Ulivo

An absolute treasure! Although it leans towards the expensive side, the value delivered makes it worthwhile. They serve scrumptious homemade food accompanied by excellent service. We ordered the creamy spinach ravioli and a steak special with risotto. Their garlic bread, bursting with flavor, deserves a mention too. A special acknowledgment to Jackie for her outstanding service. Note that they have limited parking at the back.

Finally tried this place after walking by for a few years! The food was great and we got sat right away on a Friday night. Our server also sent us home with extra breadsticks which was a fun little surprise. We’ll definitely be back!

We had a wonderful feast here, where we ordered all of the specials of the day and ate them family-style along with a number of appetizers. The food was excellent, and our server Robert went above and beyond. It was the highlight of our trip!

Lovely ambience and romantic setting! We ordered the cream of mushroom soup, veggie pizza, and caprese. It was SO filling we couldn’t finish it all. Great service. Loved the bottle glass water. Great spot in the area!

Cutest little hole in the wall. Absolutely amazing food! I tried the seafood pasta special and the chicken noodle soup of the day. The special had clams, shrimps, scallops and crab meat. Everything was soooo amazing! Definitely recommend!!!

We felt at home on our first visit, which won't be our last. Dishes were perfect, made to order, delicious.

The food was amazing. Service was slow, but the waitress was doing her best. They should hire more staff.

Great little Italian Restaurant with a nice vibe. Food was excellent! Service was friendly. We will definitely visit again next time we are in Ocean Beach👍

Very delicious Italian food, veriety menu for food and wine. Staff are very nice and the restaurant is very clean and well organized! Highly recommend it.

+1

Big fan! Ambiance feels a bit fancy. They have 4 patio tables outside and maybe 10-12 tables inside. We walked in around 8pm on a Friday night, no reservation. We had the fresh gnocchi with pink sauce and it was REALLY good, great tasty base with a touch of spice. They also give you free homemade garlic breadsticks!!! Good service, would definitely go back. Gnocchi was about $18. We didn’t get drinks.

Ulivo is a fantastic elegant and cozy restaurant. The food is beautifully prepared, and incredibly tasty. The wine compliments the food nicely. The staff are always friendly and helpful. The pace is perfect, never rushed.

Discovered this restaurant when I got lasagna to go from the Olive Tree Market next door. The lasagna was delicious, and when we went back to get more, we found out it's made at Ulivo. So we had to try it out. So lovely, cozy and friendly! I had to get the lasagna, and it was even better fresh! We had a wonderful time.

It is my first time in San Diego and I’m very impressed with how tasty the food is here. The garlic knots were amazing, the risotto special - OMG out of this world.. the linguini and clams were so good. Great service at this place.

Fantastic pizza crust made daily on site. All entrees and appetizers were amazing. Highly recommend!

Robert is the best! Mignon melts in ur mouth. Pasta is lots of it and plenty good. Soup was good, chicken something.

A truly authentic Italian restaurant that delivers on every level. The warm garlic bread at the start was the perfect opener, golden and crispy on the outside, soft inside, full of flavor. The bruschetta was fresh, vibrant, and beautifully presented. Juicy tomatoes, creamy cheese, and a light drizzle of balsamic that tied everything together perfectly. The clams were a real highlight. Very fresh, served in a rich, savory tomato sauce, with toasted bread on the side that was ideal for soaking up every last bit. Exactly how it should be. The lasagna was outstanding. Rich, juicy, with a deep tomato flavor and perfectly melted cheese. You can taste the quality of the ingredients and the care that goes into the cooking. The steak was cooked spot on, tender and juicy, paired with fragrant rice and fresh vegetables. Simple, well executed, and high quality. On top of all that, the service was extremely attentive, friendly, and genuinely welcoming without being intrusive. You feel comfortable and well taken care of from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone looking for real Italian food done right. We will definitely be back.

The restaurant has a parking lot that they share with Olive Tree Market that is free. Robert was our server and he was great. We started with a shared Misto salad and a warm basket of garlic knot bread. We enjoyed 3 delicious dishes: the special -filet mignon with mushroom sauce, braised short ribs, and sea bass. The soup special was a Tuscan soup with Italian sausage, spinach and veggies served with cheesy bread. The soup was so good, it should be a permanent item.

We had a great Italian dinner at Ulivo in Ocean Beach! Beautiful, quaint restaurant with a great vibe with indoor and patio seating. We started with the prosciutto stuffed mushrooms and had the sea bass piccata and linguine alla vongole for entrees. Everything tasted great. Nice wine list, we enjoyed the Chardonnay. Excellent service, very friendly and accommodating. Recommend!

This place was incredible - cute patio space, great wine list and the food was unforgettable. We tried the gnocchi with pesto sauce and spaghetti & meatballs and we will definitely go back to try more. Desi was a perfect server - very helpful & kind. 10/10

What a wonderful surprise and absolutely delicious meals. My wife and I enjoyed a local Saturday night dinner date together at a restaurant we have not tried before and what a fantastic dining experience it was. Ulivo’s menu is authentic Italian with wonderful Mediterranean seafood options; the special of the day was a seafood pasta that was nothing short of extraordinarily delicious. My wife Brennen chose the seafood pasta special with the white wine sauce and the dish arrived with a generous assortment of shellfish served over a very light linguini pasta. Super fresh and delicious. Our Server, Robert, who was delightfully informative of the specials, also shared one of his favorite adaptions of my favorite meal, Pollo Parmigiana. His favorite and now mine, this “must ask for” version of Pollo Parmigiana was served with tender lightly breaded pieces of chicken over a bed of creamy Fettucine Alfredo. The fresh mozzarella melted over top the chicken dressed with a very light marina sauce, is as traditional as it gets. The blend of the white and red sauces was perfect. This wonderful meal came with an assortment of fresh vegetables slices, zucchini, peppers, and broccoli. It was so surprisingly delicious I had to stop in the middle of the meal and take this photo to share. We chose to share a desert, which was outstanding, but you be the judge. I do recommend you save some room to try the bread pudding or a cannoli. An almost perfect meal. My only regret is that we did not try this best kept secret restaurant sooner. Thank you for a very enjoyable evening, we’ll be back soon.

Very good ambience to have dinner with friends, family or coworkers. We ordered filet Mignon with risotto and baked eggplant siciliana. Both dishes tasted great. We would definitely consider visiting again when we are in the area again.

Had a great time. Robert, our server, was excellent and the food was delicious. Generous portion sizes and good value for what we got. I had the seafood pasta and my friend got the fish of the day - sea bass. The bread was incredible

An absolute gem! Pricey but worth it. Delicious home made food, excellent service. We had creamy spinach ravioli and a steak special with risotto. Their garlic bread is full of flavor too. Shout-out to Jackie for amazing service. Limited parking is in the back.

A late evening "blessing in disguise!" We came across this small Italian Eatery just by chance and thought we'd give it a try! Happy we did! Outstanding presentation 👏 from the street view made it enticing! Decor is impressive, food 🍕 taste was excellent along with the selection of wines 🍷, and can't say enough great things about the service! What a discussed little "diamond in the rough" as the restaurant filled up quickly as people waited! We'd be regulars if we could! 😉

Ulivo is one of my favorite neighborhood gems. Cozy, intimate atmosphere with that chill OB vibe. Service from Kali was warm, attentive and welcoming. She offered to pour me a sample of the Falanghina, but I already knew I’d like it. I wanted something “light and bright” and Kali recommended the Scaloppine di Pollo Piccata. It was light, juicy and, happily for me, very lightly breaded, and came with delicious broccolini, carrots and zucchini and capellini. I prefer mine with no capers — no problem! Honestly, one of the best chicken piccatas I have ever had! Perfect Summer sunset dinner. Thank you, Kali and Ulivo!

This little Italian restaurant was fantastic. Good food and even better service. I got a good selection of food. Starters were clams, bruschetta ,and stuffed mushrooms. I also got a caprese salad. All were good choices. My lobster ravioli was great. The pear pizza was interesting but was still really good. If you are in the OB area and like Italian this little place is a possible choice to try.

We had dinner at this restaurant tonight with a good overall experience. The Cavatelli di Ricotta was a standout dish with the perfectly cooked pasta and well-balanced sauce. The Garlic Knots and Chocolate Lava Cake were on point as well. Staff was able to accommodate our party of 2 without a reservation, which was nice. We will return next time we are in town.

Found this Italian restaurant after the long walk around Sunset Cliffs. We walk in without reservation but the waitress politely get us a small table which is just enough for 2 of us. Braided bread stick was served in basket before meal. Nice garlic fragrance. Soup of the day is something similar to minestrone. Warm our tummy right after our walk under the cold breeze. Ordered Clam Bordelaise. Very fresh & big clams. Some are as big as my wife’s fist. Fresh from the sea alongside with taste of wine. Ordered Colossuem Pizza 🍕. Topped with Italian sausages and pepperoni. Finger licking good 👍🏻 Total USD45 + USD10 for tips. Worth every single cent. Recommended 👍🏻

Andre Kamps

A truly authentic Italian restaurant that delivers on every level. The warm garlic bread at the start was the perfect opener, golden and crispy on the outside, soft inside, full of flavor. The bruschetta was fresh, vibrant, and beautifully presented. Juicy tomatoes, creamy cheese, and a light drizzle of balsamic that tied everything together perfectly. The clams were a real highlight. Very fresh, served in a rich, savory tomato sauce, with toasted bread on the side that was ideal for soaking up every last bit. Exactly how it should be. The lasagna was outstanding. Rich, juicy, with a deep tomato flavor and perfectly melted cheese. You can taste the quality of the ingredients and the care that goes into the cooking. The steak was cooked spot on, tender and juicy, paired with fragrant rice and fresh vegetables. Simple, well executed, and high quality. On top of all that, the service was extremely attentive, friendly, and genuinely welcoming without being intrusive. You feel comfortable and well taken care of from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone looking for real Italian food done right. We will definitely be back.

L A-G

The restaurant has a parking lot that they share with Olive Tree Market that is free. Robert was our server and he was great. We started with a shared Misto salad and a warm basket of garlic knot bread. We enjoyed 3 delicious dishes: the special -filet mignon with mushroom sauce, braised short ribs, and sea bass. The soup special was a Tuscan soup with Italian sausage, spinach and veggies served with cheesy bread. The soup was so good, it should be a permanent item.

Wandering in Paradise

We had a great Italian dinner at Ulivo in Ocean Beach! Beautiful, quaint restaurant with a great vibe with indoor and patio seating. We started with the prosciutto stuffed mushrooms and had the sea bass piccata and linguine alla vongole for entrees. Everything tasted great. Nice wine list, we enjoyed the Chardonnay. Excellent service, very friendly and accommodating. Recommend!

Zac Bristol

This place was incredible - cute patio space, great wine list and the food was unforgettable. We tried the gnocchi with pesto sauce and spaghetti & meatballs and we will definitely go back to try more. Desi was a perfect server - very helpful & kind. 10/10

nafeesa F (Naf)

Very good ambience to have dinner with friends, family or coworkers. We ordered filet Mignon with risotto and baked eggplant siciliana. Both dishes tasted great. We would definitely consider visiting again when we are in the area again.

Jim Nicoletti

What a wonderful surprise and absolutely delicious meals. My wife and I enjoyed a local Saturday night dinner date together at a restaurant we have not tried before and what a fantastic dining experience it was. Ulivo’s menu is authentic Italian with wonderful Mediterranean seafood options; the special of the day was a seafood pasta that was nothing short of extraordinarily delicious. My wife Brennen chose the seafood pasta special with the white wine sauce and the dish arrived with a generous assortment of shellfish served over a very light linguini pasta. Super fresh and delicious. Our Server, Robert, who was delightfully informative of the specials, also shared one of his favorite adaptions of my favorite meal, Pollo Parmigiana. His favorite and now mine, this “must ask for” version of Pollo Parmigiana was served with tender lightly breaded pieces of chicken over a bed of creamy Fettucine Alfredo. The fresh mozzarella melted over top the chicken dressed with a very light marina sauce, is as traditional as it gets. The blend of the white and red sauces was perfect. This wonderful meal came with an assortment of fresh vegetables slices, zucchini, peppers, and broccoli. It was so surprisingly delicious I had to stop in the middle of the meal and take this photo to share. We chose to share a desert, which was outstanding, but you be the judge. I do recommend you save some room to try the bread pudding or a cannoli. An almost perfect meal. My only regret is that we did not try this best kept secret restaurant sooner. Thank you for a very enjoyable evening, we’ll be back soon.

Biz Felker

Had a great time. Robert, our server, was excellent and the food was delicious. Generous portion sizes and good value for what we got. I had the seafood pasta and my friend got the fish of the day - sea bass. The bread was incredible

JitkaKac

An absolute gem! Pricey but worth it. Delicious home made food, excellent service. We had creamy spinach ravioli and a steak special with risotto. Their garlic bread is full of flavor too. Shout-out to Jackie for amazing service. Limited parking is in the back.

Adam

We had dinner at this restaurant tonight with a good overall experience. The Cavatelli di Ricotta was a standout dish with the perfectly cooked pasta and well-balanced sauce. The Garlic Knots and Chocolate Lava Cake were on point as well. Staff was able to accommodate our party of 2 without a reservation, which was nice. We will return next time we are in town.

Michaela Peters

Finally tried this place after walking by for a few years! The food was great and we got sat right away on a Friday night. Our server also sent us home with extra breadsticks which was a fun little surprise. We’ll definitely be back!

RedBullKC

A late evening "blessing in disguise!" We came across this small Italian Eatery just by chance and thought we'd give it a try! Happy we did! Outstanding presentation 👏 from the street view made it enticing! Decor is impressive, food 🍕 taste was excellent along with the selection of wines 🍷, and can't say enough great things about the service! What a discussed little "diamond in the rough" as the restaurant filled up quickly as people waited! We'd be regulars if we could! 😉

Marianna Kat

Ulivo is one of my favorite neighborhood gems. Cozy, intimate atmosphere with that chill OB vibe. Service from Kali was warm, attentive and welcoming. She offered to pour me a sample of the Falanghina, but I already knew I’d like it. I wanted something “light and bright” and Kali recommended the Scaloppine di Pollo Piccata. It was light, juicy and, happily for me, very lightly breaded, and came with delicious broccolini, carrots and zucchini and capellini. I prefer mine with no capers — no problem! Honestly, one of the best chicken piccatas I have ever had! Perfect Summer sunset dinner. Thank you, Kali and Ulivo!

robert

This little Italian restaurant was fantastic. Good food and even better service. I got a good selection of food. Starters were clams, bruschetta ,and stuffed mushrooms. I also got a caprese salad. All were good choices. My lobster ravioli was great. The pear pizza was interesting but was still really good. If you are in the OB area and like Italian this little place is a possible choice to try.

We had an amazing dinner at this special place. I had the filet mignon special and my husband had the spinach ravioli. Both were fantastic. My steak was the best I've had in many years! We had dinner in a Michelin star restaurant recently and that steak was every bit as good.

Very nice little restaurant. Not a lot of tables but they seated us right away and we had a party of six. We visited on a Saturday night. The food was great. I had lasagna and it was probably the best lasagna I've ever had. Parking could be a problem, we got lucky and found a place right out front on the street

Jerry Holzinger

Very nice little restaurant. Not a lot of tables but they seated us right away and we had a party of six. We visited on a Saturday night. The food was great. I had lasagna and it was probably the best lasagna I've ever had. Parking could be a problem, we got lucky and found a place right out front on the street

Sam McQue

We had a wonderful feast here, where we ordered all of the specials of the day and ate them family-style along with a number of appetizers. The food was excellent, and our server Robert went above and beyond. It was the highlight of our trip!

Great food and really chill spot. Totally recommend this place for anyone wanting traditional Italian dishes!

First time customer. Service was friendly and very helpful. The food was delicious. There was gluten free option's. The gluten free pasta was delicious. The sauce was delicious. The ravioli was incredible delicious and creamy. Perfect combination 👌

+2

Deeeeee'licois! I know, I know, I say deeeeee'licois, but only gave 4 stars; so what gives? Everything was out-freaking-standing, (food, service, atmosphere) but, I can't come out of the gate awarding all five stars, right? Doing that gives no incentive to improve, no matter how yummy the staff was; I mean the food was; deeeeee'licois!

Lovely small neighborhood restaurant with a varied menu. Seevice is a bit slow so be prepared for leisurely pacing. Pricing is readonable and portion size is generous, particularly for salads and clam starter. Parking is a major pain though so leave 15 min to circle the neighvorhood before you give up and use the paid lot where the Rite Aid used to be 2 blks north of the restaurant. Plenty of gluten free and vegetarian choices as well as beef and seafood.

Found a cute Italian pasta spot in ocean beach San Diego. Lots of pasta and pizza options, we had the capellini pasta and the ricotta spinach ravioli, both were very delicious. We also had the caprese salad, very fresh, just needed a bit more olive oil and maybe a little salt. Highly recommend the bread pudding, it's made in house and is super soft and really creamy and sweet with raisins and cinnamon. Service was good, the inside seating feels a bit cramped as it's a pretty small space and the parking in back is pretty tight (although free). Overall though we enjoyed the food and would come back.

It was a pretty decent restaurant. I wouldn't say it was the most amazing food I've ever had but it was a nice spot for a last minute dinner when we couldn't decide where to go. It was a Friday night and they were busy but we were able to be seated pretty quickly. We both got a special they were offering. I got the seafood pasta which was good and my fiance got the filet mignon and risotto. His filet mignon was perfectly cooked but I'm not sure if the person making the risotto has ever had it before.... it was definitely just like a white rice. Not much flavor and not really coated in any sauce. Still would recommend. Cute little place with good ambiance.

Recently I tried this restaurant. 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.

Nikki Levy

Lovely small neighborhood restaurant with a varied menu. Seevice is a bit slow so be prepared for leisurely pacing. Pricing is readonable and portion size is generous, particularly for salads and clam starter. Parking is a major pain though so leave 15 min to circle the neighvorhood before you give up and use the paid lot where the Rite Aid used to be 2 blks north of the restaurant. Plenty of gluten free and vegetarian choices as well as beef and seafood.

Bonnie Ye

Recently I tried this restaurant. 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.

Hannah K

Found a cute Italian pasta spot in ocean beach San Diego. Lots of pasta and pizza options, we had the capellini pasta and the ricotta spinach ravioli, both were very delicious. We also had the caprese salad, very fresh, just needed a bit more olive oil and maybe a little salt. Highly recommend the bread pudding, it's made in house and is super soft and really creamy and sweet with raisins and cinnamon. Service was good, the inside seating feels a bit cramped as it's a pretty small space and the parking in back is pretty tight (although free). Overall though we enjoyed the food and would come back.

Kara Van Tassel

It was a pretty decent restaurant. I wouldn't say it was the most amazing food I've ever had but it was a nice spot for a last minute dinner when we couldn't decide where to go. It was a Friday night and they were busy but we were able to be seated pretty quickly. We both got a special they were offering. I got the seafood pasta which was good and my fiance got the filet mignon and risotto. His filet mignon was perfectly cooked but I'm not sure if the person making the risotto has ever had it before.... it was definitely just like a white rice. Not much flavor and not really coated in any sauce. Still would recommend. Cute little place with good ambiance.

In town, was looking for a soup and salad for the evening and came across this place. Mark was very kind and welcoming as we arrived; Robert wasn’t as welcoming yet it was clear how busy they are/were and the amount of tables they had at hand to serve (it was only the two of them on the floor and the restaurant had a wait). The garlic bread, for the table, was the best part of the meal other than seeing how busy the restaurant was— which was beautiful and that, alone, speaks for itself. I personally wouldn’t come back.

Feels like a local Italian spot run by some locals but the way it's being run needs some love. The service is pretty slow. The seat I was sitting on had tape on it to fix a hole in the fabric that left a black mark all over the back of my pants. The food was okay, like a 4.4 out of 10. The presentation wasn't bad but just overall I would not recommend this place.

Nathan Goobie

Feels like a local Italian spot run by some locals but the way it's being run needs some love. The service is pretty slow. The seat I was sitting on had tape on it to fix a hole in the fabric that left a black mark all over the back of my pants. The food was okay, like a 4.4 out of 10. The presentation wasn't bad but just overall I would not recommend this place.

Ulivo had great reviews. We made a reservation. Arrived the ambiance was nice. It was overly warm. Most of the tables were occupied. Ordered wine and an appetizer and water. The appetizer was very salty and we were unable to finish it and drank all the water provided. We ordered more wine, a beer, and more water. The wine and beer (can) were delayed because there were no clean wine glasses Our entrees took ~20 minutes to come out. We set the entrees on the table the server spilled the sauce from one of the entrees onto 2 of us, into our wine and all over the table. He commented about the fullness of the dish and the extra goodness the kitchen had put into it, but did not clean what he spilled or even over extra napkins, so that we could clean ourselves and the table. As for the entrees none of us finished them as they were also overly salty and not balanced, very acidic. The eggplant was very thin and heavily breaded. The vegetables were slightly warm, but not cooked. We sat for most if meal with empty water glasses as our server barely paid any attention to his tables. This was possibly the worst combination of poor service and displeasing food that we have ever experienced.