A. Sabella's has done their best to create a romantic, sophisticated environment out of a large, expansive room. I think they've succeeded. The third-story location with large windows offers views of the water and the bustle of the wharf down below.

The restaurant specializes in seafood, but there are a few selections of beef, poultry, and lamb. Excellent wine selection.

On a Thursday night, it was hardly crowded. Service was attentive. I enjoyed the lobster with filet mignon and the chocolate profiteroles for dessert. The main course was very tasty, but the dessert left much to be desired. The vanilla-bean ice cream could not make up for the fact that the profiteroles did not have much taste on their own.

I highly recommend A. Sabella's based on the quality seafood, absence of a "touristy" feel on the wharf, and the romantic setting.

A. Sabella's restaurant has been around for generations on Fisherman's Wharf. It serves excellent food with white tablecloth service, and has a view of the wharf, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. I recommend it for a special occasion, as it is quite pricey.

The street-meter parking is free after 7pm.

Email: reservations@asabellas.net

The location is on Taylor Street with a view of a popular and busy area in the wharf and harbor. The restaurant is on the third floor, so not only is the view great, but it's secluded from the hustle and bustle of the tourists. The atmosphere was lively, but low key. The lighting was low, so it could easily be very intimate and romantic. I requested a private, secluded table a month in advance and got exactly that.

The food was divine. It's a type of restaurant where you want to partake of a multi-course meal (appetizer, main dish, and dessert) as the portions are adequate, but meant to be enjoyed for full-course dining. I'd definitely recommend the Mahi Mahi and for a dessert the cup of molten chocolate (I've never had anything quite like that).

The one downside and perhaps this was because we were at a private table away from the main activity of diners, was that our waiter was slow. The bus boy was great and always refilling our water; while I didn't want to overburden him with requests that the waiter should have taken care of, he was at our table more often then the waiter. However, that didn't diminish our enjoyment of the meal or the restaurant.

You can get a lot of information from the restaurant’s website -- www.asabella.com -- including their menu. That’s where I found out you can have two-hour validated parking in the garage on Beach St. From the street, you take an elevator up to the third floor, and on the right is the bar area, and on left is the restaurant. We were seated by the window, with a great view of Fisherman’s Wharf. It was really bustling on a Saturday night. Food and service was very good.