Found this place on Google and decided to give it a try with my family. I'm so glad we did! Everything was amazing the food was delicious, portions were generous, and the service was excellent. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it a great place to enjoy a meal with family. And ohhh, the bread pudding was absolutely heavenly! I would definitely come back and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food, wonderful service, and a nice atmosphere. We had a fantastic experience! read more

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Omg yes it was delicious, we stayed at Sun set cliff in. For a weekend get away and the restaurant was very close to us. The location was perfect. The food was delicious, I loved the calamari and we got a couple of pizzas and that was delicious. I can't say much about the ambiance because we got takeout to enjoy the delicious food at hour hotel with ocean view. It was perfect read more

Love this little gem in OB. I've eaten there five or six times, and I've never been disappointed. Service is always prompt and courteous. Not a lover of the bread they serve but that's pretty minor. read more

Go to for amazing Italian. The chicken parm is incredible as are the pizzas. Cozy little spot, servers are always welcoming and attentive. Highly recommend read more

Service was great. On point. Customized some plates for us. Filet, perfect, Linguine with clams great and you better love clams. Chicken piccata dish 10/10. We will be back! read more

Ulivo Restaurant - Chicken piccata - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Lobster bisque fans, this is one restaurant you'll want to check out! They have notably the best lobster bisque that I've had. What's so great about it, you may ask? Well, for starters, it came with huge chunks of lobster and the bisque itself was a perfect consistency that was not salty. What really stood out the most was the amazing cheesy bread that it was served with. No cheap saltines or oyster crackers here! Definitely order this! I promise you will love it! The caprese salad was delicious, topped with a generous serving of arugula. The margarita pizza had a nice thin and crispy crust. This was also delicious. The linguine and clams was a bit off for me, perhaps because I found it a bit too oily. It was nicely seasoned, but just a tad too much oil for my taste. The complementary rolls were amazing! This restaurant exceeded my expectations in terms of the bread and lobster bisque. The pasta wasn't too bad, but that's where it fell a little short for me. Overall, I really enjoyed the dinner and would recommend this restaurant. This is a great spot for a date night because it's very quaint. Our server was pleasant. He brought a basket of bread and a pitcher of water for us, and after taking our order, he pretty much left us alone until we were ready to pay the bill. They have a small parking lot behind the restaurant, so parking may be a bit challenging. There is free parking along the streets, which isn't too bad. read more

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Love this place. Great food and vibe. Make sure you make a reservation! I like the pappazo pasta. I don't think its on the menu anymore but you can order it! read more

Great pizza! We each got a 10" create your own pizza, and it was the perfect amount for one person. We got it to-go, and it was delicious and fresh. The workers were all very nice. I will definitely be back to eat at the restaurant next time! read more

Ulivo Restaurant - Craft Your Own 10" Personal Pizza - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Loved everything about this adorable place in Ocean Beach! We came here to celebrate two 19 birthdays with a large group and the service was top notch. Everyone loved their food. Favorites were the bread, Caesar and Italian chopped salad, the saffron linguini with shrimp, chicken picatta, and spaghetti with meatballs. read more

Small but a great local gem. Fine eats and predicable menu done well. Very good staff and fun vibe. Fits right in with the neighborhood ... just wish they were open more days during the week. Do consider reservations. The stuffed mushrooms were a hit as a shared appetizer read more

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I'm FURIOUS. A couple days ago I ordered a large amount of food to go for my family, who was in town visiting, and me. I have a SEVERE allergy to scallops (yes, only scallops. Yes, I know that's odd but it's my truth) as does my mom. I went to order their "house specialty" with the clams and the server, Robert, informed me of their special which was a seafood pasta. He mentioned it had scallops so I told him about my serious allergy and that I'll just stick to the clam pasta. He told me that they were actually out of scallops so the pasta would only have shrimp, clams, and lobster! So after ordering the rest of my families entrees I said "I'll take the special if you're POSITIVE there's no scallops," and he assured me there was not. This is $45 special btw. Well, I get home and settle in and opened my very leaky pasta and there's SCALLOPS IN IT!! I'm FUMING because this is a gross, very dangerous, and irresponsible mistake. I have worked in the service industry 15 years and have never worked with a restaurant, or a kitchen that couldn't care less about allergies. I went back up to Ulivo and they were closed so they couldn't refund me but said they'd have a manager call me. I have YET to hear from the manager. The pasta leaked all over the dish underneath it, which was my mom's, so she couldn't have hers either in case of cross contamination, as she is also deathly allergic. A couple of kitchen guys were left cleaning up when I went back and the one told me he remembers my order coming in and said it was rang in as "regular" and even showed me, so the server never even modified that I had an allergy. Even if you "know" you're out of scallops you ALWAYS mention an allergy to the kitchen once it's been said by a guest. This could've ended horrifically for my family and me. I guess I should be grateful I *only* when to bed hungry, and not DEAD!! Absolutely ABSURD!!! Spent $160, including a tip for a server who looked like he'd rather be doing ANYTHING other than taking my Togo order and who obviously couldn't care less about killing someone, and two of us couldn't even eat. **Will update when I finally get ahold of a manager** read more

Absolutely delicious! Our family just visited from Vegas & found this adorable and delicious restaurant. So good we had dinner 2 nights in a row. chicken piccata was hands down the best I've ever had. So sad this is restaurant is so far from Vegas! Will definitely be visiting Mission beach again just to come eat! read more

Good food, service and ambiance. Nice and quaint. Nicely located in Ocean Beach area. The day was very hot and humid but all around very good! read more

Ulivo is definitely one of the BEST restaurants in all of San Diego! The food is Fabulous and the Service is Friendly and Fun. It truly is my Favorite restaurant in all of San Diego! read more

Great food at a fair price with excellent service. The chicken parm and lasagna were both delicious. We started with the eggplant bruschetta and the lobster bisque which were both excellent read more

Food: very very good. our bruschetta was amazing and the portion was impressive for the price. pesto was very walnut forward and delicious. carbonara sauce tasted so cozy and warm. tiramisu wasn't super impressive but still yummy. Service: our server was very nice and friendly but it seemed like this was her first job ever. not very attentive or able to suggest substitutions well. the male server was knowledgeable about all the menu items and had some great recommendations. there was a large party inside so maybe that was where the attention was, but everyone was still very friendly. Ambiance: we sat outside on the small patio (4 tables) and the street was not noisy, there were twinkle lights. the dining room had booths and the large party was sat at a large table in center of the room. there was also a "bar" with 4-5 stools that looked out to the street. very small inside, but felt cozy. read more

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Wow! What an amazing restaurant. The restaurant is adorable, they have amazing outdoor seating, and they allow dogs on the patio. And the FOOD!? So delicious, my seafood pasta had so much seafood i ran out of noodles. Everything we ordered was so so good. We will be coming back very soon, thanks to this amazing experience and our awesome server Bob! read more

Ulivo Restaurant - Parmesan Crusted Calamari Strips - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Have to say the service was amazing. The gluten-free pizza was good as well. This is a tomato forward restaurant which is great if you like them. They even put it in our Caesar Salad. The restaurant reads like a contemporary Italian restaurant. It's somewhat dark and moody. I think I wanted to like it for more than it was. For me I was hoping for a ceasar Salad without bottled dressing. I wanted to see more creativity. I would go back if I were in the area. read more

We came here for Friday date night. I booked a table earlier that same day and it was ready for us right at 6pm. This is a cozy little spot nestled in the heart of OB, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a parking spot a block away. We started with a cup of the soup special and the Cesar salad. They also brought us some freshly made bread. It all felt like a fancier version of the endless soup, salad and bread sticks at a well known Italian chain restaurant. For my main course I had a pasta dish with creamy tomato sauce and dollops of ricotta throughout. It was so good. It was a huge portion and reheated just as nicely the next day. My husband has the short ribs and thought they would just okay. He would prefer to try something else next time we go back. read more

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This was my first visit. Service and ambiance was great. The food is hard to judge. I ordered the Pappardelle Colorato. It was absolutely delicious and perfectly seasoned. I enjoyed every bite. But my husband's seafood linguini was disappointing- too much lemon zest, too little garlic, shrimp and lobster were rubbery. I would have to try more dishes to make a fair judgement. read more

Food and service were great, and atmosphere is welcoming and calming...however, their front door... some WD-40 would do great for that squeak. 10/10 recommend. read more

It's a small Italian restaurant not far away from Mission Beach. If you are in the area, visit this place! There is street parking with a short walk from basically any direction. The restaurant isn't big. But seatings are comfortably spaced. Modest decor. The place was clean. The service was great, we were treated with welcoming smile and recommendations on their specials. I was glad that I took the recommendation. The bread sticks were soft and warm. Yum.entrenain course was served within a timely manner. The food presentation was simple but it was absolutely scrumptious! Not salty and not too light. The amount of seasoning was just perfect for my taste buds and blood pressure. The food was perfectly portion. We barely finished the bread sticks. Unfortunately, we ran out of space for dessert. Overall, this place gets a 5.0 out of 5. Love it! Will visit again! read more

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Feel compelled to leave an update! My family was raving about this place to my dad so we had to stop by after a long day at the San Diego Zoo. He agreed it was definitely worth the hype. He loved the caprese salad and meatballs. The rest of us got the same thing as last time. It was empty when we were there around 4:45pm on a Friday. Mark was our server again and was a gem, per usual! While we hope to come again soon, we will recommend this to everyone! read more

Ulivo Restaurant - Gnocchi Fresco - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

It was a little pricey but, as far as I know, it's a mom and pop's place, so they have to charge a little bit more. However, the ambience, and just the people they're serving you, were wonderful. It's a great place for a date for sure. read more

Ulivo Restaurant - The inside of the restaurant, and the street view. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Parking is free in their lot behind the restaurant they share with Olive Tree Market. The dinner was really good, we had each had an entree, sea bass, filet mignon, and braised short ribs. Bread knots were warm and really good. The beet salad is my favorite starter salad. They have a Tuscany soup special will cheesy bread that is really flavorful that has spinach and Italian sausage in it. I would order this meal again. The service is good and the restaurant ambiance is relaxing. read more

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This is a small family-owned restaurant convenient to Cabrillo National Monument and Sunset Cliffs. We were able to get in at 5PM on short notice. The portions are ample and service is good. Not too expensive for a place near a tourist attraction. The absolute star was the chicken piccata. The sauce was perfect and the chicken was soooo juicy and delicious. The chicken parm was fine and the bread was good. Service was very pleasant and attentive. Definitely recommend for the chicken piccata! read more

Food was fantastic! Appetizers, pasta, entrees, pizza, desserts. We tried it all - and it was all so good. Tables are limited so would recommend making a reservation if you are able. read more

We picked this place for a nice Italian dinner as it was close to where we were staying. Smaller, cozy & friendly. Accepts reservations. We were warmly welcomed. They served us some warm twisted breadsticks that were good but not outstanding. We shared the Beet with goat cheese Salad, which was arranged very prettily on a platter but very over-dressed with a heavy, tart dressing. Hard to enjoy so much dressing; a light covering on the salad greens would have been so nice. We shared a Margherita pizza somewhat different from others we've had, tomato slices & mozzarella all over the top. Their pizza crust is a rather bland white dough, not chewy or very crispy. They had a nice Chianti for $30-very reasonable. Overall, we enjoyed being out but very under impressed by the food. read more

I visited Ulivo with my children and grandchildren. It was a few weeks ago, so I have no recollection of what anyone else ordered. I do, however, remember very distinctly my ribeye with shrimp and crab risotto. It was amazing! The ribeye was cooked perfectly - so tender, juicy and flavorful. The balsamic drizzle really enhanced the flavor. The restaurant is small, or should I say, intimate. The service was very friendly and attentive. And, while I don't remember what the others ordered, I do remember that they all enjoyed their food very much. All around, a great experience. read more

Ulivo Restaurant - Ribeye special with shrimp and crab risotto. - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

We love this small restaurant. Excellent, large portions, very good service. They always have unique specials as well as their standard menu items. read more

Food was so delicious, our server was so kind and helpful with explanations/recommendations, and the small restaurant had perfect lighting and vibe. It was perfect for our family dinner, and it would be really cute for a date night, too! read more

Outstanding dinner. Food was excellent. Ambience was relaxing. Can't wait to try a few of items on the menu. read more

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Recently I tried this restaurant and it's one of my favorite Italian restaurants now. It's a small but quaint Italian restaurant with traditional fare and wine. They use locally sourced ingredients. Their pasta dishes were fantastic but the desserts were simply amazing. I loved both tiramisu and spumoni. If you're looking for a restaurant for a date night, this is it! You can watch the beautiful Sunset Cliffs sunset and then have a nice and quiet Italian dinner at Ulivo. read more

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What a nice find. Of course I wasn't the first by any means. The restaurant was very busy on the weekend night. We went out on an impulse and asked if there was a table. They sat us right away. It was a tight little 2-top in a crowded room but it worked. Reminded me of Felicia's in Boston when they were in the North End; small, tight spaces, good food. The service was so friendly and relaxed. The eggplant parm was super tasty and came with a side of veggies which was very cool. Gnocchi excellent also w/ the walnut pesto. Very tasty. And they have Vermentino. That's a white wine that's hard to find and to me more satisfying than other grapes (I'm not really a white wine person but this is good stuff.) Thanks for everything! read more

My favorite Italian restaurant in Ocean Beach and there are several of them. Their food is high quality and the prices are reasonable. I usually get their Spaghetti Bolognese, Pappardelle, Antipasto Salad and Margherita Pizza. The service and atmosphere are always good. I highly recommend them. read more

Ulivo Restaurant - Antipasto Salad - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great tasting food and service. We stop by here about every other week. Good specials also.

The service was great the food was amazing! Cute little spots, I would definitely be back! The lasagna, the seafood pasta was delicious.

Such a quaint little place. The staff were very attentive and friendly. Quality food at reasonable prices. The Cesar salad, filet with risotto, and pasta with chicken and pink vodka sauce were all excellent. And I am a sucker for free bread. Their garlic knots (I would call them twists) were delicious and super fresh. read more

Overall mid experience. It's kind of weird whenever you walk in everyone is standing by the kitchen entrance. They brought out bread but no butter / oil / vinegar I had to ask for it. I ordered the spinach ravioli and I got 6/7 raviolis and it was $23 , the profit margin for that must be insane. And the plate wasn't very good. The gnocchi was good. But I'd definitely skip on this place, the atmosphere is awkward read more

DELICIOUS ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN OCEAN BEACH =========================================== I did my research for a few days before my trip to South Mission Beach for my wedding anniversary. Not saying how many years because I don't want to date myself. My husband and I have been to Little Italy which is great, but after checking Yelp for every possible restaurant I ended up making a reservation at Ulivo which means Olive in Italian. I love that name too as I just planted an olive tree in my front landscape. Easy to make reservations on Yelp and we showed up on time. Our waiter was great and my husband and I decided to go with the featured items for the evening. I ordered the seafood dish with clams, lobster tails, scallops, shrimp and a mussel. My husband ordered the osso buco. We both loved those so much. My husband always has to order tiramisu and we liked that, but my husband is a bit of a tiramisu snob and likes it made a more traditional way. That didn't stop him from eating it though. After dinner I felt like a coffee, but they only have cold brew. This is when I felt really old, but I just went with it. It was good. It added a hipster spin to the restaurant. Let's say it's like Silver Lake at the ocean. I guess I can hang with that. read more

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