Everything was amazing! I cannot stop thinking about the Fiori Di Zucca. I highly recommend. read more

Barbusa - Fiori Di Zucca - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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This restaurant is busy and loud - so to avoid that, make sure you have a reservation and sit outside. The food was good, but everything was a bit heavy (probably from the cream in the sauces). We ordered the arugula salad which was refreshing and tasty. The staff were really nice and checked on our table frequently. I liked the decor and vibe of the restaurant - I love the greens throughout. I am not sure if this would be at the top of my list to return to, but I would give it another try and order different things. read more

Barbusa - Arugula salad, Mushroom Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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A cool modern Italian spot. Definitely geared towards a younger crowd as they have music blasting and a lively atmosphere. This is rated as one of the top Italian restaurants in SD, and it has been bookmarked on my list for a while. My group made reservations prior and it was a seamless check in and seating process. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive the whole night. We went family style on all the dishes (the best way) and shared a nice glass of red wine. Prosciutto e Burrata (5/5): The prosciutto was sliced thinly and paired deliciously with the fresh burrata. Fiori de Zucca (5/5): Stuffed squash blossoms on the menu? Say less. These were incredible and so tasty. The filling was amazing and I loved everything about them. Yellowtail Crudo (4/5): Fresh catch of the day- yellowtail. Uniquely, the fish was served with a sliced potato which added an interesting contrast in texture with the tender fish. The bit of truffle oil drizzled on top was delectable. Dolce e Piccante Pizza (5/5): FIRE! I loved this pizza. There were caramelized onions resting under the cheese and the flavors of this pizza were so good! The dough was also delicious- chewy with a crisp. Bone Marrow Cavatelli (4/5): I honestly thought the pasta was lacking in flavor a little bit. It primarily tasted like it was tossed in heavy whipping cream with a sprinkle of s&p. The bone marrow was a nice touch, but wish it had more oomph. Granchio (3/5): Not the biggest fan of this one. While the lumps of blue crab were tender, it was a lackluster dish. Overall, the apps and pizza were all a hit. The pastas we ordered sounded amazing, but were underwhelming. We should have listened to our waiter's recommendations of ordering the carbonara lol. Regardless, I thought the dinner was fantastic and I would come back to try their other dishes. read more

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Came here for the first time to celebrate our friends' birthdays. Our server was so friendly and gave us great recommendations. I tried the mushroom pasta and it was delicious. We also ordered the garlic bread and it was so good!They also gave our friends a cute little treat to celebrate their birthday. We'll definitely be back to try the other dishes. read more

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Such a nice and beautiful place! The workers were super kind from the hostess to the servers. Came in with my sister and younger cousins and they were very welcoming. Our server got down to my younger cousins level for ordering which was very considerate, wish we got his name. Portions are good and shareable as we ordered 3 dishes. The wait for the food was not long at all and. The pollo parmigiana with gnocchi balls were delicious, not too salty or acidic and the gnocchi had the perfect chew. Second dish was the carbonara, nothing amazing but very much good and gave a warm feeling inside. The calamari was good, not too chewy or tough and had a good fry on them. This was our first time coming and would definitely go again to try the other dishes. read more

Barbusa has a lively, inviting ambiance that's perfect for a busy Saturday night. The service was attentive and handled the crowd well. The food was good overall, though a bit on the pricey side for what we ordered. Still, a nice spot for the atmosphere and experience. read more

Amazing Italian spot in Little Italy! The bolognese here was absolutely delicious, packed with flavor and huge portions. Service here was great, the staff was so kind and attentive. This place definitely brings the vibes and the food. Couldn't recommend it more read more

Barbusa - bone marrow - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Stopped in for some late evening cocktails and apps and was pleased with the experience. The interior decor is very well-done. I really enjoyed the Italian Love Affair, although both cocktails are delicious. I also had the carpaccio and the ricciola appetizers which were full of wonderful flavors. Will definitely be back to try more of the menu. Service was great as well at the bar--prompt, attentive, and friendly. read more

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Considering this place has an abundance of 5 star reviews I was excited to dine in at Barbusa but unfortunately I ended up leaving underwhelmed and unsatisfied. We ordered the Carbonara, burrata pizza, and the yellowtail crudo. Overall the food was just ok. The pasta was undercooked but overcooked at the same time? Some bites felt hard and some were breaking apart when I would try to pick it up with my fork. The portion was also so small and did not look like the rest of the yelp reviews that have been added. The crust on the pizza was tuff and the pizza lacked flavor, for a $25 pizza I would expect more. Our crudo was supposed to have truffle oil but the only thing we could taste was the red wine vinegar. The most notable thing was how bad our service was. Not only did our food take about 40 minutes to come out. We saw our server check up on all his tables except for us. We also noticed that the couple next to us was sat way after us but received their food before us. They ordered the lasagna, lobster pasta, and the oysters. Considering the lasagna was baked you would think that our carbonara pasta would come out before. The atmosphere reflects somewhat of a fine dining experience, considering the price, and the decorum. The price honestly wasn't worth it at all. I honestly wouldn't come back. read more

Barbusa - Carbonara pasta, burrata pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place was recommended to me by a friend. Service was great. The bread and carpaccio appetizers did not disappoint. I ordered the Pesto Gnocchi and my husband the Bolognese. Would definitely come back. read more

While visiting San Diego we were in Little Italy and of course had to have an Italian dinner. Problem was there were too many places to choose from but we got lucky and came to Barbusa. We had to sit outside since we didn't have reservations but there was plenty of seating and the weather in San Diego was of course perfect even in winter. I ordered the short rib lasagna and it was nothing like a typical lasagna you'd expect but even better. It wasn't heavy and hit the spot for our first meal on vacation. The bread was so good and different varieties. We probably got 3 refills! I'd definitely come back again. read more

Came in with my husband for a cocktail before we called it a night at around 9pm on a Saturday night and it was busy! Loved the vibe. The bartender made me an awesome dirty martini. We only had one drink each and the service was great! I love a place that makes good drinks!!! read more

We had a family lunch today and was really impressed by the food. We had a large party and that enabled us to taste most of the menu. Everything we ordered was delicious, my personal favorite was lasagna but honestly I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. The staff was also very welcoming and accommodating. Our server David and the hostess, I believe her name was Lexi were top notch. With so many Italian/Sicilian restaurants, I think this rises to the top. read more

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I was walking by midweek with my dad. We didn't have a reservation and didn't want to sit at the bar. They found us a table indoors for two by the window that worked out just great. It's busy and loud which is not something I would typically enjoy. However the food was absolutely delicious so I can't wait to go back for date night. I had the crab pasta at the recommendation of the waiter and it was way better than I could have anticipated. My dad loved his lamb lollipops and his steak. If anything he said it was too much food and he would have the lollipop starter with a side of mash if he went back. I had a nice glass of red wine and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. I highly recommmend. It looks like it's always busy with a long wait. I would make a reservation if I returned. read more

Had a chance to try Barbusa when in the San Diego Little Italy area and this place was on point! This is a really cute place with trendy interiors with a huge beautiful bar. If you are looking for a date night spot or a girls night this is an awesome spot. Once we arrived service was top notch, we were seated quickly and helped with any questions in regards to the menu. We ended up ordering: * fried squash blossoms - this were delicious and crispy, with a burst of a cheese, the cheese was light and delicious *crab pasta - I can't remember the name but it's the most popular pasta on the menu and this was delicious and flavorful. The food was creamy and I loved the sauce more as I kept eating * swordfish - this was a table favorite - it was PERFECTLY made absolutely tender and went well with the crispy broccolini and mashed potatoes. Definitely worth trying Overall, awesome experience and would go back! read more

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The service was exceptional--very attentive and welcoming from start to finish. The pasta was cooked perfectly, and the gnocchi was the best I've ever had. Every dish was full of flavor and beautifully prepared. read more

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We got seats here because everything looked amazing as we were walking by... it did not disappoint. We were a party of three and got seated right away outside on a Sunday evening. Service was super on top of it. Loved the gnocchi with pesto and the broccoli rabe. The garlic bread was fun to try as it was so different but was a bit oily for my own personal preference. Little tidbit... we got the meatballs and dipped the garlic bread in the leftover marinara sauce... game changer. Highly recommend! read more

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A lot of people I know love this place and the servers are so charming but it is soooooo loud. I mean like where you can talk to people at your table loud. Like we couldn't communicate with our server loud. As for the food, it was just okay. I found it to be overly greasy, but I love when chefs know how to make a beautiful al dente pasta and pair it so doesn't get so heavy and greasy. It wasn't bad but it wasn't something I'd go back for. read more

Mouth watering delicious with smoking hot make wait staff. Ok I need more characters. Did I mention the hot waiters?

One of my favorite places in Little Italy! I came here for a family dinner for my stepdads birthday. Of course, we ordered espresso martinis! For starters, we shared the bruschetta, squash blossoms and burrata. They were all SO delicious! The bruschetta was a significant portion and all of them were very easy to share. For the main, I ordered the carbonara which was delicious. My aunt ordered the funghi pasta with white truffle oil. It was the favorite of the table! Since we were celebrating a birthday, our server brought out a little dessert with a sparkler on it! It was a little bowl of Sicilian donuts that were so good! read more

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We were craving pasta so no bette place to go than Little Italy. Parkings tough but we were able to park in a lot and just walk a couple mins to the restaurant. We went on a saturday night and got seated right away. It's quite busy but the service was AMAZING. All the staff there were so friendly and really comical which I enjoyed a lot. If i looked like i needed help they tended to me right away. We tried the bruschetta, mushroom pasta, and the carbonara and wow it was PERFECT. read more

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Ahh love Barbusa! They used to have a happy hour menu that was bomb! They cut that but the food is still top notch. The service is good, but make a reservation if you can bc there will be a wait being in little Italy. The ambiance is nice as well. read more

We went here during restaurant week on a Friday night. It was super busy but the staff were still very friendly and welcoming. We didn't have a reservation but when the owner saw my pregnant wife waiting and he personally squeezed us in between reservations. The food was AMAZING. The Carne Con Sugo was perfect, if you want something with a lot of protein, but the overall favorite dish for our group was the Funghi E Tartufo. It was absolutely delicious. This was a perfect date night spot. The lighting was perfect and the staff were so professional and fast with our orders. We will definitely come again!! read more

I just wanted to add an addendum to my review of the restaurant- I was checking my latest expenses on my credit card this afternoon and noticed the bill I got from Barbusa was actually more than what I signed off on. The server changed the tip amount I left and gifted themselves an extra $10. I looked at the photo of my receipt and there was no way the amount could have been an honest mistake or typo. Service in addition to the food was awful, but we still gave 15% (my usual is 20%, sometimes more when service is exceptional). If you end up coming to this restaurant, you may want to check your credit card statement just to make sure they're not skimming more than what you intended to pay. read more

This place has the best bruchetta I've ever had. The food is so fricken good. I wish they were open for lunch too. Great place. I will be back. I love everything about this place! Yummmy! read more

I've heard many things about this restaurant even prior to coming to San Diego. So, I made it a priority to try this place once before I leave. To my luck, I managed to snag a spot on my first day of traveling. I found street parking fairly quickly (had someone leave right as I arrived) and waited only 15 min on a Saturday evening to grab a table for 2. My friend and I decided to share everything. We ordered an appetizer: BRUSCHETTA DI MELANZANE. This appetizer comes in 4 big pieces. The bread is way larger than the size most restaurants offer, so that was good. The tomatoes on top were delicious. Everything was great except the fact that this appetizer is almost the price of an entree. But I would recommend this for the taste. My friend and I also shared 2 entrees. FUNGHI E TARTUFO This was probably the highlight dish of the night! It's probably the best truffle pasta I've had. You smell the truffle oil as soon as you get it and the truffle taste is very rich/strong too. The texture of the pasta paired with the mushroom pieces and the rich taste of truffle oil was super delicious. The best part is that this dish is super fairly priced. Would highly recommend! CARBONARA It's pretty standard, but good as always. It's very creamy. Super rich on the bacon taste. If you enjoy carbonara in general, this is a good option as well. It's also fairly priced. Overall, the service was great/efficient. They were quick to get the orders out and quick to have the dishes cleared. Food was excellent. Good portions, fair prices. I had a great experience here and would definitely highly recommend the Funghi E Tartufo to everyone who comes here! read more

Barbusa - Top: Carbonara Bottom: Funghi E Tartufo - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Stumbled upon this place and loved it! Initially ordered to go and got a drink at the bar while waiting for our order but ended up just eating it there haha. Ambiance felt very trendy and intimate. We got espresso martinis (sooo good, recommend the original over the banana). Calamari and mushroom pasta were delicious although a lot of people around us were getting the bolognese so will come back for that read more

Came here on a Monday and it was PACKED! Food was good, service was quick, waiter was amazing. Maybe make a reservation before coming

If your ears are sensitive to extremely loud noise, then I recommend dining outdoors. Other than the incredibly loud volume inside the restaurant, I honestly don't have anything else negative to say about the restaurant. Our server was excellent, as was our entrees. I ordered the squid ink fettuccini and my friend ordered a pasta with blue crab meat. Both of our dishes were delish. Of the two, I would have to say I preferred her dish since it was more unique in flavor. Hers was a light seafood cream sauce, whereas mine was the spicy red sauce. We shared the 2 dishes and also shared the fried squash blossoms. We did not like this appetizer because it was overstuffed with a creamy cheese that was rather strong in flavor. I forgot what it was, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're not a fan of strong cheeses. read more

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Busy Sunday night. Place was crowded. Started with the "House Caesar" it came out with a red tinted dressing..which tasted like balsamic. It was kinda like seeing my Grandma walk out with a sleeve of tattoos..why reinvent Caesar Salad? The Short Rib lasagna was raved by the server. 20 long minutes later it appeared. Single prepared serving in a ceramic ramekin. Sweet tomato sauce and first bite was warm and good. Second bite cold next bite warm...so hungry I just soldiered on. Prepared in pizza oven as claimed or zapped in microwave? Ordered a dozen Vancouver Oysters to close out the meal. Ignoring Bourdain's rule re: seafood...and yes YES the oysters were old and milky tasting. The oysters were terrible. Cannot recommend this place based on my experience. read more

Barbusa - Short Rib lasagna - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Not bad at all--we loved the raw yellowtail! The server was really nice and even gave us a free refill, which we appreciated. The crust on the pizza was a bit thicker than I expected. I've been to other pizza spots that serve a much thinner, crispier base. read more

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Had the lasagna and some wine. Lasagna was delicious and the service was great as well. Definitely would recommend

Pasta is tasty but the portion is too small for me! Hope it can be larger. Customer service is ok, the waiter seemed not too patient to talk with us,but other employees still nice Street Parking is not easy read more

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This is a nice and lively restaurant to go to if you are in little Italy. The service was great but it can get busy around dinner time. We ordered the gnocchi, bone marrow pasta, and eggplant bruschetta. The eggplant bruschetta was the best dish out of the 3. The only compliant I have about it was the bread was soggy and not toasted enough. The gnocchi was okay. It was lacking salt in the dish and the filling in the gnocchi was not noticeable in flavor. The bone marrow pasta is a pass for me. There was very little bone marrow and you can not taste it in the pasta. The pasta had a weird bitter after taste that was unpleasant. Overall, I would choose this restaurant for the vibes and service but I would not for the food Food: Eggplant bruschetta: 4/5 Gnocchi: 3.5/5 Bone marrow pasta: 2/5 Service: 4/5 Vibes/ambiance: 4.5/5 read more

Barbusa - Eggplant bruschetta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I ordered the garlic bread and lollipop chops( lamb chops in Gorgonzola) for the appetizer which were both amazing. My main course was the Lasagna which came in a sizable portion. The service was good even though it was busy and I enjoyed the outdoor seating area. I have no complaints and would definitely love to come back again and try more from the menu. Worth every penny read more

Pasta was delicious. Very busy place but I sat at the bar and got seated right away. Amazing cocktails. Try the one with Italian mezcal! read more

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Great granchio pasta! I really liked the crab with the capellini (Angel hair) pasta. Though for $28 I do think they could have put more crab in it. Angel hair pasta is kind of rare to find at restaurants but it is personally one of my favorites. It was a really pleasant surprise when I realized cappellini meant it was Angel hair pasta. And honestly it didn't even need the extra parmesan, the sauce was good on its own. I also tried the garlic fries and the short rib lasagna. They were both tasty - but the fries were way overpriced at $10 and the short rib lasagna, while rich and flavorful, was too cheesy and tasted better as leftovers. When I came, there was a wait to sit inside. I opted to sit outside. I didn't wait at all for outside seating. Ambiance was nice and the server was all smiles. I would come back- but not until I try some of the other really coveted local Italian spots. I have a feeling this is just one of many really good pastas in Little Italy. Granchio 4.5 Lasagna 3.5 Fries 4 Service, ambiance, 4 Good spot! Can't go wrong with Barbusa. read more

Barbusa - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Made reservations on open table app for dinner. This place is located in Little Italy . Restaurant was super busy and packed. We got a text message from the restaurant about ten minutes before our reservation time; that our table was ready. We were immediately seated. The service was great- always checking on you; knew what you wanted or needed before you even knew. She was spot on. We each ordered a drink - the boyfriend ordered a local ipa beer and I ordered a glass of moscato. The beer and the moscato were both good. We decided to order meatballs for our appetizer; moist; flavorful and had a lot of sauce. The boyfriend ordered the carbonara; he said it reminded him of our trip to Italy. Good pork flavor from the bacon. I ordered the short rib lasagna. I didn't realize short ribs would be so good in lasagna. Tasted a step up from regular lasagna that has ground beef. Super good. This is a great place for a date night or dinner with some friends. read more

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Had a last minute going away dinner here with 8 friends. We showed up around 8:45, expecting to have to wait, but I think the food gods were on our sides that night because they conveniently had the perfect table ready to go! It was still pretty busy, but about 20 minutes after we sat down it got crazy busy. It's a great spot for groups, romantic dinners, a girls night out. The group ordered a bottle of win & some cocktails. All were delicious. We went half family style, half committed dishes. I got the prosciutto y tartufo pizza...oh my god. It's a lean back, sink in your chair in silence & enjoy the religious experience happening in your mouth. Goddamn, there wasn't a contest, but I won best meal of the night. It was absolutely incredible. Every bite just got better & better. Everyone enjoyed the night & I think it will be a go-to spot for visiting friends again! read more

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My friend Ed and I were visiting San Diego for a few days, and we were really looking forward to having a great Italian dinner in Little Italy. It was Halloween night, and a lot of people were out and about celebrating the evening. We didn't make reservations at any specific restaurant and so, walked for a couple of blocks looking at various restaurants until we came across Barbusa. We perused over the menu, and the choices looked pretty good not to mention, the restaurant offered some pretty good vegetarian choices for Ed. We decided to try it out even though the place was busy and so, we had to wait about 15-20 minutes to be seated, which I thought was pretty good considering we didn't have a reservation. We were seated outside where we could see people passing by in their Halloween outfits. After we were seated a bus boy came by and left some water for us. After that, we didn't see anyone visit our table for at least 30 minutes. I waiter would pass by from time to time, and I would look at him to try to get his attention but, he would keep going. I finally asked the bus boy who our water was and he pointed to a gentleman who had been around our table several times before, and he stated, "I'm not your waiter but, let me see if I can go find him for you". After 10 minutes had gone by, I asked the gentleman if he had located the waiter and he said he replied by saying " he must be busy, let me take your order". The food came out about 15 minutes late after it was ordered. I must say the garlic bread was phenomenal however, the Ravioli Norma and the Bolognese Alforno were a full disappointment. Once the food was served our assigned waiter came by to apologize for not taking the order sooner, he stated he noticed me trying to get his attention but, he couldn't come over. We were disappointed with the service and the food but, as I mentioned earlier, they were busy and so, maybe that had an effect on the service, but the food should have been on point, no excuse! read more