Davanti Enoteca Reviews

My husband and I had an excellent dinner here. They had a sign posted stating that due to Covid they were short staffed so please be patient. Despite that, the service was quick and excellent, the staff was friendly and attentive. I'm not vegetarian, but had the cauliflower steak which was absolutely delicious, and my husband loved his flat iron steak. We highly recommend this restaurant in Little Italy.

Very friendly service when we stopped in at Davanti Enoteca for some happy hour drinks. Prices were reasonable and drinks were delicious. The waiter was very quick and attentive. The decor is also comfortable.

Wonderful dinner. Excellent selection of a variety of Italian dishes. We shared our plates and enjoyed all of our elections. The focaccia di recco was the feature attraction but all of the dishes were remarkable in their on way.

Excellent first night in San Diego! With many restaurants to choose from, we took a chance on Davanti Enoteca. Our hopes were to sit street side, but those tables sat two. Better yet we dined in the courtyard under the stars, away from the cars on the street. Our server, Joanna, was friendly, helpful and funny. Our meals were Nonna’s Lasagna, Risotto Carbonara and Orecchiette Con Salsiccia. We were all pleased with the flavors, portions and cost. Made sure to share our dining experience with our family when we got back home. Look forward to returning one day.

Six of us settled into a big booth for lunch. The menu had so many choices we decided to share appetizers to begin, then decide on the mains. Two orders of meatballs, the warm olives, the anchovies, the foccaccia, and the polenta with ragu (and wine, of course) had us stuffed. Everything was good, but our favorites were the unbelievable foccaccia (be sure to add the honey) and the polenta. We were way beyond being able to handle any main courses, so opted to share 3 desserts. The goat cheese cheesecake we voted the best and the tiramisu a close second. A super waitress added to this fun afternoon.l

Everything we had was good, not amazing. When you pay $16 for spaghetti and it looks like a child portion, it’s kind of annoying. The focaccia was very good. The pizza was ok. Service was top notch.

Went here for dinner for our last night in San Diego. Despite it being packed the service was excellent. We shared the Foccacia Di Recco which was truly amazing. Then the gnocchi which was also awesome. Can't wait to go again.

Located in Little Italy, San Diego and a short walk from our Hotel (La Pensione) we chanced this eating gem based on a recommendation and we were pleased we did. Our orders were shared, which is encouraged, and oh my was it ALL delicious. They make a spot on Aperol Spritz and the cannolis are among the best I've had. The Italian wine they suggested to complement our meal was excellent.

We happened upon this restaurant in Little Italy while trying to find a favorite old spot (in which the exact location eluded us!) Now we have a new favorite place to dine. Outdoor seating along front street or in private back patio is ideal. Seafood linguini & risotto dishes were delicious! At the recommendation of a Mona Lisa's clerk, we bought a fine bottle of Barolo to enjoy with our meal and were very happy with all of our new choices!

Loved the food and the ambience of the restaurant. Great outdoor seating and courtyard tucked into the restaurant for a great mood. Pizzas looked amazing. Cauliflower steak was exceptional and arugula salad refreshing. Prices were very fair, service very friendly

We were very impressed with the food. The cauliflower steak was incredibly creative and very delicious. The pasta was fresh (hand-made at the restaurant) and complimented our dishes very nicely. We liked it so much we went twice. The second time my husband sang praises to their octopus, the best he's had outside of Portugal (quite a compliment) and my prosciutto and arugula pizza was excellent. The only dessert we tried was the cannoli and that was a tad heavy, but good nonetheless. The drinks we had; mescal mule hybrid and the old-fashioned were very good and the wine a good pair for the food. When we get back to Sand Diego, definitely hitting this place again.

Davanti Enteca was a great find thbaks to our friends who have dined at the restaurant many times. The pasta in a pepepr sauce with sausage was excellent. Very good preraration for calamari and brusseta. One suggestion is to order each course seperatly as the restaurants new system puts the whole order in at one time, thus receiving your starters with the main course.Located in Little Italy. Nice outdoor ddining area.

The hostess gave us a nice greeting and seated us promptly. Our waitress was attentive, but not overly warm. We ordered wine and an appetizer. Our dinner came in a timely fashion - we both ordered the Risotto Carbonara which was very good. One thing we missed - no crusty bread served at the beginning of the meal which was disappointing. None of the tables around us had any either. I'm not sure I've ever been to a nice Italian restaurant before that did not serve it.

Went in for lunch and ordered off the lunch menu. Was very surprised to receive as much food as we did. More dinner size portions. On top of it all the food was amazing! Service was great! Thanks guys!

My wife and I had seen Davanti's while on a trolley tour of San Diego and decided to stop there the next day. What a great place! Happy hour drinks were wonderful and only $6. Appetizers are priced as low a $5 and also are very good. Michael our server was quick and makes a mean margarita. My wife and I also enjoyed great conversation with 2 young ladies who were sitting next to us at the bar. This is a great place for a drink and good.

Really lovely to sit outdoors here and very good food - grilled chicken with pesto, aioli, spinach and tomatoes made an excellent sandwich. Our server Chad was the best.

I have not eaten here for about 2 years as I have been out of the country. The first time I loved it and this time I also loved it....brought my daughter and my granddaughter in law for dinner. I had my favorite of carpaccio and it was great...we also shared the pate (again I have had the at happy hours and I love it) and we shared burrata cheese with pesto and tomatoes....lovely mix...my daughter's parpadelle with bolognese sauce did not disappoint....Shawn our waiter and Joe another server were both helpful and nice..

This restaurant is perfect for families, girls/guys trip or dates! Ambience is so cute! Service is great! They have a patio in back for seating but we always prefer to sit in front where we can people watch. I’ve been here several times. I always order The focaccia de Rocco bread with soft cheese and honey drizzle. Trust me! Get it! I’m obsessed with this and always take one to go. The truffle egg toast, polenta ragu, beef carpaccio with arugula and any pasta or pizza here is heaven. Order family style and if you like bloody Mary’s, you will be blown away by the table of goodies they have for the make your own Bloody Mary bar! It’s a meal in itself. After eating, walk the streets for dessert and maybe a massage at Happy head massage which is a few blocks away. Enjoy!

With so much competition in Little Italy U have to be very good to survive - Davanti’s will be here forever..... The focaccia is unbelievably good & pizza as good if not better than Italy.... I was very impressed - my second visit in a month

Excellent pasta made fresh in a pleasant setting with excellent service. Nearby parking cost $14 for 2 hrs

We visited San Diego from Kansas and a local recommended Davanti Enoteca. All I can say is I will definitely come back, the food was great. The staff was friendly and very helpful with what we should try. All of their recommendations were phenomenal.

So many restaurant choices in San Diego's Little Italy - we chose this one for drinks and appetizers in late afternoon, and we weren't disappointed. Happy hour menu - from 3 to 6 pm - had great prices, and some great choices. We ordered the bruschetta and the Roman artichokes, along with a couple dirty vodka martinis. The friendly hostess offered the back patio or the sidewalk; both were nice, we chose the sidewalk so we could people-watch. The servers were friendly, and soon we had our drinks (good!) and plates. The bruschetta was generous in size, a bit more of a caponeta than traditional tomato, lots of olives, and really delicious. The Roman artichokes with a red pepper aoli were amazing. If we weren't so full already, I would have ordered another plate of them. Seriously the best. We're only in town for the one night, and already had reservations at another restaurant, but next time we're in San Diego, we're coming back here!

Decided to have lunch in Little Italy and found ourselves walking into Davanti Enoteca again. We have always enjoyed their food . This time we had the Carne pizza which was crisp and covered in a wonderful mozarella cheese, a spicy Sopressata and italian sausage. One pizza was plenty for two. The caesar salad delicious as always, fresh romaine lettuce leaves and topped with at least four white anchovies. I'm not a big fan of anchovies but these are delicious. Our one huge and I mean huge disappointment at this visit was that the Goat Cheesecake is no longer offered. So..we opted to try their Cheesecake listed on the menu. It came in a cup, similar to a small trifle cup and the cheesecake was more of a pudding cheesecake vs a cheesecake. It was very good but not what you normally expect when you order a cheesecake. It was supposed to be topped with a drizzle of salted carmel and candied marcona almonds. Oops....the cheesecake dessert was delivered sans almonds and replaced with strawberries. Our server brought us the almonds separately after we mentioned the missing ingredient. The salted carmel was at the bottom of the cup and a bit thick. Of course we ate it and scooped out all the pudding because it tasted really great...it just isn't what I would call a cheesecake. Will we go back? Probably. Their food is great and the service is pretty nice.

If you want Scottsdale Italian come here. We sat for 20 minutes and finally went to Buon Appetito- so glad! From our observation this place is about being seen, not about home style Italian food. Buon Appetito was much more similar to the experience and food we had in Italy.

Delectable food. Artichoke app was perfect. They had a gnocchi special that was also great. Good beer selection. Sat on the patio. Friendly attentive service. Definitely go!!!

I have been to Davanti many times in the past and generally enjoyed it but my recent experience was so disappointing. We are experiencing an extreme heat wave and either their air conditioning was not working or they decided not to run it because it was very, very hot inside. They had 1 small oscillating fan that was just moving hot air around. It was unpleasantly hot and I saw many tables asking their servers about it. Our cocktails, passion fruit spritzes, came quickly and were delicous. The food was ok but definitely not as good as our previous visits. The servers and food runners were great and I would give them 5 stars alone. They were attentive and tried to make our experience good. The real proplem was the manager (or maybe owner?) who was extremely rude. I received San Diego restaurant gift cards as a gift and saw online that there were over 100 San Diego restaurants that took them so I made a reservation for Davanti because it was on the list. When we presented them for payment, our server said she had to talk to the manager about them. He approached us and said they had not taken them for more than 5 years and the restaurant listed was the Del Mar location. I looked it up while he waited and showed him it said Davanti San Diego but then I saw in smaller letters underneath that it said Del Mar and I admitted my mistake. He held my gift cards out of my reach and said he was waiting for my apology. Nice customer service guy. The whole experience was so unpleasant that we definitely won't be back. There are too many excellent Italian restaurants in Little Italy to waste time and money for nasty treatment like that.

When you are selecting your meal at this restaurant make sure to leave room for dessert, specifically the Goat Cheese Cake. This dessert alone is worth the visit. Have it with a fresh cup of coffee or maybe a delicious glass of wine, either way its incredible. The table service is wonderful and the atmosphere relaxing.

The food was delicious, I ordered a rigatoni to the vodka and it was delicious; I would definitely return. The service was super good too.

We went to Davanti on a Saturday night with another family for Father's Day. We sat on the back patio. I wouldn't say the decor or atmosphere are anything spectacular, but the food more than made up for those deficiencies. We ordered Focaccia Di Recco (awesome!), Burrata (excellent), two Crispy Brussel Sprouts (excellent), and the Polenta & Ragu (awesome!). It was so much food for four adults that we skipped the entrees. One of our kids had the Risotto Carbonara, which was also incredible (rich, but amazing). Overall, the food was excellent (we were so full that we needed to walk the mile plus back to our hotel). We will definitely be going back.

Stopped in for a drink. Servers top notch. Atmosphere top notch! Would come again if we go to Little Italy. Open air beautiful historic place

I love this little restaurant!! Well it's not really little, it's a pretty large place but it has the feel of a home cooked meal straight from the kitchen. Highly recommend the beef ragu and polenta. So good. You can get two sizes if you care to share :) Lots of tasty wines and the desserts are amazing!

Had an amazing brunch on the patio. The service, atmosphere, and food was perfect! Davanti Enoteca is now on my "must visit" list when in San Diego.

Service was very good. Waiter very knowledgeable about specifics on menu. Restaurant does not offer any gratis appetizers, such as bread. Cesar salad dressing was excellent and lettuce was cold which was a plus. Bianca Pizza was very good and crust was not over baked. Ravioli was also good, but portion was small. Most wines were reasonably price for a tourist area. Suggest the Chianti Classico as a decent value. The restaurant is ok with the service making it "above average".

My husband and I had dinner here during a visit to San Diego. I had eaten here on a previous trip and loved it. I had the grilled corn and mushrooms and the cauliflower steak. Both were beyond expectations and I took the leftovers with me. Bill had a pasta dish that was very good. The wine was great as was it he service. Pricing is good, not off the charts like some of the other local restaurants. Love this restaurant!!

Menu definitely has a selection worth a return visit. Risotto fungi was an excellent first visit choice and definitely going to need dessert on round two.

It can be intimidating deciding where to eat in this area as everywhere is so busy and looks great. We sat outside on the patio here which was lovely to be out in the atmosphere. We had the Italian sausage pizza which was fantastic, beautiful thin crust with perfect proportion of toppings. The oreo base desert with delicious too. A really nice dinner in a relaxed and friendly place

Good service. We forgot food for our baby and the GM peeled and cut apples for us at no charge. Nice atmosphere, you can sit indoor or outdoor and there is a nice selection of refreshing cocktails to choose from.

We are so glad we took the advice of a friend and came here to eat!! You HAVE to start with the Focaccia DI Recco (and please add the honey!), after that any of the pasta dishes are delicious. We especially liked the Cacio E Pepe and Paccheri E Salsiccia. Their Aperol Spritz was a different, but enjoyable, adult beverage!!

Everything we ordered was excellent. From the octopus appetizer to the caesar salad as well as the pasta. We were also seated by the window and the waiter assigned to our table was kind enough to close the shutters on this chilly night, as our toddler was in the direct line of the breeze. I found the resto a tad dim but it's fine, you'll still enjoy your time there.

Out of all the places in Little Italy how we came across this one was just a stroke of bad luck. It has cute orange chairs with outdoor seating and our dog could join us with our family of 5. The server was very friendly and recommended an appetizer of thin crusted bread filled with cheese. She said it’s what they’re known for. I suppose it’s an Italian quesadilla. Good but not distinctive. It’s was great compared to the rest of the food. The burger was rare instead of medium well, the calamari was decent, the freshness of the fresh pasta was questionable — I’d say fresh but made yesterday. It was overly chewy. The worst was the wedge salad which was truly insulting. It had almost nothing on it. My family member got it with chicken added and dressing on the side and she got more on it subsequently. We returned mine. The service had absolutely no training. The food runners actually made us shove our empty salad plates away as they brought our new dishes, never offering to take our old plates away until we picked them up and shoved them their way. The food was never bought out together. We waited ten minutes for others to get their main dishes. Two were delivered oddly early. They had no clue. When we complained about the wedge salad the server wasn’t curious at all why but she didn’t return to our table after that for 25 minutes. I regretted eating there. We ate at some marvelous places so close by.

During our recent trip to San Diego, we got to meet up with friends I hadn't seen in 26 years and I'm so glad we chose Davanti for dinner. Our server took great care of us and made a point of not intruding on our conversation any more than necessary. Everyone enjoyed their food and beverage choices and I was thrilled to find that they serve you two tentacles of grilled octopus for what some restaurants charge for one! As a result, I couldn't finish the veg that came with my entree - I'd already had the Brussels sprout salad - but all were great. Definitely one of the better options in Little Italy.

I studied the menus of several restaurants and read the menus and reviews. Davanti Enoteca had interesting choices on the menus from a simple spaghetti with pecorino and black pepper to a polenta with ragu. We enjoyed everything we ordered. I was surprised by the authentic flavors and selection. We would definitely return here.

Good food, good wine, good prices, good atmosphere. Loved the outside patio, super happy with our experience.

My second trip to San Diego this year and have enjoyed Davanti both times. The best food in San Diego and a must have anytime I go in the future. The house made bread with fresh soft cow cheese and honeycomb will change your life. So good I went twice this trip to experience more of their dishes. Whatever the occasion you have to try this place!

My friend and I were going to dinner prior to a movie in the Delmar location. I asked to see the owner/manager as I am often a custom to professional courtesy. And my wine director for several restaurants. I brought a beautiful bottle of wine I asked to see the manager and was informed that the owner/manager would not be returning till 6 PM. I said would you please have her visit my table so I may present my business card for a professional courtesy of waving their corkage fee. By 6:15 PM I asked again since the movie starts at 6:30, and was told the manager came back. When I asked why they didn’t stop payment fulfill my request? I was greeted with a blank or should I say they responded with a blank face. On top of that, three different servers approached our table to take an order when we had already placed it. No communication and very unprofessional. Avoid this place

We really enjoyed ourselves at this restaurant (back patio)…very cozy, good food / cocktails and the service was on point…I highly recommend this place

Best breakfest @san diego. Walked in this lovely place in little Italy. Food was excellent and service was even better😃. Most recommended !!!

It was my first time at Davanti Enoteca and I was impressed with the ambience of the restaurant. My party of five were seated outdoors in the back of the restaurant where the decorative lights were all lit up beautifully trimming the live tree. We all enjoyed the highly recommended Foccacia bread with honey. It was overpriced in our opinion but definitely very tasty and quite unforgettable. We all enjoyed our entrees of Salmon, Shrimp Scampi, and Pappardelle. I will definitely be back to enjoy another meal at this little gem in Little Italy.

We had family in town and wanted to book somewhere in Little Italy and didn’t want to wait in the long lines that can often form. We booked a table at Davanti without much expectation and were blown away by how delicious the meal was and how pretty the ambiance in the back patio was! The flat bread with honey is a must have. We ordered 4-5 dishes to share and each one was fabulous!

Location, ambience, people-watching are excellent. Food is just ok. Calamari ($14) was salty, greasy. Shrimp chitarra ($21) was scampi but with red sauce kind of like vodka sauce with 2 pcs of shrimps and 6 pcs of very small scallops. Pasta was al dente. Lemon drop martini ($9 Seagrams vodka) and white wine ($13) were good. Had to pay a buck for cheese bread. $62 later we were still hungry so we moved to Nonna a few doors down for a carbonara and creme brûlée lol. Next time we’ll try another Italian place for a full dinner

We had a plethora of choices of Italian dishes. Each was excellent...the three of us each tried something different. A bottle of 2016 estate bottled Zinfandel was perfect. Dessert included goat milk cheesecake with maple sauce. Seating inside or out. Pricing was reasonable.

The food and service was outstanding!! And if you like Bloody Mary's, check out their Bloody Mary Bar!! I will make this a stop every time in San Diego from now on.

We were a group of 4 without a reservation and was seated right away. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable of the menu and had great wine recommendations. We shared the focaccia with honey and the ragu with polenta- SO DELICIOUS! Everyone loved their entrees. Will be back soon & will definately recommend to others.

The menu is terrific with lots of share plates. They have a terrific wine list from California, Italy and beyond. Everything was delicious. We were outside on one of the rare cold nights in San Diego. The heater was good, but we could not stay as long as we would have liked. Next time, we will sit inside or come in the summer.

My husband and I stopped for a drink and appetizers at Davanti. We had calamari and roasted peppers with aioli sauce while seated at the bar. The peppers were outrageous. Some were hot and some were not! The bartender, Mike, made the experience that much more enjoyable. We will return to Davanti on our next trip to Little Italy in San Diego.

Very nice and welcoming place for a relaxed meal. The menu is complicated, but the servers make up for the friendly reception and accommodation of seating. Little backyard is very nice. Manu choices around this place, but this place makes one relaxed and attended to. The menu needs servers help, just ask for recommending what you feel like. Near airport for a visit friends and a quick pleasant way to trip.

The restaurant is located in Little Italy along with several other Italian restaurants. It is considered one of the popular destinations for italian food in San Diego. It gets quiet crowded in the evening. Food in general was very good.

It’s the first time I have ever been to an Italian restaurant and ordered a burger and it was unbelievable the best burger I have ever had my wife had pasta which was great but the burger was something else I also had a couple of beers and my wife had a couple of spritz and when the bill came it was honest everything was right I have been ripped off a few times on this holiday as soon as they hear my Australian acent I have been a target but this place was honest and the food and drinks were great.

First visit. No waiting to be seated. We had a table in the open courtyard in the rear of the restaurant. Excellent service. Very limited menu do to COVID-19. I ordered the daily special, Seafood Pasta with white wine sauce. My companion ordered Spaghetti with Veal Meatball. Very enjoyable evening and well worth the visit.

This area of San Diego has a surplus of good restaurants. A part of the city with a real buzz day or night. Worth visiting if in town. Food was good. Service good.

Amazing Italian food! Great happy hour specials. I am not a big fan of artichoke, however the roasted artichoke is so good here your eyes will tear up with joy. The pizzas were perfect, I WILL be returning here when in the area.

My fiancé and I came here for dinner on a Saturday night while staying in San Diego. He had heard that there was good food in the little Italy area and wanted to try some Italian - the place had a good comprehensive menu with some Italian staples like cacio e Pepe Which we are always trying to find a good version of since having the best in Rome. The service was great we got seated right away even though it was fairly busy. We ordered the prosciutto rucola pizza and then two pasta dishes one of them being the cacio e pepe and the other was The tagliatelle scampi. All the dishes were really good - the server warned us that things would come out as they were made and not necessarily in any type of order which was fine as we were really hungry and This means all food is fresher from the kitchen. The pizza was slightly salty but I really like the cheese that was used. I ordered a bottle of Riesling which was also tasty. The service was great - we were served by Dustin. Overall was a successful and delicious dinner. The entire thing cost us around $100 before tips so I would say is mid-range dining.

If you’re looking for a fantastic spot for happy hour, this Italian restaurant is a must-try! They offer happy hour daily from 3 pm to 6 pm (excluding holidays), and the deals are hard to beat. The drink specials include $5 beers, $6 wines by the glass, and $9 gin or vodka martinis—perfect for anyone who loves a good dirty martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives, like I do! The happy hour food menu is equally impressive, featuring delicious options like the meatballs, Roman artichokes, pizza of the day, and the Davanti Burger. I’ve tried them all, and they’re all worth recommending. It’s a great spot for a casual hangout with excellent drinks and food to match. Highly recommend stopping by!

On my 2nd time here visiting from LA; I was again very impressed with this restaurant. The food is superb. I had their signature Angus steak(cooked perfectly medium rare just as I requested), salad with anchovies, meat cheese board with jam and their famous bloody mary. The steak was the best I've had so far this year; the quality of the lean, flavorful Angus meat really shined. I had a nice booth outdoors with heater. This is a large spacious restaurant with all types of comfortable seating. Service by Jose and Scott was impeccable and 1st class. Davanti is very consistent with the highest levels of quality food and service. A top 10 san diego restaurant in my book.

Was looking for a romantic Italian dinner but was very disappointed. This place was like a pub. Loud, not Italian, music. Sport playing on tv screens and very noisy. Waiter gave a talk about the way food would be served to share, problem was most people around us weren't sharing, so one would get a meal and be either almost finished or sitting n front of a cold meal by the time others arrived. Meals were very small. Limited menu. I had spaghetti with chicken. Chicken was just sitting on top and tasteless. Husband and I were going to share a dessert as we have got used to large portions here but thank goodness we didn't as servings were small and not very special.

Have eaten here several times. The food is amazing, and the drinks are on point. The focaccia bread is amazing its worth the price.

We were waiting for a group in front of us to move so we could read Davanti's street menu when Mario came out and handed us menus, told us about the Happy Hour specials, and invited us in as if it were his home. We shared 3 Happy Hour plates and it was more than enough for the light dinner we were looking for. The meatballs were plump and well seasoned with lots of sauce, the bruschetta toppings were fresh and the bread was just crispy enough, and the cacio e pepe was perfectly al dente with just the right amount of pepper. And the prices were crazy good. We will definitely be back when we visit Dan Diego.

We really enjoyed our dinner here. Great service from Mike. Sat outside in back under the movie-prop olive tree. They had plenty of heaters on a cool evening. Polenta with ragu - fabulous. Excellent arugula salad. Orecchiette was delicious. Will keep it on our list when we return to San Diego.

So we were in San Diego for 5 nights and researched best Happy Hours. I was not sorry to arrive here - Mike Rohan our server was more than welcoming, allowed us to sit where we preferred and was a very attentive and informative host throughout. We had excellent food and drinks over a number of hours in the sun. Loved visiting here and would highly recommend to anyone. Mike Rohan made the experience special as it was our last night in San Diego before returning home. Thank you Mike

In the heart of Little italy and our server was very sweet. However, we ordered salads, pasta and a pizza and everything came out at the same time. The server even mentioned other couples have not been happy about that. Just make sure you order slowly and your server spaces out the food.

It well exceeded all expectations!!!! The service and wait staff were friendly, informative and took great lengths to explain each individual dish. Got so caught up in the appetizers the first trip that was the entire meal. So impressed went back with entire family and again impressed and highly recommend the swordfish.

This restaurant is very pretty and yes the bread is delicious. After that it was down hill. They"re was four of us dining on a Saturday night. We all ordered entrees. Each entree was served separately. I was the last served and it took about 30 minutes from the first. This is not ok and I had the ravioli. It is one giant ravioli and was swimming in brown butter. Apparently this serving style is the way they do all the tables. Everyone at table thought the food was average and cold because we waited until everyone was served. Also very pricey. I love Little Italy when I'm in town. I will not be returning to this restaurant .

Popular and trendy But……..it was hot inside (no ac?) and this is during a heat wave. Also very noisy! We were seated promptly and the server took our drink order, and they were brought to our table quickly. Then we placed our order for TWO spaghetti bolognese. Only one order was brought to our table! Our server finally came to our table after my husband finished his entree - never appeared earlier. She didn't apologize so we paid - for what we did get - and left. Very disappointing!

We tasted 2 dishes; hamburger, tasty, good; spaghetti with cheese and pepper, quite bad, they only saw the cheese in passing while there was too much pepper. As an Italian, definitely not the best

Davanti Enoteca is one of the hot spots in San Diego’s Little Italy. Their claim to fame is their Foccacia Di Recco, which is a Ligurian flatbread with soft cow’s cheese and honeycomb. It is a must try appetizer. Other dishes are well executed and incredibly good. Service is outstanding. They do have great happy hour deals!

Located right in Little Italy, this place can get busy anytime after 5. Avoid waiting and get a reservation. I reserved via Open Table and was able to walk through the crowd waiting for a table and was seated right away. This alone would make me come back. The decor is rustic Italian and the food is 100 percent Italian. Everything we had was very good. Service was fine, but not worth 5 stars. Our meals arrived about 10 minutes a part, which is unacceptable. The explanation was “meals are delivered when ready” which means there is no coordination in the kitchen....again not an acceptable excuse for a meal that is on the high side of pricing. However, while I complained and didn’t expect anything other than acceptable service, they did provide a free cannoli for both of us. The food again was very good....I will come back, but I will continue to expect a professional kitchen that coordinates orders so that one meal does not get delivered to a guest 10 minutes a part. My mother would never serve meals to us in stages, nor should I expect this Italian kitchen to do such.

I was stoked about the gluten free options which is why we went...the polenta was bland the ragu on it looked literally like dog food, the pasta my friend ordered had minimal flavor lacking seasoning. Go next door to Bon Appetito—it’s brilliant.

We went for lunch during a day in San Diego from the Princess cruise. Chose this restuarant because they had cacio and pepe on the menu. Was not disappointed. 90% like in Rome. Atmosphere a bit quiet because we ate early, but probably fun at night. The Burrata apetizer was fantastic, but again, tomatoes in November are not fresh. We would go back again just for the pasta.

So if you are in San Diego you have to come down to little Italy. It’s 5 minutes from the airport. This place is amazing. Fresh delicious food. The moment you walk in you feel like family. Everyone is so nice. The food is outrageous. Sit in the back patio. So nice and really a great place!!

Situated in Little Italy with it's bustling nightlife this restaurant looked interesting with it's choice of indoor or outdoor seating on the terrace perfect for watching the world go by! We ordered some olives while we deciding on our main courses, surprisingly they were hot, not as in spicy but as in hot, this didn't detract from the enjoyment but it did seem a bit odd. For main course I had Pollo Limoncello which was excellent, my lady had the Flat Iron Steak which was well appreciated. We went all traditional for dessert with Crème Brulee and Tiramisu, both very good, we accompanied our meal with a bottle of Prosecco which was nice after the waiter finally managed to open it but he needed a bit more practice with pouring, despite this we had a very enjoyable evening and thoroughly recommend it, especially if you manage to have a table on the terrace.

Located in Little Italy on a street busy with multiple Italian restaurants, Davanti Enoteca initially caught my eye on instagram with a picture of a very appetizing Bloody Mary. To my disappointment, those are only available during brunch whereas my brother and I were there for dinner. We quickly perused their small menu and decided on Ricotta Vasi as appetzier, and Risotto Carbonara and Paccheri E Salsiccia for our entrees. Our appetizer was pretty good and the bread was delicious, so obviously we asked for more hahaha. As you're seated, they do let you know that your entrees are served as they're ready which in our case meant that my brother got his meal way before I did. Their dishes are a good size so you could share, but I personally prefer to have our entrees served at the same time. Nonetheless, both of our meals were quite tasty. So why a 3.75 rating? I just wasn't feeling the vibe in the restaurant. Also there was a gentleman greeting people outside the restaurant, as well as a hostess inside the restaurant. Since I had made a reservation, I was waiting for the hostess to get off the phone so I could check-in (I get points for each reservation) but the gentleman outside kept on trying to rush us to sit even though the place was empty ad there was nobody waiting. I hate being rushed! Definitely not a bad experience, but I also wouldn't mind trying something new whenever back in the area.

I had a very nice dinner there. The Caesar salad was generous. It's topped with a few anchovies, but you can ask for it without them. The Pacheri e Salsiccia (large rigatoni with ground pork sausage, onions, and tomatoes) was served nice and hot. Try to get a table on the patio if you can. Reggie did an outstanding job of serving and making sure I had everything I needed. Not an easy task considering how busy the area is (dining inside, on the patio, and outdoors on the other side of the sidewalk), but he performed superbly!

Busy, loud, food wasn’t what we hoped for. My brother ordered the chicken and hated it, mom ordered the ravioli and found it to be very sweet, I had the margarita pizza which was fair. We also ordered the bruschetta which was awful in our opinion. All that said, our server was friendly.

Sat at the bar and had a pizza and had cocktails with Rene the bartender. A friend told me always sit at the bar and he was right. You meet the best bartenders by doing so. Rene suggested great drinks and pizza and when we went there we we not even hungry. 30 minutes later, best drinks and pizza around. Bottom line: sit at the bar ask for Rene and dine accordingly ... great evening !!!!

Got seated out in the small patio, but then waited around 20 minutes to be helped, only after we made mention of our wait. By that time, we were ready to order and got the following: Happy Hour mozzarella stuffed meatballs Carpaccio Anti-pasto salad Shrimp scampi with homemade noodles Meatballs weren't stuffed and were a little dry. Server brought a second serving that were supposed to be cheese-stuffed. Nope. Also, the accompanying bread was dry as well. Disappointing. Salad was crisp and refreshing with all the right toppings and a tasty vinaigrette. Carpaccio too was beautiful and light topped with capers, lemon and parmesan shavings. Yum! The absolute best was the Chitarra con Scampi: "handmade chitarra pasta + fire roasted pomodoro + prawns + bay scallops + scallions" Scallops were perfectly cooked, shrimp nice and juicy and the sauce excellent. All atop some handmade noodles, which really makes all the difference. The server was nice and gave us some tips for our travels.

We loved the atmosphere. One of our appetizers came at the end of the meal. Pizza was dry and relatively tasteless. No complimentary bread with oil and vinegar. Pasta was worse than most we’ve ever had. Dry and flavorless. The best thing was the beet salad. For the price, it was a huge disappointment.

On our flight to San Diego, one of the other passengers told me about this dish at Davanti. She raved about the piece of honeycomb they put on the Ligurian flatbread with soft cow cheese inside. We tried it. It was pretty good. I think I expected it to taste more divine due to the hype, but it was not that great. Anyway, if you like Italian food, it may be worth a visit here, but I wouldn't do it just for the Foccacia.

Visited this restaurant after checking out the reviews on tripadvisor. Just wanted a big wholesome dish of pasta. Arrived and was offered water which we were subsequently charged at $6. Two beers and two mediocre pasta dishes came to $70, Nothing particularly wrong with the food or the service, but certainly not worth $70.

This restaurant is in the Little Italy section of San Diego. There are lots of restaurants in this area. This restaurant has a location in Illinois that some friends said was great, so we decided to try this. We got there at 2:04 and the lunch specials only go from 11 to 2. The server didn't offer us the option of still getting that. We got a burger (crazy at an italian restaurant I know, but we heard it was really good) that comes with something called bacon jam on it whch was very tasty, and some grilled onions and a tomato slice. The fries were great. My husband got a Caesar salad with white anchovies, croutons, and shaved Parmesan cheese. It was whole sections of Romaine lettuce, so it was kind of a make it yourself salad. There was only one other table of diners when we got there, and then a table of 6 came in while we were there, so I don't know what happened to our server. We were there for more than an hour to have a hamburger.

When you Arden your food you are told it comes to you when it’s ready so we had people eating at our table and people waiting. The waiters reply “you can share” The food is good but it seems the staff don’t care or the kitchen cannot put an order together. Go for the 3 scope ice cream very nice, avoid the tiramisu

Was here for an informal business dinner in the courtyard. Great laid back atmosphere, good food and friendly service. There is also seating inside.

We were meeting up with relatives for dinner and this was one of the only places that still had a few reservations left. The waiter suggested a Focaccia for the table and we were not disappointed...It's hardly a focaccia, more like two layers of Carta di Musica stuffed with a delicious cheese and topped with honey comb....The name might be wrong, but everything about it was soooo right. The other couple we were with ordered pasta dishes. The Spaghetti with tomato and a meatball was on the bland side, but the seafood pasta was delicious. My husband and I ordered the chicken and the coulotte to share. Both dishes were absolutely wonderful. I would highly recommend Davanti Enoteca and would return again.

First, we felt accosted as we were walking by and pretty much pulled into the restaurant. Once inside it felt awkward to leave, but we should have. The food was not very good and tasted out of a can. The service was so so and as we were eating there was a staff member who actually yelled at the host to get back outside and bring in more people.

Our hotel desk gal, Carte Hotel, San Diego suggested this restaurant and it was awesome. Our server, Johanna, was wonderful too!

I really enjoyed the Rigotti and sausage with the spaghetti sauce. The wine selection was great and they offer wine tasting before you purchase.

Food and service very good. All of Little Italy is very busy on Saturday night. Reservations are a must. Appetitisors were very good. Loved the pasta. Very good wine selection.

Great service, good quality but the portions were not enough. First time I feel hungry after eating pasta.

Ate here one night after getting into town. Food was good, but not “amazing”. I had meatballs and veggie sides. I had enough leftover for another meal. I would definitely give this place another go.

Great martinis and wine on happy hour. We had the meatballs alla Nona and the cacio e pape which were both delicious. Our server Reggie was great. Would definitely come back.

Had dinner here with four other adults and a five year old on New Year's Day. The staff are super friendly and the food was delicious. In particular, the hummus was really tasty and the Cacio E Pepe was to die for! It was one of those meals I'll always think about! Prices are very reasonable and you can't beat eating on an outdoor patio in January. 😊

My wife and I stopped in for a small bite and a glass of wine Overall good experience...we shared a veal meatball plate and it was good...if you care about the sauce it was good but on t he sweet side

We were walking around Little Italy and it is hard to make a choice where to go with so many places to chose from - I'm so glad we decided on here! We ordered spaghetti and meatballs and spaghetti with chicken breast. The food was fresh, delicious and authentic. Other dishes were coming out around us and it all looked fantastic! If you're in Little Italy than you HAVE to go here!!

Everything was delicious! We had 3 appetizers and 4 main dishes. Everything was heavenly and they brought it out as it was cooked, so warm and fresh! I really enjoyed the focaccia di Recco (bread with the honeycomb and cheese). The lighting was dim and the wait staff was very attentive. Two thumbs up.

On Saturday my husband and I decided to explore Little Italy a bit and find a nice restaurant to have lunch. We took the trolley so as not to hassle with parking. Fortunately, within easy walking distance of the trolley stop we found Davanti Enoteca which looked very inviting with its open seating. We opted to split a meal and chose Pollo 'Sole Mio". A delicious grilled half chicken and chili pepper paste. Very reminiscent of mole my grandmother would make. The dish was enough for two. We also ordered an Antipasto Salad which we recommend. Made with baby iceberg red wine vinaigrette and trimmings i.e. pepporoncini, provolone, olives. The salad was the perfect companion to our chicken dish. The meal was topped off with two very nice glasses of Caposaldo Chianti which happened to be priced for Happy Hour. Overall, the service was very nice. The only detail I would mention is that the plates, napkins and utensils are placed on a corner of the table and you need to help yourself. With such a nice restaurant and meal this detail does detract just a bit.

Ambiance, food, wine list, everything is always on point. Been to this restaurant many times, never a let down. Hell of a lot better than other options in the area.

San Diego's Little Italy is a hopping dinner destination on a Saturday night. Make your reservations promptly. Davanti offers a lively atmosphere with a ton of energy. The place is a touch loud but not horrible. It's a fun room. Our service was not perfect. It was slow and uneven at best, but one must make allowances for staff shortages in foodservice these days. Everything we tried such as the Orecchiette were good. Not blown away good, but good. There are so many Italian options downtown. You cannot go too wrong with Davanti Enoteca.

We had a great time at this restaurant! The food and wine were excellent and the back outdoor seating area was beautiful with string lights and a big tree in the middle - and most importantly really nice outdoor heaters! It was also a lot quieter in the outdoor area compared to inside. We went on a Sunday evening and it was packed so definitely make a reservation. Would visit again!

We just had our Uber drop us off in Little Italy with no plan when Vinnie convinced us to come inside. So happy that we did, the hostess seated us right away somehow in front of the other people in the lobby waiting and then I swear it was the owners wife waiting on us, that’s how welcoming the restaurant was. The portions are huge so come hungry to be smart enough to split the meal. I ordered the polenta ragu which comes in small and large, I got the small, and I am frightened to see what a large might look like. My daughter got the lasagna, the other got the meatballs appetizer and my husband got the chef whim, no really it was the on menu and you just get whatever the chef puts on your plate. He ended up with a steak dish which was delish! It was way to much food for the 4 of us, we had leftovers to take home with us. Overall this was a great experience and I can’t wait to come back again!

ALL of our food arrived just BEFORE our wine. That is hardly an indication that anything is prepared fresh. BUT somehow it was all delicious.

Best Happy Hour in Little Italy! Tried every food item on their Happy hour Menu- no disappointments!

Service horrible. Major league slow with getting food to the table. disappointing. We got to table and four tables around us were empty. We ordered our food as the the tables were filling up. All the other tables got their food and we were left waiting for another 20 plus minutes. We mentioned it a few times and the server seemed only partially interested in getting things back on track. Food was ok. Better places to go in Little Italy. Avoid this one.

Our couples getaway in San Diego was made even more special with a delightful dinner here. Our attentive waitress provided excellent guidance and spot-on menu recommendations. If you're searching for quality food and generous portions, I highly recommend this restaurant. Buon Appetito!

Highly recommend this amazing Italian restaurant in the heart of Little Italy! Delicious appetizers, drinks, entrees, and desserts. Make sure to make a reservation, especially for dinner.

Our group of 9 met here (Little Italy - hard to park but worth it!!)after church on Sunday, & the 2 locals had recommended it. The host was not helpful with menu questions: he told me to just order it & try it & that was how to see if I liked it or not. But have no fear, the wait staff was awesome & patient & even subbed a lovely apple salad for the fries I didn't want with my rare (cooked excellently) burger. She earned her tip & was great about bringing items on the side(dressing; cheese, etc that I did not want poured all over my meal). I was amazed at how FAST our food came! Everyone loved it & my friend had the avocado toast which looked awesome, as was my Davanti Burger. It was SO filling! We were allowed to choose from the brunch OR lunch menus, due to the timing of our arrival. Belgian waffles were also a favorite. Prices: slightly high but worth it due to the quality & uniqueness of many items (wish I'd tried the Truffle toast!

Loved the lively atmosphere, excellent food and service. Loved spending the evening with family at Davanti Enoteca. Super nice staff and wonderful food. Lots of selections and walkable to all of the Little Italy nightlife. I would definitely go back next time I am in San Diego.

We love Davanti’s. It’s one of the more relax restaurants in little Italy. In a strip of great places to dine, Davanti has the best burger and thin crust pizza. The atmosphere isn’t much of a quiet environment but it’s perfect for fun conversations over delicious Italian food! Try the Mezcal Mule 👌👌👌 you’ll love it!

So many yummy-sounding choices on the menu we gave up trying to decide and just went with our server's recommendations - the house specialty ragu/polenta and crispy brussels sprouts. We were not disappointed. The ragu was phenomenal, and if everyone cooked brussels sprouts this way more kids would eat them. Rough wood and iron work details give Davanti's a cozy rustic charm. We enjoyed our dinner in the back garden/courtyard and loved the atmosphere. Very glad we chose to eat there - it was quiet enough to have a normal volume conversation vs. the main indoor dining room that was significantly louder. Already looking forward to going back the next time we're in San Diego. P.S. Note to wine-lovers: Tuesday is 1/2 price bottle night.

There is nice outdoor seating and a really good atmosphere. Our food and drinks were all exceptional, especially the prosciutto /arugula pizza, the burger and the risotto carbonara. Service was lovely - a really great evening!!

Food is fair, options limited but service is not good. Even though the owner greets you at the entrance, inside you are on your own with waiters that pay attention to you when they feel like, 20 minutes just to order drinks, no cheese, bread, etc. Given the fact the street is full of italian restaurants, I am sure you can find a better one.

We went there for happy hour. The food was good but not great. The cheese with Honeycomb was the best. The bruschetta was average and the cost of beverages was average.

This restaurant could be our absolute favorite in Little Italy - except for the $12-15 price for a glass or wine I can buy by the bottle less than the price of a glass. I suppose it's to gouge the tourists, but we live here. The Caesar Salad - called "Little Gem" is to die for - best anywhere. The pasta dishes are all wonderful, the deserts are excellent and even the espresso ranks up there. If only they'd offer a nice table wine by the glass for a reasonable price!

Spent a day in San Diego whilst on a cruise. Heard so much about the cuisine in Little Italy and thought we’d give it a try. Stumbled upon this litttle gem. Situated on India Street you are sure of a warm welcome. Great service at affordable prices. The pizzas are amazing. Thank you to Michael for looking after us.

while out for a lengthy walk, decided to stop here on their sunny street side patio for a rest...well it was happy hour nice..this place knocked us out with their food ,meatballs, breads,bruchetta,pizza and wine..home made of coarse ..really good Value for your money especially at happy hour...enjoy....

Love this place. So very friendly staff and manager came to our table and was handsome too! Chianti was so good and food was just fabulous. We sat inside but outside had fire pit on courtyard. Great place to eat and drink. Cool servers and thank you cooks!!!

This Italian Restaurant in the Little Italy area of San Diego, was amazing. It only serves Northern Italian Cuisine, and the food comes out as it is completed, not waiting for courses. Anyway, we put ourselves in the hands of the waiter to order for us. He recommended excellent choices: Foccacia stuffed with cheese and topped with honey, polenta and vegetable red sauce (amazing), octopus for my husband, and sea bass with spinach and tomato for me. My vegetarian brother founds lots of selections and ended up with pasta infused with peppers (again recommended by waiter). Our drinks were great, and we ended with gelato - YUM. The food was excellent, the service superior. It is a bit loud, but that just added to the happy atmosphere. Love it!

Visited here twice on trips from the UK and found the place first class. From entering the restaurant to leaving the staff are so attentive and cheerful. But be warned if you are eating here and partaking in a Bloody Mary, the drink is a meal in itself. The prices are very reasonable

Visited on a busy Friday night - service on entry was average but the place was busy with a great atmosphere. Our waiter was fabulous and nothing too much trouble. Service was quick and everything explained. We decided against ordering a bottle of wine - the cheapest @ c£50 a bottle was unacceptable. The shared hummus starter was great - tasty and a good portion size for two. Then along came the mains - served by kitchen staff? Who knows, but it was absolutely not service with a smile that’s for sure. The meat pizza looked unappetising and was nothing better than average tasting (I think Asda’s own are better). The spaghetti dish with a meatball was an insult to Italy - absolutely tasteless - the worst Italian meal I’ve ever had. The waiter offered to change the dish and laughed when I questioned whether the food had been made by genuine Italians (How naive of me to think that Little Italy has genuine Italian food!). He tried hard but the damage had been done - he’s too good for this place and he, along with the ambience, are my only reason for awarding two and not one stars.

Stopped in (first time here, walking “Little Italy” looking for dinner after my business meeting) off the street to view the menu and was warmly greeted by Kyle who walked me right to a table. My server Joanna was at my side minutes later making recommendations and a very short time later my lovely yummy pasta dish was served. Drinks were also amazing. The personal touches throughout the evening from both Kyle and Joanna sincerely checking in on how I was doing (as a single business diner) were sincere and lovely. Highly recommend and I will be back.

We had a group of 5here a few nights ago. Had several apps, each had pasta for an entree, then dessert. I cannot express how awesome every dish was! And the prices here are so reasonable! On top of that, it was wine Tuesday, so bottles were 50percent off. Truly great service, ambiance and food!

Their famous Focaccia di Recco really was amazing and very unique, but was it worth $21? Probably not. It looks like a lot more food than it actually is. I could have easily eatten four all to myself.

This place was quite busy on Friday night (as were all the restaurants in Little Italy), but we were able to get a table for 2 very quickly. Vegetarian menu was a little limited when it came to the main course, but we shared a bunch of appetizers and one pasta, and everything we had was great! We had the cauliflower steak, roast beets (which I thought were a little too vinegary, but my husband loved). The cheese stuffed focaccia with honey comb will be one of my cherished memories forever. And the pasta though simple was incredibly flavorful. We had a very. attentive server - Sara, who was great. Only the host forgot to give us menus when she seated us, so I think service may be a little hit or miss

Interior is pleasant enough and service is attentive enough yet not super special. They do have lunch specials and value is good because it is enough to share if you want.

The pizza was super flavorful. It had good zip and excellent spice mix. Service was good would recommend as a must for taste buds happiness.

There are a ton of restaurants in Little Italy...this one was a great little gem. Fantastic food, top notch service, and a great vibe that made us feel at home in a vacation spot.

We ate here for a late dinner. We had bruschetta, carpaccio, caccio e pepe and the prosciutto pizza. Food was good and service was nice. We would return.

The order arrived in different time to each one, one never arrived, forgot to attend like 1 hour, in my experience the worst restaurant of little italy

You would think that because you are in Little Italy any restaurant would be good but guess I picked the wrong one, and I can only surmise that the good reviews of this place is by diners who never really had a good italian meal. Waiter was fine but it took quite a long time for our food to arrive and it really wasn't busy. We got the meatball appetizer, huge portion but very bland and the sauce seemed to be just crushed tomatos, totally lacked seasoning. I got the ravioli and no lie you got exactly 4 average sized squares for $15! Outrageous - I could have gone to Costco and bought the same subpar fare. Decor was cute but bathrooms were disgusting, don't waste your time or mobey.

Wow. Nice find. Sat way in back on outside patio under olive tree. Started w Roman artichokes w a little Calabrian heat. Nice. Then we split a great pizza. Great beer, great wine. Great service, great place!

Visited here for dinner as group of 3. Nice place, good vibe. Server explained that dishes were cooked to order and would come out when ready so not all together. Ordered polenta and ragu, pasta dish and a pizza. The polenta and ragu arrived very quickly so obviously just reheated but delicious. The pasta was 5 mins later and tasty but my wife then had a 30 minute wait for her pizza. By the time it arrived she was the only one eating and it wasn’t a great pizza either. Never found that a pizza takes longer than 10 mins to prep and cook so not sure what the delay was. Feel like a lazy kitchen who can cook but can’t be bothered to plan the dishes for a single table to arrive around the same time. A real pity as could have been a great meal.

Tremendous Gluten free options. Exceptional pasta and pizza options. The food and service were top notch. We will be back soon. Thanks for the great experience. Wear a sweater if you opt t sit outside, there are heaters, but the wind can be a bit cold. Definitely try the salads too and appetizers, the butternut squash was delicious.

Read the reviews so I thought it would be a good place to eat. Very disappointed. Nothing special about the food. The service definitely lacking. When our Entrées were served, we asked for bread ( 3 times) finally served two slices of toast.

There are loads of restaurants on the same block of Little Italy--I picked this one because of nice outdoor tables. Ir was about 4 pm and the happy hour specials of discounted small plates and drinks was underway. Spaghetti, special meatballs, Aperol spritz, calamari all so great, I came back the next day as well!

Not bad. A decent little restaurant restaurant in little Italy. Service is good. Ambiance is good (not loud). Food is good - flatbread with the prosciutto is the best. Prices are a little high. A repeatable experience.

My husband and I were recently there for their Sunday Mimosa bar. It was surprisingly better than expected! We received full glasses of Prosecco and then guided to the bar to add our goodies. We loved being able to add our own fruit & different juices. We also enjoyed a super delicious pizza! We were there early in the day so we weren't too hungry- which disappointed us because all the food looked amazing! Our waiter, Reggie was Fantastic!!! A definite MUST, when in San Diego!

Looked for a quick bite and caught it! Owner handed me a menu, and we took it hook line and sinker. Had glasses of Sonoma Cuttere with salads and a carne pizza with Sangiovese. Salads were off the chart pizza was fine, service was great.

I called Davanti the morning of and asked If I can make reservations the young lady on the phone was nice and took the reservation. The restaurant called me a few hours prior to confirm. Let me just say this place gets super packed so I would suggest making a reservation, the wait wasn’t long at all, the customer service was great! They are missing a couple stars because I was not fond of the meatballs due to the fact that they lacked any sauce actually, they were not even cooked in sauce. The Gamberetti was lacking shrimp and flavor. I know the pasta dishes were made a la minute but it’s just not what I’m used to. Plus, a Paccheri Alla Vodka (Penne w Vodka Sauce) with 2 meat balls set you back $26 sadly, the pasta isn’t made in house. Please refer to the pics! The only thing worth an order here would be the Calamari.

I had an amazing experience at davanti the other night! There were so many delicious options and I can’t wait to go back to try more! Our waiter Dustin did such an exceptional job taking care of us while we were there! We will be going back for sure!

Joanna was at our table in less than 1 minute. Super service. Fabulous menu. Hummus and Chianti appetizers. Pizza, salads, antipasto delicious. Bravo

Great restaurant with authentic cuisine. Staff was friendly. Any of our dishes could easily have been made by grandma back in the day. I recommend the polenta and the risotto

The focaccia bread with honey drizzled on it and the pizza were great and so was the service. I would most definitely recommend it.

So many choices in Little Italy but the menu and reviews stood out. Booked a last minute table for 4 and were promptly seated at a high top in the bar area at our request. Bartender (maybe manager) took care of our table immediately. He made great recommendations, all of which we loved, and kept the food and drinks flowing nicely. Great atmosphere and lively space even for drinks and apps. I would go back if visiting SD without question.

We were so happy to select this restaurant for lunch as we were strolling in Little Italy, a neighborhood in San Diego. We sat at the street side cafe section of the restaurant, which was nice. We ordered the bruschetta and calamari for appetizers; spaghetti bolognese with meatballs, pasta with shrimp and scallops, and rigatoni vodka pasta for our meals; and tiramisu for dessert. Everything was delicious. Our server was extremely responsive and friendly. Prices are moderate.

Spent a weekend visiting friends in SD and were strolling about Little Italy. Happened in to Davanti by chance when it was time for lunch. This is good, standard fare in a nice setting, with good people watching along India Street, and I would go back. I rate them a 3 only because a pizza-and-pasta lunch with a couple of glasses of wine somehow came to over $80.

We went here as a group of 12 after our conference. The family-style menu really helped us out - we were able to get a lot of variety for ourselves. The foccacia was amazing - a must have.

Just yesterday we recommended Davanti to a visitor, but surprisingly our supper tonight did not live up to our previous visits. Thewhite sangria was light and great, a promising first touch. The scampi pasta came next, light, delicious, perfectly seasoned, pasta nicely al dente. But then, over cooked and crispy calamari, tough morsels. The pork belly also not up to usual, a bit overlooked, with my first mouthful all fat and not very crispy. The cabbage kinda tasteless and mushy. But worst of all were the unrecognizable Brussels sprouts, usually my all out fav. These too were overcooked, really burnt and way over seasoned. We sent them back because they were uneatable. The waiter gave us no problem and immediately said they would be off the bill. So we started well but rapidly went downhill. We've eaten here four times and each was a treat. The chef who did the appetizers was way heavy handed. So we left disappointed and not likely to return for a long, long time. Then I remembered an acquaintance telling me a similar tale about a Davanti in Del Mar. I dismissed it, but maybe....

Just by luck, we stopped here on our first evening in town. The people were so friendly and the food so good we went back two more times. We tried their meatballs during happy hour and they were among the best anywhere and my wife is a meatball expert. She makes great meatballs and tries them every chance she gets.

The service was a bit slow but the food was great. The octopus was tender and tasty. The paporadella had deep flavors and silly pasta.

After several visits to Little Italy we finally made it to DaVanti's for Saturday brunch. It was every bit as good as friends had told us. The Bloody Mary bar is expansive and fun and my husband and I both found our entrees delicious. Mine was the steak and eggs with perfectly done steak and terrific potatoes and my husband's Eggs Benedict were great. Must say I must return to try the Lemon Ricotta pancakes and my husband would like to try the Three Cheese Omelette. Our friendly waitress completed our stay.

After a long day of playing tourist my wife and I wanted a simple meal in Little Italy. “Siri” recommended that we eat here and boy was she right! We made it in under the wire for happy hour and then split a wedge salad and a pasta selection. Outstanding homemade food and excellent service. Recommend highly!

We were told to eat here from a friend and I am so happy we took their advice! The Focaccia de Recco is solely worth going there for. It was divine. Great atmosphere and wonderful food.

We are frequent travelers to Italy and have modest expectations of Italian restaurants in the US. Our evening at Davanti was a most pleasaant surprise. They have a small but well-curated wine list including a superb Brunello (DOCG) and a very nice Super Tuscan. We ordered a variety of appetizers, pastas, and primi and were pleased with all. The risotto was done absolutely perfectly. My wife's octopus was grilled to perfection. Another in our party enjoyed a beautiful Branzino (sea bass). The experience reminded me of one of my favorite restaurants in Trieste - not cheesy, oversauced tourist slop, but great food, well prepared.

San Diego's Little Italy is probably one of the best places to eat in San Diego. Food was exceptional, polenta, focaccia, Al dente pastas are full of flavor. We didn't let space for dessert but the next time we visit San Diego for sure we're coming back to have dinner and enjoy dessert. The place is cozy, the service is really fast no matter how big was our party.

Rene’ makes the best drinks, he has a great smile and his drinks are terrific! We did not eat the food but we hung out at the bar and really had a great time!!

The outdoor tables it’s a great option to enjoy your meals and have fun with friends and family! Focaccia with cream cheese espectacular and a excellent for entries.

First, not our first visit to Davanti Enoteca. We have visited and enjoyed the location in Del Mar Highlands, especially the polenta and ragu. Second, we selected the Little Italy location for a celebratory dinner and our first in restaurant dinner since the lock down. It is hard to imagine the dinner going worse. Our waiter, Scott, was inattentive. I made him aware of allergies and asked that he check on a dish I wanted to order. When he returned to take the order I mentioned that I was waiting for him to report the result of the query to the chef. He had forgotten, left our table, and returned to deliver the news that ALL the pasta was made with eggs. We then placed our order, the polenta and ragu--a pork shoulder sauce as an appetizer. We also ordered entrees. When Lynn's pasta dish came you could see right away that the spaghetti was boxed and not homemade. No eggs. My entree, the steak, came garnished with an ingredient that I specifically told him I was allergic to. I spent half the dinner watching my wife eat alone. When we asked about the appetizer, Scott mumbled something about checking on the order. It was apparent he never entered the item. When it did arrive it was lacking in both eye appeal and taste. Frankly, the squared chunks of pork shoulder in a thin orange-colored sauce looked like dog food. The entire meal was bland and lacking in taste. We spoke to the manager who offered to comp the meal. We refused, but did accept his offer to remove the late-arriving and quite unappetizing appetizer. No chance for a service recovery. India Street in San Diego is the home to a score of Italian restaurants. There is no reason to return to Davanti Enoteca.