Salim Ali Khan

From the moment we arrived, this experience felt special. Milan gave us a warm welcome and checked us in smoothly, and we were seated comfortably in the patio area where the vibe was absolutely on point, cozy, lively, and effortlessly charming. Tommy took great care of us at the start of the meal. He patiently answered our questions, walked us through the menu, and helped us make thoughtful selections. Speaking of the menu, even that deserves praise. The artwork and presentation behind both the food and dessert menus felt classy and intentional, and that attention to detail extended to everything: the serving dishes, the water pitcher, the tableware, elegance written all over it. We started with the Polpo Croccante and the Nuova Cesarina Salad. The salad was outstanding, incredibly fresh ingredients that truly made it shine. The octopus was cooked to perfection with no aftertaste at all, which speaks volumes about both quality and technique. For mains, we ordered the Tartufona, Super Cioppino, and Pomodoro Fresco. Every single dish was a hit. Fresh ingredients, perfectly balanced seasoning, and flavors that felt both authentic and thoughtfully crafted. Adrianna then took over and guided us through dessert, and she did a fantastic job. We went with a couple of affogatos (without the cookie) and cannoli. The presentation was beautiful, and the taste absolutely delivered, refined, indulgent, and memorable. Amazing hosts, a beautiful location, incredible ambiance, and truly exceptional food. Cesarina easily earns a spot at the very top of our list for Italian cuisine anywhere so far. We’ll absolutely be back.

+17

Jason Laughead

Alec was great. We got the lasagna, meatballs, pappardelli with fungi sauce, and ofcourse the tiramisu. All was great, meatballs were okay but we reserved our next venture here already. Came back a second time, just add Great d the first time. Love this place.

Ying Han

Delicious Italian food! I normally don’t love Italian food. But this place is great! The red wine that I chose was also outstanding. You would need a reservation.

+2

Michael Salazar

Exquisite experience! Vibe check 💯 with impeccable service and scrumptious food! Highly recommend the Octopus to start, Scampi for your main, and table-side tiramisu to wrap it up. Definitely a place to celebrate, have a fun date to impress, or to just catch up on some much needed pasta! A must try if staying in San Diego!

Massa Rifai

WOW. I want to move to SanDiego just so I can come here more often…. Food is EXCELLENT we had the vodka a la scampi and a special of the day of ravioli… all food was amazing! The table side tiramisu is really good and they have really good tea setup which I appreciate! The staff were amazing and the service was on point. Also… reserve a table in the patio- it is beautiful…. Highly recommend this place!!

+4

prezelonline

Environment⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beautifully decorated, very charming. Loved the rooster-shaped pitcher. Food ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Paccheri Vodka & Scampi was excellent. Very creamy and fresh, with a subtle kick of spice. The sauce is rich but not heavy, and the seafood stays delicate and sweet. Tiramisu — made fresh tableside, which was fun to watch, and tasted even better. The cream was smooth and light, not overly thick or dense. Service⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It was my birthday, and they went all out — complimentary tiramisu and someone even came by with a Polaroid to take photos. Super sweet. Conclusion ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Great food, beautiful space, and top-tier emotional value. Everything came together really nicely — definitely a place for celebrations.

Zoë Friedman

Cesarina was a spectacular meal in San Diego! Only a short drive from Point Loma, Cesarina has a beautiful interior (decorated beautifully for the holidays), delicious food, a welcoming ambience, fast service, and plenty of gluten-free options. I had the gluten-free bolognese, which was packed with flavor. My friends got the pumpkin gnocchi and the pasta patate y nduja with bone marrow (all made with homemade pasta). Everything tasted delicious and the dishes were extremely creative. Highly recommend Cesarina for your next special lunch or dinner!

Kayla M.

We had a lovely family meal with our 6 and 7 year old! They loved the kids menu and we all loved the homemade pasta. Our drinks were delicious and the atmosphere so cozy! I got the special (the butternut squash ravioli) with the mushroom sauce and it was our favorite!

+1

Goretti

Wow what a recommendation by a local! I would recommend a reservation as it is quite busy but I managed to get in (as a walk in) at 5pm on a Friday with bar seating. They have valet parking available. I was having a hard time deciding which wine to order, but the gentleman working at the bar was very kind and knowledgeable and we figured out a great wine selection! So if you don’t know, don’t be shy to ask for recommendations. Onto the food. The focaccia starter is so fluffy and the marinara sauce to accompany it was delicious. There is also pasta of the day, and you can see in the back of the restaurant where a gentleman is making the pasta! We were recommended the arrabbiatissima and paccheri vodka and scampi. The arrabbiatissima, you could taste the fresh tomatoes with the perfect acidity and creamy burrata cheese. The sauce isn’t too rich and heavy but flavorful. Caution as it does contain pork in the sauce. The paccheri vodka and scampi is one of their well known dishes, it has a whole langoustine and bits of shrimp in the sauce. It is a richer sauce but so flavorful. The pastas are generously sized and I couldn’t finish the whole dish. If you can save room for dessert, a friend recommended to absolutely try their tiramisu. She described it as a cloud, but I was too full and ordered a affogato instead and it was delicious! It was a charcoal vanilla ice cream and they even brought out a candle to celebrate my birthday. Overall the restaurant is such a lovely place, the waiters are so kind. The food is phenomenal, if you have any special occasion or just even want a nice night out would highly recommend you to check this place out!

+2

vijay kuru

Cesarina absolutely blew us away! My wife and I came here for her birthday, and every detail felt special — from the warm welcome to the handmade freshly made pasta was heaven! You can actually see them making the pasta from scratch, and it makes the meal even better. As vegetarians, we were thrilled to find so many fresh and flavorful options at Cesarina! The atmosphere is cozy and romantic, and the staff made us feel like family. The tableside tiramisu was the perfect ending to a perfect evening. Easily one of San Diego’s best Italian spots!

+5

Selena Gomez

This restaurant is amazing. They seated us in a lovely outdoor garden with a lemon colored table. All the plates are colorful. They make tiramisu right in front of you. It tastes amazing. Not sweet at all. Their polpo croccante appetizer is great too. The octopus legs were very soft and tender.

+1

Connie Chow

I’ve been here on multiple occasions and the food and service are always amazing. My favorites are the vodka & scampi pasta and the octopus appetizer. So delicious!! The mushroom pasta is also great if you’re a mushroom lover. I recently came here to celebrate my birthday and they were so kind to provide a complimentary dessert and a cute Polaroid to take home. Shoutout to Leo who took excellent care of us our entire meal! Would definitely recommend making a reservation if you are coming during the weekend. There was plenty of seating available during our weekday lunch. There are two parking spots in the lot.

Wookjin Park

"A gem of a dining experience that made our anniversary shine" Food: Every dish was excellent — from the bread and salsa, to the polpo dish, truffle mafalde, and hanger steak. I highly recommend trying the DIY pasta. Oh, and the lemon cake we had for dessert was light and delicious. Service: The staff were incredibly friendly. Their explanations and recommendations about the menu were perfect — truly seamless service. Ambiance: The atmosphere was comfortably lively and dimly lit, creating a relaxing mood. The outdoor seating also looked very charming.

Brett D

This restaurant is poised for higher Michelin recognition. From the very first bite, the afternoon revealed itself as a study in precision and restraint. The polpo croccante arrived impeccably prepared—the exterior rendered to a delicate crisp, yielding to tender, almost buttery flesh. It was a dish that showcased both technical mastery and respect for the ingredient. The Paccheri Vodka e Scampi was nothing short of extraordinary. The pasta itself, crafted with evident care, offered a perfect al dente bite, while the vodka sauce enveloped it in a velvety richness that was deeply satisfying yet never heavy. Crowned with a langoustine of exceptional quality, the dish achieved a rare balance: indulgent, yet harmonious, each component enhancing the next. The finale, a tableside tiramisù, embodied both elegance and spectacle. Layered with finesse, it delivered a remarkable interplay of texture and flavor—silky, ethereal, and flawlessly executed. Service matched the caliber of the cuisine: attentive without intrusion, polished yet warm. The décor, stylish and intimate, provided a fitting backdrop for a meal that consistently aspired to—and often achieved—excellence.

+5

Joshua Ross

Really drippy yummy food. Second time here. Beef was cut with a fork tender. The carpaccio was standout and the ravioli spinach ricotta with funghi sauce special was standout. The chocolate fondue desert was an excellent share for 4 ppl. Gnocchi is on the hit list for next time...

+6

The food was ok. It was nice being able to get vegan cannoli — though it wasn’t anything that special. The focaccia was served cold. The pasta was alright but not worth nearly $30 a piece. The restaurant adds a 5% service charge. Probably won’t be back but the service was good!

Joshua Fischer

We had a bit of an odd experience, we ordered a carryout, and we chose to use the curbside pickup (as it was offered by the restaurant's website ordering, aka it wasn't some miscue from doordash.) The portal told us food would be ready in 15 minutes. I arrived just outside in view of the front door at about 14 minutes, and I called to inform them I was there. They asked for my car details and name and said it would be just a few minutes. After 20 minutes had passed I called again, and they said something along the line of "oops, yes ill get it out right away." Waited a few more minutes, maybe five more and the food was delivered to my door. With a casual "sorry" but no explanation. We are about a 4 minute drive away, and we opened the food immediately, and it was completely cold. Pretty sure we were forgotten about. Again, no explanation. If your restaurant can't support a curbside that is a okay, but you shouldn't offer it and you should let people know what's going on. The price for the food and the flavor seemed on point, and well worth it, but the repeated service bundles without explanation were odd to say the least.

Had a terrible service experience tonight. Last time we came we loved the espresso martini and had a pretty okay experience spending around $250 on dinner and drinks. We came this time at 9:15 for our reservation and told the hostess we only wanted drinks when she offered us and insider booth instead of outside but there where no bar reservations… so obviously if that was a problem I think that would have been told to us at that point. No. They let us sit down and the very lovely server Alva checked us in got us water and bread but after that it was radio silence. Everyone was done eating it was super quiet and we didn’t have a server approach until 9:35 which was my fault honestly for sitting that long but we drove out there so I wanted a drink. When the server came after that long why did they have the audacity to tell us if we are just doing drinks to go to the bar LMAO. Like hello why not say that 30 minutes ago. I was immediately irritated and there were no seats at the bar so we just left. I’m not about to stand there. And the manager tried to tell us we can have the seat back after already getting up and walking throughout the restaurant because we are the last customers of the night. Obviously. We where trying to order a couple rounds but their service was almost as bad as the tacky outside decorations if not worse. I only write reviews if it’s really good or really bad so yes I will not be coming back since they don’t want the customers

Sarah Cordial

Finally came for dinner after hearing several glowing recommendations. Initial impression could have been better had the hostesses been more welcoming or warm. Our waiter even started off seeming uneasy or unfriendly, but relaxed and showed his personality. We appreciated that. My daughter noted that she said, “thank you” to a staff member and was ignored which left a not so great impression on her. We were seated on the patio and it was well heated. The blankets and the hot water bag offer was a thoughtful touch. Our meal started with their complimentary focaccia and side of marinara. The bread was soft and fresh. Their marinara needs to be bottled up and sold. It was well balanced and just scrumptious. Our appetizer was a burrata with prosciutto, melons and olives. Every component of the dish was distinct in flavor and complemented each other harmoniously. The entrees we ordered were, spaghetti bolognese, lasagna, Paccheri vodka and shrimp. We loved that in each of these dishes, the pasta still had some “bite;” not mushy or gummy. We did think that both the bolognese and lasagna were under seasoned. Disappointing. The paccheri vodka and shrimp dish was served with a still in its shell langoustine. Presentation was wow, but I really dislike having to pick the meat out of the shell. Please take it out and find another way to serve the dish especially if you’re charging $43 for it. For dessert, we ordered their lemon chantilly cake with lemon sorbet. The cake was dense and dry, but the cream and sorbet helped. The sorbet was quite tart. The cream was smooth and sweet. It was a nice balance. For drinks, I ordered the L’Aeroplanino and honestly, I don’t recommend it. The flavor was odd and unpleasant. I then ordered an Old Fashioned with Working Man whiskey and that was fantastically smooth. Paid $295.67 (with tip) and unfortunately, we didn’t think it was worth the price. Food could have been better and service could have been friendlier.

+3

Tanja

We had a very disappointing dining experience due to poor service. Definitely not return! We had a 7:45 PM outdoor seating reservation, arrived early at 6:30 PM, and reminded the host that we were celebrating a birthday, asking if an earlier table might be available. We waited at the bar for drinks after 30 minutes waited we asked if we could dine there, but were told it was not allowed. However, we later saw many other guests dining at the bar, which made the situation even more frustrating. In total, we waited over an hour and were seated around 7:40 PM, not outdoors even though we had reservations for outdoor. After being seated, the server took our order but then disappeared for the rest of the meal. We had to ask another server for a to-go box and the dessert menu. Even though we clearly mentioned that we were there to celebrate a birthday, we received no acknowledgment at all, while we saw other birthday tables being congratulated as soon as they were seated and having photos taken at the end of their meals. Overall, the food was excellent. We had Polpo Fichi e Basilico as an appetizer the octopus was very fresh and for the mains we ordered Gnocchi Porcini Gamberi e Tartufo, Paccheri Vodka & Scampi, and a vegan pasta. All were delicious. However, the service was extremely disappointing, If you’re celebrating a birthday or special occasion, I would recommend choosing a restaurant with better service.