The restaurant is a whimsical Italian decor. The staff are very welcoming. The service is slow. We arrived at 5pm and didn't leave until 7:45p. There were long gaps between courses and waited about 15 minutes to receive the bill after the plates were cleared. The food was salty. We ordered the pasta special in the aged parmesean bowl. We also ordered the Brasato. The Burata was delicious and the beet salad was more arugula than anything else. read more

Miguel was a wonderful server! Had a late valentine's dinner and couldn't recommend enough! The food was incredible and the vibes were great. read more

Limoncello - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

We visited Limoncello in La Mesa on a Wednesday evening and found parking right up front, which was a great start. We were seated immediately and welcomed by friendly employees. We began with the pane fresco and arancini. The bread was warm and simple, served with butter, and tasted good. The arancini, while flavorful, could have used a bit more cheese inside. For the main course, my friends and I all ordered pasta, and the servers were able to customize them to our liking. All of the pastas were phenomenal! We finished the meal with a birthday dessert and a lava cake, both of which were delicious. The service was amazing, and I'd definitely come back! read more

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The food is absolutely amazing!! So delicious! The ambiance beautiful and romantic. The service is five star! Gaetano was so personable and recommended the best food. His customer service is above and beyond. We felt so welcomed. My new favorite place to eat!! read more

Limoncello - Chicken Piccata - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Hmmm...i'm always so excited when a new restaurant opens in La Mesa!! Limoncello has a lot going for it. I liked it but i did not love it. First of all the atmosphere feels really brunchy. . It's extremely loud and very bright. It does not have a nice mellow dinner vibe. It was nearly impossible to have a conversation there. The service was excellent. I made some special requests. The waiter wrote everything down and the order came out correct. Hooray!! The limoncello martini was adorable. With sugar around the rim and a yummy lemon popsicle inside, it was thoroughly enjoyable. I give the food mixed reviews. I ordered the half chicken. I give it a solid 3. I eat a lot of chicken. This was either a very tiny chicken or a pigeon or most likely a quarter chicken white meat. The sauce was tasty but the potatoes were extremely plain. This dish was definitely not worth $29. Hubby ordered the arugula salad and the seafood appetizer. He absolutely loved both plates. Both were quite generous and the seafood was well seasoned, well prepared and very fresh. I hope this place succeeds and i will go back for a second try but right now this was definitely not a five star experience. read more

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What a delicious meal and beautiful restaurant! Came here with my best friend for my birthday and our food was amazing! Miguel was a stellar server, will definitely come back soon! read more

Cutie little Italian restaurant along a line of stores in La Mesa! We were in the area for Oktoberfest and wanted something that wasn't a food truck/food stand and stumbled upon this gem! The interior design is so well done- clean, vibrant, and happy. The staff is also very attentive and friendly. Lots of great conversation and recommendations! The salad I had was so fresh and great for a hot day, and the pasta was incredible. It was cooked perfectly al dente, with a sauce that wasn't too overpowering but very flavorful. The tomatoes really made the dish pop. The only downside is how far this place is from where I live!! I'll want this every time I want Italian food, but I think it's worth the drive. read more

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The pasta saved this review. We went on a Wednesday night, it was not busy. 4 tables total with a lot of people working. Our service was not great. Our server (who only had one table other than us) forgot about our drinks so we didn't receive them until after our food was brought out. The pasta was good but small portions for the price. The tiramisu that was $12 was small and tasted store bought. Again, service was terrible. Disappointed because my last visit here was good. read more

I was invited to a foodie event here recently and this review will be based on that-- Limoncello is the latest addition to downtown La Mesa . The ambiance and decor is so bright, cute, and inviting ! I love that it's an open-air restaurant with a few tables outdoors . Here's all the food I tried-- COCKTAILS- LIMONCELLO MARTINI is their signature drink . It's fun, it's flirty, and it's Instagram-ready . The martini is tart, zesty, and had a nice sweet balance from the sugar lined rim . The star of the show here is a huge lemonade popsicle addition right on top of the cocktail itself ! 7/10 for the drink and 10/10 for presentation ! WATERMELON SANGRIA was soooo tasty . It was very fruity, had some berries inside the drink, and super refreshing . 7.5/10 I wish both drinks were a bit stronger as I like to taste the alcohol in my drinks, but hey-- beggars can't be choosers lol . I believe our server said something about not having a liquor license yet, so they're using their own housemade 20% alcohol at the moment -- APPETIZERS-- PORTOBELLO's presentation was beautiful and this was honestly one of my fav bites of the night ! So savory and decadent-- you wouldn't even believe this wasn't meat ! There were even minced up mushrooms inside the ciabatta bread -- SO CREATIVE and soo fun to eat ! 10/10 PANE FRESCO was an assortment of foccacia bread and ciabatta served with TRUFFLE COMPOUND BUTTER . This was such a pleasant bite-- made for the bread-appetizer lover ! Foccacia was baked perfectly . I didn't try this ciabatta bread, but heard it was delightful 9/10 STRAWBERRY AND BEET SALAD was a great starter ! I am huge fan of arugula-- it had whipped lemon ricotta, smoked hot honey, balsamic pearls, pickled mustard seeds, and SPICE CANDIED WALNUTS-- so much flavor ! 8/10 MAINS-- PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE was my number one fav bite of the night ! Such a delightful vegetarian dish-- it's a classic southern italian style eggplant parmigiana plus homemade fettuccine. The eggplant parmigiana was cheesey and jammed packed with flavor and the fettuccine was cooked perfectly with in a delicious red marinara sauce . 12/10 ! BUCATINI AMATRICIANA-- I don't think I've ever had bucatini before, so it kind of surprised me . The texture of this pasta was thicker and had a bite to it -- there's a hole in the middle of the pasta-- like a large sour punch straw but without the sugar lol . It had tomatoe sauce, onions, thick cut bacon, and pecorino romano . Flavors were great, but I wish the bacon was crispier in this dish . 6/10 SALSICCIA E FRIARELLI had HUGE rigatoni with garlic and roasted sweet baby tomatoes ! The Italian sausage was definitely giving me all the Italian vibes . You need a bite with everything on it-- savory and sweet heaven . 8/10 PANZEROTTI was so pretty ! It's homemade ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta in a white sauce . The sauce was creamy and on the sweeter side . 7/10 DESSERTS-- CANNOLI was cooked perfectly . The outer shell was crisp and you can see the flakey bubbles . The cream in the inside was not too sweet and the addition of fruit were lovely . 8/10 TIRAMISU was moist and rich . You can taste the coffee and is a great finisher ! 9/10 Overall, it was a good foodie event experience-- we got to taste a lot of their new dishes . The servers are nice and parking is pretty easy to find . I'd prob would like to visit this place again in the future as a dine-in guest, maybe as a date night or a girls dinner . read more

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@limoncello_lamesa is very cute Italian restaurant with their cozy inside and outside seating, they serve variety of delicious pasta dishes all made with love, recently opened in La Mesa, definitely it is worth the visit Their staff are incredibly nice, special thanks to Sofie who took care of us read more

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Why did I wait so long to come to one of the coolest restaurants in the Village? We loved it, from the moment we entered the stylish spot to the loud clang when my son's spoon hit the empty dessert plate. The offerings are generous and delicious! It was great value for the quality and amount. I had the Panzerotti, an amazingly mushroomy creation. My husband had appetizers, including the octopus, which, if available, is a must. Our son had the Lasagne Bolognese; he couldn't stop sopping up the sauce with the bread. Our server, Francesca, was sweet, helpful, and never let my water glass stand empty. There is a surprising large amount of seating in the restaurant, which has pop art (who doesn't love Sophia Loren?) and Italian pop music playing in the background. It's a great venue for dates, group meetings and friend outings. read more

Limoncello - The yummy ravioli! - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This is hands down our favorite restaurant in East County. Everything is so fresh and sooo good! I recommend getting the fresh bread, trying a pasta dish(they're all amazing), and the. Try the chicken dish or the ossobuco. The staff are all so nice. I think they must be a family or know each other because they are all Italian. They are so sweet and kind. The ambiance is great, such a cute and unique spot in La Mesa. This is a perfect date night spot! read more

Limoncello - Cocktail - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

Miguel, the best service in town .Great personality. Knows his food. The food is outstanding! read more

1. Ambience was cute and quaint and fun! Tables are a tad close but it's workable. Lots of lemons and fun colors. Definitely reminded me of Cesarina. 2. Service was amazing. Pretty sure our waiters name was Rafeal. He was amazing. Very attentive, personable and had a great personality. 3. Food- meatballs were amazing. Bread with oil was interesting it had like hot pepper flakes in it. My husband had lamb he said it was good and I had the lobster ravioli. Which I was a tad disappointed in. I did not like the presentation. The red raviolis kind of was turn off for me. Also it didn't really taste like lobster there wasn't any chunks it was like a puree but it didn't have a lobster taste. And it being one of the more expensive dishes on the menu I expected to be wowed. I wish I had gotten the pappardelle or something else. The cannoli and tiramisu were both really really good. In the end I would go back and order a different main course. I think I chose wrong. read more

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My husband and I had dinner here tonight and had such a wonderful experience. Mateo was our waiter and he was very friendly, polite and professional. The food was amazing!! We will definitely come back. read more

Service is amazing! (Victor in particular:) Food is delicious. We loved the Caesar salad, the Parmesan wheel and the OssoBuco . We highly recommend this lovely place!! read more

Magical place! We Happened to be in La Mesa and we were walking around. We remember that this place was going to open and oh my gosh, it was a wonderful surprise. The place is super bright and fresh! What do I mean by that? Open, lovely decorated and the service was very nice. We stopped for a quick meal and we were not disappointed. Food was delicious. At least, what we ordered. If you are in the area, I hope you will give them a try. Try it and comment, and above all, enjoy the whole experience. Happy meals! read more

Limoncello - Interior - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

This place was so amazing! I loved the food! We ordered the chef special which our server recommended and we absolutely loved it! The place was decorated beautifully! I loved the glass chandelier and the service was great!! We will definitely be back again! read more

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So happy this place finally open! This cute little Italian spot did not disappoint. The interior is bright and cheery, comfortable seating and beautiful tile everywhere. The staff was wonderful! Very welcoming and helpful with great recommendations. Very attentive. The food was absolutely delicious. Fresh, homemade pasta (you can actually see it drying in the back) paired with perfectly seasoned and sauced dishes...YUM! We started our meal with sangria and a limoncello martini which was so fun!! If you like a sweet lemony drink, it's definitely worth a try. We followed up with the burrata which was topped with a very delicious and unique red pepper pesto. Would definitely get this again, and was presented beautifully. For the entree, we got the lasagna of the day which was generously portioned and delicious! They also had options of fresh cheese to top your dish, which was a very nice touch. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce to cheese ratio was perfect in my opinion. A great meal! TLDR; great new Italian spot, delicious fresh pasta. Can't wait to come back and try more dishes! read more

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Best pasta I've ever had made by real, beautiful Italians who have somehow made their way to La Mesa. Even the hostess spoke Italian and everyone truly treats you like "when you're here, you're family!" The Limoncello martinis are to die for and will also cause you to die if you drink too many. Oh, and it is beautifully decorated and impeccably clean! The outdoor seating is perfect for people watching while drinking too many martinis, lol. read more

Obsessed with this restaurant! It was our first time coming and Roberto was super helpful and accommodating. They have a great selection of limoncello drinks (surprise surprise); don't sleep on the limoncello sangria. We loved both pasta dishes we tried and the fish of the day (mahi mahi). Can't wait to come back! read more

Limoncello - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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We came back for Happy Hour with our now 6 month old German Shepherd puppy and it was like visiting Family. Such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The food was delicious and the service by Guytano was superb! Will be back soon! Highly doubt read more

Fabulous! We went here early-ish on a random Thursday for my Husbands' birthday. He chose it, because he like the word Limoncello, and Italian food. It's lovely bright space, with colorful cushions, and patterned tiles on the floor, There is a window to the kitchen and you can see the handmade pasta drying on racks. Service was phenomenal (complete with charming Italian accents), and he was happy to help me choose between my 3 top choices, my husband knew he was getting the lasagna. The bread service was great with a creamy butter in a spicy olive oil, that was a nice touch. We got the burrata for an appetizer. OMG! the burrata was lovely(duh) , but they had grilled the tomato slices, and it was just that perfect little different touch. But the grilled artichoke hearts were MIND BLOWING! I'm never all that impressed with artichoke hearts. They are usually woody, over vinegary and just meh. These were tender and perfectly flavored, with a dash of smoke form the grilling, I could have eaten a bushel. I got the pappardelle, with sausage, short rib and meatballs. The pappardelle was perfection, thick and wide noodles (cooked to that al dente I can never ever achieve at home.) and the sauce was heavy yet also bright, all the meats had their own flavors, and textures, yet it all came together as a whole . I thought I had the best bite of food of the year, until I tried my husbands lasagna Seriously the lasagna was the best I have ever had! I don't have enough flowery words to describe it. The marinara was bright and light, and the creamy white sauce (béchamel?) was subtle and a perfect counter point to the tart marinara. The pasta sheet were cooked perfectly and the meat filling tied it all together with flavor and texture to simply make it the Best Lasagna Ever! They brought my Husband the tiramisu for his birthday, which was neither too sweet or too coffee forward. And we ordered the cannoli for ourselves, it was also not too sweet, and tasted like it was freshly made. Simply put Limoncello is a 10/10 and we plan to go again. read more

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Roberto!! Grazie!! The food (muah) delicious. Worth every single dollar. You must try the food here!! read more

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Great night! Thank you Francesca for your wonderful hospitality , we enjoyed spending time with you!

This restaurant is a cute local spot if you're in the downtown La Mesa area. It was super warm out, so the sangria was perfect. We ordered the burrata appetizer which was pretty good. For entrees we did the rigatoni and lasagna. Both were a really good portion size and flavorful. read more

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We love this charming Italian restaurant. The decor is modern, bright, and trendy. The owners/servers are from Italy and we enjoy our conversations with them. But the food and drinks are the stars here. You can't go wrong with the traditional Aperol Spritz but try the limoncello spritz for a refreshing variation. The artichokes are our favorite appetizer. You've probably never had them like this before. Fresh, light, lemony, delicious! We've never been disappointed in the entrees, but the pappardelle is probably my favorite. It has the short rib meat in it so if you can't decide between the pasta and the short rib you get both in this dish. The limoncello cheesecake is the perfect ending to the meal. If you haven't tried this place, do yourself a favor and go. read more

Limoncello - CARCIOFI ALLA ROMANA Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Great food great ambience or server Miguel was amazing. I can't say enough about the food but oh my goodness that tiramisu to die for!!!

We received a gift card and didn't know what to expect. The food was amazing. We ordered the Ossobuco di Maiale and the 15 month Parmesan wheel. The guy put on a good show doing the wheel. Both were delicious. We topped it off with a Cannoli to share. Miguel was an awesome server! read more

The place is really pretty and all the food was good not too bad on pricing. Only complaint was we ordered bread for an appetizer and it came basically cold. Other than that the rest of the food was good read more

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I've been wanting to try this place since they opened and finally did. Right in the village in La Mesa it's a great location. The decor inside is unique and beautiful. My daughter and I both loved the lights and the center round seat in the middle of the room. Service was very friendly and attentive. We had the meatball appetizer and a selection of fresh breads. The meatballs were some of the best I've had. Exceptional. My daughter ordered the lobster ravioli and I had the pappardale with (more) meatballs and in a fantastic sauce of sausage with fennel and pieces of braised short rib. The signature limoncello martini was delicious and the lemon popsicle on top is a cool treat. We finished off with a creme brûlée for dessert which what can I say. It's creme brûlée. read more

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What a "deliziosa" night at Limoncello! It was our first time dining there with four of our great friends. We had an amazing evening. The decor and ambience were so cool. We also loved all the art work of Sophie Loren too. Check out the cool ceiling light fixtures and adorable touch table lighting. Everyone's choice of entree was incredible. We loved our waitress Francesca from Sicily. She was attentive without being intrusive, fun and definitely made our evening very memorable. We are all thrilled to have found this little gem not far from where we live. Thanks for a wonderful evening of great food, fabulous service and lots of laughs. Ciao! read more

Limoncello - Francesa and her brother - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I was in the mood for mussels and I saw them on the menu. I ordered the mixed berry martini which was fantastic. Very flavorful and perfect for a summer evening. I wasn't terribly hungry, so ordered the mussels and clams by themselves as my entre. They were great! Done perfectly, the bread was nicely toasted and great to dip in the sauce. I would definitely get this again. I saw other people order dishes that looked delicious as well. Service was great and attentive. I'll be coming back. read more

Limoncello - Clams and mussels Cozze & vongole - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

The place looks nice and has a nice atmosphere but it's in the noisy side. Cocktails were good. For appetizer we ordered the burrata and it was excellent. We also had the fritata and it was ok. As an entree I had the Carbonara pasta and what a disappointment! The sauce was all coagulated and it was bathing in oil (see picture). It was also pretty bland. We also had the lobster ravioli and they were fine. For desert I had the lava cake and it was really overcooked. Absolutely not liquid at all in the middle and pretty dry. I politely pointed it out to the waiter and he was completely dismissive and laughed. I had to show him what is a lava cake on Google... We also ordered the tiramisu which is served in a tin. It was style over substance. In summary, this restaurant is really overrated and expensive! read more

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We've heard great things about Limoncello; so we finally experienced ourselves and it was amazing! Francesca, our adorable server from Sicily was charming & engaged. The food was absolutely delicious (try the pasta in the cheese wheel!) and the ambience was charming. Love the different tiles on the floor & "traditional & modern" art. We Limoncello!! read more

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Service was great very authentic Italian guy did not get his name but on point been hearing about this place in La Mesa well so has the lamesians lol it was packed no tables I luckily made a reservation on open table just by chance so make one . I have nothing negative to say just for the exception of the ac did not work and the mussels in the app dish were bad did tell sever hope he told somebody. Definitely will be back just won't have the seafood read more

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Service was as fantastic as the food! Our server victor was great and super inviting! Will definitely be back again!! read more

Limoncello - Limoncello sprits and limoncello martini - Italian Near Me - La Mesa, California

One of my absolute favorite restaurants! the happy hour is an amazing deal , we get several " small plates " to share that are actually great portion size . The pizza is amazing- the crust and dough are homemade. The drinks- I would say one of my all time favorite drinks ever is their limoncello martini. It is so refreshing , so yummy and comes with a lemon popsicle on top. We have ordered several different plates and have always had a great experience. The service is top notch. The staff is so friendly and accommodating. We never have to ask for refills , the food comes out quick . The restaurant itself is beautiful . I always recommend limoncello to my family and friends when they are talking about going out to dinner. read more

First time dining here. Food was delicious. Had the BEST Tiramisu I've ever had. Normally I don't care for it but this was unlike any, from Narnia or something! Lastly, excellent service. Ask for Francesca- Sicilian-welcoming, endured my sloppy Italian attempts. Her brother works there too! Great team. - read more

Exceptional food and wonderful service... we felt so catered to.. and the open atmosphere is welcoming. I took my mother-in-law who was so happy with the food, the desert. Nummy. The we ice was the best... always with a smile and. He kin in to make sure all was well. Congrats to the owner who has created a gem! 5 stars! read more