I recently met someone here for dinner. I usually like to suggest (or dictate) where to meet for dinner but I've recently taken a back seat to that. Friend suggested Piatti Ristorante & Bar in La Jolla. I have never been there before and had heard nice things about this place. He's not originally from San Diego so his research showed that Piatti's had a beautiful outside patio with some sort of large tree (maybe that's my new theme for places to try out this season - restaurants with big giant old trees - sounds so quaint and romantic in a way). We weren't able to get a seat on their back patio (with the tree) but the side patio, with heat lamps, was available. We both preferred that as it was quite noisy inside the restaurant. The reviews about their complimentary bread and garlic dipping oil is 100% accurate - the garlic oil is *that* good. It's comprised of olive oil, fresh garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, parsley, and chili flakes. How do I know this? Because the waiter told me! I guess it's no secret to what they put in this. Also friend surprised me with something at the end of the meal that helped me enjoy this dipping oil (and evening) even more. We ordered: - Herbed Cauliflower Cakes $8.95 Friend wanted us to try an appetizer so the waiter suggested this one. I love cauliflower. So I was really curious about this dish. Unfortunately, it wasn't very good. It tasted very much like thick potato pancakes. You wanted to taste crab b/c it kinda looked like flattened crab cakes. But once you take a bite, you mostly taste potato/flour or some sort of starch. We really couldn't taste cauliflower all that much in this dish. - Grilled Rib-Eye: Garlic mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts Since I don't really eat pasta, we decided it would be nice if we split this dish as one of our entrees. It was nice of the restaurant to split this into two portions on separate plates (I am not sure if they charge extra for that). I requested the rib eye to be grilled medium rare which it was. But the steak itself didn't taste right. It was incredibly chewy and had quite a bit of fat/gristle. There was barely any seasoning on the steak which made it harder to eat. I was disappointed because I knew this steak was probably the most expensive item on their menu and therefore should have tasted better than it did. - Saffron Pappardelle: Shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes, arugula, lemon, white wine broth Friend choose this dish as the waiter highly recommended it and said it was quite popular with customers. Again, the restaurant split this pasta dish onto two plates for us which was really appreciated. I believe the pappardelle is made in house. Friend liked this pasta - Affogato: White Chocolate Gelato, Espresso, Amaretto, Shaved Chocolate, Whipped Cream This is usually served with white chocolate gelato but the waiter was able to substitute that with their dark chocolate gelato for me (WTH right, I guess my tummy wasn't *too* full after all). I asked waiter if they could put the espresso on the side since I have that phobia of cold stuff melting b/c of hot stuff (like a piece of warm whatever-fruit pie and a scoop of whatever-ice-cream on top). This dessert was AMAZING. - Tiramisu: Lady Fingers, Espresso, Amaretto, Mascarpone, Chocolate Not the best tiramisu I've had but it was still good. Service was spot on that night. The waiter was really friendly and knowledgeable. There were no eye rolls when I asked the waiter or busboy for more bread and dipping oil. Our water was consistently refilled and the left over food was neatly packaged for me to take home. The waiter had mentioned earlier that Piatti bottles their famous gourmet oil. So friend surprised me and bought me one which was so incredibly thoughtful. It was a nice evening and it was fun to finally try out this restaurant. I'm not sure I'd come back for the food as I wasn't too impressed by the appetizer or entrees from that night. But I think I would come back for their wine (you must try the Seven Falls merlot), bread/oil, and desserts. read more

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We have gone to Piatti for 20 years. Food is great (not amazing), atmosphere is very nice... one of my favorite restaurants. I am disappointed they are charging everything... they charge for bread, the put %living wage fee -- it's a nice (not so inexpensive) restaurant and it feels cheap when they do this. I will still go though, it's just sad though. read more

Our group of 12 enjoyed this restaurant. Delicious food, attentive service, and pretty outdoor courtyard, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. I was concerned it would be too cool in the outdoor space but nice heaters kept us comfortable. Pricey but I would happily return. read more

Piatti is an affordable Italian restaurant with a cute and romantic atmosphere. While the environment was special, I didn't think the food was absolutely amazing. Their warm balsamic/garlic/herb dipping oil and table bread started off the course well. My table ordered the veal sweetbread appetizer which wasn't what we quite expected. The taste reminded me of a dish similar to one of Panda Express'... The lamb penne wasn't bad but it also didn't sweep me off my feet. It was definitely a heavier dish and the mint balanced the gaminess of the meat. I'd recommend the orecchiette - the noodles in the dish were more al dente and faired well with the sundried tomatoes. The tiramisu served for my birthday was very delicious - if you tell them that it is your birthday, they will print a customized menu for you. I think that that is special and quite thoughtful of the restaurant. The wait staff is also very nice. I would go back again if I was in the area and felt like Italian! read more

Piatti - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Pick up last night, loved the endive had lots of big chunks of fresh beets. Bread was soft and warm, actually just had some leftovers today to make a sandwich and held up very nicely! The wild mushroom rotolo super tasty but my favorite dishes were the chicken orecchiette which was creamy but not too thick and left me feeling full without being too full & the crostata al limona for dessert! read more

Piatti - Endive, Wild Mushroom Rotolo, Orecchiette & Grilled Ciabatta Bread - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Found restaurant by accident because the service at Barbarella was terrible and Piatti was right across the street. We met some friends from Vegas and wanted them to have a great experience. This was definitely the place. The food was excellent and even the manager jumped in as a server. A++. We'll be back! read more

Good ambiance!! Attentive servers. Quality food in a great location in La Jolla. Will definitely be back for a girls night dinner or special occasion. read more

First time and the food was excellent. The servers made the wife, and I feel great. Highly recommended!!

First time here. Recommended by cousin & bellhop, both in mid50s. Very comfortable on heated outside patio on a pretty cold night for SoCal. Food was excellent; we had seafood with pasta, green salad with beets & lemon vinaigrette dressing; veal sweetbreads & lentil soup. Had an Italian white wine that was new to me: falanghia - superb. Will definitely return to sample dessert which we didn't have tonight. read more

We sat outside under the amazing Ficus tree, which set the mood off right for the evening. This was our first time there and overall we had a great experience with food full of flavor, great wine, spot on service and pricing that honestly was better than expected (for some reason Socal believe Italian is supposed to be crazy overpriced). We look forward to our next visit and recommend to anyone looking for a great place to dine in La Jolla shores. read more

I moved to San Diego for school and have come to Piatti 3 times now, each time receiving excellent service and the food is great! The indoor dining experience is perfect for an intimate get together, and the patio is nice and open on good weather days. Definitely recommend the lasagna!! read more

If I could give more than five stars, I would! :) Everything is so great at this restaurant: - They always take my "window preference" reservation and seat us promptly. - Their parsley/garlic/olive oil/balm.vinegar/something else combo. dip is HEAVENLY. I could eat this and their bread allllll day long. - Their food is always fresh and perfectly seasoned, I don't even have to add pepper. Oh and SO fresh. - The service is great. The waitress always keeps her eyes open and makes multiple rounds through her section so it's never a problem to ask for anything. Even when it's super busy, she is never rushing us. I didn't care much for their gelato relatively to other gelato shops but I'm always too full at the end of the meal anyway for dessert :) A must go! read more

LOVE PIATTI'S. Seems like this place gets better and better every time I come here! Got the Saffron Pappardelle & I seriously cannot get the lemon-y taste out of my mind. I MUST GO BACK. BUT WHENNNNN T_T read more

Piatti - Saffron Pappardelle - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Always amazing service and consistently very good food. I have been coming here for close to 20 years and it has never disappointed me or my guests. This last visit was spectacular. I had an especially difficult friend who order things from 3 different menu items to make one dish. The server was a true professional and did not blink. She made it happen. Well done! Thank you for being a great reliable place to take family and friends!! read more

We love sitting outside under the big tree in the back. Very lovely ambience. Food always great.

Took Wifey here for the first time this past Mother's Day for dinner. Place is cute, clean and located close to La Jolla shores perfect for a nice before or after meal stroll. Food was good, nothing spectacular. I had the saffron papardelle and wifey had some special Mother's Day dish (don't recall the name anymore) that she thought was a little on the bland side. Given it's location, will be back to try other dishes. read more

Piatti - She's gotta have her bubbles - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

I eat here about 6 times a year either for business meeting or family celebration or casual dinner. You feel comfortable here wearing a suit and tie or jeans and a t shirt. The service is wonderful. Almost all the dishes are good but the seafood dishes are better than the chicken dishes in my opinion. Prices are amazing considering location, ambience, and food quality. read more

This place is dreamy, just like the rest of La Jolla. We came here after taking in a magnificent sunset at the Mount Soledad Memorial, and it was the perfect end to our night. We didn't make a reservation but didn't want to wait either, so we phoned at 8:10 for a 8:30 pm reservation. I would highly recommend calling the restaurant to make a last-minute reservation, as there are often open tables that don't show up on OpenTable. When we arrived, there were many people waiting, and we were glad we had called before. If possible, I would recommend sitting in the patio, where there are heated lamps that actually provide warmth (I feel like this is such a rarity for outdoor patios nowadays) and a gigantic tree in the middle that creates a romantic atmosphere. The service was impeccable, and within minutes of sitting down we were welcomed with warm bread and a delicious olive oil/balsamic vinegar dipping sauce. I decided to order the Saffron Pappardelle, which comes with shrimp, arugula, and tomatoes in a lemon-white wine broth. The shrimp was some of the freshest I've ever had, and the light sauce accentuated the freshness of the seafood. I would beware of this dish if you're not a fan of arugula, though, as it seems many people are not. The bitter taste does come across in non-arugula bites of the dish. My friend ordered the Wild Mushroom Rotolo, which seemed to be highly recommended on Yelp and by restaurant waiters. I had a couple bites, and it was good- however, there is cheese inside and on top, so be sure you love cheese if you are going to order this dish. Otherwise, the rotolo was the perfect consistency. Would highly recommend this place for a picturesque before or after dinner stroll! read more

Piatti - Saffron Pappardelle - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Came here for lunch one day last week due to all the great reviews. Piatti did not disappoint. We were seated outside and separated from others. Tried the mushroom ritollo and it was full of flavor and seriously bomb! I would order this again if and when I come back. Kids loved the pizza and pasta. Husband got the jidori chicken and it was delish! Probably one of the best Italian restaurants I've eaten. Waiter was friendly and helpful. Highly recommend. read more

Piatti - Mushroom Ritollo - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Traveled down to Piatti with a group of fellow conference attendees. We were in a mood for good Italian and Piatti delivered in spades Piatti is the nice kind of restaurant that can go from somewhat casual to almost dressy (California Casual?). The solid atmosphere and nice decor. All aspects of our meal were solid - great cocktails and appetizers; good wine; and a fine meal. The next time I'm in La Jolla Piatti is at the top of my list - good Italian, great atmosphere, and solid drinks read more

Amazing food! I always have a hard time finding something in the menu that I like at Italian restaurants. This place was amazing. The Cesar salad was excellent with anchovies, the pappardelle with shrimp, saffron and garlic amazing!! read more

Service was GOOD! Food was GOOD! As a starter, they provide bread and a dipping oil. Looks like the dipping oil was olive oil, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar and maybe chili flakes! Not sure but it was the BEST ever!!! I asked for some of this olive oil to go which they kindly provided! We ordered a pizza which was delicious! And the kids meal, was also great! (Dont be fooled, the kids pizza from kids menu was a very good decent size, bigger than what my kids were able to finish!) they loved it! read more

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Pretty good food... LOVED the pasta. I thought the price was pretty appropriate too. The vibes and aesthetics were really immersive.

Wow best breakfast dish i've had in a long time, smoked salmon with potato pancakes, I've attached the picture as well. Great ambience, beautiful outdoor setting read more

Piatti - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

I have been in Piatti a couple times now... And so have enjoyed every single one of them. Their "Welcome" olive oil with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, and basil is just out of this world. Combined with the "smoochy" but crunchy selection of bread! If they just served this... I would still come back! We also had the Margherita Pizza ($13.95): Crushed tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, evoo. It was thin, crunchy the basil was very flavorful. I know... I am reviewing two dishes from the same restaurant and they have the same ingredients but in different shapes! ... That's how good it is!! We were still pretty hungry and had: Wild Mushroom Rotolo ($17.95): Ricotta, spinach, porcini mushroom cream. It was outstanding. The only thing is that the portion of the porcino mushroom cream was too small and I had to order some more which caused a 15 or so minutes delay! However... I still had some of that "Welcome" olive oil... So not biggy! Last but not least - the only dish I did not enjoy much and won't order again. Cannelloni $20.95 : Braised short rib, mozzarella, ricotta, parmigiana reggiano, salsa rosso I could only taste the short rib meat and it felt a bit bland! If you are in the area. This is the perfect spot for a nice dinner, in Valentine's they have thousands of roses! Cheers! read more

Piatti - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

After being in the area a couple times and noticing how packed this place constantly is, I came in with a friend for dinner. Although the place is fairly large, on a saturday night at around 8 we were faced with an hour and a half wait, so I definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. While we were there there was a long table celebrating an engagement as well as an entire wedding party using the back patio, so this seems to be a good location for large groups if you plan ahead of time. TLDR: The bread is what makes this place worth it. After sampling a couple dishes, the bread along with the dipping sauce is definitely the star of Piatti's offerings. This isn't necessarily an insult to the food, but the bread and dipping oil is just really outstanding. I continued eating it even after my food came out because it was just more tasty to me. Here's what I've tried: The Caesar Salad: Our waiter convinced us to order this, mentioning that they make it with the original dressing style, which is traced back to Tijuana. It comes topped with an anchovy but we opted to leave that out. They were kind enough to split the salad in two for us. It was tasty and had a thick dressing, but nothing life changing. Calamari Appetizer: We were asked if we wanted to mixed dish that comes with veggies and shrimp and we went for that. It was nice that there were some onions and veggies along with the seafood and the shrimp was probably my favorite part. It came out very hot and with a nice lemon slice and the side sauce paired perfectly with the fried batter. Cavatappi Pasta: This is a red sauce, sausage, mushroom and curly pasta dish. The sausage is noticeably housemade, which is nice. The sauce had a little spice to it and the pasta was cooked well. I don't love red sauce so I probably wouldn't order again. Saffron Pappardelle: This seems to be a very popular dish here, so I was excited to have it, but I unfortunately was not too impressed. For starters, my dish was a little cold. In attention, the sauce was slightly flavorless. There were about 5/6 large shrimp which were cooked well. I wouldn't order again. Wild Mushroom Rotolo: This was my favorite entree item. The dish is pretty unique, as the pasta is rolled into three circular stuffed bunches. The inside is stuffed with mushrooms and cheese and the sauce is decadent. I would order this again! Take aways: make a reservation or be prepared to wait. Really enjoy the bread and don't be afraid to ask for refills. Order carefully, maybe ask the waiter/waitress for recommendations depending on what you're looking for! read more

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Wow! Delicious meal. I had the lasagna and my husband the mushroom rotolo. We split a citrus fennel salad bread and a bottle of wine before finishing with coffee snd and affog dessert. Such an enjoyable meal with friends for a birthday celebration and Piatti had special menus printed with his name on them. It was a nice touch and Jay our server was fantastic we felt like inviting him to join us. Not sure why anyone would give this place a bad review, it is now our go to place every time in La Shores. read more

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Love this place! They are so family friendly. We went for my daughters birthday dinner. They printed her out a pink reusable menu with her name on it. This place will always have a special place in my heart. Food is so good. The service is amazing. Love, this place. Five star. read more

Nice service, pleasant atmosphere, good food. But, they kick you out after 90 minutes!

Came as a walk in even though we knew ahead of time they were booked. We were able to get a table immediately as long as we could be done by the time the reservation was needed. Food was amazing! The server was so kind and fast. We will definitely be back. read more

Piatti - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

If I could give 4.5 I would. Delicious. Nice patio ambiance. Nice inside casual seated bar to eat at. Inside seats as well, but tonight we ate on the outside patio. The water is filtered on site and even though hubby said it's prob. just a brita, the filtered water was really crisp and cold and good. I got the cream of spinich/broc and basil soup. It was BOMB. Had the cauliflower cakes which is listed as an appetizer with my soup as a main dish, and they were yum! especially trying to stay low carb, they had a lot to offer in that department. However, like many reviews mention, the dip on the table at the beginning which is italian parsley, garlic, balsalmic and olive oil is delicious. The sourdough bread is so good it can kill even the most dedicated low carb dieter. Hubby got the lemon herb 1/2 chicken plate. Sorry the pics suck, but it was really good he said. Kid had the meat lasagna which he said was the best he's ever had and he really does have a thing for lasagnas. I would assess that it was a lot of layers of pasta and thin layers of beef ragu, again, sorry the pic sucks, I just had forgotten to take the pics before we began to eat. Overall, I like this place a lot and we never come here which is a mystery. Oh yes, I remember why....the price. It's a tad but more then taking the kids to Islands. Also, it's not a good small kid place. I have teenagers so it's not like I am reviewing for highchairs etc. though they do have them and i did see some well behaved little kids here. Night time is a lot more dressy then during the day or the early evening. read more

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Beautiful restaurant with lovely atmosphere. I really enjoy sitting at the bar having dinner. The food is delicious. Highly recommend!

Good food but small portions. Vibe is good however make sure you have reservations because it is booked solid and walk ups don't have much of a chance except for the middle of the week. There are better Italian places in downtown La Jolla but for La Jolla Shores it is your best bet. read more

Had a great experience on the patio, food was great and portions were reasonable. The drinks were nice too :) They had good heating on the patio so it was very comfortable. read more

Great atmosphere, great service. Fresh baked bread for your oil and vinegar, sooooo good! If you like mushrooms, get the wild mushroom rotolo! Will definitely come back here again next time I'm down here. read more

My favorite Italian restaurant restaurant especially for a date night. Delicious always!

Food was absolutely spectacular. Service was great as well. We had Pappardelle with saffron sauce and it was probably one the freshest and delicious dishes I've had in a while. read more

Amazing food! Of course the fresh bread and the oil/vinegar is amazing. I don't know what's special about it but I think it's that the bread is warm and fresh and they use good olive oil and vinegar with tons of garlic. We went for my boyfriends aunts birthday and made a reservation through yelp and they called me the day before and asked me her name and when we got there, they had a menu that said happy birthday Judi (her name). I really enjoyed the pomegranate limeade and my favorite item on the menu was the meatloaf which apparently is only on there from fall until part of spring: I don't even like meatloaf but my boyfriend's aunt recommended it and I'm soooo happy I had it. Will be back soon to try other dishes. read more

Piatti - Meatloaf.. best I've ever had - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Wow wow wow. This place is amazing. Came here on a Monday night around 7 PM. The place was packed! I had to wait a few minutes for a table but they eventually sat me outside in the back patio area. The back patio is dope. The serve bread with balsamic and olive oil while you look over the menu. This bread is phenomenal. It's warm and soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. I ordered the rotolo and the reviews are allll sooo right. It was amazing. The pasta is fresh, the filling is fresh, and the sauce is fresh. I'm going to have to come back here every time I return to San Diego, it's THAT good. read more

Piatti - Wild Mushroom Rotolo - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Went here on a family outing. Service was great however the food was average Italian food. It was good but had better at other places.