SPQR

The story

SPQR San Francisco: Contemporary Italian Dining on Fillmore Street

SPQR

The name SPQR stands for Senatus Populusque Romanus—the ancient emblem of the Roman Empire. In 21st-century San Francisco, it represents what’s possible in contemporary Italian cuisine. Located on Fillmore Street, this Northern California restaurant has earned its place as a ten-time recipient of a Michelin star and continues to hold a Michelin Recommended distinction.

Led by Restaurant Director Matthew Accarrino—a 2014 Food & Wine Best New Chef and James Beard Foundation Award nominee—the kitchen produces cuisine that is both technically polished and soulful. The menu balances a la carte options with a $102 four-course menu, available seven days a week from 5 to 9 PM. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the restaurant also offers a dedicated five-course Pasta Tasting Menu for $62, a celebration of their in-house pasta program that has been part of the story for over a decade.

The wine list is carefully curated to complement the contemporary Italian dishes, and the dining room—with air conditioning, wheelchair access, and a private room for larger parties—welcomes groups of all sizes. Corkage is available at $40 per bottle, with a two-bottle maximum.

SPQR’s approach is a culmination of hospitality, boundless creativity, and classical training. It is, in their own words, “the very highest emblem of what’s possible in contemporary Italian cuisine.” Whether you choose the a la carte path or the pasta tasting journey, the experience is rooted in the same philosophy: refined technique applied to soulful ingredients.

The restaurant accepts reservations for parties up to six, with larger groups and full buyouts available by inquiry. It remains a cornerstone of San Francisco’s dining scene, proof that ancient inspiration can still feel thoroughly modern.