This restaurant will forever hold a special place in my heart as it's where we ate the night we got engaged on the beach in Ocean Beach. The original plan was to go to the beach for sunset, get engaged and celebrate at Cesarina but the parking gods were not in our favor and we had to go to dinner first. I thought my now-husband was acting strange, especially when we asked at the end of dinner if I wanted to go to the beach in the dark still. But first, we enjoyed a delicious dinner here and have been back several times since. I loved the lumache (curved tube) pasta with tartufona (mascarpone and truffle sauce) and my soon-to-fiance loved the pappardelle with the norma sauce and added burrata. The complimentary bread was a perfect starter and a great way to soak up the sauce. For me, as a light eater, it was plenty of 2 meals, which makes the $30+ price tag per dish slightly more reasonable. This is definitely a special occasion and not a regular night our kind of restaurant but it will be staying in our rotation indefinitely. read more

Cesarina - Tartufona lumache - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Food is good , owner / Management Not so much . At least they are upfront and print it on the menu On top of your check they will impose a 5% FEE for wages but it is optional and you have to request it to be removed. This is a business where you set the price for what you're selling and wages are figured into that price. So I ask the wait staff should I request the 5% to be removed and tip the normal 18% plus or leave the 5% the restaurant added for your competive wage and NO TIP . Tips are marit based and not assumed , wait staff are hired to take orders , bring orders when ready and drinks that is not above and beyond that's the job they accepted. read more

Booked a reservation for 2 on a Monday and was very busy when we arrived around 9pm. Make sure you arrive early for street parking or paid lot. They do have valet on certain days. The octopus/Polpo Croccante and Carpaccio came out first. Octopus was very tender and my preferred dish over the carpaccio. I wish the carpaccio had a bit more pop/brightness. Ordered two build your own pastas. I thought the bolognese sauce was very okay and the meatballs did not wow either. I did really like the pomodoro fresco sauce. It was a good amount of acid and balanced out the fatty delicious guanciale. The burratta and pesto added a nice creaminess and balance to the dish too! Beautiful restaurant inside and out! read more

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Food: 4.5 Service: 5 Ambiance: 4.5 I've been wanting to try Cesarina for quite some time, but reservations always seem to fill up, so I was pretty happy when I finally snagged one for a Wednesday evening! As others have mentioned, parking isn't the easiest since the restaurant is literally in a neighborhood. I came expecting that, though, so I arrived a little early and ended up having a nice 10 minute walk to the restaurant. The restaurant itself is so cute and cozy with lots of string lights and a really nice atmosphere. I was actually surprised by how busy it was for a Wednesday evening! We were seated outside, and with the perfect weather that night, it was a great setting for dinner. Our server was very kind, and so was the gentleman helping him clear our plates and take care of the table. Service throughout the evening was excellent. We ordered a salad, the Super Cioppino, and the Gnocchi, Porcini, Gamberi e Tartufo. We also received complimentary bread, which was good. The GNOCCHI, though!!! This was absolutely the star of the show. It was SO SO SO delicious and easily my favorite dish of the night. I also really enjoyed the Super Cioppino, but if I had to choose between the two, the gnocchi wins hands down. The pasta that came on the side with the cioppino was a little dry for me. The salad was good and at least I got my greens in lol. For dessert, we ordered the tableside tiramisu, which was both fun to watch and very delicious. We were also celebrating my friend's birthday, and they brought her some gelato, which was such a nice touch. Overall, we really enjoyed our evening at Cesarina. Between the cozy ambiance, wonderful service, and delicious food, I can see why reservations are so hard to get. I would definitely come back and look forward to trying more of their pasta dishes next time. read more

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Originally opened in 2019 this is by far the best Italian restaurant in Point Loma as well as all of San Diego in general. They have another terrific sister restaurant close by in Ocean Beach called Elvira so if you're a fan of this place, I would highly suggest them as well. Parking in this area is fairly easy. They offer valet in front, otherwise it's easy to find a free street spot, we were able to find one right across the street. The restaurant is not very large, but it's very quaint and feels like you are dining in someone's house. They have an indoor area as well as a heated outdoor area that is very pretty and feels like a garden. We sat outside and it was a really pleasant summer evening dinner. Our server was very polite and everything that we ordered came out very fast. I started off with the Carpaccio and thought it was absolutely fantastic. Everything about it was perfect and the flavors were just top-notch. For my entrée, I chose the Paccheri Vodka and Scampi because I'm a huge fan of langoustines and creamy vodka sauce so this combo was perfect for me. I absolutely loved every part of this dish and would highly recommend. I would go back specifically for this. We finished with with the Tiramisu and that was a great end to the meal. Pricing is also fair and it's very romantic so it would be a great decision for a date. I would highly recommend and will be back many times in the future. read more

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I love this restaurant! It's so very cute and homey. The water pitchers are chicken shaped! You need a reservation to come here and I can see why. We tried the pulpo appetizer that was the right amount of tender. I got the paccheri vodka e scampi that was so creamy and the best pasta I've ever had. Of course we had to get the tiramisu that they made table side. They had these little circle menus for drinks and desserts that was great in concept but not very functional, I like to visualize all the options at once without having to spin the wheel. They have valet parking, but I was able to find an open spot in their small parking lot across the street. read more

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I've been trying to score a reservation the last 2 times we've been in San Diego and I was finally able to get a seat on a Sunday afternoon at 4pm. And now I get why they've been consistently booked, great service, good food and reasonable price point. We were seated outside on the patio which was really cute but be warned there are flies because they don't use pesticides. Decor was super cute and reminiscent of Tuscany, very colorful, bright and vibrant. Service a was amazing, shoutout to Josh for making our experience that much better. He was attentive, really sweet and thought of things before I even asked. For example, he brought to go boxes before I had to say anything, love that attention to detail! I recorded the octopus, it was soft not chewy at all with a slight honey flavor. The burrata with eggplant was also really good, simple but executed perfectly. All the pastas as cooked in house and you can choose they type you want for your dish. Also, have to get the tiramisu which they make table side. The mascarpone was authentic and overall the dessert was not sweet at all, we finished every bite. My only criticism is that some of the plates were chipped on the edges. Change them if possible. read more

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Having never been to this place, but also having a good amount of pastas, I was excited to try it out. I had the Pacherri Vodka E Scampi. It was delicious. The sauce was flavorful and the prawn was also pretty good. I get that they give you the whole prawn as part of the presentation, but I would've been fine with them de-shelling and adding more shrimp to the dish. Overall not a bad spot for some good pasta! read more

Cesarina - Pacherri Vodka E Scampi - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I really wanted to love this place however, I think my expectations must have been too high. The funghi pasta lacked a lot of flavor and the noodles were unevenly cooked. Some noodles were mushy while others were al dente. The mushrooms lacked any caramelization and left the dish feeling one dimensional. Service was good. I was able to get my order curbside. I can't speak to the interior, but the takeout was really pretty and the food was hot-ish. Some of the bread was warm, some was not, the donut was room temperature and pasta was hot! The donut was okay nothing special, but the whipped cream was thick, light and rich. Probably the best whipped cream I've ever had. I don't know if I'd come back. I was just really underwhelmed. Funghi pasta: 6/10 Bread: 7.5/10 caramelized onion focaccia was by far the best Donut filled with whipped cream: 6.5/10 Whipped cream: 10/10 read more

Cesarina - Funghi pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

This place deserves all the hype it gets! I highly recommend making a reservation, and if you're celebrating anything they do a great job of taking note of this and letting the server know. The food was great, I shared a bunch of dishes with my family so we could try everything and it was a good choice. There's a bunch of options between pasta styles and sauces that you can customize and pick from. Make sure to ask about their pasta of the day! The server did a lovely job of getting drinks and apps started, and kept coming by to check in with us. I love the touch of the free bread with the marinara to start! The restaurant is small, and has a good combination of outdoor seating and indoor seating. My favorite part of the whole experience was their INCREDIBLE tiramisu which I didn't even photograph because my group inhaled it in less than 1 minute. This is a great place to bring the family, have a cute date night or just to have a reason to eat out. read more

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Well deserved 5 stars! We made a reservation for 2 at 7 about a week before. It was definitely busy so I'd recommend making a resi. We were sat quickly and our server Pablo was wonderful. The free focaccia with Mediterranean sauce was delish. We opted for the super cioppino and the build your own (Mafalde, Pomodoro, and meatballs). Both were very tasty and came out quickly. We spilt the 2 dishes and still came home with leftovers for us to eat another meal. We were dining for our anniversary and our server gave us free tiramisu on the house. Sad we don't live in SD or we'd be regulars! read more

Cesarina - Tableside tiramisu - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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For a birthday celebration, the staff helped make it special with a birthday tiramisu dessert and a Polaroid photo. We also enjoyed building our own pastas--our favorite was the arrabbiatissima, though we weren't as big a fan of the romesco and vodka vegan sauce. The outdoor patio has a relaxed, refreshing ambiance, the service was excellent, and we appreciated the chance to build our own negroni. Still a great Italian option if you're in the PL neighborhood. read more

Cesarina - Romesco and Vodka Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Cesarina is my favorite pasta place ever, and certainly one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego. You must have a reservation to dine there, as they do not take any walk-ins. The restaurant itself is so cute and intentional with all of the decor. They have beautiful colorful ceramic plates straight from Italy, fun rooster pitchers, and even their to-go boxes and bags are so prettily designed - every detail is well thought out. I would recommend sitting outside on the patio as it is so cute out there! The staff truly care about giving their customers a good experience. Now onto the food - I love a pasta with a creamy flavorful sauce, and Cesarina always delivers on that! I love doing the build your own pasta option, where you get to choose your pasta shape (mafalde is my personal favorite), your sauce (these rotate out throughout the year, but my 3 favorites are the boscaiola, funghi, and the tartufona [truffle]), and your topping (I will say I wouldn't recommend the meatballs, but any of the cheese toppings are lovely). They also provide delicious complementary bread with marinara sauce for dipping! For dessert, if you order the homemade tiramisu, they make it for you at the table and it is so fun and delicious. Truly such a wonderful restaurant! Can't wait for my next visit. read more

Cesarina - Build your own pasta with funghi sauce & tartufona (truffle) sauce with side of meatballs - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I recently came here for an anniversary. Everything was amazing from start to finish! Our waiter was extremely helpful and gave honest recommendations which I really like. Their complimentary focaccia with the dip was really good. They even let us take extra to go! The mozzarella Milanese was probably my favorite dish. It was a nice appetizer to share with someone since it was a little big. The gnocchi gamberi was my next favorite. They put a good amount of truffle and it was super flavorful! They said it was limited though so I don't know how long they'll have it for. The tiramisu was also fantastic! Parking was a little expensive if you pay for the lot across. Overall everything was great. They even let us take a cute Polaroid (usually for birthdays) which was really nice! read more

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What a relaxing setting with delicious freshly made pasta We all gather to enjoy a nice lunch time with family What a gem here I can't wait to have a dinner here This place is voted one the best here San Diego Our server was very polite with a great knowledge on all this dishes And specials also we all had the best pasta And rich sauces were phenomenal We all were very content They make a tiramisu at your table That's amazing next time read more

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i visited SD a year ago in july for my birthday... and because a birthday girl can't think ahead, i didn't reserve in time to visit cesarina... to my very sad dismay, i told myself next time. I did NOT think i'd be in SD this soon again, yet tis was the year, AND I FINALLY RESERVED THIS TIME RAAAHHH :PPP I loved loved loved the make your own pasta concept. the forgot what we both ordered for our pastas, but they were DELICIOUS. you can absolutely taste it's made in house. its unbelievably pricy if you want to add proteins or anything, but it was nonetheless delicious. I will say it's mainly the presentation that wows, because any fresh pasta place would be this yummy ykyk. but if you want the date-night-once-in-a-while-time-out experience, this place is beautiful. plus, the service is AMAZING. they constantly checked up on my table, i never went a second without water. not only did i recieve tiramisu for my birthday dessert... BUT THEY TOOK A POLAROID PIC OF US TOO :,D SOOO CUTE!! very very yum, warm, welcoming... but come with the budget queens im a broke college student-- read more

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SOOO I finally got to try the famous 'Cesarina'!!!! Wowowow I was blown away. The decor of the restaurant, both inside and out, is clearly meticulously handpicked & thought out. It is absolutely beautiful. They have wonderful music playing at a reasonable volume to accompany watching raviolis be made right in front of you! The service is exceptional. We never had to even think of needing water, menus, anything extra - it was brought before we anticipated it! Our server Tommy was wonderful & thought of everything. Now, the best part - the FOOD!! Their pasta is so obviously handmade in house, the texture and butteriness of the noodles was extraordinary. I ordered the fettuccine with the vegan mushroom sauce & added shrimp - divine. I think one of my favorite parts of the menu is the pricing with vegan items. Too many times vegan items are doubled in price & they had everything equal - INCLUDING the DELICIOUS cannolis!!! Such a wonderful experience. I cannot wait to be back! read more

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We ordered a lot of food because I wanted to try everything. The pastas here were all sooo good. The shrimp was definitely worth it. I would skip the lasagna alla bolognese and the super cioppino and the pollo alla scarpariello. Just stick to the pasta here. The paccheri vodka and scampi is a MUST GET! We also ordered the funghi with mafalde pasta. Also soo good. I can't wait to come back and try more pastas. The interior is so playful and also romantic at the same time? Service was fast and we were in and out of there rather quickly. read more

Cesarina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband and I visited Cesarina the last time we were in San Diego and it was very memorable. I was unable to remember the name of the restaurant so I scrolled yelp for Italian restaurants with chicken pitchers! I was so glad I found Cesarina. We visited for my husband's birthday started with Impepata Di Cozze (mussels). Very fresh and large mussels in a light broth with croutons. Our main dish was the Gnocchi Salsiccia Porcini e Tartufo. Some of the best gnocchi I've had. This dish comes with bone marrow which is steeped in the dish. Birthday dessert is their table side tiramisu. Absolutely delicious! I also ordered the cannolis. They were not to my liking as I'm used to the ricotta being sweeter but the presentation was adorable! The outside patio is very cute but it was a hit night and flies were buzzing around. Can't help that but next time I'll sit inside. The staff was so friendly and helpful! read more

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After hearing good reviews about Cesarina, I made reservations to celebrate a friend's graduation on a weekday afternoon for lunch. I'm so glad we made the stop even though we had to find street parking. The servers were really kind and attentative and checked in multiple times to make sure we had bread, water, or needed anything. For the appetizer, we ordered the polpo croccante which our server recommended to have alongside with the complimentary bread. It was very savory, and went on the bread like spread. The octopus was very tender and beautifully roasted. For the entrees, we ordered the Arrabbiatissima, funghi, and paccheri vodka and scampi pasta. All the pasta was fresh and perfectly creamy. For the tiramisu, the staff prepared it on sight with a moka pot and the house-made ladyfingers which ended our lunch on a sweet note. I would definitely come here again to celebrate. read more

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Cesarina was highly recommended by another friend so we chose it for dinner our Little Italy experience. Reservations were easy to make via Open Table, even the same day (but it might be later than usual dinner time). Outdoor seating was the only option available so don't forget to bring a jacket because evenings can be a little brisk/cool. We started our meal with drinks (I had the Tiramisu-tini which tasted a lot like tiramisu & wasn't too strong. We shared the beef carpaccio which was tender & tasty. The fun part of Cesarina's menu is being able to choose your pasta shape & pasta. One of my friends chose rigatoni with vodka sauce with burrata & my other friend chose steak that comes with bone marrow. I chose one of the fresh ravioli of the day (sausage, ricotta & burrata) with a mushroom truffle sauce. It was the perfect portion & I shared a few bites with my friends & we all agreed that it was delicious! You gotta have dessert & they are famous for their deconstructed tiramisu which is assembled tableside which we ordered & we also got the deconstructed cannoli that you fill yourself. The tiramisu was our favorite & is famous for a reason. Definitely get it for dessert! Service is warm & helpful. read more

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When I first heard that Cesarina was named Yelp's #1 date spot, I was a little skeptical... but they definitely proved me wrong! The outdoor sitting area is nicely decorated with florals (I prefer sitting outside than inside!). Even the tableware is thoughtfully chosen and perfectly matches Cesarina's aesthetic. I really want to take home the rooster pitcher. For appetizers, I ordered the octopus, followed by the paccheri vodka and scampi as my entrée. Both dishes genuinely impressed me. The octopus was chewy with a beautiful char, and the mashed potatoes paired with the rich tomato sauce created a great balance of flavors. The pasta was some of the most perfectly al dente I've ever had, and the tomato sauce was rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. FYI, if you're celebrating a birthday, they'll take a Polaroid photo for you to keep as a fun little memento :) There are three parking spots reserved for Cesarina guests across the street in a small parking lot, but they're hard to get. Street parking may be your best bet. EDIT: On one of my visits, the octopus came out smaller than usual. Before I even had a chance to mention it, the chef sent out an additional portion on the house. That level of attentiveness is not something I see everyday! read more

Cesarina - Octopus - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I've heard a lot of good things about this adorable Italian restaurant, so I'm so glad that I finally got to give it a try! They start you off with lots of complimentary bread. I believe there were 3 different types, although I forgot what they exactly were. All of them were really fluffy, soft, tasty, and yummy though especially with the marinara (?) sauce they serve with it. I also really liked their rooster pitchers LOL For our main course we got the paccheri vodka and scampi and oh my god is this a must try!! The langoustine was sooo sweet (i.e. it was fresh), the sauce was so flavorful and creamy, and the pasta was al dente! My favorite thing I've ate in a while! We also tried one of their raviolis (I forgot what it was exactly called) with truffle sauce, and I loveee truffle so this one was very flavorful as well! I like how they let you choose the type of pasta and the sauce to go with it so you can mix and match to your taste! The paccheri was definitely still better tho :) The outdoor seating was nice! Very cute vibes, and server was nice! read more

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Love love love it here! Celebrated our 1 year engagement anniversary (as this is the restaurant we went to the night we got engaged as well) You can't go wrong. Everything on the menu is divine! I mean anywhere that has a hand painted rooster water pitcher has my heart for always!!! They spoiled us again with a complimentary glass of prosecco to celebrate our anniversary. You can always count on the servers to bring the vibes, they always elevate the experience. This time we tried the Polpo Croccante--perfectly crispy and flavor blasted all at once. The spaghetti with arrabbiatissima and guanciale is such a comforting classic that they do so well. Will be coming back time and time again, also am wanting to try their sister restaurants! read more

Cesarina - Polpo Croccante - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Charming Italian spot that is highly regarded by lots of locals. The Langoustine Vodka Pasta was good, but I guess I'm just not used to it as the langoustines were difficult to eat in a nice setting, and the flavor profile was good but still a 8/10 at best for me. Octopus was well cooked but didn't wow me the way some other restaurants have, like Dio Deka in los gatos. Service was nice overall, i'd definitely recommend Cesarina, but just because the langoustine vodka pasta is the most frequently reviewed on yelp, does not necessarily warrant getting it in my opinion. Honestly the service was good read more

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Ambiance: beautiful decorations, nice plating, fun chicken pitcher Complimentary bread: the red one was my favorite Paccheri vodka and scampi: was very al dente and chewy. Not my favorite vodka pasta Funghi pasta: surprisingly a "lighter" pasta and adding red chili flakes made it better Would come back to try more things and dessert! FYI they add a small surcharge read more

Cesarina - Paccheri vodka pasta, funghi pasta, complimentary bread - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We stopped by for dinner and had a great time We tried the fennel salad - light salad but delicious - the house bread is so good too! We also made our own pastas - tried the mushroom sauce and guanciale - delicious!! The spinach ravioli with bolognese was also a classic for us with both options We finished with the tiramisu they make at the table for you - definitely order this!! One of our favorites tiramisus!! Service was great - all the servers are professional and have great recommendations The interior is very nice but the patio is beautiful!! read more

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Cesarina is one of the most popular Italian restaurants in San Diego for a reason! Highly recommend coming with a reservation, otherwise you'll be waiting for a while. The interior is so cutely decorated and they have some outdoor seating as well. The paccheri vodka & scampi is a bit on the pricier end compared to the other pastas but sooo worth it! I don't really crave seafood pastas too often but I think about that pasta often and would 100% go back to get it. So if you're on the fence, take this as a sign to get it. The flavor of the pasta is so good. The funghi pasta is also amazing and my husband craves that one often as well. The arrabbiatissima sounded really delicious from the description but was too acidic for me the couple of times I tried it. For my friend's birthday, they brought out a small dessert and also took a cute Polaroid for us to take home which was so sweet. I've recommended this restaurant to friends whenever they ask for San Diego restaurant recs and they have all said that they really enjoyed their meal here! read more

Cesarina - Paccheri vodka & scampi - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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cesarina is my go to Italian date night restaurant! they have yet to disappoint me with their dishes. though the menu hardly changes they are consistent with the quality of their dishes. if you want something different make sure to ask for their monthly specials! the vodka pasta is my favorite and langoustine on top with shrimp is my go to! we tried the caprese and it was so tasty! the eggplant complimented the burrata well. my favorite appetizer from them is the polpo croccante! parking is difficult as most is residential and there is no dedicated lot for them however i love celebrating special occasions here and they always have amazing service! i'd recommend ordering wine to pair with your pasta and enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant! read more

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Best Italian meal of my life. Charming ambiance, superior service, and the most amazing mussels and pastas. I would highly recommend! Tommy, our server, was excellent! read more

Cesarina - Mussels - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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We enjoyed our lunch at Cesarina in Point Loma, CA. This was our first time dining at Cesarina and it won't be our last. The owners are from Rome, Italy and opened restaurant in 2019, sharing many delicious authentic recipes from Italy. Cesarina is an award-winning Italian restaurant in San Diego known for its fresh, handmade pasta, vibrant atmosphere, and "build-your-own" pasta options. The restaurant is recognized by the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand for good value and quality. We enjoyed the following and recommend trying: *Mozzarella Milanese appetizer *Build-your-own: Gnocchi pasta in Tartufona sauce with bone marrow *Lasagna allá bolognese *Their famous tableside tiramisu *Affogato ice cream with espresso *complimentary focaccia bread All of these dishes, desserts, atmosphere and excellent customer service from our server Jake and management get 5/5 stars!! We made reservations on Open Table. There's indoor and outdoor seating with limited parking across the street on building 4160. Give this place a try! Happy Yelping :) read more

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A reservation and arriving early is definitely recommend for this restaurant. It is BUSY during dinner rush and street parking is also difficult. The service is excellent, all the waiters were super personable and friendly. Food arrived quickly and hot! Polpo Croccante - 100/5, extremely well rounded app. Genuinely wish this was an entree, I'd get two orders of this app! The octopus leg had a crispy exterior and tender interior. The mashed potatoes with almonds, capers, and mild harissa? Sauce was incredible!!! Table favorite for sure! Paccheri Vodka E Scampi - 10/5, the vodka sauce is GOOD! Very tangy, tomato-y and creamy. The whole shrimp on top is DELICIOUS, insanely sweet like eating a mini lobster. Lasagna Alla Bolognese - 5/5, WOW! The bolognese sauce is so flavorful and meat forward! A little on the saltier side, but truly delicious. The lasagna noodle layers are on the thinner side but there are many of them! Funghi - 5/5, very creamy and lots of whole mushroom in the pasta sauce! Tartufona - 1/5, very disappointing personally! The "sauce" was dry and more oily than creamy. The truffle flavor was not to my liking as I could barely taste it. The pasta noodles are delicious, but wish I ordered a different sauce. Caprese - 4/5, solid app but the other dishes really outshone this. It could've used more pesto sauce. read more

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Such a great Italian restaurant, a place I hope to make it to every week. The food is always so fresh and so good, but alongside that the service there is always impeccable. Special shoutout to Leo behind the bar! read more

This place completely lived up to the hype and reviews for us! I was a little sad there were only outdoor reservations when I went to book a few weeks ahead, as the inside of the restaurant looked so charming. We were going for my sisters 21st birthday so I wanted it to be special. But boy were we so pleasantly surprised at the patio and ambiance of the outdoors. They decorate the covered Parklet patio with so much greenery, colorful Italian ceramics and makes you feel like you're in an outdoor oasis. They offer valet parking for a feasible price ($8 I think?) which made it stress free in a relatively busy area where street parking g would otherwise be hard. We were promptly seated when we arrived. The servers and hostess were automatically friendly and warm and set a good vibe for the evening. The food all around was so delicious. The salad was a little underwhelming to start but the octopus appetizer we had was delicious. We all got to choose a pasta to our taste and they all were so delicious. Perfectly al dente and full of flavor! They also gave us a complimentary tiramisu dessert for my sister's birthday and it was so so yummy! Everyone around us seemed to be enjoying their dinners and they looked like they would've allowed us to also bring a cake and serve it. Would highly recommend this place to anyone for a night out or special occasion and hope we have a reason to return soon! read more

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Phenomenal. First time here and it was just as incredible as we were told by friends. The food and drinks were to die for. The pastas... all handmade. Just wow. Tiramisu was UNREAL. What truly made our experience special... and really over the top was our server, Trinity. Wow. Talk about someone being AMAZING at their job. She really took her time with us, answered questions and laughed and joked with us. She was warm and friendly and we didn't wait for anything. Literally from start to finish - perfect dining experience, thanks to her. Her menu knowledge and recommendations were impressive and perfect for us. We had such a wonderful time and we cannot wait to be back. Special shout out to Trinity. You're an absolute rockstar, girl. You made our entire night. We will come back and see you when we are back in town. Cheers and thank you so so much. read more

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My favorite place to get Italian food in San Diego hands down. Firstly, the free assorted breads are always so good - it's super difficult to not immediately fill up on this! We usually get a second or even third serving of that anyways though. Their pasta is always cooked to perfection and covered in delicious sauce, and they're very good with substitutions and custom orders usually. I feel like the only knock is that their meatballs are a bit mid tier, but everything else is usually very yummy! Their service is always extremely good and they treat us very well there - I always appreciate the Polaroid and free tableside tiramisu at the end, always a sweet end to an amazing meal! Their interior is super cute and I love their fun animal plates as well, we ended up buying a few in Italy because we liked them so much! read more

Cesarina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Excellent food. The Mozzarella Milanese is one of the best dishes I have ever had. Wifey had Pomododo Fresco with shrimp. Outstanding. Someone needs to bring in a gallon of yellow paint to spruce up that curb at the hosts podium. read more

Cesarina - Yellow curbside needs paint - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Everything about Cesarina is a 10/10! The food is beyond delicious Good wine & drinks The servers are all so kind and helpful The interior is decorated beautifully Only thing is parking can be tricky, so make sure you give yourself extra parking time before your reservation! read more

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I really enjoyed my dinner here! I'll premise this by saying I had been told by several people this was the best Italian food in San Diego, so I had high expectations! It was really really good, but I wouldn't say out of this world. The rigatoni with pomodoro sauce was super fresh and light, and the burrata on top was great. Awesome service was well! And the house Chianti was great! And of course the tiramisu was awesome :) would certainly not be mad about returning read more

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My partner took me here to celebrate my recent graduation, and we were able to sit outside on the patio, which made for a really nice atmosphere. The drinks were alright, not bad, but nothing particularly memorable either, kind of right in the middle. For our appetizer, we ordered the octopus, and it was easily the star of the meal. Everything on the dish worked so well together, and it was honestly the best thing we had that day. We both went with pasta for our entrées, and while they were decent, they didn't stand out quite as much as the appetizer. All in all, it's a nice spot. If you do decide to come here, I highly recommend ordering the octopus. I highly doubt you'll regret it. read more

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