During our recent visit to San Diego, Mrs. ATX surprised me with a trip to Nolita Hall in Little Italy. She downplayed this place massively, only telling me that it was near the airport and there was a chance we’d see some planes. Well, that was the undersell of the century as Nolita Hall is truly AvGeek paradise. The restaurant sits directly under the approach path to San Diego International Airport (SAN) and has amazing views of arriving flights.
Nolita Hall leans in to its location under the approach path with a glass roof allowing guests to do some planespotting. The bar also features a live arrivals board informing guests of what is about to come streaking overhead.
Nolita Hall was full for Sunday brunch and the space was buzzing with people, though it didn’t feel crowded. Even if you aren’t an AvGeek, this is a fun brunch location.
There are plenty of TVs on the wall if you’re looking to catch a game and, the building insulation means that you won’t be disturbed by jets screaming overhead.
Mrs. ATX humored me and we ended up sitting outside on the patio, getting up close to all of the aviation action. ATX Jr. was unphased by the planes (baby headphones are amazing) and slept for most of our visit.
While the outdoor terrace is nice, it can be very loud and lacks some of the atmosphere that you’ll find inside. However, we found the service to be fantastic in both locations. If you’re going for the vibes, sit inside. If you’re going for the planes, the patio is the place to be.
One of the things that surprised me about Nolita Hall was the menu. It was huge and had a variety of food and beverage options. While I took photos of each page of the menu, I won’t subject you to that on this review. Instead, the main page is below and you can find the full menu here.
We spent over an hour here watching planes arrive at San Diego International Airport (my wife is a saint) soaking up all of the aviation content that I could. While I enjoyed our visit to Nolita Hall, and would put it on any AvGeek’s to-do list when visiting San Diego, Ballast Point Brewing is located only a block away and provides some great views (and beer) without all of the noise.
Summary
If you’re headed to San Diego, and reading this website, I can’t recommend a visit to Nolita Hall enough. The restaurant has a ton of food and beverage options, friendly staff, and an unparalleled location directly under the approach path to San Diego International Airport. It’s a great place to hang out and do some planespotting. Also, if you get tired of the noise, Ballast Point Brewing is just down the road.
