Service was great. Ordered the Meatball appetizer, one of the cheese wheel pastas of the day (split), and ended with cannoli for dessert. Don't skip the cheese wheel pasta! It was delicious and fun to watch being made. read more

See all

Had not been in for a few years but stopped in for happy hour. We were pleasantly surprised that it was no longer the "apertivo" hour structure (3 small bites with the purchase of regular price drinks) but was now all afternoon 11:30am to 5:30pm and a dedicated HH menu. As it was an odd hour (3pm), the place was pretty empty and so service was super attentive. The pizza was neapolitan style and well blistered but the dough is not the best. Would probably recommend cocktails or wine, as the beers are small bottles for $5. For dinner service, I prefer their sister restaurant (Bencotto) next door. read more

Monello - Happy hour margherita pizza + negroni + pinot grigio - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Very solid Italian in Little Italy SD. I booked a res on Open table, very easy to do. I will say ahead of time. The parking is terrible. I would recommend just Valet around the corner for $15. I was very impressed when I walked in. It's a stunning restaurant with a modern interior. The second we got down we got menus and waters. I must say the guy filling up waters all night was on point. My glass never got less than half full. Also the manager, a women came by often and really made sure we had an excellent evening. Now the food.... Appetizers: Polpette meat balls. Too small they were hard to cut and if you tried to but the whole thing i personally burnt the shiz out of my mouth. Loved the sauce and the bread served with it. The bread was worth the price of admission. Caesar salad - Get this, trust me. One of the better I've had. Caprese salad - solid chunk of Mozzarella, beautify green sticky olive oil and lots of it, small tomatoes i wish they were bigger but fresh and of good quality (it is winter), calamari olives and nice fresh basal. It really really needed some nice sea salt of top. Very bland for all the great ingredients. Main's: Margherita pizza - Get this. 4 day fermented dough, yummy mozz, excellent sauce on a huge 16 inch pizza. This and the Caesar salad was my favorite thing I ate. I would come back for this weekly if I live nearby. Lasagna - Very heavy, way too much béchamel sauce. They need to get rid of the béchamel and add ricotta instead to lighten it up with their yummy ragú. I tasted one flavor the entire time. Gnocchi w/Marinara - very light and refreshing. Tagliatelle w/Ragu - loved the fresh noodles and the ragú was a perfect match. I got the stinco di agnello (lamb shank). If you don't feel like a ton of carbs, this is your dish. A very meaty and well-done lamb shank in a light and refreshing Portwine sauce really hit the spot. The shank was perfectly cooked and didn't fall apart, like shredded beef, it still held together its integrity. I was really impressed with how well it was cooked. The only problem was the roasted potatoes were dropped in the deep fryer and I don't do seed oils so they brought me a side of their amazing must try garlic mashed potatoes, which totally made the dish in the end. Beautiful restaurant, solid service, friendly people who like their job, solid cooks in the kitchen and terrible parking. You could not go wrong at Monello. read more

See all

I had dinner here earlier this week for a work conference. Our group was about 20 people, so we were seated at 2 long tables. The food was great. It was a set menu for our company, with everything served family style. We started off with a caprese style appetizer and it was great. Next was the salad, which was my favorite. The dressing was wonderful as well as the pickled onions. After that we had meatballs. They were just okay to me. I order meatballs everywhere so I think I am a meatball expert haha. Following that was a pasta with shrimp in a lemon cream sauce. That was wonderful. Next up was the short rib. It was also just okay to me. I also order that at most places. We were then served a spicy pizza picante, but it was too spicy for me. Last was the flourless chocolate cake. It was great, but I was so full that I only took a bite. I also had 2 glasses of pinot grigio, which I enjoyed. Everyone enjoyed their food and the ambiance was lovely. Service was good. read more

See all

The cheese wheel pasta is so good. They have it in the corner made from a huge cheese wheel if you want to see, but it's not super performative - more just a cool feature from their menu. This is a good spot if you want to go with work colleagues, as it doesn't give off super romantic vibes and you can still relatively hear each other. The place was pretty busy on a weekend night, and we made reservations in advance. The waitstaff is prompt and friendly. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

After a great experience back in July when we had drinks and desserts at the bar, we came back for a full dinner and high expectations. Unfortunately it was not the case: the squid ink pasta was under seasoned and the octopus did not have a good texture. The stuffed gnocchi were dry and drowned in a thick cheesy sauce. The panzerotti were doughy and too thick (unlike the ones I used to eat in Milano), but the sauce inside was very good. The portions were very generous. No ac inside, no ice in the water. The glass of Primitivo wine was good, the non alcoholic drink was too sweet and one noted...didn't touch it after the first sip but nobody seemed to care enough to ask read more

The food was great but they had a non cash tender charge of 5%! I can understand transferring the credit card fees to the customers, but credit card fees for merchants are usually 1.5% - 3.5%, not 5%. And it's not like their food prices are low to begin with. We also had a larger group and they already charged an 18% gratuity. It left a really bad impression and we won't be back. Also, while the restaurant itself was very nice, the outside of the building and surrounding streets smelled like pee. The service was ok. You could tell they didn't have enough servers. We waited awhile for someone to even pass by to be able to flag them down to order, get refills, order more, order dessert, but the bill came surprisingly quick right after dessert. The food. We got the truffle pasta, truffle pizza, octopus, fried zucchini blossom, ragu pasta, prosciutto pizza, cheese wheel cacio e pepe, tiramisu, cannolis. I would skip the octopus and dessert. The octopus was mushy, not tender. The cannoli shells were very hard and stale, the filling was not rich enough, and the tiramisu was bland. Everything else was really good. I liked how the cheese wheel pizza still had a lot of sauce despite all the cheese. Street parking or expensive parking lots not very nearby. Very hard to find parking. read more

We got a last minute reservation here while staying in little Italy and I was happy with our experience. We sat outside on the patio which was nice. The service was great--everyone was nice and attentive. I tried the cheese wheel pasta which was good but I was looking forward to the experience of it being made in front of me like I had seen in other reviews/pictures. That probably didn't happen because we were sitting outside but it would have been nice to know before ordering it. We also had the pane (bread and olive oil) and it was okay. The salmon was very good. We also enjoyed our drinks. Overall, I would go again because of the convenience but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to visitors. read more

Monello - Cheese wheel pasta with bacon and Salmon Piccata and limoncello spritz - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

This place was absolutely outstanding! The service, atmosphere, and pasta were amazing. I can't say enough good things about this place. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Super cute spot. The service was really good! We came for their happy hour and it was a great choice. Due to dairy allergies their were very accommodating and informed us of what they offered as well as had the option of vegan cheese which we opted not to try. Overall, good drinks, yummy food, will definitely be back. read more

See all

Food was amazing. Brought my family here from out of town to experience the cheese wheel pasta. They had 2 options. We got both. Both were to die for!! Also got the shrimp with white sauce. The staff were very hospitable and I would say a go to spot for Italian. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

We of course had to try the cheese wheel pasta... If you ask your server, they will let you know when they are preparing your pasta and you can go back and watch which was really cool. Surprisingly, the pasta with monello was actually our favorite, so I definitely recommend trying that sauce! read more

Monello - Calamari - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Was recommended this place by a friend. There is limited parking in the area. Was able to make a 1:30pm reservation that same day. Did arrive 8 mins past reservation time but they still seated us. Didn't get seated till 2pm and server did take about 10 minutes to take our order although restaurant was pretty empty. Prices are a bit more expensive then your regular Italian restaurant but for a good reason. Both pastas were amazing. The Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe was extremely cheesy and the penne pasta with the 4 pepper sauce was spicy but really good. The ambience is chill. read more

See all

2nd time here, I was looking forward to the cheesewheel pasta. I like to get a side if crispy chicken, my server got the order wrong abd brought grilled instead. It was a little dry, I didn't want to complain because I don't like to waste food so I ate it. Celebrated our 12th yr wedding anniversary. They gave us free gelato, it was delicious. Ambiance is romantic but loud, super clean bathrooms. My husband ordered an old fashioned, very tasty and it went down smooth. read more

Monello - Cheesewheel - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Wonderful service and amazing food! We tried this spot for a late lunch and loved it! I appreciated that the menu had so many sauce options that weren't just red meat sauce. We had the prosciutto pizza with AMAZING figs and shaved grana cheese, carbonara, the cheese wheel special cacio e Pepe, and the shrimp ravioli. Definitely would come back next time we are in San Diego! read more

Monello - Prosciutto pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We absolutely Loved the food here it was sooo delicious . The service was also amazing and we enjoyed the pasta wheel experience. For sure will be coming back ! read more

So a buddy of mine who lives in Texas said I have to try this place because it is hands-down the best Italian food he's ever had. Since I've been to and lived in Italy, that's kind of a tall order, but Monello does an excellent job of preparing Italian food from a variety of regions, the indoor seating is excellent, and if you have a chance to take the outdoor seating during golden hour, you owe it to yourself. The service is brisk, efficient, and there's no rush (at least if you're dining when there's no rush, it was a little before 5PM on a Thursday). My date and I started with the calamari and piadine...I want to say caprese, but there were no tomatoes. There was arugula, burrata, and prosciutto dressed in a very herbal (though not infused) olive oil. My date couldn't get over how good they were and promised to make me piadine one day. One of the things I love about Italian food is how the ingredient lists are short (usually) because each ingredient has a moment to shine on its own. The calamari were lightly breaded, and they were cooked just long enough to make them hot and tender. There was no chewiness to the rings at all. For our main, we had pasta. My date had the gnocchi arrabiata, which was nice and tasty. One of those things a person could overdo if they weren't paying attention. The gnocchi were beautifully done, like little clouds of pasta, rather than a dense dough ball for your intestines. The chiles on top of the dish were just pretty. No other way to describe it. I had the cheese wheel pasta, which was called spaghetti alla gricia (I think). If one took cacio e pepe and carbonara, removed the egg, and tossed the whole thing in a pecorino romano cheese wheel, that's what you'd have. I was so full at the end, I couldn't finish the last two bites, which my date was glad to do. We ended the meal with digestivos, an Amaro Montenegro for me, and a limoncello for her. We had been apart for a couple of days, and Monello was a perfect date night for our reunion. read more

See all

Yum! I've been here twice, and have ordered the cheese wheel pasta both times. The first time's cheese wheel pasta was a pasta with the salsa ai peperoni sauce, and the second time was a tagliatelle in a parmegiano cream sauce with bell peppers and speck. Both were delicious - with the first time's sauce being one of the best sauces I've tasted, and with the second time's combination of flavors and creaminess of the sauce blending together seamlessly. You of course get the flavor of the parmesan cheese wheel throughout your pasta dish. While I very much enjoy the food and ambiance of the restaurant itself, the service was not what I was expecting for a more upscale restaurant like this. It was not very attentive and felt rushed both times I went. Overall, I still would come back again with the high expectation of the food and an average expectation of the service. read more

Monello - tagliatelle peperoni & speck - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I liked Monello! They have everything needed for a great dining experience: delicious food, great service, and a fun ambiance! Starting with the ambiance, this restaurant is located in Little Italy, which is always bustling on a Friday night. Lots of people, lots of cars, and unfortunately, not a lot of parking. I recommend ride-sharing here, unless you live a walkable distance away. The inside of the restaurant is darker but in a way that contributes to its elegant/dressier vibes. I split a Margherita pizza with a friend, and I must say--it was delicious!! I absolutely love wood-fired Neapolitan pizza; it's been my favorite since visiting Italy a few years ago. The crust was beautiful. Bubbles of the crisp, airy crust had a delicate char, offering a subtle smokiness. The tomato sauce burst with a bright, tangy sweetness that was pleasantly paired with the biggest basil leaves I've ever seen in my life. It was also much bigger than I expected, which made it perfect for sharing! The squid ink pasta, on the other hand, was too fishy for me (but my friend enjoyed it). The service was also great, and the waiter did a great job serving our large group. We got our food pretty fast, considering how much we ordered. Also, he brought out a little dessert for the birthday girl! It was very much appreciated! The dessert was lemon ice with a lady finger. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Monello. If I'm in the area, I can see myself coming back, especially for a nice, formal dinner for a special occasion or celebration. read more

See all

Stopped in after a full day at the zoo. Early in the evening so scored a table right away. The staff were attentive and explained the dishes perfectly. The pasta is fresh and came out quickly which was welcomed since we were tired. They have indoor and outdoor seating and it was a lovely experience. read more

This pasta is top notch!! The fried calzone was so yummy. The aperol spritz was perfect. The tortelloni w shrimp and pecorino Romano cheese wheel special were out of this world. Some of the best we have ever had. If we were staying longer we would absolutely go back! Staff was friendly and place was beautiful yet casual/relaxed. read more

Monello - Tortelloni Al Tartufo w shrimp - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

We've eaten in Little Italy many times but had never tried this gem--now it's a new favorite for sure! Monello has a beautiful interior--modern yet warm and inviting. We sat at the bar for happy hour and enjoyed some terrific Montepulciano for just $10! Great wine, great vibe--what more could you ask for? For lunch, we shared the pappardelle ragu, Caesar salad, and piccante pizza--and WOW. The pappardelle was perfectly cooked, with an amazing lamb ragu that was rich, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. Highly recommend! The piccante pizza was a fun twist, featuring a spicy red sauce and salame--tangy, spicy, and just perfect. It even came with a plate of oregano, Parmesan, and chili flakes, so you can customize each slice to your liking--such a great touch! Can't say enough about this place--delicious food, excellent drinks, and a fantastic atmosphere. We'll definitely be back again and again! read more

See all

We absolutely LOVE Monello. Our go to Italian restaurant in little Italy. Their food is outstanding and fresh. We have dined with them many times and it never disappoints. The staff and waiters are extremely kind and the vibe is trendy and casual. We always look forward to dining with them when we are in the area read more

Monello - Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Food is always fresh and tasty. I've spent a few birthdays and anniversaries here and I would do it again. Always great service, especially from Jan. My go to recommendation for upscale italian in SD read more

Awesome restaurant. I recommend the calamari and cheese wheel pasta. Excellent meal and coffee too

Honestly was a great experience! Have a last minute reservation and it did not disappoint. We started with the burrata which was soo fresh and honestly delicious, the only thing that would've made it better was a little balsamic glaze ;) After that, we got the Piccante pizza, and I was a little worried about the spice level, but it wasn't too spicy. It wasn't very spicy at all! It was just super heat hot! Then we couldn't skip out on the pasta so we did the build your own with Pappardelle pasta with the Monello sauce and it was wonderful! I also got their Hugo spritz, which had peach purée in it, and that was a lovely touch! The inside was nothing amazing, but it was decorated for Christmas, which was cute! read more

See all

Back again and never disappoints. Went with a large party for my birthday. Cheese wheel pasta was great as usual read more

See all

In the heart of Little Italy! WOW! I looooved my experience here. Came in on a Wednesday night and we were seated pretty quickly. My friends who are local here swear by this place so of course had to try it out. The restaurant itself is so beautiful inside! They also had extended patio out onto the street I think from the pandemic days, but I love that they kept it because what a beautiful view of the city! We ordered espresso martinis to start and a couple of appetizers, like the burrata, which was SO good and SO fresh. They also gave us some bread to start, too, which was delicious. For dinner, I opted for the cheese wheel pasta they had for the night, which was made with rigatoni. It was SOOO good! I felt bad because I was so full so I didn't get to eat too much of it but it was very very tasty. Our server was fantastic too and took really good care of us. He was super patient as we were waiting for half our party to show up for a while. Definitely would come back here for the delicious food and great service and highly recommend! read more

See all

Surprise date night! My first ever cheese wheel pasta experience The order: Grilled octopus appetizer Parmesean cheese wheel pasta with beef ragu and shitake mushrooms on tagliatelle Veal osso bucco with mashed potatoes The octopus was the star of our meal, the best I've ever had. Perfectly grilled, good amount of meat served on a bed of argula with a balsamic drizzle! The pasta was definitely above average. The pasta was fresh the sauce was flavorful. It was drier than I'd have liked The osso bucco was very tender, the gravy was delicious and the potatoes at first glance looked like boxed mashed potatoes but they definitely tasted better. I liked that the gravy didn't just taste like tomato sauce. Service was fast and friendly. Price was up there but you get what you pay for right? read more

See all

The shiitake cheese wheel pasta was yummy and creamy. The pasta itself had a nice firm bite which I enjoyed. It was creamy and the Parmesan cheese was a nice experience to try (although it's not directly table side, you can go up to a stand and watch them make the pasta) That being said, I was disappointed by my experience with the lamb shank. Initially I was amazed by how quickly the meat fell off the bone with minimal effort. However on the first bite, the meat felt slightly above warm and was actually tougher than expected. Flavor wise it was ok, but I probably wouldn't try it again. Service was attentive and they do a great job asking if we needed anything. read more

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

Monello is one of countless viral San Diego businesses that opened after I moved away from the hometown ten years ago. When my cousin asked me to pick a restaurant in Little Italy, I had to pick Monello for those cheese wheel videos I'd see on social media. Glad my cousin made a reservation for a Friday night via OpenTable. Customer service from the hostess, our server, and the busboy were very friendly. My cousin, my husband, and I sat at the patio, which was warmed well enough from heat lamps. We all split the meatball appetizer called Polpette, a prosciutto pizza with figs, and the cheese wheel pasta. Besides the great customer service, the highlight of our meal wasn't the cheese wheel pasta, but actually the meatball appetizer! I must have sank down and slid back on my seat when I tasted that fresh and (slightly) spicy tomato sauce dip! If I had pasta with that same spicy tomato sauce, I would've given this place five stars. The prosciutto pizza was good too, and the prosciutto and figs make it special. I was a bit disappointed when we found out the cheese wheel pasta is mixed indoors and not table side. Our server kindly encouraged us to walk over to the windows to try to catch the "pasta on cheese wheel" demo, but my husband and cousin said no one was providing the demo. I think I would skip the cheese wheel pasta here and elsewhere. Seems gimmicky for me and I just want a simple Italian meal without frills lol. Parking: practically nonexistent in Little Italy. Take the trolley or an Uber/Lyft. Maybe I should take heed to overall Yelp ratings. On our way to the restaurant, we walked by a super poppin restaurant. Apparently, it's called Ironside with a solid overall rating and 5k+ reviews. read more

See all

The food and drinks are worth trying here. The pizza is crispy, and the pasta is unique and very tasty. We especially loved the pepper gnocchi. We took off one star because there was a mix-up in their reservation system and they were not able to seat us right away, even though the reservation was made days in advance for a party of eight. Additionally, we were once seated by the bar, and it smelled like a bathroom and mildew, which was a little off-putting. Nonetheless, the food is good. Parking is a nightmare (or nonexistent since it's Little Italy). Please rideshare to avoid crazy parking fees in the nearby lots! read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

For the record, I watched as a celebrity went to visit this place, ordered the same thing I ordered, and she thought it tasted amazing. Unfortunately for me that was not the result I got. Before she went, I ordered the pasta made with the cheese wheel. I felt that it had an unusual taste to it. It cheese show was nice, no complaints to that chef, but the food did not taste good. I also tried the pesto, which was okay. The place looks pretty cool. read more

Very good Italian. I have travelled in the Tuscan region of Italy and the tiramisu is very close to Tuscan made authentic. The shrimp saffron pasta was good. I tasted the saffron and silly me o ordered it when I don't like the taste of saffron. But at the table, they give you a plate with dried oregano, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes. So I dolled up my pasta and I loved it even more. I would eat here again. My server was a sweetheart from another European country. And I liked how this restaurant was off the main street and less crowded because of it. read more

See all

Daughter and I ate lunch and got to experience the cheese wheel pasta OMG! If you've never had cheese wheel pasta and you're a fan of cheese, this is a MUST. We also ordered a Margherita pizza and Cesar salad. We were in food heaven. No lie! I've been to Italy a few times and have seldom had the same experience with food like that here in the States. This place!! Of course we KNEW, based on our food, that the tiramisu would be over the top delicious so we ordered it and we BOTH were blown away by the flavor, consistency and presentation. We came from Costa Mesa on the Amtrak for the day and we will DEFINITELY be back to Monello for another gastronomical feast! Jen, our waitress, was super friendly and even gave us some suggestions on things to do in Little Italy while we were there. read more

Monello - Cacio e pepe fresh from the cheese wheel - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Been here multiple times and it never disappoints.... Staff is always pleasant and attentive. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food is delicious. Don't miss the homemade pasta dipped in the cheese bowl. The service needs improvement, as they should warn you that there will be a charge when they deliver a birthday dessert, since you don't choose it. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Best happy hour in town, not only are the prices good but the food is fantastic! 11:30am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday! A must go if you're in little Italy during those times. read more

Monello - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Was in a rush to attend a festival and this place didn't see that busy so put in a quick order and we were out in like 30 minutes flat. Great tasting food, service was nice, outdoor seating in 72 degree weather was also amazing. For sure will return when I can order a lot of different items family style. read more

See all

Monello is absolutely fantastic! Reservations are a must. With a party of 7 people on a Saturday, the available time slots were limited so we ended up having a pretty early dinner. The restaurant has a sleek, modern feel, but dressing casual is totally fine. Our group was already ordering 3 plates from the cheese wheel pastas, so I opted for a different menu item. Ordered the black ink spaghetti, and it was delicious! I'm glad I had leftovers so I could enjoy it the next day too. They had 2 seasonal cheese wheel pastas, and we tried both. One was spaghetti with shiitake mushrooms and prosciutto, and the other was rigatoni with a butternut squash pesto sauce and sausage. They were both so yummy! I'd definitely come back and order them again. For appetizers we had the caesar salad and grilled octopus. The salad was crisp, fresh, and loaded with heaps of thinly shaved Parmesan cheese. And the octopus was so tender and seasoned beautifully! We also ordered a cannoli, panacotta, and pistachio gelato for dessert. Everything was really good! The cannoli shell was just a little hard for me, but that's just personal preference. read more

See all