I have been dying to come to Marisi since it's opened and tonight was finally the night. We had reservations and were sat right away. Love that. Our waitress was so nice and personable. We started with the focaccia and the carpaccio. The focaccia came with some basil dipping oil that was devine. The carpaccio came with pine nuts, chopped scallions and horseradish. I've never had a carpaccio like that before. It was amazing! For dinner, my husband and I split the lamb chop, the pappardelle with duck ragu and the potatoes. Special shout out to the duck ragu which was bursting with flavor. I could not get enough. For dessert, we finished with the lemon meyer curd. I am a chocolate/custard girl but I've read so many rave reviews about the curd that I knew we had to get it. It did not disappoint. The lemon flavor was bright but not too tart. The pistachio crumble was the perfect amount of texture. Drinks were bomb. We highly recommend the Bordigo Bianco Vermouth. I'm Persian and I tasted a lot of floral notes that are similar to Persian recipes. Sooo good. Overall, we had such a lovely dining experience and the restaurant lived up to the hype. read more

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Our server, Nick, was absolutely fantastic and made our experience so amazing! The food was also delicious.

Had a wonderful evening at Marisi in La Jolla Our starter was the squid which has potatoes in a chili sauce- delicious! The pasta is very expensive for how little is plated, yet it was still a very delicate and enjoyable dish. The rigatoni was especially overpriced for being just tomato sauce and pasta, it tasted a little bland. But the pappardelle with the duck ragu was so flavorful, and probably the most filling. They do not have gluten free pasta but they do carry a separate gf menu- my friend got the risotto it was on the saltier side but very exquisite. Great spot to visit if you want to experience luxurious dining. read more

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The food here was so amazing. The gnocchi with short rib was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had, my only critique is that it was a bit too rich. The caesar salad was good, but nothing special. The atmosphere of the restaurnt is great and my server was incredibly attentive and kind. read more

Marisi - Short Rib Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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I very much enjoyed their focaccia! Definitely the highlight of the menu for me, I enjoy simple pleasures :) We also got the carbonara and cavatelli pasta--highly recommend the cavatelli! And if you're open to a new kind of martini, try their house martini. Service was great! Our waiter was very kind and attentive. Food came out quickly on a busy night. We also walked in on a Friday night & were put on a waitlist and were promptly texted to be seated! Inside looks very instagrammable. Outside seating is warmed by heat lamps! read more

Marisi is glitz, glam, and pizzaz all rolled into one genuinely joyful experience. The decor and food make you feel like you've stepped into a Capri summer Italian resort. Add an their signature aperol spritz and you have all the elements to bring on that posh costal vibe. We ordered their fresh homemade pasta which is adente to a tee. Connor, our AMAZING and super personable server, recommended the rigatoni which is a beautiful balance of spicy and creamy. The spaghettoni is adventurous. You must love uni, but if you do it's creamy. decadent, and different. The burrata as an appetizer is a must! The mixture of pears, burrata (made from the Italian region of Puglia), and Spanish almonds is so thoughtful and balanced. Last but perhaps the most important point is that our server Connor was the cherry on top of the meal that I needed but didn't know it. He gave us insights about the restaurant and all of its unique touches (glassware imported from Japan!), had all the insights for food, and kept us chuckling. If you make a reservation (and you WILL need a res), ask for Connor! read more

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The patio is nice and our service was great (Mia). However the dishes including the pasta were very bland and non remarkable. Wouldn't go back read more

Best homemade pasta, and beautiful ambiance! Our server Nick was excellent and made the experience even better! Definitely becoming a regular :) read more

Love the place, the bar gets filled very fast. Food and service is amazing. The servers are fast and attentive

My husband and I had a wonderful lunch at Marisi yesterday. The service was exceptional, and the food was delicious, as usual. Marisi is the most beautiful restaurant in La Jolla. read more

Our meal at Marisi was an incredible, beautiful experience!! From the second we sat to the moment we said goodbye, everything was immaculate. Our server Victoria was one of the best I've ever had - warm, knowledgeable, and truly just a lovely person. Every dish we had was immaculate - the gem salad, blossoms, focaccia, prawns, AND two pastas (short-rib and bolognese) were delicious! And the beauty of the space is unmatched - warm, beautiful lighting, stunning decor! Loved this meal and will be coming back! Thank you Victoria!! read more

Marisi - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

I stumbled across this Italian restaurant on yelp and decided to give it a try based on the look and the vibe it portrayed. I tend to look for fancy restaurants with a vibrant atmosphere. Marisi definitely fit the profile. Not only was the restaurant furnished well, but the food was fantastic. The decorated tiled floors, the color scheme, the mirrors, and the layout of the restaurant is attractive. For food we ordered the Focaccia (bread), Crudo, Squid, Strascinati (lamb ragu pasta), Gemelli (clam pasta), Line-caught fish, Bone in New York Steak, Coffee and Cream (dessert), and Milk Chocolate (dessert). The Focaccia was served freshly baked and salted. It was delicious, and even more appetizing when dipping the bread into the chili condiment. The Squid was probably my favorite dish. The flavors the calabrian chilis and the fingerling potatoes mixed well with the squid and the sauce. The crudo was the least memorable dish. It was plated well and designed to taste simplistic but I felt it was missing a substance. The Strascinati was flavorsome as each bite had a hint of gaminess due to the perfectly cooked lamb. Also the thinly sliced squared cheese topping was a nice touch. Their new pasta, the Gemelli, was also a good pick as the dish was seasoned well. I did like the texture of the noodles as it is a type that I have not tried before. The noodles to the Gemelli are basically two thick noodles spiraled together. The Line-caught fish was salted well and cooked to perfection. The charred skin to the fish made it that much better. The New York steak was just ok. In fact, it could have done without the brown sauce that the waiter pours on it. I am a crazy critic on steak so I may be a little more judgmental on steak than others. For dessert we ordered the Milk Chocolate and the Coffee and cream. Both desserts were delicious. However, the Milk Chocolate caught me by surprise. It is plated flat with decorated cream covering the top. You have to dig through the cream to get to the chocolate which gives you an quenching bite of both flavors. The Coffee and cream had little chocolate bars hidden in it which was delightful. Overall the atmosphere and the food was amazing. Also, their service is impeccable. They timed each set of courses perfectly and were very attentive. read more

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Went here with some girlfriends. The service was ok. Most workers had a slightly irritable attitude though, including the manager. They won't accommodate parties larger than 6. We had 8 and wanted to have two parties of 4 sit together (there were tables to do this), and they wouldn't do that for whatever reason/because they are a "new restaurant and still figuring everything out." The prices are high and none of the menu items stuck out as that great. The duck pasta dish tasted like pulled pork from a crockpot. The ambiance is great though and the building is absolutely beautiful! The food is supposed to be shared family style, but the portions are tiny. This is Italian and I left HUNGRY. I went and got a waffle ice-cream cone down the street on the way back to my car lol. Ughhh. Don't recommend- it's not worth the hype. read more

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Marisi's ambiance is full of classy Italian gatsby vibes. From their handmade pasta to balanced cocktails and wine selection - the whole experience did not disappoint. Our server was very kind and offered to walk us through the menu as it was our first time. My fiancé and I split the focaccia and burrata as starters, followed by the rigatoni and capunti for our main course. While we didn't try it, we heard great things about the house made limoncello. Such a lovely spot for date night, or even a drink at the bar. read more

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feels like a little transport to Europe vibes dinner menu is more extensive than brunch menu; yelp shows pictures of pasta and we came in for brunch wanting pasta but there weren't too many pasta options for brunch Got the rigatoni, good , would have wanted to add meat to it Got the brisket dip sandwich , unique item on menu , good and on heavier side read more

The place is very cute for its dinning area and I would come back for the ambience. The servers were great and attentive as well. The food portions are small so if you are really hungry I would suggest getting an appetizer. For the food alone I would not come again but it is a nice place to explore a new restaurant with a trendy setting. read more

There has been quite a fuss surrounding the recent opening of Marisi, with Instagram posts, etc., and a well-orchestrated buzz disseminated around the San Diego restaurant community. Even my dermatologist [who lives in La Jolla Shores] was waiting for the restaurant to open! My first visit was on a Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m., exactly one week after the "official" opening. Parking was easy to find on Wall Street, right in front of the historic La Jolla Post Office, one block away. As I entered the courtyard patio at Marisi where the reception desk is posted, I observed two hostesses and a man [who I was later to learn was the general manager] attending to a man and a woman in front of me checking in with their apparent reservation. There seemed to be some unknown difficulty for the staff in checking them in, with the hostess scanning her screen over and over, and furtive conversations among the staff hovered around the computer, but finally the manager led them away to their designated table. Then it was my turn to approach the reception desk, which, by the way, featured a beautiful and large grouping of pink roses fashioned into a square. It was absolutely lovely. I announced my name to the brown-haired hostess in a brown floral print dress. As she was locating my name, I commented that I preferred to sit at one of the banquettes on the patio, most of which were open at that early hour on Wednesday. It should be noted that the front courtyard patio is really the "main dining room" at Marisi. The other options are to be seated at a group of little tables squashed against the wall surrounding the imposing interior bar, or in a small, claustrophobic low-ceilinged back dining room painted in shades of yellow. That's it. In response to my comment about seating, the hostess pursed her lips into a frown and walked from behind her podium a few steps to a little table plunked in the center of the patio and stated as she gestured with her hand, "I actually have you here". I again remarked that I preferred to be seated at any one of the multiple open banquette tables throughout both sides of the patio---I was NOT requesting a specific table. With that, she returned to her screen and with eyes downcast for what seemed like five minutes of searching [for what?] she finally turned to a smiling, curly-haired busboy who was now standing by her side and whispered to him to take me to a banquette table on the north side of the patio as she pointed at it with her finger. As I began to follow the busboy, I turned to the hostess with a smile to say "Thank you", but her only response to me was downcast eyes and the continued pursed frown. No words emanated from her downturned mouth. After the initial interaction with the unpleasant and unprofessional hostess, it was a pleasure to interact with my very professional server, Morgan, from Maryland, as well as the sommelier, Chris Plaia and the Marisi General Manager, Ghali Benhima [who, as stated above, unfortunately had left the reception desk to seat the man and woman ahead of me before my checking in with the hostess, so he did not witness the unfortunate interaction]. What I loved about Marisi was the five delicate roses on each table, and the unique and very thin wine glasses. Morgan controlled the pace of the four courses I selected [including bread] exactly at the cadence I had requested, and she was there to pour the wine as needed. I was unable to enjoy an espresso or an Irish Coffee after dinner: Marisi was entirely "out" of coffee! read more

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Came here last night for dinner with my friends! While the food and service were good, my friends and I were sat 15 minutes past our reservation at 7:30. We even made an effort to show up early to get seated on time! It begs the question of a necessity of a reservation if you're just going to be seated on their own schedule anyways. Furthermore, the food portions were small for the prices, and there was an additional 4% surcharge on our bill for a small party of 3.... I think this restaurant warrants a try, but I wouldn't necessarily return! read more

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Popped in to just get drinks at the bar but ended up ordering some food after seeing how good everything looked. The bartenders were so kind and attentive. Really enjoyed our experience at the bar. Food and service were great! Will definitely be back! read more

Marisi - Coffe and cream dessert - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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This restaurant is 10/10 with their food, service and ambiance. My husband and I went here for our anniversary dinner and loved it. Michael & Ian were exceptional and made sure we got a surprise to celebrate our special occasion. read more

The interior design and focaccia are amazing...other than that, this place is incredibly average and overpriced. The server we had came around once every 30 minutes, and we even skipped getting dessert because we didn't want to wait any longer. Super disappointing. :( read more

Marisi - Focaccia and squash blossoms - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Omg! This place is absolutely divine! From the gorgeous ambiance to every bite of their delicious food, we are completely over the moon! Our server Marisa was amazing. She had excellent recommendations and a perfect bedside manner. We can't wait to come back and have Marisa wait on us again! Thank you, Marisi! read more

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Food is outstanding at Marisi but service (server) last night was dreadful! We came for our anniversary a month ago and service was amazing. We were so blown away by it that we brought our best friends to dinner to celebrate his birthday. Unfortunately, last night was far short of being amazing. The server totally neglected us, did not even try or apologize even after we told her. This negative experience put a damper on the evening. We should have not left a tip but it's not the busser and runner's fault the server is incompetent. Thank god for the awesome busser and runner. Food is awesome but I don't think we will ever go back. read more

A group of us went for opening night at Marisi and let me tell you, that was the best opening night that I've ever been to for a restaurant. Absolutely no issues and the service was excellent from top to bottom. The aesthetic of the restaurant is perfect for a nice date or a night of celebration with friends. It is classic Italian but elevated in a way that beats any Italian restaurant that I've had in San Diego. If we had any questions about wine the sommelier was great at pairing one of their wines with our desires. We went with a group of 6 and I highly recommend ordering family style and trying multiple different plates, (we all even shared all of our entrees). Absolute must haves: Carpaccio was PERFECT Crudo Burrata Pappardelle Agnolotti was my favorite pasta and great to pair with something more savory like the Pappardelle or Rigatoni Honestly, you really can't go wrong. Every dish that we (and we had a lot of food, just look at my photos lol) had was delicious but if you want to get the most out of what this restaurant offers, order multiple things to share and create your own tasting menu. Highly recommend this establishment, my wife and I will definitely be returning soon. read more

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VIBE: The hostess and over all staff is top notch on opening night. We loved the overall atmosphere. Music is bumping and it feels celebratory. The neighbors that brought you Puesto door, just launched their "Italian" open kitchen restaurant. I recommend to stick with their mission statement: Pasta, wine, cocktails. DESIGN : The pastel Spanish design is very feminine, beautiful and draws your eyes up. The bar is extremely inviting, and I think in fact, that area are the best seats in the house. It's a great first date place as the music and overall California casual vibe is vibrant with the Capiz chandelier center stage. Love the Aesop hand soaps and fresh flowers scattered throughout. PASTAS : *****Duck pappardelle, OMG, get it now (savory, comfort food with thick noodles), Agnolorri which was sweet, savory, & different. It was a staff favorite and we enjoyed the corn and unique flavor profiles. These two dishes are a must try !!! WINE : Lepiane, Malvasia. Happy Canyon. Santa Barbara. Fruit forward with lychee, honeysuckle, lime. It paired so well with the Burrata and peach salad. The Somm was so friendly and had excellent recommendations with the food. START : Squash blossoms, Burrata salad with fresh peaches. Peaches were quite memorable and actually a stand out paired with the balsamic and tasted so much better with our wine. COCKTAILS : Espresso martini, the drinks exceeded the caliber of the entree. MEH : Maybe because it was a hot hot night, but the lamb chop was meh. Maybe it was our fault for ordering it on such a hot evening. It was over sauced & salty. The best part was actually, eating the bits from the bone. The menu changes seasonally, so we will be back for sure, especially for the Pappardelle. Again, this is an excellent date night place and locals will love it because it does not feel too stuffy. It's California casual where you can totally go dressed up or dressed down. Ample free street parking on a weeknight. Tourists, don't expect the traditional Italian over heavy dishes that you get in the East Coast that puts you in a pasta coma. The overall experience is very California Coastal, light, fresh, and casual. read more

Nick was PHENOMENAL!!!! He was so attentive, kind, and gave great recommendations. He was exceptional, and people like him keep people like us coming back to restaurants like this! read more

Ambiance is really great. Really cute restaurant. We got the ravioli which were amazing. The chopped salad and the prawns were not that good. Drinks were okay. The server really tried to push us to order more food, which I didn't love. read more

We celebrated an anniversary at Marisi which is still pretty new to downtown La Jolla. The space is new and improved and a more traditional style Italian meal. We started with the brassicas and the polpette. Both were very good and cooked great. The polpette had a nice crispy outside providing a nice texture element to a traditional meatball. We then shared the pappardelle and the lamb chop. The pappardelle was just a little over cooked but the duck ragu was very flavorful. The lamb was cooked perfectly and was a great overall dish with crispy mushrooms and spinach. We finished with the meyer lemon which is a must. A perfect dessert to finish off any meal! We will be back as it was definitely a better Italian spot. The price is definitely higher than most other Italian spots in the city but the service and flavor really make up for it. read more

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The food at Marisi was delicious , highly recommend the crudo, tomato tartare, and housemade pastas. Ambience was charming, upscale, perfect for a friend's night out for dinner and drinks. Nick was our server and his recommendations for the meal were excellent , only to be topped by his friendly personality and going above and beyond with service. would definitely dine here again! read more

Marisi in La Jolla was the cutest place for a romantic date night! The salad and their version of the tiramisu was delicious. Only downside was that my rigatoni was a bit spicy, I had to take frequent breaks due to the spice. And, the einkorn cavatelli was good, but the pasta did feel too al dente. The vibes were there though! I recommend checking them out if you're in the area. I truly loved their hospitality, we went for an anniversary dinner and got gifted some Prosecco read more

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Awesome place. We walked in with a party of on Sunday for brunch. Service, food and ambiance was amazing. They accommodated the large party, joining two tables, catered to our food allergies and even got us a birthday cake for a nice celebration. Love it. Thanks to Ian for making it a memorable afternoon. read more

This. Place. Is. Fantastic! I was absolutely so impressed with the service & the entire staff was delightful! The focaccia was easily the best I've ever had, so highly recommend that! The rigatoni hit every mark a great pasta should have & it is definitely a must have! Finished it all off with the milk chocolate AND the meyer lemon (I couldn't choose!) which was to die for!! All in all, I'll definitely be back and can't say enough good things about the entire experience at Marisi! I only remembered to take a picture of one dessert but it was all so absolutely impressive when it was served! read more

Marisi - Milk Chocolate - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

May helped us make this experience unforgettable. The restaurant is beautiful with an open kitchen concept and an inviting bar area. Inside, outside and indoor patio areas to eat. Marisi staff is so attentive and aware of their guests comfort we were constantly amazed. The pastas were best we've had, Gnocchi was delicious, rack of lamb perfectly cooked and all the sauces flavors complemented the dish. All of Mays recommended items were spot on. Definitely go here for a great experience and book in advance! read more

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Everything was PERFECT. From the atmosphere and ambiance to the food, drinks, and service. It was the best dining experience I've had in a long time. We started with the crudo, carpaccio and polpette. The crudo was so good that we got two orders of it but honestly I could have eaten two orders of everything. Then, we got the pappardelle pasta which was heavenly. Ended with three small plates: the brassicas, artichoke and mushrooms. Everything was amazing but the sauce paired with the artichokes was delicious. Finally, ended the night with the Meyer lemon and coffee & cream dessert! Both were so good and really large portion size. Also had the espresso martini and a virgin cosmo, both were addicting. Will definitely be coming back! read more

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Came here for a birthday day on a whim and glad that we made it happen. The service is 10/10 mostly because our server, Lucas took the time with us to explain the menu and drink pairings. The food was delicious especially the prosciutto and pink Negroni. The atmosphere in the outdoor patio was a vibe would recommend to anyone coming. read more

Marisi - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

last night must have been a bad night for the chef. first I do want to say the focaccia was the best. I had Einkorn Cavatelli. there was so much sauce you could barely see any pasta. the flavor was terrible it tasted like they put vinegar in the sauce. my grandson ordered the Carbonara. it was extremely salty. my daughter ordered the Garganelli. We were never told it was squid ink pasta which was OK but for $54.00 you would think you could find the lobster. there were only about 5 bites on the plate. i was there when they first opened and I was impressed but after the meal we had last night, we will never return. read more

Everything here is top notch. The food, the service, the atmosphere is all 5/5. You can't go wrong with anything you order here. Loved the beer salad, the bone marrow and of course the porn star martini! read more

This is one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to. And by FAR the best one in La Jolla. The vibe is so good and the staff take such great care of you. The manager, Karley, is the sweetest and so attentive. Definitely recommend. read more

Marisi was terrific! My wife and I were able to celebrate our anniversary dinner there, and they were very accommodating. They really went the extra mile to make us feel welcome. The focaccia was light and fluffy, and the crudo tasted like it was caught this morning. And the pasta.... so so good and handmade in house! This is definitely going to be one of my new favorite Italian restaurants in San Diego, and I can't wait to go back and try more! read more

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I'm giving this place 5 stars as, for most people the food would be glorious and based on my daughter having eaten there the week before, she travelled many miles to take me to a Saturday brunch ( she loved it that much) We tried several dishes. We shared a carbonara and an Italian dipped sandwich both of which I tasted but neither one could I eat as I don't like salt in abundance in/on my food and this was very salty! I should have called ahead or requested when ordering to see if they had unsalted or slightly salted foods ( my mistake and no fault of theirs, as I feel I'm an anomaly) I did feel my daughter was sad for me as she wanted me to love it all! I did love the freshly squeezed orange juice- tasted perfect! The dessert of Chocolate and hazelnut soft serve is divine and the service was excellent! We were seated looking out- a great spot to people watch- the server was lovely and service is quick but not intrusive. The attention to detail in the dishes and glasses, the cutlery were beautifully minimalistic and interior decor with tiled and sweeping ceilings with arched walkways, like an old Villa on the Italian coast with shades of yellows, greens, blues and pinks. Beautiful touches of fresh roses and big thanks for not having ceiling fans nor head banging music! Worth a trip to the bathrooms which have candles burning ( you can buy the house candle at the front desk) and the open kitchens are on full view and sparkling and exquisitely clean! read more