Totally amazing sweets I picked up an assortment for the office and everybody gave rave reviews. I will be back. And not just the food the service was prompt professional and friendly. Keep it up guys you're definitely a jewel. read more

Pappalecco - The gelato looks amazing so many flavors so fresh mouth-watering - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

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Coffee and gelato are two of my favorite things in this life and Pappalecco blew me away. As a coffee snob and a former barista, my coffee expectations are incredibly high and I really have to give it to this place for being some of the best coffee I've ever had. My boyfriend ordered a simple cappuccino and I have to say this was the smoothest but also perfectly strong to the taste espresso I've tasted. It was delicious and made to perfection. In addition, we also shared gelato in which we ordered dark chocolate and pistachio. My mouth dropped when I took my first bite as I knew this place beat my favorite shop in Los Angeles where I'm from. It tasted homemade, smooth, and incredibly authentic and rich in flavor. This place is also absolutely adorable and in a quaint area of Little Italy and I would literally drive back to San Diego just to visit this cute little coffee shop because it was delicious! read more

This is a place to get gelato and coffee if you're in the area. The other items in the glass case are a hit or miss. We ordered Nonna's crostada which is a sweetened pastry with egg. It tasted like steamed egg, but it doesn't cut well because the crust is cold with some condensation inside. The drinks were pretty delicious, though I'm not entirely sure if I trust my own decisions to make a good blended drink with their gelato. If you want to sit down, they will bring your food to you, but leave your drinks at the pick up station. It was slightly confusing. read more

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Stopped by Pappalecco after visiting the Little Italy farmer's market. Two of us ordered: -gelato mango/strawberry cup $6.25 -nutella $6.25 -added nutella topping for extra $1.29, had to remind staff to add Credit card fee also added...not sure if it was displayed anywhere. Mango gelato itself is a great dairy free alt..they have other flavors as well! Street parking only. read more

This place absolutely deserves 5 stars! If you came here and didn't enjoy your ice cream, you definitely need to try a different flavor. This is hands down the best gelato I've ever had. Ever since I went to Italy, I've been on the hunt for truly great gelato, and this place is it! I've tried a lot of their flavors, but my favorite by far is their stracciatella! I'm a huge fan of stracciatella, and theirs is just perfect. The vanilla base is so creamy and flavorful, and the chocolate shards are what make it next level. If you love chocolate chip ice cream, this is like a fancier, more delicious version of it. And their cone is perfectly crispy every time! I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a really good stracciatella gelato. They have a few locations around San Diego, but this one is my favorite! I feel like this location has a slightly bigger selection of flavors. Besides gelato, they also offer sandwiches and baked goods, though I haven't tried those because I can't resist getting gelato every time. A few tips: They have some indoor seating if you want to enjoy your treat on the spot. The location in Little Italy makes it perfect for walking around after Parking can be tricky depending on when you go, but there are some spots nearby if you're lucky. read more

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You can't get much more "Little Italy" than having breakfast at the Pappalecco in Little Italy. On my San Diego Adventureland weekend, I needed breakfast to kickstart my morning. Anything. Anything that was walkable from my hostel. And lucky for me, Yelp pointed me to this adorable cafe that felt oddly familiar from my first San Diego trip circa 2015... like maybe I'd had gelato here. Regardless- they are open most waking hours and are bound to have something to eat, be it dessert, breakfast or the in-between. I got good vibes here despite the overt touristy presence including yours truly- locals and visitors both stopped by. The staff are super nice and knowledgeable about what they create! The cashier took time to chat with me about what I was looking for (protein and caffeine) and making sure it was to my liking. The Bacon Croissant was one of the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had, and it was presented beautifully. The sauce dots were fun to play with for each bite- a unique spin on making breakfast fun. Coffee is only espresso or cold brew. The iced espresso latte was decent, not too bitter with my DF milk. If I had more time in San Diego I probably would've stopped by for gelato since it's what they're known for... until next time! read more

Pappalecco - Bacon Croissant - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

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The quintessential Italian café right off the main drag in Little Italy. Great outdoor seating and a cozy ambiance inside with the friendly service and Italian music playing. The coffee was fantastic and the Gelato was even better! Highly recommend if you are in need of an afternoon pick me up or a dessert stop. read more

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Love this place! Discovered it about 8 years ago and always make a point to come back when we are in the downtown area. Delicious and authentic gelato and espresso drinks for surprisingly reasonable prices read more

Pappalecco - Breve latte - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Very expensive, my mocha was over $10. When they asked if I wanted whipped cream, I didn't realize it was a steep extra charge. The whipped cream was overflowing out of my cup when they gave it to me. The mocha was alright read more

A popular gelato shop in Little Italy offering some of the creamiest gelato around. We stopped by for a sweet treat on a summer afternoon after lunch. They let you sample various flavors before deciding. We chose strawberry with cheesecake and tiramisu with nutella. The gelato was delicious and so creamy. The service was decent, though the staff member assisting us was quite quiet. Since the visit was brief, we didn't need much interaction. read more

Pappalecco - Strawberry & Cheesecake + Tiramisu & Nutella - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Decided to take the trolley to Little Italy and hit up the farmer's market. But first a visit to Pappalecco for mochas and a vegan panini. The gal at the register was super nice and friendly -- from Brazil -- and the mochas and the panini were excellent. Gotta give them 5 stars! read more

Pappalecco - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Staff always friendly. The coffee and food is excellent. The cafe has a nice vibe. Very chill. Love the music the play.

A local favorite spot serving pastries, gelatos, and coffee. We enjoyed some Affogato for treats and it's delicious. I'd say their gelatos weren't the best I've had but added a double shot espresso and it's delicious! read more

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

cafe on the corner, with plenty of outdoor seating and if you're lucky to find metered street parking all around. The staff was super friendly, which I really appreciated--especially considering how incredibly hot it was inside. No AC seemed to be working, so major props to the one guy working the counter. I tried the cold Nutella coffee, and it was absolutely delicious--perfectly refreshing for a warm day. read more

Pappalecco - Nutella something ... sweet and bold - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

A really cute corner gelato and panini store. The staff is very attentive and helpful. I love this place for gelato every time I come here. Even the pastries are worth it to try. Definitely come and try them out! read more

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I've been going here for over 10 years and can't rave enough. The food quality is unmatched and the service is so friendly and helpful. This is an authentic Italian owned cafe with real Italian dishes. If you want to practice your Italian, just come here and say "Ciao bello" and you've started a conversation. (Nota bene: their mocha powder is the perfect balance of cocoa and sweet. I've never found another place with this ideal flavor) read more

Stopped by for a coffee around 3pm. Not busy at all, service is a bit slow and unenthused but ok. Got the affogato ($9) and the latte ($5) with lavender and cayenne pepper- the latte was delicious! Affogato was ok. Nice space to sit down for a bit. 6-7 tables outside, 3 or so inside read more

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A cute little Italian eatery. I am basing this reciew solely off of their gelato and service. Service was good, pricing was fair, portion size for the value was meh and the gelato itself was good but not my favorite. I tried stracciatella, Nutella and pistachio. The pistachio was by far the best of the three. I'd go back to try other flavors, a coffee and something savory. I'd say it's definitely worth stopping in. read more

Pappalecco - Grande gelato -- up to three flavors, add cream - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cheesecake gelato is a must try along with their Papalecco flavor. I always go here when in the mood for gelato due to their quality and number of flavors to choose from compared to other gelato places. read more

Pappalecco - 15 flavors alone on this day to choose from. - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

One of several options to get your coffee fix, but the desserts are the draw. Between the gelato, pastries, and more savory options, it's a convenient spot to get either your caffeine, meals, or dessert. The staff were very welcoming and helpful. Indoor and outdoor seating with relaxing ambiance. read more

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

5/5 stars for ice cream 1/5 stars for service and this review is for service: I walked in there was a line got in line. The people in front of me ordered after they ordered, I was getting ready to order & the girl serving ice cream said I'm going to help the person behind you with no explanation. And I looked at her crazy because I was there first! The lady behind me noticed I didn't understand, and she said hi you have to pay first. I said okay thank you for telling me because this whole situation was not cool. Please greet your customers and let them know they need to pay before being helped. Or make a sign saying it if you can't greet your customers. read more

Everything was fine. I went with 4 stars because the people working there were nice and when I went to pay, everything was half price because it was happy hour, and I did not know that! Nice surprise. I just wanted a simple salad and this fit the bill. read more

Pappalecco - Garden salad without the dry cranberries. The tofu was an $5 which was too much for this serving size but it was half price so... - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Sad to update and downgrade this review. I have been going to Pappalecco regularly for 10 years. I still think they have the best coffee in Little Italy! The staff used to be more of a community and you felt a part of something greater. That has changed. When you would walk in, you would be greeted with "ciao bello/bello, what is your name?" That is no longer the case. The food options are limited and quality has changed/decreased over time. They also used to have THE BEST croissants - fluffy, moist, buttery, delicious - even better when they came fresh out of the oven!! However, they recently changed vendors and they are less tasty, fluffy, and a bit more tough on the outside. Super bummer. The owner is from Italy and loves the business. He puts his heart and soul into it. He often makes changes to things that were great....it's kind of like the saying, "if it's not broke, don't fix it." However, it still has the best coffee in little Italy! The staff are also generally very nice (only a couple bad apples over the years). read more

This small gelato shop was that busy on a Thursday afternoon. There's a few indoor tables for small groups and outdoor seating for larger groups. Service was immediate and samples are allowed after paying for the gelato. 7.5/10 Chocolate Chip Cookie $5.23 (price from Yelp order) - got it warmed up, but it tasted a bit hard still in some spots while other areas were buttery melt in mouth feel. The sweet and salty ration was solid. Overall still an above average cookie in size and taste. 9/10 Medium Gelato $6.75 - very thick, creamy, soft, and gummy like texture. Flavors: mango and Espresso. Mango was very authentic in terms of natural fruit and not artificial flavoring. Espresso was pretty strong and good flavor. read more

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Best pisatchio and strawberry cheesecake gelato I've ever had. It's extremely creamy and you can taste the sweetness of the berries. I also got the cheesecake, it was honestly the best I've ever had as well and I'm a connoisseur of both, the crust is soft and as gooey and tasty as the light smooth tangy thick filling. The zest from the lemon is perfect in the filling as well, it's a nice sweet tart. read more

Pappalecco - Pisatchio and cheesecake gelato. Cheesecake - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Good lunch spot if you are around the area (for example jury duty). Decent gelato (pistachio) but pricey $7 for smallest scoop. read more

Pappalecco - Gelato Scoop - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped by for a light breakfast this morning and the cashier was welcoming and nice. Ordered the Bacon Quiche, Croissant, Cappuccino and Latte. Coffees were on point. However, the quiche was just okay, half of the greens on top were pretty wilted, like they were very old and slimy. Other than that, it was nice they had good outdoor seating options and quick service. read more

Pappalecco - Bacon Quiche, Croissant, Cappuccino and Latte - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Good quality food . Gelato is to die for. Great service make you feel at home staff. I love this place read more

Pappalecco - Gelato flavor espresso Nutella - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Great little spot for a simple drink or dessert. Take a nice stroll and go check out this place. You'll love the homemade gelato. read more

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5.7/10 Unenthralling Adverb - not enthralling; not capturing and holding ones attention As someone who has eaten, probably more than one meal in their life, yeah this gelato spot is very, nothing A very bland, modernish aesthetic fills this, what would normally be empty, building in little Italy The inside is very hot, even during the night, with minimal seating Most of the small amount of seats are outdoors, which aren't cleaned that often and have a horrible view, if you go here, tell the apartment building to move out of the way The gelato is $7, one size, with a gimmick allowing you to get 3 inconsistently sized scoops of gelato, meaning you can get up to 3 different flavors The gelato itself is very bland, some flavors are too strong and others can be that one friend that speaks like they're in a library all the time. They also taste old, I'm assuming that the gelato gets replaced in the morning, so people going at night get less options and Baskin Robbin's quality scoops We also got a Nutella crostata, $8 for like 6 ounces of Nutella and flour, a 26 ounce jug of Nutella is around the same cost as this. It was really good though. It's Nutella. You can't mess up Nutella The workers are fast food like, a 16 year old getting paid $16 an hour and staring at the metaphorical clock like it's the last day of 12th grade, it's only about to start getting worse as you go on It's very unenthralling, remember that word from the start? read more

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Kind of disappointing. Just an average cappuccino lacking latte art or requested sweetener. Lemon torte was good but not great. read more

Pappalecco - Disappointing cappuccino, decent lemon torte - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Their name means gobble up and a delicacy. And gobble up a delicacy we did!!! Gelato, pastries, coffees and sandwiches and all look amazing. We had the gelato and it didn't disappoint. Happy to give samples of flavors and lots to choose from. Great, friendly staff in the heart of Little Italy!! Cute little shop, Can eat inside or out. read more

Pappalecco - Lemon and mango gelato - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

Just had a frittata. Clearly frozen, slightly heated around the edges, and soggy throughout. Not good.

Wanted to try some gelato while in Little Italy and found this as a really popular cute shop near the place we were eating for dinner. For their gelato, you actually go and pay for the size you want before trying any of the flavors, and once you choose (which is only either 3 or 8 scoops), you can then go try. We personally tried their coconut, their pistachio, and their tiramisu. Out of those, my personal favorite was the coconut, although the tiramisu was a close second. The texture was nice and creamy and the three scoop sizing was smaller than i expected, so was definitely easy enough to have for yourself/share if you had a big dinner. read more

This is my brother's favorite gelato shop so we braved the traffic and circled in little Italy on a Saturday until we found parking. The inside is small, but cute with a nice outdoor seating area. Service was friendly and instructive, which I found helpful given the small space. I proudly own that I'm a coffee and dessert snob and that comes with strong opinions. I enjoyed the experience, but must say the gelato was just okay when it came to texture and flavor. At this time I cannot comment on the coffee. read more

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Delicious!!! My fiancee and I tried a simple mozzarella panini, it was beautiful crafted. The mozzarella had a good amount of flavor that brought the whole experience together. Service was friendly and the outdoor seating was nice--they have cushioned benches :) read more

Pappalecco - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

This is a gem! Stop in and get the affogato. I had mine with the coconut chocolate chip custard. So good. Went down way too fast. But it was perfect. read more

Pappalecco - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California

I went there with a friend for lunch. We got two salads and two glasses of wine for lunch. It was $65.99 and my friend tipped. I'm not sure exactly how much, but knowing her at least 20%, so $13. We sat outside. The waitress brought us our food and silverware. We asked for napkins. She said they were inside. I assumed she was going to bring them to us. Five minutes later, no napkins. I'm honestly not nitpicky about this kind of thing, but now that we are expected to tip at walk up places like this, and everything is just soooo expensive, I feel like some service should be expected. Bummer, cause the salad was good and the outdoor seating was nice. read more

I was walking through Little Italy looking for dinner one evening and saw a quiet corner café. This was Pappalecco, which offered a range of panini, pastries, and gelato. So I walked in. Green was the color of the café--green walls and green accent lighting. It was an unusual color choice, but green is a color on the Italian flag, so I understood it. I was in the mood for panini, but when I wasn't sure which one to get, the servers were very helpful making recommendations. They offered a range of choices, from ham to chicken to tofu. I decided on a Toscano (prosciutto) panini and sat by the window. Dave Brubeck's Take Five played softly in the café while I waited for the servers to make my food. My panini arrived quickly, and I was impressed with the presentation. The long, black marks of the seared, pressed bread were visually striking next to the flourish of sauces and herbs on the other side of the plate. Prosciutto, basil, tomato, and cheese peeked out from between the bread halves. The sandwich was delicious. The prosciutto was delicately sliced. The tomatoes and mozzarella added a tender, juicy depth to the panini, and the basil accents were a nice finish. If dogs bring you joy, you're in luck at Pappalecco. While I ate, many dogs and their walkers passed me by on the other side of the window, moving along easily as they do. Pappalecco was a nice, casual place to grab a bite to eat. While the café was very quiet (I was the only customer dining in), the food is good and priced well. read more

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3.5 stars Walked over to Pappalecco after having dinner in Little Italy. We were super excited for an after dinner treat. The shop is small but there are tables outside to enjoy your dessert. Initially went back and forth between ordering a 2 and 3 scoop cup, but the price almost added up to the 8 scoop, therefore, we opted for that. Festa ($16.95): Tried a few samples and ended up selecting a few scoops of vanilla (can't ever go wrong with that), coconut mango, milk and chocolate bits, and mixed berry. Heard another customer say the mixed berry was the best so we had to get a scoop to try and I had much regret not getting more! it was truly fantastic - a tiny bit sour but tasted very similar to Costco's mixed berry smoothie (BEFORE they changed the recipe). Vanilla was good but I wasn't blown away by any other flavor. read more

Pappalecco - 8 scoops - Sandwiches Near Me - San Diego, California