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

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

This place is shockingly good. I was incredibly impressed with the food. The calamari and the Caesar salad were great. But the real star of the show had to be the clam pasta. It was simply fantastic. Tiramisu was great. I'll definitively be back read more

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

Everything was excellent! Calamari - soft and crunchy at the same time. Generous slices paired very well with their marinara sauce. Delicious! Caprese - fresh and yummy! Some places serve it with balsamic but this place didn't and it was amazing. Shrimp diavolo - hands down best spicy shrimp spaghetti I've ever tasted! Has strong heat! But I couldn't stop eating it. Shrimp ravioli with lobster sauce special - husband enjoyed it very much. It's pretty rich and the size of the ravioli is big. Lobster sauce was perfect. Tiramisu dessert with vanilla gelato - ohhh my goodness it was so delicious! The tiramisu is made in house (hallelujah) and you can tell there was a lot of love put into it. It was light yet flavorful and the liquor taste wasn't overpowering as it can sometimes get at other restaurants. Oh and we had the primitivo wine - soooo good paired with both pasta dishes. We sat outside and LOVED it. Perfect weather perfect meal perfect service! read more

My friend and I decided we needed to treat ourselves to something delicious - tired of cooking at home! She recommended Bistro Pazzo and it sounded like a perfect escape. I drove down from Carlsbad and she from Temecula - best decision we could have made! Ordered Lasagna and Chicken Marsala and it was amazing. I tried the Chicken Marsala - chicken cooked to perfect tenderness, lightly breaded and memorable blend of mushrooms, wine and onion. Had a great talk with the owner and chef, Seto. He has such a passion and commitment to his restaurant, cutomers and community. We can't wait to go again and support him and his family. read more

Ended up here on Saturday night. There was no way and they sat us right away. The food was amazing the service was great the staff was very nice. I can't even count how many times I said this is so good. As the food was by far one of the best Italian meals I've ever eaten. I had the lemon caper chicken and my husband had chicken with spinach and mozzarella. Both plates we're completely empty by end of dinner. Great service great food. read more

Looking for good food on a Saturday evening and we walked into this place! Food and wine were delicious and portions were perfect. Cozy atmosphere too. Two thumbs up! read more

What a gem! Perfect size Italian bistro that's not trying to impress you with luxurious decor and it's not pretending what it's not ! The luxury is in your plate and you can breathe the Italian authenticity they provide through every detail. Details that are definitely not fake marketing but real lived Italian life! I can't believe I have never noticed this place in all my years here!! Will become a regular here for sure read more

Great service, wonderful sauces. Very tasty Caesar salad dressing and fantastic bread. Just the right size to be the authentic Neighborhood Italian restaurant without being corporate and still being fresh. Very friendly service with a smile and an exception made for a request. Will definitely be going back to try even more and we'll update my Yelp. The serving sizes of what I ordered was fantastic on the bruschetta. I wish the salad had been bigger mainly because it was so delicious and the meatballs were just the perfect size to maintain moisture and were accented by an amazing sauce. read more

Bistro Pazzo - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Amazing. The food was beyond excellent, and the small personal environment made us feel like guests of the family.

Seto, Thank you it was a special night for us and your genuine hospitality and kindness made it a memorable experience that we will never forget. We hope to be back soon!! read more

Bistro Pazzo - Sea bass with lemon sauce - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Bistro Pazzo is located on a quiet stretch of Ivanhoe, just off of busy Prospect Street, in La Jolla. There is a cheerful sunny yellow awning to greet you upon arrival. When I entered the dining room at about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, no guests were present, but I heard a female staff member talking loudly to someone at the rear of the restaurant. She did not see me until I called out "hello". In response, she stated I could "sit anywhere", so I chose the charming four-table terrace on Ivanhoe. Directly across the street is a small but beautiful Spanish Colonial Church. The WIFI worked perfectly. In addition to Happy Hour prices on wines by the glass, all bottles of wine during Happy Hour are fifty percent off, which is a fantastic value. Happily, I never saw the noisy woman again, and the owner, Seto, took care of me. "Pazzo" means "crazy" in Italian, and Seto laughed that the restaurant is named after him. I ordered a glass of the Happy Hour White Wine. Happy Hour only extends to 5:00 p.m., but with my subsequent glasses, Seto let me go beyond it. He also later placed the entire bottle of wine on my table in an "honor system" to let me help myself as needed, as is often seen in Italy with after-dinner liqueurs. Delicious warm bread is served before the meal, but when I ate it all, the basket was removed and no more was offered. Because I liked the way it looked in a photo I had seen on Yelp before my visit, I ordered the Salmone alla Griglia, which is served with a Pesto-Aioli sauce, and I enjoyed it. Extra lemons to drizzle on the fish were delivered as requested. Dessert was a soothing espresso while watching the late afternoon shadows lengthen in the Village of La Jolla. read more

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Were visited from Phoenix and came here two nights in a row it was that good! Food and service was spectacular. Seriously the best Italian food I've had in a long time. The owner was very friendly, and a plus is our dog could sit with us on the patio! read more

Wonderful La Jolla gem! So nice to have an outdoor venue in the heart of La Jolla, but away from the smell of Prospect St traffic. The best part is the gregarious owner, Seto, who will come by your table and charm you with a story, his knowledge of La Jolla, and he will offer great menu and wine advice! Lovely outdoor seating, but we sometimes sit at the intimate bar for just wine and calamari...We go here every time we're in La Jolla! read more

OK, I've been here twice and meant to leave a review the first time but... Life happens... Well, even BIGGER fan here now after our second foray into Seto's amazing place. We(my lady and couple friends) had cioppinno, pasta with clams, shrimp ravioli, and fettuccine sea food. For dessert we had creme brule and lemoncello cake. Everything was off the charts fantastic and the atmosphere of this great, quaint cozy place adds volumes to the experience and is worth any mile out of the way one may need to drive to La Jolla. If you like Italian food as a genre and LOVE great Italian, you owe it to yourself to give Bistro Pazzo a try. read more

We were twice here. Each time we ordered different dishes, and there all were excellent! Certainly, we are coming back!

Have since eaten at this place three more times while on trips to Cali, once with my oldest daughter and have yet to be disappointed in the food. My daughter agreed the calamari was the best she's ever tried. read more

As I was enjoying the day in La Jolla with my girlfriend, she wanted to have Italian food and we came across this place and we wanted to try it out. The time we arrived was literally empty, no one outside or inside, the waitress asked us where we wanted to sit, we chose inside. The inside is small but charming, very pretty paintings on the wall, cozy and cute. Before looking at the menu my girlfriend asked where the bathroom was, and this is when the whole bad experience came down. The waitress told my girlfriend "just go through the bar, then the kitchen and the bathroom is there". Immediately I knew what my girlfriend was thinking, and I was right. When she came back to the table here is her story that I like to share about this place. First of all she was immediately turned off about the fact that she had to go through the bar, not in front of the bar, but literally behind the bar where they make your drinks, where you walk through their thick mats that they have in most bars, then she had to go through the kitchen area where it was the most disgusting thing my girlfriend said she saw. First off, she couldn't even find the bathroom at first, no signs anywhere, she noticed a guy sitting next to a door that she assumed must be the back door where they leave after their shift, nevertheless, this guy was sitting down and texting away on his phone that he didn't even notice her until she said "excuse me, I'm looking for the bathroom", he was literally startled by her, but then pointed the bathroom out to her which was literally an inch away from where he was sitting. She said she was even feeling uncomfortable going in the bathroom since she had no idea who he was and was sitting next to the bathroom door. This tiny dirty little bathroom as my girlfriend described, was so small that she barely fit in it and trust me when I tell you she's far from being obese and she could barely move around it, but that's not the only thing that made her sick, what made her truly sick about it, it's that the bathroom was dirty first of all, way too tiny and barely able to move around, but it's right next to the kitchen, the kitchen stove, yes that close where the chef is cooking your food, where she could not even imagine what it is like if someone goes to the bathroom (#2) and the chef is cooking your food, what exactly is he smelling, absolutely disgusting. You have to see it to believe it, it's not an exaggeration whatsoever, and she kept saying "other customers must have used this bathroom" how can it be that no one thinks that this is not normal but definitely disgusting. The kitchen was equally tiny and did not look at all as a kitchen that you would want to eat your food from. She turned around and saw the fridge and by glancing at it, she noticed a bucket filled with salmon filets, she immediately could tell that that is not the way salmon should be kept and made her quite sick (again) to see all of this. She said that if she worked in the Health Dept., just from what she observed in a matter of minutes, she would closed this place down until changes were made and have it cleaned the way it should be, and make sure something would be done about the way customers are told how to get to the bathroom, and definitely do something about the bathroom not to be so close to the chef's cooking station. The best part of it was that the guy that told my girlfriend where the bathroom was that was so into his cell phone and didn't even notice her, was actually the chef. That was it for her. When my girlfriend came back to the table and told me all of this, she also said "sorry, after what I just witnessed in a few minutes, no way would I want to eat here", and we left. We did not tell the waitress any of this, she was actually nice, could have been nicer instead of worrying about what her friend wanted to eat, but she was ok. I am sure that she probably thought we just wanted to use the bathroom, well, unfortunately, my girlfriend did use it. Cannot comment about the food and I do see a few people that have given this place as much as 5 stars about the food, but they must not have had to use the bathroom and only ate here, or too drunk to realize where they had to walk through, (the back of the bar) and didn't notice that the bathroom was right where the chef is cooking their meal. The weirdest place to have a bathroom and how it's totally disgustingly set up. Perhaps the food is as good as some people have said, but no way in hell would I eat in a place that has such disgusting bathroom and everything I commented about it. There is also no way a handicap person would even remotely be able to fit in that bathroom, no way at all, or even walk through the bar before going into the kitchen which is extremely tight and his wheel chair wouldn't fit, something that surprises me that they don't get into trouble for. Don't know who built this place, but it needs major renovation. Gross!!! read more

I found this place on yelp and opted to go here due to location and coupon. Yes I'm that person.... My cousin lives in La Joya and we have not seen one another for 14 years or more. I wanted to go somewhere close to the beach as we liked walking the area. I had also been craving Italian and after a flop at a place in old town San Diego I had high hopes. The platter of cheese and bread was great and the chicken Marsala was okay. A little watery for my style. The servings were on the smaller side. Service was great and there were almost no other guests as it was a Tuesday night. We sat outside with the perfect weather and had a nice meal. read more

Everything we have had here is amazing! The rigatoni is amazing! The fresh bread and olive oil/herbs is delicious! The owner is really nice! Nice wine selection! Amazing food! Cute ambiance! New favorite date night spot! Also the dessert and espresso!! Definitely our favorite! read more

I think I went there on an off day. I ordered two carpaccios with my wife and she could not eat it because the meat looked like it been sitting out for a couple days. I, unfortunately ate mine. The Iced tea was excellent and also the service was very good. When the bill came we paid for 1 of them. I'm a little skeptical to go back again but I think I'm going to try since the other reviews on yelp are so good. Everyone deserves a second chance. Yelp Now that I have been yelping for a while, I realize what a cool application this really is. Yelp has become my "go to" site whenever I go to a new city around the world. I've also been able to communicate with yelp friends from around the world whenever I travel to a new city in order to get advice of where to eat and also for business information. Yelp is also a great way to keep track of your past experiences and it has become a digital record of where I have been and how much I enjoyed those locations. Yelp is also really great place to connect with people in your own town to see what is going on and what is fun and which restaurants are new and exciting. Try it, you may very well enjoy becoming a yelper also. read more

This place just opened and I'm so happy! There used to be this shitty Chinese joint before and, man, they had some of the crappiest Chinese food in La Jolla. It was as if they scooped up some sewer water and added Tofu in it and called it HOT AND SOUR SOUP! Bistro Pazzo is a cute little Italian joint serving a good assortment of items. While my friend Eman got the tomato soup and didn't really enjoy it very much (supposedly tasted like marinara sauce), me and Juan Pablo got the Panini Melanzane and it was pretty tasty! Grilled Eggplant, tomato, red onion, and provolone cheese! Yum! I thank my co-worker, Dawn, for ordering the Panini Caprese and eating it so succulently that I had to run out and try this place! read more

Good location, good service, almost inedible food. We were a party of four and every dish we ordered was forgettable, if not off-putting. This is a shame as the prices (this being La Jolla) were quite high. I can't say I know the restaurant scene in the area, but I can all but assure you that you'd do better somewhere else. read more

First off, I'd like to thank Yelp for helping us find this place. My wife and I were looking for a spot to have dinner on our last night in La Jolla, and this place had some great reviews, so we decided to give it a shot. It's just a small, mom and pop type Italian restaurant, but they do have a nice sized menu. If you're not careful, you might walk right past this place. They have some tables inside and outside, but we opted for the outside tables since the weather was so nice. The gentleman that waited on us was very nice and helpful in answering any questions we had. When I checked in on Yelp, it notified us that we could get half off an appetizer here, but we weren't starving hungry, so we just passed on that. For dinner, I ordered a shrimp and lobster type of risotto. I forget the exact name of the entree. It was full of flavor. Everything tasted very fresh. My wife ordered a four-cheese rigatoni pasta, which she let me try. Both entree's were outstanding. We didn't get dessert, as we were stuffed from our meal. Overall, we were very happy with our dining experience here. The people here were very friendly, and that means a lot. It's fun to try places that are off the beaten path. I would recommend this place to anyone that dines in La Jolla. Enjoy! read more

1st timers. Good job overall. Owner Seto was the only host & Server, his young 20s daughter came to help him once full. Soups & hot apps (Lasagna) & entrees kinda warm only, not piping hot. He "forgot" a drink for us & salads for the table next door (& they regulars even). Clearly Seto needs help. Dishes kinda with homemade qualities. Would return. read more

The first thing I learned upon entering the restaurant was the meaning of "Pazzo": in Italian, it means "crazy." I found that there was nothing to be outrightly crazy about. But I also found that there was nothing strange going on either. Bistro Pazzo is quaint, quite the opposite from the meaning of its name. Nothing crazy bad, but nothing crazy good. Bistro Pazzo is a very intimate restaurant, tucked away on a side street where there was not much hustle and bustle, even on a Saturday night. The only thing quieter than this restaurant is the art gallery two doors down. If you are looking for an exciting night on the town, this may not be the place to go. The warm and intimate feel of the restaurant was also reflected in the attitude of our server, who was very friendly and made light conversation. Quality, confident service like that almost always assures me that my food will taste just as good as the general nature of the place. The menu is very traditional; you would not go to this restaurant to try the latest and greatest Mario Batali fusions. In fact, upon looking at the menu, I was surprised at the "vanilla" selection. But sometimes, you feel like have familiar, comfortable food (note: NOT comfort food, per se, but dishes you would expect to find at an Italian restaurant, ie chicken parmigiana or spaghetti bolognese). One of my absolutely favorite Italian dishes is a well-seasoned pasta puttanesca. It is very easy to make this dish too spicy or too salty, but it was cooked with just the right balance of these two wonderful sensations. My sister's spaghetti and clams dish could have used a little less water and a little more lemony flavoring, but it certainly wasn't inedible. Overall, I left the restaurant feeling satisfied in my stomach but some other part of me just thought: "meh." I don't not recommend it, but if you are looking for a casual night out and you are craving some no-frills Italian cuisine without having to touch any sort of cooking device yourself, Bistro Pazzo might just be your ristorante di scelta (restaurant of choice). read more

Top notch service and cuisine! On an unusually slow evening we were treated with great conversation by the owner and signature dishes which could rival five star hotels. Highly recommended! read more

Bistro Pazzo - Rigatoni and sausage - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Wow! What a Christmas surprise! EVERYTHING was delicious. From the pesto dipping sauce to the fresh vegetables that sidled my amazing chicken Marsala. I'll definitely return to sample the rest of the menu. read more

Came here for an early dinner on a Sunday night and had a great experience. Found the location by yelping Italian in the area and I'm glad I did! I got the 'sunset special' which included a salad - dressed with a delicious house balsamic- an entrée -and desert. The entrée I chose was eggplant parm - it included a small side of pasta with vodka sauce and sautéed veggies. The eggplant parm was not breaded or fried so it was not overly heavy/filling and the little sides were a nice touch. We should have ordered a bottle of wine versus multiple glasses - because it would have been a better deal but now we know. Our server Anthony was great - he was professional, knowledgeable, and personable. The bathroom is located through the kitchen -which is someone comforting that they open their kitchen to customers....nothing to hide! I will be back! read more

We had a small company Christmas gathering at Bistro Pazzo last week and it was excellent! The service was great, the food was excellent and a great value. I judge all Italian restaurants by the penne arrabiata and tiramisu and both were excellent here. Everyone in our group had no trouble finding something they liked on the menu and all the dishes were very good. The place is small so you may want to call ahead if you are in a hurry. We had reservations and were in and out in good time. read more

I'm almost sorry to give this place a bad review because the owner and son seemed really nice. I can forgive a lot about a restaurant - bad service, bad atmosphere...but food this bad is unforgiveable. The "bacon wrapped shrimp risotto" was essentially rice in fishy gravy with reheated shrimp wrapped in fatty undercooked bacon. The salad had obviously been sitting in the fridge for hours. I have a ridiculous sweet tooth - like no moderation anything goes 1 am Hershey kiss binge sweets addiction, and I didn't even finish the chocolate cake. I'm so disappointed because I went here based on positive Yelp reviews, which I'm guessing must have been posted by friends and family of the owners. read more

I like to use the word memorable in a positive context, therefore, I can't use it for our lunch experience at Bistro Pazzo. I should have realized the positive Yelp reviews were for dinner, not lunch. We made the mistake of ordering a personal margherita pizza and a cheeseburger. The pizza was frozen or pre-made as confirmed when my husband went to the bathroom which was located in the kitchen and saw them. The burger was also frozen. For $11 and $10 respectively, they were way overpriced and had no place here. Underwhelmed and disappointed. read more

This was a true gem of a find. Nice family atmosphere and good service. They have an extensive menu with special items on certain days. We loved the clam and oysters! Great service and great food, will be back. read more

The food here was exquisite and authentic. I had a chicken Marsala and loved it. The service is good, and the employees are very kind. I look forward to returning in the future. read more

Excellent presentation, great staff. Down for the weekend we will definitely be back. Food was fresh, filling and tasty. read more

I finally got the chance to eat at this new La Jolla Italian bistro last night. This place is exactly what The Village needs more of - inexpensive mom & pop restaurants with great food at a great value. The service was attentive (the owner?), the menu is diverse (apps, soups, salads, pasta, meat, fish, pizza), and the special last night, crab agnolotti, was excellent - as were the mussel/clam app and the profiteroles. The only thing I would recommend is dimming the lights a bit for dinner time and maybe softening up the decor a bit. read more

Bistro Pazzo - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

I got the appetizer of bruschetta and it tasted amazing. You could tell that the bread was fresh and that they used fresh tomatoes on it. I also got for my main course the fettuccini alfredo and the cheese was freshly grated and the meal was nice and warm. read more

Bistro Pazzo - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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After our first lunch destination was closed and we blew 20 minutes circling downtown La Jolla in search of a parking space, we ended up here, expecting very little. It was better than that. The pizzas were plausible (though the crust was a little too crackery for my taste), the "grilled ciabatta" was pretty good and is probably a good sign for their sandwiches. The owners was friendly and goofy-- maybe a little too much so. But very well meaning. It's exceedingly unlikely I'll be back, because next time I'll plan better, but if your plans fall through, you could certainly do worse. read more

First time eats...If your not looking to break the bank while in La Jolla and have a good italian dish, this is a good choice. We went for lunch and for $12. $14. you can pick b/w a panini sandwich or full entry. Small place, but offers additional seating outside. Our server was very good. If you have to use the restroom you have to go through the kitchen, lol, which I actually liked ! I was very surprised to taste the turkey burger my wife had ordered which was Amazing, and Im not turkey burger guy. Very jucy and tender..Nice place ! read more

Bistro Pazzo - Here's the guy that makes it happen - Italian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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