Overpriced for the quality of food. Didn't enjoy my linguine vongole or lava cake ... ;(

Love this place. Wine tasting tonight from Castello Banfi, delicious. So choice....

This is near my mother-in-law's place and it is her favorite restaurant. We've gone several times and my favorite item is definitely the Rigatoni alla Vodka e Fungi with an added Italian sausage on top - SO GOOD! I will probably never be able to stray from it again now that I've had it, but I've tried lots of other items here though, and they are all great. Some fantastic items include: the lasagna (served with both a creamy sauce and a tomato sauce - never seen that before but it's delicious), the carbonara, and lots of different salads (all fantastic), plus appetizers - the bruschetta and calamari are always big hits with our family. Not inexpensive, but so good! This is the best Italian I've tried in the area - I'm surprised the reviews aren't higher! We always have great service, but then again, my MIL is a regular so I don't know if we get any special treatment. Love Firenze! read more

Below average food and overpriced. Ambience for Valentine's Day was terrible and service was so-so. No vibe or energy in the place. We will not be back. read more

Hosted a lunch here for a family event. Worked with Steve to plan the lunch and menu - he was very helpful, professional, and pleasant. Everyone enjoyed the lunch. My husband and I were slightly disappointed in the portion sizes - they were significantly smaller than their dinner plates. But the lunch prices are also less than dinner. The salads ranged from anemic to large across the table which seemed strange. I was slightly disappointed in the service considering the restaurant was pretty much empty except for our private party and we had two dedicated servers (e.g. our water glasses were not refilled at all during the lunch). Food quality was very good though and desserts blew everyone away with presentation and taste. Favorites were definitely the lasagna and eggplant parmesan. We will be back for dinner. read more

One of my all time favorite Italian restaurants. Service is ALWAYS on point, food is nothing short of delicious, always a special treat!!!

This place has excellent food, but the service is SLOW. We go here quite often, because the food is so amazing, but sometimes after we finish our meal and wine we are waiting almost 25 minutes for someone to come back to our table to clear our plates and bring the check. Maybe hire more servers? read more

I received a $50 gift certificate for this restaurant from a friend 7 YEARS AGO! I had forgotten about it and my wife came across it while cleaning out a drawer. We mad a reservation for lunch this past Thursday. The service was great as was the food. It was a beautiful day so we sat out on the patio. The whole experience was worth the drive from Santee. read more

My husband made reservations at 7pm on Valentine's Day. When we arrived we were told they were running 10-15 minutes behind schedule. No problem, we went to the lobby and got a glass of wine. 15 minutes go by, said it'll be just a few more minutes, 30 minutes go by, nothing and several others who also had reservations at 7pm were getting pretty irate. Finally, 45 minutes and still no tables available so we left. The poor hostesses had no support from any Managers who were no where in sight. They have good food but the Management could have come into the waiting area and apologized to everyone for the delay, offered some appetizers and a drink for their patience. That would have turned my experience around from a 1 star to at least a 3. Very poor service, especially during one of the busiest days of the year. read more

They made my sea food pasta dish just the way I liked it and my wife's shrimp salade was great also. Definitely coming back and this time I'll leave some space for desert. Wonderful service. read more

Celebrated my birthday here with my husband. Lovely patio accepts dogs which we did not know about, otherwise our long-haired dachshound would have been with us. Our lunch was lovely, assisted by an expert server who was adult and knowledgeable. She corrected my wine choice when I was disappointed with my first selection. My husband likes his pasta simple: the Marinara sauce was very pleasing to him. I had one of the daily specials: Pork loin w/ portobello sauce. It was excellent. I opted to replace garlic mashed potatoes w/ pasta. The pasta sauce was a simple olive oil w/ wine garlic and a tinge of tomato. Quietly elegant. The string beans were fresh - as though just plucked from the garden. This dish was impressive. The bread has a wonderful European baked crustiness. This was our first visit, but we will return often. The interior ambiance was quietly reserved. Diners opted for the large patio because the noon time weather was lovely. Umbrellas provided shade. The quality lunch presentation equaled the cost. Fairly priced. Parking available. This restaurant is located on the east edge of a shopping center. read more

Friendly warm place to enjoy lunch or dinner with friends. The bread is good and the calamari Venezia appetizer is my favorite and I will order that as my entree. read more

Awful food and service... not to mention dirty dishes set on the table and fruit flies circling our table. Curtain was covered with stains and hanging off the rod. This classic RSF establishment has gone way down hill. read more

My wife and I live 2 blocks from Firenze, and have probably eaten there 30 times. That may be the problem. Firenze is next to a wealthy community and usually has a good crowd. So they don't have to try very hard. Or at all. The restaurant is on autopilot now, with no effort to be interesting or fresh. The menu, even the "specials", haven't changed in a decade. The best one word description is BLAND. Think Spaghettios. The kitchen can be very slow, even on a Monday night. On the plus side, the wait staff is always friendly and attentive. The wine list is good, but seems never to change. Firenze isn't bad, just average and dull. Not a good value, IMO. My solution is to drive 10" to Trulli in Encinitas or Positano in Cardiff. read more

We have enjoyed dining here in the past but this time several things were "off". We were a party of four and the Scampi alla Fresca was not very good. Don't order it here; there are many other restaurants which prepare it much better. We ordered two desserts for the table - definitely don't order the cannoli. It must have been sitting out all day; it was so hard we couldn't eat it with the spoon they gave us. We needed a knife. Really? The dark chocolate lava cake was dry, dry, dry. Don't waste your money or think there is any lava associated with this dessert because there isn't. read more

We went for lunch during the week. The place was almost empty with only two other tables filled. Service was good, but the food was just okay and way overpriced. My panini was the equivalent to half a sandwich elsewhere and it was priced at $13. It included a clump of tasteless pasta salad on the side. The $17 salads were good, but were priced for the RSF horsey set. Definitely not the best Italian restaurant for lunch. read more

The best Italian food I've had in San Diego and possibly anywhere. I took my wife there recently for her birthday and we were amazed at how good everything was. I only read a couple reviews about this place online and decided to try it. The spinach caeser salad was terrific. We both had pasta dishes and practically licked our plates. We were given the tiramisu on the house for her birthday and even that was the best I've ever had. The meal was excellent across the board. The ambiance is very nice and our server was great. I don't write many reviews but this one was well deserved. I can't possibly imagine a bad review on this place. It's not the cheapest place in the world but it's worth every penny and then some. I can't wait to go back. read more

This used to be one of my favorites. We took guests last night, a Tuesday. Never again. Portions are now very large, very pretty. Unfortunately the food is tasteless. Chopped Caesar salad just lettuce, could not taste the dressing. A chicken/ eggplant special was good, but turned out to be way over priced. The fish was dry, buried in pasta and could have been any species--if it was the advertised sea bass, then it was too old to be served. Soup was bland, and so it went. Overall we were embarrassed that we had suggested the restaurant. There are many excellent restaurants in this area. Choose another. read more

Best Italian in town. The service is great, the pastas are insane. I would HIGHLY recommend anyone here, you will be happy you went!!

Not sure exactly what to grade this experience, you decide. Went there late one evening with a friend and sat at the bar which although small seemed where more people were sitting and we got the last 2 seats. Anyway, my first time there and I ordered the Pollo Scarpariello. When I started eating, the chicken seemed a little tough and I needed more knife work than expected to cut. I expected it to be much more juicy and tender. I said this quietly to my friend and not the bartender, and not expecting to complain. He overheard me though, he was at the other end of the bar, came over and asked my concern. I told him but did not expect anything. Minutes later I received a large, fresh piece of chicken in a different style. Much flatter, I think he said it was stamped or something. Anyway, that chicken was a little more tender, but of course, it was much thinner too, but it still wasn't "butter" as I might expect for a $28 dollar plate. I said nothing and thanked him. At this point it was much more food than necessary and I had a full meal to take home. When I asked for the check, I was leaving but my friend was staying, the bartender told me they took it off my bill entirely and only charged me for my drink. That was nice but a couple days later when I saw my friend he said my dinner was on his bill! Food was pretty good, service too, but this is either a 3 or a 4 but can't give it a 5. read more

Unfortunately we just had dinner here. We received a flyer in the mail. Normally are go to for Italian is Cicciotti's in Cardiff. Arrived there during HH. We had our two year old with us, so we decided to sit on the patio. Our server explained HH is not served on the patio and never offered to move us inside after inquiring about it - something a sever should have done. She did however say in a condescending way that we could just order appetizers on the patio - as if we were taking a freaking table in a packed restaurant and couldn't afford their dinner menu. Made us feel very unwelcome. We were one of 5 tables in the entire place. Let's move on to the food. The meatball and penne w marinara tasted like cardboard. My 2 y/o wouldn't eat and normally loves meatballs. My husbands vongole was flavorless - he had to ask for salt and lemon to eat it. My portobello ravioli was in a Gorgonzola cream sauce which tasted off. The entire meal was garbage. Only good part was their house wine for $10 a glass and my husband's martini. During dinner the restaurant smelled like spoiled fish. Our bill was $125.00! Ridiculous! Despite the terrible service my husband still tipped 15% - she's lucky he had the bill. Please save your money and run from this place. read more

We have been going here for more then 15 years and we love it. Yes it's on the expensive side but their Cesar salad, fried calamari, and chicken Parmesan is a amazing! You just need to know what to order. The service is also pretty good and the waiters are nice. read more

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were on a short trip to San Diego and were craving good Italian food. Being New Yorkers, we were quite sceptical about good Italian food in San Diego. We googled Italian restaurants in Encinitas as we were there at the time. This is how we found Firenze. We were in for a treat, the food was amazing, varied appetizers and many fabulous entrees, Really good traditional Italian food, good wine list, great friendly service. Highly recommend Firenze to locals as well as anyone traveling to San Diego! read more

This was a nice experience. We ordered mussels as as appetizer and the were truly phenomenal...the best I have had outside of Nova Scotia/PEI. I ordered the manicotti which was lovely. My dinner date ordered the pasta carbonara and the portion size was really just too big. The pasta was quite good, but there was just too much of it. The wine selection was nice. The atmosphere seemed a little generic and dated and made me wish we'd chose to sit outside instead of indoors. I would like to go again and try the risotto extraordinare. read more

Last meal was somewhat uneventful, fish special along with a very small side of pasta. Server was in a bad mood and wasn't up to par, he must have had his mind in something else I have eaten here baby times over the years and this was my worse meal to date.vc read more

Firenze Trattoria is a delicious Italian Treat! My firends and I often go there both at night or during the day. I love the atmosphere. The outside patio is extremely romantic when lit up at night and beautifull when the sun shines on it during the day. Their wine list is endless and very tasty! I've ordered numerous different dishes from their menu and have never been dissapointed. The staff is always friendly and some even recognize my face and welcome me back. I give this truly amazing restaurant 5 stars for their delicious menu, fabulous service and amazing atmosphere!! read more

This restaurant went through a redevelopment 4 years ago and remains to be one of sweetest neighborhood restaurants in terms of environment, but the meals is satisfactory at best. Working local to the area, I have enjoyed meals here a number of times, but I have in no way been pleased with the food. In fact the most simple pasta dishes seem to be a obstacle for the cook. read more

I've eaten here 2 nights in a row and it's been fantastic. We had the burrata, and lobster salad. The blended red wine was very nice and definitely had my spirits up. We did have to wait a little longer than expected to order dinner after our appetizers but in the end, the meal was 100% delicious. I would recommend this restaurant and loved it so much, I met another group of friends there tonight as well. Once again, the food was spectacular. I enjoyed every moment! read more

We had a fantastic time. Spacious room with clean/spotless environment.There were six of us and we pretty much ordered everything. The food was delicious, presentation and the atmosphere was great. The waitress was sweet, had patience and was helpful. It is a bit pricey. I would go there again for special occasions. Plenty of parking spaces. Was recommended by a friend with a good taste. Romantic and pretty quiet. No need to shout out to hear each other. The food portions are huge. Next time, I will share a plate. I will definitely not share the dessert. Unbelievably delicious. The Tiramisu, chocolate cake and the gluten free ice cream like cake was very yummy. read more

We had a leisurely early dinner at Firenze's on a recent Sunday. The patio seemed the place to be (no diners were eating indoors). A musical duo (electric keyboard and bass) were playing innocuous Lawrence Welk-like ditties and the ambience was relaxed. Prices are definitely on the high side and the food is acceptable, large portions, but as bland as the music. Service was polite but slow. I had the lasagna which was O.K., but lacking in red sauce, which made it a bit dry and flavorless. Instead of cheese, it was inundated with béchamel sauce, a poor choice. My Caesar salad was run of the mill. Tiramisu was a bit disappointing, consisting almost entirely of whipped cream. Especially due to their prices I expected a lot better. Best I can say is that nothing was really bad. read more

Love Firenze! Great Italian food and the fish specials are outstanding! Best lasagna in San Diego! Staff is friendly. Monday night 1/2 price wine and Tuesday is free corkage! read more

Great Italian food between Encinitas and Rancho Santa Fe. I especially like the outdoor seating and Tuscan specialities. Barry, the owner, is onsite daily and really cares about the food and service. Will be back. read more

A generous 4 stars for my first visit. Had lunch with Mom today on the lovely patio. Our meals were very good but the service did not feel good. It seemed that they may have been understaffed, as we were served I believe by the bartender. It didn't bother me that they were understaffed--that happens--but it did bother me that the gentleman was not attentive or very friendly, did not check on us during our meal, did not ask if we wanted another glass of wine, or ask us how our meal was at the end. Mom didn't like how he just plopped her glass of wine from mini-decanter to glass fast and wildly...most waiters pour it nicely and with care. I normally like to leave a generous tip, but this was a rare occasion where I requested change back. I will try again for hopefully a more fun experience. read more

The food is great here! I do have a problem with dining here while other customers have their dogs sitting with them at their table. Gross! Not only is this in poor taste but I don't think the health department would approve for obvious reasons. Don't know if I will go back after that. If I do and it happens again, I will be calling the health department. read more

I organized a business dinner for a party of six. The food was excellent (Alaskan halibut for me; salmon for others), and they adapted it to my request (veggies instead of pasta under the fish). The service was attentive and most important of all, it was quiet enough that we could hear each other and have a conversation. read more

Top Notch Italian restaurant. For those that have spent any time in Florence will experience a resemblance to the region. I'm not certain how much or if any of their pasta is fresh, regardless our meal was awesome. The Pasta Rustica was perfect! The wine list generally favored California wines, the Italian selection wasn't bad at all. I'll opt to bring my own next time, and pay their small corkage fee. I was really impressed with the service, you can tell the people that work there care about being a part of the experience. Definitely we'll be coming back again. read more

I was here last night with my family for the first and last time. This restaurant is insanely overpriced for what you get- store bought lobster ravioli (literally the same kind sold at Costco), canned mushrooms, the actual worst beer list in San Diego. I mean, you're in San Diego- you don't even have to try to get a couple of decent taps going. Shock Top and Stella are not reasonable options. A couple of the more infuriating points of the night included the server telling us that kids' pasta would be $8.95 and $3 for meat- we ordered angel hair with chicken (chicken was too dry, angel hair was clearly boxed, sauce was from a jar) and it comes out on the bill for $17. Also, one of the people in my party ordered a Maker's Mark Old Fashioned, which came to the table and was completely unremarkable (regular chemical filled maraschino cherries, slice of orange, etc) and then showed up on the bill for $16, which is the price listed on the crappy cocktail list for an Old Fashioned made with better bourbon. That feels sneaky. The decor is tacky, the food is priced as though it's homemade pasta and sauce and it is very clearly not. There's nothing I dislike less than overpriced, crappy food- hence this review. I hope this place goes out of business and something that doesn't completely suck takes its place. read more

Good food and service. Perfect for a date or dinner on the town. The food is yummy and the employees are friendly. Their patrons are loyal and they seem to have a very home like atmosphere! I have been there multiple times and no matter who my server is they are always happy and friendly. Its a great place for an intimate dinner or a group of friends! read more

I think the owner should be aware of how new customers are treated. I went there recently and was appalled as to how the bartendar/server treated me. It wasn't busy so there's no excuse for poor service. I had to ask for everything, bread, water, even another glass of wine. He never told me what the specials were or any recommendations. I would have considered ordering a meal but instead opted for some appetizers. The bartendar seemed more interested in sharing his personal business with the staff than paying attention to his customers. The food was good but at those prices I expected atleast 4 star service. So sad because there are so many more great restaurants that have great food, service and value. I won't be returning anytime soon. read more

Disappointing food and level of service for the price. So slow. We went on a Friday night at 7pm, agreeably a busy time in the summer, but the amount of time we waited to even be acknowledged by a server was unacceptable. Two of us were very excited to order the martini with blue cheese stuffed olives, but they had run out. We were notified that they were "making more", but this took forever and eventually the waitress did it herself. This process took 15 minutes. And this was following an initial wait of 10-15 minutes to even be offered a cocktail. An establishment in this price range should have comped those drinks and offered to make more since our "chilled" martinis were quite warm by the time we got the olives. The salad was pedestrian and certainly not worth $12. Regarding the waits to order, if the goal was to offer an genuine Italian experience with ample time to enjoy each other's company, that was accomplished and we settled into a wonderful conversation with longtime friends. Our total meal time was 2 and 1/2 hours. But I've never waited that long for a cocktail even in Italy. The food quality is simply not consistent with the prices and I expect that the well healed locals who frequent this place have enabled this. Better Italian options out there in this area. read more