A T

We recently had lunch at this Italian restaurant and were impressed! The atmosphere was casual and inviting, and the staff were helpful to accommodate our dietary preferences. As vegans, we were delighted to find a solid selection of plant-based options, and the kitchen handled our requests with ease. We enjoyed the gnocchi, which was perfectly cooked with a rich, arrabiata sauce.The insalata mista was fresh and tasty.

Lennon Mahoney

Had a lovely dinner at this restaurant. I highly recommend it. We had the short ribs with pasta and their famous cheese sauce Caesar salad and calamari nice interior and really good food.

+3

Ian F.

Good food in a nice setting with friendly wait staff. However, there are very limited options for gluten free eating. But the two things I had were quite delicious.

Louie Han

Well I was very surprised! I just ran into close restaurant as it was pouring. Had very pleasant meal. Friendly staffs, very good food. I won't say they do really Italian Italian, but the food was very good on its way. Definitely worth a visit.

Sandra Mondal

Bencotto Italian Kitchen in San Diego was a fantastic place for dinner. The atmosphere was really nice and inviting, and the wait staff was very attentive throughout the meal. The food was absolutely delicious—all of our orders came out perfectly. We didn't get anything from the bar, but it looked like they had a great selection. I would highly recommend this spot for anyone looking for a great Italian meal.

Douglas Johnson

I love people-watching and sitting outside at their corner spot was great! The fettuccine with cheese sauce and Italian sausage was pure pleasure! MJ was my server and he was attentive, gave good suggestions, and a little witty banter to lighten the mood.

Tiansheng Chen

Bencotto in Little Italy was my very first proper dinner on my socal trip, and it set the tone perfectly. The place was absolutely packed—business was booming—and even with a reservation I had to wait a little, but it was worth every minute. My server was warm and attentive, even tried to switch me to a nicer table but the restaurant was simply too busy that night. For starters, I had the Calamari Fritti, which tasted like it had just been pulled from the ocean, coated in batter, and fried to golden perfection. The outside was crisp, the inside tender and bouncy. It came with two sauces, and the best way was dipping first into the white, then into the red—absolutely delicious. For mains, I couldn’t resist ordering both the Tagliatelle Nere and the Stinco di Agnello. The squid ink pasta was everything I hoped for: rich, flavorful sauce with fresh, perfectly cooked shrimp. But the lamb shank stole the show—the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, with a sauce that was deeply aromatic and comforting. Truly satisfying. Dessert was a Panna Cotta, beautifully creamy and full of milk flavor. My server even surprised me by adding a birthday candle, which was such a thoughtful touch. It ended the meal on the sweetest note, and to top it off, a nearby table wished me happy birthday as I was leaving. The whole atmosphere felt warm and welcoming. Overall, I couldn’t recommend Bencotto enough. The food was fantastic, the service heartfelt, and the value unbeatable—I ordered two mains and with tip it came out to just a little over $100. This will absolutely be a must-visit for me every time I’m back in San Diego.

+1

Dirk Theuerl

Just really good Italian. Zucchini blossoms were delicious! Aroncini type appetizer was delicious. The absolute star of the show were the short ribs and pasta wheel. Divine!! Not cheap, but we'll priced and worth it.

Bob Powell

Amazing food and service. Never disappoints. We had the buratta (super fresh) My wife had the cheese wheel pasta and I Had the Bencatto make your own pasta Tortellini Di Magro style. Truly excellent. As a bonus we had gelato for our anniversary.

+6

Krista Chassereau

A person at our hotel recommended that we eat here. I’m so glad we did! The food is amazing! Their handmade pasta is a must. It is rolled in a Parmesan cheese wheel. I got that with a mushroom Alfredo sauce and shrimp. My husband got the chicken parm and we shared a Cesar salad. Our server, Jacob was wonderful!

Loved the decor of the restaurant. staff was friendly and great at suggesting some excellent dishes. We started with two glasses of the Supertuscan wine & squash blossoms. Both hit the spot, and pa…

Loved the decor of the restaurant. Staff was friendly and great at suggesting some excellent dishes. We started with two glasses of the Supertuscan wine & squash blossoms. Both hit the spot, and pa…

We had a lovely dining experience in Little Italy this evening. It was a little tricky to find parking, but we worked that out. \nI didn't take pics of our appetizers, but the meatballs and the fri…

We had a lovely dining experience in Little Italy this evening. It was a little tricky to find parking, but we worked that out. \nI didn't take pics of our appetizers, but the meatballs and the fri…

The food was delicious and we had great service! We shared the bolognese and a Caesar salad. The drinks were great too!

Service was polite, timely and efficient. The bolognese is the best!! You can select your type of pasta and sauce or you can choose one of their speciality items. I will return to try the ciopinno …

Server was great. Friendly and not complicated. Interior seemed modern and clean. \n\nThe pasta is clearly fresh made. Everything came out perfect. We ordered a couple different pastas, but the sta…

This restaurant has such a nice vibe. The lighting, music, and food all come together to create a memorable dining experience

This was an amazing dining experience full circle! I definitely recommend making a reservation, they get very busy. We brought our own special bottle of wine, which they opened for us with a cork f…

I will definitely will be coming back the food took a while but. The pasta is made from scratch. Had me some calamari as an appetizer 10/10 and my main dish was shrimp pasta. 10/10

OH MY GOSH! our server was Josue Camejo. He was amazing. First time and I selected this Kitchen because of the fresh pasta and Cheese Wheel which we wanted to experience,.Josue explained the menu and…

OH MY GOSH! our server was Josue Camejo. He was amazing. First time and I selected this Kitchen because of the fresh pasta and Cheese Wheel which we wanted to experience,.Josue explained the menu a…

OH MY GOSH! our server was Josue Camejo. He was amazing. First time and I selected this Kitchen because of the fresh pasta and Cheese Wheel which we wanted to experience,.Josue explained the menu a…

Incredible homemade pasta—had a wonderful butternut squash tortellini with a bacon and cream sauce— Lovely! Scott our server was outstanding—

Incredible homemade pasta—had a wonderful butternut squash tortellini with a bacon and cream sauce— Lovely! Scott our server was outstanding—

Incredible homemade pasta—had a wonderful butternut squash tortellini with a bacon and cream sauce— Lovely! Scott our server was outstanding—

Incredible homemade pasta—had a wonderful butternut squash tortellini with a bacon and cream sauce— Lovely! Scott our server was outstanding—

their warm bread with olive oil is one of the best we have had. loved their margaritas, penne entres and zucchini appetiters, great fast attetive service

their warm bread with olive oil is one of the best we have had. loved their margaritas, penne entres and zucchini appetiters, great fast attetive service

A nice Italian restaurant with large portions and very tasty pasta that the customer can 'configure'. It is located in Little Italy

Food, drinks and service were excellent - thanks to Mario our server who was friendly and helpful and made our experience even better. We have travelled to Italy numerous times and the food and dr…

No reservation so we sat outside. They were quick to light all the outdoor heaters which made it quite comfortable. We ordered a couple glasses of wine. We don’t eat as much as we used too so we…

No reservation so we sat outside. They were quick to light all the outdoor heaters which made it quite comfortable. We ordered a couple glasses of wine. We don’t eat as much as we used too so we…

Excellent authentic Italian with homemade noodles. Large portions, but we still found room to share a piece of tiramisu that was so good! Great service with good atmosphere - both indoor and outdoo…

We had dinner at this location on Sunday November 5. We had made an open range reservation. Service was impeccable, server was responsive and food was amazing. We had Lasagna and fettuccini with …

OMG!! Yum! This is THE best pasta I have ever had and my family agreed!! So delicious. The service was great. Restaurant clean. Fabulous atmosphere. Definitely recommend. This restaurant is a must …

Nick Su

We had dinner at Bencotto Italian Kitchen in Little Italy, and I’d definitely recommend making a reservation — it gets busy fast. Even with our 5:30 reservation, the restaurant was already filling up, with only a few outdoor tables left. We started with the burrata appetizer, which came with bread that tasted freshly baked. I would’ve preferred it a little more toasted for some extra crunch, but the pesto was bright and flavorful, and the tomatoes and ricotta were incredibly fresh. A drizzle of balsamic would’ve helped elevate the flavors, but overall, it was a solid starter. For the main course, we each built our own pasta dishes — one with pappardelle in truffle cream and mushroom sauce (I added sausage — worth it), and the other with pappardelle in Bolognese sauce. The pasta is handmade in-house using Somali flour, and you can really taste the difference — tender, delicate, and perfectly textured. The sauces were rich and full of depth, and the ability to mix and match made the meal feel personal and fun. Food: 4/5 – Fresh, flavorful, and beautifully made. Ambiance: 4/5 – Warm and lively, perfect for a date night or casual dinner. Service: 4/5 – Friendly and efficient. Overall, Bencotto is a must-visit if you’re in Little Italy. The handmade pasta and customizable options make for a memorable, elevated dining experience that still feels approachable.

+3

Excellent all around. would definitively go there again when I'm in San Diego. Its hard to stand out as a restaurant when there are so many italian places in San Diego's little Italy but Bencotto doe…

First time visiting Little Italy in San Diego and found this restaurant. Nice restaurant a little away from the main street hustle bustle of Little Italy. Nice ambience and lots of outdoor seating …

The food is ok, the pasta you can taste is authentic and they have the cheese wheel which is cool. I wish the cheese wheel presentation was at the table side, it's in the front of the restaurant so…

Italian spot with variety of pastas. Stopped by for lunch per my sister's recommendation with my boyfriend, and we enjoyed our meal. We found a free street parking spot a couple of blocks down and …

Enjoyed a lunch visit to little Italy and decided to try this place. parking is tough in Little Italy, but for lunch on a Friday it wasn't too bad a few blocks away. \nThe ambience was nice althoug…

Had a very nice meal!The squid spaghetti and fried calamari rings were both generous portions.The food was served quickly and the restaurant was in a nice setting. 意面和鱿鱼分量都挺足。工作日基本不需要排队。随燃奇使补毫持…

Italian spot with variety of pastas. Stopped by for lunch per my sister’s recommendation with my boyfriend, and we enjoyed our meal. We found a free street parking spot a couple of blocks down and …

Online it said no reservations available but at the restaurant we were seated at the bar immediately and lots of empty tables. Food was ok, fantastic service from bartender. Cheese wheel was lovely…

Had the homemade gnocchi in an excellent sauce with prosciutto. The staff was very friendly and it was a great atmosphere with indoor & outdoor seating.

We stopped by for apperitivi - a glass of wine and a little snack, as they do in Italy. Extremely nice outdoor seating area. Menu looked good; we will definitely be back another time for dinner. …

Alicia wang

We had dinner here and overall the experience fell short of expectations. First, one of our pasta dishes was served incorrectly (fettuccine instead of spaghetti), and the staff was too busy for us to request a correction, so we accepted it as is. Second, we noticed that other tables were offered cheese on top of their pasta, but our table wasn’t, even though we ordered three different noodle dishes. Third, the restaurant added a credit-card transaction fee without mentioning it beforehand, which feels inappropriate for a place at this price point—costs like this should be disclosed upfront or already reflected in menu prices. Also, the cheese wheel pasta did not come in an actual cheese wheel as expected, but rather with a truffle-cheese flavor instead. On the positive side, the cioppino was very good, the shrimp in the pasta was fresh, and I personally really enjoyed the balsamic salad.

+1

The atmosphere and waiter were great. Honestly, he was so full of substitutions and variations that it was amazing. The kitchen will do anything.\n\nThe short ribs were dry, and the sauce was inc…

The atmosphere and waiter were great. Honestly, he was so full of substitutions and variations that it was amazing. The kitchen will do anything.\n\nThe short ribs were dry, and the sauce was incre…

The atmosphere and waiter were great. Honestly, he was so full of substitutions and variations that it was amazing. The kitchen will do anything.\n\nThe short ribs were dry, and the sauce was incre…

Gave 2 stars overall food was alright but our server Filip was terrible. We went last night for the first time and waited for about 20 minutes for table on the patio. The hostess was very nice and polite and sat us sooner than what she originally told us. Our server never checked in us throughout the dinner. We also never got bread for our table. I’m not sure if this is what they are supposed to give each table, but all the tables around us had bread and we didn’t. Our drinks went empty, and it took awhile before he even noticed, it wasnt until he came to see if we were going to order dessert. The table next to us had an awesome server when we saw the service they were getting it made us a little upset since we were getting total opposite service. We got the calamari for an appetizers which was okay. Definitely not the best I’ve had but wasn’t bad either. We both got lasagna which was pretty darn good. Then to top it off we got a Tiramisu which was amazing! I feel like this is a dessert that a lot of places can mess up really easy but this hit the spot. Not sure if we would ever go back due to the service, but may go just for a quick dessert.

Altogether low average..Based on the reviews I thought I would give it a try to see. And, it is not special. Closer to Olive Garden then high quality. Food is pretty bland and the kitchen is slow and the service is average. Ther are several other better options in the neighborhood, pass this one by.

Yonji Lim

My boyfriend and I came here looking forward to trying nice pasta but were pretty disappointed. The squid ink gnocchi was nothing special, the texture was different but alright. We also got the prime short rib, and it was definitely not worth the price. The arugula it came with was too oily. Both dishes were very mid and overpriced. It honestly would’ve been more worth it to go to In n out.

Kai Mao

Tourist trap at its finest — I can’t give it more than 2 stars. Pros • The hostess at the door was genuinely warm and welcoming. • The servers seemed attentive overall, but ours wasn’t. Cons • Don’t order the cheese wheel pasta. We ordered it, but never saw the cheese wheel station being used the entire time we were there. • Don’t order the calamari. The breading was soft, the calamari didn’t taste fresh, and even the dipping sauce couldn’t save it. • Don’t order the zucchini blossoms. They were basically mozzarella sticks — only four pieces, and they cost over $20. • None of our dishes arrived hot. The pasta looked like it had been sitting, and the chicken parm was mushy. • Bread doesn’t come automatically — you have to ask for it.

Service was okay, but food is terrible. I can make better Italian food at home. The Cioppino was just old calamari, old salmon and sub par shrimp in marinara sauce. My wife ended up returning her cus…

Service was okay, but food is terrible. I can make better italian food at home. The Cioppino was just old calamari, old salmon and sub par shrimp in marinara sauce. My wife ended up ret…

service was okay, but food is terrible. I can make better Italian food at home. The Cioppino was just old calamari, old salmon and sub par shrimp in marinara sauce. My wife ended up returning her c…

Service was okay, but food is terrible. I can make better Italian food at home. The Cioppino was just old calamari, old salmon and sub par shrimp in marinara sauce. My wife ended up returning h…