Maurizio's Trattoria Italiana

We absolutely loved our experience here!! We came on a busy saturday night, service was amazing and friendly. Everything from the bread, calamari and pasta were absolutely delicious. It all tasted so fresh and flavorful. I will be back!

Excellent local spot for authentic and delicious Italian. The atmosphere is warm and cozy, the staff is fantastic, very attentive, and the food is excellent. The chicken Marsala is the best I’ve ever had and the penne with vodka sauce was also divine. Penne was cooked to al dente perfection. The Caesar salad was delicious, love the dressing, it’s light and fresh. I’ll definitely be going back.

We recently hosted a family event at Maurizio’s Italian Restaurant, and it couldn’t have been a better experience. From the very beginning, coordinating with Maurizio himself was effortless—he was responsive, accommodating, and genuinely invested in making sure everything went smoothly. Even with a group of 50 people, the service was impeccable. The staff was incredibly attentive, ensuring that every guest felt taken care of without ever feeling rushed. It’s rare to find that level of personalized service at a large gathering, and it made the night feel extra special. As for the food—absolutely outstanding. Every dish, from antipasti to dessert, was full of authentic Italian flavor and beautifully prepared. It’s clear that quality and tradition are at the heart of everything they do. Hosting a large event didn’t compromise the food one bit; it was just as delicious as if we were dining à la carte. If you’re looking for a place to host a memorable gathering with incredible food and warm, professional service, Maurizio’s is it. Highly recommended!

We had been hearing about this place in Encinitas... The food was indeed delicious and beautifully presented and to top it off, also tastes authentically homemade. My sons 6 and 8 years old, love spaghetti with meatballs; they said, this dish does not deserve only 5 stars... "We give infinite stars to the best spaghetti and meatballs ever!!!" My husband had lobster ravioli with shrimp, and exceeded his expectations. We are hooked to this place! We highly recommend Maurizio's Trattoria to anyone that wants to have the ultimate Italian Cucina experience.

Great local find. Quality, fresh ingredients prepared simply. Maurizio oversees everything making sure it all runs perfectly... adjusting the outdoor heaters, seating people and describing each ingredient in each dish all while greeting every guest personally. Very enjoyable and vibrant atmosphere at about half the cost of fine city dining and every bit as good.

Great service great ambience and delicious food. This was a really good find after several side food trials around North SD area. We visited from LA so everything from breakfast to dinner were either mediocre or right out bad. Linguine ai frutti de mare aka probably a seafood linguine was delicious. Seafood tasted fresh and sauce was tasty. I can't believe but I finished the whole plate and it was big. My husband created his own tagiliatelle Pesto. He loved his plate so much, he ordered the 2nd but didn't finish it. Complimentary bread was nothing fancy but still nice, warm, and soft. Dessert were also really good. We got tiramisu and mud cake without ice cream. Service provided made us feel very welcomed. All the staffs and one of the owners were very attentive and helpful. We had a really good experience and highly recommend trying it out.

High quality authentic Italian food. While the place is very unassuming and is even missing white table cloths, the magic is all in the kitchen. Everything that we tried from the appetizers to the deserts was a hit. 5 people 11 dishes 0 complaints.

Quaint place with amazing food. Tonight was the first time and we will definitely be going back. The Pollo al Limone was the best I've ever had!

Came here for pasta to celebrate an anniversary and the food and service were great! We were able to make reservation online through Yelp on the same day and were seated right away. We got free bread and olive oil, which was an extra nice treat! We ordered the fritto misto, carbonara, and the lasagna bolognese. I highly recommend the carbonara! It was delicious!! Parking can be hard to find on the street but if you drive further down a bit, there is a parking structure.

Reservations required if you want to secure a spot. I had a wonderful dinner and people watched, rather listened to everyone checking in for a table. Lots of regulars and in advanced reservations. Attentive customer service and delicious food. I enjoyed the arugula salad and the vegan make your own pasta. Would definitely come back to try new items on the menu. Highly recommend this place to enjoy not only delicious food but the Italian culture of warmth and hospitality.

We absolutely loved it, it's the perfect date or special occasion spot. We did an early Sunday dinner and had the place to ourselves for a short while. We both really enjoyed the decor and the layout of the space, our service was smooth. I personally don't eat veal but Im told it was fantastic. Our Insalata di Mare was perfection, the seafood was fresh and delicious. I loved my Linguini and even had enough for leftovers. What Im most excited to try next is their Vegan Pasta options from the back of the menu. We split a lovely bottle of wine and finished dinner with Espresso. The only thing I'll request different next time is to dip the bread on a plate of oil and vinegar, instead of a bowl, for a more mixed flavor.

Apaghetti carbonara was so good I came back and got it again a couple weeks later. Comp bread is soft & yummy oil and balsamic. Ordered a caesar salad that for the price left much to be desired in size but at least tasted good. Sat at the bar both times and the bartender is friendly and attentive. Other aspects of service were a bit wonky but Ill leave it at that and just knock a star. Still a great restaurant & the indoor and outdoor seating in a win.

Favorite Italian restaurant on the West Coast. Blown away ever time we come. Fantastic service, ambiance, and phenomenal pasta.

Five stars for what it is and where it is. This street is heavy with tourists. In my experience, these areas are often high priced for mediocre food. Most people are happy with almost anything after a long day at the beach. The service was great. We brought the dog and ate outside. It was chilly and the owner was careful to make sure our heaters were well placed. Chicken Marsala and Carbonara were ordered. They were very good and though we have had better, we were very pleased considering the location.

We always pass by this restaurant when visiting Encinitas. Finally, we decided to try this spot. Service was relatively slow, and we had to be moved from our table due to a larger party coming in mid meal. The food took more than half an hour to come out. I think it was a busy night, and the kitchen and staff may have been overwhelmed. It's really a pity, because compared to the other Italian establishments, we didn't enjoy our time or food here. I don't think I will be back, unless invited by my friends.

Thought we'd try this place today. And wow, some of the best Italian food we've had in awhile. The service is excellent as well as the atmosphere in the restaurant. One of the best vodka sauces I've had with the pasta cooked perfectly along with fresh shrimp.....really great food!

Thank you Yelpers for helping me figure out the parking situation in advance. I hardly step food into this area because it is usually high-traffic/no parking (or at least in my head it was like this). However, upon research, this restaurant conveniently nests right in front of the park n' ride lot of the Encinitas Train Station. It is honestly quite perfect. Aside from that, there was plenty of (free) street parking. Most street parking seems to be 2 hours long until after a certain time and then it's however long you like. I made reservations to this place but when we walked in, we realized we really didn't have to. Small place but quite a few tables are empty. It was a Wednesday night afterall. Service was prompt. We got waters, DELICIOUS sourdough bread + oil/Balsamic mix WAS PERFECT!! I wish I just had more of this. The bread was fresh and steamy and the balsamic had the perfect acidity. We ended up ordering the Calamari/Shrimp/Zucchini appetizer, which IS SO GOOD!! I recommend. But here's the thing, be real and you've loaded up on carbs at this point, and can share an entree with your partner. That's what I should've done, but instead my hubs and I decided to order a pasta each. I ordered the Orecchiette Salsiccia e Friarielli, which is this really creamy sauce that is laced over "little ears" pasta, generously complemented by sausage and spinach. I also asked them to load up the cheese topping. This was VERY SALTY. and VERY SPACE CONSUMING. I took 3 bites and it hit me so hard, I started yawning almost immediately. The food coma got to me. But also, I was so full. My hubs and I ate about 1/2 if not less than our plates and boxed the rest. We walked around the cute area for a little (although not much to do - seems like it's kinda dead on a week night). We ended up at Gelato 101 (intentionally). I had seen it from afar before we even had dinner, and knew I wanted to gelato. Head over to read my review!

4 senior ladies went after the theater Sun about 4:30pm. Not a busy time so not loud. We each had a different pasta and we all loved our respective dishes. I had pesto with zucchini & mushrooms. I also had a lovely glass of moscato. There were nice to give us separate checks too. Some places won't.

Fantastic food. Service is pretty decent; they're efficient and on the ball. The food is the best part - authentic, delicious and the portions are big. Highly recommend the salmon. For dessert try the chocolate lava cake! I will be a regular!

Packed. Better get reservations if you can. Food - Italian. Lasagnas, Ravioli, and pastas. Chicken dishes as well. And yes, you can customize your pasta with a handful of different sauce choices and several noodle choose too! I had the Tagliatelle with spicy bolognese sauce add 2 meatballs and sausage. Food was good and when they say spicy, it was! Service - owner Maurizio was hands on and was friendly. Funny chap too once you get talking with him. But he is a busy man so don't expect a tableside visit when busy. But overall great service!! Ambiance - as would any proper Italian food, this place is befitting the itailian cozy vibe and is good! Verdict - yes! Good quality Italian food and good service! What more can you ask for! Come try thi

Best authentic Italian food I have had in a long time. Owner is seriously super sweet and attentive. Service is impeccable. Ambiance is loud and happy. I loved it. Coming back from Palm springs to eat here again for sure.

Definitely one of my favorite Italian restaurants in this area. Service could have been better but the food was fantastic!! Fresh bread but it's not complimentary it's $3.50. Came here with a group of 5 and we all enjoyed our food. The chicken parm was great, chicken was tender and the pasta that complimented it was delicious, I opted for the vodka sauce instead. We loved the calamari appetizer which also came with shrimp and fried zucchini which was different. The calamari was flavorful, the shrimps were succulent. The salmon dish had a nice touch to it. Overall great presentation, good food, would come back!!!

Literally the best pasta I've ever had. Will come back every day. I need more characters to post this but that's all I've got to say. The Ballard wine is delicious.

My parents come here all the time and they rave about it so when we had some family in town we decided it would be the perfect time to try it out. I ordered a bruschetta as an appetizer and I got the lasagna bolognese as an entree. The lasagna was some of the best I've ever had, it tasted super fresh and the sauce was lemony and the cheese was melty. Overall the food was amazing! The servers were all super nice and authentic Italian, we also got to meet the owner of the restaurant: Maurizio! The decor is super elegant and minimalistic and there is both outside and inside seating. My only ick is that it does get pretty loud especially if you go on a Friday or Saturday night. Besides the sound, everything is great!!

We had the pleasure of a very nice meal at Maurizio's earlier this week. Being a Monday evening the restaurant was not crowded. Although they only had one server he was fast and efficient for the tables that were occupied. They have an extensive wine list and we ordered a nice bottle of Amarone. We both had salads followed by main courses. I had the fish special. It was very good. Overall a nice evening.

Our go to Italian spot, when we know we want something good. It's in a prime location, bread is delicious (haha!) and we love you can make your own combination of pasta! My go to is orecchiette with pink sauce and mushrooms. My boyfriend had gotten one of their Ragu specials.

Awesome service with authentic Italian dishes in the heart of Encinitas, their pesto is especially noteworthy.

A cozy Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Encinitas. This is an Italian owned and operated restaurant and you definitely get the authentic Italian experience here. We came on a Sunday evening and the restaurant was packed. There were 2 servers managing the entire restaurant and both were hustling to take orders, serve food, manage tables, and close tabs. So sit yourself down and expect to wait a bit before being served and throughout your dining experience, it'll feel like Italy where you'll have to patiently wait for additional services. Food wise, I enjoyed customizing my own pasta and I loved their arrabiata sauce where it had a nice spicy kick to it. I paired it with the tagliatelle pasta and I don't think they were handmade/freshly made in house because compared to the handmade tagliatelle I had in Italy, the ones here were harder in texture. I also chose to have a single meatball with my pasta and it was soft and flavorful. Their tiramisu was also delicious, not too sweet and it was creamy. Parking at the restaurant was easy as you can take advantage of the public transport parking lot right behind the restaurant. Or you can park on the street if you can find one. The location is great, after your meal, you can walk around the entire downtown Encinitas strips for additional food/dessert/shopping.

Great food, ambience and service. We love this place and make it a point to drive to Encinitas from Poway just to eat here!

Visiting my friend in December and we decided to come here for dinner. Dining outside is always a treat with some comfy heat lamps at our disposal. Menu is not too big but plenty of delicious Italian choices to choose from. I opted for a lively lasagna which always makes my belly happy. It was really quite tasty and paired well with my super Tuscan wine. My Caesar salad's presentation was beautiful and definitely prepped me for my main entrée. Location is right on the corner and parking can be challenging on weekends but we got lucky by parking at the train station. Service was ample, nothing mind blowing. One small issue was by eating outside, the homeless don't hesitate to walk up and ask for money or food. Kind of uncomfortable but we we gave her some money and bread. I would recommend if you are in the area.

The outside of this restaurant appears to be plain, but the interior is pretty cute along with its dimmed light and pretty romantic ambiance. There is a back parking lot, but it is usually difficult to find parking, especially on the weekend. Street parking all around, but also difficult. So try to get to the restaurant earlier to find parking and perhaps walk over to the restaurant. There is a check-in booth right in front of the restaurant, but it is unattended at times. So we just went inside the restaurant to check in, and someone seated us right away. They served bread after taking our orders. We ordered the risotto of the day (tomato sauce base), Caesar salad, and the calamari as starters. The Caesar salad is pretty pricey for what you get. The calamari was good. The risotto was good also. Nothing spectaculor though. I've had better elsewhere for a lesser cost. The entrées were much better. They really know how to cook their pasta (all types). They were cooked to al dente, and the dishes were perfectly seasoned. The cioppino was pretty big. The carbonara was delicious. The linguine frutti di mare was also good. The linguine al vongole was good too, per my family member. I was pretty full after. Overall, the food was good, but you get a lot more pasta than anything else. The service was decent. Not too friendly, but not mean either. They were doing their job, and they talk super fast and move on. They also automatically add a 20% gratuity tax to any parties greater than 6. Overall, had a good meal. Pretty costly, but expected in an area like Encinitas.

I met my companions for a late lunch on a Monday. Encinitas is always a great location for people watching and San Diego beach scene. Maurizio was very attentive. We sat outside in front of the restaurant. There was one interruption by someone on the sidewalk but the proprietor was adept at persuading them to leave. The caprese was marvelous and the wine was flowing!

We absolutely love this Italian restaurant. The pasta is just phenomenal and with so many choices there is something for everyone. My parents and I are fans of the Create Your Own Pasta and we always get something we love. The restaurant is mainly served by the owner, Maurizio. He is kind, funny, smart and very quick witted. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and each has its own charm. There is plenty of seating inside and with a full service bar adults can enjoy a drink or two!

Buzzing ambiance in the heart of downtown Encinitas. While the food is good, service is not great. Grumpy host and the server hardly showed up. There was an absurdly long lag between our starter (roasted artichoke) and mains (chicken parm, tagliatelle with bolognese). And no apology or acknowledgment! The bread is yummy. Wine by the glass selection is ok. Hard to say I'll rush back given the service.

We had reservations on a busy Saturday night, but we were still seated nearly a half hour after our reservation. You can tell that this is a local favorite. Everybody loves Maurizio, and Muarizio loves everybody, and your reservation is a suggestion at best. The alcohol is meh. The wine selection is underwhelming, the cocktail... we should have known better. But the food! A good price point, generous proportions, and expertly crafted. Everything else that lacked was made up for by the food.

Keep in mind the location if you're going on a weekend night as parking is always a challenge here. Inside is clean and modern, but gets pretty loud during high time. Had a hard time hearing the server. Ordered appetizers, entrees, and dessert. I would say the desserts were the best part of the meal. Chicken parm was good, though I was a little confused at the marinara that came with it was creamy? Haven't seen that style before. Prosciutto was decent. Pasta and meatball were just okay. Service was sloowww. We had our dinner plates cleared from our table and had a solid 15 minutes before they came over to ask for dessert. Glad we at least stayed for that because the tiramisu and zabaione were actually pretty good. Coffee is French pressed but they brewed it a little too hot.

I've been coming here sporadically for years but never wrote a review. When it comes to Italian restaurants in North San Diego, there aren't a ton of great options. This place, however, is one of them. The pasta is al dente. The people managing the place ARE Italian. The recipes are on point. And service is good. I recommend the artichokes, the pastas and the fish. Mangia bene!!!

Great food and even better service! It wasn't too busy when we arrived but it slowly got busier. The inside area was simple and clean!

We ordered the arugula salad which was supposed to have a lemon dressing, but instead was bland and just drenched in olive oil. Both pasta dishes that we ordered were inedible. The pasta was undercooked and hard. My fiancées carbonara was the worst he's ever had. The linguini frutti di mare was bland, every piece of seafood on the plate was overcooked, and the pasta was undercooked. We each took 2 bites, paid the $100 tab, and left.

Instead of getting any productive feedback I received negative feedback for posting an honest review. I had food poisoning.

Pretty damn good. When I was there, my dining companion and I sat on the patio and saw a man get slapped by a Karen. His hat and sunglasses flew off, with the shades landing in my lap. Entertaining! The owner/manager wanted me to get more involved in the drama later on, asked me to tell the girlfriend of the slapped man that it really happened, but I didn't want to so he stole my friend away for several minutes. I didn't love that. If I owned the business, I'd respect my clients' wish to not get involved and I'd apologize for the discomfort! Nonetheless, the food was delicious and they kept my water full all evening, which I really appreciated. The waiters and serving staff get 5 stars.

I love this place!!! Seriously the best. If you're an Italian lover you're missing out if you haven't tried this place. Bring your friends and family and get ready to eat pasta like mom makes. It was my boyfriend's birthday and the whole restaurant sang happy birthday! Our server Aaron was awesome - next time we go back (which will be very soon) we will definitely request to sit in his section! I wish I had photos of the food but I definitely ate it all. Make a reservation and get in there!!

The ambience was nice. Service was good. Food came out fairly quickly and was delicious.

Amazing food with great portions and the fact that Maurizio is there and sometimes will come and sit with you creates a great ambiance. Have been a regular patron for 6 years. A favorite for a casual meal or in-town visitors to show off our city.

Maurizio Trattoria is A-ok. It's falls more in to the 3.5 range for me in terms of the food but the service was solid, so four it is, but the dirty bathrooms on a slow evening contribute to my rating down. Bathrooms should always be tended to in my opinion, but there's no excuse when the restaurant is slow. We ate there on a Tuesday night. There were maybe five other tables while we dined, so it was very quiet. Our server was attentive and sociable. There is limited seating outside and plenty indoors. The food was good and portioned generously. Our group shared the fritto misto appetizer, caprese and polipo. I ordered the fish special (sea bass), which was served with potatoes and vegetables. Others ordered the mushroom risotto, which was flavorful, and the bolognese lasagna. The warm bread with marinara was good too. The sauce was one of the better marinara's I've had. All the dishes were presented nicely as well. Overall a decent spot to enjoy some pasta.

I have been here before and forgot how good it is. We had a house salad and split it, it was one of the best we have ever had. It had a very light flavorful dressing mixed greens, avocado it was really good. I had the beef ravioli special it was excellent. My gal had chicken parmigiana, the chicken was cooked to perfection and excellent. For dessert we had chocolate cheese cake it was great. The food and the atmosphere overall was excellent. Try it it's worth it

We had a great dinner!! The service was great . The heaters outside were great, too. We had our small dog with us and it worked out great. Be back there in a second.

Very good restaurant the bread is stunning and the service excellent! You have to make reservations

Food was amazing Calamari w shrimp, zucchini, arugula Salmon w pasta, blistered tomatoes Fresh bread w olive oil, balsamic Great wine suggestions Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Service was top notch! Hidden Gem Go check it out Tell Fabio & Aron Peggy & Talia sent you for extra Love!

Was exited to try this place but my expectations were set too high possibly. First red flag was the complimentary bread they served. It was dropped off on our table in it a folded plastic brown bag, I was confused at first, like am I suppose to eat this? Presentation was horrible, I don't think it's that hard to serve bread on a plate. Second red flag was the olive oil and vinegar that came with the bread. It was served on a small deep plastic dish. I'm use to a flat plate of olive oil and vinegar so that your bread can be dipped evenly and not just soaked in oil before you can barely get any of the vinegar on the bottom. Food was not that impressive in my opinion. We ordered some apps and 4 entrees and nothing was that great to come back for. Maybe it's just not for my palate. But I came here initially because it had great reviews, just not my cup of tea. Staff was friendly though, ambiance mediocre, location is great- in the heart of downtown Encinitas

I expected more from this place. I went here with a co-worker from UK and it was about 6:00 PM. I want to say average food. The burrata was good, the rest of the food did not impress.

Really like this place. Well managed and the help is outstanding. Have tried several traditional dishes here and the good is excellent!

Service was wonderful, so friendly. Food was delicious. Loved the vegan option to build your own pasta. Had the Orchiette with funghi and artichokes which was very good. Very nice ambiance.

Quaint restaurant with a real romantic but approachable vibe. Shared the insalata di spinach and the carciofini allá Romana. The carciofini (artichoke) was delicious and like nothing I've had before. Opted for the make your own pasta combination and had the tagliatelle, arrabbiata with the mushroom mix. Wow!! Great heat on the dish. Husband got the lobster of the day which was lobster ravioli and to our surprise it has a whole seafood feast! He enjoyed and said it was like Cioppino. I made a reservation through Yelp and they allowed me to make it at 8:30 (but the hours are until 9) so I felt a little bad coming in at the end of the night. Our server didn't rush us but skipped dessert to not be the ABSOLUTE last ones there. Would love to come back!

Fantastic intimate Italian restaurant in Encinitas! Had a celebratory dinner here at 7pm on a Monday evening with my son and daughter in law. The waiter was friendly and professional and the food was very good, and loved the fresh made pasta. The house cab was nice as were the martini's. Get the tiramisu, its absolutely the best

Amazing food , fun environment. Definitely recommend dining here. This is really good spot for date nights.

Food: delicious with plenty of vegetarian options. 4 vs 5 star because the restaurant is a bit pricey especially if you order the special and omit the meat as they do not discount and will charge for the higher price. ($27 for special without the meat). The server did not offer to substitute a different protein/vegetable. Service: felt a bit rushed but otherwise great. Quick to refill water and remove finished plates Ambiance: super cute in Encinitas close to the beach with plenty of dessert spots near by. Overall delicious food with plenty of vegetarian options but a bit pricy

Could not be happier with Maurizios! I called this week trying to find an italian restaurant that offers Cacio de Pepe (?) and Maurizio answered the phone himself and explained that he's from Milan and it's hard to reproduce the dish exactly like the Romans do BUT that he could make me something very similar. It turned out perfect, my boyfriend LOVED everything and it was his birthday meal so that meant a lot. We will definitely start coming here regularly. Great food, beautiful ambiance and GREAT service! Thanks Maurizio!!!