SFReview
photo credit: Emma Shepler
Noosh
Included In
It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting on an island in the middle of nowhere or covering yourself in glitter at Burning Man knowing that it won’t all come off until the apocalypse happens: a vacation is a vacation. But you can’t hang out with your fire-eating friends in the desert or let an iguana take a sip from your margarita on the beach every week. That’s why it’s good to have some places lined up where you can escape for a few hours - places like Noosh.
photo credit: Emma Shepler
When you’re at this Mediterranean spot in Lower Pac Heights, it feels like you’ve left San Francisco far behind. Noosh looks completely different than any other restaurant in this city with its tall white walls, rounded archways, and blue marbled cups that look like the result of someone’s first ayahuasca trip. The space is split up into different sections and each feels like a cool lounge you might stumble into off the coast of Greece - from an upstairs area that could be a stand in for the Star Wars cantina, to the main bar overlooking the big stone oven, to the deep-cushioned booth along the windows that’ll make you feel as relaxed as being at a swim up bar, but with way less chlorine.
photo credit: Emma Shepler
The all-day Mediterranean menu has a lot of sections, and just like how it’s usually more fun to travel with a few people, it’s best to come to Noosh with a small group so you can order more of the North African, Iranian, Greek, and Armenian food to try. Things like short ribs in an herby but not too intense mint-yogurt broth; sweet muhammara made with almonds and peppers that you’ll wish you could bring with you at all times like your favorite lip balm; and Turkish flatbreads with kale and feta on crisp, fluffy bread that you’ll ask your favorite pizza place to start using as their crust.
And while a lot of things on the menu are traditional, some dishes have a modern twist, like the Istanbul wet burger - a Turkish street snack with a small lamb patty served with spicy tomato sauce soaked into the spongy bread. Or the Greek “po’boy” with super tender and lightly fried calamari and tzatziki with enough dill to brighten everything up, but never overpower the squid.
Noosh does share the one drawback of every vacation, though - travel logistics. They don’t take reservations, and you have to stand in a long line behind everyone else waiting for a table once you arrive, no matter your group size. Unlike customs though, they do take drink orders here while you wait, which helps to fight the urge for that 15 minutes to turn to the group behind you and start making small talk about where you’re coming from. When you finally get to your table, you’ll forget all about the pain of the line though, and can do what you came to Noosh for in the first place: to go on a mini-vacation from your everyday life.