It was a busy night, and I think it’s always a good sign when chef comes out to say hello and drop off your dinner. The pappardelle was robust, with the perfect sauce to pasta ratio. Paired with some old world wine and you couldn’t ask for a better dinner. Cheers Chef Luciano, can’t wait to try the next dish.

Excellent decor, the seared scallops were delicious - nicely flavored and not hard. The grilled veggies that came with was really good as well- especially the whole small carrots- the sauce was perfect. I usually don’t like kale chips but these were done well with enough oil and salt and balanced out the softness of the scallop with a little bit of salt and crunch.

Fabulous food. Wonderful wine. Gracious host and attentive and friendly staff. One of my favorite places in San Diego.

+2

The chef is a miracle worker! Our group had a reservation. We started with a flatbread that was delicious. It contained house made sausage that hit a perfect note. I ordered the catch of the day on a bed of risotto. I have no words to describe how perfectly prepared and how melt in your mouth the salmon was and how the risotto had perfect seasoning and texture. Bravo Chef!

This place was excellent! Food was great and service was even better. We really appreciated the chef greeting us and inviting us to the bar next door. I love red so naturally I loved this place! Highly recommend!

I wish I could add a sixth star! This place is Amazing! Authentic Italian executive level chef. Everything tasted spectacular. And we'll priced. Unlike steakhouse du jour where you pay through the nose this feels like you're getting a deal...can't recommend enough!

They recommended flatbread and it was really great! Juicy and crunchy 😋 Beef Willington was better than the one we had in the hells kitchen. lol The veggies comes with the beed was wonderful Got good portions of all "shell" kinds of seafood, mussels, clams, scallops, and shrimp. love the unique squid noodles. but didn't expect the sour taste (this might be normal I guess) We went early at 6 30PM on Wednesday night when it was not busy. Really enjoyed and highly recommended.

An excellent restaurant for dinner. My wife and I had lasagna and eggplant parmesan. The lasagna was perhaps the best I've had anywhere, including Italy. The eggplant was equally excellent. Perfectly fried, the eggplant melts in your mouth. The service at The Red Door was also excellent in every way.

Was looking for San Diego's best Beef Wellington and I think I found it here! The Red Door makes for a perfect date night, and a must-try for any local foodie.

Outstanding! Best pasta I've had here in San Diego. Fresh made pasta. Everything was very well balanced. We shared the calamari appetizer. Tender rings over crispy kale chips served with a spicy aioli. I had the pappardelle and the wife had the lasagna. We were both super happy with everything. We're already planning our next time to visit. #trustyourfishmonger

Our special occasion location. Luciano is a master in the kitchen. Another amazing meal, friendly staff, and I love that he visits each table to ensure satisfaction. Excellent place!

+3

Chef Luciano, the proprietor, is so accommodating and has done a great job converting from dine-in to take out without sacrificing the quality of his delicious dishes.

+2

This quaint restaurant was amazing and worth every Penny. I ordered the Beef Wellington and it did not disappoint. And the Strawberry Cheesecake was to die for. I highly recommend you give this place a try. We especially loved that they used local farms for their food.

One of the best experiences in dining I’ve had in San Diego. The owner/chef makes a point to come and greet diners and make everyone feel appreciated. The food is eclectic and has a magic touch that you won’t Find anywhere else. This food is made with love. The Red Door also does a lot For it’s community by cooking and donating to hospitals and those in need.

We were so glad to have experienced this restaurant. We had the kale Cesar, beef wellington, and the sticky toffee dessert. It was our anniversary so they also brought us a complementary dessert. Everything was amazing. I recommend this combination of you want to get a taste for how great their chef can make the food.

Great red wine, quality ingredients and nice ambiance inside the restaurant. Outdoor dining is nice too. There is great live music inside the bar on most weekends.

Had the 2 specials on a Saturday. Lobster Ravioli, really good Swordfish w/ pesto risotto - AMAZING Chicken Parmesan w/ spaghetti, really good! The service was outstanding

The atmosphere was absolutely amazing! Dinner was so delicious and the Chef stopped by our table to make sure that everything was to our satisfaction!

Great service and helpful staff. Came to celebrate our anniversary, and it was a special place. Staff was so friendly and made us feel welcomed. Our entrées were delicious. Enjoyed the live music and atmosphere was relaxing.

We had a lovely time at The Red Door. Our server, Jay, was friendly and attentive. He had great recommendations, as we had the appetizer he recommended and it was tasty! I got the short rib for my main, and my wife got the orecchiette. The short rib was tender and delicious and the sauce had a nuanced flavor to it. It was served over brussel sprouts and they sort of absorbed the flavor of the short rib. The dish was great, but it could have used some kind of third piece to it, like roasted carrots or something on the side to give the dish a little more dynamic flavor. So good still, and the portions were fantastic! The orecchiette had a wonderful shallot flavor that we both loved. The portions were great as well. What a tasty pasta. There was a couple there (that we were judging) that sent their food back. The chef came out to ask what he could do to make it right. I thought that was very classy. That couple didn’t look like anyone that I would ever want to hang out with. The chef on the other hand, I’d invite him sailing or something. Anyways, overall great experience - I will recommend the restaurant to my friends that love Italian food and large servings!

Fantastic place to eat. Great service, cozy ambiance. Will definitely come again. Parking wasn't the greatest though so budget arrival time for your reservation accordingly.

+4

Italian Fancy Family Venue. Came here for a meetup dinner. The staff was busy but friendly. I was happy with the wine and the vegan nachos.

Great food and service, we had Brian he was very nice and we ordered the Beef Wellington. It was delicious very hard to find it in San Diego.We definitely will be back soon. I gave only 4 stars because of the seating area we were in, kind of felt crowded in corner. Otherwise everything else was excellent. Thanks Brian for great customer service.

We enjoyed the food, drinks, and musical ambiance. The charming Italian chef came out and warmly greeted everyone. Our handsome server was helpful because there was so much we wanted to try. The negronis were in adorable cut glasses. Everything was delicious from the arugula salad, wings, pasta, chocolate and peanut butter dessert. Beware! The banana dessert is popular so it may sell out if you come later in the day! It just gives us a reason to come back to visit again.

Great food. Great service & atmosphere. Jazzmine was playing live music & took requests! We had the whole bar signing along. Really nice, fun & friendly. The chef came by to meet us. Highly recommend.

A co-worked and I stopped by this place on a whim for dinner and it was the most pleasant experience. We had the burrata and shared the filet special. The vegetables were fresh and cooked to perfection. The filet special is really enough for three people. We completed the meal with the sticky toffee pudding, which had charcoal and vanilla ice cream, as well as candied pecans. The entire experience was lovely. The staff were so kind and the chef came out to greet everyone. We are from out of town, but we will definitely take our team back For this great experience

Absolutely the best experience i have EVER had from a restaurant, personally greeted by the owner and chef whom is there daily, the food is exquisite from the smell to the taste to the display of the food itself, the drinks were prepared perfectly, alittle pricey but for what you get in its entirety it's totally worth it. I will definitely have to return in the future Pictured was my food + drink.

Incredible!!! Came here a few times in the last ten years. Was underwhelmed. So happy we came tonite! Chef-owner Luciano has taken it up ten notches! I’m gonna be a regular. Started with Brussels, bacon, pistachio and onions. Superb. I’m still not over Brussels. The short ribs with polenta, lamb shank with risotto, and Alaska king salmon were awesome. One of our party ordered chix-Marsala style, don’t order chix out but will come back for it here. Well done wine list at reasonable prices. Great service-Stephanie was awesome! Chef came out and talked to us. Don’t miss this place !

Such an incredible little restaurant! Very cozy atmosphere, perfect for date night! I had the basil pesto cream risotto prepared with the catch of the day Ahi tuna, seared perfectly. The tastes complemented each other perfectly, and the portion was gigantic! Even after splitting it with my boyfriend, I went home with leftovers. The taste alone makes it worth the price, but the portion size made it a deal! My boyfriend had the lobster ravioli, and it was AMAZING. It was lobster ravioli in a tomato vodka cream sauce and oh my lord was that a treat! For dessert, we got the chocolate lava cake. WOW. We are both big chocolate lovers, and this was just incredible. Tony was a wonderful, attentive server who knew the menu and made sure we were taken care of for our entire stay. Service was lightning fast! The ONLY complaint I had was that it was a rather warm night, and AC probably would’ve made things slightly more comfortable, but I know we were earlier than the crowds, and AC may just not be turned on unless the restaurant is fuller. It was definitely bearable, but just slightly uncomfortable. Overall, 10/10! We will absolutely be back for a special occasion! Thanks, Tony!

Wow just wow. Everything was absolutely amazing. My date and I left both so happy. It’s our last night in San Diego and we couldn’t find a better way to end it. The chef even came over a few times to see how everything was! So impressed. Nicholas was our waiter, he killed it !!!

Unforgettable dining experience. From upon entering to departing this restaurant experience was highly impressive. We had the clams for starters and beef Wellington and scallops for our main. Chef Cibelli is a true professional. He personally paid attention to every table and provided back story to the dishes and ingredients such as where he picked up some of the fresh ingredients that morning. For dessert we had the sticky toffee pudding which was amazing paired with the 20 year port. This was our anniversary dinner and a memorable one because of the staff, food, and atmosphere. Mario was our server and went above and beyond to provide recommendations and pairings.

First visit - delicious Free Range Chicken and Short Ribs. Had Banana Cream Pie and Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert. Highly recommend the food and great service!

The Red Door is one of San Diego's best! The service is always superior and it is one of the few restaurants where the chef takes the time to personally greet his guests, every night, with genuine gratitude and appreciation. Dinner tonight was the Orecchiette. Perfectly al dente, little ears of freshly made pasta with well seasoned sausage, rich dark mushrooms, lightly seasoned with pearl onions. All of this was tied together with a decadent brandy cream. It is an uncomplicated, simple dish that is simply exceptional.

There’s no place like the Red Door in San Diego. Period. The moment you walk through the “actual red” door, not only do you feel a warm energy/vibe upon stepping inside, you’re welcomed with an intoxicating whiff of whatever plate is whizzing by at that moment. The first time I visited this restaurant was in 2012 and I admit, I hadn’t stopped in for about a year and a half until this past October. I’ve experienced brunch, dinners, happy hour cocktails as well as the famous Beef Wellington next door at what used to be called “The Wellington,” now referred to as “The Bar by Red Door,” the live music and more casual dining experience side of the restaurant. I’ve been back more in the past four months than all the times I’d visited the prior 7 years! Rightfully so, after learning about the change in ownership, and experiencing many intoxicating dishes from the (new to me) menu. Like the local mussels swimming in the addictive tomato broth, the Butternut Brie (whaaat!?!?) and house-made wild Boar prosciutto. Theres an ingenuity that Owner/Chef Luciano Cibelli naturally showcases in his food that you effortlessly experience when you taste what he composes. The painstaking detail that goes into sourcing the super fresh, local ingredients (everyday) for the menu, allows the food to speak for itself. Think Italian peasant dishes; from the Bolognese Ragù with daily house-made pasta, to the comforting (hand-made sausage) and mushroom orecchiette to more fancy-pants options like the Beef Wellington, Aged Ribeye or the Fresh Fish which changes daily and depending on what it is (like baby squid), can sometimes only be experienced for a few weeks out of the year. For the last couple months the indulgence has been the white and black truffle dishes. Truffles ARE a girl’s best friend after all! There are also even vegan and vegetarian options that are, in my opinion, inventive and so very fun to try! If food is an “experience” for you, you’ll most certainly be happy you decided to visit! The owner and staff treat you like an honored guest, making sure your experience was everything you wanted it to be!

+1

After coming here for years when it was Wellington, I was skeptical of what concept could possibly replace the old quaint steak restaurant/bar. But I was pleasantly surprised. The space didn't change a whole lot- except it is a lot brighter and more open, which makes it more conducive to socializing. The bar staff are just as knowledgeable and fun as ever, and the drinks are even better then before. We tried a couple cocktails, which had very clever and inventive ingredients, and enjoyed it all. Also tried the roasted carrots- delicious! Although a bit on the spicy side, so for those sensitive to heat, be aware. Really great experience and can't wait to come back to try more.

This is one of my favorite spots for lunch or dinner. It's consistently quiet with great farm-to-table food and service, in a calm, low key environment. The new owner has expanded the menu to include pasta, but retained old favorites from the previous owner's menu. I had the orecchiette with house-made Italian sausage, mushrooms and brandy cream sauce, which was delicious and filling. My friend has her usual lamb burger, which she said was better than usual. I forgot to take photos of our food but grabbed a photo of a neighbor's burger and fries. I loved their burger, one of the best I've had, the last time I was there.

Cosy, intimate dining experience with personalized, friendly staff who really make you feel at home and enjoy a good Italian meal with them. The Chef Luciano stopping by at the tables, welcoming and asking how the food was just confirms the personalized vibe of this place. The wine selection has some fantastic Tuscany Italian wines and we lingered slow and easy enjoying ours. We definitely see The Red Door being our goto restaurant next door for more cosy dinners together ❤️

Luciano, one of the best chefs in San Diego, started his own Bistro. Milan, Italy trained. Lifetime experience running huge kitchens. Top quality every way. Homemade pastas. Meats, fish, perfect. They really take care of you, with a personal touch.

Great date night at The Red Door. Delicious meal, cozy intimate setting, and attentive service from Mario. Lamb Shank and Beef Wellington were both winning dishes. The risotto under the lamb was a perfect pairing. We would order them again. Great cocktails. Ended the meal with a tasty carajillo instead of dessert.

Just visited the Ted Door again, & it was amazing again. We had the beef wellington, sooo tender, braised short ribs (my absolute favorite). They definitely have expanded but with the same great service!!

+1

The steamed clams are so savory that I wanna drink the soup!!! We like the fried eggs & bone marrow too. Beef Wellington is nice, as expected. Will come back more to try different dishes!

Excellent service and great atmosphere to have an intimate dinner. It is some of the best food we have ever had. Short ribs over polenta - yum! Calamari- exceptional! Aged ribeye- woah! Sticky toffee pudding & chocolate truffles - out of this world! We can’t wait to go back and try the Beef Wellington!

What a find! Chef Cibelli came out of the kitchen and met us personally checking in on how our meal was. Food was AMAZING! We had 5 dishes and we only managed to get a picture of one because we couldn’t wait to dive in. We found this gem on our last night in San Diego. Wish we would have found it earlier as we would have visited every day of our trip.

Started off with the M&M (Carlsbad mussels & marrow) for appetizers. The mussels are made to perfection and not too garlicy at all. For the marrow, it was beefy enough and gelatinous that it paired well with the egg and fried kale. Chef Luciano came out to check on our meal every step of the way and surprised us with a portion size of the truffle risotto to feed an army! Finished off the night with the chocolate Lava cake and it was choclatey, but light enough and not too sweet. Can't wait to come back and try everyhting else on the menu, especially the wellington!

I was expecting a decent experience at an upscale resturant, what we got was an unforgettable night with incredible people, food, and ambiance to celebrate a now even more so, memorable birthday. Luciano the owner and chef, greeted us at the door right before our reservation. Took a picture with my fiancé when I was attempting to film content 😅😂 He treated our first interaction as if he was welcoming us into his home, so we were already so amazed by his hospitality and charisma. Upon the rest of our party's arrival they moved us to the bar, so we could enjoy the live music next door and disco ball! They cleared a table for us so we could enjoy the jazz music and amazing food. Our server jessie, bartender che', and the musician rick harris were also such a joy. From Jessie being attentive, che making the absolute perfect espresso martini, and Rick singing Aretha Franklin and other jazz hits; and Luciano consistently asking us between each course how we enjoyed everything. The night was one to remember for sure! Considering we had just visited Italy in March, The red door made us feel like we were in middle of Milano again. I have nothing but positive things to say about this resturant and the people who curated our experience here! Do yourself a favor and experience this place for yourself, we'll definitely be back!

Where do I start? We loved our waiter, the appetizer, entrees and desserts. Beets, Beef Wellington, Lamb Shank, lava cake and banana cream pie. Enjoyed every bite. The portions we perfect and generous. We really appreciated the fact that the chef / owner took the time to come check in on his guest throughout our meal. We’ll definitely be back soon.

Delish! Enjoyed a business dinner at The Red Door. It was a cozy little restaurant; it would be a great date night. I enjoyed the special of crispy seabass over basil risotto. It was so tasty! The skin on the fish was perfectly crispy and the flesh was tender. My colleagues enjoyed their meals too. Service was outstanding. Would recommend!

We ate til our plates were clear without a problem. The service was on point throughout the night. Glad they were able to accommodate us through our reservation mix up. Ordered a couple the specials for the night and they did not disappoint. Excellent post holiday meal. We were glad we brought our own wine and the corkage fee was a reasonable $20. We will return when we are in town and want a nice meal in a casual higher end dining experience.

+3

Perfect customer service. Server, chef / owner and all staff were working hard and engaging. Truly this starts with efforts at the top. Very comfortable environment. Totally suited for customer interaction. Well done!!! Wine list is sufficient, with prices and tastes all across the board. Food and menu was good, but felt like Italian cuisine made for the American palate. Which is fine since that's where we are. Lucky to have black truffles offered with our risotto. But REALLY large dish, more than needed for two people. Lamb shank was good too. Good to see chocolate clams offered. Will be back, but made mistake not having house made pasta...as is my favorite.

+3

This is by far the best restaurant in San Diego and I was sad that we went in on the last day of our trip. Chef does occasional visits checking in on the diners. He is very friendly and adds to the experience. Wait staff is also very friendly and helpful. Most of the dishes here were recommended by them. This is one of the restaurants that takes real care and effort in making sure you have a great experience. They also carefully pace the meals unlike many many restaurants that bring everything together. After reading a bunch of reviews we were ordering banana cream pie. The server recommended her favorite "sticky toffee pudding" as well. I am glad we went with her suggestion. Photos are of lamb shank, lobster ravioli, banana cream pie and sticky toffee pudding (yes we loved sticky toffee pudding so much that we also ended up ordering banana cream pie).

WOW!!!! Greatest dining experience I have had in my 46 years of life. Food was amazing, the Wellington was very very good, and the Seafood fettuccine was so delicious and fresh. Our waiter, Jacob was amazing, the chef made our dining experience so personal. I was amazed and impressed with every aspect of my order. I would definitely suggest the Red Door to anyone looking for an amazing meal, amazing staff, wonderful environment, and top notch staff. Desert was out of this world as well. Wife and I plan on making this a very frequent destination.

Wow. Just. Wow. Came here without doing any research...and have to say this was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Brie appetizer - so savory and sweet. The bread was crisped to perfection on the outside but still dense on the inside. Beef Wellington - there just aren’t words. Every flavor so perfectly balanced. Incredibly tender meat. The gravy couldn’t be better. Toffee Cake dessert - This was the best thing I think I’ve ever tasted!!!!!!!!!! The chef/owner even came by and introduced himself. There was a saxophone player that played the whole time we were there. He made the ambience perfect. An excellent musician!

Went here for the first time with some friends. I’d definitely come back here and total respect for the Owner/Chef. He checked up on us on how the food was and we obviously gave good feedback since the quality of the food was amazing. The way he lit up and smiled, I saw that he is very passionate towards every meal he makes. The portion is perfect from Appetizers, to the Main course, and of course... DESSERTS! The Tiramisu is to die for! I can’t wait to go back soon!

Great experience. staff was awesome. Our waiter was so friendly and funny. Really matched the energy of the group. The gf pasta is amazing!!!! If you’re gf you must eat here! My group really loved the sea food pasta and said it’s an absolute must

Wow! This place is so cute. They have a separate bar area from the actual dining room. We are not in the restaurant, we are dining in the bar area. Small intimate 8 tables. Love the live music. Small bar, but Kevin is amazing! Come check it out in Mission Hills.

+1

I had been wanting to go to this restaurant for a while but for one reason or another we couldn't make before. Today, my husband and my 3 year old son were in the area and decided to make a reservation last minute. We got there probably about 30min earlier and they were so nice to greet us earlier. As soon as we were by the door you can feel the great energy from all the staff. They were incredibly attentive and presented many options for dinner since they knew that it was our first time. I'm not sure how busy it is during the weekends but going on a Wednesdays evening was a perfect choice for us since we had a little one with us. This is the kinda place you go for a birthday, a date night, celebrations with family, friends or just because you want an amazing dinner. The atmosphere is very tranquil and you almost feel like you are having dinner at home because how cozy and welcoming this place is. As an interior designer I have to say the restaurant itself is so unique, it is American farmhouse style with a very chic classic touch. Loved the little accents, and the vintage lamps create an elegant ambiance. The layout of the restaurant, again, feels very homely and flows naturally with a curved window that points at the main street, if you are lucky you might see the sunset from your seat. Moving on to the food, the magical piece of this place! We had steak and seared tuna with risotto. I rarely eat potatoes, specially with steak, but the potatoes were the star of this dish. The blanc sauvignon was crisp and fruity. Probably the best two dishes I had all over San Diego even though we always order steak and tuna in every other restaurant. There are some really amazing restaurants in SD but something always doesn't add up. At this place, everything was great, the staff is incredibly professional and the chef came to our table to ask us about the food, you can tell he truly cares about this restaurant and his customers. Also, I woukd like to add that we didn’t have dessert because we were so full, but now I have an excuse to go back. Thank you guys for making our night so pleasant.

From the appetizer to dessert everything was spectacular! Before we even tasted the food we knew this would be a place we'd go back to. Not only did the food sound amazing every bite was absolutely delicious! Perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked! There wasnt a single thing that we didn't love on our plates!

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at The Red Door! The pasta was incredible - we ordered the orecchiette and chef Luciano’s spaghetti and meatball special [both were AMAZING] - and the ambiance was pleasant and welcoming. We were celebrating both our 5th wedding anniversary and closing on our first home the day before, and Robin, our server, made our celebrations so special and warm. She was super kind, knowledgeable, and made us feel like family. We also appreciated seeing chef Luciano’s presence on the floor, who made it feel even more homely. We highly recommend and will definitely be back!

Silas Barker

I was immediately greeted by the owner at the door. He gave me his business card and sat me personally. We discussed different food options and I decided on the Chicken Parmesan. I will say it was the best Ive had. The owner and his staff were at my table every three minutes to make sure I was doing okay. If you're in the San Diego area. I highly recommend The Red Door. Exquisite experience

Jim Good

Ten of us from Georgia, Texas, Arkansas had just attended a Marine Corps Boot Camp graduation. The 2 young Marine graduates wanted a good Italian meal. We decided to give The Red Door a try as it is a very short drive from MCRD. For an appetizer we chose the Flatbread. We had a variety of choices, Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan, Seafood Pasta, Ravioli among other things. Everything was delicious & prepared perfectly. Our wonderful server was Robin. She was very polite, professional & just a Sweetie. Definitely a 5 Star dining experience!

Jen Ryman

Beef Wellington was amazing, my pasta with sausage was divine! Our server did a great job explaining wines. Highly recommend!!!

Diana Tobey

Great service and atmosphere. Owner came out to say hello and shake our hands. Food was delicious as well. Went on a weekday after a conference, and really enjoyed the specials (lobster ravioli and prosciutto flatbread) as well as the squid ink pasta (huge portion). Only thing I’d change is swapping out the dessert, I found the tiramisu to be quite dense. Overall a fantastic find, would be great for date night. Apparently they also serve food next door Thu - Sun with live music so will check that out too.

Tyler Yezerski

Can’t say enough good things about this restaurant. I try to go here once every few months and every time I do I regret waiting so long. Romantic but not over the top, well priced, probably the best Italian food in all of San Diego. No other restaurant can compete with the level of care, attention, or passion of the chef Luciano who’s is as friendly as he is skilled.

Callie Keylor

The best Italian food I’ve had in San Diego! great atmosphere, friendly chef and waiters, and DELICIOUS food with new specials.

Dan Olsen

Simply amazing. The food, staff, atmosphere all top notch. Even a table side magic trick to end the night. It’s not often that you hug the server and bartender on the way out. But that’s the kind of place this is.

Rafael T

I went to The Red Door in Mission Hills about two weeks ago with my uncle Ramón. I ordered the Wellington steak and a banana cream pie, and everything was absolutely delicious! The service was great and the staff was super friendly. The Wellington steak was exactly what I was recommended — perfectly cooked and full of flavor. Definitely worth the visit!

Enrique Ramirez

The food was great, the ambience was good with live music, and the service great. The chef comes to all tables which is a nice touch. I definitely will be coming back. This area (Mission Hills) is chill and there's plenty of street parking and the neighborhood is nice and quiet. Not as busy as Hillcrest or North Park. Saw some guys fighting at North Park outside bar.. you won't get that at Mission Hills...

Jennifer Gomez (Jennifer Gome)

Let me tell you yes you have to come here! This place is worth it and trust me when I tell you that I am picky and understand that if I am paying for food and is higher in price I expect it to taste amazing! Which it did my friend and I ordered the chefs special. Which was recommended and we were even told about how we could split it since it was a lot of food. The waiter was great he was sweet and attentive. The chef came out and greeted everyone such a 5 star experience. The chef cares and wants you to have a great experience we will be back!!

Brooke Taylor

Popped into this little gem at 6 on a Saturday night with no reservation and they were fully booked but the sweet staff were able to accommodate us at a high top looking out the window which was perfect. The bartender covered our table and was super attentive the entire meal which was absolutely delicious. Fresh pasta cooked perfectly. The seafood pasta had a ton of mussels and clams and the chicken parm was divine. I will definitely visit this spot again next time I’m in town!

Sabrina

Great meal! We shared the brussels sprouts with bacon and the beet and burrata salad as starters. Both were great, and the brussels sprouts were perfectly crispy. For our main courses, we got the catch of the day, which was a Seabass, and the beef Wellington. Both were cooked perfectly and the sauce on the fish was fantastic. The portions were also pretty big and comparison to many upscale places. It was also our anniversary and they brought us out some complementary chocolates with whipped cream, which was such a nice gesture.

+1

Erin Mills

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! Where do I even begin?! Jacob (I hope I got his name right!) was our server and did an outstanding job. We had the following dishes, which were all DELECTABLE: the arugula salad, the seafood fettuccini, lobster ravioli, fresh sea bass over basil risotto, and the free range chicken. The portions were HUGE and the food was served hot and seasoned to perfection. Truly one of the best meals I’ve had EVER; I’m so glad I chose this for my birthday dinner. For dessert we had the banana cream pie and the chocolate lava cake. We were also treated to the truffles (melted like BUTTER), the amazing vanilla gelato and the toffee bread. I can’t say enough about this dining experience other than everything was top notch! This will be a MUST on our return visits to San Diego!

Josh Lightcap

Amazing food, live music, and exceptional service. If you're like me and you've experienced poor service in the past you understand just how valuable it is to receive outstanding service. Our server was new, TJ, but he was so warm and genuine and knowledgeable. The chef even came out to chat with us once our food arrived! This felt like we were in a small town in Europe or Milan even by the atmosphere. Food was also amazing and my wife had Beef Wellington for the first and not last time. Will be back here next week!

Levi Renninger

What an experience this was! The food was phenomenal, you could tell the heart and soul the owner put in to each authentic dish. He had specials for the night that were made from scratch this morning and the ravioli is made fresh with a different type of center each day. We had heard about the owners kindness from a friend of ours but didn’t expect to experience it ourselves, he took the time to welcome us and check in after our meals and you could see his love for this restaurant and pride in it shine through. We had mostly ravioli (3 out of the 4 of us) and I had the orecchiette which was rich and savory. The meal portion sizes were perfect for a meal leaving just enough room for an appetizer and dessert! We will be back very soon.

Katie O'Neil

We came here to celebrate our anniversary since it's always been a place we've wanted to try and were surprised how small it is but we're so glad we went! We were tempted to leave when it took a while to get our bottle of wine but the rest of the night went quickly and we're so glad we stayed! Since it is a small space it did get loud but we had a lovely seat by the window and were still able to enjoy each other's company. The food was absolutely delicious from my first beef Wellington to the airy kale and when the waiter knew we were celebrating our anniversary he added complimentary truffles to our dessert which was amazing and greatly appreciated! This may have been the best meal I've ever had and it was really cool that the chef came out regularly to meet his customers and provide business cards. We'll definitely be going back in the coming years for more celebrations!

Miguel Murillo

The food, the staff, and the ambiance were remarkable. I can't wait to bring my friend to taste the amazing food. We had veal meatballs, meat mac & cheese. Our mains were the Pork Belly with risotto and Beef Wellington with mixed vegetables.

+3

Joey Taylor

Amazing, flavorful, delicious food!! Service is always friendly and welcoming! A true jem in San Diego (especially If you love beef Wellington). Halibut w/ Pesto basil risotto was out of this world! Their fried kale is better then any potato chips or fries we have ever had!!

+2

My wife and I went here specifically to try a beef wellington. They are featured on the menu and we were looking forward to it. We arrived at 6:30 and had a reservation so we sat right away. We started our meal with the mussels and were blown away! Delicious flavor, great cook, and honestly I was ready to drink the sauce. Absolutely recommend the mussels! Our beef wellingtons arrived in a reasonable amount of time, and the vegetables served with were also delicious. But then the main event, the beef wellington itself, was a let down. Lacking seasoning (salt) and not really the best cook but within what they said (it was medium, but trending toward med-well, which isn't ideal on a tenderloin cut) the puff pastry had no flavor and was maybe not all the way cooked. My wife's definitely had raw dough on the thicker parts of the pastry, like the edges where it was folded, but I ate all mine and didn't notice raw dough, but the flavor wasn't very pleasant. Overall I liked the experience and may go back, but probably won't get the beef wellington as the quality definitely did not match the price tag. The waiter we had was great, and his mussel recommendation saved the evening for my wife and I!

Delicious food and wonderful service. The owner/chef came to our table to greet us and then asked how our food was.

+2

I went to The Red Door during a business trip per the recommendation of a colleague. It certainly didn’t disappoint! The atmosphere is pleasant, albeit a bit unremarkable compared to other places. However, don’t let this deter you from enjoying a delicious meal. The service is good with great recommendations from the server, the food was served hot and ready to eat. I had the short ribs on a bed of brussel sprouts. The meat was cooked perfectly and the sprouts were really tasty. My buddy had the lobster ravioli and he enjoyed it, but (in his words) he’s had tastier. I did enjoy The Red Door and I would recommend to anyone looking for a good Italian meal in San Diego.

Beautiful restaurant! The Chicken Parmigian was amazing, and the chef asked every guest how their food was. The entertainment was Elliott Lawrence, an incredible jazz guitarist. A wonderful night out!

Cute place with multi room seating -the bar area, outside covered, and the main restaurant. Bar area hosts live music with mood lighting, both low and high tables with a few 1/2 booth 1/2 chair tables, The bar had a good selection and they have their own specialty drinks as well. We just popped in on the fly without a reservation and were still able to be seated immediately. Staff were all very friendly, wearing sincere smiles and geared to provide the best service. Our waitress Nova was welcoming, knowledgeable of specials and drinks, good with recommendations, attentive with drink service, warm, chipper, and helpful. We tried the Chicken Parm -which was a very large helping on a platter type plate, juicy chicken wrapped with a perfectly crisp breading smothered in a robust marinara sauce topped with mozzarella and fresh parsley, accompanied by a side of spaghetti- and the Eggplant Parm -which was a reasonable sized portion, fresh eggplant very lightly breaded and swimming in a fresh marinara sauce with chunks of tomatoes, and topped with mozzarella and parsley. The live music was good, keyboardist playing song we all know, giving his own little flares to them here and there.

A nice little restaurant that was packed on a Monday. The Brussels to start were good, but could have used a little sauce of some type of maybe some balsamic? Just felt like there was something missing. The beef Wellington was excellent and cooked perfectly. The puff pastry was flaky and held together while cutting through the beef. The wine selection had several options by the glass to ensure you could find something to suit your needs without buying a bottle. The only downfall was how hot the restaurant was. Sweating while eating is not a good feeling, only reason it's 4 rather than 5 stars.

Carol B

Positives and Negatives things to say.Great service and delicious cocktails. The pappardelle was the best I’ve ever had, and the flatbread was really good too. However, the calamari was a disaster, soggy, chewy, the tiniest portion I have ever seen, and overpriced. ( the kale was good, but I didn’t ask for a kale appetizer). I’d return for the pasta and drinks but would never order the calamari again. They should remove it from the menu and spare the costumers this horrible calamari experience.

Although the service is great, the restaurant needs some improvement. The ambiance was alright. The seat was a bit comfortable and small. There's barely any AC so I was sweating inside. The food was OK except the veggies. as you can see some of them are burned. Beef wellington was alright. A bit pricey considering the quality of the food. Would not come back.

Jelly Jam

First time here for an evening dinner. The reviews and photos looked amazing. However, the appearances were a bit deceiving to the flavor for the steak filet and the beef wellington with veggies. The best food here is the macaroni and cheese with sausage and bacon, it tasted very rich, creamy, and very flavorful for the sausages and bacon. I would highly reccomend this. I also highly reccomend the ginger beer(non-alcoholic) it was very crisp and refreshing, great pairing to any dish. The beef wellington was cooked well to medium rare, but it lacked flavor, the crust did have good flavor because it absorbed the butter. The veggies were too buttery tasting and couldn't taste the veggies flavor profile, the sauce around the steak had a lot of mushrooms but didn't add any more character. The filet with the gruyere risotto was very strong tasting but the filet lacked any flavor, had the same mushroom sauce as the beef wellington. The filet was supposed to be cooked to medium rare, but it was more rare and very red. It was very difficult to cut through with a knife and extremely chewy, it was hard to eat and enjoy. It felt like I was fighting my food. I told my server about it but nothing was done and didn't want to waste a 10 oz steak, so I ate most of it. The dessert was complimentary, chocolate truffles it was the best dessert ever. Overall, spent $166 for all of this. I would say this place is perfect for drinks, dessert, and an appetizer, but not for the entrees. After eating from this location, I got food poisoning, heading straight to the bathroom because the steak was too rare and not medium rare, being very chewy and very red. It hurt my stomach a lot. I would come back for everything else except for the steaks.

Very disappointing. We went for my husband's birthday and they don't offer anything special. We went especially for their eggplant parmesan- we heard it was good, but it was not for us- it has egg and flour, and it's fried like we like, but then it's layered with a lot of sauce which makes it soggy- apparently it's supposed to be like that- but why would you fry something crisp just to cover it with a soupy sauce? And it doesn't come with pasta, you have to pay extra for that. The veggie salad we got was good- it really shouldn't be in the salad section- because it is hot and it doesn't have anything like a salad. We didn't get any drinks or dessert, and our bill was still over a hundred dollars, which is pretty pricey when you're just getting vegetables and one side order of spaghetti. And of course, they don't bring any bread. If you're gonna get a $30 dish, it really should come with soup or salad and bread. You are paying for the cute neighborhood and the cute restaurant, and the attentive staff.

Beef wellington was well done with a burnt crust. Seafood fettuccine was mediocre at best, with scallops and calamari that were so overcooked that they were inedible. To add insult to injury, when the owner came to our table to ask how everything was he admitted that chef overcooked food but offered nothing as compensation. The upside for us is that we’re from the East Coast so never have to patronize this place again!

Tried the recommended dishes from beef, risotto, Burrata, steak etc. I unfortunately have to say that none of the dishes spoke to me. While they were incredibly expensive ($120 for a 22oz steak) the taste were quite disappointing. The only thing that was better was the calamari for appetizer and their risotto. Anything else I’d skip. We paid $100 per person and I left quite disappointed. I wouldn’t come back or recommend this place

We came to this restaurant to celebrate our daughter’s graduation, drawn in by the 4.6-star rating. Unfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations. The food was average and quite salty, and the service lacked attention to detail — we even had to adjust an added table ourselves just to accommodate our meal. For a place that’s on the pricier side, we expected much better quality and service, especially for such a special occasion. It was a disappointing way to mark an important milestone.

I was with my two friends when I came to this restaurant to use the restroom. I was recently diagnosed with interstitial cystitis and sometimes need to use the restroom urgently but there were no public restrooms nearby. When I walked in to use the restroom, my friends waited outside and one of the staff members approached my friends while I was using the restroom. She raised her voice, and spoke to them very aggressively about me using the restroom. She caused a scene and rushed us out so I couldn’t explain my medical condition. One of my friends was considering eating there, but after being treated this way, there is no way we’d come back here. I was honestly surprised and embarrassed that this had happened considering I’ve been to this restaurant before and had a great experience.