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 really, really wanted to love this place, but it just fell short. If I could give a 3.5, I would. I booked a table for Valentine's Day through OpenTable and had no issues. They were open later for the holiday, which was awesome. They also had a special, Valentine menu. Our server was amazing (I forgot her name) and she did her very best to accommodate. For drinks, we had a glass of wine and a limoncello martini (Valentine's edition). As an appetizer, we ordered the frittura di paranza, which is essentially a medley of deep fried seafood (calamari, white fish, shrimp, etc.) Looked delicious but was pretty bland, which unfortunately was the theme for the night. For our main dish, we ordered the lasagne bolognese and the panzerotti. The lasagna was the better of the two, but even that wasn't outstanding; just good. I will say that the ravioli mushroom sauce was amazing. However, I felt the filling was lacking in flavor and honestly could have been served hotter. For dessert, we wanted the creme brulee but they were out. That was the second item that we wanted that ended up being unavailable, so our server comped it for us which was very kind of her, and super appreciated. The tiramisu was delicious. I had to keep telling my boyfriend to hurry up and eat more, or I would have ate it all myself haha. Although I personally understand, about halfway through our dinner some employees opened all the doors of the restaurant to begin closing. It was 10 PM and super cold, and I could see how someone else would have felt rushed. Our server even made a joke saying she knows that her co-workers were closing down, but if we felt rushed she would go beat them up. I get that they were open later for Valentine's day and wanted to get home after a long day, but why offer to stay open later if you're going to rush people out? Again, I didn't mind, but just noting it in my review as a "food for thought." Overall, the ambiance and cuteness of the restaurant and presentation of food and drinks is what will continue to draw people in. The service was great as well. However, the flavor of the food wasn't anything to rave about. Seems to be an unfortunate pattern of trendy, aesthetic Italian restaurants in San Diego! read more

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Great service, loved Victor!! Food was awesome too !! And they had a super cute bathroom

Victor was amazing! We loved his wine recommendations & the service was perfection. The ambience was so cute!

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

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

Food: carbonara is really good. Love the pasta they used. Good amount of pancetta. Panzerotti was really, really good. So flavorful. We got the bread as an appetizer and the focaccia was fantastic. Crème brûlée for dessert not to sweet. Could have had a crisper top. Ordered the Aperol spritz as my drink and it was good and a generous portion. Service: good. Not over bearing. But water sat empty for most of the meal. 2 of the guest were only drinking water. Ambience: decor is gorgeous. Very instagramable. But it is very loud. So much so that it was hard to hear the waiter most of the time. We had reservations for Friday at 630 and they were very busy. Would definitely go back. read more

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The location in which Limoncello is located formerly housed the dull but reliable Trattoria Tiramisu. The décor has been entirely revamped with colorful glass chandeliers and a bright décor. Actually, speaking of brightness, the lighting is too bright---enough for a three ring circus. It would be a better environment for dining with a lowering of the lighting. The specials of the day are the thing to watch for, and they change every Friday. The wine list is small but servicable. I like the Franciacorta Monte Rosso Sparkling Wine--it marries well with the food. The manager Miguel is most welcoming, and always a pleasure to see. He will be sure to confirm you have a special and pleasant evening. Likewise, Roberto C. is now working here, and he treats all of the customers royally. Street parking is usually easy to find. read more

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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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Italian Heart of La Mesa Street parking Popular Crowded and loud Friendly helpful staff Vegetarian options Fish meats and vegetables Music in the background was current Make reservations read more

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It's a beautiful place with adorable decorations & warm ambiance. However, the seating arrangement is too close for comfort for me. It was busy and loud which makes dinner conversations a challenge. The service was good considering we went during their busy time (around 7:30 p.m.). We had Guazzetto for a starter. The muscles, shrimp and prawns in that dish were pretty delicious. For the main meal our favorite dish was Panzerotti. It was ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese with mushroom and Marsala cream sauce (I don't have a picture of that dish). The other two dishes we tried were Pappardelle and Spaghetti Nero. I do not recommend either of these. They were VERY bland and left a lot to be desired. Lastly, I do not recommend the cocktails. The place does not make them in house. I would recommend a beer / wine to go with your food. The cocktails are dressed beautifully but they come from a can called SABE. read more

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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!!!

I was craving Italian food and I happen to be in the area. So I jumped on yelp and this restaurant popped up. So, my mom and sister agreed to trying this new restaurant. I'm so glad we stopped by. The restaurant is nice and big. And colorful. Right when we got there the hostess was very nice and sat us down quickly. Our waiter was so nice! Roberto, he was so patient with us answered all our questions. Made recommendations. Really nice. The food was really good! I got the casarecce al ragu. I loved the noodles and the beef ragu. I love eggplant! So it just made me love this pasta dish even more! I also got the pane fresco. Now anything bread is my weakness. This bread appetizer with the compound butter was really good! I couldn't stop eating it! My sister got the cannoli with a limoncello martini. That martini was good. The cannoli wasn't overly sweet and had a nice light flavor of sweetness to it. My mom got the lemon crème brûlée. The lemon with the berries. She loved it. If I'm ever in the area again I would definitely come back to this restaurant and hopefully get Roberto again for our waiter. read more

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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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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

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

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Havent been here in years and now wonder why. Wonderful atmosphere, perfect service and memorable food. Really looking forward to coming back soon. read more

Victor was a great attentive sever and was quick with everything. The food was fresh and great but the service really stood out!

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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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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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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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

For starters, I left an earlier review panning this place because of an experience I'll explain. But somehow they got the review taken down, which is even more insulting. When we were here for my birthday, as usual the noise level in the restaurant was absolutely deafening. Idiotic ceiling design, but that wasn't the issue. Reservations were made indicating it was a birthday celebration, and not only did they completely ignore that, they brought our check to get us out of the there before they even asked if we wanted dessert. We did not ask for the check, but they waited by the table until we paid because there were folks standing out front waiting for tables. I said we'd never go back, and we haven't. Their service has always been poor, but that was the final straw. However, we did decide to try takeout there a few weeks back. When I got the takeout bag home, they had failed to include the salads I ordered. I called them back immediately and explained what happened to the guy who answered. He yelled at me "I'll take it off the bill" and hung up on me before he asked my name. So I called back, spoke to a young woman and again explained what happened. I told her my name, and I could hear her speaking to that same guy. She said that he told her he wouldn't charge me anything for the meal. I told her that wasn't necessary, just to not charge me for the salads, but she insisted that's what the owner wanted to do. When I got my credit card bill, I found that I had been charged for the whole meal, including the salads I never got. So they ruined my birthday dinner, and now ripped me off. Horrible, horrible place. Avoid at all costs. And don't try taking this review down, Limoncello. I'm not a competitor; I was a repeat customer whom you treated awfully and people should know. 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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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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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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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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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

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

Francesca was wonderful and made our dinning experience a memorable evening. The food was also delicious.

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

We went there last night and it was a bit crowded with the Valentine leftover dates. This is probably the best Italian restaurant in all of East co. Service was great and friendly and the food was PERFECT. Only complaint I have are the acoustics, the noise level can be unbearable when crowded, especially if you are trying to have a conversation. It's like they say, it's so crowded, nobody goes there anymore! read more

Francesca was awesome. Food was great. Very pleasant experience with all the food service. We will be back!

Food was excellent. Staff was friendly and efficient, especially our waitress Francesca. Cute decor-- bright and lively.