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Salvatore's Cucina Italiana
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
750 Front St(between G St & F St)
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 544-1865
Announcement
We are proud to announce our joining of Open Table!
Please see our webpage to book your next reservation with us.
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
52 reviews for Salvatore's Cucina Italiana
Review Highlights
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"Ideal for romantic dates." In 10 reviews -
"It was a truly wonderful dining experience." In 4 reviews -
"The Papa Sisto and veal dishes that my girlfriend and I had..." In 3 reviews
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52 reviews in English
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Review from Debra S.
Lorton, VA
5/16/2012
I can only say that all the other 4- and 5-star reviewers are spot on in their description of Savlatore's. Our multi-generational group of six were personally greeted at the door by the host who told us about the history of the restaurant and when he found we were here for a conference wanted to know how we found out about the restaurant. Thank you Yelp for steering us in the perfect direction of a night of Italian culinary splendor.
For once in a long time I was in a restaurant where the environment was quiet enough for a conversation down a long table with no need to shout or pretend you knew what the others were saying. The decorations were refined and tasteful; no tacky posters or someone's yard sale items tacked on the walls.
The service was friendly, yet professional. No squatting down next to the table and "hello, my name is X and I'll be your server tonight." They were knowledgeable of the menu and kitchen operation, especially important in that one of our party has a severe latex allergy. All the staff working our table were attentive and proactive; the glass of water was never more than half empty.
The food was to die for. The menu has a large selection of well-known and not so well-known dishes. The group chose a variety of dishes and all were declared excellent. I went the traditional route and ordered the lasagna. I am now ruined for life as I know I will never taste a better version.
I can't understand why such a wonderful venue was so empty except that it was a Tuesday night and on the west side of Horton Plaza rather than the east side of the plaza with the drunken crowds in the Gaslamp District. Personally, I would return to this restaurant any day than patronize one of those saloons that try to promote themselves as a restaurant on 5th Ave. -
Review from Sang P.
2/15/2012
Their location is impeccable (quiet, yet sublime downtown scenery) and they also provide FREE validated parking for the nearby underground lot (something most other Gaslamp restaurants lack)
Tried the Polpettine di Manzo(meatballs with marinara sauce), and it was far from the typical meatballs I've tried in my life. They assured me it was made fresh from the kitchen, which I had no doubt once I took a bite.
For my pasta, I ordered the Bavette al Granchio del Ristorante Tre Pini which is pretty much crab meat + rosé sauce. The sauce was good but the crab meat was not impressive. I believe the texture was a little bit off.
For dessert, I had the Profiterole - cream puffs with chocolate on top. I think this was the best part of the meal.
I could go over more details but I would hate to spoil your experience. So for more information, you should find out for yourself because it's definitely worth it. I'm a staunch locavore and a picky eater, yet I was pleased. -
Review from William U.
San Diego, CA
1/6/2012
It's interesting how polarized the reviews are of this restaurant, but I guess I'm not helping the cause by giving it 5 stars.
But as far as authentic italian experiences go in San Diego, its not hard to understand why this place has been around for a quarter of a century.
The service is friendly and fantastic, when a friend and I dined here there was a large company taking over most of the restaurant with a private party, and despite their need to put out 100 entrees at once for the party, our service never suffered.
Tons to choose from on the menu, and everything that came out was delicious. Fantastic grappa selection that we sampled after dinner that was a nice way to finish the meal.
The only thing that would keep me from returning here monthly would be the slightly above average prices, but as a place to splurge every once in a while, it's hard to complain about the bill after you enjoy a meal here. -
Review from Missy O.
San Francisco, CA
4/30/2012 Seated via OpenTable
After some researching on Yelp we decided on trying Salvatore's after reading all the lovely reviews. From the moment we walked through the door, to the moment we left, it was such a lovely dining experience. Since it was our first time, (and also because we mentioned we found the place on yelp!) we were offered a glass of sparkling wine on the house. I thought that was extremely nice! We were encouraged to take our time with our meal and enjoy the food. And that we did! We were there for about 2 hours, and honestly we did not mind one bit! It was such a great place to go for date night, and I can't wait to come back again!
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Review from David C.
Chicago, IL
4/18/2012
Service here is excellent. The staff is super friendly and they seem to know the locals well. The location is right in middle of downtown San Diego. Its in a business area of the city and thus is very quiet at night. I had the veal osso buco and it was really good! I would hit this spot again.
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Review from Brian M.
Moreno Valley, CA
4/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Great atmosphere, excellent service, fantastic food, live harp player! Got engaged right before coming here and they took care of us proper. What else could be said? Flawless.
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Review from Jon H.
Simi Valley, CA
4/7/2012
Both the food and service was excellent. Staff was very nice and quite helpful. The menu had many options, and what we ordered was wonderful. For the quality and service provided, I think the prices are very reasonable. Will definitely eat there again if I am in the area.
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Review from Edward C.
San Diego, CA
5/8/2012
Went here on valentine's day. great food, superior service, even a harp! highly recommended.
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Review from colleen m.
San Diego, CA
3/11/2012
I've been in San Diego for 14 years and I just found my favorite Italian restaurant. I wish I found it earlier. I went there last night, a Saturday night and I have no idea why it was so empty. They have their own parking lot. Anyway, I loved everything, the food, the service, the drinks, the ambiance were all outstanding AND the prices were very reasonable for all this. It's kind of an experience restaurant, in other words, don't go when you're in a rush. Go when you want to sit and chat for a few hours. I'd love to go back here for the next special occasion.
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Review from Grace K.
San Diego, CA
10/10/2011
NO. And NO. I feel crazy for being one of the very very few negative reviews, but I didn't think this place was good at all.
The boyfriend brought me here for our anniversary dinner and we were looking forward to a fantastic, romantic dinner out. And with all the over-done decadence of all-white decor and harpist in the dining room, we were excited to go along with it. I mean, when else can you get this romantically cheesy except with your SO?
The restaurant was really really empty for a Friday night. There were only two other tables in addition to us, and this was at 7:30p, pretty much peak downtown SD dinner time. We were greeted and seated promptly, and they took our drink orders right away. They do have a full bar and an extensive wine list composed mainly of Italian and Californian wines, and I'm sure most people will find something they want to drink at their price point.
So here's when I asked our server what he recommended. He said "the steak is very good". I looked at him blankly. Steak? If I wanted steak, I could have gone to a steak house. And when probed further, he was like, "people like the pasta here." This bothered me because I feel like there was a definite lack of knowledge of product here, and when people walk into an Italian restaurant, the go-to recommendation should not be "steak." AmIright? (okay, there ARE people who are go-to steak people. And while I LOVE steak, I am not one of those people.) Maybe if I listened to his recommendations, I would have enjoyed the food more. :(
We took it upon ourselves and picked a mixed seafood grill, their famed osso bucco, and the lemon scallopine.
Seafood grill - overcooked shrimp, overcooked scallops. Not a good start. The lemon aioli was nice.
Lemon scallopine - mouth puckeringly lemony, to the point it was hurting the roof of my mouth. SO unpleasant. And the presentation, to go along with the theme of the restaurant, outdated and uninspired. I mean, it comes with two little carrots and some kind of veggie medley on the side. Like those banquet dishes you get at a bad wedding (chicken or fish, anyone?)
Osso bucco - okay, while I am dubious of the claim that it is San Diego's BEST, I did enjoy compared to the scallopine. The veal was tender and flavorful and the risotto, while not fabulous, was a solid risotto.
We skipped dessert because we just wanted out.
The restaurant is stuck in the last decade or two, and I could not detect the care in food or service that SHOULD go into running a restaurant at this level. And while I love a good traditional Italian meal, the food just isn't that good.
The bright side? Parking was free! :) -
Review from Daniel A.
I have finally found an Italian place that I like as much or more than Arrivederci. I must say, Italy is one of my favorite places and I love the food there. My favorite Italian place in San Diego has always been Arrivederci in Hillcrest. I am not so sure anymore.
Salvatore's is a very special place. The restaurant has been in business over 25 years and was the go to place for Italian food for almost 20 years in San Diego. With the explosion of restaurants in the Gaslamp on 5th and 6th avenue over the last 5 years, Salvatore's has become a little more quiet. It seems people spend most of their time on the East side of Horton Plaza instead of one block to the West. The location is hidden to anyone that is not a local, and only the people that are lucky enough to have been here before get to enjoy a true taste of Italy. The food is AMAZING. I can't think of anywhere that makes me feel like I am eating in Italy more than Salvatore's.
A signature dish at the restaurant is Osso Buco and people drive from as far away as Los Angeles to satisfy their cravings. I had the pleasure of eating this dish and now I am stuck craving it each week. The problem is, there are about 20 items that are so delicious on the menu, I always want to order 3 or 4 dishes at a time. From homemade pastas with some of the most succulent sauces you can imagine, to fresh fish and cheeses, this place screams ITALY.
There is live music on the weekends and the place is extremely romantic.
Do yourself a favor, get to this place as soon as you can. You will love it. -
Review from Michael H.
San Diego, CA
3/3/2012
After my experience last night I would feel guilty if I didn't share with the yelp world...
From start to finish dining at Salvatore's was amazing. We were warmly greeted by the host and our waiter and was offered a round of prosecco on the house. Tony our waiter was very knowledgeable. We ordered a round of SHRIMP bruschetta which were delicious. Surprisingly none of us ordered pasta. The Ossobucco was melt-in-your-mouth-eat-with-a-spoon FANTASTIC. Two of my friends had the filet mignon and both said it was the best they ever had.
Here is the amazing part:
Just as they were about to serve our main dishes my friend and I realized that there was no way we were going to make it back in time to move our trucks from the Convention Center parking lot. Tony our waiter grabbed another waiter, took our keys, and RAN 6-7 blocks to the parking lot and moved our trucks to the restaurant parking garage. Needless to say, the service here is unbelievable.
Since we had the time now to relax and enjoy our dinner we stayed for dessert. I forget the name, but the custard with raspberry sauce was to die for. My friends almost licked the dishes of their creme brulees. The chocolate cake was good but not as good as the others. We washed it all down with a great espresso at the end.
We enjoyed ourselves so much that we asked to meet the owner (who I thought our waiter made up... but was very real) and a few minutes later she meet us at our table - all 4'8" of her. She was very sweet and I made us feel very welcome. I fought the urge to hug her like she was my grandma.
If you are looking for a great place to DINE and spend the evening with friends, then you've come to the right place. If you want some fast pasta with red sauce before you hit-da-clubs stick with Chef Boyardee. -
Review from Jessica O.
San Diego, CA
My family enjoyed a dinner here on Saturday night...a small group of 10 ;-) The ambiance was amazing, very quiet, with a harpist delighting our ears. Loved that there was private garage parking that is validated. Our service was wonderful, our waiter described the lovely dishes in detail & was very enthusiastic about giving us background on the restaurant. The food was incredible to say the least. I will be back on special occasions!
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Review from quiet g.
San Diego, CA
3/28/2012
So surprised to find this place in downtown. Pulled it up on my yelp app and we went for it. Food was delish! 2 Sea Basses and manicotti. YUMM service was great. Park behind in the lot underground-they validate. We didn't know that and drove around for parking before discovering that. A round of prosecco on the house-now that's service. The ambiance is so beautiful, decor stunning-harp player...really swanky. love it. skipping little italy for this place in the future :)
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Review from Jessica K.
San Diego, CA
6/16/2011 3 photos
Authentic Italian food, I was very impressed.
It's a very formal restaurant, so dress up!
The setting was very beautiful:
white interior designing with champagne tinted lighting.
Very old restaurant, it's been there for quite some time already. Which would explain why there were a lot of old people. BUT this place deserves 5-stars nonethless! -
Review from Dan N.
1/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic
I live in the area and I use to walk by this place 5 times a week always wanting to try it, but it took me a year until I finally found an excuse to have dinner there and it did not disappoint.
I went here for restaurant week. Right off the bat the service was top notch. When I called to make the reservation the host which I think was the owner was very nice and professional. When I walked in I was seated right. The waiter was very attentive and helpful. He keep my drink full without me ever asking.
The decor of the restaurant was simple but very cozy and internment. Ideal for romantic dates.
I started off with Vellutata di Zucca-Veloute of roasted butternut squash, garnished with baby croutons and a swirl of fresh cream. It was delicious and very creamy. Sweet and savory, a perfect blend of flavors. 5 out of 5 sporks!
Next, I had the Manzo alla Napolitana- A paillard of filet mignon, flash sautéed rare with olive oil, dried hot pepper, fresh rosemary and slivers of garlic, and served alongside pommes frites. The steak was perfectly cooked and it had great flavor but it seemed more like a flank steak to me then a filet mignon because it was flat and thin. The fries were a bit soggy for my taste. I enjoyed the dish but I wouldn't order it again. 3.5 sporks.
Finally, I ended with Mousse al Cioccolato-Silky chocolate mousse served in a chilled martini glass with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of fresh mint. I could tell it was made fresh because it was so fluffy and creamy that it melted in my mouth. It was loaded with rich chocolate flavor. I finished off the whole thing! Must have dish, 5 out of 5 sporks!
The service was slow but I think that was done on purpose so that I could enjoy my dining experience and have uninterrupted conversation with my dining buddy.
Silky chocolate mousse served in a chilled martini glass with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of fresh mint.
All in all I think this is a fantastic local place to go for delicious italian food and enjoy a night of fine dining experience.
The owner's wife even came by to chat for a bit which I thought was a great personal touch. It really gave me the sense of a family owned business. -
Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
Great Italian food in a straightforward fashion in an elegant venue. All your traditional favorites for tourists or locals in the heart of the Gas Lamp.
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Review from Brian K.
Los Altos, CA
11/3/2011 1 photo
Believe the 4s and 5s... This place is great and the pasta was fresh, the service was excellent and we had a great evening... We'd come back for sure
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Review from Autumn W.
La Cañada Flintridge, CA
9/27/2011
I feel bad giving a one star rating for a restaurant whose manager tries so hard. But this was just a WEIRD experience. I felt like I just stepped into the Adam's Family's favorite restaurant.
Service: Very pleasant, so pleasant it's FORCED pleasant. Come on, I'm not stupid. I know you are really not THAT interested in talking to me. David (I think that was his name) is the person who runs the restaurant and also acts as a hostess. Interesting is the only word I can think of to describe him at the moment..... He sat us in a very tiny corner of the restaurant by the window. It was clear he was trying to fill the window seats to make it look like the business was busy. Our server was nice as well but needed a breath mint . The service was REALLY REALLY slow. Maybe they weren't trying to rush us? Our reservation was at 730pm, we arrived at 730 pm and left around 10 pm.
Food: Really nothing special for the cost. Burrata with fresh tomatoes=$17? COME ON! I can make that at home for like....$5 max! And that's if I go all out and buy expensive burrata!! For the main dish we wanted something truffle-y, since we love truffle. The cook/owner of the store (I forgot her name) created a "unique" risotto dish with mushrooms and truffle. Five little pieces of mushroom? Watery rice? No trace of any truffle?? Excuse me? you want to charge over $20 for that? you've got to be kidding me. We didn't want to order desert, but it was my fiance's birthday so they brought out a complimentary desert with a candle. I forgot what the desert tasted like. What does that tell you?
Drink: They honored the yelp deal and we got our free prosecco. We also ordered wine. A $35 bottle of watery tasting wine. The prosecco was better than the wine...
Ambiance and decor: Have you ever seen the OC Trinity Broadcasting Network building at night while driving on the 405 fwy? That's what this restaurant looked like on the inside. Gaudy. Old. Cheesy. However, very clean! The restaurant was huge and maybe only 7 tables were filled the entire night. There was a harpist who played the harp with one hand and the keyboard with the other. Very impressive skill! We were seated right next to her, so you can imagine how loud our conversation had to be that night.
Bathrooms: Restrooms were clean. And there was a dead silence that rang in my ears. CREEEEEEEPPPPYYYYY. Have you ever had a very weird hair raising feeling while entering a room/building? that's the feeling I got when entering the bathroom here. I've only felt this way a couple times in my life, one is in the Old Bryan Inn restrooms lol.
Parking: beneath the building in an almost vacant parking garage. Validated by the restaurant. My fiance and I were instructed to exit the restaurant through the office/residential building it was attached to. Dead silence here as well. We scampered to the end of the hall and down the stairs to parking garage...which turned off most of it's lights by that time since it closed at 10pm and it was around 955. Have you ever walked alone in a nearly empty parking garage with only a few lights on? SCARY! My fiance and I almost ran to the car it was so eerie.
What a strange/weird/eerie/creepy/bizarre experience...I will never return to this restaurant. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Suquamish, WA
12/7/2011
Love this place year after year!!! Tonight we took the whole family (Yes the two-4 year olds and the 2 year old!!!) is it a family place? Not by design....however... The restaurant is huge, with lots of nooks and crannies which easily allowed my party of seven to not bother anyone else. The waiter was kind, as my baby kept handing him yogurt snacks and his toy elephant. I think he even ate a yogurt bite at my kids instance!!! The service was super attentive and unhurried. The pastas are to die for. Lasagna (yes lasagna, I had 4 year olds, remember?!?) was delectable!!! The Papa Sisto is one of the best pasta dishes I've ever eaten. Bolognese was great too. The guys got the Osso Bucco and had nothing but good things to say. I had the Veal Scallopini and it was good, but my least favorite thing on the table. It's not cheap, but it was perfect for our family night on vacation. I got great food, great service and was not overly conscientious about the kids' noise. Told the maitre'd I'd be back next year and totally meant it!!
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Review from Kathy D.
REDWOOD VLY, CA
10/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Called in for a late reservation and they were very kind to take us in. The host was super nice and took his time with us even though we are the last ones seated for the night. The waiter was helpful with the wine list( and not too over bearing like most). I had a lovely pasta did, my hubby had the ossoboco. Both were awesome!! Great atmosphere , Was a hard choice what to eat because every dish sounded great. Would defenitly go back!!
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Review from Steve M.
McKinney, TX
7/30/2011
Went here based on the great reviews on Yelp, but was horribly disappointed. Took forEVER to deliver our salads (and i mean forEVER, maybe a half hour), which were mediocre at best, horrible at worst. Entrees were judged "decent" to "not so good" (including a tough chicken parm, not easy to do). Oh - the prosecco drink special advertised on Yelp is a farce - when my friend mentioned it, the waiter brought him a well drink, said "we'll call this your Yelp drink", AND THEN CHARGED HIM FOR IT. $12, no less! My advice? Avoid Salvatore's.
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Review from Laura D.
6/25/2010
After living in Italy for 3 years in my youth, I am very fussy about Italian food. This place is as real as you can get, I think the best Italian in San Diego. The decor is all white, very elegant, pianist, romantic, pleasant, not too noisy.
Everything is good and the location is just outside the gaslamp district so it's convenient to everything, walking distance from the Marina Marriott. The service is also authentic and there are some Italian waiters. Ok, ok, sometimes the service is a little "Italian" (read: you'll get it when it's ready) but just relax and enjoy the atmosphere and your companion.
The exquisite lasagna and the pasta Papa Sisto are my favorites, along with ossobucco. LOTS of desserts, all fabulous, so I'm not going to recommend any special one. I'll let you drool over the menu.
Not cheap but worth every penny. A real Italian production. Yum yum. -
Review from S Michael F.
Hampstead, MD
6/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was probably my favorite restaurant while visiting in San Diego. My lasagna dish was a perfect blend of pasta, meat sauce, ricotta cheese and spices. They also offer smaller portion sizes for reduced prices, which was great because I wasn't able to take leftovers with me. I had the cheesecake for dessert. If you like a ricotta based cheesecake, which I don't see very often, you'll love this one. Our waiter, Justin, was wonderful to me and my wife. He was informative and his recommendations were spot on. It was a truly wonderful dining experience.
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Review from Lawrence S.
Austin, TX
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great waiting staff and the food was even better!
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Review from JUAN R.
Mission, TX
10/22/2011
Good food good people
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Review from John S.
San Diego, CA
5/2/2011
As residents living directly above this restaurant since 1998, we would "hang" out here at least 2 times a week eating and drinking. Unfortunately - restaurant management changed which drove away substantial local residents. The cause? $30 corkage fee (highest in San Diego County) and virtually NO participation in any type of a Happy Hour - despite the fact that virtually EVERY restaurant, 0 star or 5 star status offers some type of a Happy Hour menu. Unfortunate. This has driven away droves of our friends and resident neighbors who used to frequent this once great restaurant. We continue to monitor the operations but are not holding our breath - seems they are only interested in convention business. Too bad because we really liked the place.
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Review from Lulu S.
Union City, CA
5/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Was trying to find a place to eat after meeting at the convention center and found this place through yelp. Review seemed excellent so we decided to give it a try! So glad we did. The food was really yum! I had the penne and hubby had papa sisto (white sauce pasta). The wait staff are sooooo friendly and made us feel very welcomed. Highly recommend.
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Review from helen w.
San Diego, CA
6/11/2011
The finest Italian cuisine this side of Heaven!! Tony makes the best Lemon Drop Martini in the world.
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Review from Cindy C.
Los Angeles, CA
2/18/2009
I'd probably give this place 2.5 stars if I could. Dined here for V-day. They had two prix fixe menus--one for $65 and one for $95. I had the $65 one, husband had the $95. They were fine, solid, good eats. But probably not worth the price, especially so for the $95 menu. I tend to think that for a meal that's going to cost you 100+ with tax/tip, it should be fairly amazing, not just, you know, "good" the way your mom or friend would make dinner.
Nevertheless, restaurant has nice decor and very attentive and congenial staff. Probably won't go back again, though. -
Review from Dulce R.
San Diego, CA
1/12/2009
I've been here a couple of times, only once at my expense.
My father would bring us here for my mother's birthdays. We were young at the time and didn't really appreciate the whole experience... We simply thought, "Yay... food!". It's definitely not a place for children.
Now that I am older, I can appreciate the finer things in life (in moderation that is, this place is pricey.)... I brought my fiance here for an anniversary... It's very romantic... The candle light... the music... (sigh)... the food was delicious, the wine was delightful...
Until we meet again Salvatore's... -
Review from Bionda C.
San Diego, CA
1/29/2008
Robin makes a good point that the main clientle of Salvatore's is a bit on the older side.I think this is because the over-done ambiance and the high prices discourage a quiet and inexpensive dining experience.
But I disagree that you shouldn't take the time out to dine in this beautiful Italian restaurant. In fact, I'm headed there for Valentine's Day... The all-white decor and the pianist make for a gorgeous romantic retreat. The food is consistently delicious, but beware that you may need to unbutton your pants after a multi-course feast.
Buon Appetito! -
Review from scott p.
San Diego, CA
1/24/2009
I walk by this restaurant literally every week- it's between my office and my bank and I've been wanting to go here, literally, for years but never have because wife and I typically only eat Italian food when we're in New York. Let me make it clear that I am not adverse to the charms of local italian restaurants: Baci (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) is really good, for example.
But the bottom line with this place is we waited 45 minutes to order our food? And the food wasn't that great. -
Review from Kerin S.
Updated - 1/25/2011
SO, we went for Restaurant week, and wow. It was still amazing and the same, and an amazing touch is the server not only remembered us and greeted us right away, he remembered the exact cocktail I had the last time (which was back in November)...what a great touch. So we didn't even get the Restaurant week menu, because I forgot that the last time I had the best lasagna ever, and so I got it again, and I licked my plate, yes I LICKED IT. The bestttttt lasagna EVER!! i can't wait to go back again. They are the BEST
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/7/2010
First and Foremost: How are there not more reviews/how do people not know about this place?!?!
I am… Read more »
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Review from Denver F.
Denver, CO
1/8/2011
I'm giving Salvatore's five stars only because I couldn't give it 10. The ambiance is lovely, very romantic and the harpist is a nice touch. The mister and I shared the antipasti - salty sweet prosciutto draped lovingly over sweet cantaloupe, salami and salty olives oh my goodness! The focaccia had a superlative chew and delicately crisped crust. Mister had the angel soft ravioli filled with goat cheese and sauteed artichoke hearts whereas I had the OMG ossobucco. These people love food and you can tell, delicious is a pale, pale facscimile of the kind of wonderful I'm trying to describe. I'd fly back from Denver once a month if I could just to eat here.
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Review from Sylvia C.
La Jolla, CA
1/30/2011
My group went here for restaurant week and before I even got there, I already had a good feeling about this dinner! I called about 12 hours before the actual time we wanted to go for dinner for reservation, and the attitude of the people at the restaurant was just amazing! They were friendly, funny, and polite. When we got there, they seated us and came to ask if we need any service at the right times. Our server Tony was very generous at helping us with taking group pictures! As for the food, I thought the portion was just right! But most of my guy friends were still hungry, so if you're a guy maybe order a little bit more :). The chocolate souffle was to die for!!! Other than that, it was just overall a VERY amazing experience :).
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Review from W P.
Manhattan Beach, CA
5/29/2011
Very good food and excellent service. The setting is classic and well suited for a romantic dinner for two or a larger group who don't want to shout to converse with each other. More importantly, this is a place to eat good italian food. The portions are generous, quality very good and presentation well done. Leave the kids at home, this is a restaurant for adults.
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Review from Sarah S.
1/28/2011
I went there with a large group reservation and wasent paying for my meal. I was really excited about some of the posts about it being as close to real Italy food as you can get, and was dissapointed. I ordered the filet mignon- which was perfect, and becasue I had to try something authentic, I got a side of spagethtu with marinara- the sauce might have been better in a can. My husband ordered the special 18oz bone in steak which was winderful as well. There were a few appetizers we got as well, and they were nothing to write home about. The service was also very slow, we were there three hours from app's to desert and would have been happy with two. Overall a good place to get steak, but for the price, I will go somewhere else next time.
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Review from Lance M.
Thousand Oaks, CA
8/14/2011
We were expecting a really good dinner, and were not disappointed. The food was great, the service was great, along with a gorgeous restaurant. Justin, our waiter, showed use through the menu and recommended two really delicious choices which we shared and both enjoyed. We will be back!
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Review from Paula M.
Canyon Country, CA
3/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wonderful experience! Best italian in san diego!
