The Venetian Restaurant, San Diego CA

What you want in a neighborhood Italian restaurant: a solid menu with traditional pasta and seafood choices; good thick-crust pizza; a quiet dining room with booths, and a noiser, friendly bar side where you can watch a game, celebrate birthdays, etc.

Under new ownership since about 2020 following 40+ years of reliably decent food. New owners haven't significantly altered the menu or decor.

The good:
- Italian classics in generous portions.
- Good beer and wine selection.
- Thick-crust pizza with lots of cheese.
- Set up for easy pick-up / takeout with a back entrance off the alley
- Easy parking in the bank lot across the alley

The bad:
- Just redo the bathrooms already.

All in all, a Point Loma institution where you can enjoy a solid Italian dinner with family and friends.

The food is good. I enjoyed the veal picatta. I've had a few dished there and never had a bad experience. I think we usually spend $30-$40 per person but 4 of us ordered a couple of bottles of wine this time.

Unassuming looking place with quite good food. The breaded veal and the seafood was surprisingly well prepared. The waiters are friendly and knowledgeable.
Only 4 stars because of the abysmal restroom. The whole place needs a remodel.

Wow has this place gone downhill. I’ve lived close by for over 20 years and this was one of my family‘s favorite once or twice a week kind of places. The calamari was always fantastic now it tastes like it came frozen in a bag. And when you asked for Calamari Fritti you get these over those really thin rings. Prices have gone up the quality is gone down every since they sold it to the new owners.

Excellent Italian for the money and the neighborhood. The staff are friendly and accommodating and the kitchen is great Quinn helped out with our menu selection and everything was fantastic

Great place! Servers have intention to details. Food was very good and one of the rare place where your pizza is well garnish.

Our service was spot on! Apps and drinks were great! All meals were good except the Shrimp Arrabiata. The menu said it was spicy, and I commented I like it spicy. The dish had a lot of garlic. The scallops were a little over cooked for my taste.

Truly authentic Italian food. Delicious, large portions, better than reasonable price's considering the portion size and wonderful meals. We always have leftover's. We've only had takeout from here due to restrictions when Covid made it's dreadful appearance, we were planning on eating their next time, we shall see what the next few week's are to be.

The Shrimp Puttanesca is a divine dish. The Caesar Salad is excellent- I asked for anchovies as an addition & it was perfection. The ambiance is lovely, prices are reasonable enough; what I appreciate about The Venetian is the consistency in the quality of their food- it’s always delicious, whatever you choose to order. Highly recommend, good for a date night fyi.

The food and wine were very good. I believe in supporting family owned restraunts and stores. The service excellent. The only thing I'd say is it needs a good cleaning.

The food was pretty good, though I’m not sure if it was quite worth the price. I would still go back and try other dishes. The pizza is very good!

What a hidden gem! I have only just tried it, but I don't think there is a bad item on the menu. I would highly recommend the calamari steak. I think called the calamari picatta.incredible! Also, for a different kind of pizza, the Genevese is amazing!

Terrible service. Rude employees and with how many options are around here idk why anyone would deal with that staff for the food.not worth it

The pizza was the worst I have ever had. Pasta dishes were excellent. Beware of the pizza, just a glob of cheese and grease!

The Venetian is a Point Loma/Loma Portal area staple for good family Italian dining. The food is great, and the staff is friendly and helpful.

Had a very very load table of 4. Wish they would have told them to quiet down. So the rest of the customers could enjoy

We loved our meal here! Everything we ordered was delicious! The cannelloni was the best we’ve ever had. I can’t remember our servers name, but he was awesome! He was attentive, friendly and took great care of us. We aren’t from the area, but would definitely eat here again.

Amazing staff! Large portions and delicious food. We had the Chicken Parmigiana and Seafood Pasta and they came out perfect. Tiramisu was a great finish. I can't say enough about the staff, they go above and beyond to take care of you. Without a doubt one of the best restaurant experiences in my life!