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.“

“I’ve been going to Filippi’s in Little Italy since I was a little girl, so it was fun to visit the Imperial Beach location in my old neighborhood! We had the vegetarian pizza, cheese ravioli with meat sauce, metal sandwich and a delicious house salad. I really enjoyed the sauce on the ravioli, and the spumoni was a lovely way to finish our meal.

The service was friendly and welcoming, and having plenty of parking and no long wait made the visit even better. A great spot for a relaxed dinner in the South Bay!“

“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!!!!“

“Walked in last night and had the best pasta I’ve had in a while. I’ll be thinking about that pappardelle. Excellent portions and service.“

“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!“

“The Last Meal of the San Diego Stay at My Favorite Dinner Spot. Its Downtown Little Italy. Great 10/10 Service. Bar Staff Outstanding. Overall Service. DESTINATION SPOT.“

“Our 1st visit to San Diego. Garabaldi's popped up on DOZENS of websites as a place to go, and it was AMAZING!!!. A+ Kudos to our server. He was so knowledgeable about the cuisine &.wine pairings. Apologies for forgetting his name, but he was from Hawaii. Cocktails, appetizers, main course (BEST VEAL CHOP I EVER HAD) my wife's prawns were AMAZING, and deserts ALL, A+ We've traveled east, west, Europe, Canada, and Garabaldi's is on the top 3! Thank you for an OUTSTANDING experience in a unique location. We shall return“

“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.“

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

“best italian in San Diego“

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

“After a disappointing experience at a neighboring restaurant, we came to Filippi’s for a redemption dinner, and it absolutely delivered.

At first, we weren’t quite sure where the restaurant was because you walk into what looks like an Italian market, but the dining area is tucked away in the back. Once seated, our waitress was attentive, friendly, and witty, which made the experience even better.

I ordered the lasagna with a meatball on the side, and the portions were huge, especially considering how reasonably priced everything was. We finished with plain cheesecake and tiramisu, and the desserts were to die for.

Great food, generous portions, reasonable prices, and wonderful service. This ended up being exactly the redemption dinner we needed. Would definitely recommend and come back!“

“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!“

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

“Acqua Farina was amazing! Delicious food, a very special vinegar, incredible pasta and sauce, and wonderful fresh bread. The atmosphere, music, and friendly staff made it even better. Roberto, Cristiano, and Anel were the best servers ever—so attentive and helpful, and they made our first visit truly special. We loved the place and can’t wait to come back!“

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

“Do not sleep on this hidden gem of a restaurant! You don’t need to go to Little Italy for a taste of Italy.

Omar is a wonderful character who provided us the BEST service. The Alfredo cheesy bread, salad and pizza were all amazing! Highly recommend!“

“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!“

“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!“

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

“Excelent food and service !!!“

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

“Great food and atmosphere!“

“Easily the best sandwich shop in all of SD!!! While you and I might make sandwiches at home, none of us is making a Peperone Rosso. All their Sicilian sandwiches are made on freshly baked schiacciata bread. My choice, the Peperone Rosso balances unctuous salami with peppery arugula, roasted cherry tomato, creamy stracciatella cheese, Pesto di pistachio, and red pepper cream.

I can't wait to go soon and try their other offerings.“

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

“Amazing food great environment, a little hidden gem! Everything was great, except our server Jesus C  was a little bit short and not very patient with our service. Other than that, it's a great place. We are definitely gonna try again. “

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

“We hosted our small family baby shower here earlier this year and it was perfect. The space was intimate and charming, and the food was fantastic. A huge thank you to Renato and staff, who helped organize everything and carried out the day without a single flaw. He made the whole event feel effortless. Highly recommend!“

“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.“

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

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

“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".“

“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!!“

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

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

“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.“

“Food is delicious, bruchettas are great and tomato soup was so good. there's a relaxed fun environment and most of all staff service is just excellent I highly recommend 👌“

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

“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.“

“Great food and beer 🍺 kid friendly ❤️“

“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!“

“One of my favorite places to eat! So delicious! We eat at The Old Spaghetti Factory every time we’re in the area.“

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

“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.“

“Very friendly staff, nice traditional furnishing and very tasty foods!“

“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!“

“Fabulous atmosphere and excellent service and always amazing yummy food 🥘“