Aqua Mare Cucina Italiana & Cocktails

Staff were friendly. One staff gave us a quick walk through of the menu that helped us decide our choice. He was familiar with the menu and professional. We tried the shrimp spaghetti and the seafood combo and both were exceptionally delicious

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in Del Mar! So nice the staff and restaurant make you feel like home. The food is always great. Big portions and everything is so delicious.

We went on a rainy night midweek and chose to sit on the outdoor closed patio. Unfortunately, there were several large groups that were very noisy and there was a leak by our table so I got wet. We really like their food so we’ll be back and saw that they have an interesting happy hour.

Loved this Italian spot. Food was very fresh and cooked perfectly. Great family or date spot with a sunset view. Very pretty. They do a great job at splitting dishes if someone wants to share. Service was also really good. I would recommend this restaurant.

ALOHA E KĀKOU. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place! The food itself was just Amazing! Brandon, you rock! 🤘 MAHALO NUI for the laughs and being legit cool! This Hawaiian appreciates you! 🤙🏾 Definitely will circle back! Ccchhheeeee!!!!

Nice dinner at this cute Italian restaurant. I really like their outdoor patio which has really warm heater on. My husband and I had Daou’s red wine and rose, we both loved them. He ordered a clam pasta, which is pretty good, it’s kind a little pricey tho. I had a Del Mar salad, it was simple and delicious. I enjoyed. Their price is not cheap, but the food, atmosphere and service are nice, so it’s kinda worthy to give a try.

Great food. Top top service, comparable to top level fine dining restaurants. We went on a busy night and were sat outside with no other diners, and worried we’d be forgotten about. Instead, our waiter, Connor, and all the staff to include the busboys were friendly, charming, and detail oriented. You never would have known the inside of the restaurant was as packed as we saw it to be, because the service and food quality were still great.

Absolutely the most enjoyable meal we had during our stay in Del Mar. We were celebrating my Father's and Sister's Birthdays and our server Brian was an incredible host. Dining on the enclosed patio allowed us to eat while we looked out over the water, and the overhead heaters were so nice, we didn't even need to ask for them to be turned on. Highly recommend Aqua Mare as an Italian from Las Vegas who knows good dining!

This was our family's favorite meal on our recent trip to San Diego (and we had several excellent meals). Everything we ordered was incredibly delicious. My favorite was the Seafood Ravioli special I ordered, but the Branzino and Mixed grill were also incredible. The scallops were particularly good on that. Our waitress, the hostess and the rest of the staff were friendly and attentive. They have a kids menu with a choice of pasta with marinara or al fredo sauce and chicken tenders with fries and the servings were large and actually tasted quite good. The view from the heated, partially enclosed deck was beautiful overlooking a marsh area with train tracks beyond that and the beach and ocean in the distance.

I'll get straight to the point here: the restaurant itself has a rustic, very simple ambiance overlooking the lagoon, the service is slow but friendly, but the food is subpar and bland. I tried the following: Bread with pesto sauce: the pesto was fresh and herb-forward, but briney. Bread was fresh and simple, nothing to talk about. Caesar salad - very standard, anchovies in the sauce, underwhelming. Nothing special. Pesto rigatoni - bland. Creamier than the dip served with the bread, but you know there's a problem when you have to add loads of salt, pepper, and Parmesan to make the food palatable / taste like SOMETHING. Ribeye steak - ordered medium rare, got more of a medium-well. Lacked seasoning and was very tough to chew. Came with a small side of mashed potatoes and asparagus, again nothing to talk about. Tiramisu and espresso - solid. If I wanted coffee and a bite of dessert, I might give this place another visit. There's ample parking behind the restaurant and street parking available as well. I think the chef should revisit some of the recipes on main dishes, it would help the restaurant's case. Even so, I love that the portions were so generous - definitely felt the Italian hospitality. Until next time, Aqua Mare. Ciao.

We found this place on a Wednesday night based on Yelp and we were delighted with our find. The ambiance was perfect, clean, updated and classy. We were able to find a table next to the window at sunset with great views. Our wait help, Victorio was obviously from Italy and had a great smile and presence. He attended our needs and anticipated our thoughts. The food was great, and portions were the right amount, especially for how hungry I was. Incredible flavor, our new favorite Italian restaurant for the area. We will be back soon

First time here for a private presentation event! Service was great and the food was amazing! Located just right by the de mar coast and marsh, and saw beautiful sunset and metrolink train passing by in the distance. The steak was perfectly cooked with charred smokiness flavor, and tiramisu was amaaazingggg!

We had reservations for restaurant week. Went on a weekday. I hit a little traffic going taking Carmel Valley Rd going west but still made it on time. They had private parking spaces and also plenty of street parking. We were seated right away and was greeted with smiles and jokes. Winning there. We sat outside to get a good view outside. They had heaters. We had the restaurant week pre-fixe menu. Pastas were good. The carpaccio was light and delicious. Panna cotta was okay. Decent place but probably go out of my way, hitting traffic. It had to be spectacular for me to drive in that traffic.

We went for happy hour after the beach. Everything was great but more pricey than most happy hours. Great still.

Went here for restaurant week this week, and it's just as good as I remembered! I got the carpaccio to start and picked on my friend's artichokes. The artichokes were still one of my all time faves! I got the lasagna as my main entree, which was flavorful and cheesy! I got the chocolate panna cotta for dessert, which is probably the best I've had! The service was friendly, and helpful, and patient with us gals catching up for 3.5 hours!! We also got lucky with a beautiful sunset that evening, but regardless of the time, the view is always nice.

Nice dinner at this cute Italian restaurant. I really like their outdoor patio which has really warm heater on. My husband and I had Daou's red wine and rose, we both loved them. He ordered a clam pasta, which is pretty good, it's kind a little pricey tho. I had a Del Mar salad, it was simple and delicious. I enjoyed. Their price is not cheap, but the food, atmosphere and service are nice, so it's kinda worthy to give a try.

A perfect dining experience! We made reservations for Saturday night on the patio facing the lagoon/beach and the view was amazing. The ambiance of this place is great, the service and the food were all amazing. Parking was easy in the lot behind the restaurant. We got there around 6 pm and they had many open parking spaces. Easy walk down to the back entrance. Waited a few minutes there to find someone to sit us. The place is very clean and organized. We walked straight out to the covered patio. We thought it might be cold but it is all covered and only a small gap in the glass and cover so no wind or coolness came inside. We sat facing the beach and it was such a great view. No beach view but a view of the lagoon and coast line. The service was very good. We were helped immediately, appetizers cam out very quickly and the order was all correct. They checked on us a few times, not too many but just the right amount. The food was so good! The star of the evening which is how it should be. We started with the artichoke hearts and calamari plate. The artichoke was well prepared with a nice oil and wonderful flavors. The calamari plate was friend perfect and light. The calamari was tender. The plate came with some veggies, shrimp and calamari. Next was the main course! We ordered the Cioppino and Lobster ravioli special. The seafood was so fresh in the Cioppino no "fishy" flavor. The sauce was wonderful, not too "tomato'y" and it had a slight spiciness. All of the seafood was perfectly prepared. I was especially impressed with the mussels. The star of the dinner was the lobster ravioli. The ravioli was stuffed with lobster and cooked just right. The sauce was buttery and delicious and it came with huge shrimp on the plate. The combo of shrimp really made the dish great. it is my new favorite dish now. I hope they add it to the menu permanently. The dinner was a little pricey but for the quality and taste it was well worth the $$. I will be back to try more of the menu!

What I liked best about Aqua Mare is the service. There is a big sister and little brother duo who are just adorable. Their sibling rivalry was entertaining. Really cute! That said, service was great. Our hostess was attentive and food arrived timely and well-paced. The location is in the quiet part of Del Mar. They had patio seating so that we could enjoy looking at the view. Unfortunately, their location didn't quite capture the sunset. We did however have a nice view of the lagoon. The food isn't authentic Italian but decent. We ordered: Frittura di Pesce - really good appetizer! Perfectly crispy and not greasy. The marinara sauce was flavorful Aqua Mare insalate - lightly dressed salad that's big enough for our family of 4 to share. Cioppino - big pieces of shrimp and salmon. Lots of seafood in this dish. Branzino alla Livornese - I love sea bass. I found this dish to be overly sauced. Pasta Al Pesto - My daughter loved it. Tastes like a combination of pesto and Alfredo sauce. I also found this to be overly sauced. Manifredi con Ragu di Agnello - another pasta dish that was overly sauced. I thought it had a weird gritty sauce but my son finished his plate. For dessert, we had the Panna Cotta served in a flute. I thought it was supposed to be more "jiggly" vs firm. It was okay.

I hosted my book club meeting at AquaMare. We got the private room,.It was perfect to discuss our previous and next book. We had an amazing time. My friends loved the food and the ambience. Letizia, our Italiana waitress, was super on top of things. Authentic and delicious food! And the view !!! Great experience and I strongly recommend it!

Another one that deserves a 5 star rating.. 1. Ambiance 2. Food is legit!!! Ordered all specials and some desserts.. (halibut is overcooked but continue reading) 3. Service (A grade service, this covers the mistake on the halibut.) Highly recommend this place!

Interesting atmosphere but service was very slow during restaurant week and frankly the main entree I ordered (lasagna) was pretty bland. However my wife enjoyed the grilled seafood, so YMMV.

Holy smoly. Mai tai is next level and so is their cioppino! The seafood was perfectly cooked. We also loved their grilled artichoke and eggplant. We will definitely be back. The servers were attentive and friendly. Did I mention happy hour? Oysters were heavenly! The inside of the restaurant is actually surprisingly nicer than the outside since we've driven by the restaurant hundreds of times. Love this place. You are welcome Yelpers.Btw the trio flutes for dessert was fire. It included 3 flutes one of them was a creamy dark chocolate moose. Another One of them had panna cotta with a candy top. Then the last one had a rainbow sorbet that was perfectly tart and sweet.

Went there on a Friday evening to celebrate a friend's birthday. We chose this place because of the nice view of the lagoon but not so popular (the beach) that make it too crowded on Friday night. It was a breeze to park and find a table. We got sit by the window. The waitress was very attentive and friendly, which was great because we spent so much time talking and took a while to figure out what to order. We mostly ate seafood. Food was good. The favorite was Cioppino. I also liked the Capesante E Gamberi, a bit heavy but tasty. At the end, since it was my friend's birthday, we got a Tiramisu on the house! Tiramisu was nice and not too sweet. We were already very full so one was more than enough for the three of us. All in all, we enjoyed our time at Aqua Mare Cucina Italiana. Will definitely be back especially to enjoy the view with good food and service.

Food was fantastic and the atmosphere lovely. Service was attentive; our only mild complaints disappointments were the paltry serving of crostini with the burrata salad (delicious) which they never offered to refill and no mignonette with the oysters. All of the entrees were incredible. Definitely recommend the branzino sea bass and seafood pasta.

The owners of Villa Capri have taken over the former Sea Salt Del Mar location and converted it into this new Italian restaurant. Being closer to the coast, the ambiance of this venue was a bit more upscale and open compared to its brethren in Carmel Valley. I don't believe there was a dedicated, on-site parking lot like a couple of other businesses on this block so finding a curbside space on Carmel Valley Rd is the best option. When I walked in, there was no hostess stand or anyone to provide instructions on seating. One of the bartenders noticed my entry and guided me to a table near the bar area. The outdoor front patio was occupied with larger parties which kept the servers busy. A two-page menu was provided after I sat down. One side listed the antipasti and salads while the other side had the pasta, risotto, and entrees. Complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette was served while I was contemplating what to order. My choices were the Polipo Alla Griglia for an appetizer and the Capesante E Gamberi for a main dish. The first was a warm grilled octopus garnished with roasted garlic, cherry tomato, potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and parsley. There was one large tentacle in the middle of the plate. It was cooked to a medium degree as I have had a more tender cooked octopus elsewhere. The entree was homemade noodles (similar to spaghetti) with scallops, shrimp, and diced tomato in a spicy pink tomato sauce. Two pieces of shrimp and multiple bay scallops in the dish. For the price, I wish the kitchen would have used whole sea scallops instead of the smaller counterparts. The service was sporadic as when the bartender was not preoccupied with creating drinks, she was able to come by my table. Overall, I gave my dining experience at Aqua Mare Cucina Italiana a 3.5 star rating.

Not sure why this place has so many excellent reviews. For me it was just another fine italian place. If you want forget italian food in a beautiful setting try Piattis. The setting here was nice. We had a table outside with a view of the lagoon. It was well heated and comfortable. Our waitress was very sweet. Unfortunately it took a full o hour from the time we ordered until we got our entrees. We even saw another table of three get their pastas before us even though they were seated after us. We ordered the branzino, the chicken piccata with asparagus and the pasta with salmon. The chicken was well prepared and the sauce was tasty. The branzino was also very good and came with a large salad. The salmon unfortunately was over cooked and tasted fishy. All the servings were generous. With so many really good italian places in San Diego i would probably not return.

We had one of the best meals ever at Aqua Mare. Letizia is by far the BEST server I've ever encountered -- and I've been around for quite a while. She did it all, and with a smile, good humor, and warmth. And the food, which she recommended, was perfect, with generous portions. Linguine with swordfish, shrimp, and artichokes for me, branzino with spinach and roasted potatoes for my wife. Both were excellent. The limoncello dessert was positively delicious, too! If you want a wonderful dining experience, this is the place.

Total disappointment. Hostess didnt acknowledge us for 5 min, but no one else was waiting. We reserved a table on heated patio, but we're seated inside. We waited 40 min to be offered water and had to ask twice for bread. Our server, Hannah, was very sweet, but was running at least 10 tables. She was really the the only bright spot in this dining disappointment. No exaggeration; it took over an hour for our order to be taken, then another hour for food to come. My lasagna was ok at best. My friend's pesto pasta was so al dente that she wasn't able to eat it. Dessert was so-so panna cotta. We love to try new places and restaurant week seemed like a good time to give them a shot, but it was an overpriced 3.5 hour dining disappointment. We will not go back - want our $300 back!

The staff are friendly, but the dining experience was one of the worst I have ever experienced. We came in around 6pm on a Saturday and it quickly became packed. We ordered the carpaccio, a half dozen oysters, and two pastas. It took around 40 minutes for even the oysters to come out of the kitchen. A couple of the oysters did not taste fresh and the carpaccio was completely forgettable and had absolutely terrible plating (arugula looks like it had been sitting for out for days, and capers and parmesan were poorly divided). At 7pm we cancelled our pastas -- they had not even been started yet and we imagined we probably wouldn't get them for at least another half hour.

My husband came here when it was previously a different name. He went on and on about how delicious the food and view were so we finally came back! We got reservations on the patio that overlooks the water. The birds and view were amazing! It does get super hot in the sun though so they put the shade down for us but you can still see the view. We ordered the burrata which was fresh and delicious! Their mimosas were great to wash it down. We also ordered the calamari and OMG, they were fresh and big! I was disappointed that they no longer had the gnocchi so I ordered the lasagna and my husband ordered the chicken. Both were tasty but I really wanted the gnocchi so i don't think anything would have made it better. I ended lunch with an espresso martini which was perfect. Definitely a place to try!

Absolutely delicious meal great environment and excellent service. Highly recommended

Reservation was early at 5 pm, and we have two small children. Only 2-3 other tables with diners were seated at that time. Our wait for mains took nearly 1 hour, an eternity when dining with two young, hungry children. Our waiters and hostess were kind and understanding; I'm just not sure what was going on in the kitchen. The appetizer, to me, felt reheated rather than fresh. The special for the day, seafood pasta, was portioned for 2 but came with only 2 shrimp and maybe 1 or less lobster claw all chopped up. The noodles tasted boxed and very firm. Certainly not worth $38. Salmon was way overcooked and chewy. Until they can fix the back of house, we'll pass on returning.

Went here for a business dinner. The patio seating is perfect to get a view of the beach and the sun-set. It is not too noisy or too cold. We had a mixture of four appetizers, mainly pasta for the main dishes and a few desserts. All the food was great and it came at a good pace to make it a great evening. We had a bottle of barolo with the meal and it a great match. Really enjoyed the various dishes and the setup.

I planned a company dinner event here and everything was amazing from start to finish. The curated group menu options were excellent, providing many great options to choose from. Karen, the event coordinator and our server for the event, took great care of our group of 20+ and made sure everyone got their food and drinks in a timely manner. The food and drinks were all delicious and the patio where we were seated had a nice view of the sunset. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant, and also plenty of street parking available around the restaurant. Highly recommend Aqua Mare as a nice spot with a view (if seated on the patio), variety of tasty Italian dishes and great selection of drinks.

Our service was great. I had the mushroom risotto which was super yummy. The view of the sunset was spectacular.

An enjoyable dinner with an incredible view, especially at sunset. We sat on the enclosed patio which had heaters in case you were cold. A relatively small menu with an extensive cocktail and wine list. All in all the food was excellent! The artichoke heart appetizer was incredible. Beautifully plated and seasoned. The Branzino fillet was excellent. Service was attentive. We'll be back again to try other items on the menu.

Very unique place in front of Del Mar ocean. Beautiful views of sunset. Exquisite food options including clean seafood, gluten free dessert and homemade pasta. Excellent service. Would recommend for dates or large family and friends meal. 5 stars.

I have thought hard about this review and want to explain my reasoning for 3 stars. 1 star - for ambiance 2nd star - The repeated "I am so sorry" from our waiter Brian. 3rd star - the bread was good. All the wrongs that happened last Saturday night would take too much time and I am trying to forget it.

The ambiance at Aqua Mare on Saturday night was great. The lighting is soft, Italian bartenders and servers speaking Italian makes the scene even better. The lasagna bolognese was mouth watering with delicate noodles, a gorgeous bechamel sauce and meaty bolognese sauce. We finished off dinner with a panna cota that was dense and delicious. If you love Italian food, I highly recommend Aqua Mare!!

We had our company holiday party at Aqua Mare this year, and everything was perfect. Karen was our server, and she is a rock star. I have no idea how she managed to keep everything straight and handle such a large group, but she did. The cocktails are great, and the food was outstanding. I must say that I had one of the best Filet Mignon's I have ever tasted, and the Tiramisu is epic. I can't wait to return with family and friends. Thank you so much for such a wonderful party.

Came here for Valentine's Day dinner but didn't have the best experience. We waited for our dinner for an hour and a half, but it never came. The waitress came to apologize several times but we eventually had to leave as we had to relieve our babysitter. The service wasn't great either, we never even got our water glasses refilled. Won't be back

I spoke with the owner and she said they were completely overwhelmed and servers didn't come in. Not sure how that explains why everyone around us were served and left but...

Had dinner here a few months ago with a few of my friends. I believe it was after new ownership. The six of us had a great time. The place is nice and the food even better. All of our dishes were delicious. The grilled artichokes were to die for - We ended up getting 2! Service was excellent and our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and gave us good recommendations. I recall they also had live music, nice touch. Will definitely come back!

we DO NOT recommend visiting this restaurant on a Sat. night. although we had a reservation for visiting on Sat. night, the waitress had to pull double duty, both waiting on tables and seating patrons. not a good situation for her, nor the customers! we were seated and it appeared the service was in slow motion. it took at least 15-20 min. to initially order drinks and then another 15 min. to receive them. we ordered our entrees and it took almost AN HOUR for them to arrive. same for the other tables around us. in my culinary world, that's unacceptable. the lasagna was ho-hum. lots of cheese and not much filling. we would go back, but not on a Sat. night.

The two stars are for the calamari fritti, which was very good. Their lasagna bolognese, however, leaves a lot to be desired. It had basically no meat (see the video). Their pasta with lamb was tasteless and with tough meat. A big disappointment. The service was great though!

Bad bar service, mediocre over priced food, really a let down. Try west end its neighbor or the pizza place up the street. Hate leaving bad reviews but buyer be ware.

Our first visit to Aqua Mar was wonderful. Tried the Polpette Italian (meatballs), Melanzane ala Parmesan (eggplant) and Vongole (linguine with clams). The first 2 were appetizers and that combined with the pasta and the delicious great bread were the perfect lunch for 2. The wait staff were friendly and helpful. They had a large private party on the patio and yet they were always attentive to us. We'll be back for sure.

My husband and I had the pleasure of dining here with one of our good friends. She has known the owner Laura for many years and highly recommended we dine here to celebrate our wedding. The service was outstanding and the food was even better. I haven't had such authentic Italian food in a long time and it was such a wonderful experience. We had many courses and many glasses of delicious Italian wine. The location couldn't be better, sunset overlooking Torrey Pines from their beautiful patio was heavenly. We will definitely be back and are looking forward to attending one of their wine dinners in the future.

We dined here for a grad celebratory dinner with a party of 10. The food and service was fantastic! The patio was amazing and the view was a gorgeous lake across. Very serene and relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend anything seafood as it is FRESH! Their apps are great too - we had the lamp polenta, calamari, mussels and the charcutteri board.

I had a lot to prove when I took a very picky friend to Aqua Mare. And the place delivered in spades!! We sat out on the patio and loved the sunset view over the lagoon. The service was exceptional ... they were so welcoming to us and made sure my little puppy was happy, too. We had the : Tuscan Shrimp (loved the unique preparation with white beans), seriously-delicious Eggplant Parmesan (arguably the best in SD), and the Tropicale salad (generous portion and spectacular blend of flavors ) . Limoncello Sorbet finished off the evening .... incredible flavor and texture! Great selection of wines by the glass, too. I can't wait to return

Very nice place! Teresa is an amazing waitress! Will be back! Had the short rib was delicious! Had a pleasant vibe very nice place!

What an awesome find! Best lasagna I've ever had! The octopus appetizer was out of this world. Perfectly cooked with whipped potato, chimichuri sauce. Yum. Del Mar salad with cranberry goat cheese, beets and more. Simply delicious. You must start with the artichoke appetizer- garlic and citrus. Super good. My son loved the pesto pasta. Then to dessert. Flourless cake with gelato to end an incredible dinner! The espresso was wonderful and so was the wine menu. Austin Hope is always great! I can't wait to eat at this place again. Prices are super reasonable too! Our waitress Karen provided us superb service and the owner came to check on us twice. Sweet lady! Go try them out! I'm going to be dreaming about all the great plates tonight! Oh I can't forget the fresh bread with a basil and olive oil dip. Pictures to follow

This is the former Sea Salt location... The ownership here is the same or affiliated with Villa Capri, which is an excellent Italian restaurant... Not overly impressed with the food here. Brian, the server, does a fantastic job however.. If it wasn't for him I'd probably drop this rating another star.. Our calamari appetizer took a really long time to come out and it tasted overcooked or slightly burnt. I ordered a filet medium rare for my entire and it came absolutely perfect. The potato puree it was paired with had an interesting spice or herb added to it that didn't exactly jive with the meat. I think I'm going to stick with Villa Capri instead... Maybe I'll come back for their happy hour soon... It has a great view of the penasquitos lagoon.. would be a great place for drinks at sunset...

We had an absolutely wonderful dinner! Started with the mussels and finished with Branzino. The food and service were absolutely fantastic. Special thanks to Goran who took great care of us. We will be back Goran!

Everything was 10/10 if not more! Food, service, ambience, location, parking ‍ Shout out to Karen for the best service ever. She managed our entire group of 20+ people alone!!!!! Zero issues, everything went smoothly. Thank you so much Aqua Mare for making our company celebration even more special!

Stopped bye this restaurant by casualty in my vacation in San Diego. I have to say that the food was really Authentic Italian and the Chef witch I met and is from Naples really makes a difference.

Had the pleasure of attending a corporate event at this restaurant. Karen was our Server, and she was fabulous. Everything was perfectly executed from start to finish. Food & drinks were excellent. Can't wait to go back.

We went to Aqua Mare for Dinner last night, Everything was Excellent! We started with their Antipasti Platter that had so many different delicious Meats with Cheese, Fruit & Grilled Vegetables with fresh baked Bread Entrees We had the Veal Ossobuco over Mushroom or Saffron Risotto(I had the Saffron) and Eggplant Parmesan both of Us agreed that they were the Best that We have ever eaten! Then the Desserts!!! In addition to Italian staples like Tiramisu & etc... they have many different Dessert Flutes: Limoncello, Chocolate Mousse, TriLayer Fruit Sorbet, Panna Cotta so We had to try them All and OMG!!! Plenty of street parking and parking lot in rear, very nice decor, atmosphere overlooking the Lagoon & Ocean and was nice seeing the Coaster Trains going by through the evening From 1-10 We would definitely rate Aqua Mare an 11 and We will be Dining there often!