50 Best Italian Restaurants near Imperial Beach

“Best pizza, the wings are on fire“

“First visit. Nice restaurant. We tried the beef ravioli and lasagna; both delicious. Several other menu options sound amazing; look forward to trying those on our next visits.“

“A nice friendly local place with good service and decent pizza. It's a small shop and they can turn out an order pretty quick. Limited parking and that goes along with the size of the place. This is part of a small chain of pizza places under the same name, I didn't eat at any of those. Hope this helps.“

“this place is 1 in a 100 I absolutely recommended this place“

“If you are looking for a true Italian experience in San Diego, look no further than Vinarius! We worked with Giuseppe (owner) to host our wedding celebration here back in March, 2023. From the beginning, he was amazing to work with. Incredibly positive and accommodating from the start, we couldn’t have asked for more. The wedding ceremony was planned to be outside and of course, it rained that day. Guiseppe and his staff went above and beyond to accommodate us, allowed us to have the small ceremony inside the restaurant on short notice and made an incredible meal to follow. Our guests were blown away and we couldn’t have been happier. We recommend Vinarius to everyone we know and that is thanks to Giuseppe and his awesome staff. Grazie mille!“

“Food always on point!!!!“

“We absolutely loved our dinner at Monzu in the Gaslamp! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the staff struck the perfect balance of being friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. We started with the tartare di tonno, which was incredibly fresh and flavorful—an excellent beginning to the meal. The housemade focaccia deserves a special mention: airy, perfectly seasoned, and quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. For the main course, I enjoyed the bucatini all’amatriciana. The pasta was clearly house-made, cooked to perfection, and the sauce had that authentic depth of flavor that only true Southern Italian cooking delivers. We finished with an affogato, which was the ideal ending—simple, rich, and satisfying. Monzu offers authentic Southern Italian fare with genuine hospitality, and everything we tried reflected both freshness and craftsmanship. I would 100% return and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable Italian dining experience in San Diego.“

“This restaurant is definitely a hidden gem! The happy hour deals are amazing, and I ended up coming here every evening during my stay at the hotel. The oysters were incredibly fresh, and they have an excellent wine selection. David and Monica were so welcoming and made every visit enjoyable. I’ll definitely be back the next time I’m in town!“

“Everything was incredible! Kika, our server, was so kind and helpful. I am celiac and she guided me through what would work for me! The food was delicious. We loved the vibe and greatly enjoyed our visit! 100% worth a visit!“

“Great service great food will be back soon.“

“2nd visit and again food and service were great. only complaint was they cleared my dessert when I wasn't finished without asking. took that as hint to leave.“

“Absolutely fantastic experience at Osteria Cotto e Mangiato! The service from Andrea (owner) was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Every dish we ordered was incredible-from the rich, comforting Carbonara w/anchovies to the Captain's Treasure chest is unexplainable good, everything was cooked to perfection. You can really taste the quality and care in each bite. This place is a gem in San Diego for anyone craving authentic Italian cuisine. Oh, by the way, did I mention the Tiramisu... WOW!! Can’t wait to come back!“

“Amazing food and a testament to being a good citizen of our planet.“

“Ordered the Torpedo sandwich and it hit the spot!!“

“Picked up pizza for the family on vacation. They had other food there and lots of adult drinks, like wine and beer. The other food looked and sounded great too. Pizza was very good. We'll be back again with the kids and possibly for dinner with the hubby on a getaway.“

“Excelent food and service !!!“

“My friend and I had a great time at dinner here on a Monday night. Everyone on the staff, especially our server Charlie, was very friendly. Service was speedy and the food was delicious. Also, on the practical side, I enjoy places with accessible parking. There’s a structure behind the restaurant with usually plenty of parking.“

“Simple yet delicious Italian food. Who knew that a rigatoni marinara could taste so divine? The giant meatball and gnocchi were amazing as well. Excellent service. It was a cool and windy evening, so my only complaint is that the restaurant gets the wind blowing through it, so it was colder than comfortable, at least for me.“

“Best cannoli of my life. This is an absolute must stop in Little Italy.“

“I visited with my family, and overall we had a great experience. The location is incredible, and the food was outstanding. The dishes were generous in size, tasted amazing, and were reasonably priced. We paid about $160 for five people, which I think is a great value.

The only downside was the hostess’s attitude. I specifically asked to be seated inside because one of the main reasons we chose this restaurant was to enjoy its atmosphere. Instead, we were seated in the back, near the restrooms, in an area with little to no ambiance. That was disappointing and took away from what could have been a perfect dining experience“

“Our favorite restaurant on the Island! Never disappoints 🥰“

“Went to RomaMia tonight for dinner and it was beyond expectation!! The food was exceptional and so flavorful. It was like it was home cooked by an Italian grandmother, with care and love. The bruschetta was delicious, and the Carbonara was absolutely amazing! We will definitely be coming back again!“

“Great food and atmosphere!“

“Great food, excellent service, and reasonable prices…the trifecta“

“EVERYTHING! Best food and nicest employees in the area.“

“celebrating our 49th anniversary we asked friends for a recommendation of a good Italian restaurant. Hands down Pomodoras. So New Year's eve we made reservations. We loved everything! the food, ambiance and staff were all amazing! Thank you for making it special!“

“My teenagers wanted to try this place in Little Italy this morning, and I’m so glad we stopped by! We ordered lattes, and my daughter wanted to try the Sicilian Cannoli. She’s been taste testing cannolis from different spots around Little Italy, and this is definitely one of her favorites so far! Everything tasted fresh and authentic, the atmosphere was charming, and the service was friendly. We also ran into some friends while we were there, and they highly recommended the Tiramisu Latte, so next time I definitely want to try that too. Such a cute spot for coffee and pastries while exploring San Diego!“

“I love the food. Fast Service and friendly . I recommend this place. The food is great.“

“Amazingly delicious! Can’t wait to go back! From Boston😎“

“Usually like their pizzas. Seems like there is no much flavor like before. No taste of spices. But they are very quike and curtious“

“Amazing artichokes; age old Italian recipes with a twist — cheese and honeycomb deliciousness octopus 🐙 and out of this world beet salad just an absolute treat!!“

“We’re frequent patrons of Postino Wine Cafe on South Broadway, San Antonio, TX. Love the ambiance, food, wine & service. Last night we experienced them at their finest! Ray & Mark went above and beyond in making our daughter-in-laws 50th birthday celebration special. The 50th balloons, cake accessories, & gift card were unexpected & appreciated. This is a place to go for a special celebration! Chef Joseph prepared a variety of delicious boards & more. They truly give top notch attention to detail & service. Highly recommend!“

“Thank you for a wonderful meal, I truly appreciate the delicious food and great service" or "Your hospitality made for a memorable experience; thank you for creating such a welcoming atmosphere".“

“~ Muy rico todo ..Y el servicio excelente~ 🤗😘🍷😋“

“Great apps and vino. Took my wife for the 1st time.“

“Their quiche is the bomb.com! I’m also a huge fan of the tiramisu too. The owner made a large tray for me to share with the nurses at my hospital.“

“Went here last night after a concert at The Music Box. We were served by the owner. Such a genuinely nice guy. We had the best experience. Beautiful space and such hospitality. We’ll definitely be back.“

“best italian in San Diego“

“First time here, visiting from Portland, OR. I knew they had "Gluten-free" listed on their menu, as newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease, it's some comfort that I might be able to eat something. I let the host know when our group arrived. After being seated, our server came up and confirmed with me that I had Celiac Disease and let me know which items were Celiac safe and how they were prepared. The Gluten-free gnocchi were fantastic, as was the Burrata appetizer. Thank you so much. Our Triplet Birthday group absolutely enjoyed ourselves.“

“I am just absolutely speechless at how amazing the food was and friendly our server Peter was! I ordered the shrimp and crab linguini special and my husband ordered the chicken Alfredo. I am part Italian so I’m picky when eating Italian out but this was probably the best Italian food I have ever tasted in my life. And the dessert? Wow. To die for. I will 1000% be back when we visit San Diego and recommend to everyone. I’ll be dreaming about it the rest of my life.“

“First experienced Mimmo’s on my son’s 25th birthday, 2011. Good times with several of his military buddies. Really great food, a wide variety of dishes. Something for everyone. My son is gone now but I go back to Mimmo’s a couple times a year; think of the good times, the love and laughter💙; to feed his spirit, my soul. Oh - the service is always superior; friendly, attentive and kind staff!“

“Awesome experience!! Great gnocchi and the cannoli is finger licking good!! Will return very soon! Can’t wait!“

“The food was amazing. We tried the Fit for a King pizza. Crisp crust, tons of toppings which included meatballs, sausage, onions, bell peppers and back olives. Also, tried the eggplant parmigiana which came with a side of lasagna and I got to choose meat sauce for it. Garlic bread as well. The service was awesome. She refilled our drinks without us having to ask which is crazy because she was the only server at a pretty busy lunch time.“

“Everything by we had was amazing! I highly recommend!“

“I went to have dinner with my family. we ordered the family deal which came with an appetizer a large salad a large Alfredo pasta to share and a large pizza we order half al pastor and half meat parade we were 5 and we all left full everything was delicious.Owner was veryhelpful and the food was great 👍we found our new spot“

“Me gusto la comida, el servicio todo super bien!“

“Loved their sandwiches. service and the cookies are to die for!!!“

“I went as a solo traveler and sat at the bar. The staff was so sweet and friendly. They cleared extra space for me so I could order food (it is a pretty small bar area and I get the feeling food is not often served there) the house wine and eggplant parm were so good and again the staff were so mind and warm. Will definitely go again ❤️“

“Cannot wait to go back and enjoy the the food, excellent service and ambience of this restaurant. We often each brunch here and their chef events are amazing! I savor every bite 🤤“

“Best Italian I’ve ever spent money on…been coming here from Atlanta for 3 years and it’s always my first stop…ask for Rudy, he took good care of me…fantastic food, even better people!“