But really, those are tiny nits to pick. Bocca Lupo handily delivers what it promises: well-done, Italian-style bar food, simply presented and thoughtfully executed. The room, populated by gurgling babies and peripatetic tots during the day and grateful night owls till an astonishing-for-the-neighborhood 2 A.M. on weekends, is unfussily comfortable, and the service couldn’t be warmer. The smallest details, like the twine-tied napkins and the shapely, stemless glassware, seem as carefully considered as the extensive all-Italian wine list. There are even some choice beers for contrarian types. But you might want to stay away from cocktails like the gin and ginger with fresh-squeezed cucumber, an attempt at juice-bar–wine-bar synergy that doesn’t quite work.

Bocca Lupo

Address: 391 Henry St., at Warren St., Cobble Hill, Brooklyn; 718-243-2522
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight; Thursday and Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to midnight.
Prices: Antipasti and salads, $5 to $15; sandwiches, $7 to $10.
Ideal meal: Panzanella salad, veal-and-porcini meatballs, mortadella tramezzino or “P.L.T.” panino.
Note: As befits the neighborhood, the menu is quite kid-friendly, down to the mini-boxes of cereal for finicky toddlers at brunch.
Scratchpad: Bocca Lupo isn’t breaking any new ground, but what it does, it does well. Late hours and the friendly vibe are real assets, too.

Related:

• Archive: “Food”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: Oct 9, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!