Al Dente, San Diego CA

So delicious. I have been eyeing this place for a while and im very happy we decided to finally stop in. James the manager was so attentive. Def will be back

I would highly recommend this place. I got the fettucine alfredo with shrimp and the pasta was very soft, wide, and delicious. Shoutout to Isa and James for giving us a free dessert for our first time visiting, just to be nice. Arancini and caesar were also very good.

Amazing food! James our server was very polite and was on top of his game! And Isa our waitress was super sweet! This place is perfect for a date night!

Rigatoni was cooked perfectly and the sauce was spot on.

Espresso martinis made by James are impeccable.

Came here for dinner as part of a group of 5 around 7: 30 on a Thursday. It was not busy at all and was seated right away. There is seating inside and on the patio, but we took a table inside. We were provided water right away and given time to look over the drink and food menu. Our server also provided recommendations and some insight on the chefs and their food. The pasta is said to be freshly made. We ordered appetizers for the entire table to share. The Artichoke alla Romana, Frittura di Calamari, and Zucchini Blossoms where delicious. I ordered the Linguine Vongole, which had good flavor. My wife ordered the Tonnarelli Carbonara which she had parmesan cheese added, and it was delicious. My friend ordered the Pecorino wheel for the Pasta of the Day, which was finished at table-side. Having it finished table-side cooled it off some, so it wasn't as hot as the rest of the food. To drink most of us ordered one of their sangria, which I got a white sangria. The sangrias were a little on the weak side. To finish the meal, we got a Tiramasu fir the table to share. It was soft and great taste. The friendly service and atmosphere was great. There isn't a parking lot onsite, only street parking around the area. I would come back if I'm in the area wanting Italian.

Had a great spot on the patio for some delicious Italian food. David our server took great care of us and made my boyfriend and I feel like we were celebrating although it was just a normal weekday. We had the garlic bread, lobster ravioli and clam linguine. All 10/10. Don’t forget a slice of tiramisu for dessert!

So welcoming, food was fabulous. Short rib ravioli with mushroom sauce. Best Italian dish I've ever had.

What an amazing dining experience. The food was delicious and I felt like they treated my date and I like royalty! Our waiter David was fantastic and was attentive and just gave off the greatest vibe. My girl and I will be back for sure

Got the chicken Parm. One word. Awful. Thin, overcooked, rubbery piece of Chicken with mediocre sauce. Was charged an extra 3.00 dollars for spaghetti. So it was 24 dollars for this piece of chicken. This was yellow cheese. Which isn't mozzarella or parm. The breading fell off and was soggy and not crispy at all, which I'll give the benefit of the doubt for that to it being delivered. Overall the meal I had was a 0 out of 10, will not be back and would not recommend it.

Came here for restaurant week. Food was excellent- once we had a waiter and could order. We sat for awhile once seated and watched other tables get served that came after us. I know restaurants are short staffed but at least acknowledging us and bringing water would have brought a lot of forgiveness.

Beautiful new spot! Might be the best Italian in the area! You have to check it out! Isa and Savanna were amazing!

We were greeted very warmly by our server upon arrival at Al Dente. A cozy, sleek spot that offers a varied Italian menu. We were surprised to find such a vacant spot that was reviewed so well upon research prior to our arrival. Our server gave us some prosecco in addition to the Pinot we ordered as a gesture of good faith in our return. Of course we accepted this generous gift! Thank you!

We ordered (as pictured) the Bruschetta first. The bread was fantastic. While we weren’t the biggest fans of the portioning of the burrata, it didn’t take an overall detraction from the hors d’oeuvres. It had a great combination of flavor and the bread was slightly toasted, yum!

I ordered the short ribs, however I really debated the Carbonara as both were described deliciously. The mashed potatoes served with the short ribs were so consistently fluffy and tasty. The short ribs were perfectly cooked, albeit missing a couple notches of spice (which was totally fine!) and was greatly enjoyed.

My fiancée ordered the Gnocchi, adding shrimp. This was some of the best Gnocchi we’ve ever had. Soft, dense, and coated in a taste worthy sauce that we couldn’t get enough of.

Last but certainly not least, the Tiramisu. SO DAMN GOOD! We were very surprised with how much creamy fluff made up the Tiramisu, as we’re used to more densely made ones, but it did not disappoint at all. Probably the best Tiramisu we’ve had in a long time. Recommended!

Al Dente is a staple italian spot, located quaintly and their service and cost provided great value. Overall, a fantastic experience. When we come back to San Diego we will do our best to return!

My dinner with my friends at Al Dente restaurant was such a memorable night that I felt compelled to share my experience. Here are my thoughts: 1. The service we got from our server, Alex was superb. He went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. I would hire him if I owned a restaurant. 2. The food I ordered was delicious from appetizers to desserts. If you want a taste of Italy, come here and you will not be disappointed. 3. There is a friendly atmosphere here at Al Dente. The tables are cozy and the ambience is very Italian. 4. Pricing is reasonable. In all, I want to thank you, Al Dente for a lovely night of delicious foods and friendly environment. I will return again very soon.

I hardly ever leave reviews but this restaurant was amazing. The food was delicious, I had trouble deciding between sitting inside and outside because both were so cute, and our server James was the absolute best. Super attentive but not overbearing, even brought us complimentary glasses of Prosecco while my friend and I were chit chatting after we’d already paid the bill. The duck pappardelle was delicious as was the fig and prosciutto bruschetta. 10 out of 10 stars would 100% recommend!

This restaurant seemed mismanaged and understaffed. We arrived early and it still took about 10 minutes after our reservation time to get seated, which ended up being in an expansion area out back with no heaters or patio coverings. Took another 10 minutes to get water. Glasses and napkins were dirty. Finally got the main entrees about an hour later, amidst random drizzling outside. Food was mediocre and overpriced. The kitchen and staff are probably too limited to support the number of tables they think they can serve. Annoying experience overall.

Owners were so attentive and patient with the littles in our group - food was incredible. A must in San Diego!

The food was fantastic! Group favorites were definitely the arancini, limoncella sponge cake, gnocchi special, and cannoli. Manuela was the BEST server.

Wow this place was great! Excellent carbonara and the oxtail ravioli was also delicious. Great service too!

- The food is overpriced, oily, and definitely not worth the money. We had 6 bowls of past and 3 drinks for $250. I am happy to spend money on quality food but this certainly isn’t it. The cook of the pastas was not consistent. Some were mushy and others al dente. The flavors were indistinct. Dishes that presented as vegetable forward hardly had any vegetables. After eating here I am left wondering how this place has 4.8 stars. I feel like I am being generous with my 3.
- It’s also worth nothing that the bathroom was disgusting and smelled like a urinal cake.

My husband walked in around 6 pm on a Friday and didn't have a reservation. I had checked availability online beforehand and because there were openings every 15 minutes all night, I figured we could just walk in. When we got there, there was a not a single customer in the restaurant (but may have been out on the back patio - we couldn't see). A server asked if we had a reservation and when we said no, he said he would have to sit us out on the front patio because "they were going to get very busy. " It was super hot that day and we would have preferred to sit inside, but were not even given the option.

I was also given the wrong wine at first, but our server quickly fixed it. We decided to just order a charcuterie plate and salads because it was so hot on the patio that our wines were sweating as much as us and it would have been too uncomfortable to try and stay for a full meal.

The charcuterie board is a good amount of food for the value, but no one took the time to explain what was on it so we had to guess. We also had to ask for silverware and plates to share. (A small thing, but yet another inconvenience.) The Caesar salad was good and I'd order it again.

When we left, about an hour later, there were 2 couples inside of the restaurant. We could have easily been sat inside instead of out in the heat, because it turns out they did not get "very busy" during the time we were there.

I would go back, but not for a while. It feels like there were some basic hospitality things to work through.