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CUCINA urbana, San Diego, CA
Award-winning

CUCINA urbana

4.7 (7217)
$30 and under
Italian
505 Laurel St., San Diego, CA 92101

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 47 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Lively
We are a wine shop inside of a restaurant | Dining and design form the perfect union at San Diego's highly acclaimed CUCINA urbana, a California-inspired Italian kitchen and wine shop, located in the heart of Bankers Hill since 2009.

The restaurant boasts comfort and familiarity, welcoming diners to a country farmhouse with the added whimsy of a contemporary art installation.

CUCINA urbana is the originator of the CUCINA retail wine program where each dedicated shop allows guests to hand select wines at a retail price, either to enjoy with their meal for a minimal corkage fee or for purchase to-go. The wine list is comprised of many familiar labels as well as rare and small-batch gems, with an emphasis on Italian varietals.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, American, Mediterranean
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Tim Kolanko
  • Catering
    URBAN KITCHEN CATERING provides four star, stunning events with menus unique to your occasion. For more information check the URBAN KITCHEN CATERING link on our website www.urbankitchengroup.com or call Alison at 619.239.2222 extension 2. Or if interested in restaurant buyout opportunities, please contact Tiffany Tassano at 619.239.2222 extension 4.
  • Private party facilities
    From birthday celebrations and corporate dinners to graduation celebrations and wedding receptions, our space is perfect for your dining event. Our Wine Shop offers an intimate semi-private space for smaller functions, while larger groups are welcome to host their event using our entire restaurant as a private venue. We offer: wine specialists, who will design pairings for your meal, personalized printed menus, table decorations, specialty to-go gifts, and more.
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Neighborhood
    Banker's Hill
  • Cross street
    5th avenue
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Complimentary Old Globe Shuttle

    Multiple dates available
    Headed to The Old Globe? Let us do the driving. Dine at CUCINA urbana before your show time and add a complimentary shuttle ride to Balboa Park. No matinee shows | advanced booking required Available on evenings during regular Old Globe show schedule.
    Complimentary Old Globe Shuttle Photo

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What 7,217 people are saying

CUCINA urbana 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
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cucina Urbana in San Diego offers a "wonderful dining experience" with "amazing food" and "exceptional service." Guests rave about the "superb cocktails" and "well-selected wines." The restaurant is "kid-friendly" with a "fun atmosphere," making it perfect for families. Highlights include "squash blossom appetizers" and "delicious pasta dishes."
7,217 Reviews
  1. Megan VIP

    San Diego5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Such a nice night. This restaurant never disappoints, now we just need to branch out from ordering our favorites to try other delicious menu options. :)

    Is this helpful?

  2. Mara

    San Diego4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was very slow, even though it was a Monday. Our reservation was for 8 people ar 5pm. We ordered 3 bottles of champagne which was great and a bottle of wine. My pasta had great flavor but the shrimp was not good. Smelled fishy and had a bad taste, I sent it back. Server was not attentive.

    Is this helpful?

  3. ittai VIP

    Los Angeles17 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    It’s not very welcoming to be greeted by a grumpy hostess with an attitude and no smiles, no matter what is happening in their world, they are the first experience a customer has, the face of the restaurant, representing the owners and managers. the attitude affected our experience, to be greeted in such a horrible way gets to you.  Asking to be seated somewhere else when getting a sour face about it doesn’t really help, a second hostess came and solved the issue which was nice. Otherwise the food, our server and the wine was fantastic.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Tom

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved every minute....it was our first visit....we will be back...

    Is this helpful?

  5. Daniel VIP

    San Diego3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great staff and fun ambience. We celebrated our anniversary here and had a great time.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Carrie

    San Diego1 review

    2.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Was super disappointed, have eaten here before. Our appetizer was cold, salad was terrible (bitter lettuce) and pizza was just fair. Our server was amazing. But overall hoped for better

    Is this helpful?

  7. Leslie VIP

    Dallas - Fort Worth68 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was hard to hear when the crowd arrived but the food was the best we had in San Diego. Great appetizers, entrees, pea pasta, osso bucca, and branzino. The lemon cello dessert was outstanding ! Try it you'll like it!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Hilary

    San Diego7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Josh took great care of us! everyone treated our kids kindly and made dinner fun for them (build your own pizza at the table was their highlight). Wonderful cocktail and wine selections! Highly recommend.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Rachana VIP

    Greater Boston5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our host and server (Kevin, I think?) were most gracious and accommodated our late arrival and subsequent trip to the Old Globe. Food and ambiance were terrific too! Thank you for a pleasant evening! :)

    Is this helpful?

  10. Dan

    Phoenix / Arizona12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great dinner with our granddaughter. She loved making her pizza and our branzino was perfectly cooked. Our server was an older gentleman who was so good. Nice attitude and very professional. He made us feel very welcome.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

CUCINA urbana offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 239-2222.

CUCINA urbana is rated 4.7 stars by 7217 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. Banker's Hill

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 47 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for CUCINA urbana

505 Laurel St., San Diego, CA 92101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Cross street
    5th avenue
  • Neighborhood
    Banker's Hill
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, American, Mediterranean
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Tim Kolanko
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    URBAN KITCHEN CATERING provides four star, stunning events with menus unique to your occasion. For more information check the URBAN KITCHEN CATERING link on our website www.urbankitchengroup.com or call Alison at 619.239.2222 extension 2. Or if interested in restaurant buyout opportunities, please contact Tiffany Tassano at 619.239.2222 extension 4.
  • Private party facilities
    From birthday celebrations and corporate dinners to graduation celebrations and wedding receptions, our space is perfect for your dining event. Our Wine Shop offers an intimate semi-private space for smaller functions, while larger groups are welcome to host their event using our entire restaurant as a private venue. We offer: wine specialists, who will design pairings for your meal, personalized printed menus, table decorations, specialty to-go gifts, and more.
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