Welcome to Uma Casa
At Uma Casa, nestled in the heart of San Francisco's Noe Valley, Portuguese cuisine comes to life. This charming cocktail bar offers a cozy atmosphere and an array of delightful dishes that evoke the spirit of Portugal. Guests rave about the flavorful piri piri chicken, succulent grilled octopus, and the traditional pastel de nata, though the latter can sometimes fall short. With attentive staff and a thoughtfully curated drink menu, Uma Casa provides a welcoming dining experience. Whether you're savoring crispy batatas fritas or a hearty bifana sandwich, every bite tells the story of authentic Portuguese culture and culinary pride.
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1550 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94131 Hotline: (415) 829-2264
Welcome to Uma Casa, a delightful gem nestled in the heart of San Francisco's Noe Valley. This charming restaurant specializes in authentic Portuguese cuisine, artfully blending traditional recipes with a contemporary flair that captures the essence of Portugal.
Located at 1550 Church St, Uma Casa invites you to indulge in a vibrant culinary journey. Whether you are a seafood aficionado or a fan of hearty meats, the menu offers a rich tapestry of dishes that promise to transport your taste buds straight to the Iberian Peninsula.
Upon entering, you will be greeted by a warm atmosphere characterized by rustic decor and a mosaic of Portuguese culture, creating a cozy ambiance ideal for family gatherings or intimate dinners. The attentive staff ensures that each dining experience feels special, reflecting the hospitality that Portugal is known for.
- Soup & Salad: Start your meal with the Salada Verde, a perfect blend of mixed greens, arugula, and azorean cheese for a refreshing touch. For a heartier option, the Caldo Verde delivers exactly what’s expected—rich and comforting with potato broth and linguiça sausage.
- Appetizers: The real stars here are the appetizers. The Pasteis De Bacalhau, salt cod and potato fritters, are a must-try, paired excellently with cilantro aioli. If seafood is your passion, don’t miss the Polvo À Casa, which boasts braised and seared octopus beautifully offset by a medley of stewed garbanzos.
- Main Dishes: The Piri-Piri Chicken Sandwich is a favorite, offering a crispy fried breast drizzled with fierce piri-piri sauce. For something truly indulgent, the Bifana or the Uma Burger are both hearty and satisfying.
- Desserts: No visit is complete without savoring their desserts. The passionfruit mousse may tempt you, leaving a sweet finish to your meal.
While the cuisine receives praise for its flavor and authenticity, Uma Casa shines most brightly in its ability to provide a delightful dining experience that feels both special and personal. Diners have celebrated the quality of their fish, their superbly crafted cocktails, and the extensive wine list, which features both local and Portuguese selections. For those who appreciate a lively dining atmosphere, the restaurant finds a perfect balance between vibrant conversation and intimate gatherings.
As I reflect on my experience at Uma Casa, I feel a sense of appreciation for how each dish tells a story, showcasing the heart of Portuguese culture in every bite. Although it’s sad to note the impending closing of this establishment based on customer sentiments, the culinary memories crafted here will surely resonate with patrons long after their visit. Whether it’s the unforgettable flavors or the inviting ambiance, Uma Casa has created a unique place in the bustling heart of San Francisco, making it well worth your visit.
Awesome Portuguese food, friendly staff, well worth my one hour drive, just for great taste of very special Portuguese cuisine and culture. Today is the last day of operations, very sad to see this restaurant close. Thank you so much for having so much pride in offering a great tasting Portuguese food.
Very nice seafood appetizers and seafood main dishes. My favorite thing was the beef short rib. That thing was insane! The peri peri chicken was just ok. The desserts were all very nice and very good wine. I would definitely return here for seafood and beef. I'm sad that they're closing but their staff are incredible and the food was super solid.
Request for reservation was made by leaving message which was not returned. Place was not busy. Piece fix menu was good value but no vegetarian entree was listed on menu. My bacalao Gomes Sa was a huge portion which would have served two. While potatoes were undercooked it tasted authentic and was served piping hot. Will be back to try other dishes. Friendly service, clean contemporary design. Great find on Yelp in a fun neighborhood. A find dining experience.
This review is for our visit Dec 2024. It was our traditional family gathering and having Portuguese in the fam, we wanted to try this place. To play it safe, we made reservations. We were greeted and seated. Ambience was nice and cozy. Parking may be a bit of a challenge. Be patient, you'll find one. Food was delicious. For appetizers we gambas and bacalhau fritter. Loved both dishes. Definitely will come back and order these again. 2 of us ordered the Bacalhau entree. I was a little disappointed that it was too salty for my taste because I don't cook w salt. It was still good but asking chef to lessen salt or if using dried cod, soak longer Franco was cooked just right. The seafood dish was delicious and I will definitely order this next time. All desserts were sweet but indulging from time to time is ok. All in all we had a great experience. We will definitely be coming back. Enjoy!
Initially I came in because I was craving dessert but then I ended up looking at the actual menu after trying one of their desserts and ended up trying the mussels as well. So flavorful and seasoned! Fav!
A cute little neighborhood spot for fine Portuguese dining! I ordered the crispy polenta, mushroom, and broccolini dish with an egg. I upgraded it to the entree size but it was actually too much food! A good blend of textured and flavors. I paired it with a wine from Lompoc county near where I am from and had a nice conversation with the manager/owner about why he included this unusual wine (a chilled red not from Portugal) and how it would complement my meal. I ordered the passion fruit mousse for dessert but felt like it was lacking in flavor - the coconut topping overpowered the passion fruit and provided an unpleasant texture contrast. The sponge cake inside had a weird taste as well Logistics: - indoor seating only - extremely limited street parking nearby only , but near several bus routes - limited vegetarian options but many pescatarian options - it was busy at 7pm on a Wednesday so expect a wait if you don't have reservations
Reservation : you do not need one! We walked in on a Saturday night and there were a ton of empty tables. Parking: very easy to find in this neighborhood Interior: very quaint inside, it was clean and the service was very attentive. Drinks: they have a ton of beers and wines, I chose the sangria and it was great! Food: Branzino was delicious and enough to share between two adults. Caldo Verde soup was very light but flavorful. I got the CARNE DE PORCO À ALENTEJANA, very flavorful but a bit on the salty end.
Pretty good Portuguese food. We went with a big party on a Saturday night. It wasn't too full. We had wine and fries at the bar before moving to the big room in the back. We got through most of the menu. Salted cod, octopus, even burgers for the kids. Plus, egg tarts for dessert. The staff was really friendly even with our big, messy group.
It was my friends birthday and our friend found this hidden spot in noe valley . I have never been to Portugal before but heard great things about it's seafood . So we decided to order everything on the menu . Waiter mentioned we aren't the first one to order mostly everything on the menu. My favorites : POLVO À CASA (gf)braised & seared octopus, stewed garbanzos, salsa verde RISSOIS DE CAMARÃO savory shrimp turnovers, spicy piri-piri aioli BIFE GRELHADO (gf)grilled 24oz porterhouse, white wine-garlic cream sauce, fries, grilled broccolini
Portuguese food has been, by far, one of my favorite cuisines. I'm so excited to have Uma Casa in SF as it transports you to Portugal for amazing seafood and the classic piri piri chicken. More specifically, I was really looking forward to trying their pastel de nata. FOOD: I recommend ordering a bunch of dishes and sharing them family style so that everyone can try everything. For our party of 2, we ordered two small plates (Grilled Octopus and Rissois de Camaro), one main (Piri Piri Chicken), and one dessert (Pastel De Nata). Our absolute favorite dish of the night was the Piri Piri Chicken! The marinade had a hint of spicy, but tangy at the same time. The chicken itself was also juicy and not overcooked at all. The grilled octopus, served on a bed of chickpeas, was nothing super special, but it was still very tasty. For our next trip, I think we'd skip the shrimp turnovers (Rissois de Camaro). I was really looking forward to the pastel de nata, which was paired with coffee gelato. However, I was disappointed with the pastry because the crust wasn't crunchy and the middle custard was cold and pretty solid. Overall, I would say I've had better pasteis de nata at other bakeries around the city. SERVICE: Very attentive staff and we didn't wait long in between the different dishes. The atmosphere is also takes you over to Portugal, with the blue titled walls, quaint arched windows, and picture of the beautiful architecture around Portugal.