North Beach Restaurant
Italian restaurant · North Beach ·
Traditional Tuscan fare & housemade vino in an upscale setting
Traditional Tuscan fare & housemade vino in an upscale setting
"North Beach Restaurant is an old-school Italian institution—and after a 50-year run and a brief hiatus in 2023, it returned in 2024 with a refreshed dining room, a similar menu, and the same unhurried service as before. Settle in for a slow and relaxed meal of standout four-cheese truffle gnocchi and crispy milanese while soaking in the brass-heavy soundtrack, and embrace the long stretches in between courses as an opportunity to order another glass of red." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"After 50 years, a brief closure, and new ownership, North Beach Restaurant returned in 2024 as a reliable neighborhood favorite. The spacious dining room has roomy booths and enough space between tables to hit a warrior pose while being serenaded by trumpets and saxophones (at least recordings of them). Set aside a few hours for a long overdue catch-up over a bottle or two of wine and split the four-cheese truffle gnocchi and milanese." - julia chen 1, patrick wong
"After 50 years (and a brief closure in 2023), North Beach Restaurant remains a reliable, crowd-pleasing Italian spot in its eponymous neighborhood. Sure, there are a few standouts on the menu—the four-cheese gnocchi with black truffle and the milanese are both fantastic—but the best part about eating here is the atmosphere. The dimly lit dining room has comfy banquettes and curved booths, plus plenty of space in between tables so that you can openly rehearse your open mic set without giving away any punchlines before heading to Cobb’s. Service is slow and relaxed, almost as if there’s a required glass-of-wine intermission in between each course. So set aside a free evening, bask in the (recordings of) crooning of trumpets and saxes, and make sure you’ve booked dinner with people you won’t mind spending a few hours with. video credit: Patrick Wong Food Rundown Burrata A totally fine starter. Your track record with decent burrata won’t be upended by this one. photo credit: Patrick Wong Spaghetti Fruitti Di Mare The sauce is slightly bland, but we can overlook that for the generous amount of well-cooked seafood. photo credit: Patrick Wong Penne Vodka Sauce We’ve been served this dish too cold a few times, and it’s always been overly sour. We’d skip this one. photo credit: Patrick Wong Gnocchi 4 Formaggi Con Tartufo The best thing on the menu. The gnocchi have just the right amount of chew and the sauce is rich and so smooth we’d moisturize with it. We’d happily trade the handful of truffles for just a few more dumplings. photo credit: Patrick Wong Milanese A great choice for a secondi. The chicken is thin, and the breading is crispy without being too thick. photo credit: Patrick Wong Petrale Sole Mugnaia Cooked well, but under-seasoned. We suggest getting another pasta dish instead. photo credit: Patrick Wong Cannoli Perfectly fine, but they don't stand out against the versions at the many other Italian bakeries in the neighborhood. photo credit: Patrick Wong" - Patrick Wong
"After this hobnocking politico’s restaurant closed in fall 2023 it was unclear the fate of one of the city’s favorite spots for chilled squid and osso buco. Then local restaurateurs Francesco Covucci and Peter Fazio — the two minds behind neighboring Barbera Pinseria and Il Casaro Pizzeria to name two — stepped in to revive the 53-year-old restaurant. North Beach Restaurant reopened late 2024 with a refreshed menu, four-cheese truffle gnocchi flanking that time-tested squid." - Paolo Bicchieri
"A long-running, 50-year neighborhood institution has triumphantly returned as of Tuesday, December 3. The Petroni family, which long ran the place, sought a new owner last year and eventually sold the business to Barbara Pinseria and Francesco Covucci (along with the late business partner Peter Fazio); Covucci says the restaurant will feature a menu “that is 90 percent similar to the original restaurant,” according to the paper." - Justine Jones
