Amazing little find in PB. We were staying around the corner and it was their last night before going on a month vacation. You would never know. Very attentive. Food was amazing. We will definitely add this to our list when we visit PB read more

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Alta Marea is AMAZING. What a beautiful gem hidden in a quieter part of PB. Alta Marea almost looks like a home from outside. When you walk in, the space is cozy and warm. There are a number of tables inside with some outdoor seating space as well. This is a perfect spot for a romantic dinner or a meaningful group dinner with friends. We celebrated my birthday here with a party of 8 and it was so much fun. It is BYOB with no corkage fee. You can bring in your own wine without a charge. The food is absolutely delicious! It's homemade Italian food and it's finest. I got the wild boar pappardelle. Others tried the pizza and clam spaghetti. Everything was delicious! We had brought a cake for my birthday. When it was time to come out, they turned off all the lights in the restaurant and sand. I've never had a restaurant do that before. It's so clear that the people who work at this restaurant care deeply about their customers and their food. Everyone who walked in seemed to know the host and everything about our experience was so great. I'm so glad to find this place and can't wait to come back again! read more

Best. Hidden. Gem. Ever. We happened to be in the area celebrating our anniversary, but will definitely make the 20+ mile trip for the next date night. I was craving homemade pasta...and omg YES. The man had the whole grilled fish speciality (keto friendly!) and he was simply in awe. I even got a bite and it was unexplainable good. The outdoor, romantic vibe was perfect. Loved that the owner was who waited on us (such a humble mom & pop vibe mixed with a Decadent fine dining experience). Can't wait to get back! read more

Oltre Mare - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Super cute mom and pop Italian restaurant in pacific beach. European family owned feel with great customer service. Ordered a salad as an appetizer then got a pizza with Panna cotta for desert! Lovely outdoor patio and overall great vibes. Fair pricing as well! Would go back. read more

Oltre Mare - Panna Cotta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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There are a lot of things to love about this quaint and authentic restaurant. For the same reasons, there are sometimes drawbacks, so I think the best review is managing expectations of our most current experience. Starting with a nice feature, Bring Your Own Wine (or whatever libation you prefer) is always a treat. On the other hand, I also recommend to Bring Your Own Wine Glasses, as we've learned in the past when their glasses were out to other tables. No big deal to us, but something to keep in mind if you're considering dining here. Our meals have mostly been above reproach but upon our most recent dinner, my husband found his gnocchi with the bolognese to be overly salted. The bolognese sauce was more like a pot roast than a bolognese- far too rich and too meaty, not saucy enough to coat the gnocchi. The pot roast flavor paired with the gnocchi was... unexpected but not something I would try again. Our other family members ordered the same but with parpadelle, and though the pasta itself was delish, they also were expecting a different kind of flavor in the bolognese and found it too meaty/carrot-flavored, and less the bolognese they remembered. My lobster ravioli, although delicious in flavors, wasn't that pillowy ravioli I've had in past visits. The filling was dense and the ravioli dough was also not the texture I knew and loved from our visits before. On the other hand, the bread with butter, caprese with buratta and pizzas were much loved by all at the table. The quaint size of the restaurant has always been charming and drawn us in, but during our most recent dinner here, there were a couple of kids running up and down the center of the restaurant, screaming and shouting right next to our table and it definitely killed the conversational vibe. Our older folks were pretty uncomfortable with it, actually. I read about this happening recently to other diners in reviews here; if that's a family operational-thing, I really believe they'd do the restaurant a favor to NOT allow that in the dining room. It's funny, because when dining here, it's lovely for it to feel like home, but you don't want it to be so close to home that you feel like needing to tell your kid's to go clean their rooms, stop stomping on the ceiling and quiet down. Back to that feeling-at-home vibes, service is always friendly and they take their time in getting dishes out; it's a small staff- maybe even of one or two, so please don't plan a rushed evening. Service is always friendly and lovely and on pace with feeling at home. Last thing to note, make a reservation since space, staff and dishes-of-the-day are limited- you'll be happy you did! read more

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Mussels Boar Bolognese BYOB wine Tiramisu Hidden gem!! Be sure to make a reservation. read more

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One of the best authentic Italian spots in central SD! I absolutely love their gnocchi (any of their three sauces are amazing) and the seafood is fresh. The Spaghetti alle Vongole is spicy but delicious if you like heat! read more

Oltre Mare - Spaghetti alle Vongole - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

A uniquely homey neighborhood Italian place in PB. Been coming here for years now but never got around to writing a review sooo: First thing you notice is how charming the place is. From the street its tiny and cottage like, and when you step inside it's like you just stepped into someone's personal home dining room (and I mean that in the best way possible!) Food is delicious. Homestyle, authentic, and nothing pretentious. Just down to earth flavorful and good. Portions are reasonably large. Get the mussels - they're delicious! Seafood is their specialty but their Bolognese is wonderful too. Service can be a bit slow during peak hours but it looks like they're hoping to hire more so I hope this will improve. Fingers crossed. read more

Oltre Mare - Left side of menu as of February 2019 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Was craving Italian for my birthday dinner after we decided not to head to gaslamp from the beach. Found this place through yelp and had a nice 15 min walk to a charming little house. We sat right out front and had the best meal I've had in a long time. The pasta was perfectly prepared. The seafood was exactly what I wanted. And the tiramisu finished off our evening. I will be back next time we are in town for the wild boar pappardelle. Oh and next time I'll bring the wine!! read more

It's the ambiance and friendliness of the owners for me! The food was delicious! Bring your own wine! read more

Oltre Mare - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Absolute favorite Italian restaurant within the general pacific beach area, and ultimately one of the best in San Diego. The owners are absolutely lovely and passionate about their restaurant and background, you can tell a lot of heart and soul goes into creating each and every dish. Because I am gluten intolerant, I almost always get the seafood pasta dish with risotto (pescatore). The flavors are so wonderful and they do not cheap out on the seafood - fresh clams and mussels, jumbo prawn and calamari - so delicious! I also love the focaccia bread, we always get an extra side order. Highly recommend!! read more

Oltre Mare - Seafood Risotto Alla Pescatora - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

A true authentic Italian restaurant in San Diego! This place is truly a hidden gem! Menu is short but everything is absolutely amazing! Our favorite items on the menu: Spaghetti alla Pescatora, Ravioli con Gamberoni, Wild boar Bolognese, Gamberoni grigliati, and Pizza Crudo e Rucola. The pizza was so fresh, with such vibrant and bold flavors. Definitely try their weekly specials for too! read more

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Visiting San Diego am so sad I can't make this restaurant a regular visit. Amazing authentic Italian food, and the family owners were the absolute best! We didn't realize it was BYOB but she recommended we run down to the liquor store so we had some great wine with our meal (two blocks from the restaurant). I will definitely go back anytime I'm in San Diego. Don't miss out on this place! read more

Oltre Mare - Grilled fish - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Everything about this place is DELIGHTFUL. It has a very Italian home made feel. Don't forget to bring your own booze!!! read more

Love this place. I've ordered takeout and have dined in. Small dining area with a few seats outside on the patio. BYOB so bring a bottle of wine. If the mussels are listed as tonights special, GET THEM. We had these as an appetizer and they were simple amazing. Perfectly cooked in a buttery herb and garlic sauce, great for bread dipping. For entrees we split the Gorgonzola Gnocchi and Wild Boar Bolognese. Fresh homemade pasta with perfect sauce. For dessert we had to get the tiramisu, which was also great. read more

Came to Oltre Mare for my birthday dinner after reading many positive reviews. Everyone in my party had been to Italy within the past 2 years, so we were feeling nostalgic for authentic pasta and eats. I enjoyed the option to BYOB, so we brought red wine to enjoy with our dinner. I ordered the gnocchi while my party ordered the clam pasta, wild boar parpadelle, and quatro cheese pizza. The food came out decently quick and tasted good, in good portions for each person. I really wanted to like this place more because the food was decent, but honestly I didn't rate it higher because it felt like the customer service was lacking. Maybe it's because we were Asian, since the other parties around us were Caucasian and I felt like they got more attention than us. Parties seated after us got served the bread and orders taken before us. Our server was polite to us, but didn't seem to check up and see if we were doing okay. Food was alright, but I probably go elsewhere for better service. They do a good job with COVID precautions and are clean and spaced out though, so at least it felt like a safe meal. read more

To start off my rating has nothing to do with the flavor of the food. R got that far. We arrived and asked if they had room for two. They said hold on and we will let you know. 10 minutes standing there and no one came back or let us know they had no room. read more

Just as good as it was when we visited a couple years ago. Sat outside with a bottle of champagne we brought under their string lights, a truly perfect night. We had the mussels, clam spaghetti, pizza with burrata and prosciutto (honestly may have to get another pizza before we leave) and ended the evening with espresso and tiramisu. Amazing food, service, and ambiance. We will continue to visit this neighborhood gem anytime we are in town and you should too! read more

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My family and I loved this place. The ambience was warm and welcoming. The food (pastas, pizzas, salads) were absolutely delicious. Even our kids were raving about the food. The service was attentive and prompt. Sara was amazing and offered for us to call ahead if we decide to come back tonight. I just wished we lived close by. read more

Wonderful experience and the food was delicious! There are so many positives to list but the best is you can BYOB. You feel like your going to a neighborhood family's house with authentic Italian cuisine. I'll keep returning and trying the entire menu. Cheers. read more

We tried this place twice after hearing good reviews from friends. As mentioned in other Yelp reviews, food was salty and the menu is also pretty limited. True to the name, mostly seafood. Ambience and staff are nice, but won't return. read more

It might look like its far from the beach on the map but do not let the half mile stop you from trying Alta Marea. Others have called this a hidden gem and I would be willing to drive to this area solely to eat dinner here. We walked in with a party of six with no reservations (they do not take them) at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night. It is bring your own wine with no corking fee but if you forget to , like we did, you can easily walk to CVS and back in around 10 minutes. We started by ordering a side dish of pasta and a pizza to accompany the complimentary bread. The pizza alone is worth coming here. Two people in our party, including me, ordered the Spaghetti alla Pescatora and someone else ordered the Risotto ai funghi Porcini. These plates come out promptly and piping hot like they should. This means the al dente (slightly on the firmer side as it should be) home made pasta is served properly. They serve you the proper quantity of pasta and fresh seafood so you don't feel like you got too much or too little and every mussel and clam on my plate had properly opened. The restaurant went from having two tables occupied to six in the course of our meal but the service got even better. After being served we were checked on three times with smiles. This restaurant is spectacular food but also true to its $$ Yelp label. If you are from out of town and don't realize that $19 for a plate of handmade pasta authentic done right is $$ in Pacific Beach, San Diego than you should skip this place and go KFC for a $5 Fillup special. read more

Oltre Mare - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Food was outstanding and all made from scratch. Staff was super friendly and on top of everything. Highly recommend a visit!

Went here on a date night last year with my girlfriend. We had a caprese salad as an appetizer which was refreshing. We had the special for the night which was a duck pasta and the boar tagliatelle. Both pastas were exceptional and we would definitely go again! read more

Looking for an early"ish" dinner for 3 and a baby they were busy but very accommodating We shared the parpadella with boar meat I was sure what to expect but it was a beautiful flavor. Also shared the pasta di mare, also very good But what what knocked my socks off was the pizza di crudo I will be dreaming of that flavor This is authentic Italian food, in a quite neighborhood a hidden gem for sure Ps bring your own wine! read more

Oltre Mare - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Aloha when in San Diego we love trying new places around town. Thank you Yelp for Oltre Mare reviews. Excellent choice. Besides the food best part is we can BYOB. Great meal in a great location near Pacific Beach. Great vegetarian choices too. It's busy so need to be patient with service but food comes out pretty fast. Chef even peeks out on you too nice. Will definitely be back. read more

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I am a big fan of small family run Italian eateries, and a fan I became of this place, after enjoying a great meal. My Friday night meal consisted of Insalata Piemonte which came with light colored Romain lettuce, mushrooms, shaved Parmesan, garnished with parsley and garlic for $6 and Alta Marea Pizze topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, pancetta, sausage, and black olives for $15. The meal also came with some terrific freshly baked Focaccia table bread. The salad was very nice and light and came with a typical Italian dressing which was good, but I preferred eating it with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My favorite part of the salad was the Parmesan cheese because it added a nice nutty and salty element to the salad. The lettuce, parsley and mushrooms were freshly chopped and tasted good. Oddly enough, focaccia bread was my favorite item of the evening. It was perfectly baked and had a nice firm crust and delicate warm moist center. I liked that they sprinkled it with a touch of sea salt. The bread was great eating with some extra virgin olive and balsamic vinegar. The Alta Mare Pizze was good, but I was not the biggest fan of the crust. The ends of the crust were a little hard and dry. All the toppings were great, especially the pancetta, and other the sausage was good, it would be nice if they would put crumbles of homemade sausage with a little fennel, instead of what came with the pizza. I liked the sauce because it was mild in flavor with a little spice. The owners are very hospitable and friendly. They do make feel as you are at home. read more

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This place is like the best kept secret in PB! The restaurant is ran by this sweet Italian couple; Husband in the back cooking while the wife serves as the waitress. The place is not too big, so I would really suggest making a reservation especially on weekends. Price is unbeatable for a generous portion. They don't serve any alcohol so you are free to bring your own bottles, NO CORKAGE FEE! The service is great, but I can see it gets crazy when all the tables are full. I would definitely recommend you to come on weekdays to avoid the crowd, or bring your patience! I got the Tagliolini Alla Pescatora, spaghetti dish with all sorts of shellfish like mussels, clams, and shrimp. The pasta was cooked perfectly, it went so well with the fresh tomato sauce and the seafood. The portion was big but it was so delicious that I finished everything. We also got the Grigliata Mista, which consists of salad, grilled fish, grilled squid, and grilled shrimp. The seafood was really fresh and went well with the lemon that they gave us. Will definitely be back to try more things on the menu! read more

Oltre Mare - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Seafood lovers must surely try this place out! This quaint, family owned restaurant is just a few streets away from the water and was such a wonderful experience. From the moment you step into the cottage style restaurant, you get a feel for the authenticity of the food - and the people! The servers are so friendly - and checked in on us repeatedly throughout the evening. Everything was so fresh - and the best part is that there's no corkage fee! While I myself couldn't have the seafood (allergies), my husband enjoyed a variety of seafood and said each dish was better than the last! It's flavorful, and the portions are size able! Definitely worth the visit. Would highly recommend! read more

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This place is AMAZING! Super authentic Italian. It's a lovely small and intimate atmosphere and the staff is incredibly friendly. The chef even often comes out to chat with customers! I would recommend any pasta dish with seafood! The tiramisu is perfect as well! Unfortunately, they don't serve wine yet. read more

Oltre Mare - Ravioli all'Aragosta! - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Frequent visitor. Sara and Christian, the owners, are great folks and the food is delicious.

Whenever I am craving Italian food, this is my go-to spot!! This place has it all; delicious authentic food, great environment and impeccable service. The couple who owns and operates this little gem are so wonderful. They welcome you and make you feel like you are family coming over to their house for dinner. It's BYOB so you can bring whatever wine you want with dinner. The food is incredible!! I promise, you will crave their homemade focaccia bread the next day. I love their homemade pasta dishes as well as the pizza. Everything is cooked with so much passion and integrity for the cuisine. I'm always a sucker for their burrata too!! This place will become a regular spot for you if you live in Pacific Beach/Mission Beach. It's right across from the Library. read more

Oltre Mare - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this place! I have been going here since it was Piccolo Mondo. It really went to the next level when the current owner/chef took over. Risotto alla Pescatora is a go to; ravioli with shrimp is great too. Their rotating specials have always been delicious as well. And complimentary focaccia. Can't go wrong with anything. My favorite restaurant and a hidden gem! Plus, you can bring your own wine! read more

Oltre Mare - Ravioli con Gamberoni - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

An amazing Italian family Restaurant. The food is perfetto e delizioso!! Grazie mille!! We will definitely be returning when we come visit San Diego again! read more

Oltre Mare - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Extremely disappointed. We were in San Diego for my bf's bday. I called and made reservations almost a week in advance. I was not told wine/spirits were not served but people could bring their own. I advised the owner of our special occasion and that was the last mention of it. We were sat at a teeny tiny table that could not even fit the plates that held our food. The car parked out front I have the car alarm that repeatedly went off while its patrons were inside the restaurant. The food was mediocre at best, definitely overpriced. Service was sporadic and the two ladies that had our table did not communicate regarding when and what had been ordered. Due to the pandemic we were trying to support local but hindsight, we were probably better off going to a corporate restaurant That could've given us consistency and possibly made it feel like our evening out was special. read more

This is a hidden gem off the beaten path in Pacific Beach. We arrived without reservations on a Thursday night and the restaurant was only about half full. We got a table right away and were greeted warmly by the waiter who took care of us the whole night. The ambiance is casual but intimate. The menu is short and sweet and the restaurant is BYOB so make sure you bring something with you. For dinner we each ordered a starter and an entree and it was a TON of food. We got the burrata and tomatoes and the green salad with feta and olives. Both were delicious and large enough to share one between two people. Our pastas arrived, and again large enough for two to share. I got the special pasta with lobster of the day and he got the the lamb pasta special of the day. His was better but we ate them both. And on top of that, a basket of the complimentary focaccia. The bill was super reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. I would definitely go back...but would order less next time! read more

Perfect spot for date night! Love that you can bring your own wine too!! I got the shrimp and ravioli which was really good but my bf got the boar Bolognese which was AMAZING definitely getting that next time. I love the cozy mom and pop vibe and the service was great! It's nice too because they can move tables around to accommodate for larger parties. read more

Oltre Mare - Shrimp Ravioli con Gamberoni - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We were eating here for the 1st time because we're from Arizona and it was the best Italian food and service we've ever had!! We were hungry and I didn't take pictures of the food but the gnocchi was the BEST and their Margherita pizza was so thin and perfect!! The staff was so warm and the lady that talked to my son made his night. Next time we come back to pacific beach I will definitely eat here again and recommend to all my family!!! (: read more

Oltre Mare - Outdoor seating - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Oh my goodness. Yes! Just absolutely yes! This place is a must if you want fresh, authentic Italian cuisine! The owners are so friendly and their service was great (yes, the owner herself actually served us). It's like a scene from a movie and the food is just phenomenal. read more

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Such a rare find. Delicious food and some nice, quiet atmosphere. A lovely outside sitting area.