An upscale, refined Sicilian/Mediterranean-influenced restaurant with custom silverware and platters, Venetian glasswork light fixtures, intricate mosaics, and murals highlighting local landmarks. A menu that features dishes typically between $25-30 (lunch menu) featuring ingredients like truffles, bluefin tuna, and aged prosciutto. An open bar as well as an open kitchen layout. Where else would this restaurant be other than the UC San Diego campus, literally directly below 8th College's dorms? - My family and I had a late lunch (~2 pm), where preparation for dinner service was in full swing. It was cool to observe the chefs setting up their mise en place, as well as computers with spreadsheets upon shreadsheets. - Our server, Jenny, gave us an amazing experience! She explained menu items thoroughly, the origin behind the restaurant, as well as giving us complimentary Caponata as well! Such a nice surprise, adding so much humor and care to the meal. - Highlights were the Focaccia: definitely get it with the olives or the caponata. Mind blowing! Carbonara was perfectly al dente, creamy, rich, and fatty. The Picante pizza was perfectly spicy. By the end of the meal, we were sufficiently oiled-out. Jenny even recommended us to get something lighter to go with our meal, and she was definitely right to do so. - Desserts were the perfect way to top off the meal. However, they were definitely not the stars of the meal. The stracciatella gelato tasted a little bit icy (San Diego is a tough place to compete in terms of the gelato scene here), and the Routa Di Dora's cream was slightly grainy and created a roulette game where some bites felt overwhelmed with the candied orange pieces. But that's just me being picky. Students are definitely not the main demographic you'll see in this restaurant, but it is a nice change of pace for special occassions, date nights, or a perfect pairing with seeing a show at the La Jolla Playhouse. I even heard they have themed menus based on the current show! How creative. Would recommend coming at least once, and I will definitely have to try the dinner menu as well. read more

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Cute place! Definitely a vibe. Overall the food was good. The arancini was dry though, like dry as a bone. The main reason for my three star review was the service. When we walked in, we were greeted and then the host left seeming flustered and didn't return for a long time to seat us. Our waitress took ten minutes to come and greet us, took another ten minutes to take our drink order, and when I asked for ice for my water after asking three times, finally brought it as though she was doing me a personal favor? Also, hello all restaurants??? Room temp water is not it for most customers! We had to flag her down for another glass of wine. Finally, she brought our check long after we were done eating and we had to flag her down. For context, this was 1pm on a Saturday and the restaurant was not busy. read more

The menu has a lot of variety and had some great options to choose from. We Went with a group and we ordered for the table: the focaccia with the eggplant tamponade and the ricotta side and the arancini. The tamponade tasted too sweet for me. The focaccia and the ricotta were delicious. More attention needs to be placed by the staff on the quality and composition of the salad. We split the Finochio salad There were stem cores of the lettuce bottom (usually discarded) included within the salad as well as Brown leaves, which was unappetizing. We should have sent the salad back. I ordered the gnocchi with the pork sausage and didn't care for the flavor of the sauce., The gnocchi were tender. My husband had the polpette ( meatballs) and enjoyed that. The service was attentive and good. Ambience, was elegant yet comfortable. I don't think I will be back. There are many better Italian restaurants in town. read more

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I have been so excited to try this newly established restaurant for months since it is close to me! It's usually never busy, the only time I can imagine it being packed is after a show at the playhouse. Since it's on a college campus, sometimes there will be loud people passing by, but that's only if you're ever sitting outside like we were. Appetizers: They really set the bar for expectations here. We ordered focaccia, Polipo Alla Griglia, Romanesco, and Insalata Di Finocchio. The focaccia was light, doughy, not too rough and gave you a lot to come back for. It was the best compared to most places who offer bread service. My next favorite was the insalata di finocchio, it was tangy but not overpowering. It was a burst of fresh flavor. Our party was HIGHLY impressed. Entrees: I had ordered the Fettuccine and added caviar. I wasn't deeply impressed with this meal for a few reasons. The uni certainly gave the dish a buttery feel, but the same could've been accomplished by using lobster instead. The uni didn't add much to the flavor of the dish honestly. The caviar did all the work, I was glad I added it, until it became too overwhelming. It certainly hits you with a breeze of the ocean, but it made every bite way too salty. There ended up being a combat of flavors that just weren't enjoyable. Usually high grade caviar isn't that salty so I was expecting a light, buttery, firm texture to compliment the sea urchin but I did not get that at all. I think this restaurant is great for drinks at the bar and a quick appetizer to go with! But I wouldn't come again for a dinner meal. I think everyone was slightly disappointed with the taste, and underwhelmed by the serving size. Many in my party even mentioned getting a second dinner unfortunately. I had high hopes! I think if they made a few adjustments it could be great. read more

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Zoe our server was super friendly and patient. Gave us a run through of the menu and some spectacular recommendations. The decoration of this place is wonderful. I like how everything just comes together. The bathrooms are also decorated, but I think there were only 3 rooms. It would be nice if they had a separate hand washing station outside. Bathrooms needed a little maintenance. The place wasn't busy. The portion sizes for each dish was extremely small. The noodles were a little too undercooked. The plate was nice and hot. Carbonara was not too salty. I've had better pasta at other places, so my standard for that is a little high. I kind of wish they had more pasta varieties. The focaccia bread was delicious. The pricing here is a little higher compared to other places. Probably because it is on UCSD campus. Overall, service is friendly here. There is a welcoming ambiance. Would I come back here? Potentially, just to try their pizza or other menu items. read more

Dora Ristorante - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

We went to Dora for a work dinner party and I can't rave enough about the food quality and excellent customer service we received. Everyone from the hostess to servers to cooks was warm, friendly, and inviting. We had a few special requests for the kids and they were more than willing to accommodate. Unfortunately because I was busy networking, I wasn't able to take any pictures of the food but the food was fresh, tasty, and good quality ingredients. They served a variety of fresh oven pizzas, pastas made from scratch, branzino, and cheese and vegetable appetizers. The bartenders whipped up some great drinks and were very sweet even serving the kids their nonalcoholic beverages. The ambiance is modern and sleek. They have a nice covered outdoor patio area as well. There is a large parking lot right next to the restaurant. When you come in, ask the hostess for the QR code for 3 hours of complementary parking (at least on the weekends they were offering it). They also provide valet parking in the front. A great place for date night, a celebration, or work gathering! read more

Dora Ristorante - Hostess has QR code to scan when you come in - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

It's such a cute deco. The food was good. Definitely on the moderately pricey side. European portion sizes. The gnocchi was the favorite of the evening. Service was good and friendly. I'd definitely come for a date night again. Great for a gal pals night too. read more

This place is super fancy! I love the interior and everything is super neat. They have indoor, outdoor, and patio seating. This place would be good for a special occasion. The food is really good here too. I would recommend sharing plates to try different stuff. The service was really great. Our server kept checking in on us and he was really awesome and attentive. What we got: - Gnoochi The sauce is super good and the gnoochi is cooked perfectly. There is a meat sausage sauce which was perfect. I would get this again. - Focaccia Super flaky and crispy and savory. It comes with a tomato dipping sauce. This is a must get!! read more

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It is always exciting to try another Italian spot in San diego as we are spoiled for choice. Dora is unique because it is nestled on the UCSD campus literally surrounded by dorm buildings. Because of this, parking can be weird.. we parked in the theater lot which had signs stating the parking fee would be validated. We called the restaurant and they said the codes from the school don't work anymore.. No big deal just something to keep in mind. It was about $4. The restaurant is truly stunning and has that classic mediterranean style decor with pops of oranges and bold designs. Gorgeous! The menu was pretty solid covering anything from fish to pasta. As a vegetarian I noted those pastas were mislabeled. A pasta with mussels was labeled 'V' and a pasta with cheese was labeled Vegan. Our waiter said this was a mistake. Be aware if you have allergies! We got the rosemary focaccia, Brown butter ravioli, and the fettuccine. Overall, we were not completely wowed by the food. The ravioli was good but nothing I would return for. The fettuccine was kind of dry. The portions did not live up to the prices. It is a really beautiful restaurant with a cool concept, but quite expensive. Surprising for being on a student campus. read more

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Dora Restaurant is located close to the UCSD campus is a more elevated restaurant in the immediate area of the La Jolla Playhouse and probably caters to its patrons, some UCSD faculty and students. Stopped by for a late lunch, sat outside in the nice cover patio with my pup. The hostess, waitress, servers and staff were cordial, attentive and very accommodating. Special thanks to Zoe who was especially very helpful. Wanted to order pizza, but the oven was out of order :( Also, wanted to order the Branzino, but it was only served in the dinner menu :( With some recommendations from the server Zoe, the selections I had for lunch were spectacularly delish. Lunch order included: focaccia bread with the roasted vegetable compote, winter salad with squash and the seafood couscous. A lovely glass of Chardonnay to pair with the lunch was perfect. Because the selections I had were remarkably all delish, I Would like to return to try other exciting selections on the menu. Overall a positive dining experience worthy of your visit and my recommendation. read more

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I'm always looking for a hot and new restaurant to try out with the girls. I loved the ambiance from the pics and this was the chosen restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday. Since I've never been to the theater district at UCSD, I referenced the website to find where the parking is located. It's quite confusing. If you don't want to deal with this, valet is $12. However, if you're determined, follow the directions on the website. The restaurant does give you a discount code at the end, which will make your parking free. Loved the classy ambiance and we were greeted right away with the waiter and wait staff. We inadvertently were served two breads (we didn't order this), but they were pretty good! Other dishes we tried: Insalata Di Finocchio - Light and refreshing, loved the persimmon on top. Polito Alla Griglia - Get this! This was perfectly tender. Polpette Alla Griglia - This were small patties, one order comes with three. These were deliciously juicy! Carpaccio Di Tonno - Tuna was nice pink and was fresh. The meld of flavors worked with this dish. Gnocchi - This was pillowy soft Cavatelli - There were a few mussels that were deshelled in the pasta but there wasn't much of it. Pesce Croccante - This had the perfect amount of crisp on the fish although there wasn't as much flesh on the fish Cous Cous Di Pesce - We were expecting more from this dish. Perhaps a bigger portion size. They give you the cutest dessert plates, each are different! Loved this touch. Routa Di Dora - I actually liked this dish with the crispy shell (like a super crispy thin donut) paired with ricotta. Chocolato Chocolato Chocolato - It was just okay for me. Affogato- Coffee wasn't warm when poured :( Overall good service and the food hit almost all the marks. read more

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I like this restaurant. You can tell it's professionally run but it was not without hiccups. The sourdough focaccia is fantastic.$8, The roasted squash/salad with nuts, pomegranates, etc., is absolutely lovely. Perfectly executed. The carbonara on the other hand was not great. First of all, why not use Gauanciale instead of pancetta? Beyond that, the pecorino and egg mixture was not properly mixed into a cream and felt runny and cold. Just poor execution. Hopefully, that was an aberration because overall this operation seems like a winner. read more

Dora Ristorante - Squash salad. Excellent! - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Our party of 6 were the absolute first party seated for lunch at 11:30, but the dining room quickly filled by the time our drinks came. We were attending a show across the street at the adjacent theater, and after hearing Cori in North Park opened a sister restaurant near the theater I had to go. The campus plaza made parking easy, close, and free on weekends. Service was five star, from beginning to end, starting with my perfect brunch cocktail, the Panattone Carajillo, which tasted liked an almond cookie-laced espresso martini with slight hints of citrus. Very rich and creamy while remaining smooth and balanced. To start out, our salads were bright with flavor and the produce was super fresh, but not incredibly special or inventive. The real star were our entrees. The ravioli was noticeably hand-made and delicate, but still had substance and bite to it, not to mention a nice amount of filling. My favorite bite, however, came from the Pollo Alla Griglia, served over a bed of winter squash and wilted chicory and surrounded by a shallow pool of savory pan sauce. The chicken was perfectly roasted, juicy on the inside with a crispy skin. My only critique is that the lunch menu is extremely focused (small), only offering 2-3 options of each course type. Having said that, the smaller menu still left a major impression on me and I will absolutely return, next time for dinner. read more

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Dora is a good spot if you want a nice dinner before a show at the LJ Playhouse. It is down the way from the Playhouse and does have a convenient piad parking lot right next door. It was about $2-3 per hour, pay in advance at a kiosk, $9 max for the night if you go on weekend or at night. Building is new so very nice and well designed. The service was uneven so hopefully it will improve in a few months. As others have mentioned it is expensive, but good. The portions are very small. The catch of the day was a decent size, but everything is small even the purchases bread was a small loaf. Expect to order 2-3 dishes per person. Dinner with drinks for 4 was $500+ read more

Visited Dora exactly a week after opening day - with my mom and two other friends and we all walked away impressed. It's such a cool Italian spot tucked within UCSD, and the design elements immediately set the tone--stylish, modern, and welcoming. Every dish we tried was phenomenal and creatively plated, showing off the artistry you'd expect from Chef Accursio Lota, a well‑known name in San Diego's dining scene. The restaurant truly shines as expected, balancing flavor and presentation beautifully. A quick tip: since it's located within UCSD, parking is easiest in the evenings and weekends. Overall, Dora is a fantastic addition to the area and one I'd happily return to with friends. I also heard that they were introducing Brunch as well - Will have to go check that out soon. read more

Dora Ristorante - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Came on a Sunday evening, parking in the theater structure was free. We had a reservation and was sat on the patio. Very fancy and classy decor. We ordered the focaccia with caponata, the bread was soft and warm, the caponata was slightly sweet. It was not the usual topping thats offered with bread but a welcome change. It was good but i think i prefer a tapenade or butter. For an appetizer i got the polipo alla griglia (grilled octopus) it was very tender and had a nice char on the outside and drizzed with olive oil. Highly recommend this dish. For my entree i got the gnocchi. The gnocchi were very soft and tender it came topped with a pork sausage sugo which was very tasty. Gnocchi is one of those dishes that im always afraid to order. If its made a day or two in advance, it's rubbery, if its made that day then it's soft and light. This one was nice and soft. The restaurant is beautiful and new, service was friendly and helpful. I did not have plans to go to the theater but i could see this as a great place before or after a show. Be sure to make a reservation as i can see everyone from the theater coming here. read more

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My party came here around three weeks ago, not long after opening. We were intrigued by the concept and would now take friends here for a nice dinner in the future. This sits across the street from the La Jolla Playhouse, and so offers a theater menu comprising selections from the regular menu and, presumably, from the dessert menu, which we did not request and so cannot confirm. The food is well-executed, with particular emphasis on seafood. We had the polipo alla griglia; gnocchi; pizzas margherita, crudo di parma, and tartufata; and the cous cous di pesce. All seafood had wonderful texture, the octopus and calamari being on the tenderer side of Q. All the pasta was wonderful. The cous cous is fun. I just wish there was more spice. read more

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From the same ownership as a Sicilian restaurant in the North Park neighborhood, Dora Ristorante opened two weeks ago in the Theatre District of the UCSD campus. The place can hold about 100 customers with an oval central bar, private dining room, and a chef's counter to complement the main dining area which had indoor and outdoor seating. The interior decor was quite elegant, and you could tell a lot of resources were spent to make an upscale ambiance. Reservations can be made on OpenTable, and the restaurant's website provided suggestions on where to park nearby for free (e.g. surface lots, underground garage). My friend and I sat under the covered and heated outdoor patio during the first week of business. A pre-theater menu was provided that featured choices across three different courses with available wine pairings. We skipped this and went to the regular one-page dinner menu that had three to four options in each of six different categories. Our first selection was the Focaccia. It was served as a round sourdough loaf with a dish of caponata that was a vegetarian eggplant salad. I thought this was unique compared to spots that provide extra virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar as a dip for the bread. The caponata tasted like a salty relish. We then split the Polipo Alla Griglia which was grilled Mediterranean octopus with cannellini and pesto trapanese. The dish looked beautiful, however there needed to be a larger tentacle or more than one small one for the price. The octopus was cooked to the right degree of doneness as it was soft. My entree was the Cous Cous Di Pesce which was a seafood broth containing prawns, calamari, mussels, and clams. It was served in a shallow vessel with a side of small couscous pearls. I poured the pearls into the bowl to consume with the savory stew. I preferred the pearls to be larger for easier scooping. The prawns were slightly overcooked while the other seafood ingredients were fine. Overall, I thought Dora Ristorante had a solid debut with such convenient proximity for patrons of the La Jolla Playhouse. read more

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Love the ambiance here staff is very attentive and friendly. You can definitely see that the food was fresh and delicious read more

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First time coming to this place and all I have to say is that I will be returning back. First of all, the aesthetic of it is gorgeous, every corner you look at it's like an art of work. Secondly, everyone who works there is wonderful, they all greet you and just make you feel very welcomed, very friendly. Lastly.... The food.... OMG....... At first I thought it was going o be another pretty looking Italian restaurant, but oh boy, how wrong I was, the pasta, the pizza... salad, left me amazed. 10 out of 10. read more

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Best dish by far was the octopus. Taste and everything was great would give it an 8/10. Ravioli was just okay, filling tastes great but dish was overall dry, 6.5/10. Broccoflower was an interesting dish and the sauce it came with tasted decent, 6/10. Ambiance inside is great with everything being clean and romantic vibe. Service was below average, was waiting for around 15 minutes before being able to order anything or have a server come, HOWEVER waiter gave us free dessert at the end, 5/10! Overall I would give this place a 5.7/10. read more

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Dinner at Dora was a solid experience with a lovely ambiance, the interior with the mirrors is super cute. We started with the Arancini Ai Porcini, which had good truffle flavor but were a bit small and could have been crunchier for the price. For mains, we tried the Ravioli (ricotta & spinach with sage butter) and the Cavatelli. The ravioli was comforting and filling. The Cavatelli was unique, the pasta shape is really cool and it has a distinct tangy, 'salty-sour' kick from the burnt lemon and cherry tomatoes. Service was good, but just be aware the menu changes seasonally (we missed out on a mushroom dish we wanted!). Overall, 4 stars because the portions are a bit small for the price point compared to other Italian spots in town. read more

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Dora, you were fantastic so I finally had the opportunity to try this new restaurant that just opened at UCSD and it was terrific. We started off with drinks. Of course we ordered the focaccia and the carpaccio de tuna as our starters both were delicious. The focaccia is absolutely out of this world and then they have an eggplant caponata to go along with it. Oh my goodness I wanted to take some home. It was so delicious. Our entrées, we had to try the black truffle pasta, which did not disappoint, and we also had the fish of the day which was so good ! Oh, I also had an extra drink, which was La Nonna. Oh my goodness I wanted to have two of those so good! Overall, we had a great dinner. The restaurant is fairly small so I do so I highly recommend making a reservation. Parking can also be a little tricky. I was disappointed that they didn't have the valet on Sunday evening when we went you have to like park in this garage and it's totally easy to miss it so just pay attention to that they do validate parking read more

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What a lovely place that just opened 4 months ago on the UCSD campus nxt to the La Jolla Playhouse & 8th College. Parking was easy in the structure, with a 3 hour validation from the restaurant. Loved the interior, atmosphere and good food. Our server was very attentive as well throughout the night and took time to explain the dishes and what wine would go well with what we were ordering. What we ate tonight was 1. Grilled octopus - one of the most tender ones we've had so far! 2. Aranchini mushroom with black truffle - delicious 3. Roasted Farmers Squash - loved the flavor 4. Cous cous with calamari - another good well cooked and seasoned dish 5. Fettuccine with sea urchin - a bit too salty for my taste 6. Classic tiramisu - can't go wrong with this 7. Chocolate chocolate chocolate dessert - great for the chocolate lover Would love to come back again. A charming Italian fine dining experience indeed. read more

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Came here lastnight for dinner. I was excited to try this new place out, given that I love Italian food. We started with the arancini. They are good. Basic. Had the mussels pasta dish, tasty. My BF had the gnocchi sausage pasta. It was good. Overall the food was okay. It's nothing to rave about. Basic Italian food. Our waitress was very friendly. The ambiance is nice. I did feel like they rush you. I do have to say, there is plenty of other amazing Italian restaurants. This place is one & done for me. read more

My friend and I recently dined at Dora Ristorante at UCSD, and while the food was mediocre, the bigger issue was how we were treated at the end of our meal. After we finished eating, we began to feel subtly but consistently rushed out. When I finished my Arnold Palmer, a staff member took my glass without asking if I wanted another drink, and no one followed up afterward. Shortly after, two different staff members came by to ask if we needed anything else. The second person explained that they had been sent over because there were upcoming reservations and that we would need to move to the bar in about 10 minutes--"no rush." Despite that phrasing, it very much felt like we were being pushed out. What made this especially frustrating was that there were multiple open tables nearby, including similarly sized seating and available patio space, so the situation didn't seem to justify the urgency. I've honestly never had an experience like this at a restaurant before. It felt unwarranted and left us uncomfortable, which overshadowed the rest of the meal. I understand the need to manage reservations, but there's a much more courteous and professional way to handle it. Unfortunately, I won't be returning. For a much better experience, I'd recommend Aromi Italian Cuisine--the food is delicious and authentic, and the staff make you feel genuinely welcome. read more

Disappointing and Unsafe Experience at Restaurant Dora - Would Not Recommend I really wanted to like Restaurant Dora at UCSD, but our recent dinner was one of the most frustrating and concerning meals I've had in a long time. The service started off poorly when our server cleared our bread plates while we were still eating the bread -- apparently to "make room" for the entrees. The problem was the entrees took over 10 minutes to arrive after the bread plates were removed. That left us awkwardly trying to eat the remaining bread directly from the plate with our hands, with crumbs everywhere. It felt rushed and inconsiderate. My entrée, the Couscous di Pesce, was also a major letdown. What arrived looked more like a strange, watery cioppino with a side of couscous rather than an actual couscous dish with seafood incorporated. Worse, there was an unopened clam sitting in the broth. Anyone who's eaten shellfish knows an unopened clam after cooking means it was dead or bad -- it's a clear food safety red flag. I immediately flagged it to the plate thief. Unfortunately, the staff never acknowledged the issue. No apology, From that point forward, It was incredibly uncomfortable and made us feel like our concerns didn't matter. Between the plate clearing service timing, the disappointing (and potentially unsafe) food, and the complete lack of accountability from the staff, this was a very regretful experience. I expected much better from a restaurant in UCSD. Sadly, I won't be returning and can't recommend it to others. read more

Dora Ristorante - Disappointment - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

We recently dined at Dora for a family gathering honoring a loved one who has passed. We had a pre-planned six-course prix fixe menu with two options per course, and to say the food was amazing would be an understatement. From the moment we arrived, being greeted, seated, served, and even as we lingered at the end of the evening, everything was absolutely top-notch. This establishment truly knows how to treat its guests with class and sophistication while remaining warm, friendly, and genuinely helpful. Our table began with focaccia bread and the Arancini ai Porcini e Tartufo, both of which were excellent. My husband and I chose the Insalata di Finocchio as our starter, fresh, light, and beautifully balanced. For the next course, we selected the truffled pork sausage gnocchi, which ended up being the highlight of both of our meals. Perfectly cooked, deeply flavorful, and not at all heavy. For our entrées, he chose the ribeye while I had the swordfish. Both dishes absolutely lived up to the hype. To finish, we enjoyed dessert: I had the lemon mousse and he chose the chocolate dessert. Both were light yet packed with rich, satisfying flavor. We highly recommend dining here and experiencing firsthand what happens when exceptional skill, quality ingredients, and outstanding service come together. read more

Dora is such a beautiful restaurant located inside the UCSD campus. Service was a bit slow on a Sunday afternoon for lunch but it was to be expected as they work out their kinks after just opening for only about a month. The arancini was only so-so but I did enjoy thee beef and veal grilled meatballs. The tartufata pizza was decent but needed more truffle taste. The cous cous di pesce was yummy but on the salty side. The star of the pasta dishes was the truffled pork sausage sugo which was really good and I wished I didn't have to share the dish with my wife and cousin. We ended with the prickly pear and pomegranate granita which tasted awesome and was even better that it was free since it was to make up for the slow service. Ultimately, I would love to come back to try the dinner menu. This place had great promise even though the plates were on the smaller size and it was a little bit more on the pricier side. read more

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Me and my girlfriend went here yesterday for a date. I was hoping to take her somewhere to impress her and give her a good time but we were both very disappointed. We opened up with a menu that was hard to navigate and when we asked the waiter for guidance it definitely came off as condescending. Then when we got our food the portions were very small. The food was good but made to savor. On top of that I got my girlfriend a drink which was a small sparkling grape juice for $14. It all came out to about $80 after a tip for two small plates and a small drink. read more

Great new addition to La Jolla. The food is delicious, and the service is excellent. It's the perfect spot for a romantic date or a nice dinner out. read more

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Such a good atmosphere! All the furniture and lighting made the place cozy but upscale at the same time. Loved the dip that came with the focaccia. The arancini was very cheesy and mushroom-forward. The pasta was al dente and flavorful. Shoutout Ari for the great service and thank you to Steve for the friendly vibes. read more

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Food goodness on steroids and you will be hard pressed to find a more beautiful restaurant in San Diego. Our server took us on a tour of the restaurant and like Billy Ocean said, "simply awesome". The six of us ordered so many dishes to share that I don't remember all of them but each one was delicious. I found my most favorite SALAD here, Insalata Di Finocchio. Another stand out was their small pepperoni pizza that was huge in flavor. The wine selection is fantastic. Oh oh oh, next time I'm ordering focaccia to go! Many thanks to the staff who were so attentive and made this dining experience even more WonDerFul. read more

My friend wanted to come and check out this new restaurant in La Jolla. There is a parking garage and luckily it was free because of the holidays. The restaurant was decorated very cute and would be nice for either date night for family dinner. We ordered the Focaccia for an appetizer and it was delicious. We also ordered the grilled octopus and came it tender and very flavorful. For our entrees we ordered the Ravioli and Cous Cous Di Pesce. I enjoyed the sauce that was on the Ravioli. It filled us up pretty fast. For the Cous Cous Di Pesce the broth was amazing but we noticed that the broth had this grainy texture to it. We brought it up to one of the servers that was assisting with our table and she assured us that it was normal and it was the reaction of the broth mixture. She also stated that she confirmed it with the chef. After we continued to look through the broth we found a shell filled with sand :( we really enjoyed this place but at the end of our dinner it was kind of disappointing to find that. Also felt like our concerns were just ignored. We just left it at that because we didn't want to make it seem like we were complaining. read more

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How do I start!! This place was pretty amazing the place that we got to sit down was a little bit further back from the music so it wasn't too loud and I was able to talk to my wife. BUT THE SERVICE is what really outshine everything!!! Our server Cole is the shit!!! If you don't get him when you were there go again and then ask for him. That guy is the shit. I was completely lost on the menu. He took the time to explain honestly every item on the menu. Which was honestly amazing.Cole also brought out our within a drop of a hat just super fast and anytime that he saw my old-fashioned get down to one more sip he would alway ask me if I wanted a other. Then the wine homeboy came with the food gave us a great pairing with wine, but let me tell you this we kept the wine rolling. But now to the Food it was really good Italian food. The pasta was made fresh that was honestly very amazing. The sauces were OK nothing too crazy to die for but again I would definitely come back to this place. Also Dora if you read this you need to give Cole 15 buck raise. That dude is the shit. read more

Dora Ristorante - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Positives: beautifully decorated dining room and cool restroom designs, boeuf bourguignon excellent, gelato Suzette very good. Negatives: Most of the negatives are service-related not food-related. For our 5:45pm reservation, our waiter didn't bother giving us the pre-theater pre-fixe menu until we asked for it, then acted like he was disappointed that we might order it and made a big deal that both of us needed to order it. His affect changed completely when we ordered from the pre-fixe menu. What a jerk. The restaurant also puts a small piece of paper on the table telling you that you can't have your table longer than one hour and 45 minutes. I don't mind the rule, but they could inform customers before they arrive some other ways, like on OpenTable and again with the text confirmations - having it posted on the table just makes you feel rushed and unwelcome immediately. This is not Manhattan and at these prices, they should be a bit more flexible. Vichyssoise - one of my favorite things. Tasted good except there was a long, thick lump of goo in my bowl, on the edge of the soup, probably from microwaving it to heat it up, yuck. Ruined it for me. The tuna carpaccio was pre-made, probably left uncovered in the fridge so it dried out on top, served really cold, then covered with too much olive oil - too bad, another dish ruined. Spinach ricotta ravioli was nicely made, fresh pasta. I ordered a drink with prosecco, grapefruit juice and some type of Italian aperitif (can't remember the name) from the manager who looked in on us. Instead of taking my order, as it was on the Drinks menu and I did not dream it up, he tells me I might not be able to have it, they might be taking it off the menu, but he would check. Look, if they don't want to serve something, they should remove from menu. Or he could say something nicely like "I need to check one thing, be right back" instead of making me feel bad for ordering something printed on the menu (and the restaurant has only been open three months). The drink was delicious, by the way. Waitress who served the beef bourguignon didn't know how to pronounce it and jumbled up the words. One of the waiters told my husband to hold onto his fork that he had eaten the tuna carpaccio with, OR he could bring him another fork. Just take it away - waiter should know better. Please - can someone train these people how to provide better service, make guests feel relaxed and welcome, pronounce the name of the food, take drink orders professionally, take away dirty utensils and provide new ones??? Must be too much to ask. We spent ~$200, which we will gladly spend on a nice meal with good service. Dora Ristorante gets less than half of everything right, which is a shame, since it's so pretty and we would love to have a new good Italian restaurant to go to in San Diego. Don't waste your time. We won't be back. read more

Celebrated a birthday here and it was AMAZING! Parking can be validated, just make sure you are parked in the correct spots. The host will assist with that. Everything we ate was delicious and they provided a special birthday treat. The decor made me feel like I was back in Italy with my family and that was really special to me. We will definitely be back! 10/10 read more

We enjoyed the Julia Child meals before seeing the play "The Recipe" We've been theatergoers for years and we were so excited to have a restaurant near that is open during our play times. We loved the Prix Fixe menu, the food was wonderful, and our server even better. The ambiance at the bar was fun to watch. We don't care too much for sitting outside, but I i love you because the inside is so pretty. The only thing we did not like, was the paying for the wine pairings with our meal and having both wines brought at the same time. read more

Austin was such a great server, friendly, attentive, and made sure everything was perfect throughout our meal. He checked in at all the right times and made us feel genuinely welcomed. The food was absolutely delicious, and Bells and Whistles did an excellent job with the design of the space. Everything came together for a great overall dining experience. We will definitely be back." read more

Dora Ristorante - Bucatini & Ravioli - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

The food was mediocre however the server was extremely rude. He was just short and seemed to want to push us through the process. read more