Mimmo's

Mimmo’s delivered an exceptional dining experience from start to finish—one of those meals you keep thinking about long after the plate is cleared. The atmosphere perfectly captures the charm and energy of Little Italy, striking that rare balance between upscale and warmly inviting. Our server, Alexis, was truly top notch: attentive without hovering, knowledgeable without pretension, and genuinely welcoming. Service like that elevates a great meal into a memorable one—and Alexis nailed it. The standout dish was the Pasta Pescatore, which was nothing short of spectacular. Perfectly cooked pasta, impeccably fresh seafood, and a sauce so well-balanced it deserves its own round of applause. It was rich, flavorful, and thoughtfully composed—clearly the work of a kitchen that takes pride in every detail. In short: fantastic food, exceptional service, and an overall experience that reminds you why Little Italy is such a culinary gem. Mimmo’s is an absolute must-visit, and we’ll be back without hesitation.

We wanted to enjoy lunch in Little Italy before leaving town, and we decided to give Mimmo's a try. The staff was friendly. We sat outside, which was nice. We were near the big red chair, so there was often some talking near us as people stopped to take photos, but it wasn't too bad. The food was good! My husband had the baked lasagne with beef and pork, which was a good sized portion. I did a build your own pasta with the arrabiata sauce, and it was delicious! However, both plates were a little on the pricey side for what they were (mine in particular, with no protein). The children's meal was a very good portion, especially for a younger child, and it came with a drink and ice cream. One thing I think is missing is bread with the meal. The overall rating is probably closer to a 4.5 - definitely give thus place a shot, just be prepared for a bigger bill.

Very good and authentic Italian food. The focaccia with herb olive oil was incredibly light and flavorful. The arrichini had risotto, spinach, and maybe artichoke in it and was great. For mains we did the chef specials of portobello mushroom ravioli with mushroom cream sauce which was great. I had the Tuscan chicken with fettuccine and bell pepper cream sauce. It was perfect.

This was by far the best meal on our trip. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful, such ambience with a quaint Italian setting. The food was simply outstanding I had the special and my sister had the lasagna but beware... the portions are very large needless to say we left with goodie bags for later!! 😁😁 Our server Geraldo Was very attemptive And just made the experience that much better. We will 100 percent be back next September!! 🥖🍕🍝🍷🍽

Great hospitality from our waitress, we enjoyed the atmosphere and the house music of the restaurant. Food was delicious, large portions, pricing made sense. The peach bellini drink was amazing, my first time trying it! I would come back if as my go to Italian spot in the area 👌🏾

Great food, great location, great service. We sat on the front patio which was warmed with heaters and fun to watch people walking by. Arrived at 8:30pm on a Friday and there was no wait, but during dinner hours there is probably a waitlist. We ordered pizza and the baked mac and cheese. Perfect late night dinner in my opinion. The Mac and cheese was so cheesy I almost broke my neck trying to take a bite. Kidding, but the strings of cheese were amazingly long. Our waiter recommended putting breaded chicken on top of the mac & cheese (yay protein) and it was probably the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. So good. The pizza/flatbread was pretty comparable to other pizza choices in Little Italy; not the best and not the worst. We were tempted to order from the enticing dessert menu, but there was no room, even in our second stomachs. Great, comforting Italian food in a beautiful atmosphere. And it’s just fun to say “Mimmo”!

Let me tell you, their pasta Bolognese was a symphony in a bowl—rich, velvety, and wonderfully balanced, just how nonna would approve. The ragu hugged the pasta like it meant it—no limp noodles here! Service? Spot-on. from a crisp greeting at the host stand to regular check-ins that never felt intrusive. Efficient? Absolutely. It’s like they have a sixth sense for knowing when your glass needs a top-off or when you’re pausing to savor a bite. The vibe felt casually elegant—bright enough to chat up your neighbor but cozy enough that you almost forgot you’re in a bustling city (though you can tell it’s a long-standing Little Italy institution)

Tonight we came to Mimmo’s and was blown away by the great food and exceptional service, courtesy of Alexis. Generous portions, delicious food, and great service will have us returning. Thank you!

The food at Mimmo's is always delicious and the interiors of the restaurant inside give you a nice Venetian kind of the feeling!! Their homemade focaccia is a must as very few restaurants offer fresh bread basket nowadays. We were a little disappointed because some of us were sharing plate of pasta and so the server suggested that he could tell the kitchen to split it into 2 separate plates. But he didn't think it was important to mention that is $2 extra just to put food on different plates. So we ended up pay few extra bucks just for that convenience which I thought was bizarre. We only realised it when the bill came!!

This place doesn't look like much from the outside but once you go in, it feels like you're in a Vegas casino. It is so cute! They have paintings on the walls and decorations to make it feel like you are in a village. It's currently decorated for the holidays so there is a beautiful huge Christmas tree in the back. There are a lot of tables as well as rooms that would be perfect to give a large group a bit of privacy. If you prefer to dine al fresco, they also offer outdoor seating. The food is great. My son go the Mimmo's special pizza, I got the eggplant Parmesan, hubby got the spicy shrimp linguine, and my other son ordered a custom pasta with pappardelle topped with bolognese sauce and sausage. We all enjoyed our food, especially the shrimp linguine! We're so glad we stopped in and had lunch at this gem in Little Italy!

People were very friendly and nice. We were seated as soon as we arrived. We had a reservation at 7:00 but I was so hungry that I asked if they could let us in at 6:30, they were so accommodating that they agreed. They have us a very nice table. We had a great time. Service was top notch. Food was good too. I really enjoyed the white sangria and the fried calamari.

I recently dined at Mimmo's Italian Restaurant and was absolutely blown away by their linguine and clams! The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the clams were fresh and flavorful, complemented by a light savory sauce made of white wine and citrus that left me wanting more. Additionally, the pear salad was delicious as well made with arugula, candied walnuts, pears and Gorgonzola cheese with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was refreshing with a perfect balance of sweetness and tang. The ambiance was warm and inviting, making it a perfect spot for a relaxing meal. I can't wait to return and try more of their menu!

Food was very good and authentic, service was fast at first but towards the end we waited over 15 min to get boxes another 10 min for the check and to pay

This place is pleasant. I enjoyed the food. I wasn't crazy about the service but, definitely a nice spot. The food was really good! They have a really good happy hour as well. I'd definitely come back and try some more food items.

Ambiance was so great-felt like you were actually sitting on the streets of Italy. Service was a little slow, but the food was very delicious! From the appetizers to the dessert, everything was perfect. Happy hour drink specials were a good deal. Had two kids with us and they were able to split the spaghetti and meatball plate but still got two ice creams! Would definitely recommend for families.

Mimmo's is a moderately priced, really cool place smack dab in the middle of Little Italy. Casual inside it feels like a bit of varying Italian restaurants and scenery. They have neat little alcoves where it looks like you could have private meals for small or larger groups. We stared with a delicious caesar salad and focaccia bread. They both were so good. We also had the eggplant parmigiana and campanelle spicy sausage. The eggplant was buttery and the pomodoro sauce was yummy. The sausage was a bit spicy but so good. The service was prompt and friendly. Also we had a glass of house Zin that was great with our meal. Enjoy!

This place has good service ! It's right on the main path. Their food is good! I enjoyed their stuffed mushrooms . I also had a Greek salad it was great. The salad had the perfect amount of feta, onions, tomatoes, and olives. The dressing was very nice as well. It was truly one of the best salads I've had in a long time! I will be back. Yum!

I came here a couple years ago for a friend's birthday and we really liked the pasta so I took a friend here this time. I really like the ambiance inside and it almost reminds me of a hotel in Vegas in that they stick to the theme and try to make it feel like you're in the streets of Italy. It has cute decor and I enjoy it. The service was good and they were attentive. We ordered the garlic bread and it wasn't very fresh and was a bit hard. The chicken fettuccine Alfredo was nothing memorable and the chicken was thin and had a burnt taste to it. My friend seemed to like her pesto gnocchi. It was an overall good experience. Parking in little Italy can be tricky.

Went their for lunch. Took a trolley here because parking is no good. Service was great and friendly. Everything we ate was fabulous. I recommend the spaghetti and meatballs. Outside seating was great on a beautiful day. If I come back to San Diego I will be coming back.

This is a wonderful place, the atmosphere, the service and the food top notch. Had an amazing time there with family. Definitely recommend. We will be back

Food was good. Garlic cheesy bread amazing. Buratta one of the best. Pasta was perfect.

The food was outstanding! Reminded me of Little Italy in NYC. Service was excellent. The ambiance and atmosphere added to our experience. I will definitely be back. Prices were reasonable, the waiter was helpful with our special requests and the food delicious. Highly recommend.

Pricey Italian fare but the food was authentic. Tried various dishes but the lasagna and egg plant parmesan stood out. Dab smack in the middle of Little Italy so expect a crowd on peak days (weekends).

My favorite restaurant in Little Italy. I drive all the way from OC to eat here sometimes.

The food was amazing and the pesto sauce was so good! The ambiance was so unique and it looked like a little italian town inside. The service was soo good in dealing with my very loud big party.

Been to Mimmos many times now and can say the food is great but the service is very bad. We've come with large groups and just me and my bf and it's always very slow and very busy. The food is generally always great which is why we keep coming back! This time my boyfriend and I shared the gnocchi in the cheese formaggio sauce and we loved it. The gnocchi was fresh and tasted amazing with the sauce. The calamari which we normally love however was cold and did not taste good. It's generally amazing and fresh but ours seemed to have been sitting out for while as it wasn't hot or crispy. Also bummed that they no longer offer their free bread as the restaurant seems to be constantly filled with people and that was a nice perk. The pastas are definitely my favorite item on the menu as well as the calamari. Just would know that if you come in, the service is generally very slow. This time it took us over 20 minutes and asking multiple workers if we could have our check to get noticed which was frustrating as we had somewhere to be and had politely waited awhile until asking for the check. Despite workers all over the restaurant, there appears to be some disconnect with checking on tables as it was incredibly difficult for us to get anyone's attention. Overall the food is amazing though and we clearly keep coming back for a reason!

Overall really nice. Servers were nice, the food was excellent. Definitely more on the pricier side. The inside is absolutely adorable, you definitely don't get that same ambience sitting outside with ppl crammed and lined up against your table waiting to get it, but that's what we get for not planning ahead. This would be a great date night but be sure to make a reservation and ask to sit inside. We ordered the charcuterie board and the frutti di mare

Went for a date night to celebrate my bf's bday early. Service was friendly and patient with us when looking over the menu. We ordered a glass of white wine and sangria to go well with our food. The margherita flat bread was delicious, nothing over the top but simple as a margherita can be. The Campanelle Sausage Pasta was amazing, probably one of my all time favorites for a tomato cream pasta. It had a spicy sausage that was a broken down with each bite and the bellflower shaped pasta was al dente. The sauce was creamy but very light which i prefer. Would come here again.

Mimmo's! After accidentally making reservations at another place in Little Italy that I absolutely am not a fan of we quickly pivoted to Mimmo's. We were able to get last minute reservations, thankfully. I'm so glad we ate here and didn't bite the bullet and just stay at the other place. The ambiance is perfect for an Italian restaurant. It was buzzing, but still felt intimate. The staff was attentive and friendly. He even surprised us with a birthday treat. The octopus salad appetizer we got was top notch and the pasta we split was also delicious. Make sure you make room to enjoy some of their complimentary bread. The bread and oil are so good!

Wow -- some of the best Italian food of all time! Literally every item was amazing. Good bread, meatballs were super good & not too salty & solid salad before the meal. We got lasagna & build your own pasta, soooooo good! Unbelievable flavor and took some home (reheats just as good)! But the topped was the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, wow. No hard alcohol (beer/wine only) but I don't even care the food was worth it. Awesome service & cool ambiance inside too, great vibe

Had an early lunch here on the patio. They've got a pretty decent lunch menu, the pasta I got was just enough. Food was delicious and reasonably priced, would definitely recommend.

BEST italian restaurant i've been to! Everything was amazing here & not to mention, when I walked in, I felt like I teleported to Italy! They have a nice menu and you can even customize your own pasta w/ diff sauces/pasta/meats. I love that they make their pasta in-house & my favorite has to be their Campanelle (flower-shaped) pasta w/ sausage. I LOVED everything, the complimentary olive oil & bread, they ask if you want extra cheese on the pasta & grate it for you, quality service! I got pasta sauce on my sleeve and the waiter was nice enough to tend to it by giving me things to help remove it. Their tiramisu is also to die for for and I throughly loved everything about this place! A MUST TRY for sure !! UPDATE: Came back here to celebrate my bday & the waiter offered me a free bday tiramisu on the house! Literally made my day & it was so delicious like I remembered, love this place!

Had a great date night at this lovely Italian restaurant. Was served on the outside patio by a sweet server who was attentive. Had ciabatta bread which was so good along with a pear salad for starters. My pappardelle and my husbands Italian sausage scallopini was enjoyable.

Cutest restaurant ever! Husband booked my birthday dinner here and it was amazing! The decor, service, food was great. We were seated immediately even though we arrived earlier than our reservation. We had the stuffed mushrooms to start with, and ordered the campanelle sausage and build your own pasta (gnocchi with pesto and blackened chicken), as well as tiramisu. Everything was delicious, probably the best Italian food I've had so far in the US. The husband had secretly requested a sparkler on the tiramisu and it was beautiful. We had a wonderful time here, would definitely come back! Happy eating!

Food was delicious, our waiter Ceaser recommended great dishes for our first time being here, and was super nice and professional. It was my daughter's birthday and he made sure we had a great experience. Thank you Ceaser and Mimmos.

The service was great and the vibe is super fun. However the food was lacking. They charged for bread and there wasn't any option to get some standard French bread. The Mac and cheese was really good! The lasagna wasn't my favorite but my wife liked it. The overall restaurant experience was still good, but the bread situation ultimately makes it impossible to get a 4 star or higher rating for me.

Couldn't remember if I left a review for this place and sure enough I did. And I'm happy to say that a decade later, I still love it and order the exact same thing. Old habits die hard. The only thing I add now is the arancini as an appetizer. It's also become a favorite for my family when they're visiting from out of town. Everyone can find something they like, and the service is always wonderful. Plus, they take reservations - although if it's a bigger party, you need to call versus making them online. Also, the location is right between the fountain/plaza area and Little Italy sign to get those photos. Parking can be tricky so keep in mind there's a trolley stop a few blocks away, which was super helpful for us. Had to up my review a star because consistency matters. Thanks, Mimmo's - see you again soon, I'm sure!

BEST ITALIAN IN LITTLE ITALY! No need for all the extra foo foo's other restaurants have... MIMMOS shines on its own. First & foremost - before even asking, the waiter or busser whoever, got us a doggie water bowl for my dog when we sat at the patio area. So sweet. The food was amazing per usual. The chicken marsala is my favorite! However, this time, I ordered the lasagna and my auntie per my recommendation got the chicken marsala. My mom and cousin got pastas with clams and shrimp and fettucine alfredo. We got calamari and caprese as starters. Everything was perfect and packed with flavor. Ambiance was cool - we sat outside and people watched as we ate. Great service. Clean. Amazing.

Straight to the point - the food is not good. We ordered arancini balls which were OK, the octopus salad has seen better days, caprese salad is made from Costco ingredients - bland and tasteless tomatoes and average off-the-shelf mozzarella. Children's pizza is just focaccia bread with cheese - which should be advertised as such. The eggplant Parmesan was quite disgusting with bitter eggplant smothered in sauce. The wine was rancid - which they did replace. Seems like this place caters to the tourists who are looking for a Disneyland-style "Italian"ambiance and happy to eat Olive Garden style food. Do yourself a favor and go to Isola down the street if you're actually looking for real Italian meal!

I thought the servers here were very friendly and created a pleasant atmosphere. My clams with wine sauce was fine, the sauce was very liquid like perhaps due to the wine. The bread was soft and fresh and came with olive oil.

My girlfriend and I had happy hour here while I was visiting San Diego, and it was absolutely incredible! We did the burrata, stuffed mushrooms, risotto balls and had a few blackberry spritz drinks. The prices, portions, service and food were beyond what I would have expected for a restaurant like this. Such a fun night and a definite recommended spot when visiting Little Italy!

The ambience was nice. Makes you fell like eating in a cafe. Portions were great, food tasted delicious and the service was top notch. Parking is a bit of trouble but that's the Little Italy struggle.

This place has amazing food. The bread and all the pastas were amazing. We didn't really do any appetizers but the portions were great. The Caesar salad was good, but the lobster bisque wasn't... The service was just ok and maybe it was an off day, but the ambiance is nice. There is no street parking so come early and make a reservation.

This is one cute restaurant. Makes you feel like you're in Italy. The service was excellent. I did not get to try more food as it was early and I really was wanting breakfast- I need to come back to try a pasta dish as I was told that it's authentic- definitely recommend

Stopped here for an early and quick dinner and was surprised with how much I enjoyed the food. We were seated immediately and staff were nice. The pasta pomodoro was really good, I especially liked the sauce. The crostinis were really large (and good), but I am not sure I would order them as an appetizer again. I definitely know if I ate all of the crostinis I would not have had any room to eat the pasta.

My mother and I recently did a "meatball" tour of little Italy and tried ALL the meatballs we could. Mimmo's wins as THE BEST meatball dish - in our opinion they are huge and so cheesy! It's a dish by itself. Also happy hour Sangria is not to be missed!

I've been to Mimmo's twice and have had a good experience both times. Most recently I tried their burrata appetizer and it was super yummy. I had their lasagna and it was also super good. My sister had the sausage pasta and she said it was "ok". Our waiter was friendly and the ambiance was busy and loud, which is expected for a Saturday. However, I had a reservation and got seated right away. I would recommend to check this place out, I would for sure come back for the lasagna.

Seated at 6:05pm. At 6:38 I went up to the host to find out if we were in the "self serve" section. Apparently there was confusion among the wait staff and we were unintentionally "self serve". Our waitress came over right away so our dining experience could start. Monike was delightful, the food was amazing, and the rest of our evening was fantastic. Four stars, but only because of the start....

Walking down little Italy on a beautiful afternoon is a memorable experience in itself, the music the smells of Italian food! I came upon Mimmo's and read through the menu. The waiter was very helpful. I ordered their signature pasta, the Campaneli! The food is excellent and the restaurant is beautiful. They have a great cocktail selection. If you come, I highly suggest you sit outside. It adds to the experience. Give Mimmo's a shot, you won't regret it.

Exceptional! The food and service at Mimmo's was exceptional! I made reservations for our party of 9 and we were seated promptly upon arrival. Igor our server was wonderful throughout our meal, as was the rest of the staff. We were seated in a separate little area that gave us a nice private meal. The portions of food were large and most of us took half of our meals to go. Everything we had was delicious, I don't have one bad thing to say about any of the dishes. My son's birthday tiramisu came out with a lit sparkler in it. I would definitely recommend!

Straight to the point post. We made our own pastas all of us. Calamari- came out cold so 2/10 we couldn't truly rate it, it was cold and it came out last with all of our entrees although it's an appetizer. Pepperoni Pizza- 6/10 Chicken Alfredo- 10/10 only plate that came out hot Penne Vodka Sauce W/ Chicken - 0/10 it had a horrible sour taste. Server said it's the vodka sauce, it was uneatable, we had to send it back unfortunately. Pappardelle Bolognese W/ 1 Meatball- 6/10 his plate was cold, meatball was cold. Flavor is definitely there but can food be good when it's cold? Overall we will not be returning. There are tons of other restaurants by each other. I'd go somewhere else.

I had a quick birthday bites at Mimmo's We did starters and I must say everything was delicious. Stuffed mushrooms , Arancini, Of course Calamari Fritti. Everything was good . I loved the stuffed mushroom the most ( gooey cream cheese , fresh basil and cherry tomatoes) oh soo yummy . The service was ok . This is in the heart of Italy , so the restaurant was a total vibes. I recommend this place when in Downtown San Diego in Little Italy district ...

The food here was SO good! My husband and I got the chicken Parmesan and the campanelle sausage. The Chicken Parmesan was good but I really loved the campanelle sausage! The pasta was cooked to perfection, the sausage was crumbled and delicious, and the slightly spicy yet tasty tomato sauce it came in really won me over. Definitely stop by if you're craving some good food in little Italy! Service was fast and friendly and loved the ambiance in here as well.

Mother in law's Birthday Dinner! We sat inside, loved the wall art portraying Italian living. The decor throughout the restaurant gave the comfort of the joy of Italy We unintentionally skipped lunch so we were ready to eat. The dishes we selected were the baked lasagna, meatballs, pesto linguini with chicken and mac and cheese. The housemade pastas tasted fresh, soft and rich in flavor. My kids very impressed with their food. A special birthday tiramisu dessert was brought out for my MIL. Thank you for the memorable experience!

Been a repeat customer when I come to SD twice a year. Had reservations at 6:30 on 12/29. Note to management 1. As a customer, I'm saddened that when we asked to be moved from the curbside table you wouldn't do it. (The restaurant wasn't full so don't say it was) 2. As a veteran, in a military town you should be ashamed. 3. As an Italian, I would never treat 'family' that way. Che schifo! You had three chances to keep me as a customer. You struck out. Ciao per sempre!!

Enjoyed a group dinner here. They were able to accommodate our large group on just a two day notice. The waiter was excellent and patient with our group. The food was good.

This is a sit down restaurant in Little Italy area. There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, reset outside since the weather was nice. We ordered the chicken Parmesan , with burrata and calamari as appetizer. Both of them were very delicious and flavorful. The chicken Parmesan was very crispy, but I believe the breading could be slightly better. The pasta was well cooked and sauce was delicious as well. I would recommend this spot for quality Italian food. Our server was kind and friendly , and the presentation of the dishes made the meal even better. Would recommend