I'm absolutely blown away. Best meal I've had in such a long time. The simple menu is prepared to perfection. The intimate atmosphere is family friendly with impeccable service. Authentic is an understatement. I'm never going anywhere else for Italian food- ever. read more

Looking for authentic, handmade, and heartwarming Italian cuisine? Look no further. From the aromatic essences that float around the room, to the owner, Pasqual, who treats you like one of his own. read more

Amazing! We headed here for lunch after checking out the seals at the beach. The food was outstanding and the tiramisu was to die for. Pasquale was such a welcoming and gracious host. Looking for authentic Italian food.. this is your place. Next time we are in town we will be back for sure. Delicious. read more

This place was highly recommended to us, and with good reason! The atmosphere was cute - we were seated next to the fish tank, which, we were told, was the "ocean view". The staff was so warm and friendly - it really seemed like a family atmosphere. Various staff and owners kept stopping by our table to ask us how things are going - and to show us photos of grandchildren. The food was excellent! I got the lamb shank osso busco and the meat just fell off the bone. The waiter had great recommendations on both the food and the wine and we went away so happy. One of the owners followed us out and made sure to point out their teeny, 2-cylinder, red car with teddy bears inside that they parked out front. I love this place and will return every time we visit La Jolla. read more

If your not looking for all the fancy decor and extravagant ambiance usually associated with restaurants in La Jolla, this may be the spot for you. The only thing you will get here is fabulous food. The portions are a but small, maybe I'm not used to fancy restaurants, but everything was delicious. From the pastas to the ravioli dishes, they all tasted like home style italian food. One of the most authentic italian restaurants I've been to. Expect to pay the La Jolla premium eating here, other than that you will have a great time. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants of all time, though I don't get to come here often. I have been coming here on my birthday for the past three years and I am never disappointed. When I come on my birthday, I always order the special. I am never disappointed with the specials. This year was absolutely AMAZING with a braised veal shank dish (I could have eaten it with a spoon it was so tender) served with a red wine sauce, vegetables, and homemade fettuccine. It was like having the World's Greatest Pot Roast. I kid you not. I can never remember the names of the dishes so I have to settle for describing the ingredients. We started with my favorite appetizer ever: Cold rare fillet mignon cut ultra-thin with arugula, capers, olive oil, and shavings of some strong cheese. This could be eaten as a salad but we ordered two salads anyway. The salads at Milano are not hefty but in the past we've added chicken to a salad to make it a meal unto itself. We ordered one Milano salad which contains avocado, arugula (I think. Can't remember clearly.), orange wedges, and a nice balsamic vinaigrette. Yummy! My mom and her boyfriend split another salad, one with pears and some sort of candied nuts. I've had that salad in the past too and I know it's delicious. My mom ordered the Spaghetti with Meatball, which truthfully includes 3 colossal meatballs. My mom's boyfriend ordered some seafood + noodle combination and his plate was empty at the end of the meal, so he must have liked it. My boyfriend had the lasagna, which was gone before I even though to ask for a bite of his. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food. We closed our out meal with coffee and dessert. A hefty slice of tiramisu was complementary for me, which I split with my boyfriend. My mom and her boyfriend split the chocolate mousse cake which looked too rich for my blood, but they ate it up. We paid a $9.00 corkage fee to BYOB a nice wine I had. The inside of Milano is adorable. I've eaten in their "private wine cellar" many times with is a lot of fun and can be very romantic. The restaurant is sort of divided in two which suggests it can accommodate a larger party on one side. Outdoor seating is cute though I'm not sure if I'm up for the traffic of Pearl Street while I dine. Another Happy Birthday to Me at Café Milano! read more

My wedding reception was ruined! I booked my wedding reception here a month and a half in advance. I always spoke directly with the owner/manager Pasquale. I told him that we would be there at 4pm to put out our decorations, guests would arrive at 4:30pm, and we would have dinner at 5pm. Every time I talked to him, he rushed me off the phone, saying, "Ok, don't worry about it! It's going to be perfect!" and things like that. He didn't speak English well, and I don't speak Italian at all, so I was constantly repeating myself to make sure that he understood. But he assured me that he understood and never put anyone on the phone who spoke better English. The day of the reception, we were admittedly running 30-minutes late, so my wedding party arrived at 4:30 to put out our decorations. I got a call from my father saying that Pasquale was in a panic because he thought our dinner was 4pm! AND THAT HE HAD BOOKED ANOTHER PARTY FOR 7:30PM! That means that if we sat down for dinner at 5pm -- which was the time we had actually agreed upon, we would only have 2 hours for our wedding reception! I have never been to a wedding reception that was less than 3 hours long. When I arrived, I told Pasquale: "My father told me that you want us out of here by 7pm?" He said (and this is a direct quote): "Don't worry about it." To me, that means, "I fixed something so that you don't have to worry about the time you finish dinner." Again, he brushed me off and rushed away. When we finally sat down for dinner at 5:30pm, we were rushed through our appetizers and entrees, and the children weren't even offered anything to eat or drink. While someone was giving a toast, the staff were rushing around and banging plates down on the table! My new husband and I were rushed to go cut the cake while people were still eating their entrees, and when we got back to the table, the rest of our dinners had been taken away (mine was only half-eaten). Pasquale "cut" my cake. And by that I mean that he utterly butchered it! The package that we had bought from the restaurant included dessert and coffee or tea. We were literately asked to leave before we got any coffee or dessert (other than the wedding cake). I talked to Pasquale afterward and told him how upset I was about this whole situation, and he said that we started dinner an hour and a half late. BECAUSE HE DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH AND WAS TOO EGOTISTICAL TO PUT SOMEONE ELSE ON THE PHONE, HE RUINED MY WEDDING DINNER! I reiterated the original schedule and he offered to give my family a free dinner the next time we came in. Very nice of him EXCEPT THAT WE LIVE 4 HOURS AWAY! Not to mention the fact that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will never get to redo! We had family and friends fly in for this! And we paid quite a bit for this! I don't even care about the money; I would have paid extra if I had known that he intended to double book. This all happened three days ago, and I haven't been able to think about much else since. It's really a cute restaurant and the food is decent enough, but this experience really hurt, and I will not be going back. read more

Party of 7 which means 7 different dishes. After promising reviews on Yelp we decided to go there to celebrate my friend's birthday. Well, at least we got a story out of it. We got seated but didn't get any menues for several minutes. Our waiter laughed at our faces, joking that we were underaged (yet I am 26), then he spilled parmesan over my friends bag. The food was basically pasta and tomatoes from the can. None of my 7 friends liked their dishes and couldn't finish it and we are not picky at all after surviving dining hall food. Perhaps because most of us are from Europe and we know how Italian food is supposed to taste like, or it was just shitty. The bread and the balsamic dip was good though. read more

Another place that does not get the recognition it deserves. Cafe Milano is a little gem of a restaurant in La Jolla, and in my opinion, completely overshadowed by Piatti and Trattoria Acqua. Okay, so there's no parking lot-- I have never had a problem finding street parking (usually right in front). The restaurant is small and intimate, and everyone who works there is Italian (good luck understanding the daily specials). Everything I've ever ordered here is 1. in ridiculous portions way too big for a normal person and 2. amazing. The owner has come by the table every time we've dined at Cafe Milano to make sure the food was okay. Also, on two occasions the boyfriend and I were given dessert champagne and biscotti on the house. I get nervous that this place is going to go out of business one day-- so please eat here! read more

I am so glad that this place exists and is close to the 30 (meaning, easily accessible to UCSD students without cars)! Cafe Milano is a really cute, small restaurant with authentic Italian food, and a somewhat romantic ambiance. Perfect place to take a date, if you ask me. The service is amazing, and you really feel at home when you're there. The waitresses are extremely nice, and the owner makes you feel really welcome there. I went for the Dinner Special, which was $18.95 for basically a three-course meal. You get the choice of a Salad (mixed greens) or Soup (Minestrone w/ Parmesan cheese, if you'd like) for appetizer. You can choose ANYTHING on the menu for your entree. And for dessert, you have the choice of cheesecake, tiramisu, or ice cream. Absolutely fantastic deal, and completely worth your money. First came the bread, with some kind of vinaigrette it seemed like. It was somewhat sweet, and it paired fantastically with the bread. Don't eat too much though, if you're getting the three-course meal! For appetizer, I got the Minestrone soup w/ grated Parmesan cheese. The cheese melted on top of the soup, and the soup had a ton of delicious vegetables filled with a lightly flavored tomato soup. It wasn't so light that the soup was watery, but it wasn't so rich that you couldn't move onto the entree. It was pretty filling, however; I didn't get to finish my entree because I wanted to save up for some dessert. I got the Cioppino for the entree. This was mixed seafood, shrimp, calamari, clams and mussels in a light tomato sauce. I can't believe I got this much seafood for $18.95 (INCLUDING appetizer and dessert). I was craving seafood, and this just hit the spot. The sauce had garlic mixed into it, and it really brought out the flavor of the tomato sauce, while adding a garlicy hint to it. I am a big fan of garlic, so that just did it for me. Plus, there were chunks of huge and fresh pieces of seafood in it. Definitely must try. For dessert, I shared the tiramisu and cheesecake. These desserts were both interesting, in a good way. - Tiramisu: at first bite, it may not seem that great. But this dessert definitely grows on you, interestingly enough. At first bite, the coffee taste is a bit overpowering (or maybe that's just the bite I happened to scoop up). Once you start eating it, however, you just can't stop. The cream and the coffee flavored cake melded together just creates heaven in your mouth. - Cheesecake: this was Italian cheesecake delicately textured with a hint of natural orange oil. At first try, I could taste the hint of the orange, which was very interesting and tasted pretty good. A refreshing hint of fruit in a light cheesecake. The cheesecake was more bready and crumbly than most cheesecakes you'd find, but the crust was really interesting and reminded me kind of like a sponge cake. * Out of the two desserts, it's really hard for me to suggest one to try. If you have the option, try both! Or if you're in your mood for ice cream, I'm sure that tastes pretty good too. Everything I tried here (though I have yet to try more) was tasty. I will definitely be back, Cafe Milano! read more

Don't let the '60's decor or the unmistakable scent of vinegar fool you. This restaurant is a gem. The vinegary smell (my wife first mistook it for a musty smell) is the result of a special basalmic blend dressing they pour generously onto a plate and serve with warm, fresh bread basket. Wow. I would have been happy if that's all I consumed. But it wasn't. I ordered the lasagne bolognese. Absolute freshly homemade pasta with fresh, home made pomodoro sauce with meat. Generous amounts of ricotta cheese between layers of soft layers of lasagna noodles. To start, I had the home-made mozzarella and tomatoes and a glass of Montepulciano de Abruzzo. Overall, a really good experience and surprising, too. My expectations were not high, and they were definitely surpassed! Winner. read more

Visiting from LA, and happened to try this place randomly on NYE. I am SO happy we did! The service was fantastic from start to finish (they threw in a homemade tiramisu which was honestly the best I've ever had), and they were very attentive. The pastas were tasty and fresh. Would recommend 100% if you're in the area! read more

I finally decided to give this place a try after passing by it many times before and eating elsewhere. It must have been fate because for some reason or another the service I received was absolutely fabulous and I had a wonderful evening. I was on a date and we arrived 20 minutes before they closed. We asked if they were still able to serve us, and a friendly Italian man responded enthusiastically "Of course!". There were only two other parties present but from the moment we entered we immediately felt like we were being treated special. The Italian man sat us and we ordered a carafe of the Burgundy house wine, which was very good. He then told us about the specials for the evening starting with the Milano Caprese as an appetizer. We decided to try the Caprese special and then the Stuffed Meatballs and Layered Eggplant for entrees. I'm half Italian and have had my fair share of Caprese, and I must say that this was the most refreshing and flavorful Caprese I have ever had. I give credit mostly to the amazingly fresh in-house mozzarella that complements the fresh tomato, basil, and artichokes perfectly. The combination is delicately dressed with balsamic vinegar and was a great start for the meal. I had the Layered Eggplant Special, which consisted of a lasagna styled plate with eggplant and cheese served in a fresh tomato sauce. The plate was delicious and before I knew it, I had finished the whole thing. I tried the meatballs and they were loaded with flavor, stuffed with onions and garlic, served over a tasty stew of mushrooms, peppers, and onions. By this time it was already 20 minutes passed closing time and instead of giving us pressured looks, the Italian man came over to our table and introduced himself as Pasquale Cianna, the owner of Cafe Milano. He then went on to tell us the story of how for the past eight years he and his family had been using his Mother's recipes to serve customers at the restaurant. The whole evening we had great service from Pasquale and when we finished our entrees were were a bit disappointed when he didn't ask us if we wanted dessert, but of course we understood considering the time it was. Just as we were about to ask for the check to leave, Pasquale returned to us with a beautiful plate of Chocolate moose topped with White Chocolate! He told us not to worry about the time and to enjoy ourselves, he even pushed me to get a Cappuccino to go with it. We were definitely surprised by this extremely unselfish and amazing service that we were able to get in La Jolla of all places. We didn't look rich or important but boy did we feel like it from Pasquale's service. As we were enjoying the delicious Chocolate moose, which was truly a great dessert, Pasquale came over to our table and poured us 3 glasses of Mascot D'Asti dessert wine. The 3 of us cheered each other's glasses and drank the perfectly balanced sweet wine. I really liked the dessert wine and inquired more to Pasquale about what the label was and where I could buy it at. Then he responded nonchalantly and completely naturally, "I'll give you a bottle". When I heard this I was astounded with joy and utterly blown away by the attention and service we received from this humble but genuine man. I'm sorry this turned out to be so long but the experience I had at Cafe Milano will forever be remembered. I give this restaurant and its atmosphere a very high rating and hope that my hyped review doesn't affect other's experiences to have and leave anyone disappointed. read more

Cafe Milano is sooo delicious! I absolutely love this place. Pasquale and his staff are so wonderful and the food here is amazing. I highly recommend eating here when you are in La Jolla! read more

Had dinner here for the first time last night and I am definitely coming back! The place has a comforting atmosphere and delicious, authentic Italian food served by very friendly staff. After the main course, we were too full to order any dessert, but their staff brought out 2 complimentary orders of Tiramisu for us. I'll tell ya - I have had a lot of Tiramisu in the past (even in Italy), but this was hands down the BEST Tiramisu I have ever had - in my opinion! All of a sudden we had room for more in our stomachs as we licked the dessert plates clean. If you come here, please do order their Tiramisu, even if you feel like you can't handle a dessert after a filling dinner. Food tasted great and all 7 people in our party said the same. The owner/chef Pasquale met us outside after dinner and made sure that we were all satisfied with our dining experience. read more

Who are these people giving this place 4 or 5 stars?!? NO WAY... Not even close. I won't ramble on about the actually restaurant and staff- it would take too much time to write and to read. I'll get to food. It was my friends birthday and a client recommended this place so I took her here. Everything was either bland and needed salt or was way over salted. If I had to bet money I would say NOTHING that was served was homemade; there's no way. Not the pasta or the sauces or the dipping sauce. The dipping sauce everyone raved about was a balsamic dressing of some kind that I would guarantee is bought somewhere else. The Caesar dressing was so off and unappetizing. It was almost .... Oily? Like a heavy oil that was used to stretch out the dressing as if they were running out. We had to add salt to our salads : salt to our Caesar salads! I couldn't even finish it because it was making me kinda ill. I ordered spaghetti with meatballs --- this is an italian restaurant ... You better nail this --- FAIL. How does an italian restaurant mess up spaghetti and meatballs?!? Pasta was over cooked, sauce was very very watery and salty and meatballs were over cooked and salty. One reviewer said it was the best meatballs they've ever had : O_o No. Just no. My friend had risotto and it was terrible. Very over cooked and super salty. The mushrooms were NO DOUBT from a can. What is happening here?!? Last but not least I went to restroom and on the way I let our server know it was my friends birthday and I'd like if they could bring a little something to the table. He seemed to understand, smiled and said yes. Yea... That didn't happen. I would have obviously paid for the dessert I wasn't asking for a freebie but it was completely skipped over and forgotten. NEVER had a server at any restaurant in my entire life fail in that arena- they always come through and it's a happy fun time (and semi embarrassing for the birthday boy/girl :D). Couldn't believe any of it. They kept asking if we wanted dessert but we just wanted to leave. Instead of getting a beautiful birthday tiramisu or gelato we went down the street to get fro-yo to spare ourselves further disappointment. On the way out a couple looking over the menu outside heard me say "well that was disappointing" they asked if they should go in and eat there ..... I helped spare them the same fate. Do yourself a favor and try ANY OTHER italian restaurant. read more

Giving it 4 stars because of the pastas we ordered. The tomato sauce was very refreshing and not overpowering the other ingredients. The Milano salad was not very impressive. But the dessert tiramisu was quite tasty. The cappucino was bad, or maybe it's a decaf thing. The ambience was okay. Quite a small place but good for dining with just a few friends. Overall it was a nice experience. Liked the pasta! read more

This is one of the best authentic Italian restaurants in San Diego. If you looked at it from the outside, you would never guess what a wonderful place it actually is. Look for the mini red Fiat parked out front or you might miss it. Upon arrival, my girlfriend and I were seated in the back corner of the room near the wine storage. This place is a small, charming restaurant with a lot of character. But what makes this place the best is the service. The owner, Pascuale, is an incredibly friendly man who aims to please and makes sure your experience is perfect. It was hard to even tell who are actual server was because every server in the restaurant and Pascuale checked in on us frequently but not too often. Now for the food. The bread that is served to the table is exceptional. It is a fresh baked, sliced loaf served with an amazing balsamic dipping sauce. When the server pours it on your bread plate, make sure you tell him to keep it flowin'. We ordered a half carafe of the house burgundy expecting to get two glasses of cheap wine because we weren't really in the mood for drinking (for once). What we got was a 3/4 carafe that provided 4 full glasses of good house red for $8 or $9. A total steal. We decided to order the melanzane appetizer (grilled eggplant rolled around ricotta cheese served with a tomato sauce) and the gnocchi caprese to share. The eggplant was grilled perfectly and paired well with the ricotta and tomato sauce for $9.95- a great prelude to the meal. It is a smaller appetizer but the perfect size when paired with the bread. The gnocchi caprese was exactly what we were looking for. Piles of pillowy potato goodness with fresh mozzarella pieces, basil and an outstanding red sauce for $11.50. Unbelievable. The menu indicated a split meal charge of $5 but we were not charged for that and each received our own bowl. At the end of our inexpensive and delicious meal, Pascuale stopped by and asked if we wanted dessert. We declined because we were stuffed but sure enough, Pascuale appeared at our table minutes later with a complimentary piece of tiramisu. We could not believe he did this in addition to the exceptional service. As we were eating our dessert, Pascuale showed up again with two glasses of moscato on the house. I don't know if we caught him on a generous day but Pascuale made an amazing meal perfect. We intend to dine here weekly going forward and love having a family restaurant option in La Jolla that serves delectable cuisine, is very reasonably priced and offers impeccable service. Check out Cafe Milano read more

We had four dishes and all were fabulous--especially spaghetti Marsala with porcini mushrooms (not on the menu). Owner is very friendly and knows exactly when to be friendly and when to be aloof at appropriate times. But two waiters were unbearable--frequently eavesdropping and butting into our private conversations. We had important things to discuss, but they made that extremely difficult. If not for them, would've given five stars. read more

Delicious genuine Italian cuisine from a hardworking generous Italian family man! Pasquale made our evening enjoyable with his friendly demeanor and excellent menu recommendations! The ravioli will never be matched- I will have to go back for more the next time we are in town! If my food hadn't arrived as quickly as it did, I would have been in heaven with just the homemade bread and dipping sauce! read more

Have been coming here for awhile, food has always been great. Last few times the helpings on pasta have been really skimpy. I was disappointed with my salad it was brown, I don't serve brown lettuce in my own kitchen, I certainly don't want to pay for it when eating out. Really need to double up on those pasta helpings. The food is excellent otherwise..... read more

I'll be honest, this was not our first choice for my birthday dinner, but plans for the other place fell through, so we ended up here. I have lived in al jolla my WHOLE life. Born and raised. And I have never even THOUGHT about going to eat here. I didn't even know there WAS a restaurant here. I can tell you though, we we re so glad plans for the other place fell thru. The food here is absolutely amazing. You can TELL the pasta is made fresh, the sauces, holy crap, the sauces. The chicken parm that my husbabe had was absolutely to die for. Cooked to absolute perfection, with a tomato sauce I could DRINK. ( and I normally HATE tomato sauce) the veggies were super fresh, and the chefs are savvy enough to cook the veggies properly. Not cook them until they fall apart when touched with a fork, nasty, soggy blobs of once vegetables. They were very much cooked, but still crisp, flavorful and maintained their beautiful color and snap. My parents had the special, which was rigatoni and meatballs, all, of which you could taste were made that day. The owner was such a doll. Bubbly, and so proud. Proud of his restaurant, which he should be, proud of his children, proud of the food, and most of all, proud of his granddaughter whom we saw many adorable photos of! He is wonderfully friendly and welcoming, and has the kind of attitude that you just HAVE to like. Prices were very reasonable, and portions were plentiful. My ONLY gripe, would be that, we got there at like 2:15, and right when we were seated, the owner told us that we needed to order right away, because his chefs needed to take a break. Uhh... 'Scuse me?' So we told him we'd need a minute, then he came back and told us again that we needed to order right away. So, that was a liiiitle off putting, if your staff needs to take a break THAT badly,close the restaurant for an hour in the afternoon or whatever, but don't tell your customers to hurry up so the staff can take a break! Besides that, I will SO Be going back here, it was absolutely some of the most delicious, authentic Italian food I have had..since...well...Italy. read more

Made a big mistake bringing out of town guests here, trying it for the first time. My favorite spots were booked and Cafe Milano had solid reviews on Yelp. I was sure it would be fine. When we arrived I was a little worried. It was fairly empty for a Saturday evening. But what could go wrong? We put in our order... And then waited, and waited. And then we waited some more. 45 mins later we asked and were told it was coming. And then we waited. We didn't get it. The place wasn't that busy. We also had three small children with us and most restaurants understand that little kids don't have patience. We asked some more. "It's coming". The waiter was also visibly frustrated. I finally told them that if our food didn't arrive in five minutes we were leaving. At that point we were so frustrated we were just going to go to Wahoo's across the street. I was so embarrassed and I had to keep apologizing to my guests. The food finally came 90 minutes after we ordered. On the plus side it was good. On the negative side they forgot one dish for one of my little ones. We ended up splitting two of the dishes three way in the meantime. When that last dish finally came out we had already finished. They were thoughtful enough to upgrade our desserts... Would never fathom coming back. read more

We stayed away from Girard Street, too glitsy. Pearl street and this place was just our luck. Soup, salad, appetizer, and dessert. That's all we wanted. Salad was for two and had nice variety of greens with just the right amount of tangy vinegar to get your appetite going. Minestrone soup was very good, not too salty and lots of fresh ingredients. Eggplant appetizer was very good. I could have eaten more. We skipped the tiramisu cake and got the chocolate with almonds cake instead. The bread is all fresh and home made there. The dipping sauce, I think is their secret recipe. My guess is that its vinegar, some olives, and apple juice. No wine because I'm too cheap. But even their water is not from the tap, all bottled, chilled and no ice cubes. No pizza. Across the street is a pizza joint. read more

SO GOOD. The $18 three-course dinner is a steal! The service and ambiance is very authentic, though I agree with a previous reviewer who said this place initially smelled like vinegar. But upon being seated, I realized why. They have an amazing complementary starter of warm bread and olive oil/vinegar dip. Our server was very attentive and explained to us that we could choose salad or soup as an appetizer, choose from any of the entrees as our main course, and then choose between cheesecake/tiramisu for dessert. My seafood pasta was divine, as was the salad. But the highlight of the meal was definitely the tiramisu! So creamy and decadent, and the size was pretty generous. read more

My friend and I were heading for the Thai restaurant next door one evening and passed by this place hearing the music play and peeking in to a place that looked like an authentic mom-and-pop place. As Andrea Bocelli's voice immersed the sidewalk (singing Con Te Partiro), we promised we'd try this place. Sure enough, we came back a few days later. As we entered, we heard...Andrea Bocelli (Con Te Partiro)...and were greeted very warmly. The music went on as we sat down (next to a kindly-provided heater!) and got our menus. The complimentary bread and vinaigrette were really good and got us wanting more food. The waiter, who I think was the manager, came by and was extremely enthusiastic about the appetizers and the specials. Really enthusiastic. We got fetuccini with seafood and pesto sauce which arrived just in time to hear...Andrea Bocelli singing Con Te Partiro...again. The food tasted very fresh, whether it was the pasta (homemade!), the shrimp, or the scallops. The selection of wines (which I didn't try but my friend did) was very extensive and it looked like they had a cellar in the back. Throughout the meal, they kept checking on us in the most friendly, enthusiastic tones. It was funny how lively the owner was. Anyway, we both finished very satisfied and were asked if we wanted desserts as Andrea Bocelli sang Con Te Partiro once again. We said no since we were both full and asked for the check. The owner came by and gave us a free dessert anyway!! Thank you! Excellent service! We left happy that we tried this place. As we walked out, guess what song was playing. I'll come back here in the future for sure. Good food and great service!! read more

My mom and I found this place on Sunday night when we were starving, and I'm so glad we did! The chef/owner and a waiter brought in a table from outside just for us to sit down, and the service was amazing! The restaurant is a small, homey, comfortable place complete with live piano music and old-fashioned Italian complements from the incredibly sweet staff. My mom ordered the Fettuccini Milano, which was fettuccini with a creamy pesto sauce, seafood, and mushrooms and she said it was absolutely amazing. I ordered the ravioli, and it was pretty good but came in a small portion size. I didn't mind at all though, considering I devoured an entire basket of their fresh homemade bread with their to-die-for signature dipping sauce.. oopsies :) I really recommend this place for a truly authentic, home-cooked Italian meal! read more

1 star for this place is way beyond generous. With a creepy vibe and food that is inedible, who could possibly give this anything but the lowest of the low. Everything was horrible. The pastas, the soup, the chicken. I don't know how anyone could cook this badly. The review is short because the experience is best forgotten. read more

This is such a cute place.. nice decor. It can have a very romantic feel to it, but have also been there with a group of friends. It;s quite casual - nothing uptight. Their portions are huge and their food is incredible. Each time I've been, the owner always drops by to check up on us. They also have imported gelato from Italy on occasion. yum! read more

This place is great if your looking for a romantic dinner with your significant other and don't want to spend more than $60. My boyfriend and I hit it up last night and were once again super pleased with the service and food. They have full carafs for $18 and they bring this amazing sause to dip your bread in while you wait for your food. Our food was great, sure it wasn't anything that was going to blow our socks off, but we both came home pleasently full, with leftovers and smiles. Thank you Cafe Milano - you're reliable and open on Monday nights when most Italian restaurants are closed. read more

Lovely meal just like being in Italy. Sauces are so authentic. Wonder pianist during dinner. Very relaxing, enjoyable dinner.

Excellent food and service!! Even got a nice personal touch from the owner :). Very impressed on my very first visit.

I walked in this place for lunch today and ordered the Linguini alla Bolognese (meat Sauce). I must say I was very impressed with the taste of the sauce. I'm a very harsh critic when it comes to Italian food being from Italy and all. You can't go wrong with this place if you're looking for a cheap and quiet meal. read more

Simply the Best Italian I've found outside Italy, great staff and service. I've lived in Milan, and Cafe Milano is exactly like my favorite restaurants there (except they speak English;) Order the Gnocchi if you can before they run out, and get Alfredo to wait on you, he is awesome. They are proud of their chianti and they should be, it is fantastic; order and bottle or two and you tell me! You should also get a bottle of their AMAZING dipping sauce to take with you so you can have it at home, especially if you live far from San Diego like me. My wife and I eat here every time we come to SD, just wish we could find a place like this in Austin... read more

I used to live in La Jolla and I can tell you that Cafe Milano is San Diego's greatest secret. The food is fresh, the wait staff make you feel like a king and the atmosphere is beyond comfortable. I have been back to La Jolla several times and we eat at Cafe Milano each time; and Pasquale is going to be catering our wedding this September. I reccommend this place as the best Italian food I have eaten and I give this place 5 stars because the rating system will not give me 10 stars to score this restaurant. read more

I feel bad giving such a bad rating because our waiter was so friendly, BUT the food was just awful. I was going to let it go because again our server was excellent and we felt bad, but now that I have food poisoning which I'm certain was from this restaurant- yelpers deserve to know. Our drinks tasted like dish water and we could not take more than a sip. The minestrone soup tasted like pickle juice and the "sorbet in pineapple shell" had to have been in the freezer for years because it had freezer burn. It was a plate of ice. They could have at least chipped off all the ice before serving it. Not sure how the restaurant has 4 stars overall because the food was very disappointing. And now I'm paying for it. As a local I just figured a La Jolla restaurant that has been around for decades has got to be good but that is not the case. Tourists beware! Go to Herringbone or Whiskanladle instead. read more

I remember cafe Milano as a very pleasant and intimate Italian restaurant with a great marsala veal. The decor is warm, and the clientele is usually constituted of Europeans. It definitely would fit perfectly in Little Italy as it radiates the same charming authenticity. read more

This place is a hole-in-the-wall GEM. It is easily overlooked because of its small size and location, but it is really a local treasure. Everything is home made and you can taste that in the food. The pasta is delicious and comes in these giant glorious bowls that make the dining experience extra pleasant. They home make their biscotti and usually give it to you complimentary at the end of the meal. They treat you like a V.I.P and always make sure you are happy. And if that weren't enough, the prices are great. I heart Cafe Milano forever. read more

This place is so great, i feel happy whenever i go. It has the best service i have ever experienced in my entire life. The owner is the sweetest man you will ever meet. He always greets my boyfriend with a handshake its adorable.I had the gnocci. You could tell it was home made because it was like nothing ive ever tasted. Sooooo good! If you go at night you might get a free tirmasu* & espresso that will knock your socks off! read more

One star for food and five stars for the service. The ambiance was great and the servers were very friendly. And maybe because of that, I was super exicted to try dinner but what a huge letdown. Appetizers: Today's special- 4 pieces of fake crab cakes Yes, fake crab cakes... I couldn't believe it myself either. It had no crab flavor or the lumpy chunks of crab cakes I was hoping for. I looked really hard for traces of crab, but all I found is the imitation crab stuff. To be honest, it did not taste bad, but really should not be named crab cakes. Bruschetta- it was actually really good. It had the rightamount of salt and I loved that simple tomato salad with basil on top. Sadly, this was my favorite dish of the day. My entree- Fettuccine Milano Fettuccine was a little bit undercooked. I am not sure how can homemade noodles be undercooked. And the sauce was really watery so the flavor was watereed down as well. After the appetizer and entree disappointment, I really did not want to try desserts at all. I see most of the reviews on here are praises. Maybe we went on a really bad day, but I would not go to Cafe Milano again. read more