By Giselle Garza Lerma

Bettola, tucked away on Clement Street near Fifth Avenue in the Inner Richmond, is attracting attention with its culturally immersive experience.

Walking into Bettola, you’re welcomed with a calm, romantic atmosphere. While a black-and-white Italian movie is projected on the wall, the sound of chattering guests and Italian music fills the room.

Bettola also offers an “alimentari,” Italian for market or grocery store. The shelves lining the back of the restaurant are stocked primarily with imported or Italy-inspired pantry goods for purchase, many of which are featured on the menu. Patrons will also find offerings from small Italian wineries that are organic, biodynamic and focused on natural agricultural practices. There are also staple Italian pantry goods for purchase, like oil, pasta and more.

“It’s a restaurant for the people. A restaurant for the community, for the neighborhood,” said Gianluca Legrottaglie, the owner of Bettola. Legrottaglie said the intention behind creating Bettola was to bring the taste and experience of his culture to the Richmond.

Legrottaglie opened Bettola in May of 2024. He came to New York City on vacation from Italy in 1999 and never looked back. His career in the restaurant industry started by working and managing restaurants in New York. In 2010, he moved to San Francisco and took ownership of several established Italian eateries: 54 Mint Cucina Romana, downtown, and Montesacro Pinseria with two locations, one in the Marina and another downtown.

“Bettola: the concept consolidates my passion for Italian food,” Legrottaglie said.

A bettola in Italy is a market selling simple food in a casual atmosphere. His grandparents owned a bettola in Italy.

“I wanted to recreate that environment that allows people to walk in and grab to go something homemade,” he said. “Part of the intention with Bettola is to really offer comfort food that’s approachable, affordable for the neighborhood.”

Legrottaglie’s favorite of Bettola’s dishes – also their signature offering – is the Mezzo Pollo Arrosto. The plate offers a rotisserie chicken, brined for several days and cooked to a tender, fall-off-the-bone perfection, and is accompanied by roasted potatoes, rapini with anchovy and tomato.

The restaurant features a “tavola calda” next to the alimentari. A tavola calda is a traditional Italian cafeteria-like-display beautifully featuring the meals, which have been prepared in advance, and are ready for purchase. The tavola calda is inspired by Legrottaglie’s childhood in Italy.

“When my mom didn’t have time to cook, which was very rarely, or didn’t feel like cooking for a bunch of people, she would send my dad and me to the tavola calda, to buy food that was prepared,” Legrottaglie said.

Legrottaglie has had a longstanding relationship with the executive chef and culinary director of Bettola, Mattia Marcelli, since they were children living in Rome.

When Legottaglie acquired 54 Mint Cucina Romana, he invited Marcelli to leave Italy and come to the Bay Area to take on the role of chef.

Marcelli creates the menu and maintains consistent food quality, aiming for guests to experience authentic Italian cuisine, feel at home and embrace a piece of his culture through the restaurant’s ambiance and food.

He also accommodates customer needs, offering gluten-free and vegetarian dishes. All of the pastas can be substituted for a gluten-free alternative, with the exception of the lasagna.

Describing his working relationship with Legrottaglie, Marcelli said, “I feel like it’s more than a marriage.”

The two expressed how long they have been working together and the importance of communicating and trusting each other through disagreements, misunderstandings and celebrating their successes.

Bettola takes great pride in its community involvement. It has established a partnership with its Clement Street neighbor, Green Apple Books. This collaboration allows Bettola to offer a curated selection of books available for purchase in the restaurant that are focused on Italian cooking, chefs and culture.

Legrottaglie expressed his love for the Inner Richmond, which he said reminded him of his days in Brooklyn. He said it was always a dream to offer a product that becomes a part of the community.

“We want to be a complement to the neighborhood,” Legrottaglie said. “We want to be the Italian restaurant in the Inner Richmond and offer something nobody else is doing.”

Bettola is located at 343 Clement St. and is open Monday-Sunday, serving lunch 11 a.m.-4 p.m., happy hour 3-5 p.m. and dinner 4-9 p.m. For more information, visit bettolasf.com.

Giselle Garza Lerma is entering her senior year at San Francisco State University majoring in photojournalism and minoring in Latino Studies. See more of her work at gisellegarza.com.