We were lucky to have Bill as our server. Such a sweetheart! We had burrata for a delicious appetizer. Followed was a chopped Caesar. Our main course we split was lasagna. Sauce was very sweet (sugar) perhaps and very very bland. Could have been a desert. I was a co owner with two Italians of a few restaurants in downtown 80-90's. Just saying I know my way around kitchens. The manager and server comped us desert. Very class act, we will come back for carbonara. P.S. I enjoyed the dark ambience as everyone looks like a 10 at 2 a.m. ! read more

Food: only adequate Price: moderately high Service: awful This review is not based on a single instance of poor service. Firenze is in a convenient location for us so even though the service experience can be sub-par, we go back. That's on us. But this Mother's Day was a bridge too far. As a couple, my wife and I are used to being offered the smallest tables in restaurants, but most can adjust to give us a bit more room when a better table is available. Not so with this place. Two-top or nothing. But that's just the start. After we sat down, my wife and I began discussing which wine she might like. Bill, our "server" came over, introducing himself, but immediately left to socialize with another table he was not waiting on. Only after *they* prompted him to see whether we wanted service did he come over. He told us he was talking with "much beloved customers". News flash: customers won't love you back if you don't show up. His excuse for not helping us was that we were discussing the wine. Literally every server would have stayed and offered to help us with that decision instead of engaging in a social hour at another table. Wine selected, it took forever to get it. Then another forever to get him to take our order. The food was nothing special -- thin sauces, not particularly distinctive. But when we wanted to get another glass of wine, we had to flag down another waiter and ask that someone deliver that new glass. Finally, Bill showed up, evidently with a dessert menu. I told him that we wanted our check. Nothing. He disappeared again. After flagging another employee down again, we finally got the check and paid. The experience ruined Mother's Day and it left a bad taste in our mouth. We decided to voice our concerns to management. Their approach was to offer "we were busy" excuses and to defend their lack of service. The conversation concluded with the manager saying, "I don't care if you never come back." REALLY? Well, they needn't worry: we won't be back. Don't waste your time on this place. read more

Old line Italian in Encinitas. Excellent atmosphere in and out. Huge portions. Very shareable. Excellent service by Bill. Four dishes. Each unexceptional in their own way. My Caesar was excellent though. It's a nice place to hang out. read more

Firenze Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

Tried it more than we should have. Seafood overcooked. Ordered a simple cocktail, waiter concurred order, then delivered obviously wrong cocktail, absolutely no self awareness, too busy with other patrons sharing his story about Olympics tickets he bought. No reason to try again read more

The food and service is consistently great! The veal and halibut are fantastic! The patio is lovely too.

Really unimpressed by this restaurant. Maybe our mistake was going for lunch, but the salad was fine (it's a Caesar salad) and the rest of the food lacked any seasoning. Adding salt was a huge improvement, but even then, it felt overpriced for incredibly bland food. It was pretty empty and our server was polite and got our food out quickly, so that was great. Maybe we'll try it again for dinner since lunch wasn't worth the visit. read more

Lovely ambience and a wonderful server with delicious food. Seems pricey but generous portions of Italian classics. We thought we made reservations but did not but still were very graciously accommodated. Cozy outdoor table. Nice beverage selection. Calamari appetizer was cooked perfectly with a delicious marinara. We all had different items and enjoyed them all but I had the veal Marsala and loved it. It was NOT over salted and had a delectable sauce with plenty of mushrooms and served with green beans and a lovely small pasta side. There was definitely a lot of butter involved but the leftovers made for another excellent lunch the next day. Linguine and clams was also excellent and also buttery. The others loved their dishes too. We all shared some amazing chocolate lava type dessert. Some restaurants speed up or drag out your meal, but our server let us pace ourselves and it was perfect. Wish I remembered her name. read more

Firenze Trattoria - The veal Marsala entree was just amazing and thankfully perfectly seasoned and not salt loaded like many restaurants do. - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

This was my favorite restaurant I love the ambience and the setting. And the food is good despite the fact that it is more expensive than similar restaurants,It was always worth it for that special occasion. A nice size portion of halibut was well over $50. They had brought out a bowl with grated Parmesan that had no flavor . (It reminded me of the Parmesan at our school cafeteria ) So I asked for some shaved Parmesan. I was told that Parmesan would be $5.95. Since I knew there was a mistake. I asked the manager. He concurred. So today I called the owner. I did not call to complain. I called to point out that it is tacky to charge a guest well over $50 for Fish and then ask for six dollars more for some shaved Parmesan. He then spent all of our time explaining that the grated Parmesan was from a fresh block of Regianno . Highly doubtful. If you're going to serve the best quality cheese, you would never grate it into oblivion, but rather you would present it nicely. in fact, in many fine restaurants, they'd bring it out and shave it right onto your meal. We will not be going back. And upon reading other reviews on the Internet, I guess I'm not the only one who is no longer going back. So disappointing to see a fine restaurant no longer attracting people solely because the owner is greedy read more

Located on the Olivenhain side of the Encinitas and Rancho Santa Fe border my family and I have been coming to Firenze Trattoria for many years because we live in RSF and FT always has consistently good food and great service. For this most recent visit I was in town for the Christmas holiday and we chose FT as our final family dinner. Inside is very large with many different seating options and a large bar. It is located in a sleepy shopping center so there is always plenty of easy parking. Our server Bill was fantastic and really added to the meal. All of our dishes arrived shortly after ordering and the portion sizes are generous. For this most recent visit I started off with the Carpaccio di Manzo and thought it was wonderful. I have been ordering this dish since I was a kid and this version was one of the better ones I have had in a few months. For my entree I chose the Seabass Oreganato and loved it. The Seabass was large and flavorful but the baked bread crumbs on top really made the dish for me and was a unique variant. I would highly recommend both to anyone. Overall a really nice Italian option in a beautiful part of San Diego and I am already looking forward to my next visit. read more

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I was craving a Caesar salad and I've enjoyed theirs in the past. I live close by so I decided to grab a quick lunch. I was welcomed and seated quickly. I opted for the pretty outdoor area. There were only about 4 tables of patrons. I was brought out a place setting water and a basket of bread very soon after being seated. My server took a bit to come by but she was welcoming and friendly. I glanced at the menu but I knew what I wanted already. I tried the bread. It was dry and tasted a bit stale. I was surprised there was nothing served with the bread but didn't question it. My salad took awhile but I was enjoying the patio. When it finally arrived I was a bit surprised at the small size for the price. It was decent but the dressing was a bit sparse and it was not as good as I remembered it. My server checked in a few times. When I was done the server was no where to be seen. I waited about 10 minutes before she reappeared. I paid my bill and as I got up to leave I noticed the remaining tables all had oil and vinegar on their tables. As you can see in my photo I never received it. Probably a good thing because the bread on its own wasn't great so I only ate half a piece, I certainly don't need the extra carbs. I would probably come here for happy hour but not likely during regular food service, too bad because it's so close. read more

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Let's start with the positive. This place has a nice ambiance and the menu looks appetizing. However, the service is painfully slow and the food is underwhelming. We were a party of 12 and we got seated at 6:30. We got our food at 7:40. 7:40!!! Ordered the rigatoni vodka and carbonara. Other folks have ordered other dishes that seem ok. The pasta dishes were mediocre. I'd pass on both pastas honestly. Again, ambiance is nice and the servers are nice. Just slow and food is underwhelming for the price. read more

Firenze Trattoria - Rigatoni Rigatoni alla Vodka e Fungi - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

My dear friend and I celebrated our bdays at lunch. It was so delicious! I am now a huge fan! Great prices and most phenomenal food and waitstaff! My capallini with marinara and fresh garlic & basil was the best on the planet! Authentic bread with Evoo and olive oil was like being in Italy! read more

We went to celebrate a birthday. We had an amazing experience. The ambiance was nice and the food was delicious. The service was excellent. The wait staff was extremely friendly and attentive. read more

If you're a gluten-free person, as am I you will adore the chicken and spinach ravioli! Delicious food, wine, and atmosphere. And great service as well. read more

Service was fabulous. My soup and salad were fine. The restaurant has been here for years.

This isn't a buzzy place where hip 20-somethings come to see and be seen. It's been open for 20-ish years and there are less than 250 reviews cuz it's not really a Yelp hangout place (the website doesn't list prices, "cuz if you have to ask" &&). But our grandparents LOVE it and it's popular with an older crowd. And it has a pretty courtyard and good heaters, and servers are very friendly. Food was inconsistent but we had some nice dishes. Cocktails: Got the Amalfi Collins. Not the best cocktail I ever had (maybe the gin?) but it was refreshing and I liked it overall. Bread: good, with decent olive oil. Bruschetta: fine Zuppa di verdura: not really edible. My fam thought it was like old-people puree (sorry to those who like it) - not fresh and springy but heavy and with an off taste and a really depressing brown color & no garnish. Luckily they took this off our bill. Melanzane rollatini: I really liked this dish! Rolled eggplant with ricotta and pine nuts topped with marinara and parmesan so it comes out looking like regular parmesan. Since the grandparents love this place, I'm going to get this again next time I come. Came with green beans and a rotini in vodka. Not the best vodka sauce ever but I ate it all up. I approve of this dish! Filet mignon: My kid was super in the mood for steak which is why we came. Happily he was not disappointed. This was not cheap but it was perfectly prepared - probably the best dish of the evening. Cappellini pomodoro: another very solid dish. The person who ordered it enjoyed it very much. Veal parm: the person who got it thought it was so-so. Overall, we had a fun multigenerational dinner. Four stars for the lovely atmosphere, extremely friendly service, and the dishes we liked. Don't rush here from downtown, but it's a nice option in this area - especially if you're dining outdoors with grandparents! read more

Firenze Trattoria - Melanzane Rollatini, comes with rotini in vodka sauce and green beans - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

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The service has gone down hill. The food is still tasty. We loved celebrating special events here and a few months ago we went back for our anniversary. We came first for happy hour and it was not too happy. The bar tender acted like we were inconveniencing him. I'm not sure we will return. read more

Was waiting to go here for months, finally had time to make it over. Feels like it used to be good but something was off. Does not feel very welcoming just serve the food and get people out but wasn't busy. Was dark and food was salty not great. Will go back hopefully just that one night was an off night. read more

Very good to excellent food and service and a good ambiance (the outside tables are very nice). The negative reviews have to be exceptions or difficult customers. We've had many very good meals there and never had any service issues. read more

We came here to meet up with some friends and they had been here often. The food was good, but nothing to write home about. My Gluten-Free pasta was overcooked and grainy, but I ate it anyways. I am not a big fan of restaurants that have very low lighting because it makes it hard to see. I truly wish I would have read reviews about this place before eating there. It seems they have not passed several health evaluations due to rodents and unclean conditions. That could be the reason for the dark atmosphere. Had I known this I would not have eaten here. Nevertheless, we did not get sick so that's good. I did not get any pictures here to post...sorry. It was just too dark. read more

The food was good. The location is absolutely beautiful. The service was good. They did mess up on our order a couple of times and we asked for what we actually ordered the waiters told us it was his fault that it got messed up, but he never corrected it and brought the correct food out so I think that's the only problem that we really had otherwise otherwise everything was good. I would return to this place again just make sure you're very clear when you order. read more

Very mixed bag on Friday evening for a family birthday. Greeter was awesome, very friendly, complemented one of our party on her outfit. Seated quickly on the patio. Caesar salad and calamari appetizers were fine, neither were outstanding. Pasta dishes were ok with the highlight being the quality of the take home containers. They acknowledged the birthday celebration by bringing us, and charging us for 2 mediocre cannoli's. Service was generally slow and after recent overseas travel where you can do contactless for everything it was disappointing to be told "cash is king" when trying to pay. Friends have had great experiences so perhaps we were just unlucky, try it first yourself. read more

Welcoming personnel, attentive staff. Amazing food, especially the pasta with seafood! Chocolate lava cake was the perfect dessert. Four happy people, lots of leftovers and a nice bottle of wine :$300 read more

Went to Firenze for lunch and ordered a chopped salad. I was shocked that, for $18, I received cut lettuce with bits of tomato. More of a side salad at that! I expected to pay more--but also to get a tasty meal of adequate size. I won't go back. read more

Was very excited to stop in for dinner at 7 PM as this place looked welcoming from the outside. We waited in the lobby for 5-10 minutes, but no host or hostess came out to greet us. We walked into the bar area and not a single worker acknowledged us, didn't seem too busy inside either. If you're a walk-in during dinner time, maybe look elsewhere folks read more

The menu food is consistent and good but the bread offering is terrible. It has no taste, it is hard to chew and it's the first thing served when you sit down. It's not hard to serve tasty and good bread at an Italian restaurant and this is a terrible start to the meal and no one I know likes it. Yet, they serve it up with every meal and every to-go meal. If they changed the bread, I may even consider 5 stars but it's so bad I couldn't get past it read more

Yummy, yummy, yummy. My favorite restaurant in this area. Food is delicious, service is great. I enjoyed the Ravioli di Formaggio this time. But each time I come here I try something different and have always been pleased. read more

Wow amazing service!!! From reception to our server Christine. Also when I called the gentleman on phone was friendly and attentive asked if our visit was a special occasion which it was, I was celebrating my birthday! I'm honestly surprised this place doesn't have the maximum amount of stars. The food was incredibly delicious!!! Thank you guys for making my birthday a memorable one! read more

Wonderful experience! Stopped in for a late lunch and was over joyed to see so many fabulous items on the menu to choose from. The wine list was also really nice. Highly recommend the shrimp and pasta in the white wine sauce. The ciopinni was excellent as well. Yummy hot bread was excellent. Indoor and outdoor seating options. Highly recommend. read more

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Our go to Italian in N San Diego area. Never had a bad meal gr8 service. Pastas and sauces are fabulous.

One word.... leftovers...! The portions are huge. Tasty and huge btw. But, the lasagne I ordered was truly a brick of food with béchemel sauce on top. Tins of meat and noodles to even out the great flavor inside. Others in my party had the Ziti (again large portion) and veal Marsala which my wife loved. Fantastic wine list. We brought a fun bottle, $25 corkage wasn't horrible. So, drink up! Mark did a nice job as our server and was there to explain the menu. The intention is dark and intimate, but my only knock would be it's too close and I felt the servers had to squeeze into the areas between tables. It's a ways out of our little bubble, but I'd go back and maybe split items. Nice place. read more

Firenze Trattoria - First time! - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

i've been coming here for 25 years with my family and recently returned, and was shocked by the prices they are charging. The pasta prices alone are absurd!! $5 for a coke ??? Lastly, the main staple of their menu, which was a huge huge client favorite was the sautéed calamari with Diablo sauce which is been since taken off the menu and they would not make it for me at all. When I asked the waiter, if they can do the sautéed calamari and white wine that they used to have on the menu as well, they said no that they only do fried calamari now. Very sad I as I will never come back here ever again based on four people with no alcohol drinks spending $220 for pasta and 1 appetizer. read more

When you want to treat yourself to a nice, authentic Italian meal, Firenze is the place to go. All their dishes are amazing, and the staff are just amazing too! They go above and beyond to ensure that your meal and experience is great. I came here with a party of 25, and the staff were definitely on top of it. You can tell all of their noodles are home made, and the extensive wine list will leave you very satisfied. What a wonderful hidden gem in Encinitas. read more

Firenze Trattoria - Italian Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Three of us went last night, 6:00 reservation. We were seated immediately even though we were a little early. Bill was our waiter and he was excellent both in his attentiveness and suggestions. Food was wonderful. We had the burrata as an appetizer and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the carbonara and it was terrific. I also tasted my son's lasagna which Bill had suggested when asked. It was delicious and the portion was huge. No room for the tiramisu that I want to try there. The reason they did not get five stars was because we had to ask three times for water. Other than that it was a five star experience for us. read more

The best evening as always! A lovely place with an amazing atmosphere that is a neighborhood staple for us. Delicious food and incredible service. Very accommodating with every request we had. Not to mention great cocktails! Will be back again soon. read more

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This is the perfect place for an intimate date. The mood is very nice here. The food is amazing! The lasagna was my absolute favorite. In fact, I could not finished the entire thing because it was massive! I can't wait to go back. The staff was very friendly and attentive. read more

I don't know why it has taken us 2 years to dine here at Firenze... oh ya, Covid. 5 minutes from our house and I truly enjoyed it. The service was amazing, the food was excellent and the atmosphere was enjoyable. We met with our friends for dinner, had delicious calamari fitti and mozzarela caprese for apps; Nothing left. Excellent bread. For dinner we enjoyed and shared the lasagna firenzi (best I have had in this area), Rigatoni all Vodka e Fungi. Both were excellent. We also had some wine, chianti from Italy in which we fully enjoyed (they have an excellent and affordable wine list). Overall, an excellent evening. Service: 5 stars Food: 5 stars Ambience: 5 stars Cleanliness: 5 stars read more

Good food, excellent service. Came in on a Thursday night. My girlfriend ordered the veal special. I ordered the carpaccio. My girlfriend enjoyed her meal. Mine was ok, I thought it was a bit flavorless. I order carpaccio all the time at other restaurants. Maybe some capers, lemon and more dressing on the arugula. Our cocktails were great, and the service was outstanding. I will probably come back here and try something else on my next visit. read more

This has been one of our favorite restaurants and we would always celebrate birthdays there. We've tried many different entrees in the past and always said we never found one we didn't like. We even ordered take out during Covid to support them. After today I don't know if we will go back. Everybody was pretty underwhelmed with our entrees but my halibut special ($$$) was absolutely awful. I could barely eat any of it. I had others try it just to make sure it wasn't just me. Halibut is a mild fish and should not taste fishy but this fish was downright nasty tasting! The waiter seemed offended when I told him how awful it was. I wanted dessert to get rid of the awful taste in my mouth but we were all so hot because our table was now in the full hot sun. So we hurried off to go home to have ice cream. The service was ok. The ambience is usually really nice but the sun made it so hot that we couldn't really enjoy our evening out. Time to find a new favorite place! read more

Very nice Italian near Rancho Santa Fe. The food is good and plentiful, on the homey side. We enjoyed the ravioli and sausage platters and some delicious wine. The lasagne is very good but quite heavy...be prepared to take a doggy bag home. read more