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Monello, San Diego, CA

Monello

4.7 (2705)
$31 to $50
Italian
750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101

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2 people
11:30 PM
Booked 44 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Hot spot
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
  • 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 2,705 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
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Monello offers an exceptional dining experience in San Diego's Little Italy, with "amazing cheese wheel pasta" and "friendly, attentive service." Known for its fresh, homemade pasta and vibrant atmosphere, Monello consistently delivers high-quality Italian cuisine. While parking can be a challenge, the culinary delights and welcoming staff make it worth the effort.
2,705 Reviews

  1. Louise

    New York City12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Visiting from NY metro area and this food is delicious. We know our Italian cuisine! Everything was so fresh and plentiful. Although on the noisier side, our family’s table felt intimate and we were able to carry on a conversation. Highly recommend getting the cheese wheel pasta, which was freshly made. Squid ink pasta was equally delicious, with a savory and rich lobster bisque sauce and freshly grilled chunks of octopus. Pizza Margherita was crisp and fresh, and the chicken breast cutlet with prosciutto and mozzarella was juicy and thick. We only wish we’d left room for some of the desserts, which sounded fantastic.

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  2. Rob

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food from the staters to the main dishes. Staff were all extremely attentive and kind. Parking is difficult being that it is in little Italy but well worth the trouble.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Jody VIP

    Columbus2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    For our large group (7), the noise level made it hard to hear everyone.

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  4. Kathleen

    San Francisco Bay Area18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious as always! We had the cheese wheel pasta and it was amazing. Also wish they would bring back the apertivo for happy hour!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Chris

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great online booking and was running late but got the next reservation 15 mins later. Parking is a bit of a challenge in Little Italy San Diego, so plan ahead for that. Super friendly staff great recommendations but We knew we wanted to try both the Cheese wheels! They did not disappoint! My wife and friend loved the Parm, I went with the Pecorino! We loved the Parm but fell head over heels for the Pecorino! I ordered extra sausage, DO IT! Great sweet and sliced. We also got an order of Burrata which my friend had never had before, he is now hooked! Drinks were just right and awesome options even for non-drinkers!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Evan

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We went to Monello on a Sunday evening after the Padres game. Very nice restaurant, great margarita pizza and ceaser salads! Super fresh and delicious. We sat outside, our server was great and very attentive. We will be coming back to try their pasta.

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  7. Kristen VIP

    Baltimore / Maryland2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The cheese wheel pasta was amazing !! The chef was so sweet and came to our table and told us to come over so we could see how it was made ! First timer and can’t wait to go back !

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  8. Tonya

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server Christina was amazing. The staff all around was on point and super friendly. As a local chef, I appreciate the value in team members. Monello has an amazing team. The food was excellent. I cannot wait to go back.

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  9. Kailey

    Phoenix / Arizona1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Monello never disappoints. I’m from out of state and have been going for years every time I’m in town it’s that good. They are extremely consistent with their high quality and excellent food; couldn’t recommend it more. Their pastas are absolutely to die for.

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  10. Karen

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were celebrating a birthday and had a wonderful meal and experience. Tried the 4 pepper sauce for the and delicious. The cheese wheel special was Cacio e pep,it was just like we had in Italy. Highly recommend!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Monello offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 501-0030.

Monello is rated 4.7 stars by 2705 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
11:30 PM
Booked 44 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
  • 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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