Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. San Diego
  5. Banker's Hill
CUCINA urbana, San Diego, CA
Award-winning

CUCINA urbana

4.8
4.8
7116 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 42 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Neighbourhood gem
We are a wine shop inside of a restaurant | Dining and design form the perfect union at San Diego's highly acclaimed CUCINA urbana, a California-inspired Italian kitchen and wine shop, located in the heart of Bankers Hill since 2009.

The restaurant boasts comfort and familiarity, welcoming diners to a country farmhouse with the added whimsy of a contemporary art installation.

CUCINA urbana is the originator of the CUCINA retail wine program where each dedicated shop allows guests to hand select wines at a retail price, either to enjoy with their meal for a minimal corkage fee or for purchase to-go. The wine list is comprised of many familiar labels as well as rare and small-batch gems, with an emphasis on Italian varietals.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, American, Mediterranean
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 239-2222
  • Website
    http://www.urbankitchengroup.com/cucina-urbana-bankers-hill/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Tim Kolanko
  • Catering
    URBAN KITCHEN CATERING provides four star, stunning events with menus unique to your occasion. For more information check the URBAN KITCHEN CATERING link on our website www.urbankitchengroup.com or call Alison at 619.239.2222 extension 2. Or if interested in restaurant buyout opportunities, please contact Tiffany Tassano at 619.239.2222 extension 4.
  • Private party facilities
    From birthday celebrations and corporate dinners to graduation celebrations and wedding receptions, our space is perfect for your dining event. Our Wine Shop offers an intimate semi-private space for smaller functions, while larger groups are welcome to host their event using our entire restaurant as a private venue. We offer: wine specialists, who will design pairings for your meal, personalized printed menus, table decorations, specialty to-go gifts, and more.
  • Location
    505 Laurel St., San Diego, CA 92101
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Area
    Banker's Hill
  • Cross Street
    5th avenue
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 7,116 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
CUCINA urbana offers a delightful dining experience with "exceptional food" and "perfect service." Guests rave about the "wonderfully boisterous ambience" and diverse wine selection. While some find the noise level high, the "fresh pastas, pizzas, and salads" are consistently praised. It's a favorite for pre-theater meals with convenient shuttle service to the Old Globe.

7,116 Reviews

  1. hannah

    Denver

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best meals I’ve ever had. Do not miss the meatballs! Pepperoni pizza was chefs kiss. Highly recommend and we will be back!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Justine

    VIP

    San Francisco

    38 reviews

    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience with amazing staff and atmosphere. We'll be back next time we're in San Diego. Top notch all the way around from host stand, bar, kitchen and dining room. Everything was excellent!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Ashley

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall experience was fantastic! Great place for New Year’s Eve dinner! Food was amazing, good choices and flavor was spectacular. Staff were so welcoming and friendly. Sitting outside had a heater, blanket and noise levels were much better than inside. Highly recommend!! Must try pizza!!

    Is this helpful?

  4. James

    VIP

    San Diego

    17 reviews

    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We celebrated our New Year's Eve meal at Cucina and it was delightful. Kevin was our server and he was grand! I highly recommend this place!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Samantha

    VIP

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was my second time here, and which was just as amazing as the first. Every single dish was fantastic. The fried squash blossom and grilled octopus were some of our favorite appetizers. We tried a few different pasta dishes (all were great) but our absolute favorite was the mussel linguine. The sauce was to die for! We also had the limoncello tart and tiramisu for dessert - both which were exceptional. This has become one of my favorite restaurants in SD.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Francesca

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Siamo italiani e dopo una settimana in giro per la California avevamo nostalgia del cibo Italiano. Quindi abbiamo deciso di cenare qui leggendo le recensioni positive. Abbiamo condiviso degli antipasti, molto buoni. Un carpaccio di carne e il maiale. Io poi ho ordinato una pizza margherita e il mio compagno i bucatini. La pizza era abbastanza discreta, sicuramente livello più alto rispetto ad altri. I bucatini all’amatriciana non erano tali, era una pasta normale alla fine. Abbiamo ordinato il dolce al limoncello, buonissimo! Abbiamo apprezzato l’accoglienza e il servizio.

    Is this helpful?

  7. JoAnna

    VIP

    Seattle

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food overall and excellent service. Wish they had happy hour items outside the bar area.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Rachel

    VIP

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 25 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing waiter, food, wine and ambiance. They were beyond accommodating even though we were 20 mins late for our reservation. They let us stay past closing to finish our wine. Lovely experience all around. Thank you!

    Is this helpful?

  9. rafael

    Miami

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 25 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Cucina Urbana is a must everytime I’m in San Diego .. food , service and ambiance always amazing

    Is this helpful?

  10. pier

    VIP

    San Francisco

    47 reviews

    5.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on 24 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    great food and wine at great prices, table was a bit cramped but great overall

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

CUCINA urbana offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 239-2222.

CUCINA urbana is rated 4.8 stars by 7116 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 42 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for CUCINA urbana

505 Laurel St., San Diego, CA 92101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Cross Street
    5th avenue
  • Area
    Banker's Hill
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, American, Mediterranean
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Tim Kolanko
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.urbankitchengroup.com/cucina-urbana-bankers-hill/
  • Phone number
    (619) 239-2222
  • Catering
    URBAN KITCHEN CATERING provides four star, stunning events with menus unique to your occasion. For more information check the URBAN KITCHEN CATERING link on our website www.urbankitchengroup.com or call Alison at 619.239.2222 extension 2. Or if interested in restaurant buyout opportunities, please contact Tiffany Tassano at 619.239.2222 extension 4.
  • Private party facilities
    From birthday celebrations and corporate dinners to graduation celebrations and wedding receptions, our space is perfect for your dining event. Our Wine Shop offers an intimate semi-private space for smaller functions, while larger groups are welcome to host their event using our entire restaurant as a private venue. We offer: wine specialists, who will design pairings for your meal, personalized printed menus, table decorations, specialty to-go gifts, and more.

Featured in

Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Delight more diners
  • Open for Business Blog
Join us on
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable Australia Level 22, 357 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo