scallops, shrimp, squid, mussels, and fish in it, though not always all of those things. The other important element is the fresh tomato and wine sauce that the seafood is swimming in. Cioppino is often served with San Francisco sourdough bread, so you can soak up the tomato-y wine sauce after eating the seafood.

History of San Francisco Cioppino

Cioppino is a tomato-based seafood stew that was invented by the San Francisco Italian fishermen of North Beach in the late 1800s using whatever seafood was leftover from the day’s catch. Often times it was crab, shrimp, clams and fish, which were then combined with onions, garlic, and tomatoes and then everything was cooked with herbs in olive oil and wine. Originally it was made on the boats while out at sea and in the Italians homes but as the Italian restaurants started sprouting up around the wharf Cioppino moved into the restaurant and became a very popular dish.

The restaurant that credits itself with bringing Cioppino to the restaurant atmosphere is Alioto’s.

In 1925 Nunzio Alioto an Italian immigrant set up a stall at #8 Fiisherman’s Wharf to sell lunchtime provisions to the Italian laborers. His business grew and by 1932 he had constructed the first building at the historic corner of Taylor and Jefferson, by combining the fish stand with a seafood bar specializing shrimp cocktails and steamed crab. Sadly, Nunzio passed away unexpectedly and “Nonna” Rose, his widow, and her three children began running the stall. When Rose took over, she became the first woman to work on the wharf. By 1938 she had installed a kitchen in the original structure and officially opened Alioto’s Restaurant.

It’s been said that Rose used to put a bib around her son before eating Cioppino and say, “If it doesn’t splatter on your shirt, you aren’t doing it right.”

I’ve always thought that the amount of stains on your shirt at the end of a meal indicates that you really enjoyed it. If you’re on Fisherman’s Wharf, its a tradition to eat at Alioto’s. But our recommendation is to head over to Sotto Mare in North Beach for the best San Francisco Cioppino or old school restaurant The Clam House which has been there since 1861.

San Francisco Cioppino Recipe​

Cioppino can be highly customized based on what you like and what you have. For this reason, there are loads of recipes that claim to be “the best.” There is no clear winner since it’s so subjective, but here are a few tried-and-true recipes that we love.

• Hog Island Oyster Co. has a reliable Cioppino recipe.
• Authentic San Francisco Cioppino Seafood Stew from House of Nash Eats
• San Francisco Cioppino from Coley Cooks

Cioppino Ingredients

Ingredients vary by recipe, but here are the things that typically included:

• Onions
• Carrots
• Celery or fennel
• Garlic
• Peeled tomatoes
• Fish stock
• Red wine
• Bay leaves
• Fresh herbs, like basil, oregano, and parsley
• Spices, like fennel seed, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper
• Dungeness crab
• Mussels
• Whitefish fillets
• Shrimp

Where Can I Eat at a Cioppino Restaurant in San Francisco​?

If you’re wondering where to eat cioppino in San Francisco​ this list should point you in the right direction.

Sotto Mare

Sotto Mare is the home of arguably the most famous Cioppino San Francisco​. It’s called the “Best Damn Crab Cioppino with Seafood Enough for Two” on the menu for a reason! Sotto Mare made it onto our 50 Best Restaurants in San Francisco list because it is that iconic!

Anchor Oyster Bar

Anchor Oyster Bar is another popular Cioppino’s restaurant San Francisco​. Their Cioppino recipe has been passed down for generations and has been featured by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Scoma’s Restaurant

When it comes to Cioppino restaurants in San Francisco, Scoma’s Restaurant is many people’s favorite, because they serve “Lazy Man’s” Cioppino. This means you don’t have to crack the crabs, they extract the meat for you which makes for easy eating. If you’re looking for cioppino on the wharf, Scoma’s is your best option.

Hog Island Oyster Co.

Hog Island Oyster Co. has many locations and they don’t all feature their incredible Cioppino recipe. But you’re in luck if you’re looking for a Cioppino restaurant San Francisco CA because they have a location in the Ferry Building featuring their take on this dish. 

Woodhouse

If you’re wondering where to get cioppino in San Francisco​ around the Pacific Heights area this is the perfect option for you. This San Francisco Cioppino restaurant serves their delicious stew with warm garlic bread which is just begging to be dipped in the rich tomato broth. 

Betty Lou’s Seafood & Grill

Betty Lou’s Seafood & Grill is a casual Cioppino restaurant San Francisco​. If surf and turf is your favorite way to eat, try their delectable Classic Cioppino along with one of their 16oz Creekstone Grilled Ribeye Steaks.

North Beach Food Tour

Explore Cioppino’s place of origin on our North Beach Food Tour! We often stop at Sotto Mare’s to taste the dish popularized by North Beach’s fishermen. On the tour we tell stories about this neighborhood that was once known as the Barbary coast and is now the best place to get Italian food in all of San Francisco. We’ll stop at 3-4 restaurants as we eat and drink our way through SF’s own Little Italy!

Who Has the Best Cioppino in San Francisco​?

It is highly contested who makes the best Cioppino in San Francisco​. Is the San Francisco best Cioppino found at the tourist hot spot Sotto Mare? Or does local favorite Anchor Oyster Bar have the best Cioppino San Francisco? Does Scoma’s take the crown for best cioppino in San Francisco​ CA because their “Lazy Man’s” preparation is so accessible? We’ll be honest dear reader, there is no singular best Cioppino in San Francisco CA. Your best bet is to go out and try them all and decide for yourself!

If you look up “best cioppino in San Francisco reddit,” a few restaurants will appear again and again. The ones we’ve highlighted, Sotto Mare, Anchor Oyster Bar, Scoma’s, Woodhouse, and Betty Lou’s all make the list with multiple comments and upvotes. Tadich Grill is the sleeper hit that we kept seeing and is certainly worth checking out! 

Final Thoughts on Cioppino in San Francisco

If you live in or are visiting San Francisco you have to indulge in a comforting bowl of Cioppino at least once. We here at Avital Food & Drink Experiences have been creating special San Francisco dining experiences for our customers since 2011. If you want to enjoy Cioppino in style we can create an incredible dining experience where this dish is featured, whether it be for business or pleasure, that you will never forget!