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  5. Little Italy
Monello, San Diego, CA

Monello

4.5
4.5
2620 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

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2 people
21:30
Booked 43 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
  • Good for business meals
As Bencotto's brother located next door,
Monello lives up to its sibling's reputation as Best Italian restaurant in San Diego.
From the 800 LB of fresh pasta handcrafted every week, Monello displays up to 27 different recipes of pasta.
Mediterranean style seafood is served along with gourmet pizza.
Monello delivers Pasta & Risotto tossed in the Parmigiano cheese wheel tableside.
Unique Italian-style brunch is served on weekends.
Voted Best Happy Hour 2016, Monello's Milanese Aperitivo offers small plates on the house with drinks every night.
UN­ABLE TO FIND A TABLE? CHECK OUT OUR BROTHER RESTAURANT BENCOTTO NEXT DOOR

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Mediterranean, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Fri 12:00–21:30 Sat, Sun 10:00–21:30 Happy Hour Tue–Sun 15:00–17:00
  • Phone number
    (619) 501-0030
  • Website
    http://www.lovemonello.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Fabrizio Cavallini
  • Catering
    Send catering inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Private party facilities
    Monello offers semiprivate and private SPACES. www.lovemonello.com Send inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Private party contact
    our Private Event Coordinator: (619) 501-0030
  • Location
    750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101
  • Area
    Little Italy
  • Cross Street
    Kettner
  • Parking details
    The Little Italy Association offers valet parking Tuesday through Sunday at the corner of India St. and Fir St. (in front of Influx) & Kettner Blvd. & Fir for $10.00 beginning at 5:30pm. Limited street parking is available. Metered parking is free after 6:00pm until 6:00am Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday.
  • Public transit
    MTS Transit Trolley Stop Green Line: County Center/Little Italy
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,620 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Monello, nestled in San Diego's vibrant Little Italy, is celebrated for its "amazing food" and "outstanding service." Guests rave about the handmade pasta, especially the "to die for" cheese wheel creations. While the ambiance can be bustling, the restaurant delivers rich Italian flavors with a friendly staff, making every visit memorable.

2,620 Reviews

  1. Leigh

    Atlanta Metro

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We ordered several items but the monthly pasta wheel was our favorite. Friendly staff and great service.

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  2. Hunter

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful experience and free desserts for my mom’s birthday! Food was delish and service was great!

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  3. Kevin

    San Diego

    29 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on 14 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Apps and main courses came out at the same time. Lamb shank was excellent. Lasagna was just ok. Hostess was great, friendly and efficient. Waiter was 5 out of 10. There are much better values in the neighborhood. No soft surfaces in the restaurant, so it gets noisy fast.

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  4. Yvette

    Tahoe

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 13 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The meet and greet was promptly inviting and their service on point. I went for the cheese wheel and it definitely did not disappoint. I opted for the parmigiana wheel they also have the Grana Padano. The pasta was perfectly al dente, giving the perfect bite as you coat it with the luscious creamy sauce. I will definitely be returning upon my next San Diego visit.

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  5. Lorelei

    San Francisco

    28 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    It was a wonderful dinner, we enjoyed the food and conversation, Hostes walked us over to next door restraunt for a drink while our table was being set as their bar was full.

    Is this helpful?

  6. David

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Good pasta, the wheel was tasty, carbonara just ok.

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  7. Kelly

    San Diego

    26 reviews

    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Definitely one of our favorite places in Little Italy. My husband and I had only sat at the bar in the past, but this past Saturday we and another couple sat at a lovely corner table in the restaurant. We started with panzerotti (4 lightly fried mini calzones) and calamari. Both were delicious, but I advise ordering two of the calamaris for a table of four (especially if you all love it). Great wine list and decent prices. I thoroughly enjoyed my spaghetti neri con polipo, and the rest of our party felt the same about their choices. None of us decided on entrees from the Parmesan wheel, but I have had it in the past, and highly recommend it, if it suits your pallet. Our server (David?) was friendly and efficient. The atmosphere was lively, indoors and out. Such a great location. I cannot wait to revisit this neighborhood gem.

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  8. Molly

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 9 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service and food was excellent, no complaints there. Delish! It was just too loud though. The entire time, we had to talk louder to hear each other at a small table. And, though this wasn't the case for the entire place, it was a bit too dark to see the menu. We looked really old people trying to read, lol.

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  9. Kimberly

    Las Vegas

    55 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    55 reviews

    Dined on 4 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Our waiter Jeff was amazing. Very attentive and made great recommendations. I enjoyed my meal. My only complaint is the tables along the window are way too close to each other. There’s not enough room to get into your seat without moving the table. The person behind me had to scoot in to let me get in my chair. The same thing happened with the couple that came behind my friend.

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  10. Anthony

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 3 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The grilled octopus appetizer and squid ink pasta are both amazing.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Monello offers delivery in partnership with Postmates. Monello also offers takeaway which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 501-0030.

Monello is rated 4.5 stars by 2620 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
21:30
Booked 43 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Monello

750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Kettner
  • Area
    Little Italy
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Fri 12:00–21:30 Sat, Sun 10:00–21:30 Happy Hour Tue–Sun 15:00–17:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Mediterranean, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    The Little Italy Association offers valet parking Tuesday through Sunday at the corner of India St. and Fir St. (in front of Influx) & Kettner Blvd. & Fir for $10.00 beginning at 5:30pm. Limited street parking is available. Metered parking is free after 6:00pm until 6:00am Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday.
  • Public transit
    MTS Transit Trolley Stop Green Line: County Center/Little Italy
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Fabrizio Cavallini
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.lovemonello.com/
  • Phone number
    (619) 501-0030
  • Catering
    Send catering inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Private party facilities
    Monello offers semiprivate and private SPACES. www.lovemonello.com Send inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Private party contact
    our Private Event Coordinator: (619) 501-0030

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