Operacaffe
Italian
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Location and hours
Location
835 4th Avenue , San Diego, CA
(619) 234-6538
Hours
More details
Reviews
Overall rating
(4.4)
(172 reviews)
February 20, 2020
This place used to be incredible. Their food is still really good. But their service has gone down the drain FAST
December 1, 2019
The food is always great and the service most of the time is excellent.
November 16, 2019
I come here once in a while to treat myself to a nice, fancy lunch during my lunch break from work. Food and service is excellent! Very Warm & Cozy feeling inside, love the decor and ambience. The only thing is that I really enjoy eating outside, but this location is not conducive to a nice, quiet meal outside on the patio due to all the loud trucks and traffic. But this is to be expected in the Gaslamp. I will be back!
October 26, 2019
The food was amaizing goodand the service excellent. Since I discover this place through I dine I have been having lunch there every Sunday, and I plan to continue for as long as live in downtown.
October 8, 2019
the food was hot and perfectly flavored with all the right degrees of textures to be expected for the ingredients. Love Tuscany foods the this was one of the best dishes i have ever had and i am not usually interested in warm meals that have cream during the summer but this was light, great level of richness in the heaviness of the cream and was flavorful. paired well with wine and bon appetite.
October 2, 2019
The food is excellent, the restaurante is very quiet for a great conversation and fantastic service. I have been there 2 times in 2 weeks and from now on I will be going more oftem. I wish I had been there way before. Thanks for a good dine experience.
September 19, 2019
we had the tomatoe and vegetable soup, it was very yummy. we ate the pizza with artichokes, it was also good.
September 19, 2019
we had the tomatoe and vegetable soup, it was very yummy. we ate the pizza with artichokes, it was also good.
May 18, 2019
Staff was very attentive. Our table was ready when we arrived for our reservation. It's a lovely environment, close to the Balboa Theatre.
May 18, 2019
Staff was very attentive. Our table was ready when we arrived for our reservation. It's a lovely environment, close to the Balboa Theatre.
May 18, 2019
Staff was very attentive. Our table was ready when we arrived for our reservation. It's a lovely environment, close to the Balboa Theatre.
February 18, 2019
The food is always quality and healthy choices galore
December 10, 2018
Not allowed to order off lunch menu/ daily specials.
October 17, 2018
The bread and soup was very salty. The service was good and the staff was nice though
October 8, 2018
The staff was very attentive but didn’t hover. Food was prepared well and nice presentation.
September 8, 2018
The most authentic amazing Italian food in California the atmosphere, food, wine list, just excellent. I always recommend this restaurant to the most picky and sophisticated dinners!
December 29, 2017
The food was delicious. I had the pear salad and the mushroom ravioli with truffle oil, which was absolutely to die for.
October 29, 2017
Food was good and service was friendly.
October 27, 2017
Pasta was freshly made, filling and sauces were delicious. One guest devoured his lemon chicken which was attractively presented. Service was prompt and friendly.
September 16, 2017
Food was delicious!!!
July 24, 2017
They accidently made me the wrong dish and the server had another one made quickly and without fuss. Very attentive.
June 12, 2017
The server was very on top of our needs throughout our dinner. Our water glasses were always filled and he was super attentive to any last minutes needs we had. The food was spectacular in taste, flavor, and perfectly prepared. We loved it!!!
June 8, 2017
Food and Service was Excellent!
May 4, 2017
We did not expect opera singers to be serenading us until we arrived at the restaurant. the singers were excellent. We were a little disappointed with the food: everything, including the bread was too salty. My husband could not even finish his gnocchi.
January 10, 2017
The food and service was excellent!
November 26, 2016
Nice staff, good plates presentation, nice place.
September 7, 2016
Concern we were the only lunch party in the restaurant at noon????
August 25, 2016
Amazing selection...only complaint is they are a bit heavy with the salt...otherwise recommended
August 21, 2016
The food and service was outstanding!
August 12, 2016
First of all, the food was way too salty for both of our meals. Second of all, at the end of the meal the server took my phone, and walked away from my table to redeem the entertainment.com coupon. He somehow erased my coupon and then came back to me telling it was not his fault indicating I should pay the full bill. I had to talk to a manager to get it straightened out. Not a fun experience at all. On the bright side, the bus by was nice. My wife wanted me to add that.
July 3, 2016
The service was great and the food was amazing!
April 3, 2016
An awesome find... The best pasta I've had since we've been in San Diego. Seating outside was lovely but may have delayed some of our service.... Hence, the 4 star for that but overall... Fabulous!
November 17, 2015
The service was second to none. The staff was courteous The food was very well prepared served at the right temperature' g ample portion delicious.
October 13, 2015
Food is always consistent and excellent and we love the environment.
October 10, 2015
The restaurant had a nice appearance. Despite the pleasant weather outside, it was uncomfortably warm in the restaurant. We were seated directly in front of the stage, and, while we were waiting for our food, a gentleman started to play instrumental guitar. Despite being so close, it was very nice background music, not overpowering at all. The food is a la carte, and some of the portions are small and pricey. My mushroom ravioli was tremendous!
July 27, 2015
the food was very well prepared and hot when served. the waiter was informative and very solicitous
May 8, 2015
wonderful service, salads always fresh, entrees cooked to perfection, always a great dining experience.
January 24, 2015
Cafe Eau is great. I'm so sorry the gift certificates are no longer available
December 28, 2014
We liked the restaurant. but, please keep the flavor consistent. I do not like surprises. The parillada was bland and the seafood (sopa marina)was not the same.
November 11, 2014
We attended the hotel for a conference. The food we ordered from the menu was good. The group breakfasts, lunch salad bar, and dinners were okay.
September 10, 2014
Enjoyed our meal...
September 6, 2014
Service was good, ambience was good, but food was just ok for the price. We had the ravioli stuffed with king crab and the calamari. After we ate, I realized crab was out of season, so maybe that had something to do with the quality, or maybe we are just a little spoiled moving here from Baltimore where the crab is awesome and fresh. Overall, good but a little over priced in my opinion.
August 27, 2014
Very positive server.
August 10, 2014
The staff was very friendly and the food was delicious.
July 24, 2014
Food was wonderful, the music was wonderful. Great atmosphere.
June 18, 2014
The music was way too loud for a mostly empty restaurant.Had to speak too loudly to the other person. Service was just ok, nothing exciting. Not too friendly. Seemed as though the staff just didn't want to be there. Very blah.
May 25, 2014
Service was quick and very attentive.
May 19, 2014
Delightful dining al fresco.
April 8, 2014
Food was okay but a bit overpriced for the quality and size.
February 5, 2014
small, quiet venue filled with antiques and soft lighting, easy to converse (not noisy), wide variety of menu options and price ranges
November 28, 2013
Great ambiance. Kind and courteous servers. Food was delicious.
November 27, 2013
reasonable priced. great food.. reasonable corkage fee.
November 21, 2013
Dinner was very good; creative dishes, nice presentation.
September 29, 2013
The food was excellent, the service was also excellent. The was delivered in time and as t the right temperature. Can hardly wait to try this place again. Real italian food and very good.
September 23, 2013
Great service and wonderful atmosphere.
September 15, 2013
Loved the selection recommendation given by the waiter
August 4, 2013
As fine an Italian meal as you'll find in San Diego... Or anywhere else, for that matter!
July 26, 2013
They went out of their way to cook something off the menu for a child we took. It was Excellent!
July 25, 2013
Fresh piping hot meal. Outside tables available. Very tasty complimentary bread, balsamic an olive oil .
July 15, 2013
The waitress/hostess always remembers us and treats us so well. This special touch makes all the difference. And the food is great too!
June 26, 2013
the service was great , the food was delicious. we all had salads and pasta dishes. I shared the pear salad with my husband and had a ravioli dish . Both were delicious
June 11, 2013
The food and service were excellent. However it was very noisy and I couldn't hear the entertainment very well.
June 9, 2013
Nice relaxing atmosphere. Delicious quality ingredients.
May 10, 2013
As opposed to so many other Gaslamp restaurants, Operacaffe was small, quaint and relaxing. The chef/owner was visible behind the bar-like area that serves as the kitchen so we knew our food was being prepared by someone who truly cared about the quality. Our seafood ravioli in a creamy herbed sauce was wonderful and the chicken park was prepared as usual with a delicious marinara. The portions were generous without being ridiculous. And the bread was even special, with a lightness and crust invests that made us want to spoil our dinner by eating it all.
May 10, 2013
As opposed to so many other Gaslamp restaurants, Operacaffe was small, quaint and relaxing. The chef/owner was visible behind the bar-like area that serves as the kitchen so we knew our food was being prepared by someone who truly cared about the quality. Our seafood ravioli in a creamy herbed sauce was wonderful and the chicken park was prepared as usual with a delicious marinara. The portions were generous without being ridiculous. And the bread was even special, with a lightness and crust invests that made us want to spoil our dinner by eating it all.
April 29, 2013
Very nice menu selections. Coming from the East Coast we were unsure of how the Italian experience would be- no worries. Food was excellent with good-sized portions. Waiter was attentive without being intrusive. A wonderful experience in San Diego!
April 10, 2013
Creamy shrimp scampi with mushrooms - the best! Great service and ambiance. And a glass of wine for $5.50 in the Gaslamp (not Happy Hour price!) How can you beat that?
April 8, 2013
The pasta dishes my wife and I ordered, had incredible texture and flavor.
April 6, 2013
Excellent!!! The best Italian food in San Diego. You have to try the sausage pasta dish, not spicy at all.
March 31, 2013
Food was excellent and the service was very nice
March 31, 2013
Everything was excellent. We enjoyed the restaurant. One little thing... we heard a discussion between employees, this they need to keep it in the kitchen or where the customers do not hear. Everything else, excellent. I'm planning to come back.
March 31, 2013
The homemade pasta is perfect---silky, tasty, perfectly done. Also the funghi appetizer was excellent. Service and food were exceptional.
March 25, 2013
Our server was pleasant, but inattentive. He didn't check back with us to ensure that we had everything we needed, such as additional bread. When we had finished eating, it took too long for someone to come and see if we were ready for our check, even though the server did ask if we wanted dessert. The restaurant was not very busy. The overall impression we got was that our dining experience was not a high priority for employees working at that time.This is most unfortunate, since the food was very palatable and we were seated in a pleasant location, as requested on the phone. There were no obvious management personnel and it begs the time-honored question: "who's minding the store?"
March 16, 2013
Food tastes alright, not so good
March 10, 2013
I enjoyed the sitting on patio, the food was good but I expected more clams in my penne and clam dish. Since this is my favor dish that is how I rate the food. Didn't whoa me, however my wife's salmon dish was excellent.
February 20, 2013
We especially enjoyed live entertainment of Italian music including opera arias.
February 16, 2013
The lunch specials are great.
January 23, 2013
Great food great service!!
January 23, 2013
Great food great service!!
January 21, 2013
Made reservation through Opentable and the hostess wouldn't honor it because they were booked for weeks
January 21, 2013
The food is always delicious and reasonably priced. Always serve authentic Italian dishes.
January 20, 2013
Nice environment. Not too noisy, but just enough to let you know people are having a good time. Great service. Food is some of the best Italian I have had, even in Italy.
January 19, 2013
Great way to start off New Year's Eve, in before the big crowds came so we had a quiet dinner. Michael Buble music playing added a nice touch.
January 19, 2013
For three of us for lunch, it was very expensive. We also bought a bottle of the balsamic vinegar and it was added to our bill and the 18% gratuity added to that...I didn't want to bring that up in front of my guests, but not appropriate.
January 9, 2013
nice staff, good service, they let us sit a long while (no rushing).
January 8, 2013
Delicious food and excellent service!
December 12, 2012
Great food, service and ambiance (live, guitar entertainment). Could not have been better. Very romantic. Go and enjoy!
November 20, 2012
loved the opera singing - totally unexpected
November 17, 2012
Overrated, too expensive for what is it, even after using a Restaurant.com certificate. Pizza - not what we expected, interesting recipe, bad results - it got too much moisture, from the artichokes etc. It was literally wet. Service - outstanding, great live music, but again, paying $50 for 2 pizzas, one appetizer and no drinks, after using the certificate, is way too much, especially since we could not eat them.
November 13, 2012
We love Opercaffe! Always the most delicious food - like my grandmother's cooking - and the service can't be beat. We are always treated extremely well, friendly staff, very pleasant ambiance, always a most enjoyable dining experience!!
November 12, 2012
The bread was very poor for an Italian restaurant.
October 16, 2012
Our server was wonderful. She wished us a happy anniversary when she found out.Busser was very good at clearing dishes.
October 15, 2012
Great waiter as had children (pretty well behaved) with me and he was attentive and also very considerate of their needs. Treated them well!The only issue I had was that he based the gratuity post-tax amount. No problem with paying the tip on the final food and drink bill before the discount...but then I also paid an 18% gratuity towards the tax!?I paid the bill and did not fuss - as the amount of overcharge was small -- and I would have given him 20% tip anyhow because I had kids with me...however in principal...I don't like this type of practice of automatically basing tip on the tax amount too.
September 3, 2012
The server was fair, did not offer very many options for my dietary restrictions, was pretty unengaged. The bussers however were wonderful. They refilled our water consistently and were very attentive.
August 24, 2012
A wonderful dining experience: gracious and friendly hostess, attentive server, delicious food, great sidewalk dining with atmosphere...perfect!
July 27, 2012
The food is excellent. Very authentic Tuscan.
July 27, 2012
excellent - best italian food in downtown San Diego
July 25, 2012
Food was excellent! Server was great & Natalia was so nice! Great hostess! You could tell how much your employees enjoy their jobs!
July 2, 2012
I really enjoy the food, atmosphere and staff here. It's a very convenient location and everything I have tasted has been wonderful. I love using restaurant.com so that my friends and I can dine at fantastic restaurants without spending a ton of money. Thanks Operacaffe for being a part of restaurant.com!!
July 2, 2012
Excellent service, friendly people and top notch food!
June 26, 2012
it was wonderful food and presentation
June 18, 2012
Opera Cafe is a great restaurant with good service and is dog friendly in the patio outside...I recommend it often
June 14, 2012
This was delicious, and different, Italian food.
June 12, 2012
Good food, and service, but a glass of wine? How about a" thimble full"?
June 2, 2012
good food.
May 12, 2012
We have eaten here many times before, and I was very disappointed with my filet mignon. The meat that they served was not a filet. I should have returned the meat, but we were in a hurry to see a play.
May 11, 2012
My boyfriend and I ordered off the chefs special. I had the Caciucco seafood dish which was amazing. My boyfriend ordered pasta with shrimp but really liked my dish. I've been here before and enjoyed my previous meal but the Caciucco made up my mind that I love this place. Great food.
April 27, 2012
A great Italian restaurant with excellent service!
April 21, 2012
the beef carpaccio was watery and flavorless. The color of the meat was gray and some of the greens on it was old and turning yellow. The seafood pasta was fishy and seem like it was unfresh.
April 16, 2012
Our favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego.
April 10, 2012
I will go back!
April 7, 2012
Great experience, service, and food
April 1, 2012
Operacaffe is one of the most underrated restaurants in San Diego!! I've NEVER had a bad meal here!
March 31, 2012
Fantastico! We recommend Opera Cafe to all of our friends. Incredible Italian Food!!!!
March 31, 2012
We live in the area and have walked by it.
March 29, 2012
Excellent food and excellent served a gluten-free pasta option on the menu. It was delicious! We will be returning - thank you!
March 26, 2012
fantastic food, superb service, will highly recommend to family and friends
March 25, 2012
The food was fresh & tasty.
March 23, 2012
My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our food and the service. Our zinfindel wine, however was not as fruity as we were expecting.
March 19, 2012
Two things they should change: 1. give clean silverware after the salad instead of asking you to keep the dirty utensils. 2. Provide cloth napkins instead of paper.
March 17, 2012
JP our server was great. The food was excellent.
March 17, 2012
The food was WONDERFUL. We enjoyed being in town on a visit and trying the places we would have never gone to otherwise. I recommend this one!
March 14, 2012
I have had wonderful dishes there, however last night the pasta was a little chewy and not I remembered. The lobster within the pasta was over cooked as well.
March 10, 2012
Such a wonderful discovery! The food was incredible, ambiance charming and service delightful. Worth every penny!
March 9, 2012
Excellent pre Balboa Theater concert....absolutely a joy to be there - greeted and served by lovely, friendly staff and gorgeous food......Keep it up...
March 9, 2012
The final bill run on my credit card was confusing, it didn't match the first bill. Total was the same but the tip changed, so I'm not sure which tip ammount the waiter got. I hope he got the higher ammount. I wanted to ask about it but everyone was busy and we needed to leave. Other then that, it was great.
February 24, 2012
Food and presentation were good, plus nice atmosphere inside the restaurant.
February 14, 2012
Enjoyable experience.
February 12, 2012
on vacation here and read reviews of restaurant...great choice. Loved using certificate
January 22, 2012
We ordered cheese cake which was dry. Everything else was delicious.
January 16, 2012
Our new favorite for REAL Italian food in San Diego.
January 15, 2012
Thank you Peter - we had a wonderful time. Gluten-free pasta was great.
January 14, 2012
The name is very deceiving. I had seen before and thought it was a formal place :-( We really liked the menu & the atmosphere. It was the name that kept us from going sooner, only because we had no idea what it was. Didn't even know it was Italian until I saw it on Restaurant.com and looked at the menu.
January 14, 2012
Our server was excellent. Rotini with sausage and shrimp was good. Pasta Norma a little low on eggplant, in our opinion. Food all well prepared. We will come back to try the pizza.
January 9, 2012
A great gem-so glad we found this place and thanks to Restaurant.com.
January 4, 2012
cozy place. Will go again.
December 31, 2011
2 person table by the brick wall and bench long bench seat way too crowded and uncomfortable to get in and out of. Understand you're trying to make most of your tables & space but that was very uncomfortable other than that food was good.
December 30, 2011
Good food and service.
December 26, 2011
Food actually taste great and staff was very good. Only reason I didn't give a 5 on those area is because I ate a piece of string in the pizza and the staff maybe was panicking and didn't apologize nor take any other actions.
December 24, 2011
Best food I have ever had very good experience!!!
December 18, 2011
Food was excellent and we will definitely be back!
December 18, 2011
Food was very poor and expensive for the quality. I don't mind paying a fair price, but expect the food to be worth it...it was not.We will not return.
December 17, 2011
The food and interior decor is great, but the music was terrible. They were playing hard rock music, which spoiled the atmosphere for our romantic anniversary dinner.
December 12, 2011
Went for dessert and coffee - Outstanding !!
November 28, 2011
Quantity of food seems to be diminishing. A la carte items push bill up pretty high.
November 14, 2011
there wasn't much ambience on this dining experience at lunch.
November 14, 2011
We were on vacation and this was close to our hotel so was so nice to be able to try it!
October 26, 2011
food was excellent and the service was great
October 24, 2011
Great Italian food!
October 20, 2011
Best salmon I've ever had in my LIFE. We've been raving about this restaurant to everyone ever since eating there. It definitely gets FIVE STARS from us!
October 17, 2011
Lunch salads were small, my mango was unripe, the watercress was all stems (not much of either mango or avocado on the salad). The bread was good, however.
October 15, 2011
It was too expensive for the atmosphere and quality, $50 per person. The service was very good though.
October 14, 2011
THe hostess and waitress were really nice and personable.
October 7, 2011
The food was extremely sub-par, even if the food prices had been in the $8-10 range per entree. It was so poor that I did not finish my meal and did NOT want to bring the rest home. For the prices in this restaurant, the food should have been excellent. My husband had a tough, chewy steak, which they labeled as "filet mignon". Our waiter was the only bright spot in our experience as he was extremely attentive to our every need. I recommend keeping the excellent wait staff but firing the chef.
September 30, 2011
Pleasant little restaurant but nothing special. May or may not return.
September 25, 2011
Food was excellent. Hard to choice from such enticing entrees!
September 15, 2011
Charming location. Good food. Loved the piano.
September 13, 2011
everyone enjoyed the well prepared food. we look forward to meeting there again.
September 11, 2011
Good meal for the money. I would not have gone there without the certificate, but now that I know they are tasty and priced right, I would go again.
September 6, 2011
Mahalo!
August 28, 2011
The food was DELICIOUS, but for the price was too high for the portion size. I'm glad I had a restaurant.com gift certificate for this place, otherwise I would have been very dissapointed.
August 26, 2011
The food and service were very good and being on 4th street, just north of Hard Rock made for a good setting. Not nearly so loud as 5th Street. Service was good and the coffee after was above average. LavAzza was the brand. Did not have a gluten free menu but understood the need and responded well to the request. Wine price was average for the area. Did have a couple of Rieslings on the list as well as a good selection of Reds. Good Italian menu to choose from with selections not normal for American Italian. Not a Linen sort of place but the food was good and plenty.
August 22, 2011
Excellent food, atmosphere and service!!
August 21, 2011
The food was delicious! We will definitely recommend this restaurant to friends and family. Wasn't excited about the Transilvania theme that the restaurant turns into after 10:00. The skulls they put out were creepy and guy wearing a tshirt that says "vampire" freaked me out. I did not want to stay after that. I'll come back but earlier...
August 18, 2011
portions generous, food excellent, service good. Would definitely go back if in San Diego again. Great value!
August 14, 2011
We would definitely return, food was incredible!
August 13, 2011
Seating area a litte cramped. Service very friendly.
August 4, 2011
We had a great experience at Operacaffe, great ambience, good food, we will go again when visiting San Diego!
July 31, 2011
The food was amazing, our Brazilian server was great, location was perfect -- so glad I found this restaurant on your website!
July 28, 2011
I'm surprised how good they are.
July 26, 2011
great food and service...and great wine.
July 23, 2011
Lots of server and kitchen chatter and the heavy clatter of the hostess's shoes did not start our experience well. Server was disconnected and did not impress. The food, however, was good to marvelous. We will go back