Ambrogio by Acquerello

Fantastic meal! We've had dinner at the three Ambrogio locations throughout San Diego a few different times, but the Ambrogio by Acquerello location is definitely an experience on a different level. The owner, GM, and chef are all delightful and go above and beyond to make sure you're well taken care of. You get exquisite dishes that you likely won't see elsewhere (in the best way). Most places in San Diego can do scallops, but I've never had one as beautifully done as the one I had on incredible risotto with white asparagus. They do offer upgrades or alternatives to their 8 course menu, and I opted for white truffles and A5 Wagyu. Let me tell you, it's well worth it and more. I've never had dishes that appear to be so simple, yet boast the most incredible flavors. Our wagyu with spinach was very simple in presentation, but one of the best cuts I've ever had in my life. They don't go over the top and ruin it with unnecessary flavors just to say they're innovative. They simply get high quality ingredients and clearly know how to prepare food so you get the absolute best tasting meal. I've also had their eggplant dish that was presented like a steak and it honestly held its own. I recommend this place to any and all my family and friends and will be returning soon when family is in town. It's not cheap, but it is worth the price for a special occasion and for the way they treat their staff, their customers, and their food. 10/10

Service was very good-Food was honestly disappointing. They were very concerned when we didn't completely eat certain meals- so I'll give them that, being very aware is hard to find. (& I feel bad for posting this because they asked but wed feel horrible telling them upfront esp being the second dish of the dinner) But the Hokkaido scallops were honestly terrible, very slimy & had to of been a few days out of date. Swordfish was really dry but the compliments of the peppercorn helped. Squab was good but the RAW sirloin completely threw me off guard, & I loveeee raw meat. Everything else was enjoyable but nothing exceptional- ok maybe the palette cleanser (lime sorbet) was amazing & definitely helped get the rest of the courses down. Dessert & champagne were the better options of our dinner. Honestly it was ok, not terrible (besides scallops & RAW sirloin)- but we eat out very often and rather go to Bazzar meat, È, or somewhere else for the same price. $535 for an unsatisfying dinner was not what we expected from this high rated La Jolla restaurant. Again, staff was amazing.

Amazing food and fantastic service!The restaurant staffs were very attentive from the start to finish. I had a tasting menu and my friend had a 4 course meal. We enjoyed everything we had. Each item was carefully crafted and unique and had depth of flavor. Each portion was quite generous, so be sure to go there hungey if you are going for the tasting menu! I will definitely go back!

Absolutely awesome cuisine here with top notch service and talented chefs in a quaint rustic setting; Truly an unique restaurant. Love to visit here frequently :)

I feel so lucky to have dined here with one of my good friends. She treated me to a luxurious birthday dinner at Ambrogio. We both got the "Dancing with the Stars" 8-course experience. For drinks, I tried the Agrumata, which has a combination of orange, tangerine, lemon, and bergamot- it was quite refreshing!Dinner started with an apertivo, then Hokkaido scallops, Alaskan black cod, the omelette surprise, chococolate and grapefruit, A5 Japanese wagyu (upgrade), ramen with filet mignon, and an assortment of pastries.Every course was unique and had interesting flavors. The omelete surprise was pretty cool. I really enjoyed everything! The dessert platter came with a variety of chocolate treats! Services was great too. They forgot it was my birthday, so brought out the candle a bit later. If you're looking for something different, this is a great option!

A wonderful tasting experience! Highly recommend the chefs table and cooking class! Kitchen and staff are top notch. Our favorite place to go for a special occasion!

There was nothing in this 8 course dinner that I did not enjoy. From the drink pairing to the food & service. Our server, guided us through every meal, giving us the detail of what our palettes were about to soon enjoy. I won't post the dishes because this is simply a place you must experience for yourself and be in awe of the cuisine. The presentation was exquisite in each plate. I remember going on a warm summer evening and enjoying the breeze as the sun began to set, the lighting and simple yet elegant decor made it feel very sophisticated. I will definitely consider this Ristorante, my favorite in San Diego.

A Night With the Italian Maestros. Representatives from San Diego Foodies Carlsbad Foodies and Chef Marian Foodies attend this special 4 hands Event, with two Michelin Star Chefs preparing the most amazing food a person can ask for. (I have mine paired with small boutique wines/great vintage you really can't get anywhere else). Their Aperativo is their starter. Justin says: "What a way to start this meal". They offer it up as part of all of their specialty menu's that I have seen and tasted, so far. It is a little hand with the egg cut cleanly off, two thirds of the way up, filled with 7 different layers of flavor. Marby says: "It is really good. Really surprises me, all the great flavors".We are moaning and groaning over the soup (our next course). It's a zuppa de cauliflower so it's cauliflower, white chocolate and caviar. This comes out from Chef Fabio who works up in Los Angeles and came down just to create this part of the menu (and more) and what an amazing course it is. "Wow" Marby says. She asks: "What is this amazing flavor"? I respond: "It's White Chocolate, Cauliflower and Caviar. This is such great flavor". Thinking about our chef who creates this I add: "This is who I wanna be when I grow up". We all laugh."You know you're in trouble when you want to lick the bowl", Marby says.. And that pretty much describes our ongoing experience of this evening. It's more than just the flavor. It's the artistic nature of the presentation" says Justin." It's the texture, the colors. It all just blends into an experience".This soup is magical and the orange that comes in at the end with the white chocolate is amazing" Marby says. We're already onto the next course and Marby is still thinking about the soup. I meet with the two chefs and ask for some 'to go'. My wish is granted.Wings by Riedel. Ok. I have taken a course with the people from Riedel, a terrific glass company. And I have never seen this beautiful glass called Wings, before. Just perfect for this Wine.Next up: Eggplant with daikon radish and truffles. "Really something" Justin says. the sauce has a kick but great ....crazy good". I was thinking " This food makes me happy". So that's my quote. "Makes me happy".We are now onto the pasta, mushrooms and zucchini. Justin says: "To cook something small so perfectly is amazing". He continues: "I'm amazed at the flavors the flavor profiles these two chefs create... they just knock it out of the park over and over again". And Marby, who says "I'm full", and doesn't want to eat another thing just keeps eating saying "Wow. Wow, wow".The dessert is five different chocolates with raspberry, chili and Dark Chocolate. Paired with beautiful red wine? It's the perfect way to end a meal! What a memorable experience! Thanks Chefs. Thanks Crew. And a special thanks to GM Mariana. You take very good care of your guests!We'll be back, Chef MarianAnd back we are.... the same week, Saturday Night. Here's the additional review.....8 Course Tasting MenuSo the following Saturday seven of us sat around a long table and Joy course tasting menu. Everyone but one person orders the main menu, "Dancing with the Stars" and by stars we mean caviar and freshly cut truffles that are extra - to be added for sure. Steve orders "A Walk in the Garden" their Vegetarian Meal. We have two members that swear by this meal. So yummy. We are mostly reviewing the better of the two: Dancing with the Stars. When I ask Mariana, the General Manager which of the two is amazing, she says: "The Vegetarian is very good, but I recommend Through the Looking Glass for amazing preparations". And of course, there are two choices of Wine Pairing. Mariana explains that "They are all amazing, small boutique wines, but Through the Looking Glass are more aged, more rare". Branden and I feel the wine pairings are spectacular, and well worth the money. Linda, whose wine palate is well developed agrees about the quality of these wines. As for me? Someone who has traveled the world doing wine tastings, I can say that if you know wine, these wines are certainly to be appreciated with this meal. Yelp doesn't give me the ability for this second review, so the full one will be on Chef Marian dot com, my blog. All amazing. All especially good. This is the place to go eat any time for any reason. Just like I'm a 'regular' at Jeune et Jolie and Ken Sushi Workshop, this is another regular stop for me, going forward. Special thanks to our Chefs and the amazing staff.

Amazing, world class cuisine at Ambrogio by Acquerello! How fortunate we are that the brilliant minds behind the concept brought these international talents to Southern California. The skill and refined palettes of the chefs is apparent in the surprise and brilliance of the dishes. The imagination and thought in the ingredient combinations results in a diverse flavor experience. The atmosphere and service are welcoming and inviting. The wait staff is knowledgeable and well trained. The wine pairings are brilliant and reflect a sophisticated understanding. Many of the wines are from smalll boutique Italian wineries. unique and special.Dining at Ambrogio by Acquerekko transports you to Italy for a brilliant modern Italian cuisine experience.

5 stars for service and cooking techniques, 1 star for the actual food/recipes. The first thing served was exactly like raw egg quiche filling inside an egg. Very meh. You eat it out of egg shell, so the entire experience is smelling and eating a raw egg with some cream mixed in. Next was scallops covered in squid ink. Sort of tasted like squishy old kelp water. The egg surprise was just an egg white omelet covering a raw egg yolk. There were apparently about 10 other ingredients, but the only taste was overwhelming raw egg yolk. Swordfish was just bland and tough, though pretty looking. Squab was very very good, the only winner. Pasta was a glob of very stuck together green fettuccine with 5 boiled tiny clams. No taste besides a basic clam taste. Dessert was basic, chocolate brownie and whatnot. There was also a lime sorbetto that was exactly like the concentrated frozen lime juice out of a can. Not worth the $500 including tip (that's the bill with one glass of wine).Hopefully they will re think their recipes. The ambience is very nice. Great servers and great cooks. Recipes need a lot of work.