We had an absolutely amazing dinner at Cesarina. The food was prepared to perfection…read more Our waitress Alana was the best and did everything to make our night special.

Thank you so much for making my birthday special! The first time we had pasta since our trip to…read moreItaly was last night. We were nervous we might be disappointed because we were spoiled in Italy and your restaurant truly was just as good!! We will be back again. We had the Fungi rigatoni w/ guanciale + Arrabiatta w/ Lumache - we wanted to keep it simple and try the basics and they def lived up to the hype! Oh and a decaf espresso martini was delicious! I've been wanting to try this place for the past 3 years and I can't believe I waited this long! Service was incredible. Def make a reservation well in advance if you want a specific time or table. I'm not the biggest Tiramisu fan and this place has the best Tiramisu I have ever had!

My absolute FAVORITE Italian spot in CA and I've been here so many times and have brought so many…read morefriends but this is the first time I've gotten around to reviewing this spot! The service is always prompt and the feel of the restaurant feels modern yet casual enough where it's not stuffy, perfect for just hanging out with friends or family. In this round, I got to try their special, Spaghetti Alla Gricia which features a Pecorino and black pepper cream sauce with Guanciale (pork cheeks). Absolutely delicious, balanced flavors with perfectly cooked pasta (as always)!

This review is honestly overdue but I had been wanting to go to this spot for a while and actually…read morefound this spot through the Costco Synergy gift cards. We got these items (I went a while ago so the prices might not be as accurate if I listed): 1. FIORI DI ZUCCA RIPIENI- this was a fried zucchini blossom and honestly my favorite item that we had gotten here. It is lightly battered and has a nice cheese filling. The tomato aioli was my favorite part and I could honestly dip bread in it all the time. I would come back here just for these. 2. INSALATA CESARE - This caesar salad was pretty good and had a huge parmesan crisp. The salad was fresh and paired well with our pastas. 3. Cheesewheel pasta - I thought this was a pretty interesting concept and the cheesewheel pasta was rich but very delicious. 4. TAGLIATELLE AL NERO DI SEPPIA - The concept of a squid ink pasta is pretty cool. This wasn't bad but just not my favorite. Overall it was a really fun experience and the food was pretty good. It is a bit pricey and parking can be a bit hard in downtown. The staff here was friendly and quick with our order. The restaurant inside is quite nice and has a nice view of Little Italy.

Fun! Had dinner on a weekend for a friends birthday. It gets pretty crowded and loud so don't…read moreexpect to have an intimate conversation. It was fun when it got a little later and they turned up the music while we all ate (mostly playing Beiber). Everyone was dancing in their seat. Kinda lame that most of the young patrons, 20somethings, were doing live streams the whole time. Can't we be without devices for an hour?! Food was good. I had the gnocchi and it was yummy. We also got the huge sampler appetizer it was waaay too big but we ate it all! There were 8 of us. Cocktails were good too. Can dress up or down there was a little of both.

The ambiance was pretty cool, and I really enjoyed all the photos of famous people on the walls--it…read moregave the restaurant a lot of character. The service, however, felt very minimal and somewhat lacking. Nothing was necessarily wrong, but it didn't leave much of an impression. The food was definitely the highlight of the experience. The carbonara, served with a fresh egg on top, was memorable and something I would absolutely order again. The mussels were decent, and the ciabatta bread was delicious for dipping into the sauce. I also had a Pinot Grigio that was one of the best wines I've had in a long time. Overall, the food and drinks were the strongest parts of the meal and left a positive impression. The service was just okay. Would I come back? I'm honestly not sure, but I'd definitely be tempted by that carbonara and wine.

Marcello and the rest of the staff provided really proper service and the food was great. Would…read morehighly recommend

Alvin & felipe 10/10!!! Great experience!! Cheese wheel pasta was incredible, definitely will be…read moreback again

This place is wow…read more Came to San Diego for a weekend trip and we wanted some Italian. We were able to make a reservation on open table for 12pm on a Saturday for 6 people and a baby. There is only street parking so you may need to drive around a block or two. The restaurant has both patio seating and indoor. The patio seating feels like you're in Rome with the chairs and decor matching a Roman Fraschetta. Our server Cosimo was wonderful! He took the wonderful to a different level with his Italian charisma. There is an extensive drink menu, all the pastas, pizzas, and other Italian dishes. We went with all of the recommendations that Cosimo made- 4 pizzas and 4 pastas. All were delicious. We also enjoyed the Tiramisu. If you want authentic Italian food and vibes go to Forchetta!

Second time at Buona Forchetta, and it brought back such good memories, plus instant dopamine from…read morethe chew of their pizza crust! I came here with a big group of friends on a Thursday night, and the place was packed. The restaurant is located in a quieter area of South Park with plenty of street parking available (no dedicated lot, though). We made a reservation, and they seated us right on time. We ordered a little bit of everything, including appetizers, pizzas, and pasta. What surprised me most was how light everything tasted. The brightness and freshness of the dishes really made the overall experience stand out. Our favorite dishes at the table were the Nicola and Juna pizzas, along with the gnocchi carbonara. By the way, this is a fork and knife place for everything. This place is definitely a carb overload, but absolutely worth it. Come for the classics, stay for the vibes :)

We took our mom for her Bday Celebration and the staff was so attentive on the service. The owner…read morepersonally cooked my mother's meal and made it to perfection upon her request. Every thing was so perfect even the food and ambience was really amazing. I do highly recommend this restaurant . Thank you very much. We enjoyed every moment being there.

One of the best Italian restaurants in San Diego. Giovanni, the owner, made us feel right at home,…read moreand the food was authentic from start to finish. I even got to practice my Italian with him. The atmosphere is vibrant, lively, and unapologetically Neapolitan. it felt like stepping into a restaurant in Napoli.

This is my favorite resturant okay I said it. Great times here, what a great vibes…read more What Great staff here, so happy & kind too they are amazing here! I had pasta Orecchiette We raviolis with crab and shrimp Chicken parmigiana And a smoked mozzarella ravioli with eggplant Di Melazame everything was delicious And we had Caprese to start with a large heirloom Tomato slices the was so tasty too We all enjoy every bite until we couldn't And they bought out a dessert Nutella cheesecake That was sweet of them Plus tiramisu we ordered It was funny there was 2 ladies celebrating by our table their birthday's too same day also It was a perfect birthday

My partner and I made a reservation because we expected the restaurant to be busy. We got there…read morebefore they opened, hoping to be seated inside, but were placed outside instead. We asked if there were any tables available inside and were told no because they were being saved for other guests, even though there were empty tables for two. It was a bit chilly and windy outside, and we weren't the only ones asking to sit inside. I even watched one of the indoor tables get up and leave shortly after, which made the whole situation even more frustrating. That already left a bad impression, but we decided to stay and give the food a chance. Stinco Di Agnello: 4.5/10 The portion size was great and the dish looked delicious when it came out, but that was about the only positive. The lamb shank was overcooked, a little dry, and lacked the rich flavor you'd expect. Even the sauce couldn't save it. The pasta had a grainy texture, and the mushroom sauce was so weak that you could barely taste it. On top of that, the plate was too small, so the lamb sauce kept mixing into the mushroom sauce and completely threw off the dish. Saltimbocca Alla Romana: 3/10 This was honestly unacceptable. We specifically ordered the steak medium rare, and it came out well done. That's not a small mistake. It's one of the most basic things to get right. We didn't send it back because we didn't want to sit there waiting for another entree or waste the food, but it was tough, dry, and not enjoyable to eat at all. The sauce was bland and added nothing to the dish. The potatoes were the only thing worth eating. They also only serve wine and beer, so don't expect cocktails. The only reason this review isn't even lower is because our server was kind, attentive, and did a great job. I've given this restaurant multiple chances over the years, and every visit has been disappointing in one way or another. The ambiance wasn't great either. Between being seated outside in the cold, the noise, and the overall atmosphere, it definitely didn't feel like a place I'd choose for a date night. At this point, I can't justify coming back. There are far too many great Italian restaurants around to spend your money on food that is consistently underwhelming and poorly executed. Food: 3/10 Service: 8.5/10

Fab time here - I don't know why I hadn't come in a while…read more Current version of the patio is not huge - but it was sweet & comfy and on Laurel toward the park (not on 5th or toward the corner). So nice views into the park too. Josh was our server and he was super nice! I started with the pope's delight cocktail. It's listed online as "aged rum + amaro romana + salted cantaloupe olio + lime, $17." But they had decided to add a proscuitto crisp and make it $21. I didn't want the proscuitto so that was a little annoying. But it was a tasty little cocktail. Bread: it's amazing here. They change exactly how they do it from time to time - this version was so yummy and with great butter. App: I got the burrata + pluot | cherry tomato + arugula + almond + coriander + mint + toast appetizer. Very yummy! Huge also. I took half of it home. Definitely recommend. Entree: I always like when the corn agnolotti comes on the menu, but it changes each year. This version was pretty good - I think my pasta was just a tad undercooked, not quite al dente on the parts of the agnolotti on the edges (not the pillows holding the filling). Still good though. Also, if you're going to the theater, do you know they have a FREE shuttle that takes you to the Old Globe and back? We decided to walk there after dinner (easy, pretty) but take the shuttle back after the show. So easy! And then I ordered takeout dessert from Josh. Overall, a super meal and great vibes. Looking forward to coming back soon!

Very solid place! Food was great as well as the ambiance being pretty cool…read more Service was a little slow but server was definitely nice.