I read negative reviews about this place that criticized the decor and service. Nonsense. The decor was charming and the service was attentive. My only criticism was the pasta. Horrible. Three pasta dishes ordered at the end of the evening were overcooked, gummy messes. It was like they made fresh paste and then boiled it to death in the same pasta water they've been using for 5 hours. The mushy strands were glued together and each dish tasted like paste instead of pasta. And making focaccia bread and slapping sauce and toppings on it - and calling it pizza is a crime. One star. Cheese plate was nice.
Melody L.
Went for a birthday dinner and everything was delicious! We shared the artichokes, arrabbiata pizza, rigatoni alla norcina and bucatini pastas. Also had some really good montepulciano wine. They brought an affogato for birthday dessert and took a Polaroid for us which was cute! My only feedback is that way too many people kept coming to the table to check on us. Multiple people came over in the span of like 5 mins to ask how everything was-- appreciate the intention but it felt like nonstop interruptions of our conversation.
Saleen D.
Awesome Italian restaurant in OB! I am already planning my next time here, it is that good! Sister restaurant of Cesarina & just as good. Customer service was superb! Everyone was friendly & attentive. Our server took the time to thoroughly go over the menu & their specials, & gave us fantastic recommendations. The restaurant is cute & I definitely want to sit outside next time. Rigatoni Alla Carbonara: Mouthgasmic! The sauce was incredibly flavorful! Tonnarelli Cacio E Pepe: Omg, this was sooo tasty! Fettuccini Maiale E Spuntature: Tender pieces of braised pork shoulder that just melted in your mouth. You honestly cannot go wrong with anything here. Go!
Tracy ..
Service was great, food was great! This is a sister restaurant to Cesarina in O.B. And it is just as good! Had the bucatini pasta and bocciolo pizza and they were both great. The pizza had a nice crispy crust and the pasta was super flavorful. Will eat here again.
Colleen C.
Pain in the rear, picky where she sits comes in and arrives before friend. Elvira team couldn't have been nicer to get me to just the right table. The water glasses are so tiny, but the carafe was always full and we never lacked my favorite drink! The meatball appetizer could be a meal for one. We split it and I have some for later. Very light meatballs...Nice. We were happy with our pizza choices and have leftovers, which are said to do well. YUM!!! Such a cute place. The sweet party of 6 room is adorable!!!
Melanie M.
I loved this place! It was so cute and charming and the food was amazing. Cannot wait to go back.
It was perfect! Our server was great, he really took great care of, and recommended delicious dishes plus wine pairing, all the staff is super friendly and helpful, and the food is absolutely amazing. We are coming back soon to try other dishes.
Olivia Poota
This is now one of my favorite places to go to. It is so great. The services excellent in the food taste. So good. The pizza was absolutely on point.Vegetarian options: You can get any Pasta without any. Thing so it's actually go to
After our dinner we wanted to have a glass of wine. Instead of letting us sit at out table they asked us to move to the bar which was very disruptive to us. On top of that when we got to the bar the bar tender ignored us for quite some times The food was not that great so we will definitely not be returning
The food was great but the organization of service was a disaster. We waited 20 minutes after or reservation to be sat, then no one came over to us with even water for easily 10 more minutes. Then one guy who wasn't even our server helped settle our annoyance right before we were about to get up and leave. We ordered and drinks and food came out in less than 10... so obviously the kitchen was working fine. Food was amazing and staff is really nice. Figured we had waited long enough for the kinks to be worked out. Not sure what happened.
Unpopular opinion - I'm not a fan of the sister restaurant down the street. I've been there twice and did not agree with the rave it has, so coming here I was a little skeptical. I live across the street from Elvira and have seen this spot closed for 2+ years due to COVID and now as Elvira. I finally got to try it out and wow I was IMPRESSED! The meatballs were tasty & flavorful. The bread was the perfect accompaniment with it. Great dish for sharing. The pasta we got was the Tonnarelli Ajo and this was CHEF'S KISS. The pasta was cooked perfectly and it was such a balanced meal. The shrimp and prawns were delicious and the sauce was divine. The lamp chops were also to die for. Fell right off the bone and was so good with a squeeze of the lemon. I didn't really understand the rosemary olive oil because it didn't need it. The potatoes & broccolini were also fantastic. To finish we got the panna cotta which was a refreshing and light way to end the meal. The service was friendly, welcoming, and quick. The whole experience exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to come back and try everything else on the menu!
Our first, and definitely not last, visit after several attempts at trying to get a table. This time we planned in advance and made reservation weeks before. Well worth the wait! Everyone in our party of four ordered different items and not one choice let us down. The pizzas can easily serve two as we brought home a lot of leftovers. Our server (Miho) was great too. Though young, we were impressed with his knowledge as well as the overall staff's training. ie: Proper utensil replacement and when the food was delivered no one had to ask who ordered what. A well oiled machine on the customer service front. Great service, great food, and great atmosphere! What more could you want in a restaurant? Okay maybe better parking? I can deal with that... Thanks for a great evening Elvira! Your grandson did a great job bringing Rome ?? to San Diego! We look forward to our next visit!
JoeS
Wonderful food in a wonderful setting with great people working there. It's quite a drive for me to get there, but I plan to dine there often. You have to love a family owned and run business.
robert
Really nice experience. The staff were great and attentive. Food was spectacular. We stuck with the Roman selections and were very happy with the quality. Portions were sufficient for us to share an appetizer, salad and entree. Will definitely go back.
Jessica Poota
Very good food and amazing service … I would go back! Loved it!
I read negative reviews about this place that criticized the decor and service. Nonsense. The decor was charming and the service was attentive. My only criticism was the pasta. Horrible. Three pasta dishes ordered at the end of the evening were overcooked, gummy messes. It was like they made fresh paste and then boiled it to death in the same pasta water they've been using for 5 hours. The mushy strands were glued together and each dish tasted like paste instead of pasta. And making focaccia bread and slapping sauce and toppings on it - and calling it pizza is a crime. One star. Cheese plate was nice.
Went for a birthday dinner and everything was delicious! We shared the artichokes, arrabbiata pizza, rigatoni alla norcina and bucatini pastas. Also had some really good montepulciano wine. They brought an affogato for birthday dessert and took a Polaroid for us which was cute! My only feedback is that way too many people kept coming to the table to check on us. Multiple people came over in the span of like 5 mins to ask how everything was-- appreciate the intention but it felt like nonstop interruptions of our conversation.
Awesome Italian restaurant in OB! I am already planning my next time here, it is that good! Sister restaurant of Cesarina & just as good. Customer service was superb! Everyone was friendly & attentive. Our server took the time to thoroughly go over the menu & their specials, & gave us fantastic recommendations. The restaurant is cute & I definitely want to sit outside next time. Rigatoni Alla Carbonara: Mouthgasmic! The sauce was incredibly flavorful! Tonnarelli Cacio E Pepe: Omg, this was sooo tasty! Fettuccini Maiale E Spuntature: Tender pieces of braised pork shoulder that just melted in your mouth. You honestly cannot go wrong with anything here. Go!
Service was great, food was great! This is a sister restaurant to Cesarina in O.B. And it is just as good! Had the bucatini pasta and bocciolo pizza and they were both great. The pizza had a nice crispy crust and the pasta was super flavorful. Will eat here again.
Pain in the rear, picky where she sits comes in and arrives before friend. Elvira team couldn't have been nicer to get me to just the right table. The water glasses are so tiny, but the carafe was always full and we never lacked my favorite drink! The meatball appetizer could be a meal for one. We split it and I have some for later. Very light meatballs...Nice. We were happy with our pizza choices and have leftovers, which are said to do well. YUM!!! Such a cute place. The sweet party of 6 room is adorable!!!
I loved this place! It was so cute and charming and the food was amazing. Cannot wait to go back.
It was perfect! Our server was great, he really took great care of, and recommended delicious dishes plus wine pairing, all the staff is super friendly and helpful, and the food is absolutely amazing. We are coming back soon to try other dishes.
This is now one of my favorite places to go to. It is so great. The services excellent in the food taste. So good. The pizza was absolutely on point.Vegetarian options: You can get any Pasta without any. Thing so it's actually go to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Rice Ball, Pizza Parmigiana, Rigatoni Carbonara, Lamb Cutlet
After our dinner we wanted to have a glass of wine. Instead of letting us sit at out table they asked us to move to the bar which was very disruptive to us. On top of that when we got to the bar the bar tender ignored us for quite some times The food was not that great so we will definitely not be returning
The food was great but the organization of service was a disaster. We waited 20 minutes after or reservation to be sat, then no one came over to us with even water for easily 10 more minutes. Then one guy who wasn't even our server helped settle our annoyance right before we were about to get up and leave. We ordered and drinks and food came out in less than 10... so obviously the kitchen was working fine. Food was amazing and staff is really nice. Figured we had waited long enough for the kinks to be worked out. Not sure what happened.
Restaurantji Recommends
Unpopular opinion - I'm not a fan of the sister restaurant down the street. I've been there twice and did not agree with the rave it has, so coming here I was a little skeptical. I live across the street from Elvira and have seen this spot closed for 2+ years due to COVID and now as Elvira. I finally got to try it out and wow I was IMPRESSED! The meatballs were tasty & flavorful. The bread was the perfect accompaniment with it. Great dish for sharing. The pasta we got was the Tonnarelli Ajo and this was CHEF'S KISS. The pasta was cooked perfectly and it was such a balanced meal. The shrimp and prawns were delicious and the sauce was divine. The lamp chops were also to die for. Fell right off the bone and was so good with a squeeze of the lemon. I didn't really understand the rosemary olive oil because it didn't need it. The potatoes & broccolini were also fantastic. To finish we got the panna cotta which was a refreshing and light way to end the meal. The service was friendly, welcoming, and quick. The whole experience exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to come back and try everything else on the menu!
Our first, and definitely not last, visit after several attempts at trying to get a table. This time we planned in advance and made reservation weeks before. Well worth the wait! Everyone in our party of four ordered different items and not one choice let us down. The pizzas can easily serve two as we brought home a lot of leftovers. Our server (Miho) was great too. Though young, we were impressed with his knowledge as well as the overall staff's training. ie: Proper utensil replacement and when the food was delivered no one had to ask who ordered what. A well oiled machine on the customer service front. Great service, great food, and great atmosphere! What more could you want in a restaurant? Okay maybe better parking? I can deal with that... Thanks for a great evening Elvira! Your grandson did a great job bringing Rome ?? to San Diego! We look forward to our next visit!
Wonderful food in a wonderful setting with great people working there. It's quite a drive for me to get there, but I plan to dine there often. You have to love a family owned and run business.
Really nice experience. The staff were great and attentive. Food was spectacular. We stuck with the Roman selections and were very happy with the quality. Portions were sufficient for us to share an appetizer, salad and entree. Will definitely go back.
Very good food and amazing service … I would go back! Loved it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5