Osteria Cotto e Mangiato is located at the base of the historic El Cortez building. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were seated at the outdoor patio which was nice, airy, tables adorn with flowers in Italian ceramic vases.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was a pleasant surprise to look up at view The El Cortez from our table.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered the shareable garlic bread and Caesar salad to start. The garlic bread was soft on the inside, cheese and garlic providing a light crisp on the outside, which was complemented with the tasty marinara to dip or scoop and dollop on top of the garlic bread. For our entrées, we ordered the Tortellini Emiliani and Gnocchi Cacio E Pepe. Both dishes were presented beautifully and were equally delicious. We could not leave without being treated with the a flight of Italian deserts; tiramisu, lemon cake, and cannoli all drizzled with chocolate and strawberry garnish. We enjoyed our dinner from start to finish. The service was warm, welcoming, friendly, and efficient. We will most definitely return for another delightful dinner. read more

This Italian cuisine was chosen here by my friend and I while we were on vacation. We were hungry driving 3 hours to San Diego. We chose this place to eat. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance inside was immaculate, beautiful and peaceful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]There was an outside and inside dining, we chose inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Mind you we came here two nights, yes, two times and both times were great.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were sat in the corner twice same spot too. I ordered the garlic bread appetizer, a linguini and chicken Parmesan. It was salty and flavorful and super tasty. I very much enjoyed the flavor and taste of this beautiful dish. It was very good. 5/5. The other dish I had the second time coming here was definitely the cheese wheel dish. Whatever the name of it was, it was pasta that was put in a cheese wheel and served, definitely worth trying it out when coming here. My friend ordered the basic fettuccine Alfredo and second order time coming he ordered the linguini carbonara. He said they were good but mine was superior. Service here was excellent, server name Diego, tall young gentleman was friendly, we had to ask for more water, but easy to talk to and have conversation with. The dessert ordered was a chocolate cake with ice cream. It was very sweet, tasty and fattening. A lot of sugar, but it tasted nice. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Other woman at front, host or greeter was nice too, bathrooms only limited to one unisex bathroom. Not good, wish more bathrooms, but has one at least.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Outside ambiance was unique, it's on a slanted hill with a great view of downtown San Diego.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Came in for Saturday happy hour with my girlfriend and had such a great time. We did the charcuterie board, wine, and Aperol spritzes everything was so good and the vibe was perfect. Basia was our server and she was amazing. Super kind, really cool, and just easy to talk to she was genuinely vibing with us and made the whole experience feel fun and relaxed. We'll definitely be back and would love to have her again! read more

I'm in San Diego for a work conference and some coworkers an I decided to have dinner here because it was conveniently located near our hotel. So glad we did! The Espresso Martini and the Linguine Vongole were both delicious! Our server Basia was so amazing and took such good care of us! I will definitely be back when I am back in San Diego! read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Linguine Vongole - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Honestly, 2.5 stars here! I'm not spending much time on this review. Food was eh, the perk was the outside San Diego Weather!! The artichoke salad was the best part of the meal with (lol canned) artichokes and the glass of wine. If ever you've eaten at Fazoli's, that's what this place tasted like, except much more expensive lol read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a cute, intimate spot with a fun curved interior[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], but the food was a bit hit or miss for the price point. We had a dinner reservation to celebrate a birthday, and our table was prepared promptly. We ordered the following: * Frittura Mista - A bit expensive for the amount but a classic appetizer you can't go wrong with * Garlic bread - Would not order again, not the most garlicky bread we've tried * Pennette Salsiccia e Vodka - I'd give this a 3/5. It was saucy, but lacked depth of flavor and leaned a bit too salty * Risotto Mascarpone - This was probably the biggest letdown and something we wouldn't order again. It was completely dry and lacked that classic, creamy risotto consistency (see photo). Outside of the mushrooms placed on top, it wasn't mushroom-forward at all, and the mascarpone flavor was missing entirely * Pappardelle Bolognese - This was a clear winner out of the pastas we ordered. The bolognese was super flavorful and the beef was tender. The restaurant was very busy on the Saturday evening we visited, and we only noticed one server handling all the diners, so keep that in mind if you're in a rush. On the bright side, parking was a breeze. There was plenty of 2-hour residential and metered street parking available, which is free after 6pm. Also, they seem to offer $14 pasta + house burgundy all day on Tuesdays, something we'll be interested in trying next time! read more

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What an amazing restaurant. Great flatbed n paired with a great cab. Service was over the top. Very aware, and very personable with delicious food. My girlfriend Even enjoyed the lemon chello delicious cake. Side drinks were colorful and delicious! Definitely repeating here. read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Lemon cello cake and juice mochtail - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Diego was simply the best server I've had in a long time. I'd love to request him every time I eat here but probably a little unrealistic. Ha I got the gnocchi with burrata. It was good. The cream sauce was flavorful and Rich. My friend got it with the Marinara sauce and I think it was slightly better paired with the Marinara sauce over the white cream sauce. The lasagna with the bechamel sauce was very good and flavorful. Not overly heavy like most lasagna but Definetly filling. The penne vodka was good and pasta cooked perfectly. I personally would have loved more sauce but if I asked they for sure would have given more but it was my friends dish and she loved it. (She is weird as she likes her sauce sweet so asked for sugar). They accommodated her. The carbonara was also very good. Probably one of the best I've had in San Diego. Not saucy like most I. San Diego. I want carbonara and not pasta with alfredo sauce. They did it well. Ambiance is great. Inside and outside tables. Very friendly atmsosphere. I'll be back for sure. read more

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Francesco was an absolutely amazing server from Milan, who went above and beyond. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The food and ambience was outstanding, and a great evening was had by all.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would definitely return read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Stumbled upon this cute restaurant on our walk home. It was very inviting and had the same authentic atmosphere of an Italian restaurant, with people drinking wine outdoors and laughing on a late night[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], so we decided to stop by about 30-45 mins before they closed. We enjoyed the cacio pepe gnocchi and the squash blossoms as a primi. The texture of gnocchi was perfect, almost like someone's nonna was in the back making them. The service was great, it would perhaps make it feel more like Italy if we had some bread and olive oil to enjoy. I definitely want to return on a Tuesday or happy hour to try some of their other dishes. read more

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10/5 star. Service was stellar. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was cozy and felt like an authentic Osteria in Italy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I had the salmon bianco (a pan seared salmon with white wine sauce, sautéed veggies, and mashed potatoes. This was a perfect dish which an accommodated my diet. Service from Basia was the best part of my night. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Everyone else Inside was happy to be here, singing along to the music, which is perfect because they have live jazz music on Friday nights.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I sat at the bar where they have a nice tv streaming sports of your choice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I live nearby so I will definitely be back often for a nice dinner! Thank you Basia! read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Salmon bianco - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Best service, best food, best atmosphere. Our server Basia was absolutely amazing and made sure us and the dogs were taken great care of. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We had the back patio to ourselves and it was such a good vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered the fettuccine Alfredo and the spaghetti carbonara, both great dishes. Highly recommend getting the garlic bread as well. Our food was out within 10 minutes. Diego and the other staff members were highly attentive. Thank you guys for such a memorable night! read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Tiramisu dessert - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Food and service were top notch! The server Basia and other staff were super friendly and attentive. All the dishes (appetizers, mains, desserts so, so tasty). My son really enjoyed the pasta wheel dish! The chocolate bread pudding is some of the best I've had. Will come back next time in San Diego. read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Pasta wheel short rib pappardelle - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The food was super yummy and the service was amazing! I'll go back when I'm in the area.

I have never experienced so much chaos from a restaurant like this ever. And I have worked in a few myself. I met my friend here before a concert, thinking we could grab a bite and then head out. Sadly, that was not the case. I was running a bit late, but she had already ordered for us so I was like cool. When I arrived, the only thing that was there was the bruschetta. Which she'd gotten maybe 5 mins before I arrived and it was pretty soggy and the tomatoes tasted like they were from a can. We were at the bar since they seemed to be packed. However, while we were waiting for the rest of our order, about 2 other parties approached the bar asking if this was where they order from as no one had been to their table since seated 15 plus minutes. They told each that someone would be there shortly. The couple next to us, got so fed up with waiting for the bill, that they just left money on the counter and left. I saw a few other people just leaving too as they didn't get any service. Meanwhile we were still waiting for our other items which was now going on 20 minutes since after I arrived mind you. My friend asked the bartender prior if he had placed the orders of which he said yes. However, based on the random drinks sitting at the bar untouched, employees walking in n out of the bar area, and the frantic look on his face, we didn't really believe him. A busser was walking by with a calamari order and my friend said we ordered that, he ends up giving it to us simply because the people who it was going to had left. After trying a few bites I was annoyed. Not only were they lukewarm, they had no flavor and they were chewy. I couldn't eat anymore. Another couple were seated next to us and asked how things were. We expressed our dissatisfaction and she mentioned how they only chose the bar as they heard people in the patio had been waiting over 30 minutes for service. They seemed to have gotten food way quicker than us since we were still waiting on an entree. Which made it was more than obvious he NEVER placed the orders. At this time we ask for the check, and he tries to make a grand gesture of he's so sorry he'll remove the food items from the bill. Umm, OBVIOUSLY! You never placed the orders, we were given basically scrapers. The lady next to us ordered a seafood fettuccine dish that looked more like soup as it was drowning in a clear broth... she later mentioned it tasted like lemons. What was even more weird about the whole place was they had a toaster oven at the bar where they were "baking" the flat bread and breads which seemed really odd...but then made sense why the food wasn't warm by the time it arrived to the tables, since they bake it at bar and then bring it into the kitchen to finish prepping?! Needless to say I will definitely not be coming back here, and I'm shocked by the high reviews. read more

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Quaint Italian restaurant. Their pastas are well-made, cooked to the perfect al dente texture. Flavors were a tad bit subdued, maybe missing some umami quality to it. Their ribeye dish was a highlight -- the meat was incredibly tender with breading that adds a nice crunch. I would like to come back to try more of their dishes, for a more full assessment of the place. ;) read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Squid ink (front), Nonna's Bolognese w/ meatball (back) - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Very pleased with our dining experience. The food was awesome and Diego was a very attentive server, even taking the time to balance our wobbly table. Thank you will return! read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, garlic bread, and vodka pasta with sausage - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I feel like this place is either really hits or really misses. The Yelp reviews are absolutely incredible and my friend had eaten here before, so I was super excited to try it before attending the symphony. We had a reservation at 6. Apparently so did everyone else. We weren't seated until close to 6:30. While we were waiting, we noticed people on the patio. We're trying to flag down waitstaff so they could place their order. One table got so tired of waiting they just left. When the host finally came to seat us, she offered the recently vacated table on the patio or the bar. We chose to sit at the bar after seeing what happened to the last people at that table. It took about 10 minutes for them to take our order. The scene behind the bar was chaotic. Staff were going back-and-forth making drinks and bring them to their tables. Food runners were trying to deliver food but didn't seem to know where the food was supposed to go. The space was too small and people kept bumping into the backs of our chairs as they walked by. Staff seemed a bit dazed and confused as they wandered around the restaurant. I had ordered the linguine vongoli. This is one of my favorite dishes and I was looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately the dish came out swimming in lemon juice. It was so acidic it was inedible. I couldn't taste anything but the lemon. To his credit, the server asked about my food and I explained the issue. He asked if I wanted a replacement. Since we were now at 7 PM, and the show started at 7:30 - I got the artichoke salad which was actually excellent. Overall this visit gets a 3 star rating. It felt like something was missing. Like there should have been someone there to direct traffic. The overall visit felt chaotic and disappointing. I do appreciate them making it right with my meal and my salad was excellent as was my friends meal. So come at your own risk. read more

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I liked this place quite a bit! In particular, the Lobster Thermidor pasta is fairly unique and tasted great. The portions are also HUGE -- I had a hard time finishing the plate that I got simply because there was just so much lobster and pasta. My friend also had difficulty finishing all of his pasta because it was also a huge plate. I do wish that they would perhaps tone down the cream used in the Lobster pasta. Put some San Marzano tomatoes in there and let the tomato x seafood combo really shine! With a bit of white wine sauce, I think that could be a real winner in their dinner rotation. The current version is just too heavy once you get halfway through and I think there's also cheese on top of the lobster which adds to the richness. read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Came down for the River Dance show and stopped by this nice Italian restaurant . Our server Sergio was amazing and gave us great customer service ! The food was fresh and very authentic . Had the lasagna and the cheese wheel with short rib . Finished with a cake . [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great spot![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

My thoughts: This is a traditional classic Italians restaurant that is been around the San Diego area through out the up and down of the economy. Plus they do serve good traditionally Italian food and maintain a reasonable price. Here is my scoring card for this restaurant: 1) Location: ( 5 Point ) - Great location for customer to see and find. Great parking for street parking and side parking. 2) Decoration : (2 Point) - They still have the original decoration. Clean but not up to date. 3) Price: ( 4 point)- The price is competitive but still a little bit pricey compare to other same stars and type food they serve 4) Quality and Taste : ( 3 point)- The quality is ok, food taste is good and portions are average . 5) Type of cuisine standard : ( 4 point) - The style of italian food they serve is pretty close to the way it was prepare in Italy. Not bad! But some dishes did have slightly modify to cater the customer's need Overall it's not bad and I thinks it's great to give it a try and let me know what you think. Go foodies read more

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Probably one of my favorite spots for Italian cuisine. It always tastes like Nonna is cooking your meal. We grabbed an early dinner before our comedy show on Saturday. I was torn between lasagna or Carbonara so I let the server decide. We got Evian because Aqua Panna is not delivering to San Diego? My friend order the Gnocchi Cacio e Pepe. We enjoyed ever last bite of our meal and even finished it off with a cannoli. Service is always excellent, space is charming/cozy and food is delicious. That's a winning combination. Can't wait to try almost everything on the menu. read more

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Ended up at Osteria Cotto e Mangiato last minute after our plans fell through. I'm always intrigued by the restaurants that make it to the bottom floor of El Cortez. It's a cool location and a different view point of SD. This time around we visited an Italian Cucina. The atmosphere was lively, it appears they get a good number of theatre/symphony goers. The place is cozy with a bit of 90s vibes. Like it could be a cafe or a wine bar. The restaurant itself is smaller. They do have a lot of outdoor seating options. The service was a little slow for a Saturday night. It took them a minute to acknowledge our table. Once they did things went smoothly. The food: Meatballs-Polpette- nice and warm. A good appetizer. Tortellini Emiliani, cheese tortellini in cream sauce with. Good, but the cream definitely took overtook the flavors of the dish. Lasagna- good and satisfying! Not high end Italian food but definitely satisfies the pasta craving. read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Menu 4/2025 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

This was an amazing meal and vino. The server Basia was amazing and I enjoy the service that I was presented. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance curated by the owner Diego is always top notch during jazz night.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Amazing amazing. 5 stars read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Short rib - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Shhh... secret's out! Tucked away in the heart of Cortez Hill, right at the base of the historic El Cortez Hotel, is one of San Diego's best-kept brunch secrets: Mamma's Brunch at Osteria Cotto e Mangiato--and it's too good not to share. Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 10am-3pm, this cozy Italian spot transforms into a dreamy brunch escape, complete with an adorable patio perfect for soaking up the sun and sipping cocktails with friends. And if you love brunch, don't sleep on dinner! Their dinner menu is packed with authentic Italian dishes made with love and passion--perfect for date night, a cozy evening with friends, or anytime you're craving real-deal Italian comfort food. Huge thank you to Andrea and the team for the warm hospitality and delicious experience. Your heart shows up in every bite! read more

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I had the fortunate experience to try a sample of pasta from this place at a Yelp event and I knew I had to go! My friend was in town and on his last night he wanted Italian so I said we should try this place! I am so glad we did! We came in on a Thursday night around 5pm. Parking was great and there was no wait more was it crowded. We were seated quickly and the server was so kind. He recommended the Prosciutto Bruschetta as an appetizer which so good. The bread was toasted and still sour soft and the burrata was so fresh. I had not eaten all day and it was such a nice first dish! For entres we ordered the Rigatoni Carbonara and the Penne Vodka with chicken. The Rigatoni Carbonara was probably the best I have ever had. It was so creamy and so so good! The pancetta had such great flavor as well and cooked perfectly. The Penne Vodka was a perfect tomato creamy balance with such a delicious sauce! And the pasta in both these dishes was home made and cooked so perfectly! I was in heaven! If we weren't in a time crunch I would have ordered or tried other dishes. I cannot wait to come back! read more

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Great little Italian place! [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were staying across the street & could see this place from our window - sometime even get some yummy smells wafting across the street![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Definitely recommend this restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Good food, service & ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They can easily accommodate small or large parties![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We wanted to get back for happy hour but didn't - next time! read more

We are visiting San Diego and this beautiful Italian restaurant was across the street, so we tried it. The food was fantastic! I had the lobster ravioli and my husband had the cioppino. Both were awesome! Our waiter, Francesco was actually from Italy. This was his first week on the job. He did a great job! Very nice and attentive. All in all this is a fantastic, wonderful place! Thank you!! read more

Great food and excellent service. Everybody was so kind, welcoming, and accommodating. Our server had great recommendations. We had the zucchini blossoms with fig jam, delicious, my husband had the lasagna and said it was wonderful. I had the gnocchi with chicken and it was fantastic. Wed. Is 40% off bottles of wine so we had a really nice Chianti reserva. The tiramisu has some dark chocolate on the bottom and some strawberries which add a nice touch. Definitely recommend and would definitely go back. Overall a great meal experience. read more

I don't like to do reviews when it's going to be bad, but I hope mgt takes this feedback for improvement. Decided on this place as I was going to an event at the Jacobs center (SD symphony) down the street from the restaurant. due to this you can imagine people would want to dine here due to proximity. Place was busy so I decided on some apps at the bar. The website advertised happy hour til 6 pm, but the menu said 5 pm. Our server was super nice and honored the website hours. But it took such a long time to get my order in and even get some of the food I ordered. I got one of the drinks and was waiting for the second one which took about a other 15 mins. The bruschette took about 20 mins from when the ordered was taken. Ordered a fried calamari, but that was from another table that I told the waiter Ill take it as the party who ordered that walked out. At least it wouldn't go to waste and I got one of the items I ordered, but that was about 40 mins from when I put in the order. Well ... Unfortunately it did not taste good. It wasnt crispy and packed seasoning. By this point we decided to leave and eat elsewhere. The server was super nice and only billed us for the drinks which was the only thing he could do as it seemed based on the bill 2 of the items were never ordered. Funny as I had previously asked to make sure if he had entered the full ordered and was told yes. I hope mgt can keep up to date with events at Jacob Music Hall to avoid this from happening again. read more

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Came to San Diego for a short trip this restaurant was close to the resort had a great rating and they were right good food and very clean and nice environment read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Food and service were excellent!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambience of the restaurant is chic and comfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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I was totally wowed by the authenticity of this restaurant. My friend recommended to go here. The food was out of this world. The service was excellent! Fas polite helpful and eager. The restaurant although small left you with a classic Italian restaurant out of Italy not America. The owner proud of his heritage and opportunity in the city. 100% recommend and will return. Also although a preference the house red wine was excellent! And recommend. Don't leave without desert! read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Diego provided exceptional service from start to finish. He was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and made the entire dining experience enjoyable. The food was fantastic, but Diego's outstanding service is what really stood out. If you visit, ask for Diego. Highly recommended! read more

We ordered 5 dishes plus dessert. Ribeye was very special. Lobster was delicious. Overall food was very authentic. Service by Basis was warm, prompt, and excellent! I would recommend this cozy authentic Italian restaurant to guests at the Marriott Vacation Club because it's only 5 minute walk away. read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Dessert Sampler - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Excellent customer service. It was a little pricy for us, so we will be looking forward to happy hour.

Everything was amazing! So amazing we went back a second night for dinner. Great food, wine and service! Loved the music playing. Found ourselves singing along. I would certainly recommend, especially if you're staying at the Marriott down the block. Quick 5 minute walk. read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Penne Vodka - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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The host and the server is 10 out of 10 It's like a luxury best people ever 85 Characters Wonderful Pllace read more

Was fiending for some pasta and stumbled across a pretty solid gem. Was dining alone and their patio seating was beautiful. My server was superb. Absolutely excellent service. Gave great recommendations, was prompt, happy to cut it up, and made sure I was satisfied the entire ride. I got the grilled artichokes(per my server) and they were insane. Crispy, rich, and slightly citrusy. Perfectly salted and buttered. A great starter. For the main I had one of their ravioli dishes with ham and peas. The sauce was a white wine cream sauce. It was velvety, creamy and all around great. I had some garlic bread to accompany as well. all in all, a fantastic dinner. Would definitely go back if I am ever in the area read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Menu - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Great food but I got glutened here and miss the event I came to San Diego for. I think it was some cross contamination. I had gluten free penne Alfredo and a caprese salad. Both were good until later when I was sick. My friend said the classic bread was really good and her Caesar salad was good and her husband really like the chicken Marsala. Cute restaurant, reminded me of Italy. Server was friendly and helpful. read more

Osteria Cotto e Mangiato - Gluten free penne with Alfredo - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California