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    264 Fresco

    4.1 (2.5k reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Services - 264 Fresco

    Catering services

    Venue valet services

    264 Fresco Photos

    Business Info

    264 FRESCO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Romantic
    Classy
    Casual

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    Recommended Reviews - 264 Fresco

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    Reviews With Photos

    wagyu steak
    Juan G.

    Cool spot near the beach and within walking distance to the beautiful Carlsbad shoreline. If you're looking to catch a game, have a few drinks, and enjoy the atmosphere, this is a solid place to hang out. That said, if you're going for the food, I wouldn't recommend it. The dishes are overpriced for what you get, and the quality and presentation were pretty disappointing. Maybe the food hits better after a few drinks, but for me, it just wasn't good -- honestly, pretty underwhelming overall. Would come back for the drinks and vibe, but not for the food.

    Caprese
    Dan E.

    Our first visit to 264 Fresco in Carlsbad, California was both interesting and delicious! It was a vibrant, busy Saturday evening and we were able to get a table before our scheduled reservation time which was nice. The hostess didn't seem to really understand my table request so she just kind of winged it and invited us to sit anywhere upstairs. Seemed rather impersonal and disengaged. Once we ascended the stairs and reached the upper deck, the vibe was decidedly more haptic and night club-like. Reminded me of some questionable times on Avenida Revolucion way back in the day but I digress. Despite my advancing age I actually enjoyed the fun and festive feel. The loud, pumping music was quite the mismatch for fine Italian food but that's ok. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, even if they couldn't hear the person speaking next to them. Since there is no house bread service here, I ordered their Rosemary Focaccia to start. It was excellent with a nice warm, soft center and crusty edges. Menu called out "whipped butter", but it was served with a small dish of olive oil and balsamic. I also ordered their Caprese which was outstanding. While it was rather haphazardly plated, I did appreciate their use of fresh, heirloom tomatoes. The mozzarella was more like burrata in that it was just all a soft blob at the base of the plate. The balance was noticeably off. Contained a lot more tomato than cheese unfortunately. For dinner I had the Chicken Parmigiana and it was delicious. Among the finer versions I've had. It comes with polenta, but I requested spaghetti instead. Overall the dish was beautifully presented and tasted great. Our waiter did a fantastic job and I really appreciated his personal, thoughtful style of service.

    Ravioli Bolognese
    Kryssa I.

    Food: excellent Service: average Ambiance: above par I tried the ravioli bolognese and it was superb. Ravioli cooked just right, hearty sauce, good wagyu filling. A friend asked for bread for the table before we ordered (thinking it would be complimentary), but we got charged for two orders of the focaccia at the end of the night. The focaccia was fresh and tasty, but it would have been nice to have been told it was something we had to order and pay for. We also had to wait quite a bit of time to pay our bill (table was cleared, but we just sat and waited to be able to leave).

    Steak and Eggs
    Rebekah W.

    Came here on a Saturday during the day and was pleasantly surprised that we were able to get a table upstairs on the rooftop with no problem. The rooftop itself is beautiful and the ocean view makes it such a great spot to sit and relax. The food was a bit of a mixed bag. The beet salad and the steak and eggs were both delicious and definitely worth ordering again. Unfortunately, the chicken was the opposite -- it was pretty unseasoned and overcooked, so I wouldn't order that again. The biggest issue was the wait time for food and drinks. The restaurant was pretty busy and there was only one server covering the entire upstairs area. She was actually great and very friendly, but it clearly wasn't enough staff for how busy it was. We ordered at the same time as the table next to us and they received their food, finished eating, and we were still waiting for ours. By the time it finally came out we were starving (hence the photo of me already halfway through my meal). That said, I don't blame the server at all -- it seemed like a staffing issue rather than a service issue. Overall, the setting and some of the dishes were really great, and I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu. I'd just make sure not to arrive too hungry next time.

    Lasagna
    Jeff B.

    We had made reservations a couple months ago as we were going to be in town for a birthday trip. We showed up an hour early from being hungry from walking around Carlsbad all day. We were greeted and told they could seat us early. Took a while for a server to come take our order but we got some drinks and the calamari and rosemary focaccia appetizers, both were very tasty, and the old fashioned was well mixed. We ordered our entrees, wife opted for lasagna and I went for the scallop risotto, these are our usual staples when available and we were not disappointed! The scallops were cooked perfectly with some sear but still tender and rare on the inside, the risotto was perfectly done and delicious. The lasagna was also very tasty and the portions were generous. Finished up with a carajillo which was also mixed well and very tasty. In the end we opted out of dessert because we were all stuffed. Service was a bit slow for it not being too busy but the food was very, very good.

    Marjon F.

    My parents and uncle and family were visiting from OC so Carlsbad was a perfect middle ground for us to meet up. We stumbled upon this cute place for dinner. They have open seating on there up stairs terrace With heaters period there is casual couch seating or high tops if you want more traditional Restaurant tables period There's also a bar if you just want to grab drinks and chill. We ordered a few of their woodfire pizzas, which were delicious and dough tasted fresh. My mom ordered the ravioli which she raved about the fresh tomatoes in the pasta sauce. It's a cute spot and great service If you are Carlsbad and looking for Italian food.

    The Deck upstairs
    Anna C.

    My go-to spot to meet friends for lunch. They have a large space -- upstairs deck with a peek of the ocean, downstairs covered patio, elevated sidewalk deck, for people watching, and a nice indoor area with a large bar. We usually don't have trouble getting a table, but I love that they take reservations just in case it gets busy. Food is very good. I appreciate that they make vegetables very tasty and not boring. Everything is a bit on the salty side though. Their pasta dishes are also very good. I got one where the pasta was undercooked (no, it wasn't al dente, straight up still dry and crunchy in the middle), and they remade it for me without any fuss, then it came out perfectly.

    Nahshon P.

    If I said that this place was noisy, that would be the largest understatement of my life.I am not joking.It will be very difficult for you to hear ... or at least it was tonight but that's always a good sign that this place has a lot of life and happiness in it. I won't lie it definitely smells good. As we showed up, we were greeted and seated pretty quick. I did ask to be moved because we were seated by a room next to the pizza oven, and I felt like we were slowly dying in an inferno. We removed to the dining area off the side of the bar and it had much more ventilation. Our server is super kind and has been very helpful so far. Only water's for us tonight and we are starting with the house cut fries, Focaccia, and the Beet and Burrata salad. I really did a lot of investigating online yelp and on google.And I will tell you that the menu does not quite match all of the delicious images I saw online. I also emailed the restaurant several hours before attending to try to get some clarity on my husband who has many allergies.And unfortunately, we did not get a response till the next morning but we risked it anyway and im so glad we did! While he couldnt eat much I REALLY enjoyed my food!! The Golden Beets omgosh.... that burrata. Soooo good! The Focaccia Equally good. The Fries are crisp and the lemon Aoli really packs a punch of flavors!! The fries, the bread and the salad were all so freaking delicious so so full.I really wanted to try the ravioli, but I just couldn't fit any more food. I'm so sad.I did not catch our waitress's name.Because she was so stinking kind!! Great service great food will definitely return!!

    Rooftop bar
    Teena M.

    Omg! This place is so good. The atmosphere is so fun and romantic especially at sunset on the rooftop. The food! Phenomenal! We tried calamari and fried mozzarella for our appetizers. Calamari was perfect: not greasy and not rubbery. Fried mozzarella was delish and the sauce served with it was the boss. For our entrees: cacio e Pepe, pesto gnocchi, broccoli rabe pizza, and the meatball pizza, as well as a salad "beet and barata" Everything was fresh and top quality. We had two desserts to share: the tiramisu and the ricotta cheesecake. Both were worth every single calorie. Drinks were stellar: scotch and soda, extra dry vodka martini with a tiny splash of cranberry for color, and the Tuscan apple mule Can't wait to come back to this amazing restaurant for the ambiance, food and great service

    Short Rib with potatoes
    Karolina J.

    We had such a lovely time here! The staff was beyond sweet and went out of their way to make sure our group of six was perfectly seated and comfortable. The ambiance is so cozy and inviting, making it the perfect spot to relax. We started with the Cesar salad and calamari (both delicious!), and the short ribs was honestly to die for! Paired with a glass from their wonderful wine list, it was the perfect night. Looking forward to go back to 264 Fresco soon to discover more delicious items on the menu!

    Trecia L.

    I have been wanting to try this I place out. This was a treat since I just finished going through a detox. We came here on a Saturday evening since we had family in town. We were seated outside. There seemed to be various seating areas - between the patio, inside, back patio, upper deck, etc.. The patio worked since it was lovely out. Our table ordered Rigatoni alla Vodka w/shrimp, Ricotta Gnocchi, (a dish I didn't get a chance to take a photo of of someone else's), and spaghetti with butter sauce and shrimp (for a child). We all loved our pastas (minus the kid who wanted the buttered pasta and shrimp but changed her mind since it wasn't Kraft Mac n Cheese). I had the Rigatoni alla Vodka with shrimp. The pasta was a perfect al dente for me, as well as the shrimp and sauce being tasty. Our wait person did a great job accommodating us and the food. All in all, we would definitely come back to try out other items on the menu. It's a great place to go when the weather is nice out too since they have quite a bit of outdoor seating. Parking: street parking, although I do believe they have valet.

    Pranjali S.

    We came here on a weekday evening and the place was buzzing. The lower level is reserved seating and the upper level is seat yourself anywhere kind of seating. I didn't particularly like the upper level because it was really busy. We ended up sitting in a nice corner in the back. We had our privacy and liked the ambiance because it was bright. Our server was very kind. We are a little picky and she went along with it. We were here on Wed when a wine bottle is 50% off. We asked for a taste of a couple of whites before choosing the bottle and I'm glad that we did because we ended up choosing our safe option - the Sauvignon Blanc from Crowded House, NZ. The others that we tried (a viognier and a Sauvignon from California) were not good. The bottle was priced around $50 so we got a great deal! For food, we started with the spicy diavola pizza with tomato, mozzarella, spicy salami, evoo. The pizza was good. Thin crust, delicious, but not really spicy. It was pretty big - we got about 3 slices each. We ended up getting quite full but we wanted to try some of the entrees also. I got the chicken Marsala and my friend got the braised short rib. Both entrees were excellent. The short rib was a little too salty for me but my friend loved it. The meat fell off the bone very easily. The sauce was rich and the accompanying polenta and carrots were a good addition. The Marsala was one of the best I've had. Definitely on the side of more mushroom, which I love. The chicken was cooked well. The potatoes and veggies were cooked well too. Both portions were big and I ended up taking majority of the Marsala home. When eaten as leftovers the next day, it tasted delicious. For dessert, we ordered the tiramisu. It came in a bowl that matches the tiramisu colors so initially we mistook the bowl for the dessert. The portion is huge. The tiramisu itself was ok. It had a lot of more cream than the ladyfingers or Expresso. It was a bit more sweet that I would've liked. All in all, this was a good experience. We definitely like this restaurant more than their sister restaurant Fresco Cocina because these guys have more food options. Pricing wise, it is comparable to a nicer restaurant in Carlsbad. There is a street parking all around the restaurant. We shall be back!

    Mandy F.

    Wow! My husband, son, and I visited this place on a random Tuesday to celebrate a late anniversary. It was quite lively with families, coworkers, and friends having food and drinks. They have quite a wine menu and a full bar, i was more impressed by the food! We ended up ordering way too much but it was delicious. Our server was a nice Italian man who was extremely attentive and mindful of checking in on us. We had the calamari, smash burger, pizza and drinks, i have to say this was extremely enjoyable and there was quality and quantity in each dish. The prices are fair for such a nice place by the beach. Parking can be tricky but it's worth coming here once! Will be returning in the future

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    Page 1 of 64

    264 Fresco Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - 264 Fresco

    Is the deck for 21+?

    Yes, it is. They won't sear you up there with kids.

    Do you use Italian flour for pizza/ pasta/ bread?

    Are there gluten free options?

    Plenty of options

    Is this restaurant kid friendly?

    There were several children and strollers in the restaurant when we dined here. It's a huge place with most of the seating downstairs (I think the deck upstairs is for adults) in the restaurant and in the tent adjacent to the restaurant. I owe a… Read more

    Would like to know if they allow dogs in their patio area?

    Yes we do, thanks

    Hello, I would like to make reservations for 17 people but open table only goes to 8. No one is answering the phone at the moment, is there a different means to do so? Thanks!

    Hello, on the yelp app it looks like the rooftop is only for cabana rentals and we can't make reservations? Is this correct? Can a party of 2 make reservations for the rooftop?

    You can just walk up. Reservations are for party of 8 and up Hope to see you soon Thanks

    Are there different vegan options? If so what are they?

    We have pastas, salads and soups Hope to see you soon

    Are there some good vegetarian options? Can the pastas or pizzas be made vegetarian style?

    Yes absolutely

    Are dogs allowed on the patio?

    Yes I think I answered this before

    How do your online gift certificates work?

    Please just follow the link it should allow you to email the gift certificate Thanks

    Is the new rooftop walk-in only or are reservations allowed? And is the rooftop only open starting at 5pm?

    Walk in and reservations are open on Opentable Thanks

    Does 264 Fresco offer Military/ Veterans Discount?

    No really but please ask the manager for a free appetizer on us. Thanks Linda

    What time is happy hour?

    3to6

    Is there a pre-fixed menu for NYE?

    Yes and also open menu Thanks

    Is there any dress code we need to have?

    Not that we could see. Don’t think swim suits would be allowed.

    Is happy hour at the bar only, or throughout the restaurant?

    At the bar and the tables around it Thanks

    Can we bring our own cake for a birthday?

    Yes.

    I see there are gluten free options on the menu for appetizers, salad and pasta - is gluten free pizza crust a choice, too? (:

    I think it was, for an additional cost. I don't do gluten free so didn't commit it to memory but I think I remember seeing on the menu and it is the type of place that would do that.

    Do you have a corkage fee?

    Yes $20 Thanks

    View All 27 Questions

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    We have always had absolutely wonderful dining experience at Eugenio Italian Ristorante. Every dish…read morewas beautifully presented and full of authentic Italian flavor. The seafood was especially fresh and perfectly cooked -- from the tender shrimp and lobster to the flavorful clams and pasta dishes. The stuffed zucchini blossoms were delicate and delicious, and the sauces were rich, balanced, and clearly made with care. The lobster bisque, however, was a little salty for my taste. The atmosphere felt warm, elegant, and welcoming, making it perfect for a relaxing dinner or special occasion. Service was attentive without being overwhelming, and every plate looked like it came straight out of a gourmet magazine. Highly recommend trying the seafood specials and homemade pasta. You can really taste the quality and passion in every bite. The restaurant is often filled up fast for dinner, it is best to reserve in advance.

    Oh my gosh! What a hidden jewel in our backyard discovered completely by accident! I have driven…read moreby this place so many times and missed it. We checked our handy dandy Yelp to find a great Italian restaurant and boom! There was Eugenio. It's a tiny interior and a small outdoor patio. Everything is just wonderful and having recently returned from Italy, this jewel is a standout! Amazing servers too which is such an important part of the dining experience!

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    Buona Forchetta - Cheese pizza for kids

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    i have to say, i was so disappointed in my experience. i used to live in san diego (& work at buona…read moreforchetta, different location) and this was my favorite restaurant, especially for their gluten free offerings. the food used to be so fresh & i don't think you could order anything bad on the menu. i dined in on a monday night & ordered my favorite pasta - the buona forchetta sauce wit chicken - the chicken looked questionable, the sauce was flavorless (the server even brought over additional marinara without me asking because he even thought the color was off...) and i was so sad! all of the gluten free dessert options have also been removed from the menu. i was so disappointed but i did go back to see if the gluten free pizza was still amazing. the crust is still fantastic but the pizza looked like it was created in a rush and the proportions were off, minimal sauce/cheese, a lot of crust.

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    Vigilucci's Seafood & Steakhouse - Risotto Del Giorno

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    3.9(1.5k reviews)
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    We came here for dinner to celebrate my hubby's birthday. We had a reservation at 6:45pm. Valet was…read morepacked so we parked around the corner. There is a host as you enter in the door. She greeted us with a big smile and checked us in our reservation. We were seated in the outside patio overlooking the beach. It was a beautiful view. The server came to greet us right away. He ask what we wanted to drink and afterwards told us the special menu for the night. First we started with the appetizers. We had the Fritto di Calamari e gamberretti and the Carpaccio di manzo. The calamari and rock shrimp were soft and crunchy. The batter was flavorful but subtle and the marinara sauce tied it altogether. We loved the filet mignon carpaccio. It was tender and rich. The cheese, capers and arugula provided a great balance to this dish. For our entree, we had the spaghetti portofino, Pappardelle con funghi e Capesente and Cappellaci di Manzo. When our food came we could not believe how huge their portions are. One entree is equal to 2 entrees and it makes sense because the price is up there. The Portofino, had huge amount variety of seafood and the scallop and jumbo prawn stood out which was placed on top of the dish. Wish they did have more spaghetti, but we were happy with it. All the seafood was cooked perfectly. Soft and tender and the pesto sauce was more like a little bit of marinara and pesto. The Parpadelle was cooked with just the right texture and the different types mushroom had full of Umami flavors. You can tell they make their own pasta. The 2 huge scallops in the sides were cooked just right, tender and just delicious! This was to die for. The Carpellaci was amazing!!! The hat-pasta was full of braised prime short rib and the porcini cream sauce with aged asiago and black truffles really excelled this dish. The sauce was creamy and just bursting with great flavors. All of these dishes were outstanding!!! Ofcourse none of us finished our entree. We were stuffed half way. We were not disappointed!!! We had plenty of leftovers. Also the bus boy and the servers really took care of us. Our water was always filled up. At the end they served my hubby with a birthday cannoli with a candle. We all got a taste of his birthday dessert and wow this cannoli is fantastic. It's a great way to end the evening! If you're heading to Carlsbad, this place is a wonderful restaurant to spend a special occasion or a celebration to the end of your vacation.

    The service was exceptionally bad. Once my party arrived, the waiter did not come back and check on…read moreus. To make matters worse, when I asked for cracked peppers, he set the pepper dispenser on the table and walked away. The food was decent. I had eggplant. It was ok. I do not recommend this restaurant. For a place that charges $50/plate the food should be outstanding and the service should be excellent. I have been to Tuscany and this place doesn't come close.

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    264 Fresco - italian - Updated May 2026

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