Best Casual Restaurants in Little Italy

We were seated immediately. The table they sat us at was great and very comfortable. The food was excellent but the real star was our server Mandy. She went the extra mile to make our anniversary dinner special and memorable. It was a great experience.

Great place for dinner. I’m a vegan and absolutely love this restaurant. It was a birthday dinner and (as usual) the staff treated me like a king! The food is excellent, the atmosphere is a bit noisy on a Saturday night, and parking is hell on earth. But always a great experience! Recommend the vegan caprese salad—the rice milk mozzarella is absolutely delicious!

This is our favorite Italian restaurant in Little Italy. The food, service and environment makes it a must visit when we are in town. The riso fritto…the best!

What can I say? This is easily one of the best happy hour spots in San Diego! The ambiance is stunning, the service is outstanding, and the food is absolutely incredible. We had yet another fantastic experience here, this time for an early dinner to celebrate my kid’s birthday. The oysters were incredibly fresh, the Japanese sweet potatoes are a must-try, the fish and chips were amazing—so fresh and moist—and the clam chowder was perfection. The smoked trout dip wasn’t my favorite this time, but it was still a solid appetizer. Our server, Mike, was exceptional—attentive, polite, and spot-on with his food recommendations. We’ll definitely be back, and if you’ve never been to this place, make a reservation now. You can thank me later!

We had a lovely time at Lala. We met the proprietor and thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. The food was very good. The atmosphere was very comfortable. The wine prices were a little too high. But highly suggest the espresso martini. Would like to see more vegan options available.