Operacaffe

Great food, great ambiance, great service. The pasta is made fresh, the creamy pesto was some of the best I've had, with the fettuccine cooked perfectly. My husband doesn't love mushrooms so we got the ravioli del fattore sans the mushrooms and it was soo good. It was slightly spicy with almost a vodka sauce. Highly recommend both. I recommend this place!

Firstly, such excellent service and a welcome family-like ambiance! This sweet little spot is located right across from the Balboa Theatre downtown and my husband and I came across it from just walking around looking for a quick bite to eat before our show. We were greeted immediately and so warmly by the hostess who gave us a beautiful rundown of some of the history behind their spot, the chef, and the menu. My husband and I ultimately decided on sharing the truffle tartufo with fettucine noodles and added shrimp, and having the bruschetta as a starter. We also got the paloma and a "Spirits" drink that I unfortunately can't remember the full name of. Our food came quickly but was so fresh! The bruschetta was fully loaded and was a great starter to our meal. The arugula that our little olives were sitting on were wilted and seemed a little old, but understandably, as it was just meant to be a garnish, I honestly didn't mind it too much. Its not like I was going to eat it anyways. The fettuccine was absolutely divine! The noodles tasted fresh and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. I do wish the truffle flavor itself was slightly stronger (especially for how high the bill came out to be, but it IS Downtown SD), but it was so enjoyable anyways and a perfect amount between my husband and I to not feel so heavy before our show. Our cocktails were light and refreshing as well, especially mine with all the mint and lime mixed in. We definitely would stop in again with a bigger appetite as there was so many other offerings on the menu that equally sounded delicious.

Great service from door to bus person ! Food was amazing, we were at a crunch for time before theatre so. Only wine and appetizers definitely will be back. Having just travelled to Florence Italy all this place needed was the wine window!!

The food here is amazing BUT we waited around an hour for our food. We even got a bread basket which they charge $3 for but pretty sure they forgot until we asked for it 45 minutes in. The pasta itself is amazing. I got the pappardelle duck ragu from the specials menu and it was absolutely delicious. My partners pasta (can't remember the name of it) to him was good but it was like eating a stick of butter in his words. Super thick. Would definitely come back or order to-go.

Solid spot! I ordered the ahi tuna salad and although it was good, I should've ordered the pasta or pizza! My family ordered gnocchi and penne, and they were delicious! I definitely would come back for the original Italian food!

Came here Tuesday night for some Italian food while in San Diego. Walked in late and were immediately seated. Ordered Margherita pizza to start and then had some pasta - gnocchi cacio pepe and lobster ravioli. Pasta overall was pretty good but the pizza wasn't too good. Would definitely come back for the pasta. Service was pretty good overall. Ambiance was decent as well. Service 5/5Pasta 4/5Pizza 3/5Ambiance 5/5

We were welcomed upon entering. Seated and recommendations provided according to our request of what we had a taste for. The food was prepared at order. Very authentic. Atmosphere was very nice clean and comfortable not loud at all. Be prepared to get a take out box plenty of food for one person. In fact the server warned us lol.

Best pesto fettuccine we've ever had! Everything was delicious beyond belief. MAKE SURE TO GET THE VODKA RAVIOLI!

Grabbed a bite to eat here before going to a show at the SD Civic theater and very happy that we did! The food was phenomenal! I had the Ravioli Porcini E Crema Di Tartufo and my friend had the Penne Bolognese, she got it classic. We ended up getting a bottle of champagne since it was more economical than getting a few drinks but the cocktails looked great so I do plan to come back and try it out. The only con about this place was that they do seem slightly understaffed, it wasn't a problem for us since we ordered quickly and gave ourselves plenty of time before the show but I could see how if someone is in a rush it would be a problem for them. I will say that it was definitely all hands on deck for those who were working, its not like anyone was just standing around, they were all busy helping tables and even the owners daughter was helping out. Overall it was a great experience and I will definitely come back!

Disappointed. Whenever we are in town, we make it a point to visit Operacaffe, and have been doing so for 20+ years. The service is usually great and the food insanely good. We first came across it after asking a concierge for a place that serves veal Parm. It's been a fav since I was young girl. And Opercaffe has consistently delivered excellence.Imagine my suprise to find it wasn't on the menu. My heart sank. But! There's a veal scallopini dish... And they have always been accommodating... I'll ask if they can do that. Nope. I'm quickly dismissed by the server, saying those veal pieces are small so it won't work. Not, let me check with kitchen. Not we can do it, but the pieces are small and I don't want you to be disappointed. Not even, would you like to try the chicken Parm? I did order the chicken. And it was ok. The sauce is the bomb but the chicken a little dry. And when I called hubby, who couldn't join me this trip, to share the news, I realized we weren't offered bread to begin with either. There's a saying... All good things come to an end. I'm afraid this may be the end of a beautiful age very delicious friendship....