Very good place, sat outside (table of 2) last night. We bought : Bread Still Water And cece e pepe! Service was good for being a standard restaurant. She was very lovely and nice! We came down to San Diego for thanksgiving. Food was bomb! The more you ate the better it tasted! For parking, it looks challenging, if we didn't have a ride to drop us off/pick us up, it wouldve been hard. Very good food and service all around! Thank you. read more

I'm not a huge fan of Italian food but this place was incredible! We sat at the bar since the wait was 1 hour 15 min long but luckily got seated right away! (Make reservations if you can) We ordered the truffle cheese wheel special pasta and it was amazing. So creamy and the servers actually ask to see if you want to see the pasta tossed in the wheel. We also got a burrata which was so yummy and fresh too. I recommend sitting at the bar bc our bartender gave us a free espresso martini. I would definitely come again :) read more

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Monello is one of my go-to restaurants in Little Italy - I have taken friends and family here and every time it has been a hit! Over the years I have tried out many items on their menu. Their pasta is made from scratch, and their cheese wheel pasta changes weekly so be sure to check them out on Instagram to see what the special for that week is. Their pizza is also incredible - super light, crispy, and very flavorful. Brunch is served on the weekends, but I prefer their pasta and pizza dishes. I have always experienced great service here, several times I have had waiters in-training here and they are always fantastic as well! Highly recommend if you are ever in search of a great spot. Their menu is similar to Bencotto with some variations, which is their sister restaurant right next door. FOOD (* = a must order) - Pane (homemade bread with EVOO and herbs dip)* - I order this every time, the bread is so soft and crusty and it is a perfect precursor to your meal - Misto (fried calamari, zucchini) - Light and crispy with two dipping sauces. A very generous portion as well! - Pasta Your Way* - you can't go wrong with any of the combos! My favorite is the gnocchi with pesto. Their gnocchi is a must try, it has a nice bounce and chewy texture to it! - Gnocchi di zucca - see above, gnocchi is to amazing and their cream sauce pairs so perfectly! - Spaghetti neri con polipo* - this is one of my favorite dishes here, their lobster bisque sauce coats the pasta and isn't overwhelming. Their octopus is also very tender as well! - Pizza* - I haven't met a pizza I didn't love from here! I have tried a variety of their cocktails, and they aren't my favorite so I don't have any recommendations and would rather opt for a glass of wine in the future. However, if you order a drink during happy hour on the weekdays, they will serve you a little sampling of their bites of the day. Parking can be hit or miss depending on the time that you come here but there is paid parking in the area. They have both options for indoor and outdoor seating, which I typically opt for because their setting is gorgeous and they have heat lamps even if it is chilly out. read more

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We really enjoyed our entrees here - the gnocchi was soft and fluffy and the margarita pizza was good as well. They have a weekly cheese wheel pasta special, we were going to get it but it was spaghetti this week and we wanted a different type of pasta. The calamari was a miss - not crunchy and pretty tasteless. Would not recommend this appetizer read more

Monello - Monello gnocci and Margherita pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Amazing pasta--simple yet delicious. My favorite was the tagliatelle with cheese sauce, but we also enjoyed the penne with beef ragu and the piadine. Happy hour menu is a great deal. Simple modern vibe and great service. read more

The cheese wheel! It's worth the trip alone but there are many more delicious items on the menu as well. This restaurant is not inexpensive, but the portions are large and the quality is very high. The Caesar salad has long thin ribbons of cheese and just the right amount of dressing. The butternut squash gnocchi in a Gorgonzola sauce is all love. Service was fantastic. The servers were friendly and helpful with suggestions. There is seating inside and out, and both are comfortable. There's a bar with comfortable seats that you can eat at as well. read more

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Exceptionally tender grilled octopus. Delicious Monello pizza with super thin and crispy crust and feather-light cornicione. Polite staff and cozy atmosphere outside. read more

Monello - Grilled Octopus, Monello Pizza, Spaghetti with Parmesan - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I highly recommend dining at Monello. The bartenders Jan and Adrian were amazing! They provided excellent service! Jan's food and drink recommendations were excellent choices. Jan and Adrian check on me often to make sure I was good. I love the ambiance as well. read more

Omg! We were walking around Little Italy on Mother's Day and discovered Monello! So glad we did! Food was amazing! Our server Julie was a delight and recommended the prosciutto pizza and the Parmesan cheese wheel! So fun! While the food was amazing the service is what made our night special! We'll be back! read more

Excellent service. We were intrigued by the cheese wheel pasta and it was phenomenal. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Overall first timer experience was impeccably fantastic. Pasta dishes were quite tasty along with the pinwheel display. Waiter was extra helpful and very detailed with specifications on signature cocktail drinks. I will be returning soon! read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I came here at the end of May during my birthday trip to San Diego. We were walking around looking for places to eat and initially passed Monello but didn't stop in. When we got to the car and looked up Italian spots with good reviews, we found this was our choice and hadn't realized that we walked right past it. We walked back thought there would be a wait but were seated immediately. Our server was great and attentive. The food was so good and hit the spot. I forgot which pastas we ate, but they're in the photo. Both were delicious. I even got a little tiramisu for my birthday! This is on my list of dinner spots to come back to when I'm in SD. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Very very delicious ! The bread with the side of pink sauce was drool worthy !! If I don't get the house spaghetti I would have just had bread and that sauce !!! Holy moly. The house special was done in the cheese wheel but it is not table side so if you want to watch you need to get up and go to where they're making it. It was so delicious . It's a nice upscale restaurant but we were put in a corner that was a little too snug for our comfort and the plants that were near us had gnats that kept flying around us.. a gnat actually flew into my espresso martini and when the waiter saw me fishing it out, offered to give me a new one. They were so helpful and kind and offered a variety of recommendations ! read more

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We first sat at the bar while we waited for our table and Jan the bartender was great! I wished we just stayed at the bar with him. Food was great our busses was fantastic and felt bad for us so he kept checking on our waters asked if we wanted cheese, etc. Our server James had an issue with us about what I am not sure but was completely unprofessional. He kept making weird faces at us. But to all his other surrounding tables he was awesome. Smiling, bringing them thier food or being there when the food arrived. Just a completely different person. It was unnerving to watch. I finally told the manager and she just apologized and offered to box our food and possibly a dessert. It was my Birthday and I don't know if James never seen Hawaiians or doesn't like people from Hawaii, but he made the dinner awful. We still tipped 20% due to the busses being so kind and I hope he got some of that tip. There are so many great Italian restaurants around there that we will probably never go back. read more

Great food. Had the pasta cheese wheel and it was delicious. Service was very good. Our server was upbeat and helpful with suggestions. Will definitely be back. read more

Honestly was expecting a lot more from this place because of the good reviews and recommendations! The cheese wheel pasta was the only thing I would get again because of the sauce and cheese. The monello pizza was pretty tasteless and underwhelming. Pretty much only for aesthetics. The mushroom pizza was better but still very soggy and not much flavor. To top it off it was my birthday and they didn't even give a birthday dessert :( read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is amazing! It took us over 30 minutes to find parking but no regrets! We ordered the Cheese Wheel Pasta, penne al salmone e vodka, and the prosciutto di parma. All were delicious! The prosciutto was amazing with the figs. I loved the cheese wheel pasta most while my boyfriend enjoyed his salmone e vodka more. The cheese wheel pasta changes, I'm not sure how often but it was so good! They did the cheese wheel demo in front of us and the guy doing it was super friendly. Service was again super friendly and helpful. Our server gave us recommendations and was very attentive. I love this place, will be back! read more

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Heard from many friends that this was the best Italian restaurant in SD. This I'd a huge statement considering I've tried many Italian restaurants across the world. I ordered the meatball appetizers which was very nicely seasoned but offered very small meatballs. I then ordered the cheese wheel speacil pasta which was fettuccine with cream sauce and more meatballs. The main entree had the pasta slightly over cooked for my liking ( I prefer al dente). Also I prefer more cheese forward of a flavor (even after adding more cheese on top) but overall it was tasty. Then I got the tiramasu for desert which was medicore at best, seemed ikea it was missing the alcohol component. Overall a good place to visit but not the best pasta I've ever had. Forma in Santa Monica also makes pasta in cheese wheels and is a step above this place in flavoring in my opinion. read more

Monello - Cheese wheel pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Had dinner here with another couple and the experience was okay. We got an outside table, but the place was very cramped. Had to scooch around and move tables a lot to get in and out. We were also very close to the table right behind us and good over here all the conversation and noises. For the food, my fiance and I and the other couple both split an Insalata Mista (their version of house salad): Seasonal greens, pickled onions, almonds, cranberries, lemon vinaigrette on the side. The dressing was a bit too oily to be honest and didn't have as strong lemon flavor as I was hoping for. Almonds and cranberry combination really went well with the greens though. Fiancé got the Cheese Wheel Pasta (today's was spaghetti, marinara sauce, bacon and onions). I'm not usually a fan of marinara sauce pasta but this one was actually good! They do have a good sauce here! Amount of bacon and there was also very generous. I think we both really like this dish. He also got the Gosling Mule (bourbon, bitter, Gosling's Ginger beer); Didn't realize it was a bourbon mule and not a Vodka, so ended up not finishing it. I got the Pollo Ai Ferri, which was four pieces of chicken breasts with arugula and a lot. Lot of shaved cheese on top. Four chicken breasts was a bit too much for one meal! I'm not sure who eats that much. Protein advance but I ended up taking three of them home so got a good deal out of that, haha. Chicken breast on its own was very very plain though. Salt was too little and the seasoning was very bland. I think I need a better chicken breast for lunch at home! The other two at the table got the Penne Al Salmone E Vodka and the Ravioli Al Tartufo (filled with porcini mushrooms and black truffle in a truffle cream sauce). Portion size on the penne was ginormous! Ravioli portion size was a lot smaller in comparison. I think they ended up sharing that penne, but also really liked it all. To end it all we got the appetizer bread with olive oil herb dip. I was expecting a loaf of warm bread but only half of the side pieces were warm. Even that oil - It was more like an herb infused olive oil and not really a dip. Menu was a bit misleading there Bit of a let down there. The bread itself was really soft though. Like very very soft! So plus point for that. I'd probably go back just for the pasta though, or maybe try some of the pizza? read more

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This place is great. I love the olive oil and bread they bring out before your meal and our server James was super nice and took good care of us. I can personally vouch for the cheese wheel pasta (i didnt get a picture but ive had it before). The tiramisu was 10/10 and thats my favorite dessert so you can trust me on that. This place has a ton of fun appetizers that I really want to try next time I come back which I always appreciate. Im taking off one star because i wasnt the biggest fan of my entree on this visit. I got the gnocchi pasta with arriabata sauce. It wasnt bad by any means and I custom ordered it so definitely some of the blame is on me but it wasnt as good as I expected. The sauce was fantastic but not a great combo with the gnocchi. Maybe the larger beef stuffed gnocchi would have been a better choice. I think next time I will try something else. I do think the gnocchi wouldve been good with a creamier/cheesier sauce though. read more

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Every time I come here, the waiters are extremely knowledgeable with the menu and will take the time to explain what dishes are their favorite and what pairings go with our food. The Monello pasta sauce is so so good, definitely a must for your first time. read more

Monello - Monello Prosciutto Al Coltello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Had dinner at Monello in Little Italy and was not disappointed. We chose to sit outdoor in their patio areas and there were heaters to keep warm. We ordered the burrata, pizza picante, lasagna and gnocchi. The portions here are HUGE and be prepared to take leftovers. Flavors were there and we were very satisfied with each dish. Our server was friendly and sweet. I definitely suggest coming to try it out! read more

Monello - Lasagna, gnocchi - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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We had reservations but the restaurant wasn't full on a Monday. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. He explained the menu and gave us recommendation. The pasta Monello as well as the pasta of the week was delicious which included shrimp and asparagus. A margarita pizza which is big enough to share for two. We ordered three appetizers as well as 4 drinks. For a total of about 240.00. We parked two blocks away since we didn't find street parking. Also if you'd like to record the pasta of the week being made in the big cheese wheel make sure to tell your waiter beforehand. read more

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Delicious pasta! Perfectly al dente. Our server was so nice and friendly. Came here for a bachelorette celebration and they gifted a dessert on the house! The atmosphere was also modern and fun. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We made a reservation on a weekday night, which seemed to be a good idea as the place was busy, with almost all tables filled. Parking in Little Italy during dinnertime is horrific. We ended up having to pay big $$ at a paid lot in order to not miss the reservation... But I can imagine there are spots a bit farther out, you just have to be willing to walk for a while. I was worried the place was going to be too fancy for my comfort (like a lot of other restaurants in the area are), but actually most guests were wearing casual clothes and the noise level was quite high. Service was fantastic, our waiter was so kind in explaining the different menu items, and we got checked on often enough. Food: -- Suppli al telefono: Crispy, cheesy, and rich. The sauce had great flavor. Quite filling. -- Spaghetti neri con polipo: The chunks of octopus were so abundant and tender. But sauce lacked lobster flavor, and could have used more salt. It still had a nice creamy taste, though, that made me want to keep eating. A big portion, I took home most of it. Held up great as leftovers for the next day! -- Tiramisu al nocino: A great portion for a dessert! Very creamy and sweet. The taste of walnuts complements the taste of coffee well. My girlfriend said the lasagna and lemon sorbet were very good too. Overall, a great experience. I'm looking forward to when I can come back next and try their cheese wheel pasta! read more

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The service was excellent and staff were very friendly. The food came out at a reasonable time and was delicious. My favorite part was getting to observe the cheese wheel pasta making process before it was served. read more

Hello Monello! My friend mentioned she had this place on her food to try list so we met here for dinner. Staff was super friendly and welcoming, checking on us multiple times during the night on how we were doing with our food and filling out water glasses without being prompted. The service here is impeccable! The ambiance is lovely as well with seating choices inside or outside! There are plenty of heat lamps that can be turned on if it gets a little chilly. I would recommend sitting out on a nice day to enjoy your food for the fresh air because you can see the waters from the restaurant itself. There are also two all gender restrooms located inside the restaurant down the hallway right by the bar area. I opted for the Lasagna Monello ($26 pre tax and tip) and my friend ordered the Spaghetti Di Zafferano Con Gamberi ($26 pre tax and tip). The lasagna came in piping hot, super savory and full of flavor. It was initially a little too salty for my taste but I think my taste buds were just overwhelmed at first. It tasted even better as I took my time enjoying the meal. The lasagna was too heavy for me to finish in full so I was able to take half of it to go. My friend mentioned she quite enjoyed her dish as well, remarking on the freshness of the shrimp and lemon flavors blending together. Thank you for the sweet graduation treat! Parking will definitely be difficult since Little Italy is such a popular spot to dine in. It was very busy on a 6pm Wednesday evening. There is street parking, parking lots, and transit options. My friend was able to find a spot at a nearby lot while I walked over to the restaurant. Make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to find parking especially if you are coming during the holidays or weekends! read more

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I had such a mixed first experience here. I had a reservation at 7 and we arrived about 30 minutes early unintentionally. We were told we'd be seated closer to 7, which was totally understandable. We then proceeded to watch at least five parties either without reservations at all or with reservations around our time get seated before us. We waited about 20 minutes before we said something to the hostess who I'm convinced just forgot about us. She then spent about five minutes talking with another hostess about where to seat us even though we said no preference inside or outside and there were tons of tables. It was not a good first impression. I like efficient service as much as everyone but Monello was TOO fast and uncoordinated. For example we received our first appetizer (like five minutes after ordered) before we had even placed a drink order and we received our second appetizer minutes before our main course. I felt very rushed! And it's a major pet peeve of mine to have appetizers arrive before drinks are even ordered!! Our waiter though was good. Very friendly and helpful with explaining the menu. I had really been set on the cheese wheel pasta but the special was with octopus and that combo sounded strange to me (and I DO like octopus!) We ordered the panzerotti and while the portion size was good (4 pretty big sized pieces) the flavor was underwhelming. Just plain cheese and sauce inside and it gave me flashbacks of an elevated hot pocket. I wouldn't order again. We also ordered the bread (so sad that we live in a world now where you have to purchase the former complimentary bread, and not just at Monello!) and again it was underwhelming. Bread was nothing special and the dipping sauce had a mintyness to it that wasn't for me! I did LOVE my pain, the tortelloni al tartufo. I haven't had a pasta quite like this before! The mushroom filling was delicious and if you love truffles like I do, it's heavy on it!! I also ordered a aperol spritz to drink which was fabulous. My friend also made a pasta with arrabbiata sauce and added sausage and she liked it too! Overall....there's so much better Italian in little Italy, in my opinion. But if you come here, come for the homemade pasta and a delicious cocktail. read more

Monello - Tortelloni al tartufo - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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This was one of my fav meals when I visited San Diego (which is saying a lot because I went to a lot of different places). I came by for brunch before a big day of exploring and walking around. I really wanted to try the cheese wheel pasta, and kind of regret that I didn't, but I wanted something substantial to give me some good energy for this busy day of adventuring. I ordered the first thing I saw on the menu which was the cornetto con frittata. It consisted of a croissant stuffed with a zucchini and fontina cheese omelette, a side of roasted potatoes, and a bombolone of choice. I had never had a bombolone so I chose to be a bit adventurous and got it filled with the pistachio custard. Woweee! It was amazing. I've never had anything like it before. The potatoes were perfect as was the omelette. I was full and happy after this meal and had enough energy to keep me going throughout the day. Whenever I'm back in San Diego, I'll be coming back to Monello and I WILL be trying that cheese wheel pasta - you better believe I am manifesting it now. read more

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If you're looking for a good restaurant for dinner in Little Italy come to Monello! Our server was super nice and knew the menu from head to toe. She recommended me an amazing wine that I loved and I am not a wine drinker by any means but it tasted exceptional and paired well with the pasta I ordered. I came here for the cheese wheel pasta. I believe it was $28 and everyday is different type of pasta (their pasta of the day) but is pretty much tossed in a giant cheese wheel which was pretty cool! I'm surprised the cheese wasn't too heavy and overall our meal was fantastic and a great experience. In terms of location, it's pretty much located in the busiest part of Little Italy. They have patio and indoor dining. We sat on the patio which was nice, it did get a little cold but they had heaters upon request. I also recommend making reservations as they are a pretty popular restaurant. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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What a delicious meal! Went for a Friday dinner, and was glad we made a reservation as it was packed. The service was friendly and efficient. My husband and I split the Piccante pizza to start. It was delicious. Spicy with quality toppings and a nicely balanced sauce. For the main, I got the pappardelle with Ragu sauce. And my husband got the Carbonara. He liked his, and the pasta was a perfect consistency. I LOVED mine. The pasta was perfect and the sauce was hearty but still coasted to noodles well. Delicious! read more

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Great Italian food with an amazing happy hour. My favorite is a squid ink pasta. Great customer service always feel special when I dine here. read more

My interest was piqued when I saw a video on tiktok where they mix pasta in a cheese wheel. Went here for a pre birthday dinner with bf and friends. Parking is hard. Sunday dinner wasn't busy so we got seated right away. We had caprese and calamari for appetizers. Both were tasty but calamari portion was underwhelming. Tried their pasta of the week that gets mixed into the cheese wheel--homemade tagliatelle in a sausage ragu and with mushrooms. It was creamy and very tasteful. My bf tried their Spaghetti Neri, pasta is made of squid ink. Not so much of my favorite. Overall service is good and food is good read more

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So many things to love about Monello! This is a place that I visit every time I visit San Diego now & ate there 2 times last week. Ambiance is modern, and elegant. The bar seats were comfortable for us to sit for a long period. Day 1: We tried their aperitivo hour & were super impressed. Each drink comes with a tapas plate. We had the Montapulciano, and Prosecco (2 drinks each). The first tapas plate included a fantastic fried cauliflower dish, a gnocchi w/ragu, and I believe, a penne. Small bites but all great. Plate 2 included a small wrap, something I can't remember (but I know I liked it), and the show stopper ...Their bread, with an amazing pesto...I dream of their pesto! with burrata & basil topping. We came here specifically to eat the squid ink pasta, with octopus & lobster bisque sauce. I love this dish, and my hub, who is not too in to seafood themed Italian, also loved it. I do remember a previous experience there, and thought the pasta for this dish was linguini/fettuccini versus the current spaghetti version. Still love it, but I feel the thicker noodles is better for the dish. Day 2: Not a happy hour. The bartender let us sample a few of the wines, and we ultimately selected the Montapulciano & their July special Chardonnay. I had wanted to try one of their July pasta specials, and we experienced such a unique ravioli. This was filled with potato, zucchini, topped with a coconut & lavender sauce. Something kind of sharp & maybe citrus (either a pecorino, or lemon ) whatever it was, it really complemented the nuttiness of the zucchini & the sweetness of the sauce. It was a nice alternative. In summary, the staff on all both visits was very kind, friendly & knowledgeable about their menu. We left feeling like they were invested in our excellent dining experience. The chef has nailed so many flavors that you count on when looking for fresh Italian, while adding new things to the menu...this keeps us returning. read more

Was so happy my friend picked this place to dine. They were able to easily seat our party of 17. The antipasto plate and cheese were awesome. The lemonchello shot was very tasty. My main course was Carbonara. So damn good. I highly recommend if your in little Itali read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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After coming back from Italy and having the most amazing pizzas there, I chose Monello for my Father's Day lunch because I wanted to see how Monello's pizzas compared to what I had tasted and loved in Italy. I was amazed at how good my Monello's pizza was. The combination of fresh peppers, basils, and sausages on the perfectly made crust (crunchy and soft) was to die for. Also, the thinly shaved parmesan cheese was the key to taking this pizza to the next level. After traveling thousands of miles, I'm very surprised and happy to find one of the best pizzas right here in my own city. read more

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Prosciutto Pizza! but what also keeps us coming back is the ambience and service. From the hostesses to waitstaff, they make us feel like they are happy we are here, and that's such a welcoming start to a unique and delicious experience. Special thanks to Felicia and Daniel! read more

After a long cut (of calories) this was such a fun and WORTHY way to break in the foods that we had been restricting! I also had a glass of rosé but it didn't compliment the food. This is a great place to take your hot date ;) We were so happy with our time here. read more

Monello - Gnocchi and Parmesan pasta from the wheel with shrimp - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cannoli good The Service Bad ambiance Loud. , read more

Monello - Cannoli good Service Bad - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food was amazing, and the vibe felt like I was in Italy! The servers I had were incredible, and I cannot wait to go back!