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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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

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

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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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

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

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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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

We came here on a Saturday night with a party of 7. We had a reservation and were seated pretty quickly, although the hostess forgot to give us our menus. Our server took our drink and food order but moved slowly. He was super nice though. I ordered the Tuscan Shrimp pasta and it came with a choice of soup or salad. I got the minestrone and it was super salty. I always overly salt my food and it was way too salty even for me. Others in my party agreed. The entree was just okay, not bad but not amazing. Prices were not horrible. I would try this place again but there are so many options around. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Tuscan shrimp pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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

I came here with my girlfriend on a Saturday night visiting San Diego for just a night. Out of the many Italian spots in the area we were lucky to get a table indoors that fit our schedule, it was cold outside! We had a reservation inside but since the place seemed to be very popular we were asked to only wait just a few minutes for a spot to open up. The service was friendly from the start, and the inside was very nicely decorated and a good sized open space. Our server went above and beyond from the start. We started with a couple drinks made by our server and got to looking at their menu. My girlfriend ordered the cannelloni, a filling beef dish with a cheesy exterior! It was suggested as a "light" meal by our server but seemed to be a generous amount and delicious. I had ordered the classic Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti pasta. Our entrees came with soups. We got the minestrone soup and Italian wedding soup. We also ordered a the burrata cheese and bread. I think the quality of the food was all pretty good! The burratta was served with some nice sundried tomatos.. lovely texture. The cheese was a good amount and yummy. The soups had good flavor but just seemed to be a little watery. The flavor that was there was good, and the other ingredients were very complimenting. All the plates were nice sized portions we couldn't finish our entrees! Overall our experience was good! The food was pretty quick, had a great server, and a fair amount of food for the price. The overall flavor of the soups, and my chicken parm just weren't exactly 5stars by my taste buds. Great spot but I don't think I'd return. 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

Decide to come here before a concert at the Music box . Hmmm it's a no for me the food wasn't that great & I wouldn't come back to try anything else. The service was ok. It's cute inside the restaurant. read more

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Excellent gem of a find. Stayed at Westin. Walked here for dinner. Great build out. Love the atmosphere. Server was sooooo nice. Food incredible. Chicken Parmesan is epic! Wine list is not huge, but can find a great bottle. Chocolate Bomba for dessert is stellar! Want a great dinner....nice atmosphere....great server.....eat here. read more

I found this place on OpenTable and made a reservation on a Friday night. It seemed to have really good reviews so we thought we would try some Italian food while we were in San Diego. We arrived a little early for our reservation and they, rather abruptly, told us to come back later; which was fine and we figured we'd walk around a bit. Little Italy was hopping! It was hard to believe that it was so busy during a pandemic! Anyway we came back at the time of our actual reservation and were shown a table for 4 which had just opened up. I ordered a sausage and peppers sandwich that came with a side salad. It was just fair, kind of overcooked and not as flavorful as I'm used too. My husband had the gnocchi and he said it was pretty good. The other 2 people in our party had a Caesar salad and Italian wedding soup which they said were both good; but nothing spectacular. Our server's name was Lisa and she was nice enough, and came by to check on us a few times. There really was very little ambiance with the patio dining and the table next to us was full of a group of really loud smokers. They were up & down, and up & down & talking to people who were pulling up to talk to them at the curb. There were definitely more than 6 diners at their table and it made it kind of hard for us to enjoy our meal. I realize the other diners at the restaurant are beyond the management's control; however I would still categorize this restaurant as good at best. I never received my points for making a reservation on Open Table either because I don't think they were paying attention when we first checked in and were so quickly dismissed. read more

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We truly enjoyed our dining experience. My daughter says this is her favorite place in little Italy. The gnocchi blew her away . She has it with pesto instead of the pink sauce . She has tried this dish at at least 10 restaurants in San Diego and she says Petrini's is hands down the best . I tried it and I too thought their gnocchi is amazing ! I had the shrimp scampi and it was delicious. I really loved it . It was just as beautiful as it was delicious. Their garlic bread is also the best we've had from any restaurant in San Diego. The restaurant is small so it's not too loud . A lot of restaurants in Little Italy are large and get too loud to have a lovely conversation. Not here . You are able to talk over dinner and actually hear who's talking to you . They have indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Very Nice Place But Horrible Service They Take Almost An Hour To Come & Get Your Order & Then Another Hour Maybe Two To Get Your Food I Wouldn't Recommend This Place At All The main entrée the pizza was very cold by the time I got the pizza my ice melted in my drink and we're rude about replacing it very slow service read more

Super slow service and very average food. So many great options nearby too, I probably won't be back.

Nice stop after lots of walking for a weekday lunch. Generous delicious portions at reasonable prices. Had the calamari, eggplant and lasagna w meat sauce. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Lasagna w meat - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped by for lunch and was not disappointed! I ordered a sangria and their chicken parmesan sandwich which came with either a salad or chips. The bread was perfectly crisp and soft and the chicken was tender and delicious. The portion is a good size and I couldn't finish my meal in one sitting. The service was great and the sangria was yummy! Check them out next time you're in the area. read more

Petrini's San Diego - Chicken parm sandwich - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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My fist time eating here. The staff is super friendly and very welcoming. I got the chicken parm. It was very delicious. I highly recommend. Ambiance is very relaxing. Pretty good wine selection as well. I definitely will become a regular. Emma and Heloisa are absolutely amazing read more

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

I order takeout from here. My only complaint is that my pizza box was inside the takeout plastic bag so by the time I was able to eat it, it was very soggy and slightly raw, so I did end up needing to put it in the toaster oven for a few more minutes. Besides that, after it was cooked, the flavor of that red sauce alone was so delicious! And the dough was so tasty! read more

Petrini's San Diego - 3 Three Toppings Pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

A nice quaint place in Little Italy. Not overly crowded, even on a Saturday night. A terrific menu with traditional Italian choices as well as great seafood options. Be aware that parking in Little Italy is difficult to find and the lots are pricey. The restaurant has a beer & wine bar. We started with a cheesy bread appetizer. Dinner came with the choice of soup or salad. I opted for the Italian wedding soup. The seafood pasta had a nice bite to it. I really enjoyed the spaghetti. The meat sauce tasted great, as did the meatballs. Garlic bread was also included with the meal. We both had leftovers to bring home. The service was great, with terrific team work. Overall, a nice dinner out in Little Italy. read more

During our trip for our daughter's Master's Graduation, we went to Petrini's for dinner. It is a small Italian restaurant in the Little Italy's neighborhood in San Diego. It is a warm and comfortable family owned and operated place to enjoy delicious Italian food. The staff is excellent and very helpful. They made us feel at home in their restaurant Their menu is versatile and interesting. We started our meal with a salad that all restaurants in this neighborhood serve. It has fresh, crisp vegetables with a great Italian dressing. Next we ordered the Seafood Pasta. The flavors of various seafood and the slightly spicy sauce is exceptional. It was served with bread that was toasted with garlic and olive oil. Next, we ordered a Tiramisu dessert that melted in your mouth. The wine list was excellent. We picked a Pinot Noir and Zinfandel wine with our meal. Throughout our dinner, the staff was very helpful. We left completely satisfied with our food. Don't miss this gem of a restaurant. You won't be disappointed. We can't wait to return again. read more

Very bad. Friend got sick, no one liked their drinks, wait service was some of the worst I've ever had. Skipping over people in ordering and then coming back and bumping plates all around just shouting the food name at the table instead of just delivering the food to the people who ordered it. One by one. For every plate. Water never refilled. Bread never delivered. Over priced for what we got. Very shocked to see positive reviews here. read more

After a long day of travel I checked into the Westin around 8 PM. Being a downtown (and adjacent to the courthouse district) there is nothing open this late nearby that is not a hotel lobby restaurant (yes, I am showing my bias). Wandering aimessly for about 6 blocks and getting turned around, I stumbled into little Italy. Luckily this area was alive with restaurants and Petrini's beckoned. Moderately busy, as they close at 9:00 on weeknights, I self sat and the bartender showed up within a few minutes armed with a menu and ice water and a pleasant welcome, we were off to a good start. Plenty of variety, of the Italian type, abounded on the menu. Starters, hand held, pizza (thin style) and mains offered me just the choices I had hoped for. Being late for me, I passed on the appetizers (which quite a few were tempting) and went straight for the pasta. In fact, the Baked Ziti. A quick aside, I dont eat pork and their meat sauce features a mix of beef and pork, so I went for the sauce only version. The side salad came first, nicely anointed with chopped tomatoes over a field of greens and home made croutons topped with fresh grated cheese. it was not too big, but it was quality that counts. The main attraction arrived after a few minutes...piping hot just from the oven. Melted mozzarella, in perfect balance with the rich tomato sauce over the perfectly cooked tubes was really exquisite. To round everything out, an accompanying basket of garlic toast is served alongside the pasta. I must say, I think I lucked out in my quest to find something, anything in what looked to be a night time trek through a daytime downtown district. I do plan on exploring other Italian spots but I would definitely be back at Petrini's again. read more

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The food was ASTRONOMICAL. The moment the ravioli hit my tastebuds I felt like I was floating. 10/10!! The service was amazing as well, very polite and very fancy. Amazing, my new favorite place. read more

Great Italian spot. Fun hole in the wall vibe, love that the seating area is below street level. Makes for a cool environment. Service was a little slow but overall it was great. read more

So. Slow. Went there tonight, had to wait 30 minutes to sit even though they weren't full (we were assuming people with reservations were coming, but it didn't happen). Then we waited a long time for them to take our order - ultimately having to wave down our waitress. We waited over half an hour just for our soup to come out and not everyone in our party got their soup until we waved down the waitress. We had to wait a long time for garlic bread and again had to ask when it would be out. And of course the pasta took a long time and we had to ask about it. Food wise, both the minestrone soup and Italian wedding were watery and just not very good. The garlic bread was the best part, and the second waitress gave us extra because we had to wait so long. The pastas' sauces were also watery and meh. Only good things really were the ambiance was quite nice and the second waitress was nice and obviously trying to make it up to us. Our first waitress was basically dodging us and avoiding eye contact most of the night. read more

We walked past Petrini's on the way back to our hotel and saw on the menu that they had a happy hour from 3:30 to 6:30. The food and drink prices were very reasonable, so we made plans to come back that evening. We reserved a table for 5:15. Everything was great. When we arrived, there were just a few patrons and some reserved tables, but the place filled up fast. Our server quickly brought us a $5 glass of house wine. An $8 appetizer sampler followed. The plate was much more than expected, with two pieces of each of the three apps. We ordered eggplant parmesan for our entre and were not disappointed even though the server told us it would be kind of small. Between the app platter and the eggplant, there was plenty of food. Although reviews are mixed, we could find nothing to quibble about. This is a really nice place and a very affordable alternative to the restaurants that are located in the center of Little Italy. Five stars! read more

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

I have had the pleasure of eating at Petrini's twice this summer! I have tried the eggplant parmigiana and the spaghetti marinara. The orders are served with a delicious salad and bread. I've enjoyed the caprice salad and that was pretty good. The service is always impeccable. This is the perfect date location. The wine is delicious and the dessert is bomb as well. 10/10 recommend. read more

My family and I stopped by today for a quick lunch after spending Labor Day morning at the Waterfront Park. Great location, nice and cozy atmosphere and welcoming staff. They offer a good brunch menu from 11am to 1pm. I had the focaccia with salmon and it was fresh and flavorful. My husband ordered the chicken wings. He can be quite critical of his favorite dish, but seemed to enjoy these chicken wings. My daughter had Angel hair with olive oil. A simple dish but I'm glad that they did not over complicated it, like other restaurants we've been. My daughter enjoyed her dish and I didn't have to worry to have a hungry kid in the afternoon. read more

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While the food was good, the restaurant was hot and crowded. It was a tiny place which I understand, but it was really hot inside. I was disappointed to know their online menu didn't align with their in restaurant menu. I wanted to order a half portion from their dinner menu, because they offered it online. But when I asked they first said no that only for lunch, but then I pointed out online they offered dinner half portions, the waitress said that was only an online thing. So that was disappointing, but the food was good, and there was a lot! read more

Seriously awesome food the old School way. My husband ordered two dishes on the menu, Veal Piccata and also the Shrimp Scampi. I had the gnocchis. When the order came out, the dishes were huge. This is definitely a place to come if you have a big appetite. I could only finish half of my gnocchis. They were supper delicious and cheesy. I would probably ask them to serve it with a little less cheese--however, if you love cheese then no need to modify your order. The garlic bread was delicious. Definitely bring an appetite or you will have plenty to take home. read more

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We absolutely loved this restaurant! As others have mentioned, it's a little bit outside of the main drag of Little Italy but that is a good thing! It was quaint and you can hear each other talk. The perfect place for a date night or catching up with friends. The food was fantastic. It came out quickly and perfectly seasoned. The best part of the meal was visiting with our server Pablo. He made the whole experience a perfect 5 star evening. read more

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My friend and I were visiting San Diego and decided to grab a bite in Little Italy. We were craving pasta, of course, and with the vast amount of Italian restaurants we chose Petrini's! And we were very glad we did. We asked our waitress what pasta she recommended, and she suggested the tortellini and ravioli. I got the ravioli and my friend got the tortellini and omg.... We both agreed that both of our dishes were so AMAZING. soooo creamy, so flavorful, so delicious. I recommend the ravioli 100% !! You won't regret it ! I also recommend getting the dinner size because you'll be wanting more! Lol read more

Petrini's San Diego - Tortellini Alfredo Lunch Ravioli Lunch - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I ate at this place after picking up something from downtown San Diego. The restaurant was very nice and pretty. It reminds of eating a small cafe in Italy. I don't have pictured the food that I ate but it was pretty good. I think the portion size is pretty small but the cannoli was a decent size as I shared with my boyfriend after we ate our food. It can be difficult to find parking because it is in downtown sd and the restaurant is on a busy street area. The service was okay, it wasn't crowded but the waiters were as attentive on refilling water or seeing how we are. However, it was very intriguing to look at the decoration around the place. read more

Petrini's San Diego - IG @asliceoflam | Cannoli - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Food was delicious! We were able to eat outside in the sun and the waitress was wonderful! I had the steak salad, high recommend. The Diablo shrimp was BANGING, and the pesto chicken has the crunchiest freshest bread. My husband left his satchel at the table when we left and she SPRINTED to catch up to us. We are so grateful and def will be back! read more

Service was great and the place is very relaxing but the Food is super bland and the farthest from authentic.

We live right around the corner from this place in Little Italy and loved how convenient Petrini's is for lunch and dinner. Great option to consider when you want a fresh cooked warm meal without the hassle of cooking it up at home. Tried the pasta primavera with chicken. Delicious! read more