I rarely do negative reviews but I will do one just for the way my family was treated yesterday when we came in for coffee and gelato yesterday morning. We came in for coffee and gelato and there were two employees working, a gentleman that did the drinks and a lady that served as the cashier who also took the customer's food/drink orders. We were going to get gelato so our child can have a little treat so we asked ordered one scoop of gelato.The cashier lady said our "bambino" size only comes in two scoops, my wife looked at me and said oh that is too much I don't think our child can finish two scoops so she proceeded to the pastry area to pick out a croissant for our child instead.I ordered our two drinks: the Gelatoso and the naughty cold brew. But before my wife could pick out a croissant,the lady already pressed the total even though we said we wanted a croissant.I found out that the cashier already hit total and did not add the croissant. For my drink the Gelatoso, I specifically also said I wanted the Pistacchio Gelato in it.I guess she didn't want to hear. Her attitude was that we were a nuisance all because we didn't want two scoops of Gelato but wanted a croissant instead.This all happened around 11 AM so there wasn't any customers behind as, only a couple that arrived toward the end of our order and who was still looking at the menu. We were in the area for breakfast and searched for a coffee place here on yelp and unfortunately thought this place was going to be good.The drinks were OK,but the service was really rude and dissapointing.They say the first Papalecco is in Italy. Well, it is the last one for us in Little Italy. I recommend everyone to check out other coffee places around little Italy.There are plenty that gives your better customer service than this place. Loftys is 10 steps away next door,their coffee is superb and they don't treat you like crap. read more

Pappalecco - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

The Gelato is to DIE for. I've yet to try the coffee and sandwiches, but will definitely be back for more. My partner and I always order a Grande size with a waffle cone. You're able to get up to 3 flavors in your Grande size. My partner and I are always sharing, and it's always big enough for both of us! Hint: You'll probably get more Gelato if you opt for the waffle cone instead of the cup. ;) read more

Pappalecco - Grande Gelato 3 Flavors! - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

I had been to their other restaurants. We came here because it was open later than the other Pappalcco's. They were busy but Kristina and Michelangelo were very attentive to our needs. They were engaging and we had a very pleasant experience. We will go back to this one again for the coffee, food and the caring atmosphere. read more

OMG this place is a dream. The shop is so cute and the employees make the experience so nice! The server even taught us a few words of Italian! The desserts are to die for and the affogato with Nutella and milk chocolate gelato was incredible. It's going to take almost all of my self control to not come here everyday to be honest. But, even if you're not in the market for a treat, their coffee and teas are great! read more

Pappalecco - Affogato - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this authentic corner cafe. Franchesco the owner is such a light of life, it shines in the quality of his coffee and food. Any salad, anything with prosciutto and a sulfate free red wine are all too notch here. Not to mention, just a sniff off coffee will set you off the walls. I don't have a sweet tooth, but my sister comes in for a night cap cookie or pastry every time she visits me and refuses to try anywhere else. Quality ingredients, and lovely energy here. read more

Pappalecco - Sipping happiness - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Great gelato, great location. Definitely a must try if you're in the area. The pistachio is amazing

This place was so good! I'm normally not a fan of gelato but after this visit, I really was impressed! The service was great and the people were really nice! The seating outside was the only issue or I would have given this place 5 stars. Tables were not cleaned after every guest (maybe they were short staffed that day) but if we asked, they would come out and clean it right away! Also, there were a few peddlers hanging around which made it hard to enjoy our gelato in peace.... other than that... best Gelato in town for sure!!! I will be back for sure! read more

Pappalecco - Gelato selections... so many yo choose from. - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here looking for some gelato and figured can't go wrong with the many reviews. Boy has yelpers let me down this time. First thing I get there and instead of saying "hello or how can I help you," all i got was "you pay/order here first." Mind you, I wanted to see what flavors they have and whether I'd be even interested in their gelato. The older blonde lady clearly wasn't interested in anything than just take my cash and me to leave, when I wanted to take my time to decide on my flavors I wanted. Mind you there were no customers waiting in line. All other customers were just reading a book or on their laptops at the tables. So I don't know what the rude older blonde lady was in a hurry about. When I did place my order, she haphazardly just put whatever minimal amount of gelato she can in my grande which can be the amount of the picollo. The dark chocolate was so plain, the hazelnut was generic, and their signature wasn't as good as others have mentioned. There's so many other gelato places that are generous with their helpings. Here all she gave me were stingy amount of gelato. Overrated, using the "made in Italy" brand to market their place because they're quality can't stand on their own feet. read more

Walked here after dinner in Little Italy. My coworker got gelato and i tried a spoonful. It was delicious. I was just too full for dessert. I recommend this place to satisfy your sweets cravings. read more

My Yelp followers know I'm a 6ft tall Korean guy grew up in Japan and there is a 72 years old Italian man living inside my vein asking me for a good cup of cappuccino every morning before 11AM. The old Italian man inside my vein was tired of drinking cappuccino I make on Bialetti moka pot every morning and begged me for a good Italian Cappuccino. So I drove 2hrs to Little Italy early in the morning to get some good cappuccino. Arrived at Pappalecco around 7:50AM and they had fresh out of oven Croissant waiting for me. (Video attached) Also Cappuccino was on point, which reminded me of my time in Italy. If you do order Cappuccino, do me a favor and order the smallest size as all Europeans do. We Americans consume way too much caffein per day. The old Italian man inside my vein shakes his head any time he sees people getting Tall, Grande or Venti size. Ciao e grazie mille, #sundogram read more

We came in specifically looking for good cannoli, and were pleasantly surprised by all of the offerings, and the fact that we could actually sit down and enjoy it. We ended up ordering glasses of wine, an apple crumb tart, and a cannoli. All were FANTASTIC. The cannoli was authentic, with tiny pieces of orange zest in the filling mixture. I'm drooling just thinking about it. The apple tart was warmed up and melted right on your mouth! While we were there, the traffic coming in was nonstop. Many people were obviously local regulars, so you know this place is good! The location is great, just a block off of Little Italy, so I highly recommend grabbing dinner nearby and then coming here for a quieter dessert (bonus: you'll walk off some of the calories!). read more

Pappalecco - Cannoli - filled fresh to order! - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place's gelato, paninis, and salads are a must have. I first went here after a long hike and I was very hungry. My friend convinced me to get the salmon salad. Usually, I don't think salads are filling or worth more than $10, but this one was well worth the money and tasted delicious! Every Wednesday they have a panini half off special, and the paninis are great. After the gym I reward myself with their gelato. The workers are all kind and I 200% recommend :) read more

Maybe it was just me or maybe it was the severely small portion sizes, but I wasn't impressed. The gelato was good, no doubt, but you don't get what you paid for and there are other places just as good, if not better in terms of quality and taste. It also took forever, which didn't help. There are a lot of flavors available, which was nice, but I don't think the value is worth it at this one. Go elsewhere and hit closer to (or within) Little Italy for even better. read more

Walking around little Italy with a friend and we are craving something sweet. So glad we were pointed in this direction! Staff was polite and let ya have several tastes! read more

Fantastic gelato & coffee spot, they have a couple of locations that I've visited and it's consistently a great place to grab a cup of your favorite flavor (or flavors- why limit yourself to one?!) Be sure to sample some before you make your choice! I like a pretty standard choice when I get gelato, and go for stracciatella, but sometimes I'll mix it up depending on what they have. read more

I used to live in San Diego for a few years when j went to school and worked there. I explored as much as I could and unfortunately, I didn't get to see much of Little Italy. We finally had the chance to make this happen when my girlfriends and I planned our best friend's bachelorette party in La Jolla. Oven that most of us had gone to school together, we were roughly familiar with the majority of the different towns in San Diego and decided we'd play it by ear with some of our pit stops. Little Italy was one of those places I'd never frequented to as much as the other ones. We decided to cruise around the beautiful streets, admire the gelato and pizza shops and take photos of the views in the background before we stumbled upon this adorable cafe in one of the quieter streets of Little Italy. Although Pappalecco specializes in some very popular gelato and sandwiches among other foods, I aimed for an iced coffee on the hot summer day that we visited in the middle of July. Like many folks, I couldn't resist the Nutella coffee...and boy did I understand why. NUTELLA LATTE 5/5: Not only was the coffee itself rich and full of flavor, the milk and the heaping amount of Nutella balances out the flavors to be the perfect blend of responsible and non-responsible drinking. ;) In other words, it was pretty sweet but it definitely hit the spot. I remember meeting a young lady at the register who made small talk with me and was so polite during that minute. My friends and I were very happy with our drinks in hand as we walked around the beautiful area. I know I'll be back to visit again. PARKING Available on surrounding streets for free read more

Pappalecco - Nutella latte. Delicious. - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

I love this place!! It is a little taste of Italy (Tuscany, more specifically) in San Diego!!! Francesco and his brother had a Gelato place in Pisa and they brought all of their recipes, (and many of their NONNA's) to America and have replicated not just the flavors and textures of Italian pastries, paninis, gelato, and coffee, but a pinch of the essence of the best place on Earth (at least for me) as well!! Kristina, and Marianna (wo)man the bar with skill and smiles, and I have to think of excuses NOT to go in for a coffee or a meal or a snack many times a day! read more

Great gelato! Really liked their chocolate and raspberry gelato. It was extremely creamy and dense. Preferred the texture of this gelato over salt and straw, plus the gelato flavors I chose were vegan! These two flavors are the sure fire creamy options that won't disappoint! Chocolate is naturally vegan and super dense and creamy. So is the mixed berry, unlike the strawberry. I tried all of the vegan flavors and these two were the most rich and dense. More of what I expect from a gelato, otherwise its sorbet... read more

Pappalecco - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Staff is very friendly! I recommend the Marocchino! Rich flavor and the expresso packed the punch I needed to get going Get a pastry too, the apple crumb is delicious read more

Bonjourno! My girlfriend was craving gelato so I had to take her to Pappalecco. We also both cannot pass on dessert after a nice hearty meal so I had to make a stop at Little Italy and take her to this place. Nice location at the corner of State and Cedar St. Tables and chairs available inside and outdoors. As we came in, we were able to sample various flavors. They had a special Thanksgiving flavor, which my girlfriend tried. I sampled the Nutella and Coffee gelato. All tasted milky, creamy, and flavorful but we ended up getting two scoops of the Pistachio and Hazelnut, which went well together in a nice cup. I highly would recommend Pappalecco for some authentic gelato ice cream. read more

Pappalecco - Hazelnut and Pistachio Gelato - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

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Nice coffee near my home. not the best, but a big plus - guys work late! Almost all good coffee shops close at 2-4pm. Americano and black freshly coffee are my favorite. They both super strong, and sometimes my hands shakes after drinking Unfortunately my friends didn't excited cappuccino and latte. All food looks good and I wanted to taste all of them. But I can't understand why do you guys put potato into omelette? A lot of people eat gelato here, I wish I taste it soon. Stuff is friendly! Especially Russian girls, so sweety. I love your location in Hillcrest, it is really good deserts there!!macaroon mmmmmmm highly recommend!!! read more

I came here just to try the tiramisu and it was pretty good! The lady fingers were soft but not mushy and each bite was rich and airy at the same time. I wanted a little more coffee flavor, but perhaps I'm used to a different type of tiramisu. Either way, the service is was friendly and fast. I'll have to get the gelato next time! read more

Pappalecco - Tiramisu - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

The food is great and fresh. The staff is very friendly. And the place is just cute. read more

Pappalecco - Vanilla and Lemon Tart - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

The night was balmy as we wandered in awe through the steers of Little Italy. A gentleman played wonderful music on his saxophone as we window shopped. Little Italy is a sight to behold when the sun goes down, and just on the outskirts lies a little gelato shop with lines out the door. We stopped here, hunting for something sweet to satisfy our souls after a hearty dinner at Queenstown. My eyes rested on the Nutella Pie and I was done for. My husband got the adffogato with a slew of scrumptious flavors. We took our treasures to go and enjoyed them at the base of a beautiful fountain in the heart of Little Italy. Please do yourself a favor and make a stop here while enjoying such a cute section of San Diego! read more

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Stopped by Pappalecco for some coffee and gelato. Unfortunately it was so hot in here that we decided to skip the hot coffee and just get gelato. There are plenty of flavors to choose from but we decided on pistachio and chocolate hazelnut. The gelato was so creamy and delicious. Highly recommend pistachio! It really did help cool us off in such a hot cafe. read more

Decent gelato. Enjoyed the airy creaminess of the chocolate hazelnut (despite asking for hazelnut) and cherry chocolate flavors of the signature Pappalecco mix while the dark chocolate was overly sweet. Multiple flavors were out by the time I arrived and the lady behind the counter got my order wrong, so not much else to say there. read more

Great variety of gelatos. The pistachio is the best I've ever had here or in Italy. A bit pricey but we'll worth it!

Pappalecco has gelato, cakes, cookies, panini, and more. You get real Italian gelato with assort of many flavors. They made a small mistake and gave us a small cup of the flavor we were missing. Great service! read more

Fabulous coffee! You can really feel the aroma in a simple espresso, and the ratio of coffee to milk in the cappuccino was just right. If you enjoy gelato and coffee - go for their Affogato. The service was attentive and super friendly. Plenty of outdoor seating with nice shade. read more

Pricey, but the gelato here is definitely some of the best I've had! Due to my multiple visits to Italy, I've become addicted to gelato, and of course where else to find better gelato then Little Italy? We had dinner around the corner and decided to get dessert here. They had about 10 different flavors to choose from, and we got a few samples before deciding what to get. 2 scoops are $4.60, and the scoops are not very big. The flavor is really good, not super sweet which I like, and the consistency is very smooth and creamy. Service was nice, and the outdoor seating area is a nice touch. There's also a complimentary water jug with ice for guests, and the bathroom was pretty clean. Metered parking on the street. read more

Pappalecco - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

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Easily one of my favorite gelato places in San Diego! Difficult to find parking in Little Italy, but it's worth the parking struggles for sure. The shop is small, maybe four tables tops with a bathroom in the back. I don't suggest studying here because of the huge sub woofer that they have blasting music - but it's a good place to chill while enjoying some amazing gelato. The employees are super sweet and they'll let you try any flavors you might be interested in. Can't go wrong with any of the flavors, but my all time favorite flavor here is the Marocchino which is kind of like coffee Nutella mixture that I can't really explain well. Be quick though because they tend to run out of this flavor fast! At $4.60 for a small scoop (choose two flavors) it's a great deal in my opinion! Can't rave about how good this place is enough! Check it out! read more

Pappalecco - Marocchino and Nutella! - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Really good gelato and affogato! Come here after farmers market for a perfect date! If you don't know what affogato is, its when they scoop gelato or ice cream into a shot of espresso. Sounds weird but so tasty! read more

The breakfast sandwich was so delicious. We also had a apple crunch tart which was amazing and the coffe was so good. Staff was vert pleasant. I recommend trying. read more

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I've had their lattes in the past and they've been good but today was watered down and slightly burnt. The veggie frittata was gross- it tastes like chemicals for some reason (maybe that paper thing they bake it in?) and was watery... it also didn't have any veggies in it except for an occasional tiny chunk of overcooked potato. It was so bad I didn't eat it- and I will force most things down. Skip this place and go to Lofty down the block read more

Love stopping by whenever I'm in Little Italy! Their foccacia and quiches are my favorite. Great coffee and gelato too! read more

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Cute shop but I came in for a cannoli. As a native New Yorker I can tell you, don't bother. Cannoli was a huge disappointment. They filled it on the spot so the shell was crispy, but the cannoli cream was watery and lumpy. Didn't taste the best. No. Just no. But the coffee and atmosphere was good. Cannoli was terrible though. read more

Cafe of Nutella! A super cute Italian cafe just around the corner from Little Italy. Seemed like the main ingredient for their dessert was Nutella. Grab a cup of coffee and walk around the Little Italy! You'll feel like youre in (maybe) Italy! read more

This place is awesome You feel as though you are on Mulberry street Little Italy in NYC or in Italy Most of the people here spoke Italian as well so it made the place seem even more authentic The window of sandwiches looked amazing, but since we just had dinner, we ventured for the gelato The gelato was very good, although they could use more flavors. Nonetheless, this is definetly my go to place for a quick lunch and evening desserts when i come back to SD read more

Pappalecco - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

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Yummy yummy in my tummy, I popped in for a quick bite during lunch and ordered the pollo panino. There was actually so much deliciousness on the menu it was so hard to pick something. The cashier was absolutely sweet and helpful with the menu and had the coolest Italian accent. Nice spot! read more

Pappalecco - Inside - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Pistachio is delicious! Great service super clean establishment! Will definitely go back.