Real Northern Italian food.. Bolognese pasta was good quality meat and great flavor. I know my Bologna pasta since I visit often for a convention. The bread is freshly baked w awesome pesto sauce. Was very pleased! Owner spent a lot of time in Northern Italy Parma area and really gets the real deal Northern Italian food. The lobster ravioli looked really fresh and authentic as well. Will return. Omg just tried the in house homemade Trimaasu desert and it's perfecto... read more

Bistro Pazzo - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

My wife and I were referred to this restaurant and it did not disappoint. Seto the owner came out and greeted us. Very Italian! Lol The portions were big esp. for an Italian restaurant where the portions can be a bit petite. The pricing is affordable and the ambiance was very nice. Patio dining in La Jolla. Kinda hard to beat. read more

Everything was cooked to perfection. Pinot noir was good & the tiramisu wasn't too sweet. I'd come back here for more. read more

See all

Delicious!!! Atmosphere is lovely, we enjoyed the patio. Staff are friendly and attended. My mom got the pollo piccata (her favorite dish) and keeps saying it's the best she's ever had. We will definitely come back. read more

See all

This bistro is a hidden gem. We decided to visit it one evening. The meal selections are incredible and very well cooked. However, a glass of wine with their Tiramisu is overwhelmingly stupendous. It is on a quiet side street in La Jolla, making it a very intimate and romantic place to have dinner and desert with someone you love. The service was second to none. read more

There was amazing food and friendly staff. Love the calamari and all the dessert options. Very nice seating inside and out. The wine selection is very large and i believe it's a family owned restaurant. read more

Great food. Fresh and very tasty in a wonderfully friendly atmosphere. Highly recommended!

Bistro Pazzo.... Your spaghetti and meatballs was calling my name. I ordered an order to go and the owner, Seto said it would be just 5 minutes. I was both excited and well interested how fast it could take ...I only hoped it tastes as good as it was priced ($17). The prices are a bit steep, and portions are okay. I usually never finish all my Italian meals but I ate all of this but one meatball (it came with three). The restaurant looked nice inside - it was mix between trendy and casual. There was a small bar as well. There was one party and one person at the bar. Spaghetti noodles were al dente and meatballs were delicious. I do think if they were priced a bit lower, this would be a jamming place. P.s I should have asked but the bread that came with it had no butter or dip :( read more

Bistro Pazzo - To go - spaghetti and meatballs - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Outside of New York City and the family restaurants in Sicily, there are few small Italian bistros that can rival Bistro Pazzo for their combination of exceptionally good traditional Italian/Mediterranean cuisine and excellent personal attention from the owners, in an environment of relaxed tranquility. Summer ocean breezes keep the outdoor tables at the perfect temperature to begin an evening of great food and wine. No traffic noises, no solicitors. No Covid-19. Then there's the food. Rarely do you find Lobster bisque with visible lobster chunks and a distinct flavor of Sherry. Offerings include a beautiful beet salad with delicious and light vinaigrette. Many other antipasti tempt major investments in the first course. And you must save room for the bread. Specially formulated in the East and secretly flown to La Jolla, this magic bread dough is transformational with basil pesto or fresh cream butter. The mainstay Italian dishes are perfect in amount and execution and plated creatively for a meal cut way above the average Italian bistro. Seafood with fettuccini and other dishes you love to see on a coastal menu are savory and leave you exceptionally satisfied and saying Wow aloud to people at the neighboring tables. Finally the wines and deserts complete a delightful evening of sumptuous serenity in La Jolla. Don't miss this place. If you live here, it will be a go to diner. If not, you'll have the one main reason to jump back on the I5 to La Jolla. read more

We cannot say enough good things about this place! Excellent service. Even better food! You feel like you're a part of their family. We love, love, love this place!!! Our picky eater requests it every time we are in La Jolla! read more

Bistro Pazzo - Our picky eater loving the spaghetti and meatballs! - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

I'm glad I was refer to this little gem of a Bistro. My husband had lasagna Pazzo and I had Pollo Piccatta, it was so delicious. There dessert was superb.. Felt so welcome. If you are looking for a true Italian meal, this is the place to come read more

Bistro Pazzo - Dessert - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Our most favorite Italian food in San Diego. Close to La Jolla cove! Enjoy food here after visiting the beach

Wow what a great! There was some great outdoor dining available with social distancing enforced. Food and service were also delicious! read more

Bistro Pazzo - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

My partner and I came here on a Saturday night and had the most amazing service from our waiter James. The complimentary fresh focaccia (all the way from NJ) and the homemade pesto was incredible. Our entrees were fresh and a great portion. Definitely don't miss this gem! read more

This is our secret find at which we've enjoyed meals with friends, celebrated special events; they're consistently an INSANELY delicious place... wonderfully pleasant servers (if you're lucky, you'll get Sato, the owner) An amazing find that we accidentally stumbled upon! read more

I dined here on a Friday night with 4 other friends and 2 pups on the outside patio. There was plenty of space, the ambience was perfect, the food was god tier and our service was excellent! We will definitely be regulars here! read more

Food was amazing! I am vegan and there's limited option but i had the pasta and bruschetta. They were delicious! My family enjoyed their meals. I definitely would come back again when I'm in town. read more

Excellent! The best Italian in La Jolla. Truly. I've never had better eggplant parmigiana. We can't wait to come back! read more

Simple the best place to eat in all of San Diego with the owners always welcoming you with a smile and hug. Trust me the food, service, and prices are second to none!!! read more

Dis. Gus. Ting. The WORST restaurant of any cuisine in all of La Jolla. No, in all of San Diego. Do NOT believe the 4/5 star reviews. How can this yuckfest have a higher rating than PrepKitchen, Sugar & Scribe, Eddie V's, George's? BEWARE the paid/fraudulent reviews (e.g., reviewers who can be in New York and San Diego on the same day, or visited three restaurants the day this place, "Bistro Feci," is reviewed, or husband and wife team (both "Yelp Elite" given special incentives) reviewed the same day with 4/5 review, or another reviewer from Chandler AZ who ate out three times in LJ/PB the day she awarded 5 stars; FAKE FAKE FAKE). The following review is real, see the receipt, below. As for the food . . . I can overlook the $3.50 for a soda, the $29 for veal piccata, $17 for a small serving of fettucini alfredo, and the $13 hamburger. I can write off as kitschy the nouveau truckstop decor with utensils from a military chow hall. I don't mind that the server is loud and drops flatware on your table by mistake but never picks it up, or says you can't sit by the window so she can save that table "just in case," because, hey, that's just local flavor that comes with going to a joint called "Crazy Diner" in Italian. What's unforgivable is BAD FOOD. Bread tastes like a loaf from Vons -- a day old loaf. Served with a small tub of maybe olive oil and basil/pesto/something -- a swirling green mess, overfull and spilling on the table. Hamburgers tasted like lumps of ground beef thrown on a frying pan -- no seasoning, and, just like Uncle Chuck made -- overdone on the outside, raw inside, flavorless lumps of cheap meat. French fries clearly from Costco freezer section, and fried unevenly --- some raw, some overdone, most underdone and still pale yellow, two or three edible. Oh, and hope you like lots of pepper on your fries, because chef does. Alfredo sauce with no flavor whatsoever other than what might be overripe parmesan (or just spoiled cream), and pasta somewhere between rock hard and al dente, with no flavor whatsoever (usually indicates stale batch). Spaghetti (sorry, we don't have capellini) with marinara -- oddly, spaghetti overdone and soft, with marinara more like rosé, with dead flavor. Caprese served in traditional style (no balsamic, thank you!) could have been a bright spot, except beefsteak tomatoes (Costco again?) were flavorless. Know what veal piccata is? Not this place. Should be succulent veal scallopini lightly floured and gently sauteed in butter, with a hint of lemon and sprinkle of capers, just enough to tease out the mild flavor of veal. OR, what Crazy Diner does -- overly breaded, burnt, tough, half-cooked/raw veal steak, drowning in lemon, choking on pepper, being crushed by a mountain of cheap, oversized capers. The hands-down worst $29 ever spent, and feel myself getting sick to the stomach -- could be the $125 dinner for five (no alcohol even), but it's probably the food. If you like food that tastes good, DO NOT spend your money here. read more

See all

Street parking, quiet area, no customers, pricey $75 for one, meatballs are fantastic, ravioli had a bit too much sauce but is excellent quality, veal parm is pretty good, sauce is a bit overpowering. read more

Came here for a friend's dinner rehearsal and immediately we were greeted by an Italian fellow whom I believe is the owner. The 20 of us were seated along the quiet street of Ivanhoe off the main downtown street in La Jolla. Four long tables were arranged into a square figure which was perfect since it it allowed us to converse with ppl across the way. Food: We started off with red wine, ciabbata bread and appetizers served family style (recommend the calamari!). Then for the main course, we opted to choose from Chicken Marsala, Salmon or Shrimp scampi to help out the kitchen and so the wait wouldn't be as long. I was concerned that the food quality would suffer since everything had to be made in bulk. But, honestly, the food was great! The Chicken was juicy/flavorful, side pasta was yummy and the side grilled veggies were great too! I also got to try the salmon and it was cooked to perfection! Desserts: I tried the strawberry cheesecake, tiramisu, eggshell/cream puff (filled w/chocolate ice cream,), chocolate fondant cake w/side of vanilla ice cream and cream brulee. By far my favorite were the eggshells!! Service: The owner and one other server were on top of everything and made sure everyone had their refills. The owner was truly a great host as he was sociable and funny. He shared some wedding jokes and even told us what ciabbata means...slippers. Overall, the evening turned out great and I would love to come back and try some of their other dishes. read more

The generous calamari appetizer was tasty, and I barely made a dent in it. My pizza was light and healthy with artichokes, mozzarella and goat cheese. It's called the Pazzo pizza. While I enjoyed the pizza, I'd have loved it even more with more aggressive flavors, as it was a little bland for my taste. The crust was thin and crunchy. Bistro Pazzo is a cute little cafe with 5 tables on the sidewalk across the street from a church on a little side street in La Jolla, and down the street then around the corner from Mission Coffee Cup and Whisknladle. With my yelp check-in deal I get 50% off an appetizer with entree purchase. I ordered the calamari appetizer and a pizza called "Pazzo" with artichoke, garlic, diced tomato, mozzarella, goat cheese, basil, and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). This place was deserted when I arrived, and so I trusted in the yelp reviews and gave it a chance. Another customer who seems to be a regular arrived while I was dining at an outside table. Then 4 more customers strolled in. They make your food to order so you gotta wait a little, but the waiting time was reasonable. My food arrived before I finished my cappuccino. I recommend Bistro Pazzo, and I hope to stop by again, although there's a lot of competition in the area, so I might be tempted to dine elsewhere. The service was attentive. My pizza was a little pricey at $14 for a vegetarian pizza that feeds 1 or 2 people. Next time I'll try the fettuccini with seafood and marinara sauce for $15 or the margarita pizza which is actually cheaper at $11. My bill was higher than I expected. The cappuccino was a little pricey at $4.95. Even with the yelp discount on the appetizer, my lunch came to just over $25, which is more than I usually spend. But if you don't mind the prices, this is a friendly and low-key cafe if you want to escape from the crowds and enjoy a quiet meal. read more

See all

Props to all the prior Yelp reviewers who gave this restaurant positive write ups. We have been meaning to try it for some time and finally made it in early on a Sat. night. The restaurant is clean and modestly decorated. There is both indoor and outdoor seating (most tables are inside). The menu is reasonably varied and I was very impressed that the owner told me I could special order any item I wanted because everything is fresh and cooked to order. We each ordered a glass of red wine and this was followed by freshly baked bread served with an oil/ garlic pesto spread. First courses were a caprese app and a spinach salad, both very nice. Main course: I substituted shrimp ($3 extra) for salmon with penne al vodka. The shrimp were of nice size and perfect texture. The dish was cooked to perfection and was really tasty. My wife had a pasta dish with chicken, very god as well. Too full for dessert. Our server was very nice. The owner took our orders and was genuinely friendly and attentive. He told us a lot about his 30 years experience in the Italian Restaurant business in San Diego. He mentioned they have some parking spaces in the back for his customers at Bistro Pazza. The restaurant is on Ivanhoe, a block or so in from the commotion on Prospect. We live in the area and will definitely be back again. Excellent choice for a casual but very well prepared dinner. read more

All I have to say is WOW! This place is great. Went there for my first time after a nice summer afternoon at the cove, and have returned MANY times since. Bistro Pazzo never fails to amaze my taste buds. I would rate this place 5 stars and nothing less because: - The food is outstanding - The restaurant is family owned and operated - Staff is quick and knowledgeable - Portions are good size, good price as well I would recommend the Bistro to all of my family and friends, and I continue to take as many people as I can there. Its NEVER a bad experience!! read more

We were on vacation in LaJolla , San Diego . We did a lot of exploring/walking endlessly , exhausted, and hungry . Since it's our last day there, we decided to try this authentic Italian Restuarant Bistro Pazzo ( found on Yelp ) and were greeted promptly by this friendly owner name Seto . We ordered this light crispy Calamari ( 50% off on any appetizers w/Yelp ) . My husband ordered spaghetti with meatballs " meat-ta-balls " as Seto humorously corrected us . My husband's cousin had lasagna and I had garlic shrimp scampi with pasta noodles. All were perfectly prepared , generous size and very delizioso ! We were so satisfied /happy and full that we had no room for desert...on our nxt visit for sure ! We'll recommend this restaurant to all of our friends . Grazie mille for serving us Seto and making us feel special on our last day there Linda read more

See all

WOWWWW!!! I though La Madeleine's croutons were the best, nope they don't come close! The Caesar salad was perfect with a hint of lemon for some zing. I was debating if I should do my go to and get ravioli and soooo glad I did!!! The sauce is sooo fresh and tasty!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! read more

Bistro Pazzo - Best Caesar salad ever!!! - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

See all

Very nice little restaurant. Relaxing and authentic atmosphere. Food was excellent. Very recommended read more

Went to this bistrô thinking it would be good, Waited 15 min to be attended by the waitress that was onpy attending to 2 tables, The restaurant was empty so the service shouldn't take that long. After we got her attention, we asked for bread to start and the menu Another 10 min and nothing Left the restaurant with an empty stomach and money in my pocket that im glad i didnt spend here. Get your service better. read more

We had the best tiramisu in San Diego. Have two dessert in one night Food is very Italy too read more

Bistro Pazzo - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

My boyfriend & I initially went to Cantarita which was fully booked so the bar was first come first serve. The staff was rude and the menu wasn't it for us so we took a look on Yelp and found Bistro Pazzo. It's a wonderful laid back restaurant with authentic Italian food. The service & food was phenomenal. We sat at the bar area and chatted with the owner quite a bit. The man is a comedian to say the least & the staff is very friendly! They spoiled us here and made our trip memorable so for that we will be coming back here every time we visit La Jolla! Thank you Bistro & team! read more

See all

We just fell into this place after visiting an art gallery on Propect. My husband usually follows the Paleo diet (no carbs) - he goes off the proverbial rails in this place I treated a close friend on her birthday and she said that it was, hands-down the BEST meal she's ever had It's become a destination for us as parking can be a challenge in this part of town. Seto takes pride in everything. He goes out of his way to be sure that the customer is pleased. read more

We were hanging around La Jolla today and we're looking for some dinner. Yelping a few places we found this place and once again Yelp didn't let us down. Great place off the main streets, comfortable and quaint. The owner was great and made our dining experience even better. The food was very good. The sauces were light and had excellent flavor. Everything was fresh and well prepared. read more

Bistro Pazzo - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

This was some of the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy. I had the penne alla vodka with chicken and the sauce with the peas was a great combo and I kept on eating my boyfriends delicious lasagna. The perfect balance of sauce and cheese! The bread is made fresh and served with a yummy pesto sauce. We received great service and they made sure we had a great meal and experience! *Update* The creme brûlée was delish! Would love to see cannolis on the dessert menu. My favorite! read more

This place is amazing! So cozy and welcoming and the food is top notch. Highly reccomend!

What a great find in La Jolla! My bf and I were looking for a new Italian place and I'm so happy we gave this one a try even though there were only 71 reviews on Yelp. I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a great restaurant that's off the beaten path yet oh so close to Prospect Street. Was the experience perfect? No. So I could not give it a full 5 stars. I wish I could give this place 4.5 stars though cause the food was very, very good. They served us a warm, freshly baked Italian loaf with a very tasty olive oil, parsley, and red pepper dip. I give the bread A+ and the dip A. My bf and I shared a caesar salad. The restaurant was kind enough to split the salad for us. The salad itself was just ok. I give it a B+. Not the best Caesar salad I've ever had. However, the croutons were delicious. They must make the croutons in-house because I've never tasted croutons like these before. My bf ordered one of the day's specials... Veal tortellini with red sauce. He raved about the veal tortellini. He gave the dish an A- because he wished he ordered the meat sauce with it. I tasted the sauce. It was rich with tomatoes and garlic... flavors that they balanced so right I wanted to finish the sauce. I thought it worked but I don't eat red meat so I don't know how much the meat could have added to it. I ordered the cioppino, which is my go-to seafood dish. I loved the portion. It was just right. Too many restaurants try to compensate for poor flavor with large portions. This one was definitely not big in size but the flavors and ingredients were spot on. The tomato broth was so good--it was light yet rich--I wish I had a second loaf of bread to sop it all up. I give it a solid A. Overall, the only so-so part of the meal was the Caesar salad and that wasn't really bad. read more

Bistro Pazzo - Cioppino--delicious! - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

This is a fantastic small quaint local gem. Try the Rigatoni ai 4 Formaggi as it is a must have and a table favorite. The Oven fresh bread and hoodie made pesto are complimentary but it is so good I would have been happy to pay for it. Decent for small groups of 6 or less but large parties would have a bit of a struggle. Deserts were ordered by many tables around us so I think I missed a special experience which I won't pass up next time! Give this local establishment a go and you'll get a great meal, support a local restaurant and not drain your wallet! read more

For my 100th Review, I chose Bistro Pazzo. As a frequent patron, I have enjoyed the great food and relaxed atmosphere here. I've always had a good experience here, and all my dinners have been excellent, typically we'll visit once ever two weeks or so, and sit outside if it's a nice day. Located off a quiet street, it's one of those hidden gems off the beaten path in La Jolla. read more

Love this place. Great food great service. Good value. Will be coming back very soon.

First visit to this restaurant. Due to Covid restrictions the inside was closed and the owner was our server. The service was outstanding the food was terrific and the outdoor seating was very nice. I would highly recommend this restaurant to both locals and tourists. Lastly a pretty good wine list for a smaller restaurant. read more