CUCINA urbanaAlways love this placeI had a colleague visiting from VT. I had not seen her in 7 years. In fact working remotely I never see anybody I work with. I really wanted to take Shannon to a superb San Diego restaurant. My confidence in CU paid off as usual. Shannon, my wife and I spent a marvelous two hours dining, drinking and enjoying ourselves. Eliot6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMreally good restaurant. greatreally good restaurant. great vibe at the bar and very good atmosphere in dining room. waiter was great, as was bartender.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent !Cucina Urbana is one of the best restaurants in town! Food is always great. I've never had anything that wasn't delicious! Large selection of wines. Ambience is welcoming, cozy, elegant and romantic, all at the same time. Great service too!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMYumService was impeccable - we asked server to choose her three favorite starters, and they were awesome. She also gave great recommendations for entrees and was very attentive. The food was perfectly prepared, seasoned extremely well, and presented excellently. Outstanding experience overall, for sure!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent and SurprisingI took my new boss there, hoping to simply deliver a great food experience regardless of her tastes (as yet unknown to me). She shared before dinner that "the only thing I won't eat is raw fish - I can't stand the smell". The appetizer special was a trout carpaccio, with cherries and pistachios. It sounded great, and we were hooked - even when our server explained to us that carpaccio was "uncooked". It was fantastic, and I recommended that it could easily be added to the dessert list. So rich, and tasty with the pistachio crumbles, cherries, etc. Also enjoyed the chicken liver patee. Wine was a great deal too!6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great ambianceI always like this place. Brought a friend from out of town who likes her food, and she loved the tempura avocado in the beet salad. The pork chops were the best she said she had ever had, and it is her boyfriend's specialty, so it is saying a lot. I always love what I have there. It was busy on a Monday night but we were able to talk and hear each other.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMI like it!I have been three times and every time I go with my wife and/or family, we really enjoy ourselves. This restaurant is owned by one of those corporations that owns a bunch of restaurant but all of the restaurants are different and the menu's are not the same. I only bring that up since I feel those kinds of restaurants usually are not that good and in general, they all start to look and taste the same, but not CUCINA Urbana!
The menu is a decent size and there is a variety of food for all kinds of people. They offer a wide selection of different alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and wines. The waiter staff is friendly and knowledgeable but if you go, you need reservations.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a wonderful dining experiencThis was my fourth trip to Cucina Urbana, and the best so far! They get better all the time. Food was absolutely wonderful, as was the service. No complaints, just the best!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMInventive, Delicious FoodThe mushroom pizza with truffle oil is a mushroom lovers dream. The chidoori check with quinoa salad is also remarkable.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous Dinner!We were a party of 5, aged 23 - 87. We all had a great experience dining at Cucina Urbana. The interior design was eclectic and dynamic.The hostess and manager worked hard to accommodate our group. Anna our server was perfection. The menu is unusual but offers something for everyone. The artichoke/olive tapenade and chicken liver pate appetizers were delicious. The pork chop was moist and yummy beyond any pork chop we had ever eaten. Mary's chicken was surprisingly small but again, delicious. Suckling pig and steak entrees were great. The only marginal entrée was the hamburger. The beef rib on top was too rich. I ordered the hamburger medium well which was a mistake on my part. We can't wait to return to this outstanding restaurant.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMWe finally got in!I've wanted to try Cucina Urbana for months ... but I could never get a Saturday night reservation. But Wednesday night was easy. Great creative food with excellent service. Now I just have to figure out how to plan more in advance to snag a table on a Saturday!6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWe loved the atmosphere andWe loved the atmosphere and energy of this restaurant. The food was great! Especially loved the squash blossom appetizer, amazing flavor. This is a must stop for us whenever we are in SD. Our server was friendly and patient with our slow decision making. We will be back again next visit.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food at a great price!I went to this restaurant for the first time last year and could not wait to once again enjoy the amazing squash blossoms! Truly a treat. After running in the San Diego Half Marathon, we treated ourselves to great wine and food. Cucina Urbana delivers again.... great food at a great price!6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMvery pleasedWe (a couple from Phoenix) joined a couple from San Diego for a dinner to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. Open Table booking was easy, and they were able to accomodate a request to add two more to the reservation, and a 15 min later reservation despite being busy. I've heard these guys can be really inflexible, we must have experienced a new way of doing business - because we could not have been happier.
Between the food and service, it is going to be a very memorable experience. Nearly everything on the menu looked fantastic, so we ordered several small plates, and a couple big plates to share. Once's I'd recommend: vasi gorgonzola & walnut mousse, suckling pig, & gnudi appetizers, beet & caprese salads, short rib pappardelle.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMHas to be our favorite restaurantHas to be our favorite restaurant in San Diego from start to finish, including the service. We started with the grilled octopus, lacinato kale & caesar salad, grilled heirloom broccoli pizza, chicken w/polenta over hen egg and lastly an affogato w/ pistachio gelato - delicious! Affogato was not on the menu for dessert, but they made one up for us.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMI'm in loveThank you to the team at Cucina Urbana for such a lovely evening and meal.5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMLove this place!Great dinner at Cucina Urbana! Great service and great food! Will definitely be back.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMUrban gemAwesome atmosphere and service. Great menu with new twists on food. Must try the Squash Blossoms! Loved the craft cocktail list too. Try the Rhubarb Basil! Can't wait to go back. Reservation a must.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Best!I can't say enough good things about this restaurant! The food and service are outstanding! We were running late ( bad traffic) and called the host. He was extremely gracious and held our table for almost 30 minutes on a busy Friday night. He didn't have to do that, but he made a big impression -- one that will keep us coming back. Our waiter was great -- fun, very knowledgable and professional. The food was extremely tasty -- everything we had was excellent. This restaurant is a winner.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and great atmosphereEnjoyed the service, loved the food, and the restaurant has a really nice ambiance to it...5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMWe always have a great timeWe always have a great time and meal when we dine at Cucina Urbana. It was my son's 10th birthday and he choose the restaurant. The food was delicious and the ambiance is so fun and lively.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMExceptional ExperienceI thought it would be difficult for Cucina Urbana to live up to the hype. I was wrong. Everything exceeded our expectations. The squash blossoms, amazing mozarella, braised short ribs, veal piccatta and doughnut holes filled with huckleberry jam were a food lovers dream. Thank you for a unique and wonderful evening.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMLove!!!!!Awesome food, great service and cool ambience. One of our favorites in San Diego!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth the hypeVery enjoyable dining experience. Staff was very friendly even when we were about 20 minutes late for our reservation. We just called and the accommodated us (they were super busy too)!
The restaurant has a very hip interior. It is very loud though, so I wouldn't recommend it for an intimate dining experience.
The food was outstanding and the waitstaff was very knowledgeable.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect Dining Before the TheatreCucina Urbana has become our favorite place to dine before attending a play at the Old Globe. Always a lively atmosphere but not so loud that you can not have a conversation. The selection of dishes and wines is extensive and mouth watering. This time we especially enjoyed the mussels with fennel and potato... the sauce was to die for! We love all the salads and this time we had the beet and avocado which was excellent. We recommend these to all our foodie friends.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding gem!Love, love, loved Cucina. We will return every time we're in San Diego!5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMA great spot in Bankers HillThis is fast becoming one of our favorite dining spots in SD.The food is always imaginative and delicious. Service is superb, even when crowded. Good wine selection at very reasonable prices. A perfect place for dinner before a show at the Old Globe.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMA must try in San Diego! HasA must try in San Diego! Has an excellent wine list and love the "wine store" concept inside a restaurant. It adds another element to your dining experience. Start with the meat and cheese plate and then go from there. You won't be disappointed.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat place with a nice casualGreat place with a nice casual ambiance and friendly staff. Food was delicious especially the short rib ragu with parpadelle. I would definitely come back when I'm in town again.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMBest dinner ever!People have been telling me for over two years that I must go to Cucina Urbana. Finally, I did and truly regret not going sooner! What an experience, one of the best meals I have had in San Diego! The ambiance is truly unique and just a beautiful space to relax and be filled on all senses...comfortable plushy chairs, beautiful art and decor all masterfully lit, great conversation with your dinner guests, the most wonderful smells to entice you to the meal ahead and the flavors...the wine...the food...oh the food. Rustic, yet elegant. Robust and sublime. Heavenly.5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAwsome Experience!!Great food, great staff, great service, great ambiance and beautiful restaurant. This place is Amazing!! Need I say MORE!!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food in Gorgeous settingIt was my first time in San Diego. Picked Cucina Urbana to take my travel companion to celebrate his birthday. We both loved it. It is absolutley gorgeous. The food was very good, and the service spectacular. Lot's of people having lots of fun. (Did I mention the place is very BIG! But in a good way. Vibrant!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMSaturday Nightone of the best meals ever! the polenta of the day ranges from superb to brilliant. squash blossoms are amazing, risotto, chicken and short ribs are to die for. the desserts are perfect. I have eaten there 10+ times and have never been disappointed. make reservations, because the place is always busy. they have other resturants in Del Mar and Irvine, just as good!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMLunch and dinner in Cucina UrbanaVery nice place to eat! Different !
Good food and wine. Should like to try more dishes. A pity that we live in Europe!
At the time we were there it was very crowded because of Mothersday. But all was very good!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, atmosphere, and serviceI consistently have a great time at Cucina Urbana. The food is always very well executed, interesting, and delicious. The service is attentive even though the restaurant is always very busy. The hardest thing about eating here is getting reservations, so plan ahead!5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMI will be backI am a San Diego local and drive past CU on a regular basis but never had an opportunity to dine in... Finally got the chance to enjoy the eclectic menu with my family while celebrating my mom's birthday last Thursday night.
Everyone, including my 80+ year old grandmother, was impressed with the menu, wine options and service. The only complaint was the noise level- which I didn't mind- but for anyone hard of hearing, it could be hard to keep up with conversation.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific Pizza!The best pizza we have had in a very long time! Simple but perfect crust, great flavors and a good size for one hungry person. They have an unusual wine list with many labels I didn't know but we found a very nice and reasonable Chardonnay. Our waiter actually recommended it and it was $20 less than the other one I was considering; that was refreshing!5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMAbbondanzaThis is a great place and will certainly go again. The food is creative and goes well beyond the tomato sauce Italian of some of San Diego's older restaurants. Clearly the chef knows real Italian food - especially from the north - and does it well.
No real complaints but a couple things to keep in mind. The wine list is good, and has a number of moderately priced options. But it lacks wines under $30 a bottle. Also it's a bit noisy. Great with outgoing friends but not a place to take someone shy and soft spoken.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellentWhat a winner of a restaurant - awesome, rustic trendy, almost Anthro decor. All the food looks delicious - We wanted every plate that passed by us and were so happy with our choices of the squash blossom, chop salad, and branzino, followed up with a delicious caramel dessert. Will be back!!5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific Lunch!Great food, good service. Having trouble with this program or I'd write more.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMBusiness lunchTook a client to lunch and the food, service and wine were all excellent. Had the pizza and it was perfect. Highly recommend.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMConsistently GreatMy wife and I have been to this restaurant several times - just the two of us and with large groups. In each instance, the food has been excellent.. On this most recent visit, we shared a stuffed zucchini blossoom, a heirloom and burrata cheese caprese style salad, short rib papparadelle pasta and veal piccata. The veal piccata dish was my favorite - extremely tasteful, and the stuffed zucchini blossom. We had an excellent glass of chianti from the wine by the glass menu as well. We were too full for desert but would have enjoyed one of the great choices.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFrom Houston TexasMust say in town for one day, bartender at hotel recommended Cucina Urbana, easy acces, atmosphere fantastic, food beyond all expectations and price wonderful. No cork fee Sunday, octopus appetizer out of this world5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMA winnerVery loud venue with great table service. Altho the place was very busy we had 3 different people waiting our table. They were always there when U wanted them, but not pushy or a pest. The polenta ragu $14 although a little runny, is delicious- ragu very flavorful. The Farmer's chopped family style salads (serves 3-4) for $12 is a real bargain and has lots of great stuff in it. They held our leftovers while we went to the theatre with easy pick up upon our return. I'd skip the pizza next time- it was unremarkable. This is the place to try that unusual dish you normally wouldn't go for. I will return soon.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat eateryWe decided to eat perched on the stools at the entrance to the restaurant where the noise levels were not quite so high.. This being the only downside of an otherwise very enjoyable experience. Prompt efficient service, interesting menu and great food all made for a terrific night.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMHigh accolades for CucinaHigh accolades for Cucina Urbana. Creative, FLAVORFUL, food that you can enjoy in jeans if so desired. Foodies will not be disappointed. Ambiance is festive, not fussy. You will be well taken care of by the wait staff. I can't wait to go back so that I can try more menu items! Check out the menu online. Cucina Urabana is that rare place where the menu description doesn't do the food justice. Best of all, you can enjoy all this without breaking the bank. Must try!5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMLove Cucina Urbana! TheirLove Cucina Urbana! Their food is always amazing and the service is stellar!5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMOur waiter was fantastic andOur waiter was fantastic and every thing he suggested was as he reported-he was from Dusseldorf and a gem!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThe only negative here isThe only negative here is the noise level. Otherwise it is a great restaurant.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMfirst time for lunch as wefirst time for lunch as we always go at 5:00 pre-theater for The Globe. Enjoyed it very much. Not crazy about music selection.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AM