incanto

Location: San Francisco, CA

Incanto is a rustic Italian restaurant in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood. Hand-crafted stone, brick and wood finishes, illuminated 16th century Latin parchments suspended from open archways in the wine bar and main dining room, and a private barrel-vaulted dining room dedicated to Dante Alighieri give the restaurant its unique character.

The overarching theme is to celebrate the beauty of hand-crafted work; its brilliance along with its quirks and imperfections. In today’s machine and computer-driven world there is more than enough uniformity and perfection in our everyday lives. This theme is reflected in the interior design, the graphic design, the food and wine that is served, and the style of hospitality provided.

A secondary theme is related to the literary work of the 14th century Italian poet Dante Alighieri. The complete text of Dante’s Divine Comedy in miniature script hangs on the wall of the Dante Private Dining Room with busts of Dante and Beatrice (his principal inspiration) on either side. A muralist’s interpretation of the Divine Comedy is the theme of a dramatic mural on the north wall of the room.

Client: Mark Pastore