Una comida deliciosa! Comida authentica con servicio increíble . El ambiente es de otro mundo! read more

Il Massimo - Creamy chicken, house wine - Italian Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

We ate there last week. Food, atmosphere, and service was excellent. Joshua, our waiter, is both professional and capable of handling the whole front room himself. Highly recommend. read more

Sincere thanks to Chef Massimo and his team for an unforgettable dining experience. We decided to visit Il Massimo for dinner based on the countless glowing reviews online. The restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Ensenada (aka Centro) in a yellow building--you can't miss it. There's a parking lot to the left-hand side for those taking a car. The staff was unbelievably welcoming -- from the front of the house who took our temperatures and applied hand sanitizer, through our servers Miguel and Austin. Seriously. My water glass was never half-empty and we felt extremely taken care of. We sat in the outdoor patio area. Lovely ambiance - shaded, relaxing, and peaceful. And then there's the incredible owner, Chef Massimo. He personally greeted us and made us feel like we were the only guests in the restaurant. Since it was our first visit, he took the time to explain the highlights from the menu and offer personalized recommendations. Simply amazing. Based on our preferences, we ordered the pan-seared octopus as an appetizer. It was perfectly prepared - tender and flavorful. With a squeeze of lemon and homemade chili oil utilizing imported Calabrian peppers, it was the perfect appetizer to kick off our meal. It paired very nicely with my red wine blend from Corona del Valle. Now the entrees. My Italian friends say a Pappardelle is a measure of Italian restaurants and you can never go wrong ordering it. That held true at Il Massimo. Divine al-dente pasta topped with a bold, robust yet balanced sauce-- it was just amazing. Then there's the tuna steak - it could not have been prepared any better. TENDER! So fresh with no fishy notes and outstanding seasoning. The arugula grapefruit salad on the side was a wonderful compliment. Bright and delicious. The ingredients are all local and organic. The freshness and quality really shine. Though we were becoming full, we simply could not resist ordering a delicious dessert. Two desserts, in fact: a cooked-to-order lemon lava cake and gelato. The former was warm, as well as bursting with flavor: deliciously citrusy and sweet. Such a welcome twist on the classic chocolate lava cakes and more than worth the wait. Then there's the cream-cheese-based gelato. So decadent and rich, with Italian cherries and pistachios to add complexity. We savored every bite. Lastly, we enjoyed the limoncello digestive aperitifs. Strong, bitter, and sweet--simply the best way to end the meal. We left EXTREMELY satisfied with everything: the food, hospitable service, and ambiance. A must-visit when you're in Ensenada. You will NOT regret it. read more

See all

Wow! Was in Cali months ago and had to drive down here. I've heard amazing things about this place from friends near the border. There's nothing like this in the states. All the dishes were extremely unique and the food tasted phenomenal. They had a nice variety of wine. I went with a glass of red wine because the waitress said it would pair nicely with the rabbit ragu. As an app I ordered the pulpo, which is octopus. I love ordering octopus everywhere I go, but it's very hard to prepare properly. It was cooked perfectly and had the perfect texture. The chilis added a nice kick to it and weren't too overpowering. For my entree I got the rabbit ragu. I honestly did not expect to eat rabbit until I came here, but the waitress insisted that it was her favorite dish on the menu. The picture does not do it justice, it was delicious and the pasta was cooked al dente. For dessert I tried the lemon lava cake. I honestly had never heard about it before and I love lemon. It was the perfect lava cake and the flavors were all very balanced. If you're ever in Cali/Mexico or even near the border, you definitely have to check this place out. Food and service were impeccable. The quality is unmatched anywhere in the states. All the dishes were so unique and perfectly balanced. I've been reminiscing on this experience and really hope I can return one day. read more

Il Massimo - Rabbit ragu - Italian Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

The most amazing place you'll find to eat Italian cuisine in all of northern Baja. Amazing food, spectacular service and the personal attention of the owner and Chef de Cuisine, Massimo Zaretti. If it's on the menu, get the Beef Wellington. If not, the Osso Buco or the fettuccini bolognese are perfect proxies. And get the piggy panacotta for dessert. Complimentary Limoncello completes a heavenly meal. Get. In. Here! read more

Whenever we are in town , we love to spoil ourselves by eating here . He's good is so delicious & the presentation is truly like a 5 star restaurant! We always get greeted & welcomed into his restaurant as if we were walking into his home . Always a very warm & friendly welcome when you enter Massimo ' s Thank you for the years of a great dining experience Sincerely Jay & Rudy Gonzalez read more

So my buddy Carl tells me about this Italian restaurant in Ensenada as we're driving there from Fresno. Since I'm a big fan of the Italian cuisine and have eaten it all over the world including many trips to Italy I insisted we go there. Ordered the Bolonese pasta dish and Carl ordered a special rigatoni with vodka sauce they were offering. Both dishes were excellent. Even got to talk to the chef who was on the floor the whole time we were there. That tells you that he has competent chefs he has trained in his likeness so that he can mingle with his clients. Smart. If you're ready for excellent Italian food with hand made pasta and the freshest ingredients then you're ready to go to Massimo! Crazy Bernie is a big fan. Highly recommend. read more

See all

Amazing meal...from starter to desert! The service was excellent and our meal was exceptional! We enjoyed the meatball appetizer and arugula salad, with the white lasagna and sous vide chicken specials. Finished with the lemon lave cake and baked apple cake with vanilla gelato! By far our best meal in Ensenada...include Il Massimo in your itinerary, it's worth the visit! read more

See all

Attentive and kind. Started w the Arugula Salad was incredible fresh and tasty . Large shavings of Parmigiana Cheese and a wonderful Olive oil w Lemon dressing. Next the Meatball appetizer. I am incredibly picky witb Meatballs. These ones which are cheese filled are great. Not as soft as I like, but the taste is excellent. Now the main course, Pappardelle with meat Bolognese. Fantastic!! The Pasta was perfect. The Bolognese was sooo good. Fresh Parmigiana on top. Licked the plate clean. Highly recommend!! read more

Il Massimo - Pappardelle Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

Great place! Had a delicious meal with great service and lovely atmosphere. Not cheap but pretty reasonable for the quality. Went with my husband on our last night in Ensenada. Great way to end our trip. They added lots of nice little extras - starter, after dinner drink. read more

Stumbled across this cute little restaurant on Yelp. Exceeded our dinner experience expectations. Exceptional customer service from the moment you step foot into the restaurant. The flavor of every single dish & beverage was superior. Chef Massimo and his team provide the best service and authentic Italian meal in town! Recommendations: * Caprese * Meatballs * Pappardelle Bolognese * Truffle Sauce Pasta * Pastel Manzana * Tiramisu * Café Americano * Sangria read more

See all

Our first time at IL Massimo. What a great meal. Highly recommend the meatball appetizer. One of the specials was the halibut, which was cooked perfectly. Can't wait to go again. 5 stars for sure!! read more

Amazing food and dessert! I enjoyed their service, ambiance and food, everything. It was very tasty and delicious. I will definitely go back there again! マッシモさんは日本で2年間修行し繊細な味の料理が最高です。木曜日が休みでそれ以外は6日オープンしています。皆さんエンセナダにいったらll massimo にいって 彼のスペシャルを堪能して下さい。 read more

I went here last night with some friends. We sat outside in the back which is a really nice area. We started off with an amuse Bouche of a torta from the chef followed by the grilled octopus and the heirloom tomatoes with buratta. Those two dishes were so good. It made us wonder how much better the rest of the meal was. Well the rest of the meal was excellent. Between the 5 of us we had: Eggplant dish. It was perfect for the person who had it as the slices of eggplant were fried without being coated in flour (she has Celiac's) The fish of the day. It was perfectly cooked The spaghetti with tomatoes and shrimp. The taste was even better than the beautiful presentation I forget what the other two had, but I can tell you that they both stopped just short of licking their plates. We were too full for dessert. The waitress then brought out some home made "cellos". The was a choice of mandarincello, pistachiocello and chocolatecello 4 of us did the mandarin and the 5th did the chocolate. The Mandarin reminded me of something I had in Portugal a few years ago. I got to taste the chocolate one and it tasted like a sinfully decadent chocolate ice cream. The service is EXCELLENT, and the staff is bilingual. read more

We enjoyed every dish here-the steamed clams and mussels were delicious, our salads were fresh, and each of our dishes, La Zuppa y Pasta Negra were full of flavor. Fresh seafood, amazing service, and the desserts were incredible. Karina was friendly and answered all of our questions. We can't wait to come back! read more

Il Massimo - Dessert-rich and so cute! - Italian Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

See all

This has to be the BEST Italian food spot I've ever tried. & I have tried a lot! The grilled octopus was to die for. & don't get me started with their pastas! Amazing! From the appetizers to their wine 11/10 recommend this place. I went 2 days in row back to back that's how delicious it all was. Will be coming back again. Here's a video of what I had: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdrrEN1u/ read more

Awesome!!! Apps were good. Wine was good. Entrees were great! I had halibut and it was delicious read more

Fantastic Italian food in Ensenada. Il Massimo is authentic and breaks the mold of traditional Italian dishes. We were welcomed with our two small doggies to sit in their lovely patio. The arugula salad and grilled octopus were great starters. The squid ink pasta with shellfish was delicious. Also, the truffle bucatini is a good recommendation. We typically don't order desserts but when we saw the Nutella banana tiramisu, we couldn't resist. I'd try the Rose water panna cotta and raspberry powder next time. The staff is very attentive, friendly and welcoming. My dog jerked the table and spilled my wine onto my plate. The kitchen staff and waiter didn't hesitate to make me a new dish. I appreciated it because the wine on the plate was cutting the cream in the sauce. Thank you to a lovely service. read more

See all

When you find a spot that you enjoy as much as we enjoyed Il Massimo, you hesitate to post here because you want to keep this place all to yourself. We invited my Sister In Law and her man out for her post birthday meal and from start to finish the food was outstanding . Austin was our waiter and he gave us great recommendations and Chef Massimo checked in and gave us a bit of history and origin of a few of the dishes. Must trys are appetizers escargot, pulpo and the tri colore, Main dishes Trufa Bucatini Osso bucco And the dish with chicken sous vide Next time We will be back with more friends. read more

Il Massimo - Pretty much everything we ate - Italian Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

I had seen the Billboards, and every time, I said: 'I'll have to go there the next time I'm in Ensenada'. I am so glad I did. What a spectacular experience! After the amuse bouche, we had Caprese with Burrata...so delicious. Next came my favorite pasta dish, Cacio e Pepe (which is SO difficult to find unless you're in Rome), and my husband had the Pappardelle Bolognese. Both were fantastic, and tasted divine. Massimo tried to tempt us with dessert, but we couldn't eat another bite. Next time I will definitely save room to have some... The hospitality was amazing, where everyone worked together to make sure your every need was met. I can't wait to return, and will 'make a trip,' even if I don't have things to do in Ensenada. Il Massimo is a rare find indeed. read more

Food was delicious and the atmosphere good. It is a small quaint restaurant so reservations recommended.

Don't miss this place! The chef drives up to San Diego weekly to get product transported from Italy. The burrata I had was from Puglia! It fills the longing I had for that dish since I don't know when I will get back to Italy. The Calabrian chiles also are shipped in weekly, and are otherworldly paired with the perfectly prepared octopus. This chef has also prepared an Ahi tuna steak that tastes like a great New York strip if you close your eyes, but way better for your body. Since we saved calories on the steak, we made up for it by having the LEMON LAVA CAKE! It's Massimo's own creation and I will be dreaming about it until I come back next time! read more

Seriously- AMAZING! The absolute BEST Italian food, in Mexico! (In the world in my opinion haha) !! Absolutely amazing. Chef Massimo was able to create these wonderful and prestigious plates all through the mind and hands of his own.. His work should be recognized all over the world!!! WOW. Food Ambiance Service Experiential dining Chef Massimo read more

See all

What can I say about this place it's great italian food. Make own. Pesto and pasta. Very good service. Cleanliness. Atmosphere. Chef is actually from. Italy Roma. Great menu, choice of wines. I had. Pasta with chicken breast. Very good. The chef came out to greet me and the dessert. Cheesecake with selected berries from Italy and added pistachios flavor exploded in my mouth. Never tasted anything like it anywhere. I plan going back. Tell the chef Lenny sent me he be glad to meet you Price $$. read more

Amazing food! All the pasta is made from scratch. It was my boyfriend's birthday and I'm so glad we came hungry. We had the Tuna Crudo appetizer, their bread and homemade pesto was so good we even asked for some to go and soaked up our remaining entree sauces with them, the Smoked Salmon Spinach Salad was a great portion to share and had a nice portion of fish to salad ratio, and we split three entrees (yes three, the pasta was SO GOOD and perfectly portioned so you're not overloaded). We split the Pappadell Pork Ragu, the slow simmered for 6 hour Beef Ragu Bolognase, and the chef/owner's choice. I'm forgetting the dish's name but it was a thick creamy black truffle sauce with pancetta (or something similar). To die for! To top it off for dessert we had a homemade cheesecake Gelato with Graham cracker crumbles and these Italian cherries, topped with a birthday candle to make it extra special. We were offered a shot of a digestiffe liquor, house infused choice of grapefruit, creamy grapefruit, or chocolate at the end. My boyfriend also enjoyed a nice local red blend wine bottle for $24 U.S. We ate everything, it was some of the best Italian food I've ever had, hands down. And for the great quality, moderately priced. The chef/owner Massimo personally greeted, ran food, and conversed with every table. He shared details of preparation with us, and made us feel comfortable and welcome. He shared with us he closes the restaurant every Thursday to go to San Diego to get proper Italian tomatoes and other ingredients for his dishes to ensure authenticity in his dishes. That's some awesome dedication! Thank you Massimo, for a wonderfully delicious dinner, we will be back. read more

Il Massimo - Italian Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

Amazing food, great ambiance, friendly waiters. Massimo the owner and Chef is incredibly professional, friendly, dedicated and passionate in everything he makes! It's a Must in Ensenada. Can't wait to go back! read more

See all

An ode to true authentic, yet avant-garde, Italian in Baja California. The visionary owner/chef creates these beautiful dishes with a methodology that is innovative while incorporating genuine Italian ingredients. read more

See all

The food is always amazing, The service is always 5 Stars. The owner always makes sure everyone is happy. This restaurant is a must try. read more

See all

We walked thru the doors and immediately felt like we were back in Italy. The ambiance was relaxing and Sophisticatedly subtle. Our servers were extremely polite, friendly and super nice. Chef Massimo made a special cheese pasta dish for our 2 year old son who loved it. The black truffle cream, crispy pancetta pasta was an explosion of flavors. The gelato with patachios with Italian cherries and the panna Cota was to die for. I've been to Italy and even there I didn't find a dish that blew me away like these dishes made by Chef Massimo. Chef was so nice always checking on how things were explaining the dishes, we felt like we were in his home having a custom prepared unique one on one experience. We had 2 glasses of wine, soda 2 entrees and 3 desserts and the bill was only $66 including 20% tip. Hands Down one of the most amazing all around dining experiences of my life. read more

Il Massimo - Ticket - Italian Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

See all

If I could give this place 10 more stars I would! The service was exceptional. The staff is COVID safe, making sure everyone is checked for temperature and given hand sanitizer as they enter. The chef/owner is extremely involved in every dish that comes out of his kitchen, and it shows in both quality and taste. All of the ingredients are fresh, and every single dish we tried was delicious ( and plated beautifully). Truly the best restaurant in Ensenada in my opinion. read more

See all

Very inviting place with interesting specials. Massimo (owner) finds interesting twists on pasta.

Best of the best. Best Italian in Ensenada, best food in Ensenada. Massimo and his staff are always welcoming and warm. The food is unique, fun, and delicious. I can't wait to go back again and again. read more

Excellent Italian food! Great service! Very reasonable prices. Soon after we sat down, they brought out delicious bread and wonderful pesto. Both were so fresh and delicious! We had the Meatball appetizer, Bolognese, Squid Ink Pasta/Seafood, and the Lemon lava cake. Everything tasted very fresh and spices/flavors were perfect. The owner (Massimo) is very personable, gracious and humble. He takes great pride in his establishment and rightfully so! He also provides a signature, complimentary after dinner chocolate digestif that he makes in house. Mmmm. Grazia! If you want some of the best Italian food made with amore, this is the place to go! read more

See all

Found a hidden gem down in Ensenada this evening. @ilmassimoensenada an Italian kitchen with a very thoughtful menu options, from their savory Escargot, arugula salad, homemade mouthwatering 4 cheese ravioli, delightful white lasagna, and braised pork cooked to perfection. #foodforculture #amoilciboitaliano #foodporn #foodlover #foodie #foodgasm #italianfood read more

See all

Went here last night and I was really impressed. The service was great and the food was good. Ordered the meatballs, pappardelle alla bolognese (amazing), and bucatini con crema di tartufo e pancetta ( this dish was difficult to eat the smell of cheese was too strong it was so over baring pecorino goat cheese is not something I like). Never had pecorino cheese and it has a strong smell and taste be aware but other than that great dinner. I think the ingredients should be explained a little better. Thanks Il Massimo read more

We had heard rave reviews of this place by several people and finally had the opportunity to have dinner here! This place is top shelf all the way around!! The food was absolutely delicious and the service was stupendous! We will definitely be eating here OFTEN! read more

Il Massimo - Dessert - Italian Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

See all

Excelent food!!! Fresh hand made pasta. Massimo recommended the fettuccini with bolognes sauce and it was amazing. Usually I don't listen to recommendations lol, this time was absolutely the right decision The canelonnis al forno were also very good!!! Congrats Massimo keep up with quality and great service, a winning combo!! read more

So glad we came across this super cute, delicious , and gluten friendly restaurant during our trip to Ensenada . Best gluten free pasta, truffle sauce , and the service is top notch ! read more

Hoped for at least one vegan option. Instead, I received an attitude so I left and went down the street to La Forchetta (much better choice). read more

Outstanding might very well be the best handmade pasta I have ever had. EVERYTHING was so delicious. The chef and staff we here extremely attentive and kind. When your in Ensenada THIS IS A MUST !!! read more