Feels like family when you are here! Excellent service and great value. Great dishes and pastas. read more

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So so so good!! Service was amazing, wine was smooth, felt so authentic and you can tell the owners really care. A hole in the wall GEM read more

Cafe Milano - Lobster ravioli - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Great fettuccini Alfredo with shrimp and mushrooms Dessert was awesome. Service was awesome with owners giving attention to us as new customers. read more

Boyfriend and I were walking to a fish restaurant that was recommended and didn't like their menu, saw this place next door and man won the lottery of dinner!! This place was so amazing, it made other Italian restaurants we have eaten seem miserable. Even weeks later thinking about the place and just coming to la jolla for an eat and return home.. The sauces that our dishes were so delicious, i would drink it as a beverage. The employees were so friendly and welcoming like family, not like olive garden family, you want to be part of this family. We shared a walnut pear salad appetizer, I believe the dressing is house made. Cuscinetti di Pollo, the sauce tasted there was brandy in it not just a label ingredient on the menu and cooked out. It was very rich and filling. Fettuccini Milano the seafood was fresh and the sauce was bomb. Tiramisu we took to go since we were full, but once we were able to eat it. Oh man!! It had the coffee liqueur with subtle toffee crunch with the Coco dusting. Man man man seduction! That should be in 50 shades of gray! Totally will come back, stay successful! read more

Everything was very Good. The owner is very nice and the place is very tidy and organized

If I could give 0 stars I would. They got our order wrong TWICE, we had to send back the food, they sent my steak rare which I requested well done. Sent food out at different times for different people. Incredibly non-attentive. Then they "accidentally" double charged a $34 steak... it didn't help that they gave dirty looks to my black wife. Lobster Ravioli was so gross it literally tasted like microwaved frozen albertsons ravioli. Our bill came out to $175, that's something I wish I could get back. DONT COME HERE! WORST EXPERIENCE WE HAVE HAD IN A LONG TIME! read more

Very intimate dining with eclectic decor. Fast and knowledgeable servers and kitchen turn-around time. Well proportioned servings with enough for take home! Our table choices were: Caesar Salad (around); Fettuccini Milano (loaded with scallops); Tortellini Milano (creamy and cheesy - take home); Veal (Italian - 3 or 4 large pieces of veal and lots of vegetables - take home about half); Spaghetti and Meatballs (fist sized meatballs and take home). Food suggestion is that the dip be served in a community bowl rather than merely drizzled on the bread plates (once). Because of the close tables, the noise level increased throughout the evening. Parking is also difficult, but that is the neighborhood (and most of the city!) read more

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The best Italian food I've ever had. Staff is excellent. I've lived in San Diego for 35 years, I wish I had known about this place sooner.

Very disappointing. Came in with a party of four last night. We chose Cafe Milano due to the great Yelp reviews but wow. Maybe most of these good reviews are phony because this place is simply... not good. The atmosphere is nice, but that and the tiramisu are the only things that are. I ordered Fettuccini Alfredo, which is my favorite Italian dish. When it arrived I could tell right away due to the color and consistency that something was wrong. It was very yellow and there was little - if any - creaminess. The noodles looked like they were just swimming in a bunch of melted butter. I took a bite anyway because you never know and nope. Just tasted like noodles in way too heavily salted butter. When the server came back a few minutes later I told her quietly and politely that I would like to order something else because I did not like the pasta. Here is where our happy night was ruined. She became very indignant and told me in a harsh tone "This dish is wonderful. Many people like it. Did you try it??" I told her I did and repeated that I would like something else. She grabbed my bowl and stormed off with it, saying as she looked back over her shoulder at us, loudly and in an extremely condescending tone, "I don't know what kind of Alfredo you've been eating but you must not know good Alfredo when you get it". Unbelievable. My husband and sister literally gasped. I was just stunned into silence. The lady at the table next to me looked over at us with a horrified expression and said to me "WOW! That was crazy! Hope she doesn't spit in your next dish!" And then we all just kind of laughed a bit because what else can you do? This woman has no idea who I am or where I've been. I won't get into my credentials or experience and why it is I know a good Alfredo when I eat one because it would take too long in this already lengthy review, and it is irrelevant anyway. Even if I'd never eaten Fettuccini Alfredo in my life her behavior was completely immature, rude, and just plain bad service. When a paying customer says they don't like a dish there is only one acceptable response and that is: "So sorry. Let us get you something else right away." You don't get huffy and mad about it and loudly insult the patron from across the dining room. This is Food Service 101. I ordered a Caesar Salad because how hard can that be? It cost $12 and was the size of a tiny side salad. The grocery store bagged Caesars are infinitely better tasting and of higher quality than it was. The rest of my party said their dishes were just "meh" but they ate them regardless. (We were very hungry) My husband still left a tip after all that because we have a lot of respect for restaurant staff after my having worked in several over the years and knowing how taxing it actually is to work in one. Maybe our server was just having a bad night... But we will most certainly never be back and will make sure to warn our La Jolla neighbors about our horrible experience there. Additionally, our waters were never refilled during the meal. It was actually the first time I'd ever finished a glass of water at a restaurant in my life (I eat out very often). We were amazed at how long our empty glasses stood on that table. The neglect was impressive. They brought out a bottle of water at the end when we got our tiramisu, which was actually really good. But it was too little too late by that point. I just wanted to warn fellow hungry people - especially those who like Fettuccini Alfredo and service that is friendly and professional - that they might want to give this place a miss. read more

This is a cute little Mom and Pop run shop in La Jolla. The food is tasty, the ambiance is lovely with a cute little car and teddy bear outside and the service is authentic. The prices are on the higher end, but I would prefer to support a family owned local business over a chain for the same price. read more

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I had the misfortune to eat at Cafe Milano recently and it was literally the worst restaurant experience of my life and I am 63 years old! I had my son teach me how to make a yelp account for the sole purpose of warning other diners: Don't eat here!!!! The food was nothing special at all, and in fact, mine was outright terrible. I could have saved a lot of money by staying home and making far better meals for myself and my husband, and I'm not even a good cook. I wish I had read these reviews before I went into this place because I ordered the fettucine alfredo and it was indeed flat out disgusting just like the other reviews mention. I don't know where they get off calling that slop fettucine alfredo because it is nothing more than a few noodles in a lake of butter. NOT ALFREDO. But the gross meal was nothing compared to what I really came here to complain about and that was the terrible service. The waitress was a dark haired woman with an Italian accent and never in all my years eating in restaurants have I come across a more nasty individual. She was extremely rude and curt, with a very negative attitude emanating from her. This person is truly in the wrong line of work and now that I've read most of the other reviews here it seems like my terrible experience here was not an uncommon one. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! I know I will. read more

My mom brought me here to eat some homemade Italian cuisine. Everything sounded good and hard to decide what to try, but landed on the lasagna. Only thing missing was freshly grated parmesan on the top. I also got bruschetta plate & ended with a cannoli for dessert. Everything was delicious and would return again read more

Cafe Milano - Cannoli - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We love this restaurant, the food is all made from scratch and there is a homey vibe that is really nice. The wine list is decent, the menu has something for everyone and the service is perfect. read more

We enjoyed our meal here. We visited on a Friday night around 6pm and were seated immediately. There was a live pianist, which I thought was a nice touch of ambiance. We started with the bruschetta, which was nice. My husband got one of the specials the waitress mentions - Lamb with Fettuccine. I ordered the Gnocchi Caprese. Both of our entrees were not bad, but not quite as fabulous as we were hoping for for the price. Our favorite bite of the night was the Limoncello Flute! It was absolutely delicious. read more

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Great Italian food and great service. Our server and the owner were extremely friendly. The atmosphere was great too.

Such great and friendly customer service! We felt so welcomed as soon as we were seated. There's a piano in the front where someone was playing classical music. The food tasted very fresh- pasta noodles were cooked al dente and the sauce wasn't too heavy. We also loved their fresh warm bread with balsamic vinegar (we started dipping it in the pesto sauce). Tiramisu was one of the best I've had- alcohol flavor didn't overpower the cake. The cappuccino ice cream truffle was also delicious. I would definitely come back to try other dishes. read more

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Fettuccine Milano: A+ Bruschetta: A+ Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette: A+ Ambiance: A+ Service: A+ Authenticity: A+++ read more

My son and I found this place randomly while walking on the main drag after touring nearby UCSD. We wanted to have dinner before driving home to LA. I looked at the menu and had low expectations, but my son likes pasta so we went for it. The inside was packed and it was around 6 pm on a Friday, so I figured locals must like it. We ate outside but could hear the live piano from inside so some of the ambiance filtered to us. You need to know that I'm a food snob and I thought this place was fantastic. Granted, we only tried a couple of items, but it was all great. They brought us fresh bread and poured a sauce for dipping. They would not tell me what was in it, but they did confirm it included aged balsamic vinegar. It was fruity and olive oil-y and completely delicious. I would have drunk it out of an espresso cup if I could have. My son ordered a penne a la vodka, which was amazingly good. I don't know what magic they pulled to take basic ingredients and have it turn out so yummy, but they did. We were nearly fighting each other to sop up the sauce with the bread. I had a salad, and again, I had low expectations because I make really good salads. read more

I can't say enough great things about Cafe Milano. It was one of the first restaurants I found when I moved to La Jolla and have been there several times since. The staff is just simply amazing and informative. The food is amazing. Homemade. Pasta. Need I say more? I also love the old world Italian café look. Italy my favorite as far as countries I have visited and going made me feel like I was right back in Rome. read more

This is the Italian gem of La Jolla. Don't let the small sidewalk cafe appearance fool you. Wonderful dishes done better than most. Decades of Italian heritage, great hospitality and simply fantastic Italian cuisine. We had the Cannelloni Vodka special and the Veal Parmigiana. Dinner was beautifully done and desert was irresistible. Tiramisu at its best! Don't miss stopping by for a great meal! read more

Had the tortellini milano, it was delicious. Also enjoyed Italian wine and tiramisu for dessert, which was incredible and large enough to share. Dessert came with wine on the house, which was a nice touch. We were seated outside and both the owner and our server were Italian, it felt like being in Italy. read more

Cafe Milano - Tortellini Milano - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Charming & quaint restaurant with authentic Italian cuisine. Excellent service from our server & the owner. Fresh homemade pasta, amazing pesto, delicious fresh bread and the best calamari I've ever had. Finished with some incredible homemade tiramisu. read more

I came with my daughter and we stopped in for the desserts. We had cannoli and gelato. The best was the pistachio gelato. It was colder than I normally like my gelato but the flavor was very good. The cannoli was wonderful. I'm glad we stopped by. read more

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We got take out here. It was ready quickly and well packaged for taking home. The cannoli were amazing - I highly recommend treating yourself to these scrumptious bursts of happiness. The Alfredo sauce was on the thin side and a bit bland. I wouldn't order that one again. I liked the bolognese, but the sauce to pasta ratio was disappointing. It was a mixed bag for us here. read more

Overcooked and overpriced for the quality. Fish was so fishy tasting, it ruined the entire dish. Steak was so tough it could barely be cut or eaten. Food was horrible. Service was mid, was greeted rudely and treated that way until we ordered. Our first sign should have been the peeling label on the water that was obviously just refilled with tap. The second was when our food was served and garnished with Parmesan "table side" out of a plastic soccer ball bowl. We were brought bread to start our meal out with, after receiving our bill we were charged for the bread we did not ask for; I understand you have to make costs back, but at least ask. Expect at least $30 a plate for mediocre quality if even that. Would not recommend. If you're still looking to go here, I will give them credit for the tiramisu- wasn't visually appealing but was enjoyable. The only ok part of our visit was desert. read more

I would give more stars if I could! The restaurant was like eating dinner with our extended family! Our waitress was like your favorite aunt. She had my husbands dinner customized and everything was delicious and authentic! We met the chef/owner and he made you feel so welcomed and was so attentive. I will be dreaming of this meal until I can come back! read more

Cafe Milano - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

First time visitors but we will return! We went for dinner with friends from out of state and had an absolutely wonderful meal! The owner and staff are exceptional! Our waitress was right out of Italy and provided us with the best service anyone could ask for. From the decor to the live music everything was spot on. We will be recommending this quaint cafe to everyone! Ciao! read more

This place is a gem! The food is so traditional and the flavors are amazing. Coming from an Italian family we were happy to find authentic Italian food while on vacation. The hosts were warm and made us feel so welcome! The restaurant played traditional music and I felt like I was back in Italy. We were in town for a week and went to the restaurant 3 times and each time did not disappoint. I would strongly recommend this place and plan to come back the next time we visit! read more

I love the food here. And it's a got an authentic atmosphere Pizza or pasta they have it all read more

Favorite Italian restaurant to dine at when I'm in La Jolla! From the amazing service to the delicious food , bread, and cannolis, everything tastes fresh and authentic. I highly recommend Cafe Milano to anyone visiting the area . read more

If you haven't been to cafe Milano you are missing out on authentic Italian food. The salmon pasta is the best dish you'll ever taste. The salmon doesn't taste like fish at all but melts in your mouth like warm butter. They have a 3 page desert menu. Check this spot out as soon as you can. read more

My Absolute Favorite place to get Italian food in San Diego! I came here for the first time in 2014 and I fell in love instantly when I tried the bruschetta which is BOMB.COM! Coming back again 8 years later and it is still the booth watering deliciousness I remember from the first time. I recommend coming here 4SHOW if you haven't found THE ITALIAN SPOT to go to in SD! You won't be disappointed! read more

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We really lucked out when we stopped in, they weren't quite open (they were setting up) and welcomed us in !! AMAZING food ( Chef's kiss as some would say ) Decadent !!! So good !!! You will not be disappointed. Truly everything we ordered was so good! Must try the Lemon Sorbetto for desert read more

Cafe Milano - Lemon sorbetto - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Great family restaurant. Good menu. Even had a good size lobster in season. Very reasonable prices.

Tiramisu was to die for! Better than actual Italy, (was in Italy last week) Highly recommend!

Food was just like home cooked Italian. House made bread was outstanding. The owner and staff made the dinner even more enjoyable. And the home made tiramisu was to die for! read more

We. love. this family. owned. restaurant. so much. that we eat. here about. 3 times. when we visit La Jolla. Usually we come for about a week in January when it is cold in the northeast. The minestrone soup can't be done better, full of. just vegetables. Chicken piccata and veal marsala are excellent choices. I tried the snapper. marchione, a pleasant surprise. and a large portion. They have a great. tiramisu. The atmosphere. is friendly and the. restaurant is often not. so. noisy. read more

Holy shit. I order $160 of food for dinner with friends. Bill onsite at pick-up is $244!!! Owner says "web site price very old." Blames Covid...three years later. WTF. He says he'll only charge me $200. What a guy! Wife or daughter then comes over to warn me that the $244 is the real price and don't expect a discount when I order again. Ha. Not to worry, will NOT to ordering again. Next stop will be, if anything, the consumer protection bureau. Oh, and I talked to this scoundrel TWICE -- once to order and once to confirm, and he never mentioned the web site prices had been increased by 50%. Oh, and more -- he added and charged me for bread that I didn't order. read more

Just stopped in for some dessert and wine before going to the theater. We got the tiramisu and this pistachio ice cream. Delicious! And everyone was so friendly. Will definitely need to go back to have Italian food! read more

Phenomenal mom and pop Italian restaurant. I ordered the gnocchi which had a lovely, fresh tomato sauce, drank an exceptional white wine, and even ordered dessert. The staff were warm and welcoming, and the live piano music set the mood in a lovely way. Absolutely worth your time to visit. Thanks for showing us Chicagoans a good time! At this restaurant, you'll feel like family. read more