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CUCINA urbana, San Diego, CA
Award-winning

CUCINA urbana

4.7
4.7
7137 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 44 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Lively
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 16:00–21:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–22:00
  • 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 7,137 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 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 "excellent food" and "incredible service" in a lively atmosphere. Known for its creative Italian dishes like squash blossoms and mussel linguine, the restaurant also impresses with an extensive wine selection. While it can be noisy, the "amazing staff" ensures a memorable dining experience.

7,137 Reviews

  1. Kate

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience! Delicious food and exceptional service.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Erik

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Hard to tell if the food or service was more outstanding!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Cheryl

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful night. We probably overstay our welcome because we were visiting with our son, but they had open tables and they didn’t bother us about it. The food and service were superb

    Is this helpful?

  4. Matthew

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was excellent and the food was amazing. Recommend splitting apps and a pizza with your date.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Duke

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    We've been here twice so far in 2025 and the food was very good. The thing is, we first came here maybe 3 years ago, when the food was excellent. Our risotto was the best we ever had. My date said, "I could eat this for the rest of my life." They're not at this level anymore. I've haven't seen any kind of risotto or gnocchi on the menu in something like a year. They say, "No specials tonight", but they've been saying that for a while. Wouldn't be a much of a probem, but the menu has become quite limited. Our server was very pleasant but...we wanted to split our salad, but when she brought it out she forgot to bring our plates. I had to wave and catch her eye after a few minutes (she was texting) to get them. Our paper receipt did not match the electronic credit card machine. She had brought us one from another table. This part is inexcusable. The font on the menu is so small! The lighting in the restaurant is nice, and not a problem at the bar. But even with 20/20 vision and the help of reading glasses, it was hard to make out the descriptions on the menu at the tables. My date had to take a flashlight out of her purse to read hers. We saw another couple using their cellphone's' flashlight. The menu's add-ons are so tiny we couldn't make them out at all. It's a very attractive menu, but talk about style over substance! We won't be back anytime soon. There are other Italian restaurants I'll recommend over Cucina Urbana.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Ryan

    Pittsburgh

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The food and service was really good. It’s a really cool spot too. Only downside is it’s really loud so tough to talk.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Steven

    New York City

    13 reviews

    2.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    its a lovely restaurant with excellent service but the food is not special at all. Any of their pastas with red sauce i..e bolognese and amatriciana were mediocre at best. Surprisingly medicocre.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Randall

    VIP

    San Diego

    49 reviews

    3.0

    49 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Usually 5-star, but not last night. Lots of things were just not what we expected. The server and service were fine. The crudo and octopus apps were amazing. Then…. There was a me u change and is just not as good as the previous one. Add to that, there were no specials so it was what it was. The bucatini pasta was gummy, thick and not to temp. It did taste good but the person who lives this dish said he would not order it again ffor a very long time. The beef cheeks were excellent and we would order them again. When desert can we had the tiramisu -excellent and the chocolate budín o wa almost watery. I know it’s no supposed to be very thick but this was not even staying on the spoon. Just not its usual greatness. So an off night it seems. Hopefully they get things together because it really is a five star place, just not last night.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Christina

    VIP

    San Diego

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A favorite spot for us when we are in San Diego. It never disappoints! Robert was fantastic!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Josh

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    James was phenomenal as our waiter. Food was good and vibe was even better. Will definitely be back!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

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

CUCINA urbana is rated 4.7 stars by 7137 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 44 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 16:00–21:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–22:00
  • 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.

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