Diners' Choice: Italian restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated March 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!

Vinarius

4.9

4.9 (409)

$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

Tistia

Dined today

Excellent food, staff and ambiance. This was my second visit because the 1st visit was so amazing.

Tavola Nostra Pizzeria E Cucina

4.9

4.9 (562)

$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

Chris

Dined 7 days ago

Good food and fast service! Made it to our play in time

Baci Restaurant - San Diego

4.9

4.9 (1929)

$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

BobVIP

Dined today

Outstanding neighborhood gem Italian restaurant with a long history of excellent food and service.

Cesarina

4.8

4.8 (5720)

$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

SilviaVIP

Dined 2 days ago

We were celebrating my husband’s birthday and starting with the host and waitress and bus boy every detail was amazing.

Rosina's Italian Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1258)

$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

John

Dined 5 days ago

Outstanding lasagne and excellent service Savory blend of flavors

Discover more

Popular dish

Fettuccine Mare e Monte

Experience

Cass Vineyards Wine Dinner featuring Ted Plemons

Enoteca Adriano

4.8

4.8 (75)

$30 and under

Italian

Pacific Beach

About the restaurant

Welcome to Enoteca Adriano where Roman born chef, Giuseppe Ciuffa, brings the essence of Italy to the shores of North Pacific Beach. Immerse yourself in a culinary journey that blends modern creativity with traditional Italian flavors. Our eclectic menu showcases the best of Italian, "Roman forward" cuisine, using locally sourced produce and ingredients to create dishes that are both comforting and innovative. Dine while enjoying vintage movies shown on our outdoor big screen.

At Enoteca Adriano, we celebrate the rich heritage of Italy, offering a diverse selection of wines to complement your dining experience in our main dining room or outdoor heated patio. Our passion for food and hospitality shines through in every dish we serve, as we strive to share the love of Italian cuisine with our guests.

Join us at Enoteca Adriano and experience the true taste of Italy, where every meal is prepared with authenticity, passion, and a touch of Italian hospitality. Viva e Forza Italia!

Top review

JohnVIP

Dined 3 days ago

If you want great Italian food this place is the real deal. It is worth the drive and prices are reasonable! Just wonderful authentic Italian! Very nice people too! I enjoyed my birthday and I will be back soon.

Anthony's Lounge & Ristorante

4.8

4.8 (354)

$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

Mason

Dined 1 day ago

We had an amazing experience, the food was delicious, can’t wait to go back and try more options.

Elvira

4.9

4.9 (503)

$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

Jaasiel

Dined on Mar 5, 2025

Loved the ambience, the servers were very polite and friendly, delicious pasta and drinks.

Discover more

Popular dish

Margherita

Popular dish

TONNARELLI CACIO E PEPE

Popular dish

RIGATONI AL SUGO

Monzu Fresh Pasta

4.8

4.8 (646)

$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

Jason

Dined on Mar 5, 2025

Our pasta dishes (short rib ravioli and bolognese) were delicious. You can tell it’s made from scratch. Portions are plentiful and prices are reasonable. Service was friendly and attentive. Alberto was awesome! Would dine here again.

Discover more

Mafalde alla Bolognese

Arrivederci

4.8

4.8 (99)

$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

LizVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Delicious. Best gnocchi in SD. It’s a bit noisy because it’s so small. But does have a homie feel.

Explore Diners' Choice best of San Diego

Explore more Diners' Choice lists