50 Best Italian Restaurants in San Diego

“Great food and great service! Food was fresh and expertly prepared! Probably the best service I have ever experienced and the place was busy at the time we were there!!“

“Just go! You won’t be disappointed.“

“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!“

“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.“

“Food always on point!!!!“

“Excellent food and the service was splendid.“

“We were 7 for a birthday dinner. This restaurant is a joyful experience. Everyone between the front door and your seat greets you, the service is excellent - both the recommendations (and recommendations on what to avoid) are top quality and delightfully humorous. I always enjoy an evening here.“

“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“

“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.“

“Fabulous food served in a no-frills, casual atmosphere. The service was excellent and Chef Luciano Cibelli comes out of the kitchen and checks with every table to see how diners are doing. Great place to celebrate a special occasion. We enjoyed the seafood fettucini, chicken parmesian, and the catch of the day, which was sea bass on a bed of roasted vegetables, with beet purée and a delicious beurre blanc. Delish!“

“The Chefs Cheese Wheel pasta was absolutely amazing!!“

“This was our 1st anniversary in November, 1991. This is the first booth inside the door, our favorite. In the several years before meeting Patti, I had taken more than a few dates to Baci’s. Why go there? The food, the service, the personal interaction with staff. Talking to the owner once, I discovered he was neighbors with my roommates brother. We left San Diego in 1992 but winter there since retiring and visit Baci’s every year. So happy they’re still going strong.“

“The most scrumptious artichoke arugula, Parmesan shavings salad that I split with my husband. Huge portion. Wonderful Chilean Seabass with black squid linguine. I like it with marinara and they accommodate. My husband had a wonderful pasta Bolognese. We topped it off with an incredible tasting lemoncello cake and two decaf cappuccinos. What a meal! Phenomenal restaurant great chef, lovely service great ambience.“

“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!“

“cordialità,buon cibo e ambiente raffinato“

“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.“

“Spending my evening at a new restaurant in South Park called Il Posto. So far everything I’ve tried is spectacular.“

“Vero italiano a San Diego!!! Posto easy ma molto accogliente e curato; Personale super accogliente ed amichevole; Cibo super buono e davvero italiano Consigliata la focaccia di loro produzione e spettacolare spaghetto alla pescatora!! Top A presto“

“good pizza, sandwiches 🥪 at won't hurt ur pockets. nom noms“

“C est la troisièmement fois que nous venons dans ce restaurant italien et nous sommes toujours aussi satisfaits des produits authentiquement italiens et de l accueil, aussi bien pour un repas le soir que pour une formule du midi. Nous y retournerons dans doute à notre prochaine visite à Paris“

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

“We love Parma Cucina!! The food is authentic and they treat everyone like family! Bellissimo!🇮🇹❤️“

“the food is SO tasty, welcoming honey atmosphere, wonderful service in an intimate setting.“

“This place is absolutely amazing. The service was exceptional and we felt so welcomed. The handmade pasta and dishes are to die for. My husband has the special and I had the pescatore dish followed with dessert. We will definitely be back!“

“Was in San Diego for a family reunion and found this restaurant by accident. Great place for some good Italian food. After living in Italy for a number of years nice to discover a place who knows how to prepare authentic Italian food. Next time we come to San Diego we will be enjoying food at Tavola Nostra Pizzeria e Cucina. Grazie per tutte - cibo e buono .“

“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.“

“Great food. Chicken Marsala, Tortellini Verde, Caprese Salad, Bruchetta.. so good. Has friendly, personal service.“

“Food was excellent and Christina the owner has the best personality and knows how to treat her customers! You MUST go there!“

“Went to Trattoria da Sofia again. The food is amazing. They make all their pasta from scratch. They have "Nonna" is in the back room cranking out pasta. The polenta is authentic and the pasta is al dente. The bolognese sauce is definitely home made. It all reminded me of home.“

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

“Great food. Fantastic spot inside UTC“

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

“Awesome place! Very “Italian”!! Excellent food quality!! Excellent service!! Portions are more than enough!!“

“We only got dessert here so we can’t attest to how good anything else is. We tried the coconut macaroon, white chocolate macadamia nut, sugar, oatmeal raisin, and snickerdoodle. All were very good! The service was excellent, the staff extremely friendly. They have a nice seating area outside.“

“Very quaint and small. The food was fresh and good. Although we did take-out, we picked it up and the parking is horrible but we were able to see the sign that says it shares a small lot with another business. This could be hard to navigate at night being that it's a congested area.“

“Great food, great service — we were window shopping for restaurants and came across this place, walked in and unsure of how we were feeling and our bartender gave us free drinks and the night turned around. And the food was jam good. Homemade pasta. Great prices. Great people.“

“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.“

“Enjoy the atmosphere and great food.“

“Excelent food and service !!!“

“Great service and delicious food!“

“Phenomenal and Worth every penny! We were greeted by Jeffrey! If I'm correct the manager. He was so nice and such a pleasure right at the door. I totally enjoyed the ambiance and intimate setting. The steak, the bread, the green beans, the polenta, the lamb. NOTHING was beyond amazing! Just straight goodness. The staff provided amazing service. Can't wait to go again!“

“it was really good I enjoyed it“

“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!“

“A great Italian place . the staff were Great Gabby was outstanding she was fun on point and she loves this place and you can see her Pride of working there. we were looking for a fun family owned restaurant.(found it). after our favorite place closed down, we had to find another place. we will make this a must to go back and become a Regular customer. looking forward to trying all the items on your menu. so you will be seeing us a lot . thank you Michael An David“

“The best pizza in San Diego🤩👍“

“best italian in San Diego“

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

“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.“

“I can’t say enough about this place. Every time we go it feels like we’re part of a big family. The hospitality in the service are wonderful. The food is excellent. Tonight I had pistachio pesto with shrimp (Campanelle Pistacchio e Gamberi). It was excellent. Can’t wait to return.“