50 Best Italian Restaurants near Solana Beach

“Tonight was our first time at Colosseo Cucina Italian. My husband and I really enjoyed it. It was a wonderful experience: the atmosphere, the delicious food and the live music with Dora Bonaventura. The fact that everyone at the restaurant spoke Italian was a nice touch for me. We will be back soon!“

“Tasty ice cream, boba tea and coffee in one place“

“Grilled calamari… Brussels…. Yum!“

“Great atmosphere, Cold beer and amazing food! We came for lunch and stayed for great service. Well dine“

“Excellent fresh NY style pizza. Never disappoints. Friendly staff.“

“Great food. Fantastic spot inside UTC“

“Great food . Well prepared and tasty , but a rowdy table with loud guests ruined the atmosphere and enjoyment. I asked management to calm the table down , but nothing was done.“

“Had ordered Salad and pizza’s all were fantastic . Server was awesome !!!! We love your pie’s Buona 😍😍😍😍“

“Excellent food and service.“

“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.“

“As always, it was a lovely time at Firenze.  From the hostess to the waiters and bus staff, everyone was friendly and gracious. I had the simply grilled trout with a side of pasta and broccoli. Everything was done perfectly. It's especially nice that the broccoli is cooked but with some crunch left! Yum.“

“Delicious authentic Italian meals artistically served .“

“We love this restaurant.. we happened upon it years ago and every time we are in LaJolla we dine there not once but twice ! We brought our kids and grandkids here for one of our anniversaries …Amazing dishes , great wine , best gelato , and a delightful owner who is so welcoming and full of great stories and information …sure wish this was in Illinois !!!!“

“Food was excellent and service was great!!,..will be back!“

“Tonight I visited Vittorio's for the first time and everything about my experience was first rate! I could see that the hostess had a smile on her face, even before I entered the building. the wait staff was great and the food was wonderful! I've never had a better spaghetti alla carbonara. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I'll be back for sure!“

“Da italiana, ho cenato più volte in questo fantastico ristorante e vi dico che il cibo è ottimo. Qualità dei prodotti 🔝, servizio impeccabile. Il locale è veramente tanto delizioso. Ve lo consiglio vivamente non rimarrete delusi!“

“My husband and I have been here for the very first time and we immediately fell in love with this place. The staff is amazing, they know how to treat you and make you feel at home. Alice is very passionate about her job and we loved her homemade desserts sooo much. A special mention to Michele, a very young yet extremely professional waiter, who contributed to create a cozy and pleasant atmosphere! As Italian, I can say it's hard to find place such Alice's where you feel so vividly the warm of our country. We will definitely come back!“

“We have been here since it first opened with the heavy Neapolitan oven. Menu is regularly updated as well as decor and quality control. From Neapolitan to new york style, now back to authentic Sicilian home taste. The mulberry pizza has been upgraded/renamed to italia, more chewy flavorful thinner dough and ripe cherry tomatoes fresh basil with great cheese. The garlic sticks are chewy pizza dough, not typical italian bread. The ceasar salad dressing is top notch. The expresso coffee machine is back, to complement the light and creamy spongy ricotta pistachio cake! Service is very attentive and now reservations are accepted. PS Feel free to speak Italian 🤣“

“Fettuccine Ortolana was very good, pasta is fresh, cream sauce was just right. Our server Danko knew the menu well and recommended their special of the day, risotto with scallops, calamari and lobster on top. It was very good. Plates are a good size portion, not too little or too much. Their house made Belgium chocolate bread pudding with ice cream alone would have me coming back. Prices are fair. overall we’re glad we chose this spot for dinner and would definitely come back.“

“fantastic food! one the best Italian spots in so. cal. friendly service.“

“We just went here for our 12 year anniversary. It's our first time here. Our server Alex she was amazing, attentive, fun, and went above and beyond. The food was so good and reasonably priced. We ordered several meals so we would have leftovers. We had the wings and French fries. I ordered the glutenfree Mediterranean pasta, and the garlic chicken glutenfree pizza with extra sauce. My man had the deluxe pizza and the lasagna. For desert he ordered the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. The staff are friendly and it's a very relaxed atmosphere. I love the murals on the wall and the lighthouse. We will definitely be back here again.“

“I really like this place, especially the sandwich they call Venice, it is hard to get stuff like this in the USA. It is huge and I can live off it for two days, ask them to cut it in half for you.

I like the old world deli approach and they have lots of old world ingredients for sale as well,

If you are looking for alternatives to ultra processed food lunches, this is the ticket.

FYI no offense to Subway but this is beyond their wildest dreams and not the same league nor business model. Waaay better. Please go there and help them stay in business, it is close to my office and a little gold mine for people that cherish Euro food.“

“Excellent food, and the leftovers taste great even the next day when reheated.“

“Had a late lunch with friends on a rainy Sunday. It was pouring rain, the only way to park in the restaurant parking lot was to valet, otherwise you have to park on the street or further away in another parking lot. The food, service and view was excellent. I couldn't help but to notice how stained the dining chairs were and the tables looked worn and tired. It's too bad the management doesn't see this and address it. The prices are very reasonable, it's worth a try if you love fresh Italian cuisine.“

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

“Generally they don't have pesto, but this time they are running a special menu items for couple of weeks. We were lucky to get our pizza and pasta modified to Pesta souce from the chef.
I believe they must introduce pesto version pizza's and pasta in ther menu.

Overall ambience and service was great and courteous.
Their cannolis are so great !!“

“The scenery is very beautiful“

“I ate their Fish and Veggie Plate, it was the most flavorable Salmon I have ever had. It was cooked to perfection with plenty of savory juice left inside. The cubed potatoes and asperagus were seasoned just right. Highly recommend this place. It hit the spot. My final photo shows you just how much I enjoyed it.“

“I love this place! Their creamy mushroom is my favorite, always cooked to perfection with original ingredients and that warm customer service that keeps me coming back. Prices are pretty good considering how much they serve, I would even say a little cheap for such great quality. If you ever feel like pasta, try it out!“

“We had an amazing dinner. Great happy hour until 6 PM. Nice options. Great service. Nice location.“

“It suits any kind of gathering. The food was amazing. The Manhattan on the rocks-I love when they use the single large ice cube! There was nothing I didn’t like except as the place filled up we got a little warm but still enjoyed our full experience there.“

“Service and food here is amazing! A gem of Encinitas; the staff are professional, engaging, and go above and beyond. The owner is personable and greeted us in person.The food is absolutely amazing literally the best Italian we've ever had. Encinitas is worth coming back too just for this Italian experience.“

“Fantastic, Amazing, wonderful. Atmosphere Perfect. Staff Exquisite. Dined there twice on our 4 day vacation. LUCREZIA is my Happy Place. Jason, Rodrigo, Andrew, and Kat Thank You. Just Lovely Food, Drinks. Service, and more.“

“The restaurant brought memories back from my travels in Italy. The staff was amazing and treated everyone like family. It wasn't easy to pick one entrée. I have to advise to end your meal with a delicious TIRAMISU... We will be returning....“

“Traditional Italian and Pizza. Great service, delicious food. They were so patient with our boisterous kiddos. They seated us very quickly on a Friday night. Chicken parmesan, pizza, bruschetta, spaghetti and spinach salad were all wonderful. Kids menu options were great for our one picky eater. We chose indoor seating... it was December, after all... but the outdoor seating arrangement was also very nice, with overhead heaters under a lighted awning. Definitely will be back.“

“Nice change of pace and it was easy to get A table outside during covid.“

“The kids buffet is like $14, which is the same price as a kids meal at most places around legoland. The adult buffet is like $25 or $27ish (definitely less than $30). This includes a self-serve, all-you-can-eat buffet with fountain drink, salad bar, pasta, and pizza.

The buffet and tables are a bit chaotic since it’s a free for all (you find your own table and people/kids leave a mess on the tables).

The other diners at the restaurant can be gross, like touching food and not using the buffet utensils properly. Like, a lot of the diners are kids since duh it’s legoland. But still.

If you have celiac or a food allergy, tell the host or cashier. Michael (the cook handling allergy/celiac meals) came out to discuss options with me. He was fantastic! He offered to make a gluten-free pizza (cheese, meat lovers, veggie, etc.) that takes ~8 minutes. He also offered GF pasta, though it would take ~30 minutes since they boil it in fresh, uncontaminated water (a good sign!).

Michael made me a delicious GF pizza—thin crust, balanced toppings, and clearly made with care. I also asked if he could make a safe salad since the salad bar is a gluten nightmare (cross-contamination everywhere). He brought out a beautiful, tasty salad and even offered a box for my leftovers.

Shout out to Michael—super kind and accommodating!“

“Clean, grate service,Perfect location.“

“parpedelle and short rib, pizza, cocktails“

“Best Pizza & Brew serves a variety of delicious pizzas, salads, pastas, poke bowls and drinks. The workers are always ready to take your order and make suggestions if youre unsure of which dish to choose. The house salad is delicious. It's always served fresh, and a perfect side with pizza. Best Pizza & Brew is across the street from the beach, by other restaurants and stores, so it's usually a busy place. They have plenty of seating, and the dining area is clean. BP&B also sells cool hats, tees and hoodies. You won't be disappointed with the Best Pizza & Brew.“

“Our first time Sunday doing the brunch and everything was so delicious! Our server Nic was superb - very attentive, polite, fun and made sure our experience was perfect in every way. Highly recommend the brunch and be sure to ask for Nic as your server. ❤️“

“Feels like You’re eating Sunday dinner at grandmas, but any day of the week you choose.“

“Very good pizza and wings. Pizza came out pretty quickly. Sauce is not sweet, which is a good thing. Crust is airy and crunchy. Hot wings were also good. Good sauce. Right amount of vinegar and heat.“

“This is a gem of a place. Excellent pizza, fantastic service, and the gelato - YUM!!! It's been around for decades, the founder Pauly is in there early every morning to make the dough and sauce. Authentic and oh so good. Mona is wonderful as well.

They have a sketchy competitor who chose a similar name - don't get fooled. Pauly's Pizza Joint is the only Pizza Joint to go to.

Not the best business park, but their corner is charming inside.“

“Love love loved there pizza“

“Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had definitely recommend the Popeyes pizza“

“great pizza. amazing atmosphere can't beat pizza by the beach“

“Amazing STAFF and food. The General manager was super engaging and grit, staff was attentive even under busy and stressful situations- it’s obvious they have a positive working model. Nice work!“

“Gluten free crust was amazing ! We are not celiac but sensitive and best crust we have tried. Gelato was great and made in house as well.“