The wait is over. Gold Mirror, the 56-year-old family-owned Italian restaurant out in the Sunset that has been closed since early 2024, is reopening at the corner of Taraval Street and 18th Avenue.
The DiGrande family, which has owned the restaurant since 1969, is celebrating with two days of invitation-only parties for city politicos including the mayor, family, friends and neighbors, starting Saturday at 5 p.m. It will be open to the public next Wednesday.
“There’s no place like this on the west side of the town,” said Domenico DiGrande, who owns Gold Mirror with his brother Roberto and is a chef there. “This is like a dinner house in the 60s.”
The beloved neighborhood staple closed its doors in January 2024 for renovation and was expected to reopen that summer. But it took almost two years, and customers have been waiting anxiously. “We are desperate for your pizza,” wrote one Instagram commenter in September 2024.
Gold Mirror, the Sunset Italian restaurant that went under renovation for nearly two years, is reopening. Photo by Junyao Yang on Oct. 24, 2025.
The brothers were initially only planning a facelift: replacing cracked pipes, renovating equipment and doing some painting. But a few months in, as they ripped apart the floors, they decided to go deeper.
Before the renovation, the restaurant was rustic. There was a facade resembling a Tuscan castle in the dining room, and iron chandeliers held candle-shaped lights.
Today, “every single nail in this place is brand new,” Domenico said. The dining room has a warm, golden glow from giant chandeliers. Three huge mirrors are marbled with gold, and shell-shaped sconces nod to the family’s Sicilian roots.
On the second floor, the booths are dark green velvet, evoking the restaurant’s origins as a Fillmore speakeasy jazz club.The dark maroon walls are empty for now — but before long, the owners said, they’ll be covered with family portraits.
Gold Mirror, the Sunset Italian restaurant that went under renovation for nearly two years, is reopening. Photo by Junyao Yang on Oct. 24, 2025.
Domenico and Roberto’s father, Giuseppe DiGrande, now 86, immigrated to the United States in the late 1950s, and bought the restaurant in 1969. A few months ago, he sat at a corner table and saw the renovated space for the first time. Quietly, he told his sons what he thought: “First class.”
“We’ve poured so much love into this space,” said Domenico. “It’s ours now. ”
Despite the changes, the brothers say that everything on the menu is still prepared the “old-school way.” They make all the food in-house, from pastas to salad dressings, just as their father did. When the brothers were teenagers, they worked in the kitchen alongside Giuseppe, who gave them their culinary training.
“Don’t buy. You make,” their father would tell his sons. “You want good food? There’s no shortcuts.”
A photo of Domenico and Roberto DiGrande making pasta at Gold Mirror on Taraval Street. Photo by Junyao Yang on Oct. 24, 2025.
On Friday, Gold Mirror seemed ready for the next day’s festivities. Napkins were folded into neat triangles, and shiny wine glasses lined up on the tables. Looking at the green velvet booths, the brothers said they’d like to bring back big family gatherings.
“No one is building a restaurant like this anymore,” Domenico said. “But San Francisco needs establishments like this.”
Gold Mirror at 800 Taraval St. will open to the public from 4 to 10 p.m. starting next Wednesday by reservation. Reservations can be made on OpenTable, or by emailing reservations@thegoldmirrorsf.com.