Bencotto Italian Kitchen

I've just discovered my new favorite Italian spot, and I can't stop raving about it! From the moment we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the host, setting the tone for a wonderful evening. Our waiter went above and beyond, providing exceptional service throughout our meal. He was incredibly attentive and even surprised my daughter with a birthday tiramisu, making her day extra special.I had the mushroom and truffle pasta with pappardelle noodles, and it was beyond delicious! Honestly, just thinking about it makes me want to go back and order it again. The calamari was fresh and fried to perfection, a true highlight. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the gnocchi with red sauce, and my kids devoured their spaghetti and meatballs--they left nothing on their plates!One thing I absolutely loved was the option to choose your pasta style, adding a personal touch to each dish. The ambiance was amazing as well, creating a perfect dining experience. The portion sizes were generous, leaving us fully satisfied.This place hits the mark of 5 stars across the board. I can't wait to return and try more of their incredible dishes! Highly recommend!

We were really excited to finally try Bencotto after hearing so many good things. But maybe we just went on an off day or we didn't order the right things but almost everything that we ordered fell short of our expectations. Reservations are highly recommended since it's a pretty popular Italian restaurant. And it's located in Little Italy so expect to circle around for parking or just take the loss and pay for parking in a garage or lot. Service was great and the food came out pretty fast, especially the appetizers. I just wish that they provided complimentary bread baskets but you can order one if you're craving it. Calamari Fritti: Very small serving for the price and I don't think it was flavored well. Although the description says "lightly fried," we were still taken aback by how soft it was. Like the breading wasn't crispy at all and left us questioning the point of breading and frying them. If that's Bencotto's style, fair enough but it's just not our preference. Fiori Di Zucca Ripieni: Comes with 6 pieces. A recommended appetizer and I was excited to try it out. These were zucchini blossoms stuffed with cheese and then deep-fried. Crispier than the calamari but also lacking flavor. I had to rely on the dip heavily for it to taste good. Ravioli Di Granchio: Ravioli filled with crab meat and comes with about 6 pieces. These were stuffed with crab meat but I found myself wishing for a more cheesy, ricotta-like texture. The lobster cream sauce was really good though.Lasagna Alla Bolognese: Probably the best thing we ordered for the night. I liked how the cheese kind of broiled and crusted along the edges. Pappardelle with Bencotto Sauce: This was selected via Pasta Your Way, where you can customize the noodles and the sauce. Pappardelle is like a wider fettucine and the bencotto is a pancetta sauce. I wish the sauce was a little thicker to stick onto the pasta better. This only scratched the surface of everything they had to offer but I'm a little hesitant to come back to redeem this experience. Because of the prices of each dish, it's really meant for special occasions and I don't really want to risk celebrating something over mediocre food.

A bit overpriced for what it is as these taste like $20 pasta not 30$ pasta Pasta was a bit soft for my taste Didn't have a ton of deep flavorMeatballs were frozen cold

I can't believe I haven't reviewed Bencotto until now! This is one of my favorite restaurants for pasta that I've ever been to, and I make sure to visit every time I'm in San Diego!This time, I enjoyed the happy hour menu which is served until 5:30, and features great deals on drinks and appetizers-- it's definitely worth showing up early for!I always get their homemade penne with fresh basil pesto. It's some of the best pesto I've ever had at a restaurant-- always beautifully verdant and full of great flavor. The fresh penne is also fantastic and perfectly al dente. You can also had a protein to any of their pasta dishes if you're looking for a more substantial meal.I typically sit at the bar, which is comfortable and stylish, featuring great service from their bartenders. I highly recommend Bencotto in San Diego's Little Italy to anyone looking for a great pasta dinner!

My friends and I made a reservation at Bencotto for last Friday night. I've been to San Diego before and Little Italy is one of my favorite areas. We decided to try a new restaurant and Bencotto had some reservations so we thought we would give it a go. We arrived for our reservation and had to wait a few minutes past our reservation time as they cleared us a table. We were sat and immediately greeted by a friendly server. We ordered some glasses of wine, bread (which isn't free), and then pasta dishes. The pasta was fine. I included a photo of the gnocchi neri as that was what I got. The flavor just wasn't there for me. The meal tasted only of fish and nothing else. I've had squid ink pasta before and it's been delicious, but this one just wasn't my favorite. My friends didn't find their food all that incredible either. In a place with so many choices for Italian food I don't think I would give this place another shot.

I had a pleasant dining experience at Bencotto. The Italian food was quite good, and the service was on point. It's a bit on the pricey side, but you definitely get what you pay for in terms of quality and experience. If you're in the mood for solid Italian cuisine and don't mind spending a little extra, Bencotto is a great choice.

Great service, fantastic Al fresco dining.The squid ink pasta is why we came and it was a little dry and the sauce was just ok.Three stars.

Booked a reservation for my man's bday and we sat outside at a booth. Amazing choice because you got to people watch while you ate. Everything we had was really good and the waiter was great and recommended other bars in the area.Definitely recommend the pasta of the night which was in a cream/truffle sauce and then put in the cheese wheel.

People who sit outside on the patio are fools. The inside is perfectly air conditioned with an immaculate view of the streets. The food is delicious. Cannot go wrong with the squid ink fettuccine. Absolute perfection. We also got the fried squash blossom but wasn't impressed. Tasted like a mozzarella stick essentially. Cool if that's your thing. Service is great. Throughout the course of my meal, my water never went below half full. Very attentive servers. We got a very delicious tiramisu for our anniversary.

My cousin was in town for comic con and was craving squid ink pasta. Bencotto came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Made reservations for a Friday afternoon. They ordered the squid ink tagliatelle. Shrimps were big and plentiful. I also ordered the risotto fritto and calamari. Great portions and flavorful. Not sure if they have a dedicated space for parking since we found street parking. Service was great, indoor seating was nice and cool. They also have high chais for the littles. One thing i noticed was that the bathroom did not have a changing area for kids, i am unsure if the other stall has one. (There's two gender neutral restrooms). Unfortunately i forgot to take food pictures