Pizzeria Delfina expands Bay Area footprint with bustling new SoMa restaurant

Pizzeria Delfina SOMA Pizzeria Delfina SOMA Photo: Justin Phillips Photo: Justin Phillips Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close Pizzeria Delfina expands Bay Area footprint with bustling new SoMa restaurant 1 / 28 Back to Gallery

Pizzeria Delfina has opened the doors to its new downtown San Francisco location, marking the restaurant’s fifth Bay Area outpost overall, and third in the San Francisco proper.

It was somewhat of a quiet debut for one of San Francisco’s most beloved pie outfits. During the first midday service at 688 Mission St., there was no Pizzeria Delfina signage on the exterior of the building showing that it was open to the public, yet every table in the 46-seat dining room was occupied, as were the most of the 14 spots at the counter.

And while margherita pizzas and bowls of Delfina’s signature spaghetti pomodoro flew out of the kitchen, the restaurant’s front door was propped open so a few workers could clean the windows of the new space, and double check the seals around the glass pane of the entrance. Eventually the sidewalk will be home to an additional 22 seats.

The menu at the new Pizzeria Delfina (which can be found here) largely mirrors those of the other spots, anchored by Neapolitan-inspired pizzas.

The most notable visual aesthetic of the brand’s new pizzeria, outside of its sheer scope, is artist Shawn Bullen’s mural of San Francisco which adorns the wall on the left side of the dining room. The whimsical piece, with its hues of teal and burnt orange, incorporates a few familiar San Francisco landmarks including the Golden Gate bridge.

Pizzeria Delfina has opened three locations in the Bay Area since 2013. The first outside of the city debuted in Burlingame in 2013. Then came Palo Alto’s location in 2014.

Photo: Justin Phillips Pizzeria Delfina SOMA

Pizzeria Delfina: 688 Mission St.; Open for lunch from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. As of Jan. 7, it will open with its normal hours: Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Friday from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email:jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips