Salvatore’s Cucina Italiana

Incredible service. Very courteous and friendly. This restaurant is an excellent place for a romantic dinner, very classy.
The food is delicious. We had the lasagna and the Papa Sisto. Both fantastic.
For dessert, I recommend the tiramisu, best I’ve ever had.
It’s on the pricey side but I think it’s worth it.
We went here for my boyfriend’s birthday and we had an amazing time. Champagne and dessert were on the house.
Definitely going back for a special occasion.

Probably the best place to take your date for a romantic dinner and some real tasty food in San Diego.
Raffaella is a bliss. She puts her heart in her plates which makes every dish a unique and special experience.
They took a while with the cannelloni cause I believe they were bringing them from heaven!
The crème brule is a must try. Perfect thickness. Perfect crust.

I went to Salvatore’s for dinner with a large group, and they truly delivered.
First, this place is super classy. Jazzy versions of pop songs and classic songs played by a piano player. Pristine white everything. I probably don’t belong here, but I loved it.
We walked in immediately requesting that our 6 person reservation be increased to 8. They were incredibly accommodating and greeted me by name and with free glasses of prosecco for each of us.
Throughout the course of the night, our group size actually increased to about 16 people. Again, they were incredibly accommodating and happy to help, and service was wonderful.
Now the food. I got their lasagna which was recommended by the server. As people have said, it was very good. The sauce was described as having veal and beef and maybe pork. I was a little hesitant because I don’t always like veal, but it was fantastic. The pasta was cooked perfectly and overall, it was hearty and delicious and just what I wanted.
A great big thank you to Salvatore’s for being the most hospitable, helpful restaurant that ever was. You guys fed us a wonderful meal and took care of us when we made crazy requests (like can you add 10 more people and make all checks separate etc. etc.). Wish I could give you more than 5 stars for that amount of awesomeness.

Great food and the owner was very friendly. He greets you immediately and makes you feel very welcome. The venue is very clean and classy. I went for a business meeting and the setting was great — nice and quiet. The food was very good as well. This place is definitely worth checking out

Came here on NYE and it was a first time for all of us. The location was perfect, a few blocks away from Gaslamp. Because we came here on NYE they had a set menu, limited options on what we can order and cannot do any special substitutions like they normally would which was a disappointment. I think they did this to streamline the kitchen orders, to make it quick and efficient on a busy night.
I ordered some lobster dish with paste. You get the choose between a half or full order. I decided to go with the full order because I needed something to soak up the alcohol for later that night. ;) When my dish came out I had to confirm with the waiter if this was the full or half size. He said it was the full but is was so small! But it was sooooo good tho. The sauce was light and creamy, the paste cooked just right and the lobster bits were delicious! After gobbling down my dish I was still hungry. :(Thankfully they had bread with olive oil and vinaigrette.
The service was excellent. Our server was funny and attentive. So why the one star? After we had finished our meal, one of the guys in group went to use the restroom. He came back horrified. He saw someone that works in the kitchen use the restroom (#2!) and exited WITHOUT washing their hands. Then another guy in the group went to the bathroom and saw the same thing! TWO kitchen workers using the restroom WITHOUT washing their hands. I don’t care if you went into the bathroom, didn’t do anything and just left, you NEED TO WASH YOUR HANDS. I would love to come back to this place but due to multiple employees violating sanitary and health regulations we won’t be returning. Fecal matter in my food, no thanks!

Had a wonderful experience here. The ambiance, friendliness of the staff, the food. The piano player was excellent as well. Everything was top notch. It made my birthday celebration that much more special. Our server, Michael, was very friendly and new never felt rushed through our meal. Made for a great meal. We’ll definitely be coming back on our next visit to San Siego!

I promised to do this review last year, but never got around to it. Due to other issues related to my travel I had to cut my trip to SD short. After doing a quick check of places to eat this showed up at the top of the list. I arrived early — as Salvatore’s was just opening up for dinner that day.
When I realized it was still empty I grabbed a seat by the bar. After ordering some JW Blue I explored the menu. The bar tender was super friendly and happened to also be from the East Coast. I ended up ordering a steak which was cooked to perfection. After getting a round on the house I was surprised by the salad that was brought out. It was full of flavor and seasoned to perfection. By the time I finished my meal the place was full of people.
#1 restarant in San Diego. I was told they also have a woman that comes to play the harp! TOP PLACE TO EAT! CAN“T WAIT TO VISIT AGAIN.

Amazing restaurant wow. The food the service was very good our waiter. Was a great guy. Very helpful. He explained everything very well. Definitely I will come back

I like this place better than my boyfriend. We had a reservation at 6pm. Yes I know that is kind of early for a dinner reservation, but he likes to eat early. When we arrived there were a few people at the bar and nobody eating. However it was happy hour. So we had a glass of wine at the bar before dinner. The bartender was very chatty but very nice. He gave us nice tips on what to have for dinner, and it turned out he was also our waiter.
Boyfriend had lasagna which I thought was pretty darn good, but he was not as impressed with it. I had the Oso Buco, which we both thought was great. However at $ 48 for the entrée, it should be. Lasagna was $ 26, a more reasonable price.
The outside of this place is very industrial looking, but inside is very nice. Nice Decour, chandeliers, and a nice vibe.
PS-​boyfriend paid for the dinner. Which was very nice. Maybe the reason I liked it more than he did.

An elegant night at a pricey place. The manager and wait staff were very attentive initially; however, as business picked up, they were a little bit scarce. The lasagna was quite good. The Osso bucco was awesome, as promised. This is a nice place for a celebration, but I guess the four and a half stars generated more excitement in me then I experienced at the restaurant. A very solid place.

This is probably the best (or definitely top 3) Italian restaurant I’ve ever tried. Given the 3 $ signs, our server suggested the lasagna. I was a bit surprised because the dish sounds too simple and I feel it’s tough to screw up lasagna. Nevertheless, we ordered it anyway. And then we ordered it again because it was so #&!^#ing good.
Other dishes we tried were the braised beef with risotto (it was OK, wouldn’t order again) and this pasta with sausage (forgot the name, but it was good and would get it again). For appetizer, we got the caprese with tomatoes in olive oil and it’s a great way to whet your appetite.
Don’t forget to check-​in and get a complimentary prosecco, which is very tasty, crisp, and refreshing after a long drive from LA to SD.
Service was A+. Everyone was attentive and the host (owner/​manager) was very welcoming.

The entire atmosphere of Salvatore’s is wonderful and the perfect spot for a romantic dinner! Keep in mind this was NYE dinner so it was a set menu and very busy. The first table we sat at was right next to the bar and extremely noisy. After asking to switch tables, we were then seated next to the pianist. The young college student was extremely talented and great to listen to.
Customer service was not the best, but understandable because of the holiday. Our waiter was swamped with tables so he was not able to give us much attention. We had to ask for bread and ask him if we could order drinks.
Next is the food. I had the chicken parmesan, which I found to be delicious! While not necessary priced correctly at $ 35, it was good. It comes with spaghetti in marinara sauce.
Lastly, dessert. We ordered the chocolate cake with mocha buttercream. The buttercream was delicious, but the cake was dry due to the fact that the cake was sitting out at the bar in the wide open.
I would definitely come back just not on a busy holiday.

Best Italian I’ve had since eating at Grandpa Bellante’s. Perfect lasagna, great bread. Presentation and cleanliness A+. Made my birthday one to remember. Thank you:)

My husband took me here on a date night here. I’ll start with the warm welcome the owner gave us. He was very passionate about the food and gave us the history of the establishment. He asked how we found out about them and of course it was by using Unilocal.He gave us two glasses of champagne for that. We ordered their scallops that were bacon wrapped and grilled to perfection. I tried their spicy linguine with crab meat and my husband tried their veal Marsala. My husband couldn’t stop talking about how he felt he was back in Sicily. The food was amazing and so was our waiter. Overall the food and experience were great. We ended with espresso. I definitely will be back! It’s not the most affordable but you get what you pay for and it didn’t fall short on anything.

The best Italian restaurant that my wife and I have had the pleasure to dine… I lived in Sicily for 4 years and by far this is as close as it gets!!!

Wifey and I went here on vacation and from a Unilocal review. White linen tablecloths, live harp playing. Free Prosecco was freely offered when we mentioned Unilocal and it was good.
We had the antipasto platter and it was fresh and of great quality
Caesar salad was ok, but not awesome
Lasagna was stunning. Simply amazing. Worth the trip.
Service was… awkward. Obviously we got a newbie for a primary server, but the host was an owner or manager and he was awkward too. Like they both read how to provide quality service from a manual, but didn’t have the experience to pull it off. It wasn’t bad, it was awkward.
Overall totally recommend, but 4 stars for the service weirdness.

Great authentic Italian fine cuisine.
I came here last night for birthday celebration and it was absolutely hands down amazing.
From the clean and crisp elegant décor to the extensive wine list to the exquisite food. Just a piece of Italy in the heart of San Diego that needs to be checked out.
A shout out to our waiter Steve who went out of his way to make us feel like stars. He even had the harpist play the birthday song for me as he brought out this tasty treat of Amaretto Crème Brûlée. Highly recommend that dessert.
All of our entrees where exquisite and made to perfection by as I now refer to her Mama Raffaella owner and executive chef. She was so gracious and allowed us to take a picture with her.
If I could give this place 10 Stars I would.

What a surprising treat for our group of 6 on Saturday night!
A member of our group was celebrating his birthday and wanted Italian and I discovered this place on Unilocal.I was able to make reservations, the day of, through OpenTable. It was located only a few blocks from our hotel, so it was convenient for walking. The best part? Its on the edge of the Gaslamp, so you can escape all the riff raff. Fantastic.
We arrived on time and were immediately greeted by the owner, David. The restaurant was dimly lit, quiet and intimate w/​white linens; it was like entering another world, while exiting the raucous Gaslamp. The majority of people there were on dates and I could see why. Our group started out a little rowdy; however, the ambiance of the place changed everyone. As if the décor weren’t enough, there was a harpist, located right at the entrance. Ummm, awesome.
David was very friendly and asked how we heard about the restaurant. When I told him through Unilocal,he said, well then, everyone gets a glass of Prosecco. Nice! Of course, that wasn’t enough for the men in our group who also ordered Martinis.
To start, I had the Antipasto All’Italiana. I love wooden boards of snacks, but this board was huge (definitely for sharing for the table). It had Melon & Prosciutto, Caprese, Salami, Caponata, Olives & Cheese. A great starter.
With our entrees, the table opted for a bottle of Chianti, which was very good.
For my entrée, I had the Papa Sisto. Fettuccine pasta in creamy white sauce w/​homemade sausage. I liked the sausage, but thought there was a bit much of it. On the other hand, the Fontina, Parmigiano & Mozzarella cheeses on top were wonderful. Overall, I loved my dish.
We were there a very long time and service was good throughout dinner. Nearing the end of the evening, the men at our table switched to drinking Espressos & Whiskey? I took a sip. Not my drink.
As if that weren’t all enough, the restaurant provided the birthday celebrant a piece of Tiramasu & Key Lime for the Table to share. I’m a Tiramasu fan and hadn’t ordered in a while because the last couple of times its been too much coffee taste. THIS, on the other hand, was DELICIOUS. Husband agreed. We were trying to hide how many bites we were taking, knowing the birthday celebrant was watching us. haha! Also, the harpist agreed to play Happy Birthday. Perfect.
A wonderful evening for friendship & celebration.

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to restaurants, I am very picky of how the host/​hostess greet you upon arrival to their restaurant. I have to say David who happens to be the owner of this restaurant was an excellent greeter as well.:-)
While we were seating at our table he inquired about how we heard of his restaurant and when we said through Unilocal,he offered up a glass of Prosecco which was very nice of him.
We started our meal with their delicius bread basket along with olive oil and balsamic. As for our entrée, we got the Halibut special as well as Spegatti with meat sauce… I have to say the fish was moist and cooked perfectly. As for my pasta, it was a bit on the salty side and I would have liked it if it had some marinara sauce on the side or something.
We could not end our meal w/​o trying one of their delicious desserts. So we got the berry tart for to go.
The tart was very delicious and it wasn’t too sweet. The berries were fresh and just perfect.
So why did I deduct a star? Well our server was a bit fake… I didn’t like that. And also I would have appreciated if we were given plastic forks for our to-​go desserts…
Will I be coming back, yes of course. And I will sure recommend it to everyone I know including my 4000+ friends on Unilocal

I can’t emphasize enough what a wonderful experience we had! Fabulous! Outstanding! Delicious! Romantic!
From our greeting by the owner, to the ambiance of the twinkling dim lights, to the white table cloths, and the complimentary champagne… it was five stars!
The fresh bread, misto salad, chicken parmigiana, and lasagna was so authentic, and incredibly flavorful. No corners were cut, and no detail was spared!
Definitely a San Diego favorite, and I can’t wait to go back again!