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The Godfather Restaurant, San Diego, CA

The Godfather Restaurant

4.6
4.6
1944 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 20 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Romantic
  • Great for fine wines
The Godfather, a Balistreri restaurant, is an Italian monument in downtown San Diego providing authentic cuisine from the hills of Italy. Established in 1974, The Godfather is a sophisticated and classy establishment that centers around generational recipes from both Northern and Southern Italy. Over the years, the quality of food and standard of service has never declined and thus garnered The Godfather a national recognition as one of the top twenty-five Italian restaurants in the entire nation. The menu is filled with classic favorites based in steak, chicken and pasta. For an intimate evening for two, try the Sicilian kiss prix fixe meal that includes a bottle of champagne.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Isidoro Balistreri

What 1,944 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Romantic

  • San Diego

    Great for fine wines

  • San Diego

    Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Godfather Restaurant offers a "classic Italian dining" experience with consistently "amazing food," "wonderful ambiance," and "top-notch service." Patrons praise the "friendly, attentive staff" and the "distinctive old-school Italian vibe." Ideal for special occasions, guests enjoy "large portions" and complimentary appetizers, making it a beloved San Diego staple.

1,944 Reviews
  1. Kathy VIP

    San Diego43 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    So DISAPPOINTED :( We have been going to the Godfather Restaurant since 1986 and tonight was such a disappointment. They reduced their menu, took off all of our favorite items and the entrees we chose were not the same! The chicken Florentina was rubbery, the Bolognese pasta was greasy and the Alfredo was tasteless. The special was ribeye, and it had a lot of gristle. I'm not sure what happened to the food here, this was always our "go to" for a great night out. It pains me to say we probably won't go back. Thanks for the memories. Waaaaah....

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  2. OpenTable Diner VIP

    San Diego6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was great. Dessert was fresh. Music was great. Cozy environment.

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  3. Chris VIP

    San Diego30 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great Italian ambience. Incredible service. Menu is incredible and the Fettuccine Alfredo was great. Reasonable pricing. Only minor complaint was the music was a bit loud for an uncrowded early lunch. We’ll be back for dinner soon.

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  4. John VIP

    San Diego46 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The Chicken Parma, vegetables, and pasta side was barely warm.

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  5. Jackie

    Kansas City8 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    A little slow on taking drink orders and getting us menus but our waiter apologized and made the experience better. The Blue Crab ravioli was incredible.

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  6. Kathleen VIP

    San Diego15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A very pleasant experience. Excellent service, menu and drink selection. All our meals were exceptional. The tiramisu was amazing and the best we ever tasted.

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything here is Italian perfection. Piano music. Great food. Great servers. It never misses.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellence in both service and food. Quiet enough for a personal conversation (which is not common these days.) No rushing the customer just an easy paced elegant dinner. You feel welcomed. The food is very generous in size and cooked to perfection. And best Of all Dessert different offerings not just “run of the mill” and excellent (I’m a dessert girl !). Overall a Perfect evening

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  9. Michael VIP

    Los Angeles101 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is probably the best traditional Italian restaurant that I have ever dined in in the United States. Certainly the very best Calamari and Lasagna. We were both completely blown away. The service was so warm and superb, that we felt like honored guests. We are only in San Diego a few times a year. But the next time we go, making a reservation here will be top on our list

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  10. Natalie

    Orange County2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Food was good but nothing special. Very loud can’t even hear piano, will not be back.

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FAQs

The Godfather Restaurant offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (858) 560-1747.

The Godfather Restaurant is rated 4.6 stars by 1944 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 20 times today
Google Map for The Godfather Restaurant

7878 Clrmt Msa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111-1621

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Isidoro Balistreri
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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