Bensonhurst, Brooklyn · Est. 1930

La Palina

Ninety-five years of authentic Italian cooking, a packed dining room, and the kind of welcome that feels like family.

159 Avenue O, Brooklyn, NY 11204"the place was packed, vibe was old school"(718) 236-9764

Penne VodkaChicken ParmigianaBaked Clams OreganataVeal SorrentinoLinguine with CrabEggplant RollatiniPork ChopAntipastoChicken ScarparielloPenne VodkaChicken ParmigianaBaked Clams OreganataVeal SorrentinoLinguine with CrabEggplant RollatiniPork ChopAntipastoChicken Scarpariello

Historic archive photo of La Palina's original storefront in Brooklyn

The original storefront, circa 1930s. NYC Records archive.

Since 1930

Ninety-five years
in the same dining room.

La Palina opened in 1930, the year the Empire State Building broke ground. Through depression and post-war boom, through generations of Bensonhurst families coming in for Sunday gravy, the recipes have stayed the same. So has the welcome.

The neon sign out front has glowed on Avenue O since the Hoover administration. Inside, the dining room buzzes with Italian music, the clatter of plates, and the laughter of regulars who'll tell you about the time they were here as kids.

"Haven't been here since I was a kid. Not too many places like this anymore where you feel welcomed and like family."

— Anthony Baglio, Google review

Years Open

4.6

Star Rating

710

Reviews

The Menu

Italian classics,
cooked the way they should be.

Hand-cut pasta. Sauces that simmer for hours. Cuts of meat the chef has been ordering from the same butcher for decades. No shortcuts, no reinvention.

Antipasto plate with prosciutto, mozzarella, roasted peppers and tomatoes

Antipasti

To begin.

Antipasto plates piled with prosciutto, soppressata and fresh mozzarella. Baked clams oreganata. Calamari called "fresh, delicious and perfect." Free garlic bread that regulars insist on.

House Garlic Breadcomplimentary
Antipasto della Casaseasonal selection
Baked Clams Oreganatamade to order
Calamari Frittihouse preparation

Linguine with crab in red sauce, with full crab claw on top

Primi

The pasta course.

Penne alla vodka in a sauce reviewers call "drinkable." Linguine alfredo "to die for." Crab in red sauce over linguine. Penne with broccoli rabe and sausage. Spaghetti with the kind of meatballs your nonna would approve of.

Penne alla Vodkasignature
Linguine al Granchioseafood, red sauce
Spaghetti Meatballs & Braciolehouse tradition
Penne, Broccoli Rabe & Sausagelocal favorite
Linguine Alfredo"to die for"

Secondi

The main event.

The chicken parmigiana that one reviewer called "very crisp and the sauce so flavorful." Veal Sorrentino, eggplant rollatini, and the pork chop H L declared "the best I've ever had."

Chicken Parmigianahouse signature
Pork Chop alla Milanese"the best ever"
Veal Sorrentinomozzarella, demi-glace
Eggplant Rollatiniricotta, marinara
Chicken Scarpariellosausage, peppers

Chicken parmigiana with melted mozzarella in red sauce

Veal Sorrentino with mozzarella and mushroom demi-glace

Bistecca al Pane

Breadcrumb-crusted, mushrooms

Clams & Scampi

Baked, breadcrumb, herbs

Eggplant Rollatini

Ricotta, marinara, mozzarella

A table set with penne alla vodka, sausage and peppers, fried zucchini

"the food is better
than my mom's."

— Debra Gorman, Google review

From the dining room

What guests
have been saying.

710 Google reviews, 4.6 stars, and a dining room you need to book ahead.

"La Palina was a very family oriented place. I enjoyed the penne vodka, a garden salad and the pistachio ice cream. The owners were very attentive and had a lovely sense of humor as well as the waiters. 10/10 experience."

Kyra Lopez7 months ago

"If I could give 10 stars I would. The minute you walk in it was like being with family. We made a reservation. The place was packed. Vibe was old school, Italian music, buzzing with laughter and chatter."

Debra Gormana year ago

"Excellent food. Best pork chop I've ever had. You have to try their pork chop, it's amazing. Sauce is very fresh and tasty on the pasta dishes. Even the free garlic bread is amazing."

H L2 years ago