Buon Appetito Restaurant, San Diego CA

We were looking more for a true traditional Italian restaurant. So out of courtesy we ended up having a steak. Yet service was great.

This place is great! I went there twice this past week. I had braised pork shank (Ossobuco Di Maiale) for one meal and the baby lamb chops (Costate D' Agnello) for the second meal. Both were outstanding; the presentation, the taste, the flavors, and the portions were amazing. I have never had that much lamb before. It had great flavor and was cooked to perfection.
They have sidewalk seating which I enjoy and the service was excellent. Lots of restaurants are struggling with staffing issues and consequently service can be a little hit and miss. I found the servers here to be knowledgeable, helpful, and quick to respond to requests. I highly recommend this place.

Nice staff and place, but the Fettuccine Alla Montanara is absolutely flavorless.
There must be a salt shortage.

This place has a great atmosphere with seating in the street. The dish I wanted was 86 and I was given a different dish than I ordered which was very good anyways. Great wine selection, prices and service. Just wish it had a full bar.

We ordered appetizers, 3 main course and drink and spent over $100. But 20min after they served the main course, the bus lady came by twice, 2 min apart to rush us to finish. Ruined the whole experience

I first visited this place back in 2009 and it hasn't disappointed since. It is still one of my favorites in Little Italy 12 years later. The only thing is that my favorite item has been removed from the menu, so that's a bummer. But, overall despite the pandemic and all that's going on in the world, the service is still good (a little slower than before, but no biggie, the food is worth it). House salad is bomb! And basically any dish I've ever had here has been delicious. Great wine selection, too. Highly recommended.

Located in Little Italy downtown San Diego. Has great Italian food! Nice atmosphere with out door street side seating. There is also the Buon Appetito Market with a selection of olive oils from Italy, wine, cheeses and meats to build your own charcuterie plate.

The Ossobucco on the special was divine. The service was unreal. And the price was moderate at most. Someone else got a steak that was A+. We got meatballs too; they were awesome too!

I don’t remember when I had a meal like this where everything I’ve ordered has been incredible

Love the atmosphere, we didn't love the food. 3 of 4 dishes were bland with not enough flavor.

Overpriced. I made the mistake of ordering takeout thinking I was ordering from the restaurant next-door. I realize my mistake once I picked up the food. Feeling disappointed, I talked myself into a new restaurant experience and figured I’d give it a fair chance.

The calamari was good although the zucchini was overcooked but the artichokes were a huge disappointment. There was no comparison to Soluntos because they are prepared very differently but they were saturated in olive oil and very tough.

I would not recommend ordering these items from this restaurant. Ordering from here will not be a mistake I make again.

Amazing place, from the bread and sauce to the recommended dish i can't even pronounce. Wagner was amazing with the service!

Nice variety with fair prices. Sitting outside a must. Right across from the ocean and a few blocks from the Midway.

Love this place! My favorite to go for Italian food when in San Diego!
I love there outdoor terrace and a good ambient. Lots of locals who eat here all the time and will get to know you.
My favorite dish is seafood pasta!
Also don't miss your chance to get the best tiramisu in San Diego I love it and my kids make me go there to bring more every couple of days!

Was not impressed. No bread offered or water we had to ask for them. Service wasn’t even good to say the lease. Chicken on the salad had no taste.

Such an excellent experience. So delicious.
Ordered a bottle of Menguante Tempranillo-spanish red wine, Caprese appetizer, Pesce Marechiaro-an excellent seafood pasta with a red sauce (with gluten free penne instead of the linguine), and the Borsettini Di Aragosta-pocket pasta filled with lobster & cheese topped with a cream sauce. $110 before tip. Everything was so good! Can't recommend enough. Portions are generous sizes, flavors are amazing. Great pre-meal bread. Service was pretty good and we didn't even have to wait very long but it was kinda early on a Saturday evening.
Most all dishes can substitute pasta for Gluten Free Penne, and there is also a Vegan and Gluten free ravioli option.

I liked it so much I went back a couple days later for the Cioppino & it did not disappoint either! Such good food!

The food was delicious.so my compliments to the chef and prep staff.

Now the service from the waiter we had that day needs major improvement.honestly we had better service from the bus boy than from the actual waiter.

Would of been beyond a 5 star review if the waiters service was as high as the the food they served.

Note: we went there with two friends who stated they been there multiple times and never was waited by that particular waiter before, and the service is normally a lot better.

Looking forward to going there again and changing this review seeing that their food was delicious.

This place is great! Good outdoor seating and great Italian food. You should try the seafood pasta. Also it is located the heart of little Italy

The food was just amazing. Very tasty, good portions and very authentic Italian. Our server was wonderful. On top of everything, but not in a rushing you way. Would definitely eat here again.