Modern European Restaurants in San Diego, CA

“It’s too bad that a patron enjoying the excellent cuisine is “rushed” to finish the dining experience. They obviously want as many table “turnovers” as possible. It ruins the relaxing enjoyment a patron expects with fine dining. Such a shame…“

“I rarely come to this area due to no parking along 30th. You’ll have to snatch one along the side streets in the residential area.

It was well worth it and be sure to call in to make a reservation. They don’t have on line version.

We each ordered our own plate but had a chance to sample all. Four of our six items were their signature items, circled on the menu.

We ordered a mixture of pasta and meat dish. 3 of us had placed our order while the 4th came late but surprisingly, all of our dishes made it out at the same time! Kuddos to the chef!

-Arugula salad: refreshing

-Beef cheek pappardelle: my fav type of pasta. It’s handmade! The beef cheek was the winner in its tenderness.

-Picanha steak (the entree): this was a preset entree with your steak smothered in a mushroom topping. Although you could sub out your sides.

-From the grill choose 3: I chose picanha steak, peperonata which is a stewed vegetable dish, and bell pepper chimichurri sauce. I expected more from the sauce, it was mainly bell peppers.

-Pistachio Campenelle: very nutty and cheesy, the pancetta was really thin and almost dissolved

-Eggplant croque (4 pieces): I was getting full from eating 2!

The picanha steak is on the menu twice. Both same price. Once as a pre set entree where your steak is topped with a mushroom sauce.

If you choose picanha from the grill list then it’s just a plain steak and you pick your sauce and side.

I have to say, I enjoyed both. I ordered my plain steak medium yet it was more tender than my friend who ordered medium rare from the entree version. Both of our cuts were extremely chewy. Although more fatty, the skirt steak might have been a better choice.“

“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!“

“Amazing food, amazing cocktails, amazing service, and amazing ambience. Highly recommend!!!“

“Hanna is a phenomenal chef brunch and dinner are cooked to perfection. Absolutely flawless, try everything and enjoy all the delicious flavors.“

“Been here many times over the years and usually excellent. This time was not quite that good, still a good time, but felt as though with Restaurant Week menu, which we used, they were cutting corners a bit. Specifically, beet salad with goat cheese has goat cheese that usually is warm, but this felt as though it had been sitting out pre-prepared. We had four different main courses and all were excellent. Wine choices very good, enjoyed each one. A couple of desserts felt pre-prepared too (creme brulee specfically). Not sure if they make some things in advance owing to so much demand for items during Restaurant Week but this meal was a solid B to B+ rather than the usual A+ here.“

“The owner Ike is the man! This place is great, such fresh hookah changed out every hour, because you can’t smoke ash!“

“We had fabulous outdoor seating for a party of 9. The menu had something for everyone and the service was great. We recommended this place for the gathering and we are now very happy that we did. My wife and I eat healthy and we found that the sides of vegetables and the fish meals with more veggies and quinoa were exactly what we needed for dinner! Others had pasta, pizza and steak dinners. And the kids menu worked well two for our younger eaters, complete with ice cream!“