Came with my lady Thursday night, overall pretty cool bar. The food, music, drinks, and atmosphere was a vibe, I just didn't like the bar chairs. read more

Lala - Menu - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Since we are here weeks ago I've been craving those lasagna pinwheels, meatballs, arancini, we ate so much I could go on but I'm forgetting all we ordered. We found this place on Yelp and everyone that reads this should just get a reservation don't look any further for Italian food in San Diego! The service was phenomenal we sat at the bar it's our favorite spot in every restaurant. The mood was set with great music and adorable decor! We will definitely go back the next time we're in town! CHEFS KISS read more

My friends and I had reservations to try their Mob Wives themed pop up and were horribly disappointed. The pop up boasted a $50 preset menu that included a cocktail, Caesar salad, fries, and spicy rigatoni. We'd talked about it for weeks and had reservations for 6:45 on June 7th. We dressed to the nines in our best Mob Wives ensembles and got to the restaurant early. The hostess said we looked great for the theme but our table wasn't ready yet. We gladly sat at the bar for a round of drinks. I want to clarify that the service was great all around. Bartenders, wait staff, and hostess were all very sweet and attentive the whole time. We closed out at the bar and moved to our table once it was ready. We eagerly informed our server that we would all do the preset menu when he told us the promotion was over. We were a bit shocked because the Instagram for the venue says the promotion runs "through June." We asked him to confirm and he came back a few minutes later to confirm the promotion was over. We decided to piece the same menu together and split it between the 4 of us. While we were waiting for our food the hostess walked by so I asked her if she knew the promotion was over, given she complemented our outfits up on arrival. She said she was surprised to hear it was over as she thought it was still happening too. The food came out, it was good, but splitting it 4 ways left much to be desired. We left hungry. In the end we spent MORE money than we would've with the Mob Wives menu for 1/4 of the food/drinks. I normally steer clear of poor reviews but a week after our reservation, the Lala Instagram page posted four promotions for the ongoing Mob Wives pop up. I messaged them asking for clarification on the dates and was ignored. The poor communication is the reason for 2 stars. read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Lala had been on our shortlist thanks to a friend's recommendation, and it did not disappoint. After a weekend celebrating my girlfriend's birthday, we chose Lala for her actual birthday dinner, and it was the perfect way to cap off three days of festivities. We arrived a little early to unwind with a drink and were immediately impressed by the helpful bartender and an excellent happy hour menu. While two larger parties were being served when we sat down, we never felt overlooked, thanks to our incredible server, Ryan, and the attentive staff. The food and drinks were outstanding. We shared the Osso Buco and Rigatoni Marinara, enjoyed the Lala Martini and Lathario, and finished with the Sicilian Donuts, which were truly one of the best desserts I've ever had. Thank you, Ryan and the Lala team, for making my girlfriend's birthday dinner unforgettable. We can't wait to come back! read more

The food here was amazing! Our server was so kind to us and very attentive. I recommend getting the tomato and burrata with the bread and butter! 10/10 would totally come back!! read more

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Lala is Barbusa's little sister who still has a little growing up to do but will get there! Located in the back of a parking lot, with a small pink neon sign, she's easy to miss. There's valet parking out front for $12 which was convenient. We went there for a friend's birthday and tried so many things! For appetizers we tried the calamari which was light and delicious, and short rib arancini which was perfectly crispy, and the oysters had a buttery crumble that hit the spot. The lasagne pinwheels was a classic dish and very filling. The spaghetti nero con aragosta was so good with al dente squid ink pasta and lots of longostino chunks. Do not get the butternut squash ravioli unless you want dessert for dinner because the amaretto cream sauce was overly sweet. Drinks were delicious and stiff. Very loud since packed tiny place but overall great ambiance. Service was slow because it was very busy but friendly. read more

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Lala was soooooooo good! The drinks were bomb and the food looked amazing! We sat at the bar and the bar staff was awesome! The ambiance is fancy, but relaxed. 10/10 read more

Lala - Single Fin Date Club - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

This is a cute spot in little Italy. I expected more ambiance wise in terms of decor, although it was still well put together. The drinks were good, but nothing new. The steak tartare was the best thing that we ordered, but the chicharrones did take away from it. The loaded gnocchi was very underwhelming and had close to no flavor. The stuffed shells had a good marinara sauce, but the stuffing had very little flavor. The service was the best part about our visit. I really appreciated how attentive they were to us and how they offered new plates when a new dish came out. They also offered to box our food which I always appreciate from a restaurant. The parking can be tricky since it is primarily street parking in little Italy. Keep an eye out for the place since it's tucked away a bit from the street. read more

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I've visited Lala twice and have had great experiences both times! My favorite menu items are the spicy caesar salad and the lobster pasta! Tried a few new items the second time and loved the oysters and calamari! The service has been very slow but all of the servers are kind and helpful! We were celebrating a birthday and they charged us a birthday fee for the dessert which was really weird because they didn't give us an option on having dessert or not... it was just weird to give a dessert and charge for it without any communication. I like the ambiance there! It's decorated very nicely and lots of spots for a cute photo if you want to do that! read more

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Had a reservation for 5 for a birthday dinner. Seating: We requested a booth, but got a table for 4 with an extra chair. Ambiance: Moody, dark, girly chic, VERY tight and small. Service: Not good service, waiters seem annoyed, no introduction or menu review, they serve your drinks spilling on the table, and we had to ask waiters to clear plates after appetizers. No check ups to see if we were doing okay. Waiters walk around the restaurant staring at you seems like they don't know what to do. Food: YUMMY! Good flavors, good portions. Everything hot and fresh. Dinner menu is very limited. Conclusion: Good for MAX 1-3 people for apps and cocktails. read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

First visit here. In San Diego for a conference and decided to try Lala based on reviews. We' were promptly greeted, connected with our friends who were joining us and seated. Ambiance was cute. It was a little dark but had a neighborhood vibe. Our waiter came to take our order and was nice enough. 3 people had spaghetti and meatball which was acceptable. I had the Bibb salad which was tasty. My pesto cream pasta was mediocre. Our bruschetta was tasty and cut in small portions which was nice. Unfortunately, our server was not attentive throughout our meal. We ran out of water and he forgot my wine until I was halfway through my dinner. He never checked on us regarding our dishes. By the way my dish came out much later than everyone else's. I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a better experience. read more

The ambience is excellent. Perfect for date night. Parking is difficult even tho they have valet. The line was around the block for valet so get there early. Drinks were amazing and unique. Really enjoyed the Italian old fashioned presentation. All the food was amazing and our favorite was the burrata. read more

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Came here last night with a girlfriend and we loved it! Ambiance is super cute and modern and the staff was AMAZING. Our waiter was super attentive and we never had to wait for a drink- he was on it! We got the general joes calamari and the Cioppino dish. Both were sooooo good and the portions were huge! The calamari was probably the best I've ever had. I would come back for that dish alone. The Cioppino also was super good- the seafood portions in the dish were well worth the money. The shrimps were massive! We finished our meal with espresso martinis as a dessert and the busa family's recipe for the martini was great. Definately will be back to try other menu options. read more

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We came here after my art event at ArtWalk. It is a beautiful space , very well designed and decorated. The menu is simple and Italian fusion style. We ordered 4 appetizers to share, French baguette, pepper poppers, artichoke and calamari. I have to say, the food here doesn't impress me, they are generally too much sweet components, such as the sweet whipped butter for bread, sweet aioli for popper, and the whole calamari dish is very sweet.... I hope you can reduce the sugar content in your recipe. Otherwise, the service here is nice, atmosphere is good, food is well cooked, I think it's a pretty decent place. read more

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**Rating strictly off food** I LOVE Lala for their drinks but, unfortunately the food is very mediocre. I was just expecting the same level of wow you receive from Barbusa considering they are sisters and that was not the case. The spicy Caesar was good, lacked spice. The chargrilled oysters simply miss the mark from me, I will say the steak was really tasty. It came out on a bed of onions and mushrooms which I love. The pasta dish was okay, nothing spectacular. The service itself was fine, we were the only one seated in the restaurant for quite some time. And the ambience is still cuter than ever. I will be returning to Lala strictly for Drinks with the girls, while they do have a pretty extensive food menu I would prefer to keep my extra coins and allocate them to drinks. read more

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A friend and I stopped into Lala kinda by chance last night and it was such a vibe ! The bar is super cool aesthetically, which we love. I didn't realize it was super Italian food based, which is my favorite. The server was so sweet ! We wanted to know what was specifically in something and she was very thorough about it. Everything was quick and friendly and very good ! Their spicy Cesar salad will have me coming back. Also their calamari with an Asian flare was very very good and I'm super calamari picky. Also, at the end of the night they give you a piece of gum in the shape of a cigarette! If you puff it, it even blows a little smoke out ! I really enjoyed that Great food, great drinks, great vibes ! read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cute spot tucked away in the action of little Italy. The ambiance was very inviting and gives off a speak easy vibe. Food was great! I will say, I wish the Arancini didn't have peas in it and was cheesier. The pastas were amazing read more

Lala - Baguette and arancini - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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I give it four stars for the ambiance and cocktails but if I'm gonna be honest, I thought the food was just okay, I'd give it a 2. The scallops had a great taste but were overcooked and rubbery. The tartare was decent. As for the cioppino, I've had better. Highly recommend the Stiletto cocktail if you're in to fruity and creamy cocktails like I am. Overall I recommend going here just for the drinks, not for the food. read more

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I booked a reservation for this place for my first date and everything was better than expected... the ambiance and decor in the restaurant is amazing and very eye appealing while sitting down and enjoying a cocktail or beer from the bar. My server, Ryan, helped us out with what to choose since it was our first time & his recommendations were top tier. The Gnocchi was 10/10, the fried peppers were delicious and I wanted 3 more plates, and overall my date had a wonderful time. We will be back for sure for more eats and drinks! Looking forward to a place to take your lady out, or even forget your man to take all the girls for a night out... LaLa is the place! read more

Great date night spot! Service was great and I really enjoyed the food and drinks. Good portions and a good time. read more

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A fun new addition to Little Italy! Excellent cocktails (especially the oat milk espresso martini!) and friendly staff. Although they don't have a ton of gluten free options, a number of the shareables were gluten free and delicious, including the bacon and dates app and the antipasto tower (except the bread), and the bartender was very knowledgeable about allergies and walked us through the menu. Cute ambiance inside. Definitely make a reservation in advance as we tried to walk in without one the first couple of times with no luck. We will definitely go back! read more

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Super cute restaurants & mostly fair prices. I knocked a star down because the drinks menu is outdated. It said a glass of house white wine was $8 but the receipt showed it was $17. How can the drinks menu be that inaccurate?! The entrees & appetizer menu had accurate prices though. Also, our waiter didn't give us a dessert menu; he verbalized the three items. I couldn't see a description or price. Lack of transparency with the menus. read more

Cute little cozy bar with small plates. It's located in little Italy and we came here on a Thursday night. It was crowded but there is valet parking in the front of the restaurant until 10p for $15. Completely worth it and would recommend if you're going. The drinks were okay. The only one we really enjoyed and would order again was the stiletto which was like a creamy lemon drop. Food was decent. Beef tartare was good but for the some reason the chicharron left a weird coating in my mouth that I've never had before with chicharron. Almost spoiled the taste of the tartare for me. The calamari was amazing. Portion was good for 4 people and it had a sweet Thai chili vibe going on which made it stand out. Honestly I wouldn't come back here but glad I tried it. Food is expensive especially for being in little Italy. You can get the same food at a nicer restaurant or even a less nice restaurant for a better price. Considering that and I only enjoyed one of my drinks it's not something I'd recommend going to read more

Lala - Beef tartare - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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My fiancé surprised me with a birthday dinner over the weekend to Little Italy and I was surprised that I hadn't seen Lala before. The restaurant was perfect to celebrate and it had an intimate ambiance with beautiful paintings around. Our server was amazing and answered our questions about the drinks and food because everything looked delicious and we were deciding. My fiancé made the reservation through OpenTable and we were seated right away. Lala is a great place to have drinks and dinner. I highly recommend coming here. Order the calamari because it is the perfect appetizer to have! read more

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First time at Lala and it was AMAZING! We had Jesus and he was the absolute best!!! We had the gnocchi and lasagna both were 10/10. I recommend the stiletto cocktail. read more

Great restaurant. We almost walked by because it's set back in that driveway. We had an excellent staff. The Pasta Sicilina, steak tartare and the tomato & Burrata appetizer has to be the best in San Diego. We will be back in a few weeks. Must try. read more

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Overall experience was a 10/10. Very nice decor and somewhat of a small restaurant. I stopped by on a Sunday night around 7:00pm. Chargrilled Oysters and Spicy Caesar were a 10/10. I would give the Rigatoni Marinara and Gnocchi Rosa a 8/10. Our server, Andie, was attentive and full of recommendations. I would definitely come back but I would try an entree with protein instead of the gnocchi that I had. Oh and I forgot to mention, Tiramisu was phenomenal! One of the best tiramisu that I have ever had. It is a must try! read more

Lala - House Candy and Check - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Super cute place. It's a little hidden, but the service is excellent and drinks were divine. read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

great Italian food and great service. quiet little place with valet parking in little italy

At a glance: Would recommend: Yes Would go again: Yes * Format is my own rating | partner rating * Food quality: 5/5 | 4.8/5 Taste: 5/5 | 4.8/5 Options available: 4/5 | 4.15/5 Price: 4.5/5 | 3.8/5 Decor/Vibes: 5/5 | 4.9/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 | 4.9/5 Customer Service: 4/5 | 4.5/5 Friendliness of staff: 5/5 | 4.5/5 Pros: Nice aesthetic and in the heart of little Italy Cons: Tables were really close together so hard to have more 'private' or intimate meal Overall: 4.7/5 Partner Score: 4.54/5 We went on a Wednesday night and had no issues making a reservation 15 minutes before we wanted to eat. The ambience was really nice for a nice intimate dinner. Also the menu was a little short, but that's not a bad thing. That only means they have fewer ingredients and the food will be more fresh and most likely taste better. We had ordered the sicilian poppers appetizer and it was super delicious. The accompanied sauce was particularly good. We also had the pesto pasta as well as the gnocchi. Both were superb and rich. I preferred the pesto dish, as I could really taste the freshness of the ingredients. The gnocchi was great and the sauce was incredible but I felt it was a bit doughy and pretty heavy. The appetizer and two pastas were filling enough for us and we even took a little of the gnocchi to go. My only 'complaint' is that the water was empty nearly the entire time as I drink a lot of water and the cups are so small. I saw larger parties had a water container so they could refill themselves so I'm sure had I asked they would have brought it for me. They were also a little busy, which is why I'm assuming our server was unable to catch onto the empty water glasses. Overall really good and would recommend the Sicilian poppers and the pesto pasta for sure. Would recommend. Would go again. read more

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Stumbled upon Lala while walking through Little Italy, and I'm glad I did! This place is super cute and unique. I had a lemon drop, and it was delicious. The bartenders were so friendly and welcoming. I'll definitely be back for drinks and to try the food. Lala's such a great vibe! read more

Lala - Lemon drop - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food here, amazing! I went here for dinner where I had Beef Carpaccio to start off. LOVED IT. We had some drinks, can't remember the names, but was so good and fresh. Then i shared the Risotto with one of my friends! Definitely was enough for two people. We devoured it. The service was quick and very friendly. Ambiance was so cute! I will definitely go there again. read more

I recently tried Lala for the first time a few weeks ago to celebrate a birthday. As soon as we entered Lala, the ambiance was amazing - feeling very upscale! The staff was extremely attentive and welcoming and helped us pick out menu items to share with the table. The food was incredible. From the gnocchi to scallops everything was full of flavor and cooked perfectly. We had such a fun time celebrating and left having had such a wonderful meal and experience. We will definitely be back! read more

Lala - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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I cannot say enough good things about the food here!!! Literally one of the best meals I have had ever! The prices are insanely reasonable. We tried so many yummy dishes! We had the Fazzoletti Pesto, Bone Marrow Cavatelli, the meatball, Fettucini Alfredo and Shaved Truffles, beef carpaccio, Sicilian poppers, chargrilled oysters, and a delicious bottle of Italian wine! I can't wait to come back!!! read more

Lala - Meatball, bone marrow cavatelli, Fazzoletti Pesto - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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What a cute and cozy addition to Little Italy! My wife and I had to check out the new hidden Gem from the family that owns Barbusa and Nonna. A warm, intimate bar and restaurant that reminded me of LA or NY. Tucked in the back of the parking lot next to Barbusa, you could almost say it's a speakeasy. Iykyk Staff was very friendly when we arrived. Our server was a tall dark haired girl who made us feel very comfortable. I had the Lala Martini which was savory, sweet, salty, and a little spicy. Hit all the right notes! Wife had the Sidepiece which was super good and Im not a big tequila guy. We shared a few plates, all VERY good. Poppers were unique and little bombs of flavor. Spicy Ceasar had just enough heat and the perfect amount of cheese. The Stuffed Shells were also flavorful, saucy and cheesy. My wife had the Cioppino which she said was one of the best she's ever had. Overall amazing and such a different place than anything else in Little Italy. Will definitely be back! read more

Lala - Bar - Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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I am giving Lala 4 stars because of the wonderful service and the chargrilled oysters. The waiter and staff were extremely attentive and mindful of bringing new silverware/plates between appetizers and main course which I appreciated it. The chargrilled oysters were VERY good--it was topped with sriracha caviar that perfectly tied in all the flavors. We also enjoyed passionfruit mocktails and spicy Caesar salad (it's not spicy but has good flavor). I was not a fan of the Sicilian poppers and the rigatoni marinara. The Sicilian poppers were a little too sweet for my liking and nothing special. I was disappointed with the rigatoni marinara--the pasta was overcooked and the pasta sauce tasted like the marinara sauce in a jar you get from the grocery store. The ambiance of the restaurant was aesthetic. Overall I would give the restaurant a 3.6/5 (rounded it up to 4) rating. read more

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#1 the Lala Martini is a vegetable garden in your mouth and it's amazing #2 the steak is sizzling fire #3 Eli the bartender is a bartender #4 get the meatball it's a softball size of flavor #5 the books at the bar are hilarious #6 when chef nino is there you're in for a treat #7 how many points do you need? Great food! fantastic drinks! And a very intimate ambiance perfect for date night. read more

Great food, great people, great time! Family that owns the place is fantastic and were so kind. Beautiful atmosphere.

Lovely new place to visit in Little Italy. You must try the stiletto drink. The food was worth having. Mind you, expectations were low and blown away. read more

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+Pretty inside, decent food and upbeat ambiance. Good bartenders. -Uncomfortable unadjustable bar seating, leaving you too far from the bar to eat comfortably, and with no place for your feet your legs just dangle midair all night. - - HUGE cockroach crawling out of the kitchen!!! read more