North Beach

North Beach is a superb San Francisco dining neighborhood experiencing an exciting renewal. Here’s where to get trendy brunch fare and ambitious tasting menus alongside classic pizza and cannoli.

Chronicle columnist Herb Caen once called North Beach “1,001 neon-splattered joints alive with the Italian air of garlic and the jukebox wail of American folk songs.” That was 1940. The neon figures may have fluctuated, but the tune hasn’t changed. North Beach is still the place for classic Italian food brought over by a wave of immigration in the late 19th century. Tradition is kept alive at businesses like Graffeo Coffee, the city’s oldest coffee roaster, and focaccia specialist Liguria Bakery (if they haven’t sold out by the time you walk by, go in and buy whatever’s left). And the jukebox, or more likely the live music venues, still wail with music — jazz, folk, punk and otherwise.

But it’s not the same old song. After being plagued by commercial vacancies, North Beach, nestled between Russian and Telegraph Hills, has experienced a post-pandemic renaissance in food and art.

“It’s been one of the best times we’ve had in like 16 or 17 years,” Francesco Covucci, who co-owns Il Casaro, California Fish Market Restaurant and Barbara Pinseria & Cocktail Bar in North Beach, told The Chronicle last summer. These days, classic establishments for live bands like the Saloon, perhaps the city’s oldest bar, rub elbows with brand new ones, like Keys Jazz Bistro, which is dedicated to cultivating local jazz talent. Some places are both: The 115-year-old Savoy Tivoli, closed since 2018, reemerged this winter. Now in North Beach, you can sip a classic Chianti at a streetside table, or sample biodynamic wine at the sleek new Eco Terreno tasting room.

There are, of course, still Italian American classics to eat: expert pizza at Tony’s, red sauce staples at Original Joe’s and negronis at Tony Nik’s. But there are also hot new brunch spots, excellent dim sum options and modern tasting menu destinations.

Here’s our guide to spending morning, afternoon, night and late night in San Francisco’s renewed classic neighborhood.