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The Little Italy sign.

Where to Eat and Drink in Little Italy

Must-visit spots in one of San Diego’s most dynamic neighborhoods for dining out

by Roxana Popescu and Candice Woo Updated Oct 26, 2023, 9:10am PDT

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The Little Italy sign.

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by Roxana Popescu and Candice Woo Updated Oct 26, 2023, 9:10am PDT

Home to distinctive eateries, elevated restaurants, craft brew pubs, urban wine bars, cocktail hotspots and cozy cafés, Little Italy remains a city hallmark for dining options. Since the 1920s, this neighborhood has been acclaimed as a bustling residential and business district that was once a pivotal center in San Diego's prolific tuna fishing industry.

Decades later, Little Italy now houses everything from authentic family-owned Italian food destinations to spaces that transcend a region or culture in terms of cuisine. From old Hollywood glam steakhouses to Asian fusion hubs, the streets there hold the right amount of places at a walking distance, situated in the heart of the city for locals and visitors.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Juniper & Ivy

An elegant dining destination for intimate dinners or larger group outings that helped to kickstart the neighborhood’s culinary renaissance, Juniper & Ivy uses ingredients from local farms and fishermen to create dishes inspired by international flavors.

2228 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

Interior of restaurant, think wooden beans, cream-colored booth tables.

Also featured in:

Crack Shack

The original location for this empire built around chicken is a fun-loving, all-outdoor space serving a menu of chicken sandwiches, fried chicken, and family-friendly meal platters with beer, wine, and cocktails which can all be enjoyed over a game of bocce on the outdoor court.

2266 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

The Crack Shack Hatches in Little Italy; Behold Your New Addiction

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Herb & Wood

Occupying an 8,500-square-foot, 1920s industrial space, this spot offers modern interpretations of Mediterranean cuisine under the direction of chef Carlos Anthony with a focus on seasonal wood-fired dishes and cocktails.

2210 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

Grilled Maine lobster on a blue plate.

Also featured in:

Camino Riviera

This hotspot from the owners of Kettner Exchange, designed to transport its guests to the Mexican Riviera Maya, features an expansive list of agave spirits and a creative farm-to-table menu from executive chef Brian Redzikowski that includes a Caesar salad “Twinkie”, roasted bone marrow with a Oaxacan cheese quesadilla, and a pork quesa birria bao.

2400 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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James Coffee Co.

One of the city’s best roasters is the centerpiece of a collection of shops and salons that includes the standout Home Ec, a well-curated supply store for cooks and food lovers. The cafe brews up drinks with single-origin beans and James Coffee blends and serves baked goods crafted at its own Escondido bakery.

2355 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

San Diego’s Essential Coffee Roasters and Cafes

Shino Sushi + Kappo

Tucked away on one of the neighborhood’s less bustling blocks for dining is this laid-back spot that’s been serious about sushi for over a decade. Run by an alum of Pacific Beach’s revered Sushi Ota, the quiet restaurant offers multi-course omakase dinners and a la carte nigiri and cut rolls. Make sure to check the posted board for limited-time specials.

838 W Ash St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

The 10 Best Sushi Takeout and Delivery Options in San Diego

Kettner Exchange

A two-story restaurant slash cocktail bar with a rooftop patio, Kettner Exchange boasts a progressive American menu with French and Asian influences from executive chef Brian Redzikowski.

2001 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

Rooftop patio with a tree smacked in the center of it.

Also featured in:

Vino Carta

One of the anchors at the north end of Little Italy, this relaxed wine bar doubles as the area’s best bottle shop, full of new discoveries from the world of natural wine and small, family-run producers.

Open in Google Maps

2161 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

63 San Diego Restaurants, Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries Offering Booze To-Go

Mona Lisa Italian Foods

The market is a treasure trove for Italian food and wine, while its deli counter does brisk business selling excellent Italian subs stuffed with meats and cheeses as well as essentials like Italian sausage, mozzarella, and fresh pizza dough.

2061 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Craft & Commerce

With taxidermy for decoration, Craft & Commerce by Consortium Holdings is an industrial literary cabin slash hunting lodge with two bar areas, serving comfort foods including burgers and steak frites. For a more intimate experience, don’t miss out on its tiki-themed speakeasy inside called False Idol.

Open in Google Maps

675 W Beech St, San Diego, CA

A taxidermy lion preying over a warthog and red metal chairs inside the restaurant.

Bencotto

Helping to establish Little Italy’s newer wave of Italian restaurants, Bencotto is known for its in-house pasta lab, which handcrafts all the pasta shapes for the menu, from tagliatelle to tortelli filled with spinach and ricotta, and its most famous dish featuring pasta tossed in a 60-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.

750 W Fir St #103, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Crudo Ceviche & Oyster Bar

A sparkling showcase for Baja seafood, with a sushi bar-styled counter and a generous patio, the restaurant’s menu ranges from grand platters laden with chocolate clams, oysters, and scallops to a range of aguachiles, ceviches, and tostadas topped with everything from blue crab and shrimp to octopus and seared yellowtail.

1608 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

A sushi bar-style counter. — The sushi bar-style counter.

Also featured in:

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Ironside Fish & Oyster

This vintage nautical stunner is all about seafood and boasts one of the neighborhood’s better happy hours, offered on weekdays between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. that highlights $1 freshly-shucked oysters and deals on popular plates like octopus a la plancha, chowder fries, and rockfish ceviche as well as featured cocktails, beer, and wine.

1654 India St, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

Oyster and champagne.

Also featured in:

Born and Raised

This modern steakhouse specializes in table-side cart service and steaks aged in a 40-square-foot glass-enclosed dry-aging room. On the menu: bone-in New York, bone-in ribeye, tomahawks, porterhouses, duck, lamb, meatballs and more. Perfect for birthday dinners or more extravagant outings, guests can make reservations for the downstairs formal dining area or for the open-air rooftop.

1909 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Wooden beams, old Hollywood glam essence.

Also featured in:

Landini's Pizzeria

This neighborhood pizzeria is a popular place to grab a quick meal and one of the few spots in the area to find a late-night bite on weekends. Its New York-style pies include bestsellers like the Leonardo, a white pie with pesto and cheese, and red-sauced Sopranos pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage, and meatballs.

1827 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Civico 1845

With a focus on seafood, this warm and welcoming restaurant that’s a fixture on India Street focuses on traditional and contemporary Southern Italian cuisine. It’s also notable for being the first Italian restaurant in the country with a full vegan menu.

1845 India St, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

White interiors, wooden doors and brown chairs.

Also featured in:

Morning Glory

Fun to the max, this always-bustling brunch behemoth draws in crowds with its infectious party vibes and menu of global Turkish eggs roving cart, cocktails

Open in Google Maps

550 W Date St Suite #C, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Pink velvet booths at Morning Glory sit under a large chandelier shaped like a pink flower.

Also featured in:

Fisher's

The first stateside location for a well-established group of restaurants centered in Mexico City that’s so serious about seafood that it has its own system of seafood processing and transportation to deliver fresh product. Guests are greeted with cups of flavorful seafood broth, a precursor to a menu that includes seafood cocktails, ceviche, tacos, grilled fish, and even paellas that are featured on weekends.

Open in Google Maps

555 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

A large dining room at a restaurant. — The dining room.

Extraordinary Desserts

Crowds flock to Karen Krasne’s 7,000-square-foot palatial dessert destination to savor pastries and coffee, savory snacks like panini and salads, and of course, Krasne’s signature decadent cakes, pies, cookies, and petite desserts.

Open in Google Maps

2870 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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Juniper & Ivy

2228 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

An elegant dining destination for intimate dinners or larger group outings that helped to kickstart the neighborhood’s culinary renaissance, Juniper & Ivy uses ingredients from local farms and fishermen to create dishes inspired by international flavors.

2228 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

Interior of restaurant, think wooden beans, cream-colored booth tables.

Crack Shack

2266 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

The original location for this empire built around chicken is a fun-loving, all-outdoor space serving a menu of chicken sandwiches, fried chicken, and family-friendly meal platters with beer, wine, and cocktails which can all be enjoyed over a game of bocce on the outdoor court.

2266 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

The Crack Shack Hatches in Little Italy; Behold Your New Addiction

Herb & Wood

2210 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Occupying an 8,500-square-foot, 1920s industrial space, this spot offers modern interpretations of Mediterranean cuisine under the direction of chef Carlos Anthony with a focus on seasonal wood-fired dishes and cocktails.

2210 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

Grilled Maine lobster on a blue plate.

Camino Riviera

2400 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

This hotspot from the owners of Kettner Exchange, designed to transport its guests to the Mexican Riviera Maya, features an expansive list of agave spirits and a creative farm-to-table menu from executive chef Brian Redzikowski that includes a Caesar salad “Twinkie”, roasted bone marrow with a Oaxacan cheese quesadilla, and a pork quesa birria bao.

2400 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

James Coffee Co.

2355 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

One of the city’s best roasters is the centerpiece of a collection of shops and salons that includes the standout Home Ec, a well-curated supply store for cooks and food lovers. The cafe brews up drinks with single-origin beans and James Coffee blends and serves baked goods crafted at its own Escondido bakery.

2355 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Shino Sushi + Kappo

838 W Ash St, San Diego, CA 92101

Tucked away on one of the neighborhood’s less bustling blocks for dining is this laid-back spot that’s been serious about sushi for over a decade. Run by an alum of Pacific Beach’s revered Sushi Ota, the quiet restaurant offers multi-course omakase dinners and a la carte nigiri and cut rolls. Make sure to check the posted board for limited-time specials.

838 W Ash St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Kettner Exchange

2001 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

A two-story restaurant slash cocktail bar with a rooftop patio, Kettner Exchange boasts a progressive American menu with French and Asian influences from executive chef Brian Redzikowski.

2001 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

Rooftop patio with a tree smacked in the center of it.

Vino Carta

2161 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

One of the anchors at the north end of Little Italy, this relaxed wine bar doubles as the area’s best bottle shop, full of new discoveries from the world of natural wine and small, family-run producers.

Open in Google Maps

2161 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Mona Lisa Italian Foods

2061 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

The market is a treasure trove for Italian food and wine, while its deli counter does brisk business selling excellent Italian subs stuffed with meats and cheeses as well as essentials like Italian sausage, mozzarella, and fresh pizza dough.

2061 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Craft & Commerce

675 W Beech St, San Diego, CA

With taxidermy for decoration, Craft & Commerce by Consortium Holdings is an industrial literary cabin slash hunting lodge with two bar areas, serving comfort foods including burgers and steak frites. For a more intimate experience, don’t miss out on its tiki-themed speakeasy inside called False Idol.

Open in Google Maps

675 W Beech St, San Diego, CA

A taxidermy lion preying over a warthog and red metal chairs inside the restaurant.

Bencotto

750 W Fir St #103, San Diego, CA 92101

Helping to establish Little Italy’s newer wave of Italian restaurants, Bencotto is known for its in-house pasta lab, which handcrafts all the pasta shapes for the menu, from tagliatelle to tortelli filled with spinach and ricotta, and its most famous dish featuring pasta tossed in a 60-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.

750 W Fir St #103, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Crudo Ceviche & Oyster Bar

1608 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

A sparkling showcase for Baja seafood, with a sushi bar-styled counter and a generous patio, the restaurant’s menu ranges from grand platters laden with chocolate clams, oysters, and scallops to a range of aguachiles, ceviches, and tostadas topped with everything from blue crab and shrimp to octopus and seared yellowtail.

1608 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

A sushi bar-style counter. — The sushi bar-style counter.

Ironside Fish & Oyster

1654 India St, San Diego, CA

This vintage nautical stunner is all about seafood and boasts one of the neighborhood’s better happy hours, offered on weekdays between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. that highlights $1 freshly-shucked oysters and deals on popular plates like octopus a la plancha, chowder fries, and rockfish ceviche as well as featured cocktails, beer, and wine.

1654 India St, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

Oyster and champagne.

Born and Raised

1909 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

This modern steakhouse specializes in table-side cart service and steaks aged in a 40-square-foot glass-enclosed dry-aging room. On the menu: bone-in New York, bone-in ribeye, tomahawks, porterhouses, duck, lamb, meatballs and more. Perfect for birthday dinners or more extravagant outings, guests can make reservations for the downstairs formal dining area or for the open-air rooftop.

1909 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Wooden beams, old Hollywood glam essence.

Landini's Pizzeria

1827 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

This neighborhood pizzeria is a popular place to grab a quick meal and one of the few spots in the area to find a late-night bite on weekends. Its New York-style pies include bestsellers like the Leonardo, a white pie with pesto and cheese, and red-sauced Sopranos pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage, and meatballs.

1827 India St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Related Maps

Civico 1845

1845 India St, San Diego, CA

With a focus on seafood, this warm and welcoming restaurant that’s a fixture on India Street focuses on traditional and contemporary Southern Italian cuisine. It’s also notable for being the first Italian restaurant in the country with a full vegan menu.

1845 India St, San Diego, CA

Visit Website

White interiors, wooden doors and brown chairs.

Morning Glory

550 W Date St Suite #C, San Diego, CA 92101

Fun to the max, this always-bustling brunch behemoth draws in crowds with its infectious party vibes and menu of global Turkish eggs roving cart, cocktails

Open in Google Maps

550 W Date St Suite #C, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Pink velvet booths at Morning Glory sit under a large chandelier shaped like a pink flower.

Fisher's

555 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101

The first stateside location for a well-established group of restaurants centered in Mexico City that’s so serious about seafood that it has its own system of seafood processing and transportation to deliver fresh product. Guests are greeted with cups of flavorful seafood broth, a precursor to a menu that includes seafood cocktails, ceviche, tacos, grilled fish, and even paellas that are featured on weekends.

Open in Google Maps

555 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

A large dining room at a restaurant. — The dining room.

Extraordinary Desserts

2870 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

Crowds flock to Karen Krasne’s 7,000-square-foot palatial dessert destination to savor pastries and coffee, savory snacks like panini and salads, and of course, Krasne’s signature decadent cakes, pies, cookies, and petite desserts.

Open in Google Maps

2870 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

Visit Website

Related Maps