Wow wow wow. Five star Italian food here. I would fly back to San Diego just for a meal like this any time. My cioppino was the stuff dreams are made of. Regarding the artichoke appetizer, I can't even trim artichokes like that, much less make them taste that good. This place is the real deal. Nuff said. read more

IL Posto - Unbelievably delicious cioppino up front, artichoke hearts in the center, and more appetizers - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The Price of Elegance: When Presentation Outpaces Palate There are restaurants that dazzle with flavor, and then there are restaurants that rely entirely on the illusion of it. This establishment, regrettably, belongs in the latter category -- a glossy performance of fine dining without a trace of culinary soul. Let me be clear: the service was impeccable. The servers were kind, attentive, and deeply professional, gliding between tables with the kind of grace that suggests they deserved a far better kitchen behind them. Their warmth and attentiveness were the sole highlights of the evening -- a comforting distraction from what arrived on the plate. The risotto -- or what the menu insisted was risotto -- bore a closer resemblance to Uncle Ben's instant rice, tragically overcooked and seasoned with what could only be described as tap water and regret. The ribeye followed, limp and joyless, evoking memories of a microwaved Lean Cuisine that had ambitions of being steak. The mashed potatoes, served cold and textureless, completed the tableau of culinary disinterest. In the end, I left both hungry and slightly amused, wondering if this was all an elaborate experiment in how far atmosphere and service can distract from the absence of actual flavor. One leaves not full, but philosophically unsettled. read more

"It better be worth the wait", is what I told my daughter as we were waiting for our order. As soon as our came I knew it just had to be good and I was not wrong. From our calamari, that was perfectly cooked, not at all chewy and hard Then our two seafood dishes, very good. Tie noodles were cooked perfect and also the sauce of both dishes were very well done. Truly, compliments to the chef. This place was recommended and I truly recommend this to those that like Italian cuisine. read more

See all

Black Squid Ink Pizza - The most exotic and beautiful pie I've eaten. I came in with a pesto pizza in mind, but was excited to learn the pizza special of the day was squid ink pizza. I love squid ink (the black color is intriguing and it has a subtle briny taste). The thin pizza crust was fantastic and the truffle oil infused prosciutto impressed me the most. The Italian Spritz, cesar salad and tiramisu were also delicious. The staff could do a better job of understanding the menu as I asked questions about the pizza and didn't get any responses. Nevertheless, I was happy overall with the food. This is a neighborhood gem. read more

See all

Everything was perfect. They have the nicest people working here and the restaurant is nicely decorated. We ordered the fried pizza, carbonara, calamari, beef ravioli, lobster ravioli, a couple other pizzas - everything was delicous. We were worried our group was too big but they accomodated our group of 8 just fine. read more

IL Posto - Fried pizza - so good - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband and I came here for the calamari and we're not disappointed. We also got a espressotini and a mule with the meatball happy hour dish. Everything was delicious. Ana our Server had great energy coupled with wonderful service. The restaurant is very airy and chill. I would definitely recommend and return. read more

IL Posto - Espressotini - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

The food was great and so was the service. Very modern looking place. We went for date night and enjoyed ourselves. read more

IL Posto - Red heart pizza and BYO Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Who would have thought, the best Italian food in San Diego would be in South Park? Stumbled across this place randomly walking by and extraordinarily impressed with their Pasta with Meatballs. Absolute best Pasta AND Service in SD! read more

Pizza is my primary food group and I've tried most places in San Diego. Their pizza might be the best I've ever had in the city and could compete for some of the best pizza in Naples. Their prices of $20 for a pizza feels a bit steep but is consistent with other Italian places. They have a lot of Italian food which looks good but I have yet to try. Service is friendly, consistent, and helpful. Atmosphere works for either a casual meal or a fancy night out. read more

IL Posto - Diavola Pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Came for the lunch happy hour from 11:45-3pm where it was few bucks cheaper for pizzas, appetizers, and pastas with pick your own pasta and sauce. I got the paccheri pasta with cremosa which was brandy sauce cream, sauteed mushrooms, evo oil, parsley, pepper and oregano. I will say the portions were pretty small for the lunch menu but I didn't mind since I don't usually like filling up on pasta. The food itself was very creamy as the name suggested with very hearty flavors. I enjoyed the cremosa flavors as nothing was overpowering but it was well seasoned and was subtle but not bland. Also I loved the perfectly sauteed mushrooms. I found myself licking the bowl so you know the sauce is good! Simple but chic minimalist decor. Service was swift. I would recommend! read more

First time I came here was 6 mnths ago. Brought my family here. The service was impeccable the food was fabulous. Every server, everyone asked what you needed. And you had it within seconds, and you didn't even have to ask they were right there to give you whatever it is you needed. The bartender made excellent drinks. Couldn't go wrong with anthing. The Pizza waanything one of the best we ever had and thought wow this is our new pizza n fantastic italian food hangout . My seafood pasta was so delicious hot and made to perfection, thats saying a lot coming from a person like me cause i love to cook and great at it. Everyone's food was above and beyond fabulous, delicious. Sadly to say we have dined at this restaurant four more times after that total. Hoping each time would be like the first. And each time it just got worse and worse. The service is so horrible.You have to ask several times for water silverware, everything. What's worse, your waitress is your bartender? Also, which means your drinks are horrible.Bartenders are bartender a waitress a waitress. The Pizza always comes cold after having a slice and telling them the pizza is cold and theres no cheese and barely any basil. Being its a Margarita Pizza. they took the Pizza back to the kitchen after we pulled a couple slices off of it, stuck in the oven and warmed it up and brought it back to us with no extra cheese or basil and who puts a Pizza back in the oven after a customer has eaten off of it? the proper professional and sanitary thing was to do is make another Pizza properly.. By the way, there was no apology from my waitress. As if we were being a burden on her. Not enough cheese, not enough sauce. Ask another server for question. Pepper and parmesan cheese several times and he said he would get it and, never brought it to us it. Took like fifteen minutes to get it from our waitress service is just horrible horrible....The dough is chewy and it used to be the best pizza we had ever had, and now, it's one of the worst pizzas we've had. My seafood pasta, it's nothing like the first time. And I ordered it every time I went, and it has never been like the first time, it just gets worse and worse. No flavor dry, not enough marinara. sauce. The clams and the oyster shells are empty. A few shrimps barely any the scallops. The calamari was like 56 pieces stuck to each other, or I had to cut em apart just a glop, just thrown into the bowl. We ordered the Lasagna for the first time. And it'll definitely be the last time pretty much for everything. I've never seen such horrible Lasagna. That is so dry. No melted cheese, no ricotta cheese layers and layers of pasta with a very, very thin layer of meat cant even tell if it even hash marrio sauce on it.It's so white and a very small portion. Several months ago, when we first dined at this place, we thought we found a gem in South Park or San Diego period we were blown away by the service and the food, the bartender, everything. If I could have given it 10 stars, I would have if I can give it 0 star today. I would the only reason I give a 1 stars. It's because the restaurant is quaint and pretty. But otherwise we will not be returning to this restaurant one out of five times for me is ridiculous too many misses and not enough hits... The owner used to see the customers interact very friendly. Instead, he stands at the bar and talks of the bartender. The whole time not even paying attention to his customers. Or what's going on in his restaurant? It's like he doesn't care anymore. No one in there cares anymore. Everybody's rude and definitely not accommodating. They act like you're a burden when you ask for utensils or napkins or water or toppings for anything. They don't even come back and ask you, how everything is. I'm just so disappointed with this restaurant. I really thought this was gonna be one of my favorite restaurants or my family's at least.Definitely not a duo over and definitely would not recommend it waste of money... big disappointment!! read more

IL Posto - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

We had a nice dinner date. We had a reservation and were sat immediately. We got focaccia which wasn't really focaccia more just a pizza crust sprinkled with dried herbs and salt. It was tasty though. My wife had a glass of wine which she enjoyed. We both got pasta I got vegan gnocchi pesto with cherry tomatoes and my wife got tagliatelle with chicken and Alfredo. She absolutely loved hers mine was very good though to be honest a bit salty for my taste. They were both present beautifully. Service was good they were attentive but they didn't rush us out at all. Over all it was a wonderful dinner and my wife made it clear she wanted to come back. read more

See all

Il Posto : "B- or 3 star" meaning "not bad, a reasonable choice if in the area, and it's difficult to find a better restaurant." 5 weeks old, with 4.8 stars on Yelp gave me very high expectations. I so so soooo want to fall in love with another Italian restaurant, but unfortunately, this one isn't it. Ambiance is very nice, but I think they're still trying to figure out their footing in the service department. And the food, a little inconsistent, some dishes very good, others not so much. This was the last restaurant adventure during my sister-in-law's 4 day visit, hitting one modern Vietnamese brunch spot in Irvine, two Thai (one modern, one traditional) restaurants, TJ's Tacos, and Il Posto on the final night. Super unfortunate that our visit to An's Dry Cleaning after Il Posto was unsuccessful because there was no parking in sight and the line-up, even at around 10pm, was crazy long. I guess the notion of being the #2 rated ice cream / gelato shop in the US really got around! I made reservations for four, at 7pm on Saturday. Not knowing the parking situation, we arrived earlier, and to my surprise, lucked out in finding a spot 50 yards away from Il Posto. At around 6:35pm, we arrived and checked if we could be seated earlier. Less than 5 minutes later, we were seated in a dining room around the back of the restaurant. Given the location, the spacing between tables was quite generous and comfortable, in a dining room with clean, simple, modern decor. I studied the menu prior to arrival, so it didn't take long to make up our minds on what to order. This is where we hit the first service snag; it took about 30 minutes before a waiter was able to take our order. Given how busy the restaurant was, and the fact they're only 5 weeks old, not a big deal. What irked me a little was that our waiter never told us about their specials, and only learned about them from overhearing another table's order. Oh well, first world problems, but the pork chops that we never knew about sounded pretty scrumptious! As usual, we ate family style so that everyone got to try everything. We are Chinese afterall! Linguini ai frutti di mare (B+ ) : very good pasta, perfectly cooked al dente linguini in a light tomatoey sauce, with shrimp, clams, mussels and calamari. The shrimp was very good, the calamari was overcooked, the mussels tasted fresh, and the clam I picked was an empty shell. Despite diligently looking, I couldn't find another clam. I'd still eat it again without the clam! Cotto e funghi pizza (B ) : my default is margherita whenever eating Neapolitan style, but I compromised on something with meat in it for our guests. The dough was on the soft side with no crunch even around the edges, but had a good flavor. This contrasted with the somewhat flavorless mushroom and ham. Luckily, the cheese was very fragrant, saving the day. Overall, a good pizza I'd gladly eat, but nothing to write home about. Pollo parmigiana (B- ) : the chicken parm was good; breading had a nice aroma, wrapping some juicy chicken - definitely one of the better chicken parm's I've had. The pasta, however, was overcooked and bland. The problem with group projects, the "B+" chicken was dragged down by the "C" pasta partner. We were about 1/2 way done with the three dishes they served when the waiter came to check on us. "We're still waiting for our salad," I told him. He immediately fixed the situation, and came back with our salad within 3 minutes. Insalata arugula (C+ ) : veggies tasted fresh, but the lemon vinaigrette was a tad boring with no lemony, citrusy punch that I expected. And, the dressing wasn't mixed well so some parts of the salad was just naked arugula. All in all, not a bad experience, but I would prioritize Catania or even Siamo Napoli just a couple miles away. So the search for the ultimate San Diego Italian restaurant continues. Cesarina, I will soon visit you, I just need to plan better! ------------------------------------------- Food Grading Scale: A+: Life changing. You remember these bites for the rest of your life. Occurs very infrequently and when it does, you'll know it. You don't even know how to further improve it with a magic wand. A: Wow! Excellent. You felt happy biting into it. You're considering whether it's life changing, but know it misses the mark. A-: Very very good. Whatever it is, it's one of the best, but you can think of further improvements. B+: Very good. Very enjoyable, not to the point of "impressive," but worth revisiting. B: Good. A solid example of whatever it is, offering enjoyment, but not enough for making an effort to get. B-: Not bad. If in a pinch to eat something, this offers some enjoyment and is a reasonable option. C+: Mediocre plus. Pretty average, but with one or two positive characteristics you can identify. C: Mediocre. "Meh". Very average. Not bad enough to make you angry, but nothing good about it at all. read more

See all

Amazing experience! Food is top notch. Ordered calamari, 2 seafood based pasta. Everything is superbly prepared and fresh. Wine list is great; tried 3 different variety. U think it is reasonably priced for San Diego. Seated at street level table by window facing lively street. Great ambience. Was worth the drive from North County. read more

Had never been here before, but their Restaurant Week menu sounded intriguing. Easy to get to with street parking. Nice indoor and outdoor seating. Wow, what an awesome lunch! Caprese and Caesar salad starters were so good. Lasagne Roll and Penne Vodka with Shrimp were both outstanding. Great service and atmosphere. We'll be back! read more

This restaurant has very good Italian food, if they have time, they are happy and try their food, this is exquisite and many thanks to Ana, the waitress who attended us for her help and recommendations. read more

The best way to describe IL Posto is excellent service & affordable dining. We were able to get a nice bottle of Chianti for $30, and most of the pastas were under or around $20. Now the food was just okay but honestly I'd eat it again. Ambiance is also really nice, especially inside near the wine bar. I also really like the restaurant location, lively neighborhood vibes. Would I go again? Yes! read more

South Park is becoming our Little Italy. So many nice Italian eateries. IL Postol is definitely one to experience and enjoy. The ambiance is fantastic with very friendly and supportive staff. All the dishes (Linguine Frutti Di Mare, Pizza Cotton E Funghi, Pizza Mortazza, and BYO Pasta) were fantastic and reminded us of our last trip to Tuscany. I especially loved the Pizza's crust. So doughy but crunchy too. We are definitely coming back! read more

See all

What I liked about this location is that it sits in a neighborhood community. We were lucky to have a window seat which allowed us to watch all the folks out and about. It appears to be a lively area. All the servers were attentive to their guests. The restaurant was full but the noise level wasn't high. We tried a pizza for our party of four as an appetizer. It was a good choice! All the entrees were nicely presented and prepared perfectly. Certainly a place we'd try again. read more

IL Posto - Pepperoni Pizza. Cheesy, delicious and top notch pepperoni. Loved the crust! - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

heard about this new spot opening in south park and obviously lover of italian food! me and a big group of friends came and were amazed with not only the service but all the dishes all the way from appetizers to entrees to desserts. There is a large array of options and choices to make and i love that they recommend specials and also options to customize! havent found a spot in sd that has done a vodka sauce well and wow this was amazing! also loved the arancini, pizza and pistachio dessert! also the focaccia was insane! highly recommend coming read more

IL Posto - vodka pasta, alfredo, and pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

The food was for the most part pretty good. The fried calamari I added to my "cesare" salad was very good and cooked perfectly, but the salad dressing was a poor effort at ceasar--no discernable garlic and too herby. It was also very petite for $10. The pasta pleased my companion, but was too cooked down and oily for the "fresh tomato" taste promised for me. However, I would have given it 4 stars, but for the deceptive pricing. On their website it says Happy Hour Menu 11:45-3pm (this is in essence their lunch menu which includes some sandwiches and lower prices on their main items) It does not say M-F, or M-Sat. In fact I've eatien here on a Saturday and was handed the Happy Hour menu. No where on the website or menu does it indicate that they do not serve the lighter menu on Sunday. When we were handed the Dinner menu, I questioned it, pointing out that they should say that on their website. The waiter's first reaction was to say he didn't control that. Then he said that Sundays are a holiday for them. When I didn't back down, he just went and got the Happy Hour menu (evidently he did have enough discretion to shift menus although not to recommend edits to their website!) We ordered from new menu, but the welcoming attitude had definitely cooled (as did my enthusiasm). When I got home, I compared the website's menu prices with the ones on the menu we were handed I saw a major discrepancy. The price of that ceasar salad was not $10, but $7.95. I have a problems with these business practices. I took a star away for them. I also noticed that the daily specials menu we were handed showed NO prices. read more

IL Posto - This is from the menu posted to their website as of 11/24/24. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We loved it. The drinks were awesome. We ordered the calamari and octopus for appetizers and were delicious. The main course we got pizza and 2 different pastas, all flavorful. I hope it stays like this and they don't change the quality of their food. Service was great too, the servers were super friendly and nice. The ambiance, I would say is casual, clean, not super fancy but nice. It can be great for both date night and even a family friendly event. read more

IL Posto - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Great ambiance and food. Nice wine list. Try the Cab from Paso Robes. Spinach Salad with feta cheese is nice and light. Lasagna is super and enough for two. For something different try noci (sp) with bolognese sauce. All Italian staff (related I believe) a bit of Italy in South Park. read more

IL Posto - Noci( potato pasta) with bolognese. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

If you like to customize/ make your own then this place is for you! I love the option of making your own pasta. I made mine with Linguine pasta with the pomodoro fresco- toppings of bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, arugula & goat cheese + protein of 2x meatballs & chicken. This place is soo good. The only thing I wish they served was complimentary bread like other italian restaurants would. Also, some may like the low brightness but I don't. It was hard to read the menu I had to use a flashlight. And I feel like they should have a sign on the other door so others know its not an entrance door bc people kept coming in and out when we had our tables at the exit & it was cold read more

IL Posto - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

From the moment we walked up to the door the service was top notch here. We had the artichokes, gnocchi and diavola pizza. It's so cool that they have a wide range of gluten free and vegan options. I highly recommend the artichokes! That was my favorite thing I tried tonight. The gniocchi and pizza was also very good. I can't wait to return to try more items off their menu. read more

See all

Overall great food and service. I loved the build your own pasta menu as it provided so many different options. We also ordered the focaccia bread it was so thick, fluffy, and delicious. Pricing is in line with most other Italian places in San Diego. Would definitely come back! read more

IL Posto - Build your own pasta (tagliatelle, vodka sauce, and mozzarella cheese) - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Meh. The food was just okay. My waitress was friendly. However, the other employees (including who I'm assuming was the manager) were distant and and weren't very friendly nor acknowledging. They never said one word to me except after I finished when I was leaving. I had already made it to the sidewalk when I faintly heard the manager (whom I had already walked by) say thank you. The restaurant was nice but not sure I'd go back again. I like restaurants with employees who are friendly. I'll go back to Cesarina or Arrivederci. read more

Il Posto recently introduced a happy hour about a month ago - which we were super excited about! We recently went to enjoy the new happy hour specials and were quite disappointed overall by the experience. To begin, we sat at the bar and were served only regular dining menus - we had to specifically seek out the happy hour menu. Aside from that, when we received our bill it was full price.. we had to ask for the happy hour prices be applied, and it took 3 times of issuing the bill to get the pricing reflected correctly. The experience ultimately felt like we were trying to be steered away from the happy hour savings by the staff. read more

Excellent service Excellent Food Very chic restaurant with corner glass windows viewing a quaint and chill neighborhood. read more

See all

This is why I rely on Yelp. I find places that are unique and delightful that i wouldn't normally try. Let's get into it. Lunch menu prices - great that they offer affordable prices so you can then decide if you'd come for dinner. And yes, I would. The decor was spectacular and impressive. The service was very enjoyable. Date night ready. read more

See all

This is some of the best Italian food I've ever had. I ordered focaccia bread and the potato cream pasta - omg, so unique and delicious. My friend ordered pasta with alfredo sauce - her and I both agreed that it was the best alfredo sauce we've ever tasted. I can't wait to come back! read more

Isella was wonderful! She was very kind, attentive, and took the time to walk us through the menu, which we really appreciated since it was our first time here. Her service made the experience even better. We'll definitely be back! read more

Quality authentic Italian dishes and Napoli style pizza that's to die for!! All wrapped up in a cozy, chic classy yet casual (any more c-adjectives to throw in there?!) vibe. This place is a true gem in the trendy South Park area. We had the margherita pizza, pepperoni pizza, and gnocchi with Alfredo sauce. And a delightful panna cotta to finish it off. With two kids in tow, we actually weren't planning to eat our second pizza there but couldn't resist. Coming straight out of a brick oven pizza is the best way to enjoy so why not indulge. The crust is perfection...soft and the right balance of chewy and crispy. The margherita is the best I've had and we've had plenty of good pizza on the east coast that's Italian. This tops it!! And I cannot believe how crazy fast it came out!! Looking forward to our next visit for sure! read more

See all

The pizza was amazing, great ambiance. Then Margherita Neapolitan Style pizza is amazing! Great taste and texture on the crust. I can't wait to go back to try the calzones. This place is an authentic Italian eatery, something you would get in wood Italian restaurant in Naples, Italy. read more

IL Posto - Outside dining. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I've been here several times. Great pizza and pasta dishes. But the fish and polenta with Ribeye was extremely salty and pricey. Also, wine selection is not too good if you like a decent wine. No full bar. Stick to pizza, pasta and beer. read more

See all

Delicious food and friendly staff. Fresh homemade pasta dishes. The seafood specials are also really good. Nice selection of wines. Decor is very nice and relaxing. Street parking only and is a challenge but worth it. Perfect place to eat before attending concerts at The Shell. read more

Okay, so my homegirl wanted to check this place out. Pero why not because it's pasta. So we went last Tuesday night to celebrate our other homegirls birthday (slay, Aquarius queen). The menu alone is a lot (in a good way). We started off with some appiessss (the trio). We ordered the 5 cheese stone oven pizza (had 4 lactaids to accompany this meal alone) and lemme tell you. That pizza was so freaking good. I love me a good yeasty pizza. It wasn't too thin and it wasn't burnt. Iykyk. I ordered this potato cream pasta. I am too lazy to look up the name on the menu but it came with a thicccc ass pasta. The sauce was super creamy and rich. Side note: our waiter didn't believe in our stomachs and didn't want us to order more than the 3 dishes we had so he told us to share. Listen hunnyyyyy, we want to try it all but we confidently told this man he doesn't know us like that. Lmao. Listen, we didn't finish it so he circled back and said, "I told you so". But anyway, I believed in us because the moment we take the Togo boxes home, I am already reheating it. This place is actually really good. Service was also quick and great! I would definitely come back and order 4 pastas again. read more

IL Posto - To be quite honest, I know I can easily look up the name of these dishes but I'm lazy. Lol - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Isela was an amazing server! The food and ambiance were also wonderful. Will be back soon.

Awesome!! It is a Top notch Italian restaurant in san diego. Staff were nice and kind. Absolutely delightful! One kiddo conquered a margarita pizza entirely, while the other triumphed over a whole pizza. Talk about a taste bud victory! I also want to taste a variety of menus. I'm ready for a delicious adventure! read more

loved the service, my waitress was Ana and she's very attentive and very good energy the food was also really good as well , pasta tastes great and the pizza as well read more