Diners' Choice: Italian restaurants in North San Diego

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Italian cuisine in North San Diego? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Rosina's Italian Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1303)

$30 and under

Italian

Poway / Rancho Bernardo

About the restaurant

Rosina's Italian Restaurants is traditional, casual and family friendly. We prepare our pastas and sauces fresh daily. Rosina's is a great place for a business meeting in our larger additional dining room, special gathering date night, or family dinner.
Hand Made for 30 Years
We serve healthy, Mediterranean recipes the Italian way: homemade soups, fresh vegetables, classic Italian cuisine from the heart of Italy. Our family has prepared meals for San Diegans for almost 30 years.
Find out why your neighbors are calling both of Rosina's locations hidden gems, and make sure to try the nightly dinner specials!

Top review

PatrickVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Great food, and service, as usual. I enjoyed a daily special with pasta, and shrimp. Half off on wine on a Wednesday was an added bonus.

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Popular dish

Fettuccine Mare e Monte

Fresco Grill

4.7

4.7 (513)

$30 and under

Italian

Bonsall

About the restaurant

Leone D'Arcangelo, Chef/Owner, welcomes you to Fresco Wine Bar and Grill. We are proud to present the community with an authentic and creative menu, made with the freshest and best ingredients. At Fresco Wine Bar and Grill we feature an award winning wine list, and a casual, yet sophisticated atmosphere. Located in the River Village shopping center, Leone invites you and your family to enjoy a wonderful dining experience. We are excited to introduce wine pairing dinners, cooking classes, Sunday brunch, and live weekly authentic Italian Music Night, in the near future. We are open daily for lunch and dinner.

Stop in for one of our signature cocktails!

Buon Appetito!

Top review

ErinnVIP

Dined 7 days ago

We love this neighborhood spot. The food never disappoints so we keep coming back!

Vigilucci's Seafood & Steakhouse

4.8

4.8 (4727)

$31 to $50

Italian

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

Vigilucci's Seafood and Steakhouse offers authentic Northern Italian cuisine. The location sits across from the Pacific on the historic 101 and has one of the best views in San Diego.
Open seven days a week. Signature dishes include Caprese salad with bufallo mozzarella and Heirloom tomatoes, made from scratch stuffed pastas, Cioppino, prime steaks, fresh seafood including a warm or cold fresh seafood tower with oysters, clams, mussels, crab, lobster and jumbo prawn. (items may vary )
Private Wine Cellar room available for private parties.

For off-site events and parties contact Cater@Vigiluccis.com
Catering to the most discerning palates for over 25 years.
Vigilucci’s catering team can custom create a unique and memorable menu for celebrating life’s special occasions.

Top review

Justin

Dined 1 day ago

My wife and I had one of our first few dates here and we just had our first year wedding anniversary dinner. Our server Chris made it memorable. This will be our spot for many years to come. Thank you

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Gregorio's Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (394)

$30 and under

Italian

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

Gregorio’s Restaurant serves the Carlsbad community with heart, flavor, and a sense of home. Located in the heart of downtown, we bring people together over fresh, high-quality ingredients and timeless Italian recipes.

Our approach is simple: create delicious, comforting food in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you're here with family, meeting friends, or enjoying a quiet dinner with a glass of wine, we want Gregorio’s to feel like your kitchen away from home.

Every dish is carefully crafted, using only the freshest ingredients to deliver bold, authentic Italian flavors.

We invite you to join us, relax, and become part of Gregorio’s family—where good food and good company are always on the menu.

Top review

SuzetteVIP

Dined 6 days ago

A neighborhood gem. Food is always solid and delicious. Service is exceptional and attentive. A fun restaurant to celebrate with a large group.

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4.8

4.8 (1793)

$31 to $50

Italian

Encinitas

About the restaurant

OPEN FOR DINE IN~ We are accepting online and phone reservations. Please be patient with wait times **IF YOU HAVE A SEATING PREFERENCE FOR EITHER THE INSIDE DINING ROOM OR OUTSIDE HEATED PATIO, PLEASE SPECIFY WHEN MAKING YOUR RESERVATION. **SEATING PREFERENCES CANNOT BE GUARANTEED**

Sun-splashed by day and romantically lantern-lit at night, Firenze's flower-bedecked patio, with it's gentle fountain, is like a private courtyard in some romantic Italian villa. Come see what all the buzz is about we are certain that you will enjoy this one of a kind experience in this beautiful San Diego Italian restaurant.

Top review

PattiVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Wonderful, had such an exceptional restaurant nearby. Great food great service great ambience

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Popular dish

Lasagna Firenze

Vigilucci's Cucina Italiana

4.7

4.7 (2815)

$30 and under

Italian

Carlsbad

About the restaurant

Nestled in the heart of downtown Carlsbad, Vigilucci's Cucina Italiana offers fabulous Northern Italian cuisine and award-winning service. Enjoy lunch on the outdoor patio or start the evening off at their full-service bar before dinner. A great place for a romantic dinner, a family gathering, a company party or special event. Each of Vigilucci's three locations offer a notable wine menu, made from scratch pastas and sauces, fresh seafood specials, salads, prime steaks, chicken and veal dishes.
For off-site events and parties contact Cater. Vigiluccis.com
Catering to the most discerning palates for over 25 years,
Vigilucci’s catering team can custom create a unique and memorable menu for celebrating life’s special occasions.

Top review

Cory

Dined 4 days ago

The service and quality of the food far exceeded the recommendation I got to come here. What an amazing experience it was for me and my soon to be wife. I can’t thank you guys enough for an amazing culinary experience. We’ll definitely be back.

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Popular dish

Lasagna

Popular dish

Fettuccine al Salmone

Popular dish

Fettuccine Alfredo

Vittorio's Italian Restaurant- San Diego

4.8

4.8 (676)

$30 and under

Italian

Carmel Valley

About the restaurant

Italian trattoria and wine bar.
Favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant

Top review

KarenVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Always a wonderful dining experience at Vitorios! Wonderful service and delicious dinner! Love coming here!!

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Experience

Tuesday Date Night

Ambrogio15 Del Mar

4.6

4.6 (226)

$30 and under

Italian

Carmel Valley

About the restaurant

Ambrogio15 Del Mar brings a modern Italian dining experience to the heart of Del Mar Highlands Town Center, inside the Skydeck food hall. A culinary collaboration with Michelin-starred Chef Silvio Salmoiraghi of Ristorante Acquerello (IT), our restaurant offers a refined yet inviting take on Italian cuisine for food lovers across Del Mar, Carmel Valley, and the greater San Diego region.
Our innovative menu showcases pastas, risottos, ultra-thin crust pizzas, and seasonal chef-driven creations, and more, highlighting fresh, sustainable ingredients. Ambrogio15 is also home to an award-winning wine list, exclusively curated with organic, natural, and biodynamic Italian wines - destination for wine enthusiasts seeking authentic pairings.
If you're planning a romantic dinner, a group celebration, or a casual night out, Ambrogio15 Del Mar offers a sophisticated yet approachable atmosphere. Discover why we’re a top-rated choice for modern Italian cuisine in Del Mar and San Diego County.

Top review

PatrickVIP

Dined 6 days ago

In our most recent visit, the food and service were fantastic. ! The front of the restaurant seemed noisy with all that goes on in the Skydeck. We sat in a booth in the rear, and it was perfect. I had the June special pasta and it was great. Others loved the salads, and of course the great pizzas. We will return to Ambrogio 15 in the future.

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Experience

Lunch Menu - Ambrogio15 Del Mar

Experience

4th Anniversary Dinner

Buona Forchetta Encinitas

4.6

4.6 (668)

$30 and under

Italian

Encinitas

About the restaurant

Buona Forchetta Encinitas, our third location, blends award winning Neapolitan-style pizzas and Northern Italian upscale entrees in a family-friendly, approachable space. Located in Encinitas, this location boasts a indoor seating as well as an outside patio and a small room for private events. Inside, a gilded oven churns out classic creations, while the main kitchen serves up chef-driven pastas and entree dishes. Owner Matteo Cattaneo brought the Italian warehouse-style eatery to life.

Top review

LenetteVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Waiters are amazing and so friendly. Food is delicious. Best gluten free pizza in SD!

Amalfi Cucina Italiana - Carmel Valley

4.6

4.6 (781)

$30 and under

Italian

Carmel Valley

About the restaurant

Welcome to Amalfi Cucina Italiana, San Diego’s newest Italian Restaurant! Our menu focuses on a modern approach to classic Italian cuisine using cheeses, breads and meats from local food artisans, and fresh ingredients from local sources. Amalfi is a place to come together with family and indulge in great food together. Come join us in our socially-distanced indoor dining space or dine Al Fresco on our outdoor patio.

Top review

TiffanyVIP

Dined on May 31, 2025

Wonderful experience! Beautiful ambience! The service was outstanding, and the food was amazing.

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