12 Best Italian Restaurants in La Jolla

“Great wine/foods pairings“

“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 meal. Dessert was a wow.“

“Where do I begin? This isn’t your average hotel restaurant serving just hotel guests. This is a million-dollar, five-star dining experience with stunning views! It deserves to be a destination in itself, attracting visitors specifically for the food. From the ambiance, music, and jazz nights to the exceptional cuisine and staff, everything is top-notch.
Make sure to ask for the complementary bread, to die for.. we ordered it twice.
Plus, you get validated parking! Enjoy a meal in La Jolla without the hassle of street parking—just luxurious convenience!
This is my 3rd time at the place. Never disappoint!“

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

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

“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!“

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

“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 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.“

“This is a surprisingly good cafe in the most unusual place. They have great Italian food and health foods for lunch, plus some great kombucha tea drinks. However, they're located on a college campus. They have a wonderful patio for outside dining where you can watch the paragliders go by, but you're not quite close enough to see the ocean. There are no other nice restaurants or cafes close by so this makes a good option if you're visit Blacks beach or the paragliding facility down the street.“