Trattoria Contadina
Italian restaurant · Russian Hill ·
Classic Italian fare like pasta, meatballs & gnocchi
Classic Italian fare like pasta, meatballs & gnocchi
"This old-school Italian restaurant has been open for a few decades and is stuck in 1987, in the best way. It feels like somewhere you’d go with your extended family to celebrate an anniversary or some other big family event. And having that many people would be a good idea so you can get every pasta on the menu, along with the pork tenderloin saltimbocca. You’re going to need to-go boxes when you come to this Russian Hill spot, so make room in your fridge before you leave." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"Sometimes, all we want is a big bowl of pasta with extra creamy or tomato-y sauces, and for that, Trattoria Contadina always fits the bill. The classic Italian spot is located on a quiet corner on the border of North Beach and Russian Hill, and serves up heavy pasta dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, housemade gnocchi with tomato cream, and penne with ’nduja sausage. And no matter what you order, know the portions are gigantic." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"North Beach has a lot of Italian places making subpar pasta and pouring the Sicilian version of two-buck chuck, and those are places you want to avoid. Trattoria Contadina is the opposite. The pasta is fantastic (particularly the oversized rigatoni with spicy tomato cream sauce), the setting is warm and welcoming, and the staff is extremely nice without being too attentive. It’s a good spot for date night, dinner with the parents, or pretty much any other occasion where carbs are a priority." - taylor abrams
"This two-story restaurant in Russian Hill complete with string lights, newspaper clippings on the wall, and striped curtains is big group central. Portions are huge, cream is employed with a heavy hand, and the pastas—spaghetti and meatballs and gnocchi swimming in red sauce—require no explanation. You will have leftovers." - julia chen 1, patrick wong
"This old-school Italian restaurant has been open for a few decades and is stuck in 1987, in the best possible way. It feels like somewhere you’d go with your whole extended family to celebrate an anniversary or a soccer championship. And having that many people would be a good idea so you can get every massive bowl of pasta on the menu, along with the veal saltimbocca. You’re definitely going to need to-go boxes when you come to this Russian Hill/North Beach spot, so make sure you’ve got room in your fridge before you leave." - will kamensky, julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez
