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Monello, San Diego, CA

Monello

4.8 (2718)
$31 to $50
Italian
750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101

Make a reservation

2 people
9:00 PM
Booked 49 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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What 2,718 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

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Monello offers a delightful dining experience with "absolutely amazing" food and "excellent customer service." The fresh, homemade pasta, particularly the cheese wheel pasta, is a highlight. Although the restaurant can be noisy, the ambiance is cozy and the staff is "incredibly welcoming." Perfect for pasta lovers and special occasions!
2,718 Reviews

  1. Sarah VIP

    Chicago / Illinois17 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Restaurant is very nice, nice service. Appetizers delicious: we had the calamari and caprese salad. The mains were solid but not fantastic. Cacio Pepe sauce was fresh and tasty but kind of grainy. We really enjoyed the experience but probably would try some other spots before returning

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  2. Dustin

    Orange County6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Good food and good service. We’d go again for sure!

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  3. Aimee

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Oh my goodness, that was quite an experience! My hubby and I shared the spaghetti cheese wheel, the salad with cranberries, and bread. It was all divine! This was my first time here and certainly won’t be my last!

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  4. Heidi

    Los Angeles1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was amazing and the waitress was really attentive with us checking up on us the perfect amount. Food was absolutely amazing, you can never go wrong with their rotating cheese wheel plates. Definitely recommend visiting during happy hour too, worth the value.

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  5. Bunny

    San Diego1 review

    4.0

    Dined on July 10, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was delicious and I would recommend! I was a little let down that I booked the reservation specifically for the table side cheese wheel pasta because it was my boyfriend’s daughter’s 16th birthday and she wanted to experience that. I even sent the restaurant an email ahead of time. I also put a jot in the reservation letting them know. They didn’t say Happy Birthday to her when we arrived or when we were seated. That was disappointing. Good food and friendly waitstaff, but no effort to make it special. They didn’t bring the cheese wheel cart to our table. And it was too late to say anything by the time we realized that was ours they were making across the restaurant. Go for food. But not experience.

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  6. Eric

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on July 7, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    I message the restaurant that it was our 19th wedding anniversary and in town for the night. They put us at a table at the front door next to host station, after I complicated how beautiful the restaurants design was…?!?! We really felt unattended. Waiter never checked on us for 2nd round of drinks or how the food is…?!?! I read about the owners and they have two restaurants in town. I’m guessing we caught them on an off night or our bad luck. :-(

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  7. Sharen

    Tucson1 review

    4.0

    Dined on July 7, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was absolutely excellent—every bite was a reminder of why this place is so highly rated. From the perfectly cooked pasta to the rich and flavorful lasagna the kitchen clearly knows what it’s doing. It was one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time. That said, the experience wasn’t without hiccups. The restaurant was noticeably understaffed. Our server was doing their best but was clearly stretched thin—long waits, never could get a second glass of wine and we stopped whoever was walking by to get bread. It wasn’t the staff’s fault; they were polite, professional, and working incredibly hard—but they were simply overwhelmed. If the service matched the quality of the food, this would easily be a five-star spot. Hopefully, they can get the staffing sorted out soon, because the kitchen deserves a full house and a smooth operation out front.

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  8. Julia

    San Diego4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and excellent customer service. Julie our server provided us with outstanding customer service. Thank you.

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  9. Johnny

    Las Vegas1 review

    5.0

    Dined on July 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very good pasta. Italian chef is very Italian = Good Pasta.

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  10. phil

    Asheville / Western North Carolina2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Got this recommendation from a co worker - so good! We tried four different pastas between the table (including the cheese wheel pasta). They were all top notch and super fresh. Really, the cheese wheel was probably the least favorite amongst the table (more experiential than anything else). Ragu app and pasta were amazing! Servings very large. Good value for price!

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FAQs

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

Monello is rated 4.8 stars by 2718 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
9:00 PM
Booked 49 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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