We had an absolutely amazing dinner at Cesarina. The food was prepared to perfection. Our waitress Alana was the best and did everything to make our night special. read more

After hearing good reviews about Cesarina, I made reservations to celebrate a friend's graduation on a weekday afternoon for lunch. I'm so glad we made the stop even though we had to find street parking. The servers were really kind and attentative and checked in multiple times to make sure we had bread, water, or needed anything. For the appetizer, we ordered the polpo croccante which our server recommended to have alongside with the complimentary bread. It was very savory, and went on the bread like spread. The octopus was very tender and beautifully roasted. For the entrees, we ordered the Arrabbiatissima, funghi, and paccheri vodka and scampi pasta. All the pasta was fresh and perfectly creamy. For the tiramisu, the staff prepared it on sight with a moka pot and the house-made ladyfingers which ended our lunch on a sweet note. I would definitely come here again to celebrate. read more

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We had an absolutely amazing experience! From the moment we walked in until we left, the service was exceptional. Our waitress, Tanya, was incredible--friendly, attentive, and genuinely made us feel welcome. She anticipated everything we needed and made our dining experience even better. The food was off the charts delicious. Every dish was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. It was easily one of the best meals we've had in a long time. What truly set this restaurant apart, though, was the kindness and compassion of the manager, Milan. We arrived with my daughter, who was exhausted and very hungry. Milan went out of his way to personally speak with her and made sure she got food quickly. That small act of kindness meant so much to our family. I also have a food allergy, and the staff took it very seriously. Instead of making me feel like an inconvenience, they were incredibly accommodating, helped me safely navigate the menu, and made sure I had a meal I could enjoy with complete confidence. That level of care is rare and very much appreciated. Between the phenomenal food, outstanding service from Tanya, and Milan's genuine kindness and attention to detail, this restaurant exceeded every expectation. We will absolutely be back and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience! read more

We ordered a lot of food because I wanted to try everything. The pastas here were all sooo good. The shrimp was definitely worth it. I would skip the lasagna alla bolognese and the super cioppino and the pollo alla scarpariello. Just stick to the pasta here. The paccheri vodka and scampi is a MUST GET! We also ordered the funghi with mafalde pasta. Also soo good. I can't wait to come back and try more pastas. The interior is so playful and also romantic at the same time? Service was fast and we were in and out of there rather quickly. read more

Cesarina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I've heard a lot of good things about this adorable Italian restaurant, so I'm so glad that I finally got to give it a try! They start you off with lots of complimentary bread. I believe there were 3 different types, although I forgot what they exactly were. All of them were really fluffy, soft, tasty, and yummy though especially with the marinara (?) sauce they serve with it. I also really liked their rooster pitchers LOL For our main course we got the paccheri vodka and scampi and oh my god is this a must try!! The langoustine was sooo sweet (i.e. it was fresh), the sauce was so flavorful and creamy, and the pasta was al dente! My favorite thing I've ate in a while! We also tried one of their raviolis (I forgot what it was exactly called) with truffle sauce, and I loveee truffle so this one was very flavorful as well! I like how they let you choose the type of pasta and the sauce to go with it so you can mix and match to your taste! The paccheri was definitely still better tho :) The outdoor seating was nice! Very cute vibes, and server was nice! read more

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Cesarina was highly recommended by another friend so we chose it for dinner our Little Italy experience. Reservations were easy to make via Open Table, even the same day (but it might be later than usual dinner time). Outdoor seating was the only option available so don't forget to bring a jacket because evenings can be a little brisk/cool. We started our meal with drinks (I had the Tiramisu-tini which tasted a lot like tiramisu & wasn't too strong. We shared the beef carpaccio which was tender & tasty. The fun part of Cesarina's menu is being able to choose your pasta shape & pasta. One of my friends chose rigatoni with vodka sauce with burrata & my other friend chose steak that comes with bone marrow. I chose one of the fresh ravioli of the day (sausage, ricotta & burrata) with a mushroom truffle sauce. It was the perfect portion & I shared a few bites with my friends & we all agreed that it was delicious! You gotta have dessert & they are famous for their deconstructed tiramisu which is assembled tableside which we ordered & we also got the deconstructed cannoli that you fill yourself. The tiramisu was our favorite & is famous for a reason. Definitely get it for dessert! Service is warm & helpful. read more

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Ambiance: beautiful decorations, nice plating, fun chicken pitcher Complimentary bread: the red one was my favorite Paccheri vodka and scampi: was very al dente and chewy. Not my favorite vodka pasta Funghi pasta: surprisingly a "lighter" pasta and adding red chili flakes made it better Would come back to try more things and dessert! FYI they add a small surcharge read more

Cesarina - Paccheri vodka pasta, funghi pasta, complimentary bread - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Love love love it here! Celebrated our 1 year engagement anniversary (as this is the restaurant we went to the night we got engaged as well) You can't go wrong. Everything on the menu is divine! I mean anywhere that has a hand painted rooster water pitcher has my heart for always!!! They spoiled us again with a complimentary glass of prosecco to celebrate our anniversary. You can always count on the servers to bring the vibes, they always elevate the experience. This time we tried the Polpo Croccante--perfectly crispy and flavor blasted all at once. The spaghetti with arrabbiatissima and guanciale is such a comforting classic that they do so well. Will be coming back time and time again, also am wanting to try their sister restaurants! read more

Cesarina - Polpo Croccante - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cesarina is one of the most popular Italian restaurants in San Diego for a reason! Highly recommend coming with a reservation, otherwise you'll be waiting for a while. The interior is so cutely decorated and they have some outdoor seating as well. The paccheri vodka & scampi is a bit on the pricier end compared to the other pastas but sooo worth it! I don't really crave seafood pastas too often but I think about that pasta often and would 100% go back to get it. So if you're on the fence, take this as a sign to get it. The flavor of the pasta is so good. The funghi pasta is also amazing and my husband craves that one often as well. The arrabbiatissima sounded really delicious from the description but was too acidic for me the couple of times I tried it. For my friend's birthday, they brought out a small dessert and also took a cute Polaroid for us to take home which was so sweet. I've recommended this restaurant to friends whenever they ask for San Diego restaurant recs and they have all said that they really enjoyed their meal here! read more

Cesarina - Paccheri vodka & scampi - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Charming Italian spot that is highly regarded by lots of locals. The Langoustine Vodka Pasta was good, but I guess I'm just not used to it as the langoustines were difficult to eat in a nice setting, and the flavor profile was good but still a 8/10 at best for me. Octopus was well cooked but didn't wow me the way some other restaurants have, like Dio Deka in los gatos. Service was nice overall, i'd definitely recommend Cesarina, but just because the langoustine vodka pasta is the most frequently reviewed on yelp, does not necessarily warrant getting it in my opinion. Honestly the service was good read more

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Great experience! The pasta was to die for. Cooked al dente and a little chewy, we fell in love! The service was good. And ambience was super cute! Loved that you could see them making pasta. read more

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A reservation and arriving early is definitely recommend for this restaurant. It is BUSY during dinner rush and street parking is also difficult. The service is excellent, all the waiters were super personable and friendly. Food arrived quickly and hot! Polpo Croccante - 100/5, extremely well rounded app. Genuinely wish this was an entree, I'd get two orders of this app! The octopus leg had a crispy exterior and tender interior. The mashed potatoes with almonds, capers, and mild harissa? Sauce was incredible!!! Table favorite for sure! Paccheri Vodka E Scampi - 10/5, the vodka sauce is GOOD! Very tangy, tomato-y and creamy. The whole shrimp on top is DELICIOUS, insanely sweet like eating a mini lobster. Lasagna Alla Bolognese - 5/5, WOW! The bolognese sauce is so flavorful and meat forward! A little on the saltier side, but truly delicious. The lasagna noodle layers are on the thinner side but there are many of them! Funghi - 5/5, very creamy and lots of whole mushroom in the pasta sauce! Tartufona - 1/5, very disappointing personally! The "sauce" was dry and more oily than creamy. The truffle flavor was not to my liking as I could barely taste it. The pasta noodles are delicious, but wish I ordered a different sauce. Caprese - 4/5, solid app but the other dishes really outshone this. It could've used more pesto sauce. read more

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We stopped by for dinner and had a great time We tried the fennel salad - light salad but delicious - the house bread is so good too! We also made our own pastas - tried the mushroom sauce and guanciale - delicious!! The spinach ravioli with bolognese was also a classic for us with both options We finished with the tiramisu they make at the table for you - definitely order this!! One of our favorites tiramisus!! Service was great - all the servers are professional and have great recommendations The interior is very nice but the patio is beautiful!! read more

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This place completely lived up to the hype and reviews for us! I was a little sad there were only outdoor reservations when I went to book a few weeks ahead, as the inside of the restaurant looked so charming. We were going for my sisters 21st birthday so I wanted it to be special. But boy were we so pleasantly surprised at the patio and ambiance of the outdoors. They decorate the covered Parklet patio with so much greenery, colorful Italian ceramics and makes you feel like you're in an outdoor oasis. They offer valet parking for a feasible price ($8 I think?) which made it stress free in a relatively busy area where street parking g would otherwise be hard. We were promptly seated when we arrived. The servers and hostess were automatically friendly and warm and set a good vibe for the evening. The food all around was so delicious. The salad was a little underwhelming to start but the octopus appetizer we had was delicious. We all got to choose a pasta to our taste and they all were so delicious. Perfectly al dente and full of flavor! They also gave us a complimentary tiramisu dessert for my sister's birthday and it was so so yummy! Everyone around us seemed to be enjoying their dinners and they looked like they would've allowed us to also bring a cake and serve it. Would highly recommend this place to anyone for a night out or special occasion and hope we have a reason to return soon! read more

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We enjoyed our lunch at Cesarina in Point Loma, CA. This was our first time dining at Cesarina and it won't be our last. The owners are from Rome, Italy and opened restaurant in 2019, sharing many delicious authentic recipes from Italy. Cesarina is an award-winning Italian restaurant in San Diego known for its fresh, handmade pasta, vibrant atmosphere, and "build-your-own" pasta options. The restaurant is recognized by the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand for good value and quality. We enjoyed the following and recommend trying: *Mozzarella Milanese appetizer *Build-your-own: Gnocchi pasta in Tartufona sauce with bone marrow *Lasagna allá bolognese *Their famous tableside tiramisu *Affogato ice cream with espresso *complimentary focaccia bread All of these dishes, desserts, atmosphere and excellent customer service from our server Jake and management get 5/5 stars!! We made reservations on Open Table. There's indoor and outdoor seating with limited parking across the street on building 4160. Give this place a try! Happy Yelping :) read more

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I really enjoyed my dinner here! I'll premise this by saying I had been told by several people this was the best Italian food in San Diego, so I had high expectations! It was really really good, but I wouldn't say out of this world. The rigatoni with pomodoro sauce was super fresh and light, and the burrata on top was great. Awesome service was well! And the house Chianti was great! And of course the tiramisu was awesome :) would certainly not be mad about returning read more

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Everything about Cesarina is a 10/10! The food is beyond delicious Good wine & drinks The servers are all so kind and helpful The interior is decorated beautifully Only thing is parking can be tricky, so make sure you give yourself extra parking time before your reservation! read more

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My partner took me here to celebrate my recent graduation, and we were able to sit outside on the patio, which made for a really nice atmosphere. The drinks were alright, not bad, but nothing particularly memorable either, kind of right in the middle. For our appetizer, we ordered the octopus, and it was easily the star of the meal. Everything on the dish worked so well together, and it was honestly the best thing we had that day. We both went with pasta for our entrées, and while they were decent, they didn't stand out quite as much as the appetizer. All in all, it's a nice spot. If you do decide to come here, I highly recommend ordering the octopus. I highly doubt you'll regret it. read more

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Beautifully decor and great management of busy traffic that visited during my dining experience. Management was attentative, checking on patrons as they waited to be seated. One seated, we were approach to get beverages ordered, and informed that our assigned server would take over to get our food orders. The menu consisted of authentic Italian appetizers and meals. The ability to learn about different types of noodles, and select for our meals, added to the experience. In addition to noodle selections, we were also able to select the sauces that would accompany the dish. They all sounded unique and delicious. The Impepata di COZZE was our appetizer selection and had fresh mussels, white wine and garlic amongst other fresh ingredients. Serving size was more than enough for our party of 2, and was not able to finish in anticipation of our meals. For my meal, I ordered the Malfalde pasta with Funghi sauce. Sauce consisted of creamy fresh Cremini, shiitake & Porcini mushrooms, parmigiano, crispy Parmigiano, crumble, parsley. Added shrimp to complete the meal. Mafalde pasta was long and had a ribbon appearance similar to lasagna noodles. The ingredients spoke for themselves. Freshness throughout each and every bite! Will definitely return the next time. I'm in the San Diego area. The bar for Italian cuisine has been raised substantially!!! read more

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Michelin Bib Gourmand and lots of vegan/GF options so obviously I had to try it! Started with the polpo croccante and WOW the honey glaze was perfection. The octopus itself was slightly chewier/overcooked than I personally like, but the flavor? Impeccable. They also gave complimentary GF bread which was thoughtful, but honestly a little underwhelming compared to the homemade focaccia my friends got. I was hoping for something more elevated than standard packaged GF bread. I got the GF pasta (brown rice + corn pasta) with the pomodoro fresco, made dairy free with Follow Your Heart cheese (my absolute fav vegan cheese). Flavor was so tasty but presentation-wise the cheese felt a little lazy since it was just cut into cube slices instead of melted/incorporated more. That said, the colorful ceramic plates/water pitchers were SO cute and quirky and the whole restaurant has such a fun vibe. I feel like this place would be really magical at night with all the twinkle lights. My friends loved their dishes too. Definitely would go back, I just think there are a few little touches that could elevate it even more. read more

I hate that I love this place!! Let me explain why because this is seriously the best pasta I've had in my life. I ordered the lumache pasta with tartufona sauce and added guanciale on top and it was smooth, peppery, with the cured pork cheek perfectly topping everything off. The only problem was that it was so dang expensive! The price came out to be around $52 with tax and tip and the only thing I ordered was the pasta, that is a lot for a college student. Though they have free focaccia which tasted superb. Therefore I recommend this every once in a while for special occasions, unless you're super rich! read more

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Came here to celebrate a graduation with my partner, we had a Saturday evening reservation for the front patio. Service was great off the bat and consistent throughout, I wish we would have been checked on more frequently as there were moments we waited for someone to come by. The food was good, we both agreed the octopus appetizer was definitely the star of the show and worth the trip in itself. The main items were good but nothing that we felt was extraordinary. As we were celebrating something I asked if we could get a photo and the server said that is usually only for birthdays but he would have them come by (and they did!) that was a very nice touch and effort we appreciated! read more

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Wow. Just wow. The food here is so good. The atmosphere is fun and welcoming, and the patio heaters are fantastic for chilly evenings. Parking is limited, but we all managed to find a spot near the restaurant. The pasta here is beautifully handmade and sauces delicious. You can taste the difference. I got the Paccheri Vodka e Scampi, which I shared with my friends. We also ordered the Pomodoro Fresco, and those were my favorite dishes. The non-vegan Funghi Gemelli was tasty too. I love that they have plenty of vegan options, from appetizers and salads to soups and pastas. I also loved my cappuccino. The mussels were missing a bit of flavor, but they weren't bad. Just needed some more salt and pepper. I enjoyed the garlicky broth. The blood orange Italian soda was also delicious, and they also offer virgin drinks. I look forward to visiting again and trying more items on the menu. Service was 10/10 as well. We even received a complimentary celebration treat, which was a really thoughtful touch. Thank you, Tanya for taking good care of us! read more

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3-4 stars. This is my second time here. I decided to celebrate my birthday here! We were seated outside, per our reservation. We were seated in the corner closest to the sidewalk. The waiters were very kind, informed/observant (of the menu and the special occasion), and quick. Cesarina really emphasizes the different courses and clearing/setting the table for the guests. After appetizers we got new plates and utensils, which I thought was not needed-- but a nice gesture of them. I did like the plates and bowls that they used. It was bright and bold with colors and designs. The outdoor patio was very garden like and had heaters too. To eat, we ordered: - $20 Impepata di Cozze, this is their fresh mussels in white wine, garlic, parsley, lemon, and cracked black pepper. Would I order this again? No. The flavor was really watery and lacking, almost mainly tasting like lemon water. I didn't taste garlic and the mussels weren't very desirable. The fried bread was a bit greasy and crunchy. While the presentation was nice, I didn't enjoy the flavors of the dish. However, the next appetizer we ordered was amazing! And next time we'd just order two of this instead. - $23 Polpo Croccante, this was their honey glazed crispy octopus tentacles! Underneath it they had mashed potatoes (with the flavor of cacio e pepe), roasted broccoli and cherry tomatoes, romesco sauce, red onions, and sliced almonds. I could probably do without the red onions and almonds, but everything else was very pleasant. For our mains, we ordered: - $43 Paccheri Vodka & Scampi, this was their shrimp and wild caught langoustine with vodka sauce. I liked the quantity of seafood that was given in this and the amount of paccheri (type of pasta). Although, as a personal preference -- I didn't enjoy the vodka sauce as much as I thought I would. My brother and mom really enjoyed it though! The presentation was once again very wonderful. Next, my brother ordered one of the $4 Pasta Ripiena aka Ravioli of The Day! He chose the fennel, sausage, and ricotta ravioli. With $33-bolognese and $6 guanciale. ($43) the ravioli was delicious! We loved the fennel and the sausage. It had great, bright flavor. The bolognese was well made as well. The guanciale was crispy and sliced nicely. For me, it was way too salty. But my brother appreciated its flavor. I ordered the Gemelli Shaped Pasta (not sure of price) with their $32, Arrabbiatssima sauce and $8, Polpette (aka meatballs, excuse me, 100% beef meatballs). ($40 ish total). While I enjoyed the pasta and how it was cooked al dente. I think the flavor of the sauce was lack luster even with the Calabrian Peperoncino, traditional Calabrian pork, burrata & parsley. It was very one noted. The meatballs were def 100% beef meatballs like it stated lol. A little dense and not flavorful - at least for me. Overall, this dish wasn't for me. - $15 Hibiscus Kiss Mocktail, the foam at the top was texturally not great. It reminded me of the hand pump soap foam. And the taste of the hibiscus drink was super perfume and lotion tasting. Overall, did not enjoy this. The presentation, once again was very lovely. Moving onto dessert, we ordered the $18, table-side tiramisu. This was maybe a 5x7 dessert. I was really surprised with the size of moka pot they brought out, it was quite small and I didn't think it would be enough espresso for the tiramisu. I think that since it was so little it only drenched the top, and did not soak till the bottom. Leaving the lady finger quite crunchy. The mascarpone was good and the cocoa powder tasted high end/ super lush! For my birthday, they brought out two scoop of gelato, from Bobboi's Natural Gelato. I recognized the charcoal vanilla gelato & the dragonfruit lemon sorbet. It had thin tuile cookies (reminding me of Langues du Chat) on it as well. On Cesarina's menu, this would usually be $15! I was surprised with the lack of vegetables available or incorporated into the menu. I think rather than everyone ordering their individual plates, choose 1-2 pasta and share with the table would have been better. I would skip the mussels and get the octopus next time only! While I may not have preferred several of the food items here...I think it's a nice place to come with a group or on a date! I recommend making a reservation a day or so ahead of time. The prices are quite high, so this restaurant would def be only for special occasions. Be sure to take the time reading the menu before deciding! read more

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When I first heard that Cesarina was named Yelp's #1 date spot, I was a little skeptical... but they definitely proved me wrong! The outdoor sitting area is nicely decorated with florals (I prefer sitting outside than inside!). Even the tableware is thoughtfully chosen and perfectly matches Cesarina's aesthetic. I really want to take home the rooster pitcher. For appetizers, I ordered the octopus, followed by the paccheri vodka and scampi as my entrée. Both dishes genuinely impressed me. The octopus was chewy with a beautiful char, and the mashed potatoes paired with the rich tomato sauce created a great balance of flavors. The pasta was some of the most perfectly al dente I've ever had, and the tomato sauce was rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. FYI, if you're celebrating a birthday, they'll take a Polaroid photo for you to keep as a fun little memento :) There are three parking spots reserved for Cesarina guests across the street in a small parking lot, but they're hard to get. Street parking may be your best bet. EDIT: On one of my visits, the octopus came out smaller than usual. Before I even had a chance to mention it, the chef sent out an additional portion on the house. That level of attentiveness is not something I see everyday! read more

Cesarina - Octopus - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cute Italian restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Very limited parking. Had to park in a neighborhood a couple blocks away. Service was fantastic. We were provided delicious Focaccia bread with marinara to start. We ordered Muscles (3/5) to start. I felt it was lacking in flavor. I ordered the Funghi with Gemelli noodles (5/5). It came with plenty of mushrooms and the sauce was rich and flavorful. The noodles were cooked perfectly. I will definitely be back to try more pasta dishes. read more

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My sister & I come here every year for our birthdays and it's become a bit of a tradition. Food: 5/5 we typically get the octopus to start and the flavor & texture are fantastic. We usually share 2 pastas as well, one funghi & one bolognese or another red sauce. We have yet to be disappointed, the pasta is always perfectly cooked and the flavors are delicious. The tableside TIRAMISU is a MUST order for dessert. Perfectly light & airy, perfectly balanced sweetness. Service: 5/5 servers are very friendly & attentive, though I would consider this a more relaxed dining experience. Dinner for two took over 1.5+ hours for a cocktail, app, entrees & dessert. Nothing egregious but just something to keep in mind when dining if you're in a rush. Maybe a quicker experience at lunch? My favorite part of our dining experience is the Polaroid they take with dessert so we have a fun souvenir to take home. I think they do this for birthdays & maybe other celebrations? Ambiance: 5/5 this restaurant does ambiance well. The menu is so fun and plateware, the rooster pitcher, etc. is so fun & whimsical. The restaurant has a lot of character & it feels high quality. Price & parking: on the pricier side for sure, which is why we typically only come for special occasions. Parking is tough, though about a block (uphill) away, there's a handful of residential parking. read more

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The food was delicious ! Had a reservation for 7 pm on a Thursday and they were busy! Everything thing was delicious! So delicious. Definitely a cute place to visit. The bread was delicious for the table! Service was excellent, the patio was heated a little too hot for me but it was so good ! read more

Cesarina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I loved my visit to Cesarina! The restaurant is decorated with authentic Italian decor and offers a warm vibe. Reservations are a must otherwise you'll have to wait a bit to be seated. The staff are super helpful and attentive. We ordered the octopus (forgot to snap a photo) -- cooked to perfection! The pasta in mushroom sauce with shrimp was rich with flavor and quite filling. We ended with the table side tiramisu. Wow. This spot is definitely worth a try. read more

Cesarina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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All I have to say is WOW. Everything about this restaurant was great. My family and I came here for lunch. We were a group of 6 adults and 3 children. The service was excellent. I think our servers name was Nico (sorry if that wasn't it!). He was very attentive and made sure that we had enough fresh baked bread and water. I loved that he asked if we had any dietary restrictions. I forgot to mention my own food allergy and he said they normally have cashews on one of the dishes I ordered but they would make it without for me. They put a lot of attention to detail here. They have cute custom made dishes used for the appetizers. Even the to go bags were cute! My husband and I shared the Caprese Tiepida. The burrata was delicious! I went with the build your own pasta for my dish with gemelli pasta and funghi sauce. My girls got spaghetti with butter and parmesan. My husband got the super tagliata. The steak was cooked perfectly and super tender. The bone marrow was great as well. This is definitely the best Italian food we have had outside of Italy. All the pasta is made in house and you can certainly tell the difference. We also got a birthday tiramisu which was sooo good. I would recommend Cesarina to anyone looking for great Italian food in San Diego. We can't wait to come back. read more

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Still - 5 stars. The food was exceptional. The delicious vegan choices were a treat. The drinks were the perfect accompaniment. The service was attentive and friendly. The dining room was festive. The most perfect spot for an intimate dinner or a group celebration. read more

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My favorite Italian spot in San Diego hands down. The service is always so good and the food is amazing. They have 2 patio sections and one section of indoor dining. The restaurant is more spacious than it looks! Parking can be tough, but they do offer valet service on weekend nights. I recommend booking a reservation to secure a table :) Our favorite dishes had to have been the mussels, the octopus, and the bone marrow gnocchi. Cesarina is a must try! read more

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Came here with my family for a celebration and really enjoyed our experiences. Our waiter (don't remember his name sorry!) had great recommendations. We ordered almost everything he recommended: polpo (octopus) for appetizer, paccheri vodka and scampi, steak, and mafalde pasta with tartufona and guanciale. Tiramisu for dessert. We also ordered two mocktails: lo spritzino and macedonia. Wow. This may have been one of the best meals of my life. Every dish was a hit. The octopus was soft, steak was buttery and perfectly seasoned, the pastas were at a good consistency and the sauces were flavorful. The mocktails were sweet and refreshing. To be honest, the tiramisu was not amazing, and I think you can skip that. Service was attentive. Must make a reservation! Parking sucks but there's valet in front. Decor, plates, and cutlery were very cute. Good for pics for sure. Also, it's really dark on the patio so older folks may have trouble seeing the menu. Overall, amazing experience. Worth a visit. Please check it out! read more

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I came here for dinner on a Monday night and had a reservation. I would definitely recommend having a reservation because even though it was a Monday night, there was still a substantial line outside of the waiting area for people as they were coming in. Parking: parking wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, just given the area. I would recommend parking near the restaurant itself, but not in the little area of restaurants it's in. I was about 0.2 miles away from the restaurant itself up the street, and there was plenty of parking there. Service: Regarding the service, the restaurant itself seems to be well-staffed. There are waiters that are very attentive and seem to know the menu very well. They're very readily able to answer any questions or give you recommendations if you ask. Ambience: The restaurant itself is very intimate. There is an outdoor seating area that I definitely recommend. There are many tables for parties of two to four. The outside lighting is great for dates, and the volume itself is not quiet but not loud either. Very aesthetic would be great for dates. Food: the items that I ordered were the Funghi pasta as well as the Tiramisu. I think the pasta itself was solid, but I don't think that there was anything that stands out from any other Italian restaurants that I've had in the area. The Tiramisu was probably my favorite part of the night. The Tiramisu is made at the table side with their own homemade ladyfingers, espresso, and cream. Definitely a must-have. The only item that I wish that I was able to order was the octopus, since it seems to be hyped up, but I was so full from these two items alone. I don't think I could have ordered it and finished everything. I think overall between this restaurant and Elvira, I really do like the aesthetic of this place a lot, but I feel like the dishes here didn't wow me from a pasta standpoint Elvira did (but maybe that's because I ordered a basic pasta to their credit). I don't think I'm ready to say I'm fully done with this restaurant yet, and I would come back again to try more of their menu. read more

Cesarina - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Best food of my life. AND SO AESTHETIC TOO! Let me start off with the FREE focaccia bread and marinara-- she was so garlicky and yummy bro. And it was like two types of bread too. Then we thought of the two most appetizing things on the menu!! Funghi mafalde with guanciale (cured pork check) and bolognese mafalde. OMG. Both shining stars. I'm usually a red sauce girly, and for me to be so wowed by a cream sauce speaks volumes to me. The bolognese was meaty as heck too so yummy. I do wish they had some spice to the bolognese, but I could've just fixed that myself with some red pepper flakes to the side. MAFALDE PASTA IS SO YUMMY #BestShape Then the waiter dropped a glass causing it to shatter so they gave us a Tiramisu on the house, but me and Josh were so full from the pasta, we got it "To-go". 24hrs later... Still a 10/10 tiramisu. Not too sweet, but sweet enough. Please I need to visit here again. Please everyone please try the funghi pasta in the mafalde pasta shape with guanciale (pork cheek). It's so good. read more

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Probably the best dining experience I've had in San Diego and definitely this year by far. From the ambiance to the service to the food, everything was 10/10. The hype about this place is real, the attention to detail in the menus they provide to everyone there saying happy anniversary to us, and remembering as we left, made this night so special. But the star of the show was the food, of course. The Vodka Scampi is an absolute must get. They pack it full of shrimp in a deliciously rich sauce, paired with the most perfectly chewy fresh pasta, it was incredible. And if you love mushrooms, the funghi pasta had the best cheesy mushroom sauce I've ever had. And save room for dessert because the table side tiramisu is really that good! Because it's made at your table, the lady fingers have a slight crunch to them that add to the texture, with a light and delicious mascarpone. Thank you Cesarina for a wonderful and memorable anniversary, we will be back! read more

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The pasta here is superb quality! The Pacherri Vodka and Scampi is one of my all time favorite pasta dishes of all time. The vibe here is great and is intimate with a family vibe. We really enjoyed the gnocchi too. Super decadent and great to share with how rich it is. The Tiramisu is also a favorite here with the at the table presentation. Definitely one of the top Italian restaurants in San Diego and would love to come back! Friendly service too with it being busy. read more

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First time eating here and I must say I'm very impressed. My friends and I decided to do family style and we made DIY pastas. It was a hit! For a party of 9, we ordered one each and had ample leftovers. Each dish was made quickly, and all the different sauces were delicious. The white Alfredo / truffle sauces were my favorite. Outdoor seating was beautiful especially for the warm day. We loved our servers. Definitely would come back! read more

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Our favorite Italian place in San Diego! We come here for birthdays all the time, including yesterday! Couldn't recommend Cesarina enough. The vibes on both patios and inside are fantastic. All of their plates, bowl, water pitchers, everything really - are so cute and fun. We've gotten a variety of different pastas and think they are all delicious. The tiramisu is insane as well, including the vegan one....actually so good. The wait staff is very nice, attentive, and quick. read more

Cesarina - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came back again a couple days after our first visit because it was that good! Mixed it up this time but was still good. Honestly I'd probably skip the cesarina salad but the pastas were still yummy! read more

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