We were a group of eight, and were seated within 3-5 minutes at six o'clock. Nice reserved crowd. Andres was our host and waiter and managed to have our orders taken within 10 minutes and we were eating our salads and soup within another 10. The Italian Wedding soup was tasty and filling. For my entree I had the Tuscan Shrimp Pasta. It was nice and creamy and seasoned just right. The shrimp had no fishy taste. The pasta was great and GF. I would definitely go again and recommend to others. Two thumbs up. read more

Petrini's SD was a choice of convenience that turned into a memorable moment of goodness. From the delicious aroma welcoming me in at the door to the patience, kindness, and clarity of my server Elvira, I felt satisfied. Then mind blown with firsts, fresh made Italian dressing on a simple and decadent house salad, a scrumptious cannelloni, sexy fragrant glass of Toscana, concluded with local hospitality and the rich sweetness of a spumoni bomba! read more

Petrini's San Diego - Cannelloni, Sangria, and Garlic Bread - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I love their chicken parm with spaghetti. The food is consistent and it tastes great. The staff is friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend read more

Andres is the man! He had the BEST recommendations and the warmest hospitality! 10/10 will be coming back. The happy hour is amazing, the food quality is AMAZING and the service is top tier! read more

Where do I start? My husband picked this place. We are tourists and just relying on google maps for places to eat. It's our first time in Little Italy and this place is not even close to average. Disappointing as it sounds. Our server got my order wrong. I ordered Lasagna so my daughter can eat, but he punched in Gnocchi on the tab. when the food came my husband even said, "her order is lasagna." and then he said,"let me check the order, and he showed us "Gnocchi on the tab." while we were ordering he even said,"would u like a salad or soup with the lasagna?" My husband didn't want any commotion so I ended up eating the Gnocchi and only ate 1/4 of it. My husband ordered pepperoni pizza but the Domino's pizza tastes way better. He also ordered Calamari which is super rubbery, we left it as it was disappointing. The server didn't even refill my husband's water or came to check with us. the complementary bread tasted the best out of all the foods. One more thing, the server had better service on the table who came after us. Sorry but if you are in Little Italy, pls try some other place. read more

Food was delicious. Service was a bit slow, and we were not checked on often (and waited awhile). However, the food was very good. Prices were fine for San Diego. We will likely return! read more

Family friendly, away from the weekend chaos and great service. Parking garage is right next to the restaurant. Pricing is fair and fun staff. read more

We haven't been to Petrinis in a while. We got there early enough to participate in the Happy Hour. The only drinks that they have during the happy hour is House Red, White or Rose, some beers and Sangria. The Sangria was very good. There were a few choices of snacks to order. We opted for the sampler which had interesting bruschettas that were tasty. I had the shrimp scampi which was suggested by the server. They have many dishes which can be made as gluten free. I tasted their GF pasta which was good. The dish had a nice scampi sauce. All of the entrees have a choice of salad, Italian wedding soup or minestrone. The service was good, but at times the server was very busy with others. The most difficult thing was flagging our server down to get the check. It was nice that we were allowed to sit and catch up with friends. We were served but had time to drink, eat and converse. read more

The stench of old urine drifting in from outside through both of their opened doors was unbearable. I walked in and immediately walked out. No wonder the place was empty. read more

The food was amazing! The flavor, the portion size, the service, we all enjoyed the food. The pasta comes with soup or salad and then garlic bread. All of it was great! We will definitely come back the next time we're in town. read more

Had a stellar Happy Hour with Andres!! Can't beat $6 wine and delicious affordable happy hour bites. Great pours,delicious burrata and wings. fun company at the bar! Would recommend and we will be back!! read more

Good quality food try the house hash and their wings.lovecthe quality of the food here plus presentation. Great customer service . Great servers. Cool wine bar read more

Petrini's San Diego - Hash and Wings - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Ordered the sausage burrito and first bite I had a 1 x 1 piece of elastic. I showed it to the server who showed the kitchen and they claim it was the skin from the sausage. This was elastic and couldn't be broken or torn with my fingers. They offered to replace the burrito but I took their word for it and ate the rest of the burrito. It was very potato heavy. When the bill came around the burrito was not compensated. My colleagues and I are in the military and came here on lunch since harbor breakfast had a longer wait up the street. I recommend harbor breakfast over this place. read more

Mediocre at best. Just there for HH and glad I wasn't there for dinner. My hamburger sliders were inedible due to a lot of very hard chunks of something. The bruschetta was just ok. Can't recommend this place. read more

We came here for the first time last week and our experience was fantastic! We were the first ones in when they opened so we were able to chose where we wanted to sit. The restaurant is so well kept and cute. I absolutely love the greenery they have and the decor. I wasn't super hungry so I only ordered an appetizer but oh my god it was delicious. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. We highly recommend Petrini's and can't wait to come back! read more

Petrini's San Diego - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I have absolutely, and unexpectedly, fallen in love with Petrini's! My first visit to Petrini's was for a 'Galentine's' dinner on a chilly, rainy night. My friends had raved about this place, so I was initially taken aback. From the outside, the restaurant was not what I expected based on the typical spots we dine. However, the food and ambiance won me over! The decor and atmosphere were so comfy and warm, it was the perfect setting for the weather that night. I was initially disappointed that they did not serve hard liquor, as I normally opt for cocktails - however that quickly changed after my first sip of crisp (and reasonably priced) white wine. As a vegan, I know that Italian restaurants usually do not have many vegan options. After speaking with the waitress, who was very nice and accommodating, I was told that the pizza without cheese would be dairy and egg free. Despite not having any cheese, the perfectly cooked crust, robust sauce, and freshly prepared toppings were both delicious and filling. What I expected to be a disappointing experience turned out to be a wonderful night and now I am the one asking my friends to dine at Petrini's! read more

Petrini's San Diego - Most wines are around $10 a glass - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Must try this place! So many great options in Little Italy, this place tastes just like home. Loved the lasagna and cheesy bread, we also ordered the house Tortellini and Fettuccini Alfredo. Everything was great and the Tortellini was delightful to eat .. little pockets of pasta love. We came here on a Sunday afternoon and place wasn't busy but make a reservation just in case. They have a great online ordering platform on their website for takeout orders for those crazy weekdays. read more

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Great food: minestrone w/ Pasta w/ meatballs and meat sauce (bolognese). Can't wait to come back! read more

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I really enjoy this spot and believe they offer a great value for their lunch specials. I worked down the street on Beach Street so this location is very convenient and within walking distance from me. I believe it's a hidden gem in the little Italy community, because it's not on the main strip or all the Italian restaurants are, but if you can find it, it is worth it. I would recommend the lunch special burger that they offer. It is one of the best burgers and is very succulent and juicy with great presentation. I also like their outdoor dining area to people watch :-) read more

Petrini's San Diego - Bruschetta, tomatoes, basil, parmesan cheese, and Petrinis' dressing, with smoked salmon $15. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Since I was from Baltimore on a business trip and there is three hour time difference, I dropped in at this restaurant around 3:30 pm for dinner. There were only three other persons and I was able to have the first dish quickly. The person who served me was very attentive and kind. I was surprised at the volume of the dishes! The appetizer sampler was described as caponata, and I have not expected that there were bread under it. In addition, minestrone soup and garlic bread were accompanied with the shrimp cream pasta. Each dish was delicious and the chef was good at using garlic but I should have asked more about the volume of them before ordering them. The restaurant was cozy and I was satisfied with the visit here. read more

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Very average, actually below average. I'm in town with colleagues for a work meeting and the guy who selected this place is a vegan and I think that's what got him to pick this mediocre Italian place. Boring generic inside, subpar starters and my "veal" picatta was some weird mystery meat pounded so thin and so over cooked it was actually stringy. The pasta was overcooked and mushy and the sauce was off. I didn't hear one person in our large party say anything good. Most food looked generic and when the tiramisu arrived frozen solid that said it all. Would seriously not recommend to anyone - there are many better genuine Italian restaurants in the hood - go elsewhere. Last mention. They added a 20% tip to our party then handed me a bill with a large spot left open to leave a tip on top of the 20% they buried in the receipt. I wonder how many tables tip twice ? Not a fan of places that don't mention it when handing out the bill that they already added a tip - seems deceitful. Not a good look. Skip this place and go elsewhere. Meh. read more

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Great place for Italian comfort food. The place has a homey feel. Staff is friendly and helpful. The food is plentiful and delicious. The bread was warm and tasty. Our pasta was delicious and enough to share. Wine and beer selection is great. I'll have to go back for dessert. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Pasta with Sausage & Bell Peppers - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Soooo good. I LOVED the food and the place was so cute. I have nothing bad to say about this place read more

Petrini's San Diego - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Came on a Saturday around 8 pm and found metered parking on the street close by. There was a very short wait for us. There was outdoor seating with a heater and indoor seating. The inside had tall ceilings that made it feel bigger and there was a decent amount of seating. It was dim when we went, with intimate lighting and dark wood vibes. The employee serving us was very friendly and helpful, giving suggestions and offering to make us a coffee vodka since they had an espresso machine but not an official espresso martini. He made it with whipped cream on top and chocolate drizzle, it was good enough that my partner got one too. He priced it around $12 on the bill which was reasonable. We decided to order the burrata to share, my partner got the chicken Parmesan, and I got the cannelloni because the server recommended it since it was "light". Each entree came with a soup and garlic bread. My partner got the minestrone and I got the Italian wedding. The burrata was delicious and creamy. It came with four large pieces of toast. Would definitely get again. The soups came out and they were a little bland but still tasted good. The Italian wedding soup was not reminiscent of any that I've had in the past but was still yummy. The cannelloni did not seem light to me at all but I' didn't mind! The stuffing was pretty meaty and there was a ton of cheese and sauce on top. It was piping hot since it was baked in the oven. I also added Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes from which they gave shakers for. It was pretty delicious. The garlic bread was very crunchy and tasty, especially dipped in the pasta sauce. The chicken Parmesan didn't taste my favorite and I didn't eat more than a few bites of it and the pasta to try. Overall a very good quantity of food for an okay price and tasting good but not amazing. I would maybe try other dishes but would definitely get the burrata again. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Chicken Parmesan with Pasta and Canneloni Dinner - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Wait time was our biggest challenge. We had a reservation and were promptly sat at our table. From there, we are pretty much ignored for about 15 minutes until the gentleman tending to the bar, noticed us and came to take our order. We had driven from LA and we we're hungry. We did not mind the typical restaurant wait, but this was unacceptable. Especially as you saw other people get seated after and they were attended to before us. The meal took about 45 minutes to get and by then, our lack of customer had placed us in an uncomfortable situation since my family was hungry and would have to leave. read more

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Traveling in San Diego recently we came upon Petrini's as an option for Door Dash to our hotel. We were very pleased! Everything from the salad and garlic bread to the lasagna was perfect. I don't feel my photo of the lasagna does it any justice. I like how there was no meat in the layering, just in the sauce. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Lasagna - to go - was superb - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We've driven by so many times over the years but always thought it looked too fancy. On Friday we parked nearby intending to trek down India to a more casual spot. We saw the menu outside and prices seemed fair and it was still early (before 5) so we stopped in and were able to get seated without a reservation. Our server was nice (per receipt her name was Heloisa). We really enjoyed the calamari and David's wings! We had the minestrone which was ok. Hubby got the fish livornese and vegetable dish and was happy with his selection. I had the baked ziti which was ok but I'd try something different in the future. The bread was great. All in all a nice meal and spot for date night. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Baked Ziti - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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We walked right into this Little Italy treasure, got a table for three adults and one infant, with plenty of room for a stroller. We were greeted promptly and kindly. Our orders were taken quickly and with great attention to detail. The food was a delight - I enjoyed my first, Italian shrimp pasta dish since my Celiacs diagnosis and immediately felt some semblance of normalcy return. The flavors were so delicious and I felt like I was truly splurging, but not for the price! Very affordable down town San Diego dining! read more

Petrini's San Diego - TUSCAN SHRIMP PASTA with gluten free pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Ate here 12/28/25 with a decent sized group. The waiter was obviously in a bad mood and started us off on a bad foot with his crappy attitude. Didn't refill our waters a single time, brought out the wrong dish, and forgot to bring out starter salad and soup. Moving on to the food... what a miss. Has to be some of the most underwhelming pasta I've ever had in little Italy. Our piccata, pappardelle, and parmigiana all had very little flavor and was just... meh. Even the server that closed our check was just so unfriendly, which just seemed par for the course. Would avoid.... read more

Service was good, environment was nice, food was plain. We ordered pasta puttanesca and the cheese lasagna. The pasta was fresh and marinara on the lasagna was smooth, but there was nothing to make it special. The blend of cheeses did not make it all work together in any special way. read more

Awww man I so wanted this place to really be the best thing I ever tasted named Petrinis but.... It wasn't. So the service was super slow and our waitress was just the sweetest trying to accommodate us and keep us updated. Bless her heart!! This spot is nice and intimate but as cool as the weather was in San Diego this time of year it was very humid inside due to the open kitchen situation going on in the corner. The King ordered Shrimp scampi and he was not a happy camper. He don't play bout his Italian food and honey they was plucking his last nerve with that meal after all the time we waited. Simple shrimp and spaghetti noodles tossed in a scampi sauce. #disappointed I ordered the Pappardelle Pasta with Lamb. The lamb was cooked just right. No gamey taste and lots of flavor. My only issue was that the pasta noodles were stuck together and not separated. Presentation fail. We waited forever to get our food finally got it and ate it no matter what because we were starving and then I find a gnat in my cup. Now I'm sick to my stomach. I hope this place bounces back because it's a real cute location that could do really well with better service and attention to details with the food. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Lamb Pappardelle - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Andres was our server. He was very kind and attentive. They had a lot of gluten free options for our friend and she loved everything she got. Definitely get the burrata and the Aperol spritz! And ask for Andres! read more

I had high hopes based on the reviews. It saddens me to not only say that I was disappointed and just can't recommend going here due to the wide variety of excellent Italian restaurants within 1 block and directly across the street. Arrived and there was only 1 other table occupied by a group of 5. First thing I noticed was the loud rap, rock music that was absolutely out of character with an Italian restaurant open for brunch. Okay...a misstep by management but meh. The space was open and clean and the staff greeting was sincere and quick. Seated and given menu and brunch menu. Tepid Water arrived in small glasses with no ice. Brunch menu was decent in selections and drink specials. I opted for the vegetable frittata from the brunch menu and eggplant Parmesan form the main menu. Ordered bruschetta as an appetizer. Noted that the wince menu was very small with California and Russian wines with a small selection of Italian. Definitely smaller than other restaurants in the area. Bruschetta was odd. Chunks of tomato on flavorless bread. Asked for vinegar and oil to enhance the dish. It was brought promptly. Large amount of greens on the plate without dressing. While there was basil in the dish it was sparse. Side salad arrived as part of the eggplant. Basically it was the bruschetta....the bread had been cubed. That was the difference. Flavorless and dry. The sever left all the dirty dishes and put the salad to the aside. The eggplant Parmesan was delivered and the dish looked steaming hot. However, the 2nd and 3rd layers were ice cold. So cold the cheese didn't melt. Appears that the eggplant was pre made and just added to the dish. Placed under a salamander the outside was hot but the inside was cold. Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes delivered in the old style Pizza Hut shakers. Not shaved at the table. Not impressed. Had to clear the dishes for the server so she could put down the dish. Clearly they just weren't firing on all cylinders. Breakfast frittata with vegetable was dry and the potatoes apparently reheated. Two slices of the same bruschetta bread delivered with IHOP pat of butter and old school single Smuckers jelly pack. What? IHOP styLe with no kidding two pieces of bread that weren't toasted or anything? Odd to say the least. Highlight of the meal was the fresh fruit side dish. Originally told it came with the frittata only to be told later it didn't. No big deal. It was fresh cantaloupe, strawberries and raspberries. Was given a second glass of water at the end of the meal. Reminder. Only one other table in the whole place. BOTTOM LINE: If you are looking for a Fazolis style or lower end Olive Garden fare then this is the place. Even though I feel you will disappointed in the quality, presentation and service. Much better Italian food all over San Diego. Hovered over 1 star but gave the second as the place was clean and the server were nice when they did come to the table. Perhaps it was too early for them. Perhaps the high tempo music just hadn't gotten them jazzed. Don't know. What I do know is I won't be back to find out. Too much to risk, too many better choices. read more

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I ordered through uber eats and the fettuccine with chicken was very good. But we also ordered the Marsala and it was so sweet , almost like a sweet and sour chicken. I make marsala and maybe they use sweet marsala wine instead of dry? It was Not good. read more

The bread is horrible. Not up to a good restaurant standards. The eggplant was decent. Definitely a lot of sauce. No crunchiness to the topping. The vegetables on capellini pasta (Primavera) were good but needed a little salt. Not sure this was worth it. read more

Amazing place! Great food, great prices. Our server Andres did very well with the service read more

Petrini's San Diego - Tequila sunrise. Limoncello vodka - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

While walking down town in San Diego we saw this place was semi crowded. That's is usually some indication you can get a decent meal. We were looking for light fare pizza and salad. We browsed the menu of Italian centric specialty items including pasta dishes , seafood dishes , meats. The menu also includes salads and pizzas. There were only two waitstaff in the entire restaurant so service was a bit on the slow side. We were going to order a white pizza 7" personal pizza but the server looked at us like he had never heard of a white pizza. I said just garlic , olive oil and cheese . He kept saying so just cheese. Out of total lack of confidence of what we would order we switched it up to sausage pizza. We also ordered 2 garden salads with house Italian dressing. The salads were on the smaller side but definitely fresh and tasted good. The pizza came out it was a bit messy and cut haphazardly. It looked under done however upon taste it was cooked just a little anemic. The pizza was OK. Would definitely not rise to my favorites list. There was little sausage crumble on pizza but it was sparse. All in all the restaurant was clean and classic Italian spot. All in $49.00 for one medium pizza , 2 house salads and soft drinks. read more

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Absolutely amazing food and the ladies were on top of it. Drink always full and they always checked up on us to make sure everything tasted great. Definitely come back here. read more

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The food was great! Me & my friend came out for a night out. The asthetic of the restaurant was super nice & Andres was amazing! He provided great service! We even got food to go! Would definitely recommend! read more

Four of us went for an early dinner. Restaurant not crowded and ambience good as was waiter. Food, however, only fair. Past and "marinara" was pasta with what looked and tasted like Hunt's tomato sauce. Chicken piccata with way too much oil. This is the 3rd restaurant we have been to recently in Little Italy---the food was only fair in all 3....disappointing; likely will not return. read more