San Lorenzo Gosforth Review

Are you looking for great quality modern Italian food that won’t burst the bank? San Lorenzo Gosforth is the place to try!

Having recently undergone a revamp, San Lorenzo is now sitting proud slap bang in the middle of Gosforth High Street prepped and primed to feed hungry shoppers and locals alike.

With a homely, warm welcoming vibe it is a pleasant place to spend a lunch time.

San Lorenzo Gosforth

We visited on a December Saturday lunch time and heading in from the biting cold we were whipped away to our table amongst the cheery buzz of lunchtime diners. Having recently had a face lift inside, the modern Italian theme doesn’t feel contrived or overdone. Thankfully the staff are nice and patient, we chatted so much it took us a good 10 minutes to look at the menu – oops!

After vising their Washington restaurant (full review here) I was looking forward to the food as we had been impressed with the quality but we had vowed to try something new and not stick to our ‘safe’ choices. Did I do the right thing? Oh yes.

The Asparagus Involtini (£6.95) came beautifully presented. The firm asparagus had been wrapped in salty parma ham which complemented the rich ricotta, truffle and pepper dressing. The crispy hens egg was a delight. The yoke oozed out perfectly to mix with the asparagus and dressing. A pleasantly filling starter and something you don’t often see on more traditional menus.

My dinings companion slightly over estimated their starter choice. The Caprino & Cipolla Flatbread (£4.95) came decked with pesto, goats cheese and juicy caramelised onions. A side of spiced hummus was served to dip the bread. A relatively small portion was expected but the portion was so generous it lasted for a starter and well in to the main! Definitely a good size to share or even as a pizza alternative as a main course! It was delicious!

With a suitable breather between courses, it was on to the main event! I opted for the Gnocchi San Lorenzo (£8.50).  Sautéed gnocchi, with chicken, leeks and pancetta in a provolone cheese sauce and served with a crumb for garnish. The cheese sauce was as gooey as you would want it to be without being over powering or sickly, which thankfully made the sauteed gnocchi stay firm. The chicken, pancetta and leeks added different textures to the dish which elevated it from a bowl of plain old gnocchi. It’s a dish I would prepare at home but never order in a restaurant – I was suitably impressed!

Definitely taking a modern twist on the traditional Ravioli pasta dish, the Ravioli le Violette (£9.95) was absolutely delicious. Pasta pockets were stuffed with purple sweet potato and served up with roasted sweet potato, beetroot, red pesto and rocket. A rainbow on the plate, the dish was light but filling thanks to the healthy dose of carbs. It was quite novel biting in to the pasta and seeing a bright purple filling peering back at you! Definitely recommend this dish if you are a beetroot or sweet potato fan!

We tried to keep it healthy with some vegetable side dishes too – but as they were decadently lathered with butter and parmesan – we won’t talk about them. Bloody delicious though!

With just a small bit of a room left for pudding, the Panacotta (£5.95) was a great choice to fill the gap. The flavourful creamy passion fruit panacotta sat atop a lemon polenta cake and was topped with a passion fruit sorbet to mirror the panacotta. All served in a glass, it was a nice way to end the meal and the flavours stopped it being sickly. Being a creature of habit, I opted for my usual Dolcetti (£5) – A coffee and a tiny serving of dessert. I chose the chocolate brownie. I raved about this idea in my last review but I think it’s a great idea for people who can’t decide on dessert or coffee.

With lunch time and early evening special menus, San Lorenzo won’t break the bank but the food will definitely impress!