Beretta Bar / Italian Restaurant / Pizza Place

Mission, San Francisco –

There are tons of places in the city to grab a slice of pizza, but at the always-packed Beretta, an artisan pie comes with artfully crafted cocktails on the side.

A long communal table and wide bar provide plenty of opportunities for singles and groups to mingle, while intimate candlelit tables by the windows and on the sidewalk offer the perfect spots for conversation and people-watching.

Iron chandeliers, thick wooden beams, and gilt mirrors give the venue a vintage speakeasy quality, though the late-night clientele is mostly well-dressed hipsters and young creative tech professionals who stop in as much to eat as to flirt.

Although often quiet and cozy early in the week, boisterous pre-party crowds meld with the noise and heat of the open kitchen come Thursday nights, creating a vibe far more upbeat than softly romantic.

Delectable desserts like gelato with olive oil and rhubarb crumb cake quickly appear once the last bits of margherita and prosciutto di parma pizza are gobbled down, while mixology fans debate over favorite drinks like the rye- and egg white-infused Rattlesnake and the bourbon and minty-mixed Kentucky Mule.

Weekend brunch, meanwhile, draws hungover party animals and upper-crust shoppers back in for French toast and crêpes – and probably a few early cocktails. But regardless of when they come, everyone at Beretta leaves with a new appreciation for pizza, and maybe even the number of someone they can bring back next time.