We were very pleased with the food and service. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. They brought a bowl of ice water for my dog. The food was delicious. We'll definitely be back.
Henrik C.
Went here during COVID. They have great outdoor seating with good separation. They wipe down between guests, ... The seating capacity is limited, so making a reservation may be required. We have their Calamari for starters. The Pappadelli Meat Ragu and the Fidel Pizza. The bread is "grab and go" with Lemon Butter. The dishes are large and in most cases, you can easily share a dish between two people. The bread is awesome! The Meat Ragu was very tasty some of the best I have had in a long time. The Fidel Pizza was cooked to perfection and very tasty. The calamari was fried too hard, it was VERY crunchy. We told the waitress and she took it off, even though we had not asked for it. We had the Valpolicelli and Tuscan al Tufo wine with the meal. Both wines were great. It was our first time here and we were very pleasantly surprised. We are certainly coming back. It is on 5th street a bit away from the bustle so ideal for dinner out during COVID.
Victor Guerrero
Food is good.
Douglas A.
I've been here a couple times so this is a little overdue. Carol took care of our table and she was very knowledgeable about the menu and which wines would go best with that certain dish. I had the meat ragu, which was the best I've ever had, SO GOOD!!! I definitely recommend this place and if you're not from San Diego you should definitely stop by, it's almost never too crowded, food is delicious and service is the best!PRO TIP: ask for the ragu with Ricota cheese!!!The owner suggested it and it was definitely a game changer!
Alan B.
Malandrino is true diamond in the rough for Italian Restaurants. I had my eye on Malandrino for a while now and I finally made to Malandrino on Friday Night. It was a friends birthday and she lives in the area. So we decided to meet for dinner at Malandrino I'm so glad I did.After arriving to the hostess table to check in your are warmly greeted with a nice hello. Right away we go seated. After being seated our sever comes over within couple minutes to see if we had any questions on the menu. Couple minutes later a warm basket of house bread arrives to the table.After looking at the menu we ordered some drinks and appetizers. I had wedge salad that was truly amazing. For main dish I had the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli and also tried the Piccata Chicken with Linguine Pasta. After one bite into the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli I was sold. Hands down the best Portobello Mushroom Ravioli I ever had in town you be the judge. If yo are looking for a quiet and amazing Italian Restaurant in the heart of Hillcrest Area you are in for a real treat.From the minute you seat down to the minute you stand up you get first class customer service and food. Our sever was such an amazing server. Not one time did we have to ask for a refill on our drinks. For a person who looking to explore new places to eat I have to Malandrino you won my vote. No questions I will be back again and again. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to entire staff for an amazing job you guys do.
Sage C.
By far the best restaurant I have had in California. The service was amazing, the staff was very attentive and able to predict what we needed before needing to be asked and the manager was very welcoming and made us feel at home. The food was DELICIOUS and came in very large portions for the price. Overall I would say this was one of the best parts of my vacation to California and would love to come back in the future!
Sharon L.
*Outdoor seating review*We came here for dinner on a Saturday night. Our host was somewhat aloof and looked pretty bored, but our waitress was nice.The Fidel pizza was pretty delicious, we liked it a lot better than the Carbonara which didn't have a lot of flavor. The focaccia bread appetizer was good as well but it wasn't anything special.We understand there are a lot of things restaurants can't control with outdoor seating, but there were some flies and it really just took away from the dining experience. However, I'm not taking that into consideration for this rating since that's not the restaurant's fault.Overall it's a decent Italian place, we liked the pizza more than the pasta and might come back and try some of their other pizzas!
Daven M.
Food was good but a bit pricy for what you get. The pasta was fresh but the sauces were could use more flavor.
Brandon V.
Came to this place right after a Long Beach day. The customer service was amazing the place was incredibly clean. And the food was outstanding. I can't tell you how happy I was with the service and the food, our waiter was excellent and made sure to take his time explaining everything we asked!
Jacqueline M.
We had a lovely Thursday evening in the Hillcrest area outside on the patio eating dinner. I had the Loren pesto pizza and they thoughtfully added arugula upon my request. My husband had the seafood fettuccini. Both entrees were so delicious that time slowed down with our first bite. I wanted to savor the flavors as the crust of my pizza had a deep woody flavor. The service was thoughtful and one can tell that the owner and the staff enjoy the art of designing a sublime meal. I adored the bread and butter with hints of rosemary. The music playing during the meal and fire lamp outside enhanced the ambiance. Our double espressos completed our relaxing meal. We had a tiramisu that the chef made I am sure with a trouble making smile as he must know no one could resist such a treat.Thank you for ending our night on such a fulfilling note.We visited again the next night again and the food, ambiance, and service were again sublime. Joe, the owner, obviously loves feeding people and it is transfused into the cuisine. We had the Fidel pizza, the shrimp piccata, the beet goat salad, and our family had the Loren pizza and the pasta and meat ragu. Everything was so delicious. We finished dinner with espressos and the tiramisu and creme brulee. The creme brulee had that beautiful crust and was creamy and sweet. I can't wait to visit San Diego again as I want to try every item on the menu.
Malandrino’s is our new favorite neighborhood restaurant. The food and service are impeccable and the owner, Joe, provides such a personal touch for every customer!! He made our daughter’s 10th birthday extremely special with a restaurant-wide serenade and a beautiful bday dessert platter!! We can’t recommend this restaurant more!
petal c.
We were introduced to this fabulous place tonight, everything was delish, three of us shared the best calamari ever, a wonderful Cesar salad and two amazing pizzas, one pizza would have been enough but had to try both, Julianna and Alexander, can't wait to have leftovers for lunch!Great service, very attentive!! Can't wait to come back!
Anabelle Ramos-Riley
This restaurant is just AMAZING!!!! The food is absolutely delicious and hands down the best Calamari I’ve ever had. Joe the owner makes you feel like family and you are getting delish food at a reasonable price.
Luis M Fuerte
Excellent food...great service. We got to meet the owner who gave us the VIP treatment.
Anabelle R.
First time going to this restaurant and soooo happy we did, some friends recommended this restaurant and let me tell you....the food is absolutely delish!!! The best calamari hands down and the pizza is a must. Joe the owner treats you like family and i will definitely return
We were very pleased with the food and service. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. They brought a bowl of ice water for my dog. The food was delicious. We'll definitely be back.
Went here during COVID. They have great outdoor seating with good separation. They wipe down between guests, ... The seating capacity is limited, so making a reservation may be required. We have their Calamari for starters. The Pappadelli Meat Ragu and the Fidel Pizza. The bread is "grab and go" with Lemon Butter. The dishes are large and in most cases, you can easily share a dish between two people. The bread is awesome! The Meat Ragu was very tasty some of the best I have had in a long time. The Fidel Pizza was cooked to perfection and very tasty. The calamari was fried too hard, it was VERY crunchy. We told the waitress and she took it off, even though we had not asked for it. We had the Valpolicelli and Tuscan al Tufo wine with the meal. Both wines were great. It was our first time here and we were very pleasantly surprised. We are certainly coming back. It is on 5th street a bit away from the bustle so ideal for dinner out during COVID.
Food is good.
I've been here a couple times so this is a little overdue. Carol took care of our table and she was very knowledgeable about the menu and which wines would go best with that certain dish. I had the meat ragu, which was the best I've ever had, SO GOOD!!! I definitely recommend this place and if you're not from San Diego you should definitely stop by, it's almost never too crowded, food is delicious and service is the best!PRO TIP: ask for the ragu with Ricota cheese!!!The owner suggested it and it was definitely a game changer!
Malandrino is true diamond in the rough for Italian Restaurants. I had my eye on Malandrino for a while now and I finally made to Malandrino on Friday Night. It was a friends birthday and she lives in the area. So we decided to meet for dinner at Malandrino I'm so glad I did.After arriving to the hostess table to check in your are warmly greeted with a nice hello. Right away we go seated. After being seated our sever comes over within couple minutes to see if we had any questions on the menu. Couple minutes later a warm basket of house bread arrives to the table.After looking at the menu we ordered some drinks and appetizers. I had wedge salad that was truly amazing. For main dish I had the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli and also tried the Piccata Chicken with Linguine Pasta. After one bite into the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli I was sold. Hands down the best Portobello Mushroom Ravioli I ever had in town you be the judge. If yo are looking for a quiet and amazing Italian Restaurant in the heart of Hillcrest Area you are in for a real treat.From the minute you seat down to the minute you stand up you get first class customer service and food. Our sever was such an amazing server. Not one time did we have to ask for a refill on our drinks. For a person who looking to explore new places to eat I have to Malandrino you won my vote. No questions I will be back again and again. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to entire staff for an amazing job you guys do.
By far the best restaurant I have had in California. The service was amazing, the staff was very attentive and able to predict what we needed before needing to be asked and the manager was very welcoming and made us feel at home. The food was DELICIOUS and came in very large portions for the price. Overall I would say this was one of the best parts of my vacation to California and would love to come back in the future!
*Outdoor seating review*We came here for dinner on a Saturday night. Our host was somewhat aloof and looked pretty bored, but our waitress was nice.The Fidel pizza was pretty delicious, we liked it a lot better than the Carbonara which didn't have a lot of flavor. The focaccia bread appetizer was good as well but it wasn't anything special.We understand there are a lot of things restaurants can't control with outdoor seating, but there were some flies and it really just took away from the dining experience. However, I'm not taking that into consideration for this rating since that's not the restaurant's fault.Overall it's a decent Italian place, we liked the pizza more than the pasta and might come back and try some of their other pizzas!
Food was good but a bit pricy for what you get. The pasta was fresh but the sauces were could use more flavor.
Came to this place right after a Long Beach day. The customer service was amazing the place was incredibly clean. And the food was outstanding. I can't tell you how happy I was with the service and the food, our waiter was excellent and made sure to take his time explaining everything we asked!
We had a lovely Thursday evening in the Hillcrest area outside on the patio eating dinner. I had the Loren pesto pizza and they thoughtfully added arugula upon my request. My husband had the seafood fettuccini. Both entrees were so delicious that time slowed down with our first bite. I wanted to savor the flavors as the crust of my pizza had a deep woody flavor. The service was thoughtful and one can tell that the owner and the staff enjoy the art of designing a sublime meal. I adored the bread and butter with hints of rosemary. The music playing during the meal and fire lamp outside enhanced the ambiance. Our double espressos completed our relaxing meal. We had a tiramisu that the chef made I am sure with a trouble making smile as he must know no one could resist such a treat.Thank you for ending our night on such a fulfilling note.We visited again the next night again and the food, ambiance, and service were again sublime. Joe, the owner, obviously loves feeding people and it is transfused into the cuisine. We had the Fidel pizza, the shrimp piccata, the beet goat salad, and our family had the Loren pizza and the pasta and meat ragu. Everything was so delicious. We finished dinner with espressos and the tiramisu and creme brulee. The creme brulee had that beautiful crust and was creamy and sweet. I can't wait to visit San Diego again as I want to try every item on the menu.
Restaurantji Recommends
Malandrino’s is our new favorite neighborhood restaurant. The food and service are impeccable and the owner, Joe, provides such a personal touch for every customer!! He made our daughter’s 10th birthday extremely special with a restaurant-wide serenade and a beautiful bday dessert platter!! We can’t recommend this restaurant more!
We were introduced to this fabulous place tonight, everything was delish, three of us shared the best calamari ever, a wonderful Cesar salad and two amazing pizzas, one pizza would have been enough but had to try both, Julianna and Alexander, can't wait to have leftovers for lunch!Great service, very attentive!! Can't wait to come back!
This restaurant is just AMAZING!!!! The food is absolutely delicious and hands down the best Calamari I’ve ever had. Joe the owner makes you feel like family and you are getting delish food at a reasonable price.
Excellent food...great service. We got to meet the owner who gave us the VIP treatment.
First time going to this restaurant and soooo happy we did, some friends recommended this restaurant and let me tell you....the food is absolutely delish!!! The best calamari hands down and the pizza is a must. Joe the owner treats you like family and i will definitely return