Came here on a Tuesday evening for my birthday dinner. I booked through OpenTable around 6 PM, and we ended up running about 10 minutes late because of traffic from the Padres game. Parking down here definitely isn't easy, but we luckily found a spot nearby. The restaurant was surprisingly quiet when we arrived, which I'm sure had a lot to do with the game. We were the only guests at first, but by the time we left there were several other tables dining. From the moment we walked in, the service was absolutely phenomenal. Our server made us feel so welcomed. We ordered: * Focaccia Bread: I personally would have liked it a little crispier, but you could tell it was fresh, and it had really nice flavor. * Burrata & Strawberry Salad: light, refreshing, fresh, and absolutely delicious. I added a little balsamic vinaigrette for extra flavor, but overall it was fantastic. * Amatriciana (with added meatballs$: you can add meatballs for $7, and they also offer add-ons like shrimp or burrata for around $6-$8. The homemade pasta completely stole the show. The noodles were fresh, perfectly cooked, and honestly some of the best pasta I've had in San Diego. The meatballs were huge, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. Two was the perfect amount. To top it all off, they surprised me with flan and a dessert wine for my birthday, which was such a thoughtful touch and made the night even more special. Overall, this place absolutely lived up to the hype. The restaurant is cute, clean, and welcoming. The service was outstanding, and the in-house pasta is incredible. Prices are a little on the higher side, but with the location and quality, it's completely worth it. We felt welcomed from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. read more

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Amazing food and service. Great vegetarian options! Went around dinner time on a Saturday and got lucky with being seated right away; however, I'd recommend reservations beforehand. read more

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The husband and I were walking around downtown looking for dinner and everything seemed too packed, too loud, too fratty, for what we were in the mood for and just when we had given up hope, we stumbled onto a quiet street, and saw a cute little restaurant that makes fresh pasta. Fortunately for us, there was plenty of room and no wait. Something told us we were in for a treat. We ordered the wild boar, amatriciana, meatball appetizer and the tiramisu. Everything was spectacular! Definitely coming back when we're in town next! read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Wild Boar Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Late post from at least three years ago. Food was great, but portions could be bigger for growing teenage boys. Service was attentive. Busy evening with patio dining. read more

Despite being busy, the waiter quickly accommodated us. He quickly got our order underway and made some good suggestions on the specials. We got 4 different pastas- all of which the plates were cleared by the end of the meal. Great casual food joint. read more

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I came here over Valentines Day weekend and overall my experience was pretty good! We booked a reservation in advance since we were expecting Vday craziness and it's good that we did since the place filled up pretty quickly. We ordered the focaccia bread, carbonara, and short rib ravioli. All of them were really good, but a note on the carbonara is that it is a traditional carbonara so it's not made with cream and the texture of the pasta was firmer and more al dente. Not bad but definitely different so something worth noting if you're used to the more "American" carbonara! The focaccia was the appetizer and that came out pretty quickly but the pasta was taking a bit more time to prepare which I expected since it was so busy. A table who sat down and ordered after us ended up getting their pasta before we did. Our server noticed and was very apologetic and even offered us a free dessert which was really kind of them. We ended up choosing the gelato. I forget the actual name from the menu but it's chocolate and hazelnut gelato with some runny chocolate in the center. It's a cute date night spot with a very romantic atmosphere and good food that you can tell is true to its Italian roots! read more

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Place was packed after a Padres game but they were still able to find a spot for us, small place but doesnt feel super crowded when full. Pretty quick to get the meals also! Probably some of the best pasta I've had in southern california. The gorgonzola ravioli was phenominal, the sauce on it was next level delicious. Didnt feel super heavy like some pastas do. The carbonara was maybe in need of a little more sauce but was still very good. Recommend this place for sure. read more

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This joint is right in my hood, so we happened upon it and had to give it a try. Started out with the burrata peach salad, loved the components though the peppery greens were a bit overpowering if the other flavors. Also had to try the meatballs, perfectly cooked with a tangy sauce and crisp toasts. Finished up with the carbonara, which was a slight disappointment as the pasta was rather tough. The flavors eeee all good, just the texture was an issue. Ambiance is street cafe chic, service was good, and prices were slightly above expectation as the portions were smaller than expected. read more

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Super friendly and awesome staff, the host was very accommodating and having us. We didn't even have any reservations. The place was pretty full, but he managed to squeeze us in. It's a nice little quaint, beautiful restaurant in the shopping center and looks like maybe residential living above. The food was pretty authentic and really good. When the San Diego area will definitely be coming here again. read more

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Probably one of the best pasta/Italian spots I've ever been to and an absolute must try if you're in San Diego! The service was fantastic, the ambiance was nice, but the food is really the star of the show here. I highly recommend the pesto pasta and the pistachio cheesecake, absolutely phenomenal flavors! Here is everything we tried: 5/5 - Focaccia Bread: possibly the best focaccia I've ever had at a restaurant, and that's not an exaggeration either. A fantastic starter or side if you like bread like I do, haha. 5/5 - Pistachio Pesto & Gamberi pasta: the pesto flavors of this pasta were so rich and creamy, I savored every single bite and couldn't wait for the next. We also decided to get the shrimp on the side because I generally don't like it, but I ended up trying some and it was the best shrimp I've ever had. 3/5 - Gnocchi Alla Arrabbiata Sauce: this was the one miss of the night, this is supposed to be a spicy flavor forward dish, based on the description. However, we found it to be rather muted in flavors, but the gnocchi pasta itself was so well made! 5/5 - Pistachio Cheesecake: I'm a huge dessert person, and this was so delicious and so amazing, even by my high standards. The texture and the richness was so divine, yet not too heavy, every bite felt amazing. I highly recommend adding a scoop of gelato. 5/5 - Vanilla Gelato: I've never been a huge fan of just getting vanilla gelato, but this was some of the freshest and most delicious gelato I've ever had, I couldn't wait to eat every bite of its creamy goodness. Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Value: 4.5/5 Overall: 4.75/5 read more

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We came here to eat after a full day of conference. The ambiance is comfy and low key. Service is excellent. It was quiet enough that we could have nice conversations. We loved everything we ordered! Loved their Tuscan truffle pasta, prosciutto and peach arugula salad, and excellent chocolate almond pannacotta. read more

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I so wanted to like this place. It was just a miss all around. The foccacia bread with truffle oil added was one of the best dishes. The gnocchi was pretty disappointing. The texture was ok but the sauce was less than great. We paid extra for torched mozzarella and nothing was torched. It was shredded mozzarella that melted from the heat of the pasta. Very disappointing and rather small portion for the price. I don't think it was worth $30. The Tuscan style bascaiola was fairly decent. Had some good flavor to it and the portion of this dish for the price was decent. Their signature dish was pretty good. Very rich and flavorful but I don't think I could eat the whole thing myself as the flavors were really powerful and although good would have been too much to eat the whole thing myself. I think this with the bread was th best part of the meal. The service was really bad. We got the bread and salad as appetizers and we waited almost 90 minutes before the main meal arrived. They walked past us multiple times and didn't check on us. We would have ordered another glass of wine but we were never approached or asked if we needed anything. Kind of a disappointing dinner out. Not so sure if I'd come back. read more

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Monzu Fresh Pasta offers solid pasta dishes in the Gaslamp area in San Diego. On a recent trip to San Diego, my friends and I came to visit Monzu Fresh Pasta for my birthday dinner during Comic-Con weekend. While there are many different options near the Gaslamp, there are many restaurants that are just okay and charge high prices due to their convenience. Monzu was better than most without being too unreasonable. Here is what we ordered: Meatball (4/5): The perfect appetizer for our table of four because it came with four meatballs! They seemed like fresh out of the oven with great seasoning. Short Ribs Ravioli (4/5): These were nice little pockets of meat enveloped in the same flavorful pasta sauce used for the meatball. It could have used a little bit more meat but at least it was seasoned well and felt reasonably full after. Pistachio Pesto (3.5/5): I felt a little disappointed by this. The pistachio flavor in the pesto felt a little muted for me, and some of the pasta pieces being chewier than usual. The shrimp pieces saved the dish adding the needed flavor but there wasn't enough. Because it was a busy day, we were seated outside. However, the inside looks very nice with cute decor. Regardless, the service was still super friendly and attentive even with the extra crowd due to the convention. They even brought out a complimentary birthday dessert which I really appreciated. Overall, Monzu Fresh Pasta is a great place to try if you are looking for solid Italian food in the Gaslamp area. read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Pistachio Pesto - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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True to their name - fresh pasta! My boyfriend and I had such an amazing time at Monzu for his birthday dinner. Great service and amazing food! I made a reservation on OpenTable and we were seated promptly. We ordered 2 glasses of wine - white for me and red for my boyfriend. For food, we ordered the truffle chips, cestino al tartufo, and short ribs ravioli. Both pastas are considered their signature dishes, so we decided to try both. The truffle chips were fresh and crispy, and paired perfectly with our wines. Out of the pastas, I enjoyed the ravioli more since I felt the cream sauce got too heavy for me after a few bites. However, I really enjoyed the parmesan "bowl" the pasta came in since I've never seen pasta presented in that way before. Both my boyfriend and I felt that the fresh pasta was the star of the night. Giuliano was our server, and he was the best! Super attentive and friendly, and he even gave us a tiramisu on the house since we were celebrating a birthday! A must-visit for date night or a night out with your girls. read more

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Came here for the first dinner of our SD trip! Found this place on Open Table and looked so good! It's a small restaurant with patio seating. I liked the fresh air patio seating with heat lamps! We got the prosciutto with focaccia and it comes with arugula which i think is a very good pair. I enjoyed the balsamic and olive oil to dip the bread in. Very good and plenty. We also got the Cestino al Tartufo which is mild and has truffle flavor with black pepper. It comes in a Parmesan bowl! That pairs well. Then we got the Amatriciana which is mild red sauce and added meatballs. The noodles in both taste hand made and cooked perfectly al dente. My bf said it was the best italian food he ever had. I also thought it was veryy good! The tiramisu was on the house and it was delicious and comes with strawberry and chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Our waiter Alberto was very good with some recommendations and checked on us often. I def recommend this place. read more

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As my wife and I approached another year married, we were trying to figure out where to go. It didn't take long for the both of us to agree to Monzu. What was more amusing, was after dinner my wife asked if I had reviewed it yet... I was pretty confident at the table reassuring that of course I did. Though after a quick check, I had to admit I was wrong... Well I've been to Monzu multiple times now, and frankly it doesn't dissapoint. My first encounter was on a work outing. As I glanced at the menu, I was initially a little intimidated. There were a bunch of Italian words I didn't recognize. Being a somewhat picky eater I wanted to make sure I got something I could eat. I quickly found something I recognized: Ravioli - more so that it was just Cheese Ravioli with TRUFFLE SAUCE!!! Each bite was a heavenly. It especially paired well with the Chianti Wine. Then the dessert showed up - Pistacio Cheese Cake. It was decided, I had to take my wife here for a nice romantic date night. The atmosphere at Monzu is truly relaxing. It's a rather small restaurant, but it has this cozy sort of vibe to it. There is also outdoor seating, which is surprisingly nice - but just remember you are Downtown San Diego, so it can be a bit of gamble. Luckily the outdoor patio is well maintained and vey inviting. The trees were in bloom when we last there certainly added to the atmosphere. My wife and I have gone here twice together to celebrate our wedding anniversary. First round I wanted to relive the heavenly experience with the Cheese Ravioli. Though on our last outing - I ended up trying the Short Rib Ravioli. Both are stellar options. I even went a bit out of my comfort zone with the Mozzarella Rolls. Essentially Prosciutto wrapped in Fresh Mozzarella with a Fig compote served with Arugula. I was surprised by all the flavors - the Super Tuscan wine and it paired perfectly. My wife tried the the Cestino Al Tartufo - which is homemade Bucanti with cheese and truffle sauce inside Parmesan crisp bowl. This time around Porcini Ravioli - mushroom ravioli's served in a Gorgonzola sauce topped with caramelized walnuts. She enjoyed both dishes, but also really liked the Short Rib Ravioli. Sharing is caring. Overall a great place to celebrate special occasions - just note it can be a little more expensive then most places. Though you certainly get what you pay for - it's more than worth it. I've never left feeling like I didn't experience something truly special. This has become my go to Italian Restaurant, especially for special occasions. read more

The food at this unassuming restaurant is absolutely phenomenal. Alberto and Gianluca made us feel like we were literally in Italy. How good is Monzu? Well, let's just say we came for a conference and made dinner plans here for 3 nights in a row. read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Mushroom Ravioli - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Fresh pasta! I will say, our experience here was probably heavily impacted by the other parties there that day, so it might not reflect what you might get. Context: There was a table of 16-18 people indoors (by the wall nook area) celebrating a birthday and they were EXTREMELY loud the entire time. Like so loud it's hard to hear our own conversations and the sudden laughs startled me a few times haha. The restaurant is tiny and there were 4 other small parties besides us in the restaurant! It is WILD that they would allow such a large group without booking out the entire indoor space. The ambiance was heavily impacted as the noise level was bar-like instead of cozy and intimate. Anyway, the fresh pasta is certainly the highlight. We enjoyed the short rib ravioli very much both flavor and texture wise. The carbonara was slightly lacking in flavor if you take a bite without the pancetta, but the texture of the pasta was fantastic. Really enjoyed the meatball appetizer as well - just wish it came with more bread so we can soak up the sauce! For dessert, tiramisu was wonderful and had a strong coffee flavor and moist sponge cake texture. The special of the day was a lemon tart/torta and that was just okay (a little too dry). Again, I think the servers were extremely overwhelmed serving and catering to the giant party... so the service was slightly lacking that night. For example, a staff saw that our bottle of water was empty (our glasses were also empty), and came by to take the water away... but never came back with a new one or asked if we wanted more water (lol?) Everyone was friendly so I really think it was due to the chaos of managing too big of a party next to us. read more

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Was between 3 and 4 starts for this one. Food was good, but nothing amazing or worth coming back for. Came on a Saturday night and it wasn't too busy or loud inside. Service was good. Started with the Spring Burrata Salad that came with arugula, prosciutto, strawberries, and burrata. Burrata was leaning towards more of a stringy mozzarella, and there needed to be maybe more glaze or olive oil to make up for the dryness of the arugula. Carbonara wasn't my favorite. Pasta was maybe a little too al dente and came out just warm (I think it was waiting for the other entree to be cooked and just sat). It also lacked pieces of the crispy guanciale (I had only a couple) to get that crunchy bite and saltiness to help add that layer of flavor and texture in the pasta. Majority of the guanciale pieces were all fatty and blended in with the texture of the pasta, so it went a bit unnoticed, and overall made the pasta feel quite linear. Short rib ravioli was probably my favorite of the food. Came out steaming hot, the sauce was flavorful, and it tasted fresh. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Star of the show is the dessert. If you get anything, try to pistachio cheesecake and tiramisu! Both of these tasted so fresh and weren't overpowering with sweetness. The freshness of the pistachio crumbles with the lightness of the cheesecake was amazing. read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here recently for a solo dining experience and was pleasantly embraced by the coziness of the space and warm, welcoming staff. The pasta was so fresh and melt-in-my-mouth delicious, I couldn't help but finish the entire (generous) serving! I can't wait to try the other pasta offerings on the menu-there were so many selections. Paired with my favorite glass of Sangiovese, it was a divine time. The staff made me feel so welcome even though I was just by myself and it was clearly a busy night! read more

Enjoyed outside dining next to their gas fireplace. Alberto was extremely friendly and helped out with wine pairings and entree questions. We started with the mozzarella rolls. Very tasty. For dinner we had the Roman Carbonara and Boscaiola. Both plates were completely clean by the end of our meal! The fresh made pasta was incredible! Ended with the cannoli which was rich and decadent. Will absolutely be stopping by here my next time in San Diego! read more

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I would highly recommend this if you're downtown near the Padres Stadium. It can be a good place for catchups or date nights. Food: great! Their pasta and foccia are all homemade and you can really taste the nice blends of flavors. My favorite was the boscaiola, as the sauce was nice and creamy and suited well with the mushrooms. Staff: awesome Thank you to our servers who helped us with our order. He was real kind and came by often to our table read more

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What a wonderful Italian restaurant located not too far from the Gaslamp District. Reservations are recommended as it can get busy very quickly. There are outside seating available with umbrellas if it gets too sunny. The inside dining area is cozy with bright whites and blues reminiscent of coastal areas or Italy. Many came in for early dinner and it seems to be a popular date spot. The pasta tasted very fresh and authentic. I enjoyed my bolognese pappardelle dish very much. The red meat sauce was not too thin and the pasta was al dente. I should have save some to go, but it was delicious and I ended up finishing the plate. The meatballs were moist and shareable as four came in a serving. Their signature dish was a creamy pasta with truffle sauce served in a Parmesan bowl. It was rich, creamy and filling. I was surprised I had room for dessert. The hazelnut gelato from Calabria was smooth and hit the sweet spot after a rich Italian dinner. Juliano was our server and he was wonderful in explaining the menu and providing recommendations. I would definitely revisit this spot to try the other menu items. read more

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So was recommended here by someone saying it was amazing and I beg to differ. Service was off and they didn't hear half our order and the taste just wasn't amazing. It wasn't bad but not worth eating out for in my opinion. read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Had an amazing date night. Service and food is excellent. Would love to come again when we return to San Diego! read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I am not sure how to describe how good this place was. Best pasta outside of Naploli i have ever found. All the pasta is made daily. The Pesto Gnocchi with Barratta was something I didn't know I was missing in my life. The Cabonara is the truest I've had in the States. The Mozzarella Rolls were an explosion of flavor. I know it's not on the TicTok lists but it should absolutely be a must if you are in the area. read more

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Tried the Tartare Di Tonno and Clam Linguine --both fresh and beautifully plated. Edgar provided excellent service. Fun, social vibe in Gaslamp--perfect for a lively Italian date night! Food quality and pricing are great! read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Clam Linguine (Pasta of the night) - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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We love Monzu! The service in this wonderful pasta restaurant in the East Village is personalized and professional. Our server Antonio anticipated our needs while also allowing us to relax and linger over our courses. The strawberry burrata prosciutto salad was heavenly and so plentiful. We also had an incredible special: stuffed squash blossoms that were delicate and so flavorful. The two pastas we chose were both fabulous. We had a light and delicious tiramisu to finish and leftovers to take home. read more

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The food was awesome! Try the bolognese (pictured) and make sure to add the meatballs Alberto was a great server and fantastic to chat with. You should try this place out for sure ! read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Bolognese - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is a hidden gem among all the options you have in SD. Alberto was welcoming and helpful in his recommendations. Started with the spring burrata salad with prosciutto and it was DELICIOUS!!! Ordered the bucatini with cheese and truffle and it was unique! I will definitely come back and try the short rib ravioli and the cannoli. read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Bucatini in parmesan crisp bowl. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We came to San Diego for our daughter's birthday and this restaurant was on my mind since our family love pastas. It exceeded our expectations! Every single dishes were delicious. Our favorite was short rib ravioli but gnocchi and other pasta were amazing too! 100% recommend if you are looking for a great pasta place that you can enjoy with kids! They also gave us birthday tiramisu with a candle so our 7 years old was so happy about it. Thank you Alberto! read more

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A small place but packs a punch for that fresh pasta! I came to eat here one night and I can say that this is great spot if you are craving some delicious pasta! This is a small place but they do have a combination of indoor and outdoor seating. I am sure the menu changes here and there for the main dishes, and I was fortunate enough to the their Bosaciola, which had fusilli pasta with sausage, mushroom, pecorino, and parmesan cheese. This dish was recommended to me by the server and I am glad it was! The star of it was definitely the sausage and pasta! Having that taste of the Italian sausage in this dish with the cheese and pasta was definitely devine! I would be down to eat this pasta often! For starters, I had the truffle chips which were delicious, though I was expecting them to be a little bit crisper. The ones that I had which were crispy tasted perfect and wish there were a little more of those! For dessert, I had the tiramisu, and that was very good. It was a great way to end the meal. As a note, with this place being near Petco Park, parking is difficult especially during games. Try to go here on an off night or walk here right after a game if it's early! read more

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There are a lot of places that brag about their fresh pasta, but this is the one of the best pasta dishes I've had in San Diego. The noodles were cooked perfectly with just the right amount of chew. The menu is only a little more limited than other Italian places, but I like that they focus on doing these dishes well. Service was nice in this smaller restaurant. It felt like a cute hole in the wall with some genuine Italian servers. Will be back to try more dishes! read more

Nice smaller Italian place. Had short rib ravioli , Tuscan style boscaiola and mozzarella rolls. Pasta was good and sauce was pretty good. Flavor a bit subtle for my taste in general. Everything was cooked spot on so no complaints on the execution. Service was typical if you have been to Europe or Italy versus typical US type. Selection of drinks and wine also pretty solid. Parking is tough as it is near petco park. Flavor was a bit mild for me but worth a try for those who like something like that. read more

Hands down this is the best pasta I've had. The pasta was cooked perfectly. The flavors are clean and flavorful. Definitely will be making Monzu a permanent stop every time I'm at San Diego. Their service is also great! Antonio was very kind to walk us through the menu and was very friendly checking up on us. read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I had a wonderful dining experience at Monzu Fresh Pasta. The meal started with their spinach appetizer, which was incredibly fresh, flavorful, and perfectly balanced--an absolute standout. The highlight, of course, was the fresh pasta. You can truly taste the difference; it's delicate, perfectly cooked, authentic. To finish, dessert was just as impressive--rich, satisfying, and the perfect ending to a fantastic meal. Monzu delivers a warm, inviting atmosphere along with high-quality dishes that make it a place I'd gladly return to. I like the small , intimate setting. It feels like a truly Italian place. Highly recommended. read more

Great ambiance, super attentive staff, and great portion size for all the dishes we ordered. The peach burrata salad was our favorite; it was so fresh and flavorful. We shared the shrimp pesto pasta, and even though the shrimps were cooked to perfection, I didn't really enjoy the pasta that it came with. It was thick and very filling, which just wasn't something that I personally like. Next time I'll definitely ask to substitute for penne or fettuccine. Overall a very nice dining experience. read more

Monzu Fresh Pasta - Peach burrata Burrata, Grilled Peach & Prosciutto Salad (New for Fall!) - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I have been wanting to try this place for a few years now and finally got the chance tonight! Wow! This place is amazing! Started off with being greeted by our fabulous server Alberto! The food was very authentic and delicious. The pasta was so fresh, the sauce was creamy and not heavy! The cooks, server and owner were all speaking Italian so you know this place is genuine italian cuisine. The location is small and quaint. There is also sidewalk/patio dining and if it's chilly they have outdoor patio heaters. Great location, a block away from Petco Park! Looking forward to my next visit soon! read more

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This is a small restaurant with tables close together and plastic hard chairs. The noise level is high. The pasta was delicious, the salad was good, the wine was good, the service was a bit off. Julien who had an attitude from the moment we walked in could have been friendlier and more welcoming . Usually the Italian waiters are super nice and treat you like a long lost friend, Julien instead treated us like he would have preferred us to stay home. I don't think we will be back. read more

Visited Monzu for the first time in years and was not disappointed. Our waiter Antonio had some great suggestions and was informative and attentive.The squash blossoms were a special, crispy and light. Mushroom ravioli were not too overpowering, and delicious! Cute little restaurant, a little pricey, but high quality and great service which has not changed. read more