Our Ethos
To provide all our guests with an authentic Italian culinary experience, no compromises.
Our Story
Benvenuti a Pranzo
Pranzo is a small, family-run Italian restaurant in the heart of Whitley Bay, created by myself, Pablo, and my wife Louise.
Our philosophy is simple: we serve authentic Italian food, real Italian wine, and make no compromises.
We prepare the dishes we grew up with, featuring proper carbonara (no cream), fresh pasta, and slow-cooked ragù, showcasing regional recipes that respect tradition. Alongside the food, wine plays a central role in our Italian culinary experience. Our list is sourced directly from Italian vineyards, featuring both classics and rare regional gems, all available by the glass thanks to our Wine Station.
Throughout the year, we host Regional Nights and Wine Evenings, celebrating Italy’s diverse regions through authentic menus and carefully paired wines.
Proudly independent and rooted in our local community, we also support Cash for Kids, helping make a difference close to home.
Pranzo is small, cosy, and full of energy. We work closely with local suppliers and specialist Italian artisans to ensure quality in every dish and every glass.
When you walk through our doors, you’re not just visiting a restaurant; you’re entering our home.
Benvenuti a casa. Pranzo isn’t just a restaurant; it’s our home — and you’re always welcome.
Our Wine
At Pranzo restaurant, wine is not just something we serve — it is at the heart of everything we do.
Founded by myself and my wife Louise, Pranzo was created to bring the true culture of authentic Italian food and wine to Whitley Bay. In Italy, wine is part of daily life — it sits at the table, it tells stories, it connects people. That philosophy lives here.
Our wine list is sourced directly from Italian vineyards, many of them small family producers, showcasing both iconic names and rare regional varietals. From powerful Amarone to elegant Vermentino, from Sardinian Monica to Ligurian Granaccia, every bottle is carefully chosen to reflect the diversity and depth of Italy’s 20 regions.
Thanks to our Wine Station, every wine is available by the glass — allowing guests to explore, discover and experience Italy one region at a time.
Our food follows the same principle: authentic, regional, uncompromising. Designed to pair, to complement and to celebrate the wine in your glass.
Through our Regional Nights and dedicated Wine Evenings, we invite you to travel across Italy without leaving your seat.
Pranzo is not just an Italian restaurant. It is a celebration of Italian wine culture — and a place for those who truly love the Italian culinary experience.
No Compromises
We are not “Italian-style.”
We are authentic Italian food. At Pranzo restaurant, we don’t dilute recipes.
We don’t soften flavours. We don’t add cream to carbonara. If it’s not done properly, we don’t do it. Our food follows the traditions of Italy’s kitchens — the ones built in homes, not boardrooms.
Slow ragù. Fresh pesto. Proper pasta. Recipes that carry history, pride and respect. Italy is not one flavour. It is twenty regions, twenty identities, twenty stories. That’s why our menu evolves. That’s why we host Regional Nights. That’s why we change, explore and bring you dishes you may not have tried before. Because the real Italian culinary experience is not static.
It is alive.
And wine? It is not an extra. It is essential. We pour Italian wines only — from small growers, from real vineyards, from the land we know and love. Bold reds. Mineral whites. Rare varietals. Always by the glass. Always with purpose. We are independent. We are family-run. We believe in quality over convenience. In culture over trend. In substance over shortcuts. Pranzo is small, loud, warm, passionate. Like Italy.
If you want cheap imitations, they exist. If you want the real thing — Benvenuti a casa.