Cesarina — Restaurant in San Diego

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. 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. 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...

A Taste of Traditional Italy in San Diego

Cesarina offers an incredible chance to experience authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of San Diego. Be sure to make a reservation way out in advance to ensure this experience.

From the moment you arrive, you'll appreciate the ease of parking—just make sure to read the instructions on their website beforehand. We had no issues parking across the street in the Insurance guys parking lot and just paid for 2 hours of parking via the APP. They do offer valet service during the evenings, which is a nice touch.

The restaurant beautifully engages all your senses with its visually stunning seating areas and captivating displays, including a massive wall showcasing preserved foods in various jars. We were seated at a comfortable bench-style table for four outside with greenery growing all over the lattice for a sense of privacy perfect for our two-hour full-service dinner.

Even the menu is an experience in itself, filled with beautiful artwork and vibrant colors that make choosing your meal a delight. Take some time and enjoy looking this menu over! Lots of choices. This was my second time dining here, and I just had to reorder the Polpo Crocante with Romesco Sauce—crispy octopus served with a rich red pepper and almond sauce. My husband opted for the Carpaccio di Manzo—thinly sliced tenderloin beef, rubbed with espresso, porcini mushrooms, and garlic, then topped with black summer truffles. Both appetizers were perfect for our party of four.

The dinner menu is versatile, letting you choose your pasta type and sauce, with additional add-ons available—truly something for everyone. They also offer a few daily specials, but the regular selection is already fantastic. The service is spot on and never even missed a detail! Our table ordered the Gnocchi Porcini e Gamberi Tartufati (gnocchi with porcini mushrooms, shrimp, and truffle), which was served in an authentic copper saucepan brought right to the table. My niece ordered the Paccheri alla Scampi, which came with a whole langoustine (a type of small lobster) on top of her pasta. Super fun and added some extra pop to the dish. My husband opted for Spaghetti allo Scoglio, a seafood pasta featuring a mix of clams, mussels, and shrimp. I enjoyed all the authentic miss matched Italian pottery they use at the table. Very eclectic and also keeps the experience not too formal.

We chose a bottle of white wine called Sandone from Italy, which paired perfectly with the seafood and pasta dishes everyone was ordering. The waiter bought over silver bucket with ice to keep the wine chilled, making the table service feel even more classy and old world.

With such a delightful dining experience, I couldn't resist ordering dessert, knowing everything was handmade. I chose the Tiramisu, which was prepared tableside by our waiter. Watching the process was almost as enjoyable as tasting it: homemade vanilla ladyfingers, freshly poured espresso soaking into them, all layered with freshly made mascarpone cream, and topped off with a dusting of freshly grated cocoa powder. The flavors were simply amazing—every bite was a perfect blend of textures and tastes.

To top off our evening, our waiter surprised us with an adorable Polaroid picture of our table, a delightful keepsake that added a personal touch to an already memorable meal. Cesarina doesn’t just offer dinner; it delivers a full, immersive experience that transports you straight to Italy. Highly...

It’s always tricky to be leaving a not so great review for a popular place with so many great reviews, but I’m gonna chime in here with my two stars, and will do my best to explain this rating. So my Mom and I were visiting San Diego on our regular summer gateway and i wanted to treat her with some good food and ambience at a good restaurant as she doesn’t go out much. I did my research priorly and decided on Cesarina for our late lunch/early dinner. My fault i didn’t do enough research to understand it’s a mostly pasta place and we’re not big fans, but that’s on me. However, i did like the website and the menu options and how it’s all presented, so we gave it a try. Now to my concerns: Hostesses were rude and lacking professionalism. Giggling at me asking a couple of normal questions, like if we parked in the right place and if we’re on time (BE AWARE - there’s almost no parking for this restaurant next to it, just two spots, it’s “find your own parking” situation, but it’s ok, big city usuals). Bass boy who brought menus and water was terribly sick, running nose almost dripping on the table, i asked him if he was feeling ok, he said it was allergies, but it was just gross! You don’t come to work in food service industry facing the customers with such a condition- your nose was dripping! Also, his pink t-shirt was so dirty and gross, how can this be even allowed? We lost our appetite already by this poor kid serving us, but we stayed. Non-pasta options are very limited (3) and really pricey ($35-50). So we went on with two pasta dishes. With meatballs. Meatballs tasted like defrosted supermarket ones. Food was not very good tasting. Both our pastas were all mash and stuck together, isn’t it called al dente that it’s supposed to be? However, they did good by not charging us for one meal as my Mom wouldn’t eat it, that was nice. My Mom ordered her some Chardonnay, not the cheapest one, they didn’t bring a bottle😳 First time i see this at a $$+ Italian restaurant. They brought some kind of small no-name jar with one glass wine in it and poured it from there. Seriously?! And the most important part - the food was served in badly chipped plates. Like pieces missing. We called a manager and she explained that this is the policy, to make it feel closer to the authentic Italian village eating experience. I call it BS, i’m from Europe, and we there NEVER serve food on chipped plates, it’s considered a shame for the person serving the meal, for a woman inviting guests to her home. Even in poor homes we try hard to have the best silverware and kitchenware to be served to our guests. Chipped plates are a hazard! And not nice! And disrespect to your guests! The only positive side of this experience was Manager’s reaction (i think her name was as some flower/plant name, but l’m so sorry i forgot), and she was great! So friendly (unlike the server, who was just riding his high horse around us), so willing to make our experience better! She mentioned she’d been there only for half a year, so maybe that’s the case why she was so nice to us. Thank you Manager (and i’m sorry i can’t remember your name), you made this whole mess of experience better ❤️ So the second star is for you. The day we were there was August 3rd, 2024, our reservation was for around 3pm. Thank you...