50 Best Italian Restaurants near Del Mar

“Great food . Well prepared and tasty , but a rowdy table with loud guests ruined the atmosphere and enjoyment. I asked management to calm the table down , but nothing was done.“

“parpedelle and short rib, pizza, cocktails“

“Just ordered delivery. I spoke with Kira. She was very friendly and helpful. I've eaten here before and found their pasta to be really good. Although I'm not eating there today, if you can find parking the views are nice and the staff are friendly.“

“We came here to celebrate my Father in law and son’s birthday. The service was excellent and the food was very tasty. Our server was courteous, friendly and funny. We will definitely come here again.“

“A great restaurant with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. Branzino was excellent and the spumoni gelato was delicious. Definitely, we will be back.“

“great pizza. amazing atmosphere can't beat pizza by the beach“

“I visited from NY State and loved the food and enjoyed the music. Beautiful experience“

“Recomiendo todo Es un súper lugar cómodo ,bendecido Su personal y su comida Es lo máximo Sus bebidas no hay comparación ,su personal de la barra es súper Cada vez que tengo la bendición de estar en ese lugar me hacen sentir muy especial Todo absolutamente todo lo recomiendo Gracias CATANIA“

“Great food. Fantastic spot inside UTC“

“Recomiendo todo Es un súper lugar cómodo ,bendecido Su personal y su comida Es lo máximo Sus bebidas no hay comparación ,su personal de la barra es súper Cada vez que tengo la bendición de estar en ese lugar me hacen sentir muy especial Todo absolutamente todo lo recomiendo Gracias CATANIA“

“Great little restaurant, and one of the best for Italian food in the area.“

“Amazing food. Amazing service. In town for the week and am so glad we found this place!“

“Rosinas is consistently excellent authentic Italian food. The only food downside ( which is why I gave Food a 4 out of 5 rating), is their Ceaser salad...it is consistently bland, really watery, and tasteless...such an unpleasant surprise given that ALL of the other salads are so delicious, and ALL of the other food is delicious. Rosina, PLEASE update the Ceaser salad..it is really awful.“

“This restaurant never disappoints us! Always amazing food and service! Love love coming here.“

“We love this restaurant.. we happened upon it years ago and every time we are in LaJolla we dine there not once but twice ! We brought our kids and grandkids here for one of our anniversaries …Amazing dishes , great wine , best gelato , and a delightful owner who is so welcoming and full of great stories and information …sure wish this was in Illinois !!!!“

“My nurse told me this place rocked. Been living in La Jolla over 30 years and never stopped here, so had to try it. Not your usual pie, but cheezy and tasty with lots of ingredients. The dough was not crunchy but it was tasty and had lots of sauce. My only qualm would be the dine-in experience. The place needs a good interior designer to up the beat and work on the lighting and layout, which, i am sure would take this place into the next level.“

“Delicious authentic Italian meals artistically served .“

“fantastic food! one the best Italian spots in so. cal. friendly service.“

“Tonight I visited Vittorio's for the first time and everything about my experience was first rate! I could see that the hostess had a smile on her face, even before I entered the building. the wait staff was great and the food was wonderful! I've never had a better spaghetti alla carbonara. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I'll be back for sure!“

“We had my birthday celebration at The Godfather and their private room is ideal for large parties. The food was delicious and the service superb! A huge thank you to Salvatore Ercolano, the new Godfather! He was the perfect host for our event and made sure that everything was perfect!“

“Amazing food, staff & atmosphere!“

“Just walked in and was greeted by live piano music and singing, giving off a classic piano bar vibe. The dark, vintage decor feels straight out of an old-school Manhattan restaurant. Guests were dressed up, making my Crocs feel out of place, but no dress code here!

The food is fantastic and worth the price. The complimentary bread was fresh, and the calamari was one of the best I’ve had, packed with squid heads. We ordered the Manhattan Trio pasta—lobster ravioli was a highlight, and the sauces were so good I wiped them clean with bread. The NY cheesecake was authentic, though I still prefer Yanni’s.

This place is perfect for a romantic date, especially if you appreciate vintage charm. Definitely a hidden gem!“

“Jackson was amazing. He helped guide is through the menu and each of our individual tastes. The chef accommodated my tweaks I always make. Get the dessert flight!!!! AMAZING!!!! Very unique menu! Seasonal! The special was packed with local fish. I will be back and highly recommend going.“

“My husband and I have been here for the very first time and we immediately fell in love with this place. The staff is amazing, they know how to treat you and make you feel at home. Alice is very passionate about her job and we loved her homemade desserts sooo much. A special mention to Michele, a very young yet extremely professional waiter, who contributed to create a cozy and pleasant atmosphere! As Italian, I can say it's hard to find place such Alice's where you feel so vividly the warm of our country. We will definitely come back!“

“Firenze has been my favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego county for years. The food is predictably delicious, portions generous and beautifully presented. I love dining on their patio next to the fountain. Our server Shannon was present but not intrusive.“

“To be honest, we seldom eat on site. We have a great view at home and we have dogs so that’s where we go! But the food is great. The people are friendly and helpful. I get the gluten-free pizza, and it’s extremely good- one of the best gluten-free I’ve ever had. I’m sure it’s not OK for celiac people, because they do have non-gluten-free there too, but that is not my situation.

Dietary restrictions: They have a gluten-free pizza, but I’m not sure if it would be OK if you were celiac.“

“Great meal. Dessert was a wow.“

“Amazing food. Casual atmosphere. Great service to go along with the great food“

“Great wine/foods pairings“

“Great food. Great wine. Great servers. Dog friendly. Friendly dogs. Friendly dog owners.“

“Convenient spot to our hotel, and the food was excellent - pork shank osso bucco and halibut mains, plus a very good salad that they split with no charge. But the service was severely lacking. Our server seemed grumpy and not interested in serving us, and he didn't. Other team members brought out our food, which is understandable, but he never checked in to see how it was, and we had to flag him down as our wine never arrived. To which his only response was to show us that he put it on the bill. We couldn't even find him until we were half through our meals. We also didn't get water refills. Also do note if sitting outside, there is a bar directly across the street that is quite loud. Its fine, just know its not an overly romantic peaceful setting.“

“I really enjoy their lunch specials, order a penne pasta and it came with a side salad. Food was excellent and the staff was so friendly.“

“We had an amazing dinner. Great happy hour until 6 PM. Nice options. Great service. Nice location.“

“I just wrote this review on Tripadvisor on 5/22/23 Title: A family run restaurant just like in old Italy! Cafe Milano is a hidden gem. After dining there for the first time and being incredibly impressed by the entire experience, I was amazed that my wife and I could get seated without a reservation. There should be a line of patrons waiting outside this establishment every evening they're open. Cafe Milano may be La Jolla’s best kept restaurant secret. First off, I love the ambience of its interior. The place is very attractively decorated in dark, earthy tones with tables covered in white cotton tablecloths with matching napkins. It is clean and very well maintained. The family members (owner, his wife, his sister, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law), do all the cooking, setting up of the tables, greeting and seating the clientele, and serving the food. Actually, there's also a family friend, Bri, who was our lovely and attentive server. It felt like I had stepped back in time to dine at an intimate ristorante tucked away in a small courtyard off a cobblestoned street in Firenze in the ‘70’s. Our dinner started with a glass of wine and a generous serving of bread. Our first course was a Caesar salad for two which was one of the tastiest Caesars I have ever had. For a main course, we both chose a grilled salmon over fettuccine with olives and capers. It was perfectly done to our liking and huge, the biggest serving of a filet I had ever had. In fact, our server offered to box up the remainder of our salmon when we were only half done, apparently because most diners can't finish it at one seating. We did. However, when we were finished, we were stuffed with no room for dessert - but Pasquale, the owner, tempted us with a piece of tiramisu that was out of this world in yumminess for which we somehow managed to find the space. I'll tell you this. When we return to place our order, which will be very soon, my dinner plan will leave room for one of their myriad dessert choices. Right now, I have my eyes on one of their three tartufo offerings.“

“A good pasta place - simple, tasty, diverse and customisable. Will try calzones next time for sure.“

“The restaurant brought memories back from my travels in Italy. The staff was amazing and treated everyone like family. It wasn't easy to pick one entrée. I have to advise to end your meal with a delicious TIRAMISU... We will be returning....“

“Grilled calamari… Brussels…. Yum!“

“Overall this was an excellent experience. The food was excellent. My family and I shared the Margarita pizza and sea bass. My son had a pasta dish that they made for him that was off menu. That was a nice touch. He had a pasta dish with sausage and a white sauce. He loved it. My wife and I shared the seabass and Pizza. The seabass was excellent, It was of a quality that surpassed their venue in my opinion. I loved the pizza. My wife thought the food was too acidic with too much tomato sauce. Now the food did have a lot of tomato sauce so keep that in mind for folks with sensitive stomachs. The Seabass did had a lot of tomato pesto sauce, however, I enjoyed it a lot. They also had a nice selection of Italian wine which I had two. They were excellent and matched the theme of the restaurant. For desert we had a chocolate gelato with a lava center. very delicious. Service was good and the main servers were Italian(I think) which added to the ambience. However, we asked for water to start and we were given a bottle to pour ourselves. For a casual/casual/upsacle they should pour it for you. Value was good but still a $188 bill with tip included. There are a few other local casual/upscale that have a slightly better value (Nicks Del Mar $174 w/tip 3 mains) but having pizza is a great change of pace. Overall Good experience. Ambrogio15 will be earning my future restaurant dollars.“

“We recently had our wedding and had Lornas Cater it. Ethan was super helpful and friendly throughout the whole process. The food was amazing! All of our guests enjoyed it! He gave us more than enough food that we had a bunch left over for our guest to take home. Let me tell you when people heard they could take some to go they were on it! Huge thank you to Ethan and his crew for a great dinner!“

“This is a fantastic place. Very service friendly with quality drinks and great food. Also the Piano music was a pleasant addition.

Oscar was our server and was spot on all night. I would definitely try this place again when I’m area.“

“This is such a beautiful restaurant. The water scenery is beautiful. Food is delicious, the atmosphere was so cozy and chill. It was worth it to go there. Whenever I am back in California I am going back again.“

“This is the most unexpected gem at the mall. I got the pesto with gnocchi and it was delicious. I absolutely can’t wait to go back and try more. It was incredibly convenient and great portion sizes for the price. Both my husband and I split the gnocchi and still had some left over. I’m not even a big fan of cannolis but I want to try one from there because it looks incredible.“

“Great food, ambiance and staffs. Thank you!“

“So this review is going to be a little bit different. I haven't been to Borelli's in probably 33 years, since I was 10 yrs old. That is because I moved out of the area four years later, up to Riverside County, then eventually out of state (to a few different states) to Montana where I am now. But I can tell you that when I was a kid going to Borelli's, it was my favorite restaurant in the whole Encinitas area. They had the best food and the best service out of all the places there. My step-dad and his family (Marshall) were friends with the owners, if I'm not mistaken. I have many happy memories of eating there, and many memories with my family there. So thank you, Borelli's, for the amazing childhood that you contributed to and created lifetime memories for me. If I ever make it down there again, I will definitely stop by and have some delicious food. Best wishes to all the staff and owners!“

“Allison and Faross are excellent!! Great atmosphere and very attentive waitstaff! Food is excellent!“

“Nice change of pace and it was easy to get A table outside during covid.“

“I requested a specific booth & they had reserved it for us. The sangria was refreshing & tasty, the meatballs & arancini started our meal off on a perfect note. We shared a margarita pizza & casarecce cacio e pepe, both were delicious! For dessert we shared tiramisu that was a large yummy delight! The service was on spot & friendly. All of the staff was lovely & welcoming! Definitely a must try restaurant! We've eaten here at least 6 times in the last 18 months.“

“We tried it for the first time today after going to the Carlsbad Strawberry Company and we loved everything we ordered. The meatball sub was very good, even after a 20 minute drive home. Our pasta dishes with creamy pesto were flavorful and completely yummy. We will definitely go back.“

“Great food and service. Awesome value and will definitely return“

“This is a real pizza place!! NY style for this old school Jersey girl. I got the one with veggies and it was delish! My guy got the pepperoni and he was impressed. He owned a pizza place so he has a clue. I’ve been coming here for 20 years, if I lived closer, I would be there more often. Solid pizza, the Stromboli looks authentic!!“