Service was awesome! Very knowledgeable and welcoming from start to finish. We made a reservation, and kind of allowed the server to guide our experience. Tried to order the daily special but was already sold out when we arrived 7:00pm. Food was fantastic with a gluten free diet! read more

Hostess with the dark hair needs to fix her attitude and be more friendly . The food may be good but her attitude leaves you with a sour taste. read more

Omg I am obsessed with this cute little Italian place! The food definitely deserved the hype! Our waitress was super helpful in helping us decide what to order because honestly, everything on the menu looked so good. You're greeted with fresh focaccia bread when you sit down, which was a great start. We got the mussels appetizer, and it came with a pizza dough topping that we used to dip into all the sauce. SO good! The house salad wasn't anything too special, but it was still fresh and good quality. The Rigatoni alla Zozzona was delicious, especially with the crispy meat on top. We also had to try the Super Arrabbiata pizza. We only ate half and took the rest home, but that was actually the plan since we really wanted to try the pizza and knew we'd have leftovers. Unfortunately, we skipped dessert, so I'll have to come back and try that next time. We did get an espresso martini and it was really good. You could tell they used quality espresso beans, and the ratio was perfect. We ended the night with a glass of wine and left very happy. Such a cute spot with great food. Definitely understand why this place gets so much hype, and I'll absolutely be back! read more

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Elvira was really yummy! The atmosphere is beautiful and has such a fun, lively vibe, perfect for a nice dinner or date night. The food was delicious, and everything we ordered came out beautifully presented and full of flavor. I was not a huge fan of the lamb shank ragu but the other two dishes were really good! The portions were a little small for my liking but the flavor was there! The service was great we sat at the bar because we didn't have reservations. Our bartender was very sweet. Definitely a spot I'd come back to and recommend to friends. Come for the food, but the atmosphere alone makes Elvira worth checking out! read more

Elvira - Creamy pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Opened in November 2023 this is the sister restaurant to Cesarina, and by far the best restaurant in Ocean Beach. It's Italian share sized portions in a really casual and hip setting. Service is also fantastic and the menu has a ton of great options on it. I love the decor on the inside and especially note that the building is from the 1930s and just feels like you are dining in someone's house. The dishware and everything about it just feels like a family meal. There is a small free dirt parking lot attached on the side that was completely full when we arrived; other options will be free street parking if you can find it but we were able to find a space in the park behind the restaurant. Our server was extremely polite and everything that we ordered came out surprisingly fast. I started off the meal with the Carpaccio di Manzo and thought it was absolutely fantastic. The uni reduction was a new and unique touch for me and I really enjoyed that combo. For my entrée, I chose the Agnello Allo Scottadito which are lamb chops and thought they were fabulous. The pancetta and Gorgonzola mixed in made for some great flavors and I just really enjoyed the dish. I would definitely highly recommend both as well as this restaurant to anyone. read more

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The seafood pasta I got was delicious and cooked so well, and the taste was so natural too. My friend got the cacio e Pepe and she loved it too. The drinks we got were also super light and airy and some of the best I've had but they were definitely small - 3 drinks cost the same as both the pastas combined. The vibes at this restaurant were 10/10. I loved the character and the ambiance, and even the lighting was amazing with all the natural light during sunset coming in. The service was also amazing, and our server was super sweet and knowledgeable and attentive. read more

Elvira - Seafood pasta, cacio e Pepe, drinks - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We were originally planning to eat at Little Italy, but after hearing so many people recommend Elvira as one of the best Italian restaurants in San Diego, we decided to give it a try. The restaurant is beautiful. It feels like a renovated home that's been transformed into a cozy dining space, and the décor is thoughtfully done throughout. Even the plates and serving ware were charming and added to the overall experience. The food was very good, and the portions were generous. We ended up completely stuffed and couldn't finish everything, which was a bit of a bummer because we had been hoping to try dessert. The cocktails were also creative and unique, making for a fun addition to the meal. Service was fine--friendly enough, but nothing particularly memorable. Overall, the ambiance was the highlight for me, paired with solid food and generous portions. If you're looking for a cozy Italian spot in San Diego, Elvira is definitely worth a visit. read more

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Overall fantastic food and vibes in such a cute setting! The staff was also very knowledgeable about the menu and allergens, and there are TONS of gluten free and vegan options including bread, pizza and pasta! We absolutely loved the food, especially the carpaccio, and can't wait to go back for another date night! read more

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Where do I even start? From the moment you walk in you feel at home. The ambience is homey and cozy, yet well thought out and tasteful. Definitely gives the vibe of eating at nonna's house. Our waitress, Camila, was so sweet. We were celebrating our anniversary and everyone was so nice and definitely made it feel special. They started with a little Dutch oven filled with bread and a sauce. We ordered a bottle of the fragolino and it was perfect - a little sweet and not too strong. We ordered the special which was like a potato and cheese croquette with a side of bone marrow. I love bone marrow and my husband was pleasantly surprised, since he'd never had it before. I ordered the hangar steak which came with a charred romaine wedge that's dressed and some spicy broccolini. My husband got the rigatoni with the mushrooms and it was mind blowing. We split the crème caramel which was like flan. It was okay, not my favorite but that's a texture thing for me. The toasted nuts and sauce that came with it was great. Overall, a wonderful spot in an unassuming location. We loved it so much we brought my mother-in-law when she was in town visiting and she too left raving reviews. read more

Elvira - The hangar steak with sides - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Pizza is incredible!! Had the fomaggio but replaced it with mushrooms... the honey truffle drizzle is the star of the show! Rigatoni was good, but could've cooked a little longer. The interior is very homely, welcoming. Gives the place a 'grandmas home' feel. Drinks are also very good! read more

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Wife, kids, and I stopped in for a nice dinner while visiting. We are 100% not Olive Garden people and always look for a place with a more traditional Italian menu, and we found it. Look, we went on a Tuesday which has a meatball special; 5 meatballs over polenta, with a red sauce and thin sliced guanciale, hard to argue against. The meatballs were tender, flavorful, and filling. The sauce was top tier. My wife got a tonnarelli cacio e pepe, great flavor. The kids loved their homemade rigatoni noodles. Staff were friendly and attentive, especially Nick. He brought the service, Big Nick Energy. We put him in our top 5 of waiters interaction. We will go back, but we want Nick as our waiter. San Diego is full of Mexican and seafood, so change it up and give Elvira's a try. Do make a reservation, though. read more

Very good food, excellent service; the experience is similar to dining in someone's house, if that's your thing (it's definitely my thing). The appetizers were not as tasty as the entrees - I would take a pass on them all if I were to go back (especially the eggplant parm sticks - those were a heavy/breaded nope for me). The exception: the mussels and clams - those are a must. We loved the drama of the baked dough lid/the presentation at the table, and the taste of both the seafood and the bread - so good! Pizza was pretty good; they claim it's their speciality. The crust was not as fermented as I would prefer, but the texture was nice. We should have ordered one with fewer toppings though, to get a real sense of it. Next time. Pasta, also serviceable - I would say Cesarina (their sister restaurant) is better on that front. The whole fish (orata) was terrific. We ordered the frittelle to share for dessert - little donuts fried to order,with raspberry cream and chocolate sauce. What's not to love? read more

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I had an amazing time dining here with for a team dinner! It's a homey restaurant in Ocean Beach! It was a tight fit but we made it work with 23 people. Their interior decor and cutlery was so authentic with the family portraits all over, ceramic plates, and friendly service. We had a set menu with appetizers, entrees, and desserts! The appetizer was a plate of bread, eggplant and tomatoes, and a charcuterie platter of meats and cheese. The roasted eggplant and tomatoes were so juicy, savory, and delicious. So easy to cut through and paired well with the bread. I loved their burrata since it was chilled and melted nicely with the warm bread. Our mains were carbonara, pizza, and rigatoni. The pizza was so crunchy, crispy, and mouthwatering. But, the main highlights were the pasta. The rigatoni had a beautiful color of orange, red, and white from the sauce and ricotta. Aromatic scents and delicious texture. The carbonara was my absolute favorite! Amazing sauce and the cracked black pepper added a crunch taste to the dish. Desserts were fried donuts and cheesecake. The fried donuts were so fun to eat because it's a make your own. Our waitress demoed how to fill up the donuts with a piping bag. Great flavors from the chocolate and raspberry chantilly cream icing. I loved the cheesecake since it had a great mildly burnt taste and paired well with ice cream and raspberry sauce. Excellent dining experience! read more

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I really thought this would be more impressive but honestly the flavors were just lacking. As a table we ordered the RIGATONI AL SUGO E RICOTTA, RIGATONI ALLA CARBONARA & FETTUCINE AL RAGU DI AGNELLO E PORCINI. They all just tasted so lackluster, and heavy. The lamb ragu was so buttery even though lamb is already fatty and it just overpowered it. I think there's a better date night option for Italian in San Diego worth visiting. read more

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Ciao ragazzi, My good friend and I met for dinner on Monday night at 6pm. I love Cesarina, and I was excited to finally enjoy a meal at Elvira. We ordered: Misticanza Estiva Salad - It was fine. Nothing special. Greens were a little wilted. Suppli - Delicious! Crispy, cheesy & the carbonara sauce was divine. If you like arancini, you will love these!! Parmigiana Pizza (eggplant) - Delicious pizza. Perfection! I took three slices home. Paccheri Puttanesca e Baccala - The pasta is sort of like large flat rigatoni. Very tasty. The cod went well with the sauce & pasta. Sauce is on the salty side due to the olives. Simple & delicious. Crème Caramel - I mean, Could there be a better ending to such a nice dinner? I loved the crunchy hazelnuts. This dessert is definitely big enough for two or three people to share. The food, by and large, was simply prepared and solid. The ambiance for the restaurant is very cute & charming. There is a cool greenhouse dining room that seats 13, and a quaint space called the Elvira room that seats six. So much thought was put into the ambiance & decor. One thing that was a miss for me is the chipped plates. I get that, "Nonna is a little clumsy in the kitchen," but chipped dishware is just something that I do not like to see in any restaurant because it takes away from the overall aesthetic. I don't have chipped plates at home... why would I want to pay big $$ to eat on them? The service was attentive and helpful. The restaurant has a small parking lot, and you can also park at Robb Field next door. Grazie Mille. read more

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Amazing Italian dishes! Second time here, partner and I strive to visit when ever we're in San Diego. Great date night restaurant. Staff is friendly and attentive. 10/10 recommend, we've been back already read more

Loved all the decor and vibes at this restaurant! Such a cute atmosphere for any occasion. Our food was delicious and we really enjoyed all our pastas & pizza. Our server was so friendly and made great recommendations for food! read more

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Perfect birthday spot. We had a great dinner with my family here -- shoutout to the host at Caesarina down the road for getting us in after we showed up there without a rez. Very charming place. Gina our server was an absolute gem, super helpful, warm, and articulate. I got the Fettuccine Maiale, which was excellent. Wasn't overly rich. Pasta itself was perfect, chewy, fresh. Actually 3 of us got the same dish because it sounded so good. At the end, they brought my dad a birthday affogato and took our picture with a super cute Polaroid. Loved that touch. Thanks again for the great time! read more

what an absolute G E M. the ambiance 11/10 food 10/10 vibes 10/10 service 11/10 my husband and i went to get a massage in PL and decided to get food after. i checked yelp for places near us and stumbled upon Elvira. when we got there they said they were fully booked for the evening. i asked if we were able to sit at the bar since there were a few seats left and she said yes so we ordered a few different things and enjoyed them all. my favorite was the appetizer with chorizo and orange compote. side note the plates are super cute and made for the restaurant read more

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Staff very friendly the food was excellent I love this place highly recommend The new waitress was very friendly and gave us the best recommendations. read more

Elvira - Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Small, free parking lot right next to the restaurant. Very cute interior, feels like an Italian grandma's house. Have enjoyed everything I've tried here and always look forward to coming back. read more

Elvira - capriccosia - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Really love the beef carpaccio. It was really flavorful and bone marrow spread on top was a pleasant surprise. I've had many carpaccios but never had it with bone marrow. The potato that it is served with was also very delicious. But the dish as a whole can feel a little heavy. Pasta was pretty good too. I usually prefer white sauce pasta but I actually liked the tomato one more. Rigatoni alla norcina is their most popular pasta but I thought it lacked a bit of flavor but the texture was really nice. Im not a big drinker but my friend ordered their fragolone bc the ingredients sounded very interesting but we both thought it was really weak on the alc and just tasted more like a fruity cocktail n nothing too special. Service was excellent and the vibe of the restaurant was super cute and cozy I loved it. read more

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QUICK TAKE// POV eating your grandma's delicious home cooking in her kitchen! FOOD + SERVICE// As a first timer with a group of friends, we wanted the works of whatever was recommended. All the options were really great recommendations: COZZE E VONGOLE AL FORNO A LEGNA or steamed mussels was actually what stole the show with their pizza dough dome cooked on top to seal in the steam. We literally ate the sauce dry with ENDLESS FOCACCIA BREAD. The RIGATONI ALLA NORCINA pasta is actually some of the best pasta I've ever had. The umami flavor was unreal. Just a bit expensive for a pasta, but the flavor makes up for it. Finally, I loved the SUPER ARRABBIATA pizza - very fun flavors and a very well made pizza crust. We did also get the FETTUCCINE MAIALE E SPUNTATURE as well but we felt like this was the least appealing of our orders. While still objectively good, in comparison to the range of flavors we were getting already, this dish was forgettable for us. It was really busy for a Monday night when we went and we were seated in a corner so it was at times hard to get the waiters attention and we did have to repeat requests for waters at times. VIBES// So lively! The decor is very cool to look at. I would love to try dining at the different areas of the restaurant because they looked themed. read more

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We sat at the bar since it was a last minute thing to get a bite to eat. We shared the diavola pizza and polpette di nonnona. The pizza was spicy and personal sized and came with two red peppers on top! I chose the pepe & lavanda mocktail, which was very refreshing. We also tried the salted raspberry and chamomile zero proof glass of wine. It was very fruity! We saved room for dessert and tried the fritelle di nonna, which came with raspberry chantilly cream and warm chocolate sauce. I liked that we were able to fill the dough with the cream! read more

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me and my girlfriend celebrate our anniversary here, this is the best Italian spot I have been to in San Diego, the pasta tasted so authentic, and the pizza dough taste even better. The interior is so beautiful. I feel like I'm stepping in to Italy, and my server was amazing. If you ask about a dish they give you basically what it taste like in notes. I will always come here when I'm craving Italian, the portions are shareable if you're there to eat to satisfy and not to get full. Also the nonalcoholic Prosecco is amazing, just wish that they did at least one refill on it. read more

Elvira - Carbonara and Super Arrabbiata Pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The vibes in here were SOOO GOOD, dark lighting, good food, and good drinks. I actually hate pasta and only came here because my cousin likes Italian food and I ate all the pasta not a single crumb left... it was that good. I didn't even feel bloated or nauseas like I usually do when I eat pasta. Drinks were delish. Pizza was good too but the crust was kind of hard which is fine. The bartender was nice as well. Would definitely come again. read more

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With the success of Cesarina, the owners opened this restaurant located in Ocean Beach and dedicated it by naming it after the matriarch of his family Elvira. Although this restaurant has opened less than 2 years ago, I've only dined here a couple of times after a day trip after the beach. Parking is available in their lot but also at the lot next to the park/play field this restaurant is next to. The restaurant is has indoor and outdoor seating, it's casual and the menu offers seasonal selections. Upon review of the menu, most of the selections included pork which I don't eat. On one occasion I chose Tonnarelli Allo Scoglio Giallo which had clams, mussels, prawns, cherry tomatoes in a garlic white wine sauce...presentation was spectacular but the flavors in the pasta were rather bland. On another visit, I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana pizza, which I took pictures of and boxed it togo to enjoy while watching the Milan Cortena Winter Olympics. This pizza was good however I did detect a taste of pork. The pizza was meatless but I believe there might have been a case of cross contamination of ingredients ie pork oils seasoned in the pizza pans that transferred into my pizza :( the porky taste made me nauseous sadly I couldn't eat the pizza. While I liked Elvira restaurant's ambiance, the staff: from the hostess, servers and the general manager were all so accommodating attentive and nice, but the food selections didn't seem to meet my dining preference so I probably will pass on future visits. I know I am not alone with my food preference, so I hope this review will encourage the restaurant owners to include more seafood selections on the menu because after all, we are in San Diego and this restaurant is blocks away from the beach, so it makes sense to have more seafood on the menu. I will continue dining at its iconic sibling restaurant Cesarina. If you're not allergic to Italian foods with pork perhaps you would enjoy Elvira. read more

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Elvira is excellent. We had a large assortment of different dishes and they were all good. My little granddaughter loved the meatballs with polenta. We also shared a pizza. The beer which was in a bottle, not on tap was outstanding and I'll be looking for it in the stores Birra Flea Blonde Ale ! read more

Elvira - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

4.5/5. This place has a very cute vibe, and it's a great date spot. We've been twice, and sat once at the bar, and once in the room off to the right. I'd recommend they dim the lights a bit in that room, but it was comfy enough otherwise. Just like at their sister restaurant, Cesarina, the service is really great at Elvira too. The free bread is delicious. I don't think the food at Elvira is quite as amazing. It's still delicious, though- and better than most of what I've had in Little Italy. We had the carpaccio- great portion size, and the meat was yummy. The bone marrow was a nice touch, but we weren't crazy about the potato things. A thin cracker would've been better I think. Rigatoni carbonara- tasty, filling- liked the bacon pieces. Didn't knock my socks off, but I enjoyed it. Cheesecake- my favorite part of the meal. It had raspberry sauce, gelato, and these yummy crumbles that went really well with the cheesecake. Overall, an enjoyable experience. I'd like to go back and try some of their other pasta dishes, and check out their patio seating. read more

Elvira - Carpaccio - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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First time at Elvira! Made reservations for a Friday night at 6:30pm, I highly recommend making reservations! We waited about 5 minutes before getting seated, our server was very nice and was able to answer our questions about the menu. The food was really delicious, I highly recommend the carbonara! Our server was very attentive throughout the time we were there, always checking in on us, refilling waters, etc. Overall a great experience, the only small thing were the plates did unfortunately have cracks and chips on it, I was really surprised they served the pasta in a bowl that was cracked. read more

Elvira - Outdoor painting - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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TikTok: m.Albright IG: rs.Albright I forgot what the pizza was called but it's the spicy one & the pasta was the rigatoni al Sugo with the side of meatballs. The pasta is my favorite since it's made from fresh pasta and you can tell! The sauce is just as amazing too. Definitely a solid choice when coming here. We get this pizza every time too. It has a kick to it for sure & definitely filling for both of us. I would suggest making reservations and getting here early because parking is very difficult. Although they have their own lot, they get full fast read more

Elvira - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

First the positives! - I will say is the pasta is very very very good, 9 out of 10. The meat was sooooo incredibly tender. We came in later but still with enough time to order and enjoy our food and a dessert. The affogato was delicious i definitely recommend. - the portions were PERFECT. It's not an crazy crazy amount if food. It was just enough truly and left room for dessert which I loved. -Our waiter, (blonde tall slim and fruity) was an absolute pleasure and was so funny, warm, and charming. He wasn't too overbearing, He honestly made the whole experience for me soooooo enjoyable and fun. Very careful to ask about any allergies and knowledgeable about the food, Thank you to that person you made my birthday dinner special! - The place is gorgeous and pleasing to the eye. Negatives - Blonde hostess in the front with the disheveled hair and bad attitude was our first impression of the place and it was so unwelcoming I wanted to leave. She didn't want to bother checking if any tables we're ready so she just sat us at the bar. I thought no tables we're available since she just offered the bar. Turns out there were many in the back she just didn't want to walk us to. She looked so beyond miserable and unpresentable. (Maybe she was having a horrible day but regardless a smile would have gone a long way, I am also in the service industry) I'd reconsider having her in the front. Maybe she could be in the back fixing the bread bowls instead. - the bar stools were SO UNCOMFORTABLE. I can't imagine how someone could sit at that bar for a full meal. As "aesthetic" as they were, it was cutting off the circulation to my ass and my legs were falling asleep, the person I was with agreed and wanted to move to a table. -the bread that was given at the bar was cold -the bartender was throwing so much information at us before we could settle in our seats I couldn't even take it all in lol Thanks to the charming waiter and great food. You guys made this place worth coming back too. read more

Elvira - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Very cute place! I made reservations about a month prior and was excited to try for the first time. We came on a Tuesday night for meatball day and it was quite busy. I did not like where we were sat at all. It's was slower when we arrived and then got super busy after 5. Our table was the one right in front of the kitchen where the servers are in and out the whole time, so it took away from any type of relaxation as it was chaotic. I wish I would have asked to move, but it is what it is. The food was great and server was very nice. They change the meatball special each week, and the week we went it was meatballs in a cacio e Pepe sauce. It was different but good! We also split the caprese salad which was very fresh and the pollo all a Diavola. Very tasty. read more

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If you've been to Cesarina, Elvira will feel like a familiar friend! Located not far from their sister restaurant, Elvira is the newer kid in town in Ocean Beach. Personally, I like Elvira better. I think the food quality was better and the fact that they have super easy parking is a clear win! Reservations are also a little easier to snag. My husband and I came for date night. We had to wait a little beyond our reservation but once seated, were greeted by excellent service! We loved our fun server! She was attentive and quick. We ordered the bucatini allá Amatriciana and the diavola pizza. Both were excellent! The noodles were cooked the perfection with such great flavor. The diavola pizza had some heat. We appreciated the warning before ordering but it was perfect. Food was so good! I really loved this spot. There were also a lot of girls nights and parties happening so it's clearly a great gathering spot! So much fun and really great food. read more

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3rd time at Elvira and would go back many times again! Gina was an excellent server and had great recommendations for us. read more

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Tried this for the first time for a birthday dinner because I heard great things! We made a reservation at 7:00pm. We got there on the dot and did have to stand off to the side for a few minutes to be taken to our table - not a big deal becuase it was a very cute spot to look around at all the decor they have up. We were greeted immediately and then were brought a pitcher of water and starter focaccia. I will say the bread was not great... it was definitley not fresh. Some pieces were quite hard. Their liquor bar is not too expansive. From what we tried to order, they do not have Tito's, Buffalo Trace, or Peronis. We started with the caprese salad which was so fabulous! Each ingredient was fresh and tasty. My main dish was the RIGATONI ALLA NORCINA, and it could have been one of the best pastas I have had in a very long time. The pork was so delicious, the sauce was just perfect, and the food was HOT. My partner got the special of the night and while it tasted good, it was almost room temperature. The service was excellent. Everyone was so kind, and our server Josh was very knowledgable of the menu and was so attentive. They asked if we were celebrating anything, and they surprised us with an affogato at the end of the night which was SOO yummy and the perfect end of the night. I will say it was quite pricey, but it is a very nice place to have a cute date night. This feels like a hidden gem where you forget that you are in OB. read more

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Love love loved our experience at Elvira! Such a quaint restaurant with cozy interior, the cutest silverware and dishes, the most amazing staff, and the most important of all - delicious food! I've had Cesarina in my bookmarks for the longest time, and just found out that Elvira is their sister restaurant. A last-minute dinner reservation was easy to snag on OpenTable. We were seated promptly and were brought out water in a cute ceramic pitcher with a bowl of focaccia and a red pepper(?) or vodka tomato sauce. I ordered a glass of the Trebbiano, which was my first time trying, and I really enjoyed it. For the two of us, we started off with the beef carpaccio and decided to share the rigatoni al sugo e ricotta (which I believe is one of their signatures) and the tonnarelli allo scoglio giallo. The carpaccio was fresh and thinly sliced, and I loved the addition of bone marrow because it packs a rich, umami punch. The portion was also huge! Definitely something you can share with a bigger party. Both pastas were sooooo good and perfectly al dente. Loved the flavors of both, but my absolute favorite was the rigatoni! The sauce was bright and flavorful with the creaminess of the ricotta and the sharpness of the olive oil. One of the best pastas I've eaten and will definitely be a must-order every time I come. Our server was super attentive and came by to check in on us frequently. We loved our experience here and will definitely be coming back again and again! read more

Elvira - Carpaccio - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

If you want to transport to Italy while being in California, come to this place. Amazing staff - thank you Andrea and amazing food. Beyond gorgeous and beyond fabulous, incredible. read more

Elvira - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Thank goodness for a great 'wait' staff! Over a couple of hours, we get the joy of Sammie, our waitress, the delicious food from Chef Christopher, the personal attention from GM Delis and the fun from each person that brings out a dish or helps us with the wine. We upgrade to a Barbera from Piedmont. It's a very food friendly wine. The 'finish' on this wine really does it for me! Love that they sell by the liter. Feels like we would serve wine at home. This is such an interesting place .... with three, what we like to call 'princess' phones in cubbies on the wall. Brings back the memories and increases the topics of conversation at our table, sharing our histories with each other. We decide to start with Salad and then a Pizza. The flavor profile of the pizza is very good. The flavor profiles for the Rigatoni and the Tonnarelli are spot on. And the meatball appetizer works so well as a third offering in this 3rd course of the meal. So much fun to mix the ricotta into the tomato pasta and have the flavor profile change. I remember eating at a Paul Bocuse Italian Restaurant in Lyon, France and they gave us spaghetti and meatballs. I ordered that, as a challenge to see what they might do with it. It was good. And as I got to the middle eating my way down, there was a flavored ricotta cheese, which I tasted then mixed into the red sauce, which again, created a new and even more delicious profile. So it's the same concept, just without the surprise ending! Ocean Beach is far from Del Mar, but when we plan our next trip of going to different restaurants and doing tastings, we are definitely doing the rigatoni again! With garlic, gusto and gratitude,  Chef Marian  San Diego Foodies, Carlsbad Foodies read more

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Came for my birthday and I had made a reservation! Service was great, he gave a lot of recommendations, super nice & funny, checked on our party frequently as well! The food was fantastic and very flavorful! The seating inside felt very cozy and like you were eating at your nanays! (: ** Parking lot was next to the restaurant and it was a little weird, but we made it work. read more

Elvira - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California