My husband and I eat out before going to Broadway San Diego and this is the best place by far that we have found in the area in the last 10 years. Service is always fast, wait staff polite and efficient and the food is EXCELLENT. The food is always fresh and made to order. You can't go wrong with this restaurant and the prices are reasonable for what you get. We will be back the end of this month before our play. Can't wait!!!!! read more

Recently I participated in a business dinner at Operacaffe. The review is based solely on the meal and not the service. We were a large party that "dropped in" and the staff did a very reasonable job considering we gave them no warning on what would have been an otherwise slow night for them. I can only comment on my own meal and those of several near me. I had the Penne Speperina which was delicious. The pasta was perfect and the spicy sauce in a tomato cream sauce was full of flavor. One of my colleagues has the bruschetta topped with prosciutto which looked amazing. Another had the Di Mare, while yet another had the beef carpaccio. Everything looked delicious and was very enjoyable. Finally, for dessert, I ordered a tiramisu to share with my end of the table. OMG it was great. Light, delicious and nearly a perfect tiramisu. Prices were very reasonable and the wines by the glass included several good, reasonably priced choices. I will definitely return to Operacaffe again. You should too. read more

Operacaffe - Hanging with friends at Operacaffe!! Great dinner! Amazing food! - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Went on a Friday night and service was great! Got the homemade lasagna which was so yummy and my date got the salmon. Such a great place to go before before a show at the Civic Theater, which is close by. read more

Went there for a special celebration and was extremely disappointed. Disappointed from the moment I sat down to the moment I left. Obviously they need more servers, my dinner was not what I was expecting. I was looking forward to their lasagna but was grossed out. Then they replaced it with even more gross looking plate. I took it to go and left it at a club because I knew I wouldn't eat it. Even though it was like &25-$28 dollars. Had to beg for water and bread. Definitely do not recommend. read more

Food, Service, Ambiance, and location to Balboa Theatre. ++++ food was excellent. Portions were a bit small. After an entree and appetizer I could have eaten more! read more

After waiting an hour for a sushi restaurant, we decided to walk around til we found some place to take us in (low expectations because it was a Saturday night also). After we almost gave up, this restaurant let us in and we were so excited! The food was so good and the service was fast and welcoming. I got the bruschetta to start which was really fresh, and then the lemon chicken dinner with risotto and asparagus. I would only order that if you really like lemony tastes, because after a couple bites it gets overwhelming, but I thought it was really good. So many options and I got the Nutella cannolis to go..... yes. Try it out! read more

Operacaffe - Lemon chicken - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

4pm Sunday. Pleasant outdoor seating. Good service and atmosphere. Found some foods better than others. The Salmon salad had freshly prepared salmon but the salad was plain and no dressing. The Caesar salad was great. Well prepared with excellent dressing. The tomato soup was fine with good croutons and very solid flavor. The spaghetti carbonara was good with a nice blend of flavors and good texture. The veal parmigiana was a disappointment. Large portion of veal but the tomato sauce on the veal and on the spaghetti was very bland. Veal is a bland meat anyway and needs some seasoning to make a great dish. Overall probably would not go back since there are so many great Italian restaurants in downtown and Little Italy. read more

See all

When you approach the place they have a sign telling you be patience for their fresh food and I believe them which was my mistake. If i want to eat at an Olive Garden style meal, i would have went there. My Fettuccine Alfredo was a big glob of semi warm noodles with a gooey texture. The chicken was not fresh as it was tough and dry like eating a belt. It must have been fresh frozen and obviously not fresh at all. The bread should have been warmed instead of the cold loaf we received. My wife did enjoy her tomato bisque soup though it could have been a bit warmer. Not a place i would repeat. read more

Great date night/ anytime restaurant. The food was amazing and great ambiance. The service was great and staff is attentive to your needs. We had a bottle of wine, appetizer (calamari), bowl of minestrone soup, and 2 entrees was $130. I'll definitely be back to try other dishes Opercaffe has to offer. read more

Operacaffe - Minestrone Soup - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Came here just a few days ago with a reservation. Everything is kept very clean. The spacing between tables, makes it an experience you don't have to worry about other people being near you while enjoying your meal. They have a limited menu at the moment, which very unfortunate but I was still able to enjoy my meal. read more

Operacaffe - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Amazing delicious food and great service too! I had the gnocchi asiago and my friend had something with steak and said it was the best steak he ever had. read more

Operacaffe - Gnocchi Asiago - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Finally made it back to San Diego and had to stop by the Operacafe for dinner. We were greeted at the door by friendly staff and were offered a choice of outdoor or indoor seating. We chose indoor and staff wasted no time in getting our choice of water and we were introduced to our waiter, J.C., who was very friendly. He gave us the Specials menu and showed us how to access the touch-less regular menu. He pointed out his favorites from the regular menu as well as the Specials. Following his suggestion, we chose the Lobster Ravioli from the Specials, and the Ravioli Porcini e Crema Di Tartufo from the regular menu, accompanied by a glass of the house Chianti Classico. The Lobster Ravioli had a creamy tomato vodka sauce, with fresh ravioli, joined with sautéed shrimp. Presentation was beautiful, and it taste amazing. The Ravioli Porcini e Crema Di Tartufo was in a league of it's own. I did not know you could make porcini ravioli taste this amazing. The sauce was light and buttery and the earthy flavor of the porcini mushrooms brought it all together. The presentation was elegant, with the added touch of an edible dianthus. The house Chianti was smooth and delightful. Knowing I was going to have desert I avoided ordering the bottle. Operacafe's Tiramisu is a must for me. Rich, creamy, smooth with a hint of coffee flavor, one of my absolute favorite recipes. The chocolate gelato was rich and smooth and was enjoyed by my teenager, minus the bite or two that I managed to steal. All, if you are in the area and are in the mood for amazing Italian, there is no better place than the Operacafe! By the way, love what you did with the place! read more

This placed suck. One waiter worked the whole restaurants. Couldnt even get water. Plus we had to pay the gratuity which was 100 not even earned. We had to get up anf get our own cups of water.. Do not come here unless you have tons of time to waste. read more

If you can still find a Groupon coupon for this restaurant then RUN, don't walk to grab it! Wow, wow, wow! Fabulous mother/daughter duo that delivers on all aspects of a great meal. We ordered the Carpaccio Di Salmone as an appetizer, the duck ragu (on the special menu), Penne Portofino for the primi course, and then after all that delicious homemade pasta, we decided to go for it and we split the wild salmone secondi. Another wow! Birthday tiramisu was a delicious finish to a spectacular meal! And for wine lovers, BYOB is $15. read more

We stopped in at Operacaffe for a quick bite to eat without a reservation on a Friday night and were seated super quickly. Our waiter was very kind and funny and approved of our entree choices. We got the Ravioli with porcini mushrooms and the Spaghetti di Mare. Both dishes were so delicious!! And the food in general was very cost effective. I love Italian food and I love seafood so I'm pretty discerning on both and my food was absolutely perfect. The decor/ambiance was a bit lacking but the service and food more than made up for it! read more

Visiting Diego for the weekend and found this little gem Downtown! The staff is great and the vibe is one of a kind! We had pizza and pasta and we ate it all up with no complaints! This was the best decision for our food adventures and I look forward to trying them again when I come back! Thank you JC(I so hope I spelled that close to right!) read more

See all

Delicious!! Everything was great and service was exceptional! Highly recommend and pricing is fair for what you are served

We came in looking for pizza. We found it. It was incredible. The pepperoni and salsiccia was incredible. Such a pungent pepperoni. The Margherita was also excellent. My picky teens announced that the pizza was just what they needed. 2 pizzas satisfied the 4 of us. read more

This is a cute little restaurant with great service & food! The hostess and servers were all very attentive, making sure water was always full, and checking in regularly to make sure everything was tasting good! I love water so that's a big thing for me! Lol gotta stay hydrated. They had a wide selection of wines to choose from, but I got a Moscow Mule cause I love those... and they made it really well!!!! Very tasty and I definitely recommend it. I don't typically eat a lot of seafood but my friend wanted to try the calamari, it was actually pretty good too! Aside from that, I got the pear salad. It came out looking beautiful & tasting just as good as it looked. It was light and refreshing! My friend got the seafood pasta and quite enjoyed that as well. read more

See all

Food was great. Service excellent. If going to a show at Balboa theater best place for dinner before the show. Anytime is good for this place! read more

Great service and good (not spectacular) food. This is an excellent choice for the convenience of downtown dining, but not necessarily a destination in itself. If you're going to a show or a game, give it a try. read more

Best meal I have had in 2018! Sat down in the patio along the street sidewalk, made a reservation, so make sure you do or else you will be waiting, try making a reservation before you arrive. We started with Calamari which was so good, crispy and flaky crust and a nice sauce to compliment the calamari. Went with Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp and the Fettuccine was good, the alfredo sauce was creamy and plenty of shrimp. For dessert I went with a Nutella Cheesecake and it was rich but very delicious. Staff is great, parking is located on street if you do find a spot if not just half a block over is a parking lot. Everything went well at this meal, from sitting down to getting up, everything in between was just fantastic. read more

See all

Food was amazing , true Italian food. Great service , and really cute ambiance . Professional warm greeter to tell you about the food & experience before your dine . read more

I had never heard about this place in Gaslamp, but I was pleased surprised by how cute this restaurant is! Usually Little Italy is the place to go in Downtown but this might have to be my new spot! I got the Pollo Limone and everything, especially the risotto, was soooo amazing and tasty. Staff was great and quick! Make sure to check in for a free dessert! read more

Operacaffe - Pollo Limone - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I wish I could give it more than 5 stars! The food was fabulous. The staff was attentive, very nice and informative. The service was exceptional and timely. The restaurant was quaint. Make reservations because it fills up quickly but seating is very efficient with reservations. We had opera pizza, ravioli fattore with meatball, ravioli porcini e crema di tartufo, and fettuccine alfredo. All were delicious! I want to go back and try some other items on the menu because there are so many wonderful options. read more

See all

Visit Groupon before coming; these folks have a presence on Groupon and you can save a lot of $$. Better and better every time I come here. They do well and you won't ever be disappointed. New management from four years ago. Terrible parking, great food, easy on your wallet, and super friendly staff. I eat here several times each year. read more

Dinner was unbelievable at this restaurant. Everything was delicious, customer service was on point. Everything was so fresh and tasty. Definitely a must visit if in San Diego. read more

See all

In town for Yelp Spring Break, I found this place on Groupon - the deal we purchased was $30 for food and drink for $15. It's in the Gaslamp district, which is a cute super touristy place. And is an absolute disaster to navigate around on a Saturday night. Of course, we did not know that so we sat in non-moving traffic while trying to find parking and eventually ended up paying $20 for garage parking. There is indoor and outdoor seating. Our inside table was so close to the next table that we actually got to know them. That's all well and good but this was supposed to be our date night. I am not sure Operacaffe, with it's noise level and super tight seating is conducive to that. The online menu doesn't list prices - a practice I abhor. But there are menus with prices on Yelp and you'll realize your Groupon won't go too far. We started with a very standard and bland Bruschetta Toscana ($6.95). It was nothing special. My vegetarian SO was able to find several options for dinner, and chose the Ravioli Boscaiola ($16.95) - homemade ravioli stuffed with porcini mushrooms, sage, pine nuts and a creamy butter sauce. I was looking at that item as well but I hate pine nuts and when I tasted her dish, I could definitely taste the pine nuts. But she enjoyed it and the portion was a decent size. I ordered the Gnocchi Gorgonzola ($19.95) from the Chef's Specials section on the back of the menu. It was good and cheesy. But again, it tasted like something simple that I can make at home. But also a decent portion and if you like cheese and pasta (and who doesn't?), it will satisfy you. We ordered desserts to go. An OK slice of cheesecake in a berry sauce ($7.95) and the Limoncello Marscarpone cake ($7.95), which we thought was bland tasting and not a high point. The service varied from solicitous (the super nice hostess who was trying to help us over the phone find the restaurant and give parking advice) to disinterested (our server who I don't think smiled once). One glass of champagne, a soda and we were looking at a $70 bill before the Groupon. And that's not outrageous but with all the hassle to get to this place and pay so much for parking, I wouldn't consider going back. If however you live in the area or are staying in a hotel nearby and can walk, get the Groupon and try it out. It's well done basic Italian food. read more

Operacaffe - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

While hopping through Gaslamp, my friend and I stopped inside Operacaffe for a quick snack. As we began to peruse the lunch menu, we were pleased to see that we were right in the middle of their 7-hour (11am-6pm) happy hour! We started off our meal with two $3 glasses of red wine, then split some calamari, carpaccio de manza, gli arancini (fried rice balls w/ cheese), and I coccoli (fried pizza dough w/ prosciutto)...all half-price! Our apps were awesome, especially the pizza dough w/ prosciutto ...perhaps priced a bit high if you were dining during different hours, but definitely a good deal during happy hour! read more

Food was pretty decent but nothing was screaming amazing here. It's good Italian food in a bistro style restaurant at a convenient location in downtown. There's a stage at the very back so make sure you sit closer to the back if you want to see live performances up close as the restaurant space is quite elongated and deep. We had the shrimp penne, ravioli and spaghetti di mare. Everything tastes delicious and their portions fluctuate depending on what you order. My friend had a simple ravioli dish (not from the specialty pasta section) and the portion was quite small. If you get the dishes from the specialty or fancier section with a higher price tag, then you will have leftover to take home for sure. Service was very friendly and attentive. You can park at the Westfield mall parking structure across the street and have 3 hours of complimentary parking with ticket validation inside the mall. read more

See all

The food was amazing, staff was very friendly and we got our food fast. I also loved the music it was perfect for a nice uplifting lunch. I recommend this restaurant they have the best pasta read more

Great food!! Staffs are super nice and waiters are hot! You'll get live music on some nights. Really great seafood I love the jumpo shrimp penne, they're actually huge prawns. Will definitely come again!!!! Delizioso!! read more

Operacaffe - Prawn penne!! Delicious!!!!! - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Food was amazing, service was great as well. We came in on a Thursday night as soon as they opened, no reservation but we were the first people there and were give a table immediately. I shared a pasta and salad with one other person, we left no crumbs and were very satisfied. Beautiful atmosphere as well. read more

Operacaffe - Farfalle Campagnola Chicken Ceasar Salad - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

This place was AWESOME! Excellent service and heavenly food! I highly recommended it! read more

Operacaffe - Ravioli Porcini E Crema Di Tartufo with shrimp and Pollo Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food was great and the service was great. If you do a yelp check in then you get a free dessert! I highly recommend the Penne Speperina! read more

Operacaffe - Penne Speperina - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

If you are looking for an authentic Italian, specifically Florence, this is it! The food is exceptional and the service was excellent. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, including a great wine list. Deserts are awesome as well. read more

Operacaffe - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The gnocchi was tremendous! . Light fluffy little potato pillows as they should be! The service was great. Had to wait a bit to get in but well worth it! read more

Slowest...service...ever. Overpriced smal portions. Trying too hard to be a "fancy* italian restaurant in a space designed like an order-at-the-counter taco shop. It's "meh". read more

Best "true" Italian offerings I've ever had. Including restaurants we experienced in Venice, Florence, Rome & Naples. read more

Operacaffe - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I just walked in to this place have no idea what it's about ohhh boy !!! I just fell in love everything is super cool the food and specially J.C he is super friendly and kind I absolutely recommend this place read more