Diners' Choice: Italian restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Italian cuisine in San Diego? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Arrivederci

4.8

4.8 (91)

$31 to $50

Italian

Hillcrest

About the restaurant

Arrivederci Ristorante is an authentic Italian restaurant. Arrivederci means hello. The restaurant's name refers to Italian hospitality offered here. It has a decent semi-formal ambiance. The walls are decorated with paintings gathered from different parts of Europe. Antique lamps are hung from the ceilings to add a rustic appeal. Arrivederci specializes in preparing all dishes with authentic Italian recipes and ingredients. Grigliata vegetariana is prepared with a variety of assorted grilled vegetables. Rigatoni amatriciana is prepared with tabular pasta soaked in rich sauce, prepared with tomatoes and romano cheese. Italian bacon topping enhances the flavor. Pollo al funghi is the traditional chicken meal. The boneless breast of chicken is topped with mushrooms. The ingredients are cooked in wine sauce. Arrivederci serves Italian wines and beers.

Top review

ThomasVIP

Dined on Jan 3, 2025

Arriverderci is myself and my wife’s favorite restaurants, tactually it’s our #1 Italian restaurant! If you want authentic old family recipe Italian food this is the spot! Julio is our favorite server and my wife who showed me this place always asks for him. but all the servers are great. The meat lasagna is by far the best I have ever had and I have been all over Italy!

Baci Restaurant - San Diego

4.9

4.9 (1907)

$31 to $50

Italian

Old Town

About the restaurant

Baci Ristorante offers diners a hint of old world Italian charm, with plush booths, white tablecloths, and gracious servers clad in tuxedos. While the decor is subtly modern, the menu is classic, celebrating Northern and Southern Italian cuisine. Specialties include classic pasta dishes, veal, and fresh seafood, with especially tempting daily specials offered by Executive Chef Domenico Alioto. In addition to the cuisine, the restaurant's charming and welcoming features--include an extensive wine list, elegant patio setting, and romantic main dining room--have made Baci a consistent favorite among locals for over 30 years.

Top review

PatrickVIP

Dined on Jan 9, 2025

Overall great experience. The service is exceptional. I chose the wild boar pasta, which perhaps wasn’t the best choice. I tried a few other dishes as well and they were delicious.

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Popular dish

Parmigiana

Cesarina

4.9

4.9 (5574)

$30 and under

Italian

Ocean Beach

About the restaurant

Cesarina is a grandmother, a mother, a daughter—our personification of a nurturer who feeds and cares for her community. From meticulous attention to detail and fresh ingredients to the warm and inviting atmosphere, this restaurant is a celebration of the power of food and family.

Top review

JuliaVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Loveee everything about Cesarina! The food is all delicious and fresh

Sorrento Ristorante

4.7

4.7 (28)

$31 to $50

Italian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Sorrento Ristorante offers traditional Italian cuisines in its warm and hospitable ambiance. The restaurant is decorated with simplicity. Washed in decent shades of brown, it has a decorate ceiling. Tiny bulbs hang from the ceiling to create a romantic environment. Large pillars in the dining room are decorated with fresh flower arrangements and glasswork. The restaurant has a native Italian staff. It has a beautiful outdoor patio, serving the warmth of San Diego nights. Sorrento Ristorante is popular for its variety of authentic Italian dips and sauces. Guests can customize their meals by pairing up the sauces with their main meals. Pesto sauce makes a nice combination with all pastas. Chocolate mousse is served with chopped dark chocolate chunks and white chocolate cream topping. The lightly tossed bleu cheese is prepared in the craft kitchen. The bar at Sorrento Ristorante serves Italian wines and beer.

Top review

CynthiaVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Great service, delicious food and a cozy atmosphere. Will be back!

Vinarius

4.9

4.9 (390)

$30 and under

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Vinarius is an Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar in Little Italy San Diego. We offer an extensive wine list with wines coming from different regions of the world; the best meat and cheese board with Italian cured meats and different cheeses to pair with our wines. Our chef Alex makes homemade pasta enriched with our homemade sauces, entrees, pizza, different appetizers to choose from, and desserts that pair well with our port wines and after-dinner drinks. You definitely have to try our daily specials!
Our cozy full bar is also the perfect place to enjoy your drink and food while watching some sports!

Top review

Kim

Dined on Jan 10, 2025

Best meal I've had in years. Excellent service. Above and beyond my expectations.

Anthony's Lounge & Ristorante

4.8

4.8 (325)

$31 to $50

Italian

Temecula

About the restaurant

Welcome to Anthony's Lounge & Ristorante!
Anthony's Lounge & Ristorante is the oldest family-owned restaurant in the Murrieta and Temecula area. Named BEST OF SOUTHLAND: ITALIAN RESTAURANT by LA TIMES 2022. The food is based on authentic family recipes brought by the owner's parents when they emigrated from Calabria, Italy in 1954, which led to them to following their passion and opening their first restaurant in 1963 in Anaheim, CA. Everything on the menu is homemade, from the sausage, ravioli and lasagna, to the crepes used to make their manicotti and cannelloni, ricotta gnocchi and over 50 traditional entrees from pasta, veal (vitello), chicken (pollo), seafood (pesce), antipasto, minestrone and other specialty dishes prepared by our experienced chefs.
Whether you are new to the area or your friends and family want to enjoy the best Italian dining experience, come enjoy our live entertainment and family atmosphere.

Top review

Linda

Dined 5 days ago

We had not been to Anthony's in several months due to difficulty with noise level during our last dining experience. We are so glad we went last night. Everything about the experience was positive, including the level of noise. While the restaurant was mostly full throughout our time there, we had no difficulty talking at a normal level with each other and hearing everything our server said. The atmosphere, as always, was muted lighting and romantic. The food was great. We started with escargots then on to wedge salads (nice variation on what is typically a predictable salad) then pastas - gnocchi for me, lasagna for my husband. Paired escargots with bubbly then nice wine with dinner. What truly made our evening was our outstanding server, Taylor. She had the best personality, good sense of humor but always professional, and made excellent recommendations. Can't wait to go back!

Tavola Nostra Pizzeria E Cucina

4.8

4.8 (554)

$30 and under

Italian

Hillcrest

About the restaurant

San Diego, meet Pinsa.
An ancient recipe comes back to life at Our Hillcrest Restaurant.
Tavola Nostra Pizzeria E Cucina is a full-service Italian restaurant and pizzeria bringing a modern touch to family recipes and an ancient style of pizza called, Pinsa.

Tavola Nostra, which means “our table”, is owned and operated by Jeff Oliveri – a first time restaurateur from a family of longtime restaurant owners who hopes to honor his familial heritage and tradition with his Italian dining concept that creates one of the best Hillcrest restaurants.

Top review

AmyVIP

Dined on Jan 10, 2025

Always greeted warmly! The food and service are stellar. This is a neighborhood gem.

Rosina's Italian Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1219)

$30 and under

Italian

Poway / Rancho Bernardo

About the restaurant

Rosina's Italian Restaurants is traditional, casual and family friendly. We prepare our pastas and sauces fresh daily. Rosina's is a great place for a business meeting in our larger additional dining room, special gathering date night, or family dinner.
Hand Made for 30 Years
We serve healthy, Mediterranean recipes the Italian way: homemade soups, fresh vegetables, classic Italian cuisine from the heart of Italy. Our family has prepared meals for San Diegans for almost 30 years.
Find out why your neighbors are calling both of Rosina's locations hidden gems, and make sure to try the nightly dinner specials!

Top review

Jo Ann

Dined 3 days ago

We had a wonderful dinner, very delicious and fresh. The owner spoke with customers making sure we had everything we need.

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Popular dish

Fettuccine Mare e Monte

Monzu Fresh Pasta

4.9

4.9 (633)

$31 to $50

Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

We are Monzu Fresh Pasta, serving Italian and contemporary flavors made from scratch in the heart of San Diego’s East Village since 2018. In drawing upon our European heritage and passion for hand-crafted meals, we take pride in transporting you to Italy via our home country’s most beloved staple: fresh pasta.

Top review

DonnaVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Fabulous food and service! If you are in the area this is a great spot for dinner!

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Mafalde alla Bolognese

Elvira

4.9

4.9 (436)

$30 and under

Italian

Ocean Beach

About the restaurant

Benvenuti Nella Mia Cucina, Belli De Nonna! Before we dive into the delicious feast prepared for you, let me give you a little taste of my vita. I was born in the heart of Rome, and I've been cooking up a storm my entire life! My cucina has always been the center of the universe for my 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, their friends, loved ones, and acquaintances – everyone was always Benvenuto!

Now, we've brought that same love and flavor right here to San Diego. My beloved grandson, Niccolo', and his amore, Cesarina, are opening the doors of my Cucina with the same warm heart and passion.

Wondering how I made it to 95? Well, it's simple: I ate everything that's served here and filled my life with amore! So, Benvenuti! Don't hesitate to indulge in "Scarpetta" - dip that bread into the sauce, just like my grandchildren used to do at the stove when they thought I wasn't looking.

Here, Belli De Nonna, it’s all about food, family, and creating beautiful memories!

Top review

BrianVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Absolutely, positively go to Elvira. It's a fabulous, cozy restaurant where you truly feel like you are an invited friend. The space is beautiful and the service is perfect. But the food is always the best part. Who knew that the best pizza in San Diego was at Elvira? I love pizza and honestly have not found any place in the County that makes a better pizza. I also love bucatini amatriciana and, again, no one makes it better. We ordered three entrees and shared them, with the third being the Wednesday night special, which was absolutely incredible. My mother in law (who is a critic of everything) couldn't stop raving about the meal. All three entrees and the special appetizer were as good as Italian food gets in San Diego. I will be back as soon as I possibly can.

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Popular dish

Margherita

Popular dish

TONNARELLI CACIO E PEPE

Popular dish

RIGATONI AL SUGO

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