Opinions Cesarina San Diego

We had amazing time at Cesarian. Our server was Laura L. We went for drinks, appetizer, entrees and dessert. Laura’s suggestions were spot on and gentle. When we picked both thick pasta she reminded us of the diversity available and we changed order to her recommendations. The appetizer Burrata Mortadella e Pere was heavenly. Bolognese was robust, meaty and deeply flavored from slow cooking. The Arrabbiatissma was spicy, tangy and pork based. The tiramisu was prepared on the table and was phenomenal. The gelatos charcoal vanilla and strawberry were heavenly. We could not thank Laura enough for her service, knowledge, hospitality and recommendations.

There was a minor glitch of chocolate gelato coming out instead of charcoal vanilla. After that three individuals including Laura apologized, refunded the charge and they even had a sorry on the check. I’m amazed at their accountability and processes.

In toto, I have not had a better Italian meal, seen a better coordination, felt the warmth amongst staff and this level of accountability.

Thanks Laura and Cesarian team for making it special.

This place is popular for a reason. Pasta here is amazing. Their paccheri vodka and scampi was superb. Their pappardelle and paccheri were so good that the lasagna felt just okay. Seriously, get scampi, and build one using pappardelle. Can't go wrong with these two. Their tiramisu was great too. The staff were all kind and friendly. A few parking spots available for guests. Would definitely revisit the place next time I visit SD.

Hands down the best tiramisu and pasta I've ever had in the US!

Love this place! Food is very delicious ???? service is great ???? was there last week and the server overheard us graduated so he treated us with their extremely delicious tiramisu! Everything was perfect, we'll definitely come back!

I wanted to like this cute place, but unfortunately my experience was uncomfortable. I ordered a bottle of wine to share with a friend & wanted to enjoy a slow dinner, but felt very pushed by the server to put our food orders in. I ended up just asking him to give us the bill & sit us at the bar if he needed our table so badly. Some of the lines he stated were, “once I take the menus away then that’s it” & “I don’t know what you want”. I assumed that slow dining was acceptable since they are an Italian dining establishment? I didn’t order dinner because of this & only had an appetizer. It was very apparent that he was complaining about us to others & overheard a little bit of chatter as a waiter’s station was behind me. A manager & other employees were kind as we wrapped up, but it felt very disingenuous after knowing that we were talked about as an inconvenience.

So now I’m left confused on what went wrong on our end to cause such an uncomfortable experience. Everything was priced high so his tip was to be 20% of inflated costs? Plus customers are charged for the employee’s medical insurance? & again, they are an Italian dinning establishment, so isn’t it acceptable to take your time?

Probably best Italian I’ve had ever. The crispy octopus was unbelievable good, and the main dishes as well. 10/10 must try. My aging iPhone camera doesn’t do the food justice ????

Great, authentic Italian food,

Had an absolutely delicious meal here! I highly recommend a reservation as we were sat almost immediately upon arrival. Every pasta dish we had was incredible and so tasty - for apps, the beef carpaccio was one of the best I've ever had. Our server seemed to have a lot of tables so we waited a while, but it was a busy Friday evening so we were enjoying our wine recommendations and the delicious focaccia bread. I would definitely go back and highly recommend this adorable Italian spot!

This place is so incredible. The service. Italian/English speaking wait staff who are more than happy to make menu suggestions if you need. Everyone in this place is friendly from the time you check in to when you leave. The drinks are good. The food is AMAZING!!!!! The octopus is phenomenal. The other appetizer was so amazing sorry I forgot the name of it but see the pic. When you sit outside they have these shawls to throw over your legs or shoulders, wonderful. Oh, go in the back and watch them hand make the pasta including the ravioli. MAKE A RESERVATION!!!!!

10/10 loved it, fun, spunky. Can get creative and pick your own noodle, sauce and toppings. Loved the octopus, tartufona and the arrabiata. ????????

Best Italian in San Diego. Always take visitors here first. Such authentic food and drink.

Cesarina : “A-” meaning “Very very good. Worth a 30 minute drive, and a little pain parking. May or may not be pricey.”

Executive summary for the attention deficit: It’s very good - one of two Italian restaurants I’m happy with in San Diego. Casual, happy vibe, good food, great service, and a very reasonable valet stress free parking.
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Easily one of the best Italian restaurants in San Diego. Atmosphere is very casual and laid back, the servers are friendly and attentive, and did I mention the very reasonable $8 valet?

Focaccia & some type of tomato paste :) (B ) : Nice, open crumb, fairly moist, decently chewy, but the outer crust lacked crispness, and tastewise, nothing special. The dip, I can’t remember what the server said it was, but basically tasted like tomato paste. Call me shallow but butter would have won the fight.

Burrata, mortadella e pere (B+ ) : Loved the fragrant, creamy burrata, the sweet, cool pear with a touch of tang, and the fried pastry thingy that tasted like a flat churro with no sugar. Mixing the three items in one bite almost tasted like a pear churro cheesecake. The mortadella (Italian sausage…had to look it up), to my unsophisticated taste buds, just tasted like thinly sliced ham but with less salt and hence, less taste. Prosciutto would have been superior to balance against the creamy sweetness.

Polpo Croccante (A ) : Hands down the highlight of the meal. According to our server, the octopus was first boiled, then flash fried to achieve a tender, juicy, sweet inside, with a crunchy, savory outside. That mixed wonderfully with the smoky, tomatoey sweet romesco sauce, and the creamy mashed potato.

Paccheri vodka & scampi (B+ ) : Given the numerous rave reviews and the prominent menu placement, I had higher expectations. The pasta was perfectly al-dente, soft yet chewy. The shrimps were very nicely cooked, still having bite & texture. The highlight protein, the langoustine, tasted sweet, but was overcooked and a little mushy. And the “crema di scampi alla vodka” sauce had good flavors, reminding me of a lobster bisque, but I felt it needed more reduction for a stronger punch. A very good pasta, but not enough for a “wow.”

Deconstructed Tiramisu (A ) : The mascarpone is very very good; super light, perfect sweetness, wonderfully creamy. The house made lady fingers had a fragrant almond flavor, and by keeping it relatively dry, had a slight crispness (a little like a madeleine) that contrasted nicely with the mascarpone. However, it needed more coffee. Chocolate was there from the cocoa powder, but the espresso was lost. Nonetheless, a fantastic tiramisu.

Checking off #11 of 40 Michelin starred / recommended restaurants in the San Diego area, so a lot more homework to do, but this one definitely makes it to the “repeat worthy” list.
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Food Grading Scale:

A+: Life changing. You remember these bites for the rest of your life. Occurs very infrequently and when it does, you’ll know it. You don’t even know how to further improve it with a magic wand.
A: Wow! Excellent. You felt happy biting into it. You’re considering whether it’s life changing, but know it misses the mark.
A-: Very very good. Whatever it is, it’s one of the best, but you can think of further improvements.
B+: Very good. Very enjoyable, not to the point of “impressive,” but worth revisiting.
B: Good. A solid example of whatever it is, offering enjoyment, but not enough for making an effort to get.
B-: Not bad. If in a pinch to eat something, this offers some enjoyment and is a reasonable option.
C+: Mediocre plus. Pretty average, but with one or two positive characteristics you can identify.
C: Mediocre. “Meh”. Very average. Not bad enough to make you angry, but nothing good about it at all.

We go here quite often, always exceptional staff service and food on point every time- save room for the dessert- love their bread too, pesto is so great!

One of those overhyped, overly expensive places. The ambiance is cool but the food is just average. Authentic Italian places don't let you mix & match pastas and sauce- they're very particular about what combinations should go together

We love this spot. Food is amazing, pastas are incredible, and deserts are great too! Festive cocktail menu in addition to a nice wine list. There are typically specials for the evening which don’t disappoint. The service is prompt and friendly.

Great food and atmosphere. Try to make a reservation to expedite the process.

5 stars all around.
Excellent food. First class service

Best Italian food in town ???????? they also have amazing vegan options that have authentic flavors without the dairy aspect to it. One of my favorite places for sure! ????????????????

Perfectly quaint and charming Italian restaurant. We love the fresh pastas and the food was delish. The ambience and interiors are super cute for a special occassion or date night.

Awesome time at Cesarina. The food was fantastic, our waitress was amazing. We couldn't have asked for a better spot to celebrate.

This is one of the most thoughtful restaurants I’ve ever been at. All the way from the desert menu to the decor to how they celebrate your special occasion, every detail matters to them. The food is no different.

I had the tiramisu, octopus appetizer and vodka pasta, all 5 out of 5. A little on the expensive side, but worth it for a special occasion or why-not weeknight.

The staff is friendly and attentive, the food is delicious and generous, and the energy is sweet and cozy. Highly recommend!

Food was excellent!

For everyone who is reading this review YOU MUST TRY TIRAMISU!!!

Great decor , food and service. A good Italian with vegan options! We’ll definitely be back.

Nice trendy place. I got the lasagna and it tasted exactly like chef boy-r-d beef ravioli. Exactly. My wife had the scampi. It was just okay. The dessert was good. Over all it was over priced at 100$ for 2 dishes and a dessert for lunch. Portions were good but I could not eat my lasagna as it was so sweet. I challenge anyone to get it and do a blind taste test with a can of beef ravioli to be able to tell the difference. Feels like an Instagram place.

The service was good but the taste was fine but it could be better.