I initially learned abot Lala from an article by Troy Johnson, in San Diego Magazine. The review was breathy and complimentary, in particilar about the "speakeasy-club feel". Lala is located directly North of Barbusa Restaurant, with, of course, the same ownership. The waiters wear plaid pants, which add to a festive air in the two dining rooms. The dining room itelf is divided into an enclosed front terrace section, crowded with little tables, and the back banquettes by the bar, which are most comfortable and preferable. When Lala first opened, the menu was quite complex and varied. Sadly, it has now been "streamlined" of many of the best dishes. Gone are the Caviar and potato chips. The Calamari used to be offered in a Kung Pao style, but now all of that has been banished. read more

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Had a great time at Lala! I ordered the squid ink pasta (spaghetti Nero con aragosta) and I am still dreaming about that dish. My friend ordered the gnocchi rosa which was delicious as well but the squid ink pasta definitely took the cake. Will definitely be back to have it again. For drinks I had the stiletto, which I liked but a tad sweet. The ambience is perfect for a romantic date night. I felt like I was dining in a cute European restaurant. Since it's in the heart of little Italy, parking is tough if you're trying to find street parking but they do have vallet! Service unfortunately was just a bit slow which is why I had to take off a star. We prob sat for a good 25-30 min before our order was taken but it could've just been an off day or understaffed. TLDR: come for the squid ink pasta read more

Been here few times.. small place but vibe is vibing . Food is good and we've ordered the usual. Service is fast and staff are nice read more

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Went during happy hour on a Friday, so it wasn't too busy yet. Sat at the bar and ordered one of their espresso martinis, which I really enjoyed. They are one of the specialty cocktails that are at a discount during HH, so that was a plus. They have a few HH snacks that I don't think are on their regular menu, but the other food items on the HH menu are just regular prices. We had the short rib arancini, which were good, but very little short rib in them. The decor there is interesting. Unfortunately while it's intimate, it almost feels a little like a fancy basement with the low ceiling. Service was very friendly and helpful. Overall I feel a little mixed about the experience, but felt like 3 stars was too low. I would come back to try a whole meal and update it then. read more

Lala - Espresso martini at the bar - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Amazing drinks, cute decor and great service but little bit of an off putting smell. Hard to enjoy myself with that smell.

Food amazing! Service was over the top! Ambiance was relaxing, and just perfect. Loved that we got last minute reservations, well worth it! read more

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This place left a lot to be desired. We arrived for our reservation and the table was not ready. We waited at the bar in the meantime and it was pretty crowded. There isn't much space to navigate around the bar and tables. Service up to that point had been lacking. Folks at the door were not very friendly nor at the bar. Eventually we were seated. While seated, our server was better. She was friendly and helpful. Though it did take a long while to get our check after we finished out meal. I ordered the seafood risotto and my friend ordered the lasagne. My risotto was pretty good. The portion was sizey. My friend said her lasagne was also good but was confused by the addition of peas as an ingredient. Overall, nothing particularly special especially for the price. read more

Lala - Risotto - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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All the staff here were super sweet and welcoming. Highly recommended this spot espresso for gnocchi lovers. Every item I tried was perfection read more

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The staff seemed irritated that my group of 6 came for a drink and app at 9:30pm on a Saturday night. There were multiple open tables. I'm hoping we just hit a bad night because our server was super rude after we ordered 6 cocktails and two appetizers. While ordering apps, she removed three of our place settings to the table behind us. The French bread appetizer we had was delicious. The drinks were unique and good. The atmosphere was great. We loved all the unique artwork. We just loosely felt that the waitress hated us. read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Shoutout to Jamie for being a truly sweet and attentive server. The vibe I was on that night was very mellow and low-key, and Jamie matched it perfectly with warmth and kindness. She really was the bright spot of the night. The restaurant itself is cute, very small and intimate, and Ferris was also great. As for the food, I'd give it a solid 3.5 out of 5. It just didn't hit the mark for me. But the service? A clear 5 out of 5 thanks to Jamie. Sometimes, it's not just about the food, it's about the people who make you feel welcome. And Jamie definitely did that. And shoutout to Rosana as well, who finished up the night with Jamie and was our server once upon a time ago at Barbusa read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Wow. I had an intown friend invite me to meet here for dinner. This is a place I wouldn't know about since I'm from out of town. This place was so awesome. The server at the bar was seriously so perfect and kind and gave a great vibe. The food he helped give me suggestions to order were all super perfect. The food and ambiance in here was perfect. read more

Lala - Fries were amazing - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Pretty darn tasty meal and terrific service team. I'm in town for a work meeting and our team of six secured a reservation for dinner last night. Cocktails were well prepared and tasty the starters were overall quite good - the short rib arancini in particular were delicious as was the fried calamari and my main was also ample and yummy - pork ossa bucco. Colleagues had the squid pasta and eggplant parm that looked yummy. All and all very good and recommended ! Glad we had dinner here. read more

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My girlfriends & I went here after seeing their spotlight on San Diego Mag. I booked a resy for Friday night & trying to find parking was a nightmare! I circled for what felt like a gazillion times, gave up & ended up parking in their valet. The restaurant is hard to spot because it is deeper inside from the street because they have a small parking lot. The restaurant is small but gorgeous. However, where we were sitting, we kept on getting bad whiffs of something, the sewer maybe? We shared numerous dishes & all of them were good except their Chargrilled Oysters. They were overly chewy & tasted old... We should have asked to swap it out with something else but the service was already rough from the start so we just left it as is. read more

This place deserves a 20/10!!! I have not one complaint about Lala and I have already recommended to so many people visiting that they need to try this restaurant. We have the best service and learn so much information. Also, his recommendation on food were spot on, everything we ordered was delicious. It was a group of 6 of us and each dish had so much flavor and came out hot. I got the gnocchi with cheese and we all had a share of Carpaccio for the table. The restaurant itself is gorgeous inside and great ambiance with the light and decor. We will for sure be back! read more

Lala - Gnocchi Rosa - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Tucked away at the back of a parking lot in Little Italy, Lala is truly a hidden gem. Owned by the same family behind Barbusa, Nonna and café Zucchero (other fantastic spots I'll need to review soon), this restaurant delivers an unforgettable Italian dining experience. We went to celebrate a friend's engagement, and the staff went above and beyond to make the night special. They surprised the couple with a beautiful dessert and made sure we were taken care of the entire evening--top-notch service! For food, we started with the short rib arancini, which was perfectly crispy and packed with flavor. For mains, we had the lasagna pinwheels and the spaghetti Nero con aragosta--and let me just say, everything was absurdly delicious. The lasagna pinwheels might just be the best lasagna dish I've ever had! If you're looking for incredible Italian food with amazing service in a cozy, tucked-away setting, Lala is an absolute must-try! read more

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For starters, this place has valet and it worth it! For $12, just avoid the madness in little Italy. Quite a steal. I'd recommend making a reservation but the venue was thoughtfully and joyfully decorated in holiday gear both times I went in December. The drinks are cutesy and the restaurant/bar has a darker atmosphere the some other restaurants. I enjoyed the food although the servers were a little slower then I expected. Overall, the experiences were great and I enjoyed the festive environment. I've recommended this place to several close friends and all have said the same. Enjoyable place to go to celebrate a special occasion as well. read more

Lala - Beautifully decorated inside and out - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Pros: Very sweet service(i loved our waitress) Beautiful ambiance Candy cigarette as a to go gift Cons: Antipasto tower didn't have enough bread, only 3 small slices. It honestly ruined the experience of the tower to not have enough bread to match all the different tastes going on. The gnocchi was just okay. Overall: i definitely think this place is more of a cocktail bar than a food restaurant, but it's a very great cocktail bar! I'd return for a drink, but not for the food. read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

great restaurant concept and the decor is up for the holiday! for starters -- we ordered the "TOASTED BAGUETTE" , "SHORT RIB ARANCINI" and "STEAMED CLAMS". All were delicious, be sure to save some bread to mop up that broth, so tasty! For the mains we got -- "TORTELLONI MARINARA" , "LASAGNE PINWHEELS" and "GNOCCHI ROSA" .. You cannot go wrong with any of these .. I suggest everyone order something diff and the table shares to taste it all! If you sit in the back, the place can get very loud .. but thats only attributed to the "pop up" style restaurant layout .. great music, great atmosphere. Be sure to order a couple rounds of the "THE CASANOVA" to get the appetite warmed up .. read more

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This is a fairly new spot in Little Italy. Went last night for dinner. The decor is really cute. The menu is very small and leaves a lot to be desired. None of the entrees come with sides and they dont offer any. How do you serve a steak with a garlic bulb as a side?? No potatoes, no veggies. Now the food we had was very flavorful. However, this place is grossly overpriced. And on another note, they allowed a girl to come inside and sit at the bar with a big dog on a leash. The dog was jumping up trying to get on bar stools and jumping up on the kitchen door. Several workers also pet the dog and then proceeded to go back into the kitchen! This is beyond unacceptable for a restaurant. I wont return here and don't recommend. I'm read more

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Went to Lala's for Valentine's day and it did not disappoint! First of all, the restaurant ambiance and the design reminded me of a classy speakeasy. Our server was very nice and he gave good recommendations for our drinks. My wife got the Espresso martini and I got The Casanova. Excellent choices to start off. For our starters we got the tomato burrata, a french baguette to pair it with and the lobster bisque. The tomato burrata was perfect and it went very well with the French baguette. The lobster bisque was also tasty and rich and the pastry on top was soft and flavorful. Our main dishes did not disappoint as well. The Fazzoletti Pesto was our favorite as the pesto filling was fresh and it complemented the cheese around it. The Fettuccini Alfredo And Shaved Truffles was good but it didn't meet our expectations for the taste especially since it was the most expensive of the pastas. Lastly the New York Strip steak was tender and was perfectly cooked to our preferred doneness. The mushrooms and onions that came with it were also a good addition to the steak. Overall we had a great time and we enjoyed our date here and we are hoping to be back to try everything else on the menu! Lala can be both a perfect place for a night out with friends as well as a quaint date spot! read more

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LaLa is the perfect addition to San Diego's Little Italy scene . Food/drinks are top notch, super instagram -worthy ambiance, and perfect for a girls night out -- A girlfriend I were out celebrating Aries Season and decided to randomly drop by last Friday night . We arrived around 430pm and was greeted by the super sweet host who said they only had bar seating available, which was totally fine ! When we walked inside, we were surprised to see all the empty tables lol-- I'm guessing you should make a reservation in advanced to save a table . There were a few other duos at the bar, so maybe they wanted to fill up the bar seating first ? -- I honestly don't know . As soon as we sat at the bar, the bartender poured us waters and gave us the menu-- I'm sad I didn't get his name because I absolutely adored him ! Here's what we had-- Paso Robles Cabernet-- beautifully smooth and all I needed was one lol. 9/10 SidePiece-- tequila based and gingery . 6/10 Night in Milan-- refreshing, strong, zesty, yet fruity . 8/10 Steak Tartare-- literally my fav bite of the night . Rare steak was tender and well seasoned . Melt in your mouth deliciousness . Lots of herbs and flavors . Honey Dijon mustard horseradish kick in the background for that tart bite . Quail egg yolk for creaminess . Served with crispy chiccarones for texture . Must order ! 9/10 General Joe's calamari-- insanely addicting . Calamari was lightly battered and cooked perfectly . Sweet, mildly spicy, and delicious to snack on ! 8.5/10 Loaded potatoe gnocchi-- chewy, bouncy, and so fun to eat ! Bacon, cheese, white sauce . A bit basic, yet such a bougie bite ! 7.5/10 Overall such a fun night ! Service was grand, vibes were everything, and food/drinks are definitely worth checking out . Ps-- bathrooms are legit the cutest !! read more

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Walking up to LALA's you don't really know what to expect because its in the back of the parking lot, and you can't see in side the building, yet it still looks very intriguing. Once inside, we ordered a few cocktails and throughly enjoyed them. The ambience and decor is really nice inside. Also, I thought it was cute at the bar they have little ice breaker books to keep you entertained at the bar or on a date :)S read more

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Lala had been on our shortlist thanks to a friend's recommendation, and it did not disappoint. After a weekend celebrating my girlfriend's birthday, we chose Lala for her actual birthday dinner, and it was the perfect way to cap off three days of festivities. We arrived a little early to unwind with a drink and were immediately impressed by the helpful bartender and an excellent happy hour menu. While two larger parties were being served when we sat down, we never felt overlooked, thanks to our incredible server, Ryan, and the attentive staff. The food and drinks were outstanding. We shared the Osso Buco and Rigatoni Marinara, enjoyed the Lala Martini and Lathario, and finished with the Sicilian Donuts, which were truly one of the best desserts I've ever had. Thank you, Ryan and the Lala team, for making my girlfriend's birthday dinner unforgettable. We can't wait to come back! read more

The food here was amazing! Our server was so kind to us and very attentive. I recommend getting the tomato and burrata with the bread and butter! 10/10 would totally come back!! read more

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I had high hopes for this restaurant, and while the food was delicious and the ambiance was pretty, there were many operational issues and lack of attention to detail that left everyone in our group unimpressed. We had a group of 9 people, however we brought our own 2 bottles of wine and paid the corkage fee so we did not start off putting in any drink orders. - We put in 5 appetizers to start and only 3 arrived. When we followed up about the beef carpaccio and oysters, we were told the beef was coming and they forgot to put the oysters in. The beef carpaccio never arrived throughout our entire dinner. - A few of us ordered salad with our dinner. They didn't bring us new plates, so we had to serve the salad on our appetizer plates which were covered in red sauce from the appetizers. Soggy, saucy salad is not good. Also the croutons were absolutely massive and hard to cut. Absolutely too big to eat whole. - Our table was VERY wobbly and couldn't be stabilized, which was a constant distraction. - The cocktail I wanted was unavailable because they "ran out"? When I asked which ingredient they ran out of (hoping to consider alternatives), the server couldn't specify and just offered other suggestions instead. Are the cocktails pre-mixed? - A $9 sparkling water that someone ordered early on in dinner and also never received was put on our bill. It's disappointing because the kitchen clearly has talent, and the space itself is stunning. But the lack of attention to detail in service and operations made it a disappointing group dinner. Everyone loved their main dish, so maybe this place is better suited with a smaller group, even though we thought we were a very easy and straight forward group. read more

Lala - Lasagna pinwheels - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Lala is the latest restaurant to open in Little Italy. For reference, it's located next to another Italian restaurant, Barbusa both on India Street. The Busalacchi family are a restaurant dynasty and also own and operate local restaurants: Barbusa, Nona and Zucchero. Menus change seasonally and offer limited selections of Italian cuisine. The Lala martini is one of the signatures to try, topped with a peppadew stuffed pepper, added a spicy tingle to my lips! The interior decor had influences of vibrant colors reflective of olive and coral all classic and collaborative. Note the alluring vintage wall Art of nudes. No outdoor seating. Service from the staff and servers was attentive from the moment we stepped inside. The classy ambiance is similar to restaurants I frequent in Bel Air and Beverly Hills. Was excited to see this new restaurant, would have preferred it to be more spacious, but it's limited space and seating makes it perfect for an intimate rendezvous for a cocktail and/or dinner. Business attire appropriate. Will return and definitely worthy of my recommendation. read more

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The Busalacchi restaurant group in Little Italy has opened its newest business next door to Barbusa. Lala made its debut this week in a structure to the north of the flagship eatery. The place holds about 60 seats including the central bar area so it's rather cozy. There was a public valet stand in the driveway if you wanted to use that paid service. Otherwise, good luck finding curbside parking in this neighborhood as I circled the blocks multiple times before coming across an open space. The current soft opening hours are from 5 to 11 pm daily. The one-page food menu consisted of eighteen listings with three sides scrawled across the top margin and then appetizers, shared plates, entrees, and a dessert below. I suspect the kitchen will occasionally rotate dishes in and out of the menu. I picked the Parm Potato Chips from the top and then the General Joe's Calamari and Stuffed Shells. The spuds were double fried and very crispy with lots of grated parmesan cheese sprinkled in. It was easy to polish off this snack as the chips were addictive. The flash fried squid was the lightest batter I have tasted in such a preparation. There was minimal breading used which I thought was terrific. The calamari was dressed with a calabrian chili glaze, soy sauce, fresno chilis, peanuts, scallions, and carrots. The shells came as four pieces of pasta stuffed with ricotta, marinara, pistachio pesto, and parmigiana. If you are a vegetarian, then this dish will be perfect for your taste. Although I don't imbibe, the cocktail list was a highlight of the bar's offerings. The decor surrounding the bar was intricate art from the Renaissance period. My waitress was polite and efficient with her service. The price tags for the three largest entrees were $40+, however they didn't seem out of place for what you received (e.g. 16 oz of meat). Lala certainly doesn't have the scale of its older brethren, but there were enough creative eats and drinks for a satisfying meal. read more

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Cute hidden gem. Next to barbusa and has a tiny parking lot. I recommend valet. The service and food is amazing. I ordered a mocktail since I'm preggo and it was delicious... called Night in Milan. The calamari was crispy and perfectly mixed in the sweet sauce. My ciopinno (sp) worth every bite. Full of seafood. read more

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Came with my lady Thursday night, overall pretty cool bar. The food, music, drinks, and atmosphere was a vibe, I just didn't like the bar chairs. read more

Lala - Menu - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Since we are here weeks ago I've been craving those lasagna pinwheels, meatballs, arancini, we ate so much I could go on but I'm forgetting all we ordered. We found this place on Yelp and everyone that reads this should just get a reservation don't look any further for Italian food in San Diego! The service was phenomenal we sat at the bar it's our favorite spot in every restaurant. The mood was set with great music and adorable decor! We will definitely go back the next time we're in town! CHEFS KISS read more

My friends and I had reservations to try their Mob Wives themed pop up and were horribly disappointed. The pop up boasted a $50 preset menu that included a cocktail, Caesar salad, fries, and spicy rigatoni. We'd talked about it for weeks and had reservations for 6:45 on June 7th. We dressed to the nines in our best Mob Wives ensembles and got to the restaurant early. The hostess said we looked great for the theme but our table wasn't ready yet. We gladly sat at the bar for a round of drinks. I want to clarify that the service was great all around. Bartenders, wait staff, and hostess were all very sweet and attentive the whole time. We closed out at the bar and moved to our table once it was ready. We eagerly informed our server that we would all do the preset menu when he told us the promotion was over. We were a bit shocked because the Instagram for the venue says the promotion runs "through June." We asked him to confirm and he came back a few minutes later to confirm the promotion was over. We decided to piece the same menu together and split it between the 4 of us. While we were waiting for our food the hostess walked by so I asked her if she knew the promotion was over, given she complemented our outfits up on arrival. She said she was surprised to hear it was over as she thought it was still happening too. The food came out, it was good, but splitting it 4 ways left much to be desired. We left hungry. In the end we spent MORE money than we would've with the Mob Wives menu for 1/4 of the food/drinks. I normally steer clear of poor reviews but a week after our reservation, the Lala Instagram page posted four promotions for the ongoing Mob Wives pop up. I messaged them asking for clarification on the dates and was ignored. The poor communication is the reason for 2 stars. read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

The food here, amazing! I went here for dinner where I had Beef Carpaccio to start off. LOVED IT. We had some drinks, can't remember the names, but was so good and fresh. Then i shared the Risotto with one of my friends! Definitely was enough for two people. We devoured it. The service was quick and very friendly. Ambiance was so cute! I will definitely go there again. read more

Lala is Barbusa's little sister who still has a little growing up to do but will get there! Located in the back of a parking lot, with a small pink neon sign, she's easy to miss. There's valet parking out front for $12 which was convenient. We went there for a friend's birthday and tried so many things! For appetizers we tried the calamari which was light and delicious, and short rib arancini which was perfectly crispy, and the oysters had a buttery crumble that hit the spot. The lasagne pinwheels was a classic dish and very filling. The spaghetti nero con aragosta was so good with al dente squid ink pasta and lots of longostino chunks. Do not get the butternut squash ravioli unless you want dessert for dinner because the amaretto cream sauce was overly sweet. Drinks were delicious and stiff. Very loud since packed tiny place but overall great ambiance. Service was slow because it was very busy but friendly. read more

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I've visited Lala twice and have had great experiences both times! My favorite menu items are the spicy caesar salad and the lobster pasta! Tried a few new items the second time and loved the oysters and calamari! The service has been very slow but all of the servers are kind and helpful! We were celebrating a birthday and they charged us a birthday fee for the dessert which was really weird because they didn't give us an option on having dessert or not... it was just weird to give a dessert and charge for it without any communication. I like the ambiance there! It's decorated very nicely and lots of spots for a cute photo if you want to do that! read more

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great Italian food and great service. quiet little place with valet parking in little italy

Looking for the perfect girl's night out? Look no further than Lala. The ambiance was 20's mobster vibes, I read about that in some reviews and dressed the theme of mob wife which made it even more fun. They had craft mocktails that were delicious, I got the Passionate Virgin, it tasted as good as it looked! We also shared a spicy Caesar salad (a must!), I got the Gamberi Busalacchi and my friend got the Osso Bucco. We both loved our meals and the vibes were on point. read more

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Had a reservation for 5 for a birthday dinner. Seating: We requested a booth, but got a table for 4 with an extra chair. Ambiance: Moody, dark, girly chic, VERY tight and small. Service: Not good service, waiters seem annoyed, no introduction or menu review, they serve your drinks spilling on the table, and we had to ask waiters to clear plates after appetizers. No check ups to see if we were doing okay. Waiters walk around the restaurant staring at you seems like they don't know what to do. Food: YUMMY! Good flavors, good portions. Everything hot and fresh. Dinner menu is very limited. Conclusion: Good for MAX 1-3 people for apps and cocktails. read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Lala was soooooooo good! The drinks were bomb and the food looked amazing! We sat at the bar and the bar staff was awesome! The ambiance is fancy, but relaxed. 10/10 read more

Lala - Single Fin Date Club - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

First visit here. In San Diego for a conference and decided to try Lala based on reviews. We' were promptly greeted, connected with our friends who were joining us and seated. Ambiance was cute. It was a little dark but had a neighborhood vibe. Our waiter came to take our order and was nice enough. 3 people had spaghetti and meatball which was acceptable. I had the Bibb salad which was tasty. My pesto cream pasta was mediocre. Our bruschetta was tasty and cut in small portions which was nice. Unfortunately, our server was not attentive throughout our meal. We ran out of water and he forgot my wine until I was halfway through my dinner. He never checked on us regarding our dishes. By the way my dish came out much later than everyone else's. I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a better experience. read more

This is a cute spot in little Italy. I expected more ambiance wise in terms of decor, although it was still well put together. The drinks were good, but nothing new. The steak tartare was the best thing that we ordered, but the chicharrones did take away from it. The loaded gnocchi was very underwhelming and had close to no flavor. The stuffed shells had a good marinara sauce, but the stuffing had very little flavor. The service was the best part about our visit. I really appreciated how attentive they were to us and how they offered new plates when a new dish came out. They also offered to box our food which I always appreciate from a restaurant. The parking can be tricky since it is primarily street parking in little Italy. Keep an eye out for the place since it's tucked away a bit from the street. read more

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