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    Lucrezia La Jolla

    4.4 (942 reviews)
    PriceyItalian, Pizza
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Lucrezia La Jolla Photos

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    LUCREZIA LA JOLLA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Romantic
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - Lucrezia La Jolla

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    Spicy skinny & soda at the bar area
    Lorelie C.

    We love the ambiance and how nicely the place is decorated. We started at the bar area while waiting for our table. Service at the bar was good and we just had a drink each. I had the skinny spicy drink which I enjoyed. Once we were seated the live music was about starting. We enjoyed the live music but diners were just a little loud that it drowns the music. I started with half a dozen oysters, and Caesar salad. For my main I had the Linguini Vongole. All delicious and they were generous with the seafood in my pasta. We also had the Gnocchi Salccicia which also didn't disappoint. They give free appetizers of seasoned cheese and olives which I also loved!! Would like to come back again next time we're around!

    Seating
    Rob C.

    Food - Italian is the name Of the game. Appetizers, salads, meat, pasta, deserts. All are very good. I ordered the Gnochetta oysters, ceasar salad, cappuccino, wine and margaritas. Goood! Service by Maleyna was excellent. Good suggestions and she knows her stuff! Appreciate the service! You go girl!! Ambiance was nice and classy and casual all at the same time. Live music of the 80's play Would I return? Sure I would. Would try other dishes!

    Jeannie L.

    Tried this restaurant for the second time since they've been open for a while now - & the experience wasn't any better than the first time I went. The restaurant itself is gorgeous, with a beautiful bar & great decor. Everything else was disappointing. We sat at the bar (Saturday night, around 6:30pm) and found seats right away. Service was awful, there were at least 3 staff members behind the bar, 1 who was somewhat helpful but the other 2 paid zero attention to us. It took at least 5 minutes to even acknowledge us (and the bartenders truly were not that busy, they were just talking to each other / hanging out at the POS). Food is okay but not worth the prices. We had a Caesar salad, the linguine with white clams & spicy vodka rigatoni. There is a complimentary cheese/olive dish (olives are spicy). Bread service is $6. The linguine with white clams is good but has a kick to it & some of the clams just came empty. The spicy vodka rigatoni is not creamy at all & pretty spicy. It was decent but if you're looking for a more creamy dish, this isn't it. Overall, not an experience worth $$$. Food is okay but service was truly so bad for an establishment you think would be nice.

    Outside
    Steve Y.

    The young lady at the front desk was very nice. Our host, Marco, gave us a pleasant welcome after we were seated. He also has a great sense of humor. We started out with the Calamari Fritti and Arancini. Nice and light faire. Wife has the Manila Clams Linguini. It had a little kick to it, but she enjoyed it. Daughter had the Pasta Carbonara. I feasted on the special of the day, Lobster Fettucini. Muy delicioso!

    Shalini G.

    Stopped in for an after dinner drink... the space is GORGEOUS! felt like a Parisian Cafe. I haven't been in here since it was Larsen's steakhouse. the interior walls are all gone which made it so much brighter in addition to the light colors and big windows. I ordered a spicy skinny marg. it was beautiful...but not spicy at all and tasted rather sweet.... not sure how i felt about it. the ice cubes were intruding in every sip...I love specialty ice but this didn't quite work for this drink. i am curious to try the food here... will be back.

    Background a la fresco view of the restaurant front side.
    Aaron J.

    Highly underrated, genuinely authentic and delicious Italian food with a chill, lowkey atmosphere. Our waitress Amanda was amiable and knowledgeable. Our food portions were generous and delicious. We had the arancini (fried rice and mozzarella balls), lobster spicy vodka sauce pizza, and vodka sauce with rigatoni and meatballs. The meatballs are HUGE and are about the size of a baby's fist. Everything was well-cooked and thoroughly pleased our taste buds. Excellent Italian restaurant in San Diego. Easily just became one of my top three Italian spots. Bottom line: Come here if you want excellent Italian food paired with top shelf customer service.

    Ahi
    Vanessa H.

    This place has a nice ambiance for dinner and drinks, but the food is a miss for me. I've come here twice thinking the first time might've been an off night, but it was still mediocre. There's better Italian in SD. Food was a 3 but ambiance was a 4. The best things were the dessert. The tiramisu was delicious and that banana cake dessert was fire. It takes 15-20 mins to make. The Caesar and meatballs were okay. The meatball was a little dry but the flavor was good. The Cacio E Pepe was good. It was light and pasta was al dente. We subbed out the mussels for clams. It was made in a white wine sauce and Calabrian chilis. This was pretty good, but most of our clams were empty. The spicy vodka wasn't what I expected. It had more a tomato flavor vs a creamy tomato with a hint of spicy. It wasn't spicy to me. Maybe I was thinking it would be like Carbone's but it's far from it. The crudo of the day was the ahi. The presentation made it look unappetizing lol They should've cut it in portions and improved the plating.

    Tiffany T.

    There are two things that Lucrezia excels at: serving mediocre food and providing even worse service. In fact, the service my bridal party received was the worst dining experience I have ever encountered. We arrived as a party of eight for a bachelorette celebration and had a patio reservation for 7:45 PM. Initially, the evening started off well as we ordered appetizers and drinks. However, when our drinks arrived, our waitress, Kimmi, spilled an espresso martini on the bride and stated that she would "get to the mess later." If you spill a drink on a guest, why would you not immediately offer to replace it? Instead, she aggressively dropped a dirty rag in front of the bride and continued serving drinks to the rest of the table. Not only did she fail to prioritize cleaning up the mess she created, but she also largely ignored it, leaving the bride to use the rag herself to clean up the spill. Unfortunately, the service continued to deteriorate throughout the evening. At one point, our waitress incorrectly entered an order for a spicy vodka rigatoni with grilled shrimp, resulting in the dish being prepared with grilled chicken instead. When the mistake was brought to light, she told the kitchen staff in front of our entire party to "just scoop off the chicken and add shrimp on top." What if that person in my party was allergic to chicken? This response was both unprofessional and concerning, as it demonstrated a lack of attention to quality control and proper food-handling standards. As the entrees arrived, additional issues became apparent. My Caesar salad was served without the shrimp I had paid an additional $14 to add. When I brought the oversight to the staff's attention, I was simply offered the shrimp on the side rather than being provided with the dish as ordered. As shown in the photo, the shrimp that should have been served on my Caesar salad was instead originally brought separately on the red dish next to it after I pointed out the mistake. As we continued comparing meals across our table, we also noticed significant inconsistencies in portion sizes. When we brought this up to our waitress, she dismissed our complaints instead of addressing them. Their lack of quality control became even more evident when another member of our party received stray spaghetti noodles in their gnocchi dish. In the end, we chose not to leave a tip due to the disappointing customer service, mediocre food, and overall lack of cleanliness throughout the restaurant. Behind our table, a dirty glass and rag had been left sitting on the windowsill for the duration of our meal. To make matters worse, Kimmi confronted a member of our party about the absence of a tip and did so in an aggressive and unprofessional manner. She stated that she was "forced to pay her staff out of her own pocket" and that she was "pregnant." These comments came across as an attempt to make our party feel guilty for not tipping despite the consistently poor service throughout the evening. The only positive aspect of our experience was the hostess, who was kind, welcoming, and professional throughout the evening.

    Akhil M.

    Honestly, I can't say enough good things about our experience at Lucrezia! We came here for my wife's birthday dinner and it was easily one of the best nights we've had in La Jolla. The ambiance is absolutely amazing--it's chic, upscale, and has this perfect indoor-outdoor flow that feels so Mediterranean. The music was also spot on; it really set a lively yet sophisticated mood for the whole evening. For the food, we started with the Calamari Fritos, which were perfectly crispy and fresh. The Rigatoni Vodka Pasta was the star of the show for me--the sauce was so creamy and flavorful--and you can never go wrong with their Pizza Margherita, which tasted like it came straight out of a wood-fired oven. What really pushed it over the top was the courteous staff. They were attentive without being overbearing and made us feel so welcome. They even surprised my wife with a small birthday cake, which was such a thoughtful and delicious touch. Everything from the service to the vibes was just "too good." If you're looking for an amazing experience for a special occasion, this is the spot!

    Bryn S.

    Fantastic. Great service. Food was great. The inside is soooo cute. Its a great hidden spot. More people should check this spot out.

    Joseph C.

    The food is absolutely amazing the chefs know how to prepare authentic Italian dishes. The wine is absolutely delicious they never give bad wine or food. The waiters and waitress are always friendly a service with a smile and speedy. The ambiance is calm and peaceful on a Friday afternoon made evening most relaxed restaurant for a birthday and engagement. Ivica the manager is always a sight to see and gives the best manager experience always.

    Large grilled shrimp - a decent entree option sans veggie side !
    Alan C.

    I was in town for a work trip and staying nearby at the Marriott and some work colleagues and I saw the decent reviews and we thought we'd give this smart looking Italian restaurant a try. Certainly the place is impressive looking. The tables are widely spaced, the waiter brought over a tiny coat rack for my colleagues to hang her purse and jacket - so that kind of service in this day and age is nice to see. The menu was not unsurprisingly a little steep for what they are serving - but I get it, you are paying in large part for the location and setting. Not sure a small (and I mean small) bowl of simply fried calamari should be $30+ dollars, but we ordered it thinking it might be more shareable for the four of us. It was a teaspoon each. No finesse. They could have added some nicely fried lemon slices or fried olives to the order but it was just a teenie tiny bowl of fried squid. It would be small for a bowl of cereal ! Once that arrived I knew we were in for more tiny plates...and that's how it played out. The almost $40 pizza with arugula and a thin veil of prosciutto was also rather tiny (12-14 inches across) and disappointingly not as crusty on the bottom undercarriage as one would hope a proper Italian restaurant featuring pizza would produce. It was doughy, the sauce was nondescript and quite honestly we almost didn't finish it despite its diminutive size. It really didn't impress at all. I mistakingly gave the tagliatelle with nonna's 60 hr meat sauce a try, thinking certainly that a classic pasta and meat sauce would be a slam dunk for an Italian restaurant but I should have noticed that they really don't feature pastas here and I now think I know why...it was very pedestrian and the sauce kind of lacked. I added one meatball and that was helpful but it was a very average pasta and red sauce w a meat ball coming in at $40. The waiter eventually came by and asked if I wanted grated cheese and once again they are using a metal grater like off a box grater with very large holes so it ends up like paint chips on top of what was now a Luke warm pasta dish. It never melted or even appropriately reheated into the dish because the size of the hard cheese was way too thick and the pasta dish was luke warm. Probably sitting and waiting for the grilled bronzino my colleague had (a much better choice), and the large grilled shrimp another coworker ordered. They looked good as well but neither came with a side and for $50-60+ a dish perhaps some table bread and olive oil or a small scoop of veggies might be nice ? We ordered a small side of mushrooms and broccolini to share and they were perfunctory. Nothing notable. I have to admit, I was genuinely unimpressed with what we were served and it might explain why the restaurant was only half full during dinner hour when it looked like the Mexican place next door and the soup dumpling place one flight upstairs were packed. I probably won't be back. Too many decent choices in the area even on my work-related expense account budget. Ciao Lucrezia La Jolla....

    Fries
    Shong H.

    Stopped by for aperitivo hour, which runs daily from 3:00-5:00 p.m. in the bar area. They offer decent food and drink deals. We ordered the calamari, fries, Aperol spritz, and draft beers from the aperitivo menu. The calamari was okay. The breading wasn't too heavy but lacked flavor. I didn't care for the mayo sauce it came with, but the spicy pomodoro sauce was the saving grace. The fries were tasty, with a nice crispiness, and the rosemary and cheese really elevated them. Between the two, I would recommend the fries and would order them again. The Aperol spritz was delicious and well balanced. Overall, I loved the décor and ambiance of the restaurant. Service at the bar was quick and attentive. If I'm in UTC, I'd happily stop by again for aperitivo.

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    Page 1 of 24

    Lucrezia La Jolla Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Lucrezia La Jolla

    Do they have gluten free pizza?

    No they don't

    Is there a dress code?

    No there isn't!!

    Do they accept walk-ins?

    Dear Timmy, Certainly, We do accept walk-ins.… Read more

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    Filippi's Pizza Grotto Little Italy

    Filippi's Pizza Grotto Little Italy

    3.9
    (4k reviews)
    10.6 mi
    $$

    I'm not much of an Italian food lover but this was hands down the best Italian food I've had in my…read morelife. I was a bit hesitant because I typically cook my noodles IN the sauce versus topping them with sauce but this meal did not disappoint. Both the meat in the ravioli and sauce were very flavorful. The garlic bread was typical but still really tasty. The waitress was nice and hospitable. The ambiance was nice. The restaurant is located in the back of what looks like a store in front. I appreciate a nice whole in the wall, mom & pop shop. I'd definitely return next time I'm in SD.

    Pizza Wasn't the Only Thing Getting Fired Up Outside…read more We weren't even customers here, but after what I saw outside this place I definitely won't be one in the future. We were standing on the sidewalk near the red seating area in front of Filippi's Pizza Grotto for about ten minutes finishing a smoke. I had recently experienced a flare-up of a chronic illness, which significantly affected my well-being. During this episode,I had felt the need to smoke as a way to manage the heightened stress and discomfort caused by my condition. Right as we finished and were about to leave, a police car pulled up (it honestly looked like the officer was just stopping by to grab lunch). That's when an older lady employee from the restaurant suddenly came outside and said, "Do you mind moving down? The smoke is going into my restaurant." Fair request. We immediately responded respectfully with "Sorry miss," and started walking away to avoid any issue. But instead of leaving it there, she kept escalating the situation while they were already leaving, repeating things like "This is a family business, have some respect!" -- which didn't really make sense considering we had already apologized and were doing exactly what she asked. What made the whole thing feel strange was the timing. We had been standing there for around ten minutes already. If the smoke was truly bothering the restaurant, why wait until the exact moment a police car pulled up to come outside and confront us? From the outside, it honestly looked like the presence of the police suddenly gave her the confidence to make a scene and try to draw attention to us even though we were already complying. It appears she wanted to get us into legal trouble with her making it a bigger scene in front of the police. Another thing that didn't sit right with me was that we were the only Hispanics standing in the area at the time and the only people she chose to confront. I'm not saying that was the intention, but from a bystander's perspective it definitely didn't look great. Also, I'm still confused by the "this is a family restaurant" comment. What exactly does that mean in this situation? Are people who smoke not allowed to eat there? Because we weren't even customers at the moment we were simply standing on a public sidewalk and immediately moved when asked. If someone respectfully complies with your request, there's really no reason to continue escalating the situation or trying to involve the police by drawing attention to it. If this is how people are treated outside the restaurant, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence about how customers are treated inside. It appears that if you're Hispanic or a smoker you should steer clear of this place. I wouldn't be surprised if she has ICE on speed dial.

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    Filippi's Pizza Grotto Little Italy
    Chicken Parmigiana
    Chicken Parmigiana
    Margherita Pizza with meatball

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    Margherita Pizza with meatball
    Monello

    Monello

    4.0
    (2.3k reviews)
    10.5 mi
    $$

    This place was absolutely amazing. To start off with the most important part, the food. We began…read morethe meal with the mini fried calzones with mozzarella and tomato sauce inside and they were great. You could tell the bread was super fresh and high quality so I would recommend it. Next, we got a glass of prosecco. I told the waiter that I only like wine that tastes much more sweet then bitter or strong and he made a perfect suggestion along with giving us a sampler of 3 different wines which was so generous. I got to try them all and pick the one I liked the most, but even the samples were a generous size. For main course I got one of the current options for the cheese wheel pasta they make in front of you in cacio e pepe and my husband got the formaggi pizza with truffle mushrooms. My husband absolutely loved his pizza and the crust was one of the best he's ever had. My pasta was fresh and had a ton of sauce and cream so they didn't skimp at all. I could tell easily that they use very high quality Parmesan because i'm a Parmesan connoisseur and could taste how potent it was. They let me have as much extra as I wanted on without limiting since I enjoy a lot on it which was also a plus in my book. Next time I would get a pasta that's a little lighter, because it was a more heavy dish and it tends to make me feel pretty full after which is totally a me thing, but they have so much on the menu to try that I'm sure I'll love whatever I get even more next time. Lastly, dessert. We got a regular tiramisu and it was absolutely amazing. They put a ton of cream which is exactly what I look for. It wasn't too espresso or cocoa strong and had a perfect ratio. The cream was so light and fluffy that we had to get another one to bring home and eat tomorrow night! I had seen a previous review on here about someone not liking the tiramisu here and it not meeting their expectations for a more upscale Italian place but I've been to quite a few authentic Italian gems and this one had tiramisu up there so I'd have to disagree and completely recommend! The service was impeccable. Every waiter was kind and prompt, constantly making sure we were taken care of and getting what we needed. The atmosphere was also a plus for us because we have a 1 year old baby and there was enough room where we weren't too cramped or crowded in, and it wasn't too loud or overstimulating. The place was very clean and taken care of as well as the bathrooms. All in all, I loved this place and I will be coming back. I would definitely recommend Monello for a nice little date night, and don't forget the tiramisu.

    Nice calamari to start and wine Wednesday selection was fabulous…read more I had the parpadelle with pesto and chopped grilled chicken. Fresh and garlicky and the chicken portion gave a great bite with every forkful. Would return!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Squid ink lobster sauce spaghetti
    Squid ink lobster sauce spaghetti
    Espresso martinis

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    Espresso martinis
    Davanti Enoteca

    Davanti Enoteca

    4.1
    (2.9k reviews)
    10.7 mi
    $$

    We normally visit the Delmar location of this wonderful restaurant. Last night, we decided to try…read morethe little Italy location. It's right in the heart of Little Italy on India Street in between all of the other wonderful Italian restaurants. When we walked up. They have patio seating as well as inside dining. We decided to do inside dining as it was starting to get chilly outside. We were immediately seated by a wonderful hostess, and that made a positive impression upon us. The whole hostess staff had great smiles on their faces and they were very welcoming. After about two minutes of sitting down, our server came to ask us if we needed time to look over the menu. We said yes but that we wanted a Foccacia Bread table starter. She smiled and immediately went to put the order in. A few few minutes later she came back and we ordered our drinks for dinner: Raspberry Italian Soda, Orange Crush with Fresh Cream on top, and a non-alcoholic spritz. After we got our drinks and sip on them, it took us a bit of time to decide what we wanted. We all know that the burger here is fantastic! However, this evening, we decided to try new things. We ordered: Pappardelle Bolognese with Added Meatballs, Pappardelle Bolognese as it is normally prepared, and a Caesar salad with shrimp added. Our food was out within about 10 to 15 minutes and everything was prepared perfectly. I have to say that we really enjoyed dining in this location and we may need to come back here more instead of traveling to the Del Mar location sometimes. Our server was super customer service oriented and we appreciated her. She went above and beyond to get the orange crush drink to be unique like an Italian soda for my daughter. We were super stuffed and could not do dessert, but we did promise to come back to enjoy the lava cake at a future time. Overall, this was an excellent visit and we appreciate the staff in the great energy that we received at this location. I do highly recommend it.

    I really wanted to like Davanti, but the food was a disappointment. The dishes we tried were…read moresurprisingly plain and lacked flavor, especially considering the restaurant's reputation. Nothing stood out, and overall the menu felt uninspired and boring. That said, the service was excellent. The staff was friendly, attentive, and professional throughout the meal, which made the experience more enjoyable. Unfortunately, great service can only make up so much when the food doesn't deliver. While I appreciated the hospitality, I don't see myself returning for the cuisine.

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    Inside near bar
    Inside near bar
    GNOCCHI BOLOGNESE
    GNOCCHI BOLOGNESE
    Tuesday 50% off wine

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    Tuesday 50% off wine

    Lucrezia La Jolla - italian - Updated July 2026

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