Piatti

Service was pretty great. The bread that came out before was probably the highlight of the meal which was weird, but the olive oil and whatever was mixed in was simply amazing. We got 4 dishes, but only liked 2 which was a bit sad at this price point. The favorite of the table though was the Orecchiette which we wish we all got. There’s another Italian place just across the street, might try that one next time.

This place was very good, our server was pleasant and helpful. The food was delicious, the drinks were tasty and the atmosphere was nice (we sat on the patio).
My husband and I enjoyed it. We would def return.

I had one of the most fabulous dinners at Piatti this past Saturday night while visiting La Jolla. Everything about La Jolla is charming, cozy and romantic but Piatti takes it to another level and has created the perfect ambiance paired with magnificent food and an exceptional wine list.
My boyfriend and I had a 7:15 reservation, when we arrived we were greated by two friendly girls at the hostess stand and seated promptly. Right after sitting down a gentleman brought out fresh bread that was still warm. While the bread was great, the best part was their olive oil and balsamic dipping sauce. I have never in my life enjoyed a simple complimentary bread and olive oil like I did at Piatti, this stuff is like crack it’s so addicting.
After eating far too much bread we ordered a glass of wine each, we were both shocked with how reasonable the prices by the glass were, they could be charging much more but I am thankful that they aren’t! I has a GSM red blend and my boyfriend had a glass of The Show which is a popular malbec, both were exactly what we had hoped for.
After a relaxing time enjoying the bread and wine, out came the entrees. As a vegetarian I decided to go with the Mushroom Rotolo and my boyfriend, who is second generation from Italy ordered the Lamb Penne. We were both in heaven, our food was rich but not overwhelming, there was so much flavor and it was clear things are made to order and not just frozen and cooked on demand. I have never had a meal quite like this and I am so impressed by the quality, the price point and the level of service when we had questions prior to ordering.
Needless to say, I hope I am back in La Jolla for many reasons but Piatti is a big part of why I am looking forward to my next visit!

Intimate setting, great Italian food and wine. Perfect for that romantic dinner date or a boisterous party with friends.

Celebrating my birthday here was a grand idea.
As you walk into the restaurant, very inviting. I had to wait for a minute until someone came to seat us, thou when we did
Sherry, Our waitress was outstanding. Professional, friendly, patient and sweet.
We had 4 course meal and I cannot remember everything. What I remember was the attentiveness of our waitress. She gave me a special «birthday menu» with my name on it. I felt very special and like a princess.
She suggested what the specials were. I was high on bliss.
We started with a few starters:
fresh burrata cheese
endive salad — fresh & crisp endive leafs
chopped romaine salad
wild mushroom rotolo — made to perfection. creamy flavorful sauce, pasta al dente and enough cream to make the dish stand out. Stellar flavors

Parking is always a bust when it comes to downtown and beach area. We got really lucky with out parking. Made a reservation and it was nice that called a day in advance to confirm. We sat outsideand got variety of dishes. We got the spaghetti with meatballs, orechiette, seafood noodles, eggplant panini, and the raviolli. Everyone seemed to enjoy it a lot. The portion isnt too big but youre definitely getting your moneys worth. I had the orechiette and it was delicious– not too heavy and just the right amount of chicken and veggies. Service was very nice.

I took my wife to a dinner at Piatti’s in La Jolla, for our 3-​year wedding anniversary. The hostess was very nice and welcoming. She immediately sat us on the outside patio (I had requested this for our anniversary) with personalized *Happy 3 years!* menus.
Their staff is fast and courteous. The food was amazing. I had the Penne (⁵⁄₅); slow cooked lamb, red wine, crushed tomato sauce, grana padano, mint. My wife ordered the Saffron Pappardelle (⁵⁄₅); shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes, arugula, lemon, white wine broth.
Piatti’s La Jolla location is great for romantic dates, family dinners, or a seat at the bar to watch sports and catch up. I couldn’t have asked for a more relaxed and fun anniversary dinner experience. Thank you, Piatti’s staff.

Piatti was an amazing resultant! I love Italian food and found Piatti on Unilocal so my friends and I tried it out.
It had a great atmosphere, wonderful workers who were very welcoming, especially our waitress, Jessica. She took care of us very well. She was helpful and fun. If you have her as your waitress you’ll be truly satisfied. She really set the bar high for other waiters and waitresses.
I had the orecchiette with sun dried tomatoes, grilled chicken and asparagus. It was well made, rich in taste. Get it if you love orecchiette.
Overall you will not be disappointed going here. I highly recommend it for all you Italian lovers, and those who haven’t tried Italian before, this is a perfect place to start.

This may be a late review as I visited this establishment a few weeks ago, but better late than never!
I had an absolutely fabulous dining experience at this restaurant. I would most definitely recommend calling in a reservation to this location. I went on a Saturday at 8pm and it was packed! Lucky for me my date thought ahead in making a reservation so we had no wait time.
This establishment has a very homely atmosphere. It is actually a lot bigger than I had imagined walking in. It can get a bit noisy considering the tables are close together and the restaurant is completely open. There is a nice outdoor seating option as well as front patio. If going there in the daytime I would recommend choosing either.
The food was delicious, I had one of their signature plates and I couldn’t get enough of it! The waiter we had was so attentive and friendly. I just cannot say enough good things about this place. Pictures cannot due this restaurant justice. You would have to just have to dine and enjoy for yourself! I will most definitely go back and recommend to everyone who will listen.

Hey, this place is awesome. Food, atmosphere, location.
I was hammered at dinner and don’t really remember it because it’s two weeks later. However, from what I can remember, the bread was ridiculously good and whatever I ordered was too. I don’t remember what I ordered, but it was some type of pasta. I’m going back to say the least.
P. S. Great bar in there. Again, not entirely remembering what it looked like, but I enjoyed it immensely.

I went to Piatti for dinner last weekend while in the area. The place is adorably decorated with a cute patio. The patio has heat lamps but not enough, we had first sat out there but it was too chilly. The indoor seating and décor is just as cute and we were happy to sit inside.
The complimentary bread and olive oil/​balsamic mixture with herbs is amazing, try not to fill up on this.
Grilled Hearts of Romaine 12.95
We started with a salad. We split the grilled hearts of romaine salad with the prosciutto blanket. That piece of prosciutto was cooked with herbs and was literally the most delicious piece of prosciutto I have ever had in my life. I highly recommend starting with this.
We then shared two different main dishes:
1)Mushroom, Sausage and Parmesan Risotto –can’t recall price
This dish was one of their specials of the night. This dish was too «liquidy» for a risotto, and very heavy. That being said the flavors were excellent. The combination of ingredients complimented each other well. It is clear they use very high quality ingredients. The portion size was large.
2) Orchiette Pasta Dish 17.95
Grilled chicken with sun dried tomatoes, asparagus in a gorgonzola cream sauce. I love gorgonzola cream sauce, and I loved this dish.
Dessert:
The dessert menu isn’t listed online and I can’t recall the exact name.
It was a chocolate ganache type cake with raspberry sauce and absolutely delicious!
I would highly recommend this restaurant!

Piatti is known for its authentic Italian fare, and I was blessed to experience this quaint eatery for my good friend’s wedding rehearsal brunch. We headed here soon after the wedding rehearsal at the Darlington House; I think their brunch reservation was around 11:30 a.m.
Since we had a larger group, Piatti was great at accommodating our party — we had one long table on the right side of the restaurant, which was near the patio area. I like how there was both interior dining and patio seating available. Even though we were dining on a Saturday during lunch hour, the restaurant didn’t seem terribly busy. There were people there, granted, but it wasn’t like the eatery was packed.
My friend’s family had pre-​determined the dishes for the brunch, and various platters came out in increments so we could share everything, family style. Since we had so many people at our table, we didn’t waste time chowing down. I think the only thing we were disappointed about was that Piatti’s didn’t even offer us the extra food to take home … and we definitely had leftovers, since we had a good assortment of dishes available. If I’m ever in the area again, though, I would love to return to try more of the menu items. Everything we had was delicious, and though it took a while for the first few dishes to come out, every entrée was bursting with flavor and our servers did their best to keep up with our group’s requests (more water, bread, etc.).
Here are some of the dishes we got to enjoy:
Penne Pasta, Meat Ragu, Parmesan Cheese: This was one of the main entrees and definitely one of my favorites. I love penne — it has to be one of my favorite pastas. Since tomato sauce isn’t exactly my favorite – I prefer cream sauces – I was glad this pasta had meat sauce. I really liked the chunks of meat and the generous helping of Parmesan cheese.
Pizza with Pepperoni, Pancetta, House-​made Italian Sausage, Tomato Sauce, Scallions, Mozzarella Cheese, Oregano: I loved this thin-​crust pizza because it contained some of my favorite ingredients (minus the scallions, of course). The thin crust made it super airy and light, and I loved the hearty, flavorful, savory chunks of Italian sausage that topped the pizza. I was also relieved that the tomato sauce was on the lighter side so I didn’t feel like I was eating gobs of tomatoes.
Endive and Arugula Salad, Marinated Beets, Lemon Vinaigrette, Grana Padana: I remember this salad because of all the colorful beets … and while I detest beets and steered clear of them, I found the rest of this salad to be light and refreshing, thanks to the lemon vinaigrette.
Lasagna Layered with Pasta, Rich Meat Ragu, Mozzarella, Parmesan and Tomato Sauce: This was not one of the entrees available to us, but I definitely want to try it if I ever return to Piatti. Lasagna has to be one of my favorites when it comes to Italian fare, and this option sounds delicious because of the assortment of cheeses included, as well as that tasty meat ragu.

Seriously delicious! I ordered their Pomegranate Limeade, Mushroom rotolo and had Tiramisu. If you like sugary-​lime drinks you’ll like the Limeade. The Mushroom Rotolo was open-​faced and in a creamy mushroom sauce that’ll satisfy your umami flavor cravings. The tiramisu was also super moist and delicious! Not too sweet, but actually flavorful.
Also, the free bread and garlicky-​balsamic vinegar-​oil combo was delicious!

My friend swears by this place so we opted to come here for happy hour. No happy hour here so we decided to have dinner in the bar area. The bar area is nicer for a more casual setting. We found a nice spot next to the window, which made for great people and car watching. Getting here can be a bit challenging with traffic, parking and the small streets in the Cove. We met during a weeknight, so traffic and parking wasn’t an issue. I almost passed the restaurant since it sits right at the corner and some trees were in the way of the name. After the 2^nd stop sign, the restaurant is directly to your right.
We were welcomed with warm bread and their olive oil and balsamic vinegar mixture. The mix was delicious! We split the beet salad, and I loved the cheese and lite vinaigrette dressing. They were nice enough to split the salad and its just enough for 2 people.
For my entrée I ordered the well known Saffron Shrimp Pappardelle. Simple pasta that was not overbearingly heavy or rich. Just perfect, although I did require more chili flakes! Needed more kick in my opinion. Large portion shrimp and the noodles were al dente. I would definitely order this again.
We had the chocolate bread pudding and coffee gelato dessert. I’m not a bread pudding fan, but it was the only thing on the menu that enticed me. I requested a side of hot fudge and they delivered! HA!
Great service, great ambiance and great food. Cute place to have a date night in LJ Cove.

This was one of the best dinners I have had in San Diego – too bad I didn’t finally try it until after I moved to LA!
On my last trip back to San Diego earlier this week, I finally got to try Piatti after hearing great recommendations for years.
It was packed for dinner on Monday night, a very good sign. From the get-​go I knew we were off to a good start, as the house bread was some of the best I’ve had at a restaurant with the super garlicky balsamic vinegar and the fresh chewy loaf we were served. I tried to capture the steam rising out of the bread as I tore it open, but alas the new iPhone camera is not THAT good, haha. I was pleased that we were able to get seconds on the bread.
The menu also had a great selection of creative dishes at very good prices for being so close to the beach in La Jolla. House Wine was only about seven dollars a glass, and it wasn’t a happy hour deal. And the pasta dishes were around $ 16 – 18 with great portion sizes.
I ordered a unique dish that came highly recommended by our server and other members of the staff: the mushroom rotolo. Their server said it was on the heavy side, but I found the mushroom sauce to be absolutely perfect – not too creamy not too light, and with incredible flavor. The rotolo is sort of like an open faced pasta dish. They use wide lasagna like noodles to create pouches filled with ricotta cheese, spinach and mushrooms. The pouches are then poached, remove from the water, and sliced into ovals. The ovals are then turned on the side and baked in the oven for a crunchy top. I was worried when the waiter told us it only had three pieces in the dish, but it turned out to be a very hearty amount as each piece was very large.
My friend ordered the butter nut squash ravioli in a sage cream sauce which is also delicious and plentiful, but not as unique as the Rotolo.
Eating on the patio next to the big tree at the center was absolutely lovely!
TIP: parking immediately at the restaurant on the street out front was surprisingly easy. The area really clears up in the evening after all the beachgoers have left La Jolla Shores.

This is a nice spot away from the troves of shopping and crowd by La Jolla cove. We had 530 reservation but seated earlier street a beautiful day here. The big tree by the outdoor seating is gorgeous, reminded me of the same climbing tree as a kid.
The service is impeccable, even the manager or the owner came out later to ask how we enjoyed the dinner. Our waiter was spot on with his pick of pinot grigio. We split the hearts of romaine appetizer, ordered the grouper special and the saffron pappardelle entrees. Both excellently prepared though prefer fish seared or grilled. The brussel sprouts and grilled asparagus sides were more than we could finish, perhaps had we not chomped on so much bread. The garlic oil is unresistable!

Thank you Unilocal for helping me find a super delicious place for Italian food in La Jolla! The setting was lovely (we dined outside on the secluded patio, but the indoor dining-​room looked just as beautiful). The menu had many choices of salads, paninis, brick oven pizzas, pastas, and meat dishes. The service was friendly and efficient.
I started with an «Italian Mojito» which was a perfect warm weather drink of rum, muddled mint, lime, and Prosecco. Fantastic crusty, yet tender (and warm) bread was brought to the table with a delightful olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh herb blend for dipping.
Next was the «Chopped Romaine Salad» (fresh romaine, green olives, salami, artichokes, peppers, chick peas, provolone, parmesan, crostini, and a wonderful herb vinaigrette). It was easily large enough for two to share as a starter or one to have as a meal.
For an entrée I had the House-​Made Ricotta Spinach Ravioli in tomato sauce with fresh basil. The pasta pockets were both tender and toothsome, and the bright, fresh tomato sauce complemented the creamy filling very well. My dining companion’s Cavatappi with house-​made Italian sausage, spinach, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and parmesan was met with rave reviews. I had a bite and liked the perfectly al dente pasta and touch of fennel in the sauce. Another great Southern California meal!

We made a reservation through Open Table. We have been there quite a lot since they have such great food. Whatever I order ALWAYS turns out to be great, and my recommendation is to really try whatever you feel like ordering. Everything there is great. Starting with the bread to the entrée, everything is made fresh. This place has the best Italian food, and I personally think this place offers better food than the ones in Little Italy in San Diego.
The only discouraging factor about the restaurant is parking. It’s by the beach, and you need to street park. Make sure to go there early.

This night was absolutely perfect. We made reservations for the outdoor patio, which is very romantic and pretty. The service was excellent and the food was top notch! I had the mushroom pasta (which was kind of like a classy lasagna, rolled and sliced). The bread and oil/​vinegar was GREAT! It was super garlicky, so beware if you don’t love garlic. LOVED this restaurant!

Absolutely wonderful experience we had at Piatti, last Sunday evening for dinner for my sister’s 50^th birthday dinner gathering with the girls, and my dad. Not only was their food simply delicious, but our server Kristina really made our table guests feel so special and attended after. If I could give 10 stars, I would. Piatti is a gem. Kristina was «top tier» with our table. We can’t wait to find another excuse to dine there again very soon !

Aaaahhh Piatti… I mean, we are a little bias– my husband’s family have been coming there for years and it’s a Saturday brunch family tradition. This one is justified!
Sit outside if the weather is nice. Bread and dip are to die for, pizza margarita is one of the best in SD imho. Other crowd favorites– the veal, the lemon ravioli, the mussels. Desserts– tiramisu and affogato. Do it. Do ittttt.

I was looking for a new Italian restaurant to try. Our group decided to try Piatti for a birthday celebration. Service was great. Staff was helpful and explained everything. Food was phenomenal. From the appetizers (try the calamari) to the main dish (veal), all good portions. Tiramisu cake was light and perfect. Will definitely come back again.

My family and friends took me here for my birthday (party of 8) and I absolutely loved it. The atmosphere is warm and cozy with dim lit chandeliers and our table had a brick oven view. Oh and the bread with dipping sauce? Forget about it. So addicting! I love garlic and that sauce was filled with it. Just be sure to bring a pack of gum or mints with you!
The appetizers were great! We got calamari and a margherita pizza and both had unbelievable flavors.
For the entrée, I got the spaghetti with veal and pork meatballs (pictured below) and I have to say, it was the most tasty spaghetti and meatball plate I have ever ordered. My sister got the Oriechette with chicken and sun dried tomatoes in a creamy sauce and it tasted very delicious.
For dessert, we got their tiramisu and being a tiramisu addict that I am, I couldn’t stop eating from it. It was so moist and it had the perfect amount of coffee and cocoa powder. Just phenomenal.
The best part was when I sat down at the table when we first arrived and I saw my name on the menus! The personalized it for my birthday and I thought that was so sweet! I love anything sentimental so that just did it for me with the service. I would definitely come back here!

They’d probably get five stars on the garlic dipping sauce alone, but the sheer fact that I’m dreaming of the Grilled Hearts of Romaine salad weeks after having visited, means they’ve fully captured my heart.
The salad is definitely big enough for sharing (or taking it home and eating later on if you’re stingy like that.) The prosciutto and hazelnut vinaigrette are the stars of this show, though. There’s something truly fantastic about them both.
I also was able to try the cauliflower cake and the margarita pizza. Both were tasty but much more «regular» than the salad or the dipping sauce.
I’ve raved about this place so often that I’m fairly certain it’s hit my «can’t miss it when I venture down to LJ» list. Now if I can just have a friend from out of town come visit so I can use them as an excuse to venture down to La Jolla!

I absolutely love this place! Been going here for years and never had a bad experience. Food has always been amazing and service excellent. My personal favorite is the saffron pappardelle and my fiancé’s fav is the orchiette. I’ve tried most of their other pastas and they’ve always been delicious. Their prices are also very fair, similar to other italian restaurants, but quality here is on another level. Their tiramisu is also BOMB! The only downside is the parking. Otherwise perfect!

Located in a La Jolla Shores neighborhood with an inviting and comfortable atmosphere. The menu consist of recipes from all over Italy.
You must try the Saffron shrimp Pappardelle with tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes, arugula, lemon, white wine broth ($ 20). The serving size was generous and the shrimp fresh and plump.
Prices are reasonable considering the quality of food and overall experience. I have only been here during lunch but it looks like an ideal date night option.
There were so many items on the menu that looked great! Can’t wait to return.

Love this place. Small town feel. Better than going into downtown LaJolla. Very good food and service. Excellent choice!

We got takeout!
The caesar salad was really great, the bread was amazing. However, the entrees were just so so. The sausage pasta just had a funny taste I couldn’t get over. I also ordered a fettucine alfredo w/​shrimp, off menu. It was good, but overpriced for how basic it was.
I think dining in would have made for a much better experience… but I was just too lazy to get out of bed :3

I haven’t been here in a while, but as always we had a great meal here. I had a sea food linguine and it was great !!! Great service and friendly staff on a very romantic patio. Love it !!!
Good I remembered, so now I have to go more often.
Thank you !!!

Was with a large party for a wedding rehearsal dinner. Impeccable service as my wine glass was never empty. Food was decent; the dipping sauce was outstanding-​spicy and loaded with garlic. Would definitely return to try other items off the prix fixe menu.

amazing food! The Cauliflower cakes and every pasta on the menu are so good!
Make sure to make a reservation there is always a wait :)

My boyfriend and I came here to celebrate his birthday and they were extremely accommodating to my requests when I called in to confirm our reservation. Upon arrival, they had printed out menus that wrote out «Happy Birthday Edward!» which was a nice surprise for the both of us!
The waitress recommended a couple wines to us and even brought out samples for us to try. At first, I went with their Riesling and my boyfriend chose their house Cabernet but I decided mine was too sweet so asked the waitress if I could change mine to the house Cabernet as well. She was very nice and agreed to do so without charging extra!
Onto the food:
Beef carpaccio – I’ve always wanted to try this but was not blown away by taste or presentation. Pass.
Saffron papparadelle – so delicious! Love the thicker noodles and the abundance of shrimp and flavor in the sauce.
Boyfriend got a ravioli that was on their specials menu but it didn’t really match to my taste. Pass.
They brought out a tiramisu at the end for his birthday which was pretty good.
Overall, I would definitely come back. Don’t forget to ask to be seated in the outside patio area! Super romantic with all their lights set up and not too cold since they have the heating.

We ventured to Piatti when all the other brunch spots were full with a large wait. Not interested in brunch foods, we opted for their lunch menu. As it seems like others have had a hefty wait here for dinner, I highly recommend coming for lunch. You have the same menu but with an empty restaurant.
I ordered the saffron parpadelle while my hubs ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. I loved that my pasta was homemade! It makes a huge difference if you’re planning on ordering pasta at a heavily marked up price. My hub’s spaghetti was a little cheaper, but didn’t seem worth it for the amount of effort it took to cook it. The sauce was good, but I wasn’t wow’ed.
I was a little disappointed in the service. The waiter seemed aloof, albeit being the only server I could see working. I’m not expecting someone to come at a snap of the fingers, not at all. I do expect though someone walking with purpose, or at least mostly awake.

It is always a pleasure to be here. The patio, under the giant tree, is especially nice. But the food shines here, from authentic TASTING appetizers to entrees, it’s a touch of old school goodness. Service always good, food the same, it’s a worthy destination in lieu of the main village

LOVE PIATTI’S. Seems like this place gets better and better every time I come here!
Got the Saffron Pappardelle & I seriously cannot get the lemon-​y taste out of my mind.
I MUST GO BACK. BUT WHENNNNN T_​T

In general, I’m not the biggest fan of Italian restaurants — ⁹⁄₁₀ I feel like I do just as good, if not better, in my own kitchen. But every once in a while (and usually that means Italy), I find a place that does Italian right. Piatti makes it on that list! And you only have to go to La Jolla!
Get reservations, especially on weekends! Restaurant is busy, good sized, but still feels quaint and a little intimate, too. On the louder side, but not so loud you have to yell.
The start each table with bread (which is perfectly cooked, by the way!), but instead of oil and vinegar, they serve oil + garlic + parsley, and it is amazing! Suuuuper garlicky, but amazing.
I had the saffron pappardelle which was served with shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, lemon, arugula, and chili flakes in a white wine sauce. Off. The. Charts! The pasta was perfectly cooked, the shrimp was large and delicious, and arugula gave it a nice little bite, and the sauce was light and perfectly flavored. It was the best pasta dish I’ve had in a really, really long time.
My husband had the lasagna and when he was finished, he said out loud, «man that was good!» He never makes exclamations like that after meals, so yeah, big fan!
Service was top notch, from the hostess, to bussers, to our server.
A great spot for a nice dinner!
Only bummer is that the low lighting doesn’t make for great pics, so sorry for that!

This place was so busy on Saturday night, so consider making a reservation if you don’t want to wait. The night we went, the inside dining area was very loud. It was hard to hear the person siting next to you with everyone trying to yell over each other.
That being said, the food and service were fantastic! We ordered the calamari for an appetizer and the lasagna and ravioli as entrees. Both great entrees, but the lasagna was a little bit better.
Overall, the location was convenient and its a great place for date night or just a nice dinner out with friends.

Attempting to make reservations for three nights in a row and completely booked for dinner between 6pm — 8pm (reservations were available after 8pm)
Tupac and I just had to try this place. It’s in high demand and I can understand why.
Service:
Really good and our server kept checking up on us.
Food:
Lasagna Layered with Pasta, meat ragu, mozzarella, parmesan, tomato sauce
Rolled Pasta filled with wild mushrooms, ricotta, spinach with mushroom cream sauce.
Complimentary dipping sauce/​oil that is to die for. Seriously! I purchased a big bottle and was asked to add a little more garlic in there. Yummy!
Definitely found one of my favorite Italian restaurants outside of Little Italy. YAY!