I enjoyed my experience at Petrinis! I do think it's one of the more undercooked restaurants in Little Italy. But I was pretty satisfied with my experience. Located towards the end of Little Italy, Petrini's sits right under one of many apartment complex's. Parking wasn't really an issue in my opinion. My husband and I parked in the guest spots in the garage right next to it. But there's also lots of street parking and street lots as well (you have to pay). The restaurant itself was cozy and clean. I didn't have issues with it and they had plenty of seating. I don't know off the top of my head if they're dog friendly. I thought service was pretty good. It almost seemed kind of like they were a family. Staff was very friendly and constantly checking up on us. There was an instance where they forgot my minestrone that came with the meal but I wasn't upset because staff was very apologetic and they gave me a fresh one. I think service was pretty spot on. The food was really yummy. The calamari was nice and crispy and I really loved the smoked salmon bruschetta. The smoked salmon was flavorful. My husband had the ribeye steak and it was juicy, slightly overcooked from medium rare but not bad. I had the smoked salmon Alfredo and it was yummy, I will say it's slightly on the heavier end though. But overall a very yummy dinner! I would see myself coming back to Petrini's again! It's one of the less busy spots in Little Italy but I think I'm just as satisfied if I were to go to somewhere deeper in Little Italy. I would suggest spot to others who want Italian food in Little Italy! read more

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After flying from Hawaii early in the morning and not eating a single meal until dinner, retuning to San Diego meant I had to feed myself with the comfort food that only little Italy could provide. Petrini's did not disappoint. Dare I say it was the best eggplant parmesan I have ever tasted? Under normal conditions who knows. Under mine, it was pure bliss. After recently moving away from San Diego after nine great years, shoveling perfectly seasoned tomato sauce and crunchy eggplant onto (an entire free loaf per entree!) garlic bread couldn't even be topped by the homecoming of sailors immortalized at embarcedero. Thanks for staying classy while I was away San Diego. read more

This restaurant is for locals who live in the neighborhood and can walk to it. Coming from Del Mar Heights and sitting almost an hour in traffic was not great. So if you are coming from north county just make sure you don't go after 3pm. Otherwise, like me, you will be sitting in bumper to bumper, depending on which neighborhood you are passing by. About the food and drink. They have a decent happy hour. Their French Rose Wine is a nice touch. And their 2 for 1 on Stella is also appreciated at the bar. I'm sure you have heard about their wedding soup and their meatballs. Both are good recommendations. I also enjoyed their shrimp scampi as well. But you must really, really like garlic. The garlic is almost at the level of pepper. It's a heat all unto its' self. I'm sure I won't be sick for months! All the germs have been killed. lol The place is not 'trendy' for sure. Just a down home place with good meatballs and shrimp scampi. They do serve the perfect size shrimp and perfectly cooked scampi. The staff is friendly and I must say the locals are also very friendly. So if you are in the neighborhood .... here is their feedback: one gentleman says he always orders the pizza. The guy to my left (Pete) likes a meatball with cheesey bread. (He gave me a cheesy bread for my meatball and I gave him one of the 2 for 1 Stella's I purchased. Friendly. Did I mention that? Our waiter couldn't do enough for me. He definitely went above and beyond. And while I was there they had two long tables of families. A local place. It's now confirmed! Enjoy, Chef Marian read more

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I like to dine at participating AAdvantage network restaurants to get 5x the airline miles on my credit card and this establishment is in network and 1 mi from our hotel. We made it in perfect timing before the lunch crowd started. Our server was training with a new employee and both were the friendliest servers ever! As for food, we had 3 different menus to choose from (brunch, lunch, and dinner). We opted for the dinner menu as the portions are bigger since we didn't have a good dinner the night prior. We started with the appetizer sampler which included caprese salad and 2 types of bruschetta. Portion size was big and would be the perfect size for 3 to 4 people (it was large for 2 people). Next up were the entrees. I was in the mood for meatballs and I had a choice of 3 types of pasta (I chose angel hair since it is lighter). It was good and the meat sauce was light; however, I believe the meatballs were a mixture of beef and pork or possibly veal as they did not have the beefy meaty taste to them. BFF had the canneloni with meat sauce and his was right on par. Choosing the dinner entrees you get soup or salad and garlic bread. I chose the salad with ranch and the dressing was light which was great as I don't care for my salads drenched in dressing. BFF chose the Italian wedding soup and his had chicken which he said he hadn't had before and it was ok. We didn't save room for dessert as I had mentioned previously that the portions were huge but they had about 7 to choose from. Also, they have a limited alcohol menu as they have a wine and beer license They do have a rice based vodka as they have a bloody Mary on their menu. This place is definitely worth a try. Next time I will order from their lunch menu (if applicable) to save room for dessert. Their brunch menu also has very reasonable prices and their lunch menu has sandwiches and calzones. Plenty of indoor seating and some outdoor as well. read more

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If I could give this place higher I would. The food was excellent, the service was excellent. All the waiters were very warm, and Andres welcomed me in by name, never even meeting me before, (knew by reservation) but felt very homelike. The appetizers were great and Andres brought out soups and food at rapid speeds. The lighting of the place was inviting and the roses on the table were a nice touch. Would definitely recommend to my friends! read more

Petrini's San Diego - Pasta Mush & Meat Sauce - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here during a Wednesday dinner rush, we got there right on time because it was filled up by 7pm and they couldn't take any more tables. We enjoyed Caesar salad and Italian wedding soup for starters that came with each entree. The tortellini and fish were our entrees. I did not enjoy the fish plate. The flavor wasn't my favorite, and at the end of the night my stomach was hurting. The servers were nice, and I liked the restaurant. I'd come back and try something else. read more

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Trying some Eye-talian food in "AFC" (America's Finest City ~ San Diego) - 1 of 2 I was running an errand in the Little Italy district in downtown San Diego. The people that gave this district its name and character are no longer there, leaving only the name and eateries that are, or brand themselves, as Italian. While Little Italy districts once had colorful bona fide Italian immigrants of the unpretentious variety, they are now full of newer and expensive condos and their residents are mostly people who would never set foot inside a church because they are "spiritual" folks. I wish the clock could be turned back since I prefer the crusty ones of yesteryear. I noticed that Petrini's was nearby and decided to have lunch there. I once ate at the Santa Barbara location, which has deep roots there, and know that, while separate, there have been some overlaps, especially given the surname. Petrini's in Little Italy is at the base of a newer building, and there are many new towers in Little Italy, so the Italian affect has to be applied as a veneer. You would not look at it from the outside and say this is an Italian restaurant. Inside, it's modern, tasteful, spacious, and nicely illuminated, in large part to the large windows. I looked at the menu to get some ideas for lunch. There were a few items that seemed interesting and the server helped me decide between the last two or three I was considering. That said, he was really hamming up the Italian aspect considering he was not Italian, but I rolled with it. Prior to the main dish, a salad arrived. It was fairly standard and, to accommodate American tastes, and mine, it came with the creamy salad dressing I ordered. When I first began going to Italy a few decades ago, I was asked, "Is it true that Americans put mayonnaise on their salads?!?" I tried to explain it the best I could, but, with them, very few things you explain to them fairly clearly gel because they've soon returned to their reactionary ways. The pasta arrived and, for this, we need a drum roll. I had ordered cannelloni. The casserole dish was coming my way and I could swear that a few purveyors must be selling these exact same casserole dishes en masse. The presentation said a lot about the preparation. It's that Americanized cheese crust over the dish and I was indifferent to the ground up meat that filled the pasta tubes and its flavors. But it was fine. This dish was more "Eye-talian," meaning aimed at an American audience. It would not fly in Italy, where the cannelloni tubes are more pliable, tastier, and less heavy. The bread was also overly toasted and it's always preferable to go into an Italian restaurant where there are soft and pliable pieces of bread to accompany a meal. The price was a "nouveau SD Little Italy" price and this was during lunch, but it was in line with the location and this genre. Again, the server was attentive and prompt, but the infusion of Italian comments and gestures, something that becomes more common in Italian restaurants in North America with each passing year and almost as if to preserve the "olden days" of Italian restaurants, was one of the things I remember the most. I got to eat at Petrini's in San Diego on a beautiful springtime day. I'd go back if someone treated me. There are quite a few Italian restaurants in the San Diego area; however, the area actually fares better in other cuisines. read more

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I hate to give bad reviews but I ordered from here and felt like I wasted my money and appetite. I had the gnocchi in pink sauce and it was basically mac and cheese with gnocchi. Trust me I don't have anything against Mac and cheese but I was looking forward to tasting the pink sauce and that was nonexistent. There was actually so much cheese in it that it formed a ball of cheese once it started getting a little cold. I also had the fettuccine and it was ok. Unfortunately everything lacked salt and the sauce was almost a little chalky tasting? Their Italian soup is described as having meatballs and we had 2 soups with no meatballs at all .. just some remnants of shredded meat. I don't know what else to say other than it was a complete let down. I feel really bad leaving a crappy review but that truly was my experience with the food. read more

Petrini's is one of the most consistent restaurants I've ever been to. The service is top notch and the food never disappoints. Tonight I had the spaghetti with Meatballs and meat sauce and I asked for sautéed mushrooms and it really completed the dish. A red house wine went perfectly with the meal. The lovely Lisa was kind, courteous as well as funny. My bartender made sure I had everything I needed for this experience to be 5 star service. The ambiance and energy is always great., read more

Petrini's San Diego is a great Italian restaurant! At Petrini's they provide a various range of pastas, pizzas, salads, soups, and appetizers. I had the fettuchini alfredo with the added pesto chicken. In total this meal was $30 including a soup and garlic bread. My meal was fantastic overall and for a reasonable price. The serving size offered was enough for me to have a full portion for leftovers! Service was pretty good. At the beginning service was a bit slow but as we were transferred to a new service it was greatly improved. I love the ambiance of Petrini's! It has a nice forestry vibe and a very cozy overall resteraunt! Lastly, dessert was fantastic! I ordered the chocolate cake, and I was pleasantly surprised by the serving size. The cake was extremely decadent, and rich! The tiramisu was the other dessert I tasted and this was a lighter and airier dessert! I highly recommend Petroni's San Diego and would rate it an overall of 4 stars! read more

This place was more available on a Saturday night around 7pm compared to other Italian places in Little Italy. There was no wait time and we didn't make reservations. The service was very friendly. The ambiance felt a little fancy with excellent musical choices like Frank Sinatra. Great for a date. Other reviews said their dishes were served extremely hot and yes indeed they were. My girlfriend almost burned her tongue. Be careful with your dishes when they're first served!! We loved our food choices. I found the Pasta w/ mushrooms in olive oil to be a little dry. It tasted excellent when I added some of the tomato soup from my girlfriend's Gnocchi order to it. Pasta with mushrooms in olive oil: 4/5 Minestrone soup: 4.5/5 Gnocchi w/ tomato soup: 5/5 Raspberry lemon prosecco: 4.5/5 Garlic bread: 4/5 (came out a lil burnt) read more

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The soup was sooooo good! You get a ton of delicious food for a great price - and yummy bread to boot. Can't wait to come here again. So far have been twice and tried the Tortellini and Lasagna. The lasagna was my favorite. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Tried this place for the first time and was super excited. When we got there, they forgot our soup and salad that came with our dinner and they never brought it out. Second thing, he took our food and threw it away after we asked to get boxes to take it to go. Following that the server charged us for a bottle of moscato rather than the glass that I ordered. The service can definitely be better and it just felt rushed overall like they wanted us out as soon as possible. read more

Great selection of Italian dishes. Service was good. Good selection of wines and beer. There was no wait when we went therein a Saturday. Quiet place with New York type of vibe. read more

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Nice spot, for a quick lunch or dinner!! Good service and good food! Whenever in San Diego is a regular stop!

came here on valentines because we were walking through the city and something just smelled so good. We looked up and it was this restaurant, we instantly went to ask for a seat. They were able to seat us as a group of four and had great service as well. Everyone we talked to was so friendly, never have i been to a restaurant where i can say the food was good and service was great until i found this place! the ribeye was perfectly cooked and so flavorful, as well as the gnocchi. The pink sauce was delicious. We also got the Diablo shrimp which was a perfect choice!!! When visiting San Diego, we are definitely going to come back for another date night. Thank you to everyone here. read more

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Nice happy hr (Tuesdays) at Pentrini's 2x1 beers all day, but food specials end at 6:30 pm. Both outside and inside seating offered. This is more of a restaurant vibe than a drinks/ cocktails place. The cheese bread was good, sangria good as well. read more

Very average restaurant. Nothing outstanding. Food served so hot it burns your mouth. Likely a microwave being used to make it that scalding hot but also unevenly heated. For example, the lasagna was piping hot on the outside, but the middle was still cold. Their eggplant Parmesan sandwich is just served at a temperature that is so hot and never cools down. Flavor is lacking, but they do make up for it with cheese. They also have small 7 inch pizzas, which taste worse than a school lunch pizza. I've had better Walmart frozen pizza. The dough tastes really bad and is rock solid as if it is a premade and pre-cooked dough. Sauce is flavorless and cheese is the only thing that is helping. read more

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Food was delicious. Service was a bit slow, and we were not checked on often (and waited awhile). However, the food was very good. Prices were fine for San Diego. We will likely return! read more

Peter was awesome! Wednesday night is also 50% off bottles of wine. You're welcome! The food was good and the service was kind and excellent. The ambiance was perfect for our table of 16. Thank you! read more

Everything is great. Quaint restaurant with a great ambiance. I had the seafood pasta. It was perfect

Andres was welcoming and recommended the best dishes from here. We ended up ordering the chicken parm and the shrimp scampi. Yum!

I'm in San Diego for work and stopped in because the restaurant has a connection with the Marriott Eats app. I sat at the bar and ordered the Tuscan Shrimp. I decided to start with a Caesar salad and then my main course. The Caesar dressing was creamy and had a perfect balance of garlic and salt. The croutons were fresh and crunchy. The main course was a warm comforting dish. The pasta was definitely home made and the sauce was so fresh. The chefs cook right next to the dining room and have a small kitchen. They really make it happen quickly. The shrimp are a nice size, the sun-dried tomatoes were tangy and sautéed with the spinach perfectly. I ate the entire plate because it was a fantastic dish but the portion is huge so I should have taken it home. It was just too good. read more

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The stench of old urine drifting in from outside through both of their opened doors was unbearable. I walked in and immediately walked out. No wonder the place was empty. read more

Family friendly, away from the weekend chaos and great service. Parking garage is right next to the restaurant. Pricing is fair and fun staff. read more

We ate here around 7pm and sat at the bar. The bartender was friendly and attentive. The pizza was really flavorful, we did a build your own with capocollo, jalapeño, and fresh basil. The crust was bready with a good crunch. The sauce was really thick with rich tomato flavor. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I love their chicken parm with spaghetti. The food is consistent and it tastes great. The staff is friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend read more

Where do I start? My husband picked this place. We are tourists and just relying on google maps for places to eat. It's our first time in Little Italy and this place is not even close to average. Disappointing as it sounds. Our server got my order wrong. I ordered Lasagna so my daughter can eat, but he punched in Gnocchi on the tab. when the food came my husband even said, "her order is lasagna." and then he said,"let me check the order, and he showed us "Gnocchi on the tab." while we were ordering he even said,"would u like a salad or soup with the lasagna?" My husband didn't want any commotion so I ended up eating the Gnocchi and only ate 1/4 of it. My husband ordered pepperoni pizza but the Domino's pizza tastes way better. He also ordered Calamari which is super rubbery, we left it as it was disappointing. The server didn't even refill my husband's water or came to check with us. the complementary bread tasted the best out of all the foods. One more thing, the server had better service on the table who came after us. Sorry but if you are in Little Italy, pls try some other place. read more

Andres is the man! He had the BEST recommendations and the warmest hospitality! 10/10 will be coming back. The happy hour is amazing, the food quality is AMAZING and the service is top tier! read more

We were a group of eight, and were seated within 3-5 minutes at six o'clock. Nice reserved crowd. Andres was our host and waiter and managed to have our orders taken within 10 minutes and we were eating our salads and soup within another 10. The Italian Wedding soup was tasty and filling. For my entree I had the Tuscan Shrimp Pasta. It was nice and creamy and seasoned just right. The shrimp had no fishy taste. The pasta was great and GF. I would definitely go again and recommend to others. Two thumbs up. read more

Petrini's SD was a choice of convenience that turned into a memorable moment of goodness. From the delicious aroma welcoming me in at the door to the patience, kindness, and clarity of my server Elvira, I felt satisfied. Then mind blown with firsts, fresh made Italian dressing on a simple and decadent house salad, a scrumptious cannelloni, sexy fragrant glass of Toscana, concluded with local hospitality and the rich sweetness of a spumoni bomba! read more

Petrini's San Diego - Cannelloni, Sangria, and Garlic Bread - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food was amazing! The flavor, the portion size, the service, we all enjoyed the food. The pasta comes with soup or salad and then garlic bread. All of it was great! We will definitely come back the next time we're in town. read more

Ordered the sausage burrito and first bite I had a 1 x 1 piece of elastic. I showed it to the server who showed the kitchen and they claim it was the skin from the sausage. This was elastic and couldn't be broken or torn with my fingers. They offered to replace the burrito but I took their word for it and ate the rest of the burrito. It was very potato heavy. When the bill came around the burrito was not compensated. My colleagues and I are in the military and came here on lunch since harbor breakfast had a longer wait up the street. I recommend harbor breakfast over this place. read more

We haven't been to Petrinis in a while. We got there early enough to participate in the Happy Hour. The only drinks that they have during the happy hour is House Red, White or Rose, some beers and Sangria. The Sangria was very good. There were a few choices of snacks to order. We opted for the sampler which had interesting bruschettas that were tasty. I had the shrimp scampi which was suggested by the server. They have many dishes which can be made as gluten free. I tasted their GF pasta which was good. The dish had a nice scampi sauce. All of the entrees have a choice of salad, Italian wedding soup or minestrone. The service was good, but at times the server was very busy with others. The most difficult thing was flagging our server down to get the check. It was nice that we were allowed to sit and catch up with friends. We were served but had time to drink, eat and converse. read more

Had a stellar Happy Hour with Andres!! Can't beat $6 wine and delicious affordable happy hour bites. Great pours,delicious burrata and wings. fun company at the bar! Would recommend and we will be back!! read more

Good quality food try the house hash and their wings.lovecthe quality of the food here plus presentation. Great customer service . Great servers. Cool wine bar read more

Petrini's San Diego - Hash and Wings - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Mediocre at best. Just there for HH and glad I wasn't there for dinner. My hamburger sliders were inedible due to a lot of very hard chunks of something. The bruschetta was just ok. Can't recommend this place. read more

We came here for the first time last week and our experience was fantastic! We were the first ones in when they opened so we were able to chose where we wanted to sit. The restaurant is so well kept and cute. I absolutely love the greenery they have and the decor. I wasn't super hungry so I only ordered an appetizer but oh my god it was delicious. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. We highly recommend Petrini's and can't wait to come back! read more

Petrini's San Diego - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great food: minestrone w/ Pasta w/ meatballs and meat sauce (bolognese). Can't wait to come back! read more

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I really enjoy this spot and believe they offer a great value for their lunch specials. I worked down the street on Beach Street so this location is very convenient and within walking distance from me. I believe it's a hidden gem in the little Italy community, because it's not on the main strip or all the Italian restaurants are, but if you can find it, it is worth it. I would recommend the lunch special burger that they offer. It is one of the best burgers and is very succulent and juicy with great presentation. I also like their outdoor dining area to people watch :-) read more

Petrini's San Diego - Bruschetta, tomatoes, basil, parmesan cheese, and Petrinis' dressing, with smoked salmon $15. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California