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Operacaffe, San Diego, CA

Operacaffe

4.7 (1418)
$30 and under
Italian
835 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 12 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
At Operacaffe we are passionate about our culinary business and our customers. The reputation for excellent cuisine, top-notch service, the quality and freshness of ingredients are the reasons we are so proud of our brand new restaurant!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Patrizia Branchi
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,418 people are saying

Operacaffe 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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Operacaffe, nestled in downtown San Diego, offers an enchanting dining experience with authentically Italian cuisine praised as "the best Italian restaurant in San Diego." The "outstanding" food, including "freshly cooked pasta," is complemented by "friendly, accommodating" service, making it a perfect pre-theater destination. Highly recommended for its "great value."
1,418 Reviews
  1. Christie

    Phoenix5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Operacaffe, loved the Pear Pear Pear cocktail, Tortelli Grandioche, Lasagna and the desserts were to die for. We tried Tiramisu, Limoncello Cake and Lava Cake, all amazing, excellent service and atmosphere.

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  2. Jerry

    San Diego19 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on May 31, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Used to be much better. The chicken parm is 50% thinner than the last time and the tomato sauce was very peppery. It's okay if you're not a big foodie like we are. Service and drinks are always excellent.

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  3. Barbara VIP

    Central Coast6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 31, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great mushroom ravioli and good service. Reasonable wine by the glass. Nice time.

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  4. Megan

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We found this little gem by chance. It was close to Balboa theater. The space is cozy and enchanting. The food was fresh and delicious. Italian cuisine. I want to go back and try more things. Great for a long visit with a family or friends. No pressure to leave, stay and enjoy.

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  5. mark VIP

    Las Vegas174 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a fantastic dining experience at OperaCaffe, conveniently located right across the street from the Balboa Theatre. The food was outstanding—fresh, flavorful, and authentically Italian. The service matched the quality of the cuisine; the staff was friendly, accommodating, and attentive throughout our visit. A special shoutout to Pete, the manager, who is clearly hands-on and keeps everything running smoothly. His proactive approach added a personal touch to the experience. Overall, OperaCaffe offers great value for top-notch food and service in a perfect downtown location. Highly recommend!

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  6. Cheryl

    San Diego3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Reservations were for 6:00, since we had a 7:30 curtain for the Balboa Theater, across the street. Restaurant was full, but hostess let us know she just needed to clear a table in order to seat us. We waited less than 5 minutes and were seated. She wished us a happy anniversary, since the reservation app asked if we were there for a special occasion. As per the reviews I read, the restaurant is small and cozy, so no surprises there. The staff members were all polite, and busy caring for customers. We were able to order the bread basket with olive oil and balsamic, our entrees and dessert and still made it to the theater by 7:30. Everyone enjoyed their dinner, and the waiter even brought us a complimentary dessert for our anniversary. Would gladly go again!

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  7. Swati VIP

    San Diego34 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Tasty food, great service, and fun cafe vibes. Perfect spot for dinner before a show! I had the ravioli forcetta and savored every last bite.

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  8. KEN

    San Diego3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I had the smoked salmon with bow tie pasta that was served hot and tasty!! The wait staff was very attentive!

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  9. stephanie VIP

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food! Fast service! We love dining here before a show at the Civic Theatre.

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  10. Charlie

    Seattle / Eastern Washington1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful food--freshly cooked pasta served piping hot. Rivals our recent experience Italy. This just might be the best Italian restaurant in San Diego!

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FAQs

Operacaffe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 234-6538.

Operacaffe is rated 4.7 stars by 1418 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. Downtown

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 12 times today
Google Map for Operacaffe

835 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Patrizia Branchi
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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