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Catania, San Diego, CA
Award-winning

Catania

4.8 (2147)
$31 to $50
Italian
7863 Girard Ave, Suite 301, San Diego, CA 92037

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 57 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Great for scenic views
  • Good for special occasions
Inspired by an Italy road-trip Chef Ryan and I (Arturo) took back in 2008, we’re pleased to introduce Catania, the newest member of the Whisknladle Hospitality family. Here, we’ll be featuring simple, seasonal and authentic Italian Coastal Cuisine (None of the Italian version of TexMex you see most other places). Our commitment to authenticity will be evident in our use of wood burning ovens and grills, an all Italian wine list as well as an exclusively craft Italian Beer program. (Yes, Italy has an amazing craft beer movement nobody’s heard about.)

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–3:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 3:30 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Ryan Johnston
  • Private party facilities
    Whether you’re planning a party or a meeting, enjoy the attentive service and personalized touches that take the average private dining experience to the next level with Whisknladle Hospitality. With four restaurants to choose from & a wide selection of menu options, the possibilities are endless. Email events@wnlhosp.com for more info.
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighborhood
    La Jolla
  • Cross street
    Girard and Wall
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 2,147 people are saying

Catania reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Catania in La Jolla offers a delightful dining experience with "amazing food," "wonderful service," and "beautiful ambiance." Guests rave about the "creative menu," "authentic Italian cuisine," and "spectacular views," especially from the outdoor patio. The restaurant is praised for its attentive staff and standout dishes like the duck sugo orecchiette and branzino, making it a "must-visit Italian restaurant."

2,147 Reviews
  1. Chrissy

    San Francisco7 reviews

    1.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    I informed my waitress about my son’s allergy to all nuts and garlic. She said the nut allergy can be taken care of but the garlic allergy it’s hard because this is an Italian restaurant. She was not empathetic towards my son’s garlic allergy and did not at all try to accommodate his allergies by offering to talk to the chef or making suggestions about certain dishes that can be cooked without garlic. Also, when I made the reservation in advance I mentioned it was my daughter college graduation and the restaurant did not acknowledge this special occasion for her. Staff was not very accommodating and friendly and the food was specially too salty from our previous dinners at Catania

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  2. Sherry VIP

    San Diego52 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was my first time to Catania and I was so impressed with everything from the food to the ambiance to the service. We started with the kale salad which was balanced with a Caesar dressing and was the perfect starter. We also had the mushroom pizza and the mushrooms had so much carmelized flavor. The crust was crisp with just a little chewiness to it. Perfect! Then we had the artichoke pasta with fava beans and crunchy fried artichoke leaves on top, which I think was my favorite. I can’t wait to go back and try more of their dishes.

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  3. Ron

    Sacramento58 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic restaurant! First, our shared green salad was far more (in taste and size) than expected. Afterwards, my duck orchiette was one of the best dishes I’ve ever had and my wife’s mushroom pizza was superb. We closed out the meal with a delicious panna cotta with strawberries. All of the staff were extreme friendly and attentive (shout-out to Nick!). We had an outdoor hightop (with portable heaters) with a great view of the sunset. The restaurant absolutely deserves Michelin status. Do NOT miss this dining experience when in La Jolla!

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  4. Daryl Ann

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful food and service! We were greeted warmly and had a great experience.

    Is this helpful?

  5. christopher VIP

    Tokyo6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service. Branzino was wonderful.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Monica VIP

    San Diego10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server, Kristen, was wonderful. The food and ambiance are great here.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Bryce

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great Experience, the food was amazing, and so was the service! Treated us great on our Anniversary!

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  8. Cathy

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had requested a view and they accommodated us beautifully! We loved our pizza and Nick was a very good waiter. Would definitely go back!

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  9. David VIP

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing dinner, as always. Best Italian in San Diego

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  10. Katy

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was impeccable and food delicious! Drinks felt over priced but overall really great. Not the restaurant’s fault but being seated next to an unruly kid who spilled things and was being wild maybe impacted how much we enjoyed it. But will definitely be back because the staff was really great and we enjoyed the food A LOT (esp the pizza focaccia)

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FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Catania using the Order Online button.

Catania is rated 4.8 stars by 2147 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. San Diego
  5. La Jolla

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 57 times today
Google Map for Catania

7863 Girard Ave, Suite 301, San Diego, CA 92037

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross street
    Girard and Wall
  • Neighborhood
    La Jolla
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–3:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 3:30 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ryan Johnston
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    Whether you’re planning a party or a meeting, enjoy the attentive service and personalized touches that take the average private dining experience to the next level with Whisknladle Hospitality. With four restaurants to choose from & a wide selection of menu options, the possibilities are endless. Email events@wnlhosp.com for more info.
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