Piazza is a really nice restaurant with a great ambiance. It was a laid back, more casual dining experience. Started the meal off with bruschetta which was very good. I had lasagna and my fiancé had pesto gnocchi. The lasagna was very good. I wish it would have had a little more sauce. The pesto gnocchi was good as well. The actual gnocchi was great. All similar and size and great consistency. The pesto sauce could have used some more seasoning. We finished off the meal with three cannolis that were very good. They had some boozy cherries on the sides and was topped with some powdered sugar. Overall a very good experience and would recommend to others! read more

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Loved this place. Great atmosphere, and our server, Riley was great! Attentive and personable. He introduced us to the owner which was nice and also had some great recommendations. Riley recommended the Pappardelle Fradiavolo (pictured). For dessert they had a lemon blueberry cheesecake and y'all it was delicious. Thanks, Riley! read more

Piazza 1909 - Wild Shrimp/Pachino Tomato/Garlic/Calabrian Chili - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Great Italian food in La Jolla! Probably one of my favorite restaurants in the area. We sat outside on the front patio and loved the ambience. You start off with a free bread basket with a tomato confit that honestly stole the show. We ordered the fried vegetables as an appetizer, which had artichoke, asparagus, zucchini, carrots, etc. We loved this dish! It didn't feel too heavy and is the perfect gluten-free dish (the vegetables are coated in rice flour) if anyone is looking for one. We also got the Brasato al Barolo su Risotto, which is the braised short rib with saffron risotto. It was a good dish but wasn't mindblowing in my opinion. The short ribs weren't as melt-in-your-mouth as I would've liked, and the vegetables served with it were a bit lackluster. The risotto was good, so I didn't regret ordering it. Overall, I recommend visiting and trying out the food. The menu has a ton of options if you're vegetarian, gluten-free, etc, and eating here is a great experience. read more

Piazza 1909 - Brasato al Barolo su Risotto, fried vegetables, and bread basket - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Tonight was the last dinner before the lockdown. It was festive and welcoming at Piazza as always. Great food, service, atmosphere. I had an incredible dinner! So tasty!!! Fresh Pasta with truffles, red wine, prosciutto and peach pannacotte with bitter Italian soda I couldn't ask for more. Can't wait to be back for more delicious Italian dishes! read more

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Are you looking for the perfect brunch spot? Well then this is the place for you. I got the eggs Benedict and Speck Panini, let me tell you it did not disappoint. The food, the atmosphere and the staff here are so nice You get that coastal breeze with the patio seating and a little taste of Italy. Highly recommend to anyone looking for that casual brunch with friends or come back later for a classy Italian dinner and bottle of wine to share! 10/10 read more

Piazza 1909 - Eggs Benedict and Speck Panini - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I had a great brunch experience at piazza 1909 in La Jolla. Cozy atmosphere and the patio is a lovely spot on a sunny day. The eggs Benedict was delicious as well as the omelette on the special menu. To anybody looking for good quality breakfast with a nice vibe this is ideal place. read more

Piazza 1909 - Eggs Benedict - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Oh my god this place is FANTASTIC. My girlfriend and I came here to catch up after a few months of not seeing each other. COVID protocols where in place and they seemed to really take everything seriously. The wait time was a little long but honestly it was well worth the wait. The pastas were so so good. I got the linguine alle vongole which was a delicious clam pasta. They also give you plenty of bread to soak up the sauce. God it was good. As soon as I got home I told my boyfriend we needed to get take out from here tomorrow. Highly highly recommend. read more

Piazza 1909 - Photo does not do this dish justice - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

The Maître d' was nice and checked in on us several times throughout the night; she helped by getting us water and refilling it. Our waiter, Federico P., was abysmal. I was ready to order and my fiancé wasn't, so I was about to order first before Federico cut me off and said "Ladies first," and pointed at my fiancé who was still deciding. That was stupid. After he took our order, we waited more than 30 minutes for the food to come, and it was given by a different waiter. Federico never checked in on us, even when our wine glasses and water bottles were empty. My fiancé and I, with our small group, were there for over an hour and Federico only decided to check in on us at the end to ask "What about dessert?" We all said no immediately. Also, I saw another waiter talking to a different table- maybe it wasn't his table to serve, but the conversation SEEMED amiable enough. Federico literally bumped into his own colleague and kept brushing him off until the colleague walked away. It was just incredibly awkward to witness, especially when I'm sitting waiting for my food to come. I ordered the braised short ribs with risotto. The short ribs were tender and good, but the risotto was very salty unfortunately. I ended up not finishing the risotto. Ultimately, I can't really recommend this place because of our waiter and that I couldn't finish a 3rd of my entree. read more

Piazza 1909 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Parked on the street. Sunday brunch. Table on the outdoor patio. Good service. Music a-ok. 4 meatballs $20. Arnold Palmer $4. Tagliatella with ham, peas, cream sauce meh. Chocolate lovers dessert meh. $88. read more

The fried artichoke was good but the tomato sauce was cold or chilled and would have been better if it were warmed. The pizza was okay but a bit doughy. The gnocchi with pesto was well done but such a huge portion. For the price, it was a good portion that you would expect but was the size you would think of for a secondi not a primi. Pesto was genovese style I think. The seating was at a communal table outside. We were surprised when the dog that we hadn't seen laying down barked during the meal at the other side of the table. So I guess pet owners who wish to dine with their pets would be happy with this. Personally, if I am paying these prices and doing a family meal, I would prefer to not have others pets dine with me. It was exciting that they had a glass of vernazza from san gimignano available. Overall it was a good meal but just missed a few details that could have made it superb. read more

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Food was very good. The place had a very "homey" feel to it. I would definitely return if I came back to San Diego.

Came here as a party of 10. Reservations were easy to make online, and I found it one of the only locations in the area able to accommodate a party of this size. The food was a solid 4 stars. I had the Chilean sea bass, which was a rather small portion, but the shrimp and squid which accompanied it made up for that detail. The reason for the 2 stars was the service. I was sitting next to my uncle when he ordered. However, when everyone else's food came out, my uncles food was nowhere to be found. The server was weird about the whole thing and said things like "I assumed you two were sharing" or " I didn't hear you order. " he apologized and said my uncles meal would come out in 5 minutes. About 20 minutes later it arrived. The rest of the table was already done eating. The waiter apologized, but honestly the meal should have been comped. I have worked in restaurants, I know how it works. We were tired and didn't bother getting the manager since the service already seemed sub par. What an excellent surprise to get our bill and there is a generous 18% tip added on to the bill - which is fine in normal circumstances, but our service didn't warrant such generosity. We feel the waiter didn't comp the meal because he wanted a bigger tip in the end since it was automatically included. All in all- it could've have been worse and it could've been better. Food was good, but if you come in a large party- beware. read more

First time in this place. I'm in love with the vibe and they allow you to bring your dog !! Super friendly staff made us feel super welcomed. We ordered a little bit of everything pretty much. Service is superb. Our waitress is Ren, she is such a sweet heart. Super attentive and caring. Constantly checking on us. And the foods came out fast and super tasty. I love the salmon with artichoke. Their seafoods are also fresh and tasty. Of course the Chardonnay is cherry on the top. They even have a dog menu!! How sweet is that !! My dog enjoyed the beef Meatball and broccoli with rice. Overall a great experience, we absolutely loved it. Thank you piazza and thank you Ren. Will be back soon. read more

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Nice ambiance, but terrible service here. We came here with a group of 10 for a family gathering, and while the setting and food were decent, the service was lacking in the extreme, and left everyone with a bitter taste in their mouth upon exiting. Everything was going fine until our waiter completely ignored one member of our parties order, and then when all the food was delivered, first said he didn't hear the order and assumed he was sharing with some one else. When pressed to place the order again so everyone could have food at the table, the waiter went ahead and did so, and then came back to let the overlooked person know that it wasn't his fault(as the waiter taking orders) because the man hadn't spoken up. I'm not sure in what world that is true, as he got everyone else's order, and I'm just assuming he forgot to write it down, but you never blame the customer for such an egregious oversight. At any rate, there was no over to comp that meal, or even an apology, and we were charged full price, plus an automatic 18% gratuity (which I'm sure the server knew full well was automatically included). Needless to say, if you come in a large group, don't expect good service, I recommend you stay away. read more

Excellent authentic Italian food. Great warm and personable service. Like beeing back home. Price is good also. Good selection of wine. Highly recommended. read more

Piazza 1909 - Italian Octopus salad - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

This place was AMAZING, so much so I'm writing the review from the table and I'm not that kind of person. I came to La Jolla for a wedding and tried to find good food, I kept falling into tourist traps. This place is definitely not that. Our service was great. The patio had a great vibe. I would come back just for this restaurant. read more

Piazza 1909 - GNOCCHI, PIZZA DIAVOLA, special pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Piazza 1909 was an all-around disappointment. While the servers were nice and helpful, it was an overall quite poor experience. We were a family of five, looking to order a large variety of appetizers and mains, and ready to enjoy a great Italian meal. It took inordinately long to get our food (almost 45 minutes) All of the food we ordered ranged from average to really bland/tasteless/poor. We tried the calamari, bruschetta (best thing we tried), sausage pizza, pasta with clams, penne Bolognese, vegan penne (pretty good), and bread. Server tried hard and even apologized by bringing a couple free desserts - which were appreciated, but also kind of average. Would not recommend and will not return. read more

Unfortunately most of the dishes we tried were very bland. The cioppino was just average, but at least it had seasoning in it. No seasoning or sauces whatsoever on 2 of the dishes, not even salt and pepper. The salad had no dressing on it- maybe just a little lemon juice, and the salad was served with a lemon wedge. We should have said something to the staff, but didn't want to create an uncomfortable scene. They must have figured it out, because we ended up asking for salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar so we could season the food ourselves. When I asked, our server brought grated Parmesan cheese for the pizza, and that helped a bit, but it still needed a lot of salt and pepper. I like food that's on the low end of the salt spectrum- I'm not a saltaholic. But most dishes need at least a little salt to be palatable. Two of the dishes we ordered had shrimp on them. That's usually one of the highlights for me at most restaurants, but their shrimp didn't taste good, even with a lot of added seasoning. Either they weren't fresh, or they're just low quality shrimp. We were both dissatisfied, and rushed home to make ice cream sundaes. Didn't even think about getting dessert at the restaurant! read more

I travel to La Jolla for work periodically and this was my first time here. The food and ambiance are amazing. My server/bartender Ren was absolutely fantastic! I will definitely make it a point to come here more frequently on future trips. Thanks, Ren, for a wonderful evening! read more

Piazza 1909 - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Oh my that was the best lasagna I have ever had. My husband loved the lobster ravioli so much he soaked up the remaining sauce the bread. Nice atmosphere. Great service. Very authentic. Also they locally source most ingredients! read more

Piazza 1909 - Lasagna oh my was this good! - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Despite the owner's seemingly sincere response about addressing the service issues, I'm starting to wonder if the poor service we experienced wasn't a fluke. Eleven days ago I responded to the owner's generous offer of a gift card with this message: Since this was a family dinner the night before our niece's wedding, we will accept your gracious offer for a gift card for the newlyweds so they can visit Piazza 1909 again and hopefully have a nice meal. To date neither I nor my niece have heard back again from the owner. I'm disappointed in the lack of follow-through. read more

The Chef is the owner so special detail to the presentation and display of food. All is fresh and exquisite. The service is warm and friendly. The ambience charming. Closest thing to being in Italy read more

Went here for the first time on Valentine's Day and had an amazing experience! They had a 4 course meal for $75 and it was worth every penny! The food was exceptional, you can tell the chef put it a lot of time to perfect the dishes and flavors. Our server was also very friendly and helpful. To top it off, they had live ambient music play in the back that created a romantic and peaceful night. Highly recommend! read more

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We went for our Anniversary, It was recommended by an Italian I worked with and I had met the owner who is quite charismatic and energetic, I like that it was family owned and operated by Italians! I had heard very good things. We made reservations two weeks before and indicated the occasion. As we waited at the entrance staff came and attended to others but made no eye contact, did not address us. They were busy but not full. We were patient, when finally greeted they looked up the reservation but, said nothing about the occasion and sat us at a small table near the back entrance it was simple, bright and clean . We were dressed for a special occasion, respectfully. The service was slow and the menu limited, very different from the website. We took the opportunity to order two appetizers, salads and Entree, glasses of wine and desert. Honestly, I don't remember anything but the Seafood appetizer which was good. The staff was kind but not overly friendly, the experience was a disappointment which was a bummer, not fantastic. Expensive however we expected to get what we pay for, it was not memorable. Not engaging, not festive, not special. There are so many other Italian restaurants in the area, we will not be returning. I hope your experience is better. read more

I don't leave Yelp reviews but I left this restaurant starving! My friend chose it and was paying so I didn't want to insult him and stayed quiet but it was a true bummer. We had a lovely server but like others, a completely snooty hostess. I had the Insalta Invernale which had barely a handful of arugula, minimal pumpkin seeds and completely lacking in goat cheese. The $30+ shrimp/asparagus ravioli had six pieces but they were miniature, each barely the size of a half dollar, with only a smear of sauce and a couple of micro tomatoes. No way there was even 2 whole pieces of shrimp in the entire order, nor a full stalk of asparagus. Pasta was al dente which with no sauce and literally barely anything inside the ravioli made it taste like cardboard. I see people talking about bread in other reviews... NO BREAD was offered! I wish I knew it was an option. I try to stay off gluten but it would have quelled the hunger! The man who delivered the pasta offered chili flakes and cheese and I said yes, then he forgot. That's forgivable because it was unintentional.... I am not sure how to reconcile a chef putting 6 mini raviolis on a plate with virtually no sauce and calling that a meal. Leaving hungry ruined my evening as was on way to the Conrad after. Very disappointing! read more

Beyond incredible food, truly authentic Italian; terrific ambiance and service was top notch. Can't recommend enough.

Since my last not so good review I have gone back and totally changed my mind. The food is great, the ambience very nice and they have managed to resolve their service issues, now it is a 5 star restaurant no doubt read more

Since it was a cool evening, we opted to sit in their dining room. It was perfect for an early evening get-together of friends to catch up. Nice happy hour options included pizza and calamari. They have plenty of outdoor seating in front and on the side. The tables on the side could be enclosed with a curtain giving the feel of privacy. read more

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Just okay. Came for dinner with friends on a Thursday night. The atmosphere was super nice and they had heat lamps set up. They also had a guitarist, which was excellent. The service was horrible. The whole dinner we saw our server maybe twice? Once to take the order and another time to present the check. She never asked us how everything was ect... I work as a server in a restaurant, so this was disappointing... I understand it being maybe a little busy. But you can't stop by for 2 seconds to ask how your table is doing?! The food was okay, nothing to write home about. read more

Excellent service and food. Will definitely be going back. Need to go a few times to find my favorite dish

Excellent food and service! Good Italian spot in La Jolla. Cool patio in the back. Will be coming here again when we're in town.

Our brunch on Father's Day was amazing, I had the papperdelli was best l ever had my husband had spaghetti alla clams was excellent read more

Piazza 1909 - Dad's day - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

What a great spot, can't wait to go back and try the rest of the menu! Don't usually like gnocchi but my daughter got it and it's the best I've ever had. All their pasta is made in house and you can tell. Cute place with good service and close by. read more

This restaurant is absolutely delightful. Such a cute ambiance and good for people watching yet intimate. The burrata was probably the best I've ever had. We had a strange experience here - the power went out and we had to wait about an hour in the dark (lol) before being able to leave contact information to pay our bill. My boyfriend was able to go back and pay a few days later. I would love to come back for some more authentic Italian! read more

Piazza 1909 - BURRATA, PROSCIUTTO & GNOCCO FRITTO - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

This review is solely about this restaurant's understanding and communication of their gluten free protocols. As someone with celiacs disease, it's usually not possible to just pop into a new restaurant to eat. My girlfriend understands this. As she and I were celebrating our anniversary in La Jolla, she wanted to make sure we had somewhere special to go for a night out, so she had been researching local places ahead of time, including checking their websites and then calling ahead. She wanted to make sure that I wouldn't end up getting sick and ruining a special night. She was very excited to find gluten free calamari on the menu at Piazza, as it's a favorite of mine and something I rarely get to eat. When she called Piazza to verify that it would be safe, she was specifically told by the person on the phone that there was NO cross contamination in the fryer and that everything fried used rice flour. This made us both feel very safe AND excited at the possibilities. However, when we arrived the story was different. Our server said that she wouldn't recommended eating there with celiacs, and that there was indeed cross contamination in the kitchen. She even verified this as we waited. To their credit, they were very apologetic about the situation, but that didn't change the fact that we got ready and drove out to eat an anniversary dinner and were basically told we were out of luck. She did say the pasta was safe, as they use separate pasta water (points for them for this, as it is something many restaurants ignore), but pasta was not why we were there. If a restaurant chooses to offer gluten free items on their menu, they should also be educated about what that means for their customers. Most places don't claim to be infallible on this front, for liability reasons, but a restaurant definitely shouldn't be confidently telling their customers that there is no cross contamination on the phone if that is not true in person. I think my girlfriend was more upset than I was as she was really trying to create a evening perfect. It's hard to scramble to find a new restaurant when it's already dinner time and you're hungry. We ended up at a hole in the wall. We were definitely overdressed but we salvaged the evening. It just wasn't what we both were hoping for. read more

Service is deplorable. Condè Naste please take notice. Go for a drink and then eat elsewhere. The waitstaff projects an air of arrogance. All things hospitality are missing. read more

Piazza 1909 is an authentic Italian Ristorante, with Italian Owners and Staff, handmade and fresh pastas, and true Italian warmth of spirit with a welcoming environment. This was my our third time dining here, driving down from the OC to eat here. Having travelled to Italy, we recognize true Italian cooking, with fresh and simple ingredients, unlike chain restaurants. So worth the trip! read more

Piazza 1909 - Enjoying the warm and welcoming outdoor dining! A welcome break from coronavirus ! - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here on a Friday night with my friend. We were able to get in without a reservation about 5-10 minute wait, so definitely appreciated that the hostess was very kind. We got seated, and the ambiance is also really nice, on a patio with space heaters and greenery/romantic dim vibe. We got the stracchino, zucca r guanciale and ravioli de Margo to split. Unfortunately I don't have photos, but would have to say I'm kinda disappointed. There's was nothing special about any of the flavoring. There wasn't nearly enough toppings in my opinion on the pizza, was looking for some more butternut squash very tiny pieces. We then waited a while until the pasta came, and then when it did tot was a small portion. The pasta again was okay, glad that it was Al dente but nothing about it stood out. read more

The best evening with the delightful family at Piazza 1909. Giulia was delightful as our server... as was our owner hostess whose name I never learned. The food from Chef Stefano is exquisite and we enjoyed sharing a laugh with him after our meal. Piazza is Legit Italian... I felt like I was at the dinner table back in Italy! The best Italian food and a wonderful family serving. Definitely a family I want to see again. For all the Americans out there... never eat pineapple on your pizza and never put cheese on your fish. We were walking to dinner at another restaurant and saw the crowd. Lovely ambience. The food is exquisite!. I cannot recommend it enough. read more

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Our waitress was great. She gave us good service. Food was a disappointment. Could have made better pasta at home. A-lot of better pasta restaurants in Little Italy. Will not recommend and will not be returning. read more