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Barbusa, San Diego, CA

Barbusa

4.6
4.6
4275 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
8:30 pm
Booked 70 times today
  • Lively
  • Good for groups
  • Good for special occasions
Barbusa Local Modern Sicilian Restaurant.
Lively atmosphere with our craft cocktails, handmade pastas, freshest seafood, delicate pizza, and our famous Sicilian Ribeye.

Pizza Served from our stone fired oven.

Gluten free and Vegan Items Available


WHILE WE VALUE THE TIME OF ALL OUR LOYAL GUEST AND SMILING FACES, WE KINDLY REQUEST YOU LIMIT THE TIME SPENT AT YOUR TABLE TO 1 HOUR AND 30 MIN DUE TO MANDATED REDUCTION IN CAPACITY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT, WE COULDNT BE MORE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU DINE WITH US!



Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Sat, Sun 11:30 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 238-1917
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Joe Busalacchi and Nino Zizzo
  • Catering
    We can cater all your events .Please send email to joey@barbusa.com
  • Private party facilities
    We are here for any of your private party needs. We do buffet, family style and seated experiences.
  • Area
    Little Italy
  • Cross Street
    Grape Street and India Street
  • Parking details
    we have Valet in the lot next to our establishment
  • Public transit
    Bus and trolley within blocks
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 4,275 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Barbusa in Little Italy offers a "vibrant atmosphere" with "delicious food" and "exceptional service." The "short rib lasagna" and "espresso martinis" are highly recommended. While the place can be "a bit noisy," the lively vibe and attentive staff make it a standout dining spot. Perfect for gatherings!

4,275 Reviews
  1. Victor

    San Diego

    8 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We had an incredible experience at Barbusa for dinner at 6 p.m. I’m a reservation. I marked on our reservation that we were celebrating a birthday and mentioned it to the staff when we checked in, but the waiter never mentioned anything about it, so we had dessert at another restaurant in Little Italy. Halfway through our dinner, the restaurant became very busy, and it was very hard to listen to our conversations at our table. 

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  2. Tiberius

    Indiana

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best Italian restaurants around. Amazing food and great service. The only downside is the traffic and parking.

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  3. Monica

    Las Vegas

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best in Downtown Little Italy! Food was delicious and you must try the Garlic Bread..so good!! Rosanna was our server and she was the absolute best -Very attentive. The vibe was electric on a Tuesday and we can't wait to go back!

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  4. david

    Baltimore

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very enjoyable meal. We had delicious food and nice wine. Attentive service. Affordable. My sole complaint was that the music was so loud that everyone was shouting. So, at our table of 4, we had to shout above the din. This improved as the evening progressed and some patrons left and the music was adjusted.

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  5. Donald

    Pittsburgh

    80 reviews

    5.0

    80 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We had four in our party on a Saturday evening. Despite being distracted by serving another large table our service was fine. I’ll bet it would have been more attentive otherwise. The food quality was terrific. Many updated Italian cuisine options. The vibe was energetic and I liked it. It’s a good spot.

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  6. Carol

    San Diego

    44 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    44 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    I was looking forward to revisiting Barbusa after having great memories from my last visit. Unfortunately, last night’s dinner was disappointing, starting with the hostesses' lack of courtesy and professionalism. Despite making our reservation a week in advance, my husband and I were made to wait 10 minutes after our arrival before the hostesses decided to seat us. The rest of our party was trying to find parking. It was cold outside, and we wanted to get inside; in my opinion, this policy was unnecessarily rigid. When we were seated, the first table was too cold, so we asked to move. The manager, who was very kind and accommodating, allowed us to pick another table. However, just as we got comfortable, a hostess insisted we move again to make room for a larger party despite there being other tables she could have used. It wasn’t until the manager intervened that we were allowed to stay. The whole interaction felt unnecessarily difficult and lacked basic hospitality. There were some bright spots in the food. The squash blossoms and Caesar salad were delicious, and the dirty martinis were well-crafted. However, the pasta dishes were disappointing. Two members of our party ordered the clams with pasta, and I had the carbonara, which I didn’t finish—it was mediocre at best. My friend had the short rib lasagna, which also failed to impress. Barbusa has shifted its focus toward being a trendy hotspot for the bar crowd rather than maintaining the quality and experience we had previously appreciated. One bright note: the busboy was attentive and did an excellent job. Overall, this visit didn’t meet expectations, and I don’t see myself returning or recommending Barbusa to friends or clients.

    1 person found this helpful

  7. Koral

    Baja California

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 13 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    La comida estuvo muy rica, y el servicio muy amable, solo el ruido era muy alto.

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  8. Endsley

    Atlanta Metro

    25 reviews

    4.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on 12 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Good dinner. The food was good and service was excellent. It is a bit loud but most restaurants are these days.

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  9. Tae-Hyuk

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 12 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The waiter who served us was very nice and humorous. He provided us a free drink of espressomartini, which was pretty good. The atmosphere was fine thought it was a bit dark. We ordered a pizza, calamari fritta, bongole, and bolonege pasta. We asked for a simple straight bongole without tomato source, and they did it very well. But, bolonege was not great. The lagu source was plain. But, I would like to definitely dry the other dishes later.

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  10. Jason

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From the availability of tables, check in, attentiveness of our waiter, and amazing dishes, I’d definitely recommend Barbusa to anyone looking for a great dinner.

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FAQs

Barbusa offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 238-1917.

Barbusa is rated 4.6 stars by 4275 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
8:30 pm
Booked 70 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Barbusa

1917 India Street, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Grape Street and India Street
  • Area
    Little Italy
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Sat, Sun 11:30 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Contemporary Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    we have Valet in the lot next to our establishment
  • Public transit
    Bus and trolley within blocks
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Joe Busalacchi and Nino Zizzo
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (619) 238-1917
  • Catering
    We can cater all your events .Please send email to joey@barbusa.com
  • Private party facilities
    We are here for any of your private party needs. We do buffet, family style and seated experiences.
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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