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Monello, San Diego, CA

Monello

4.7 (2685)
$31 to $50
Italian
750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101

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2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 33 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Lively
As Bencotto's brother located next door,
Monello lives up to its sibling's reputation as Best Italian restaurant in San Diego.
From the 800 LB of fresh pasta handcrafted every week, Monello displays up to 27 different recipes of pasta.
Mediterranean style seafood is served along with gourmet pizza.
Monello delivers Pasta & Risotto tossed in the Parmigiano cheese wheel tableside.
Unique Italian-style brunch is served on weekends.
Voted Best Happy Hour 2016, Monello's Milanese Aperitivo offers small plates on the house with drinks every night.
UN­ABLE TO FIND A TABLE? CHECK OUT OUR BROTHER RESTAURANT BENCOTTO NEXT DOOR

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Mediterranean, Comfort Food
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Fri 12:00 pm–9:30 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–9:30 pm Happy Hour Tue–Sun 3:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 501-0030
  • Website
    http://www.lovemonello.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Fabrizio Cavallini
  • Catering
    Send catering inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Private party facilities
    Monello offers semiprivate and private SPACES. www.lovemonello.com Send inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct
  • Location
    750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101
  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy
  • Cross street
    Kettner
  • Parking details
    The Little Italy Association offers valet parking Tuesday through Sunday at the corner of India St. and Fir St. (in front of Influx) & Kettner Blvd. & Fir for $10.00 beginning at 5:30pm. Limited street parking is available. Metered parking is free after 6:00pm until 6:00am Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday.
  • Public transit
    MTS Transit Trolley Stop Green Line: County Center/Little Italy
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,685 people are saying

Monello 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
  • 4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Monello offers a vibrant dining experience with "amazing food" and "friendly, knowledgeable staff." Renowned for its "delicious cheese wheel pasta," the homemade pasta and fresh ingredients stand out. The lively ambiance and "excellent service" make it a favorite for Italian cuisine enthusiasts, despite occasional noise and parking challenges.

2,685 Reviews

  1. Scott

    Chicago7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What stuck out about our meal was how fresh and well cooked the pasta dishes were. I couldn't name a single thing they could improve on. Very satisfying for a large family.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Tony

    Palm Springs1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was delicious and the service was top notch. We will definitely be going back

    Is this helpful?

  3. Tom

    Phoenix5 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Food was great, and service was good, but a little TOO much attention at times. We were trying to catch up with friends, but were constantly interrupted by one restaurant employee after another. Also, music was WAY too loud; we had a hard time talking over the blaring speakers.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Aalok

    San Diego1 review

    4.0

    Dined on May 5, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    We had a reservation for 8:30p but table wasn’t available until 9p

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  5. Rosario

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Such a great experience! The food was delightful, cheese wheel pasta was a fun experience

    Is this helpful?

  6. Stephanie

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved everything about this restaurant was seated quickly and the staff were all very friendly and attentive. Loved that we received our food so fast and it was delicious.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Carlyn

    Unspecified1 review

    4.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Everything was really nice, but according to the reviews I had seen I was expecting much more.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Amber VIP

    Indiana9 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on April 22, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    First time here and to be honest we came for happy hour - had read about free apps with drink purchase and it sounded intriguing. Unfortunately, they only do that during certain seasons - so they had a normal happy hour menu. No big deal. We asked to sit outside but to be by a heater. They didn’t turn heater on until 3/4 of way thru our time there - sad face. But still no big deal. Drinks were pretty good, and calamari was okay. Waiter was friendly for sure! But upon paying we were told we couldn’t use our gift card at happy hour. Such a bummer as we picked this place because it was listed on gift card restaurant option. Feels like that should be disclosed somewhere… Overall, fun place for a drink or two with a downtown locations that’s hard to beat - but our first experience was just okay.

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  9. Cindy VIP

    San Diego62 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We went for Happy Hour on a Saturday like we used to in the past, but, oops, HH is only Mon-Fri now, so be ready to pay full prices. Our server James was really great! Drinks are a bit pricey. Food was absolutely delish. Three of us shared excellent and fresh Caesar salad, small charcuterie plate (meat, cheeses, jams, bread) and the stuffed pasta special. All were delicious and filling. We love Monello and will be back, maybe on a weekday to try Happy Hour again.

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  10. Tim

    Houston6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We go to Monello’s frequently and have never been disappointed. The service was great by Christina and the food was so, so good! We had the cheese wheel pasta and the Tagliatelle al Ragú d’ Agnelli - fantastic. The gnocchi and ravioli are also delicious. Had the Caesar and fiori di zucca as an appetizer… very nice! Best place in Little Italy for Italian cuisine!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Monello offers delivery in partnership with Postmates. Monello also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 501-0030.

Monello is rated 4.7 stars by 2685 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. Little Italy

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 33 times today
Google Map for Monello

750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Kettner
  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Fri 12:00 pm–9:30 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–9:30 pm Happy Hour Tue–Sun 3:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Mediterranean, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    The Little Italy Association offers valet parking Tuesday through Sunday at the corner of India St. and Fir St. (in front of Influx) & Kettner Blvd. & Fir for $10.00 beginning at 5:30pm. Limited street parking is available. Metered parking is free after 6:00pm until 6:00am Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday.
  • Public transit
    MTS Transit Trolley Stop Green Line: County Center/Little Italy
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Fabrizio Cavallini
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct
  • Website
    http://www.lovemonello.com/
  • Phone number
    (619) 501-0030
  • Catering
    Send catering inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Private party facilities
    Monello offers semiprivate and private SPACES. www.lovemonello.com Send inquiry to info@lovemonello.com

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