Monello

Service was amazing and the waitress (Cristina) was really attentive with us checking up on us the perfect amount. Food was absolutely amazing, you can never go wrong with their rotating cheese wheel plates. Definitely recommend visiting during happy hour too, worth the value.

We wanted to eat in Italy while visiting San Diego but it’s hard to pick “the best” out of the many options that exist. After reading the reviews and seeing the option for pasta directly out of the cheese wheels we decided to book a reservation at Monello. It did not disappointment and exceeded our expectations. The food was excellent as well as the service. Our server was helpful and attentive and the food was amazing. I’m no stranger to good Italian food but this was perfection. Highly recommend.

A Flawless Slice of Italy in San Diego’s Little Italy! Dining at Monello was an extraordinary experience—one that awakened every sense and transported me straight to the streets of Milan or Naples. Tucked into the vibrant Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego, this stylish eatery serves up impeccable Italian cuisine with an elegant yet approachable vibe. Let’s start with the star of the night: the Genovese pizza. This wasn’t just pizza—it was art on a plate. The crust was light and airy with just the right amount of char, and the fresh Genovese pesto was aromatic and bold without overpowering the delicate balance of flavors. The sun-dried tomatoes added a slightly sweet, tangy depth, and the burrata and mozzarella melted together into a creamy, decadent finish. Every bite was pure perfection—herbaceous, savory, and utterly unforgettable. Before the pizza, we indulged in the formaggi misti, the chef’s curated selection of imported Italian cheeses. Each cheese told its own story—aged, nutty, creamy, tangy—and together they painted a delicious picture of Italy’s rich dairy tradition. The presentation was refined, and the accompanying garnishes enhanced every bite. We couldn’t leave without experiencing the Pecorino cheese wheel pasta—and it was every bit the theatrical delight we’d hoped for. The server prepared it tableside, swirling freshly cooked pasta in a massive wheel of flaming Pecorino Romano, infusing it with its sharp, salty essence. Creamy, rich, and satisfying—this dish is a must-try for cheese lovers. The service was truly exceptional. Every member of the team was warm, attentive, and passionate. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and gave excellent recommendations that enhanced our meal tenfold. It felt like dining among friends who genuinely cared that we had an incredible evening. In summary: Monello is a culinary treasure in San Diego. From the flawless pizza to the luxe cheese wheel pasta, every dish was crafted with care and authenticity. The customer service was outstanding, making this not just a meal—but a memory. Can’t wait to return! 🇮🇹🍕✨

The cheese wheel pasta is a signature item on the menu. One bowl of this is enough for two people. The food is very fresh, and the ingredients are made from scratch. The restaurant gets busy, so I recommend reservations. It is small yet intimate.

My fiancé and I found this place from a gal that we met doing the rock and roll race. It did not disappoint… The hostess was very accommodating and our server was just as helpful navigating the menu. The food was amazing. We got the melted cheese pasta and they let us know when they made it so we could watch. I’d give higher stars if I could.

Busy Italian restaurant offering homemade pastas. Service was good as were the cocktails. The food quality did not meet my expectations. The pizza looked good, but was just ok because of the cheese.

I loved my experience here. The dish I ordered was especially good, super creamy, fresh pasta, good service — I would come back in a heartbeat.

Monello Italian Restaurant is an absolute gem! From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was warm and inviting, with a perfect blend of modern elegance and classic Italian charm. The service was impeccable—attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. But the real star of the show was the **cheese wheel pasta**. Oh my goodness, where do I even begin? The pasta was cooked to perfection, al dente in every bite, and the way it was tossed in that giant, glorious wheel of Parmesan cheese was nothing short of a culinary masterpiece. The rich, creamy sauce that formed as the cheese melted was decadent and flavorful, with just the right balance of savory and indulgent. Each forkful was a heavenly experience, and I couldn’t get enough! It’s hands down the best pasta dish I’ve ever had, and I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. The rest of the menu was equally impressive, with fresh ingredients and authentic flavors that transported me straight to Italy. But that cheese wheel pasta? It’s worth coming back for again and again. Monello has earned a lifelong fan in me—I can’t wait to return! If you’re looking for an unforgettable Italian dining experience, this is the place to be. Bravo, Monello! 👏🍝🧀

omg such a yummy dinner i can't stop thinking about it!!! highly recommended by some friends and it didn't disappoint. we got both of the cheese wheel pastas to try from their december specials: cavatelli pesto in pecorino cheese wheel and creamy spaghetti with mushrooms in a smoked salmon sauce in the parmesan cheese wheel. The pesto pasta was so good and fresh! I really like all the fresh herbs in this and the pesto wasn't too oily. I definitely liked the spaghetti mushroom cheese wheel pasta a lot more because it was so creamy!! You can definitely taste the flavor of the cheese wheel pasta as theres chunks of the parmesan since they toss the pasta in the cheese wheel. Tiramisu was really good but wish there was more of the lady finger part and less cream. Ratios were kind of off. If you go to the bathroom, they have a huge display of their cheese wheels in the fridge in the hallway which was cool to see!! There seemed to only be one server for the entire restaurant (about 10-15 tables?) taking orders and checking in on everyone, which seemed very hectic for them, and then food runners for the food. Even with that I was surprised how timely our service was. Overall, ambiance was nice and definitely coming back since there's not that many restaurants in san diego that do cheese wheel pastas!

The shiitake cheese wheel pasta was yummy and creamy. The pasta itself had a nice firm bite which I enjoyed. It was creamy and the Parmesan cheese was a nice experience to try (although it's not directly table side, you can go up to a stand and watch them make the pasta) That being said, I was disappointed by my experience with the lamb shank. Initially I was amazed by how quickly the meat fell off the bone with minimal effort. However on the first bite, the meat felt slightly above warm and was actually tougher than expected. Flavor wise it was ok, but I probably wouldn't try it again. Service was attentive and they do a great job asking if we needed anything.

Monello is one of countless viral San Diego businesses that opened after I moved away from the hometown ten years ago. When my cousin asked me to pick a restaurant in Little Italy, I had to pick Monello for those cheese wheel videos I'd see on social media. Glad my cousin made a reservation for a Friday night via OpenTable. Customer service from the hostess, our server, and the busboy were very friendly. My cousin, my husband, and I sat at the patio, which was warmed well enough from heat lamps. We all split the meatball appetizer called Polpette, a prosciutto pizza with figs, and the cheese wheel pasta. Besides the great customer service, the highlight of our meal wasn't the cheese wheel pasta, but actually the meatball appetizer! I must have sank down and slid back on my seat when I tasted that fresh and (slightly) spicy tomato sauce dip! If I had pasta with that same spicy tomato sauce, I would've given this place five stars. The prosciutto pizza was good too, and the prosciutto and figs make it special. I was a bit disappointed when we found out the cheese wheel pasta is mixed indoors and not table side. Our server kindly encouraged us to walk over to the windows to try to catch the "pasta on cheese wheel" demo, but my husband and cousin said no one was providing the demo. I think I would skip the cheese wheel pasta here and elsewhere. Seems gimmicky for me and I just want a simple Italian meal without frills lol. Parking: practically nonexistent in Little Italy. Take the trolley or an Uber/Lyft. Maybe I should take heed to overall Yelp ratings. On our way to the restaurant, we walked by a super poppin restaurant. Apparently, it's called Ironside with a solid overall rating and 5k+ reviews.

Decided to come here for dinner because we were craving some squid ink lobster pasta and the reviews looked promising. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. We ordered the spaghetti neri polipo (squid ink pasta with lobster sauce and octopus), spaghetti zafferano (with shrimp and prosecco cream sauce), and polipo alla griglia (grilled octopus). Both pastas were pretty mid and the noodles tasted undercooked. The grilled octopus was surprisingly very good though; it was the only dish we finished lol.

In the heart of Little Italy! WOW! I looooved my experience here. Came in on a Wednesday night and we were seated pretty quickly. My friends who are local here swear by this place so of course had to try it out. The restaurant itself is so beautiful inside! They also had extended patio out onto the street I think from the pandemic days, but I love that they kept it because what a beautiful view of the city! We ordered espresso martinis to start and a couple of appetizers, like the burrata, which was SO good and SO fresh. They also gave us some bread to start, too, which was delicious. For dinner, I opted for the cheese wheel pasta they had for the night, which was made with rigatoni. It was SOOO good! I felt bad because I was so full so I didn't get to eat too much of it but it was very very tasty. Our server was fantastic too and took really good care of us. He was super patient as we were waiting for half our party to show up for a while. Definitely would come back here for the delicious food and great service and highly recommend!

Honestly was a great experience! Have a last minute reservation and it did not disappoint. We started with the burrata which was soo fresh and honestly delicious, the only thing that would've made it better was a little balsamic glaze ;) After that, we got the Piccante pizza, and I was a little worried about the spice level, but it wasn't too spicy. It wasn't very spicy at all! It was just super heat hot! Then we couldn't skip out on the pasta so we did the build your own with Pappardelle pasta with the Monello sauce and it was wonderful! I also got their Hugo spritz, which had peach purée in it, and that was a lovely touch! The inside was nothing amazing, but it was decorated for Christmas, which was cute!

Monello is absolutely fantastic! Reservations are a must. With a party of 7 people on a Saturday, the available time slots were limited so we ended up having a pretty early dinner. The restaurant has a sleek, modern feel, but dressing casual is totally fine. Our group was already ordering 3 plates from the cheese wheel pastas, so I opted for a different menu item. Ordered the black ink spaghetti, and it was delicious! I'm glad I had leftovers so I could enjoy it the next day too. They had 2 seasonal cheese wheel pastas, and we tried both. One was spaghetti with shiitake mushrooms and prosciutto, and the other was rigatoni with a butternut squash pesto sauce and sausage. They were both so yummy! I'd definitely come back and order them again. For appetizers we had the caesar salad and grilled octopus. The salad was crisp, fresh, and loaded with heaps of thinly shaved Parmesan cheese. And the octopus was so tender and seasoned beautifully! We also ordered a cannoli, panacotta, and pistachio gelato for dessert. Everything was really good! The cannoli shell was just a little hard for me, but that's just personal preference.

Was in a rush to attend a festival and this place didn't see that busy so put in a quick order and we were out in like 30 minutes flat. Great tasting food, service was nice, outdoor seating in 72 degree weather was also amazing. For sure will return when I can order a lot of different items family style.

Lovely restaurant, hard to find parking in Little Italy. Finally made reservations in advance to try the best of Little Italy in SD. As a pasta lover, was very excited. Is this the best of Little Italy? Hope not. It took a while to get water upon seating. Otherwise good service. Pasta wheel is no big deal, rather it dries out your pasta. Calamari: 10/10. Light & not greasy Caesar salad: 7/10 Bread: 7/10 need butter Pizza: 9/10 Carbonara: 2/10 very dry Spaghetti meatballs: 7/10 Bolognese: 7/10 Overall disappointing but glad we tried it.

Surprise date night! My first ever cheese wheel pasta experience The order: Grilled octopus appetizer Parmesean cheese wheel pasta with beef ragu and shitake mushrooms on tagliatelle Veal osso bucco with mashed potatoes The octopus was the star of our meal, the best I've ever had. Perfectly grilled, good amount of meat served on a bed of argula with a balsamic drizzle! The pasta was definitely above average. The pasta was fresh the sauce was flavorful. It was drier than I'd have liked The osso bucco was very tender, the gravy was delicious and the potatoes at first glance looked like boxed mashed potatoes but they definitely tasted better. I liked that the gravy didn't just taste like tomato sauce. Service was fast and friendly. Price was up there but you get what you pay for right?

This spot does tend to get busy around dinner, so it's helpful to make a reservation! Loved that their outside patio was dog friendly! :) I ordered the spaghetti di zafferano con gamberi and while I didn't taste much saffron, the sauce was lovely. The pasta itself was very "al dente" which I actually enjoyed. I enjoyed the "tired eyes" cocktail as the espresso flavor was strong, but not too overwhelming. Overall, a great experience here!

Tried Monello for the first time and loved it! The tagliatelle with lamb ragu was rich and flavorful, and the margherita pizza was perfection, the dough was amazing, and the crust was crisp and just right. The service was quick, attentive, and welcoming. Can't wait to return!

Stopped in on Sunday night. Had reservations for 8pm but we arrived way early about 6:20pm after our day at the zoo. We asked if we could get in the waitlist and the hostess said it would be about an hour. We finally got called in at 7:40pm. Server was friendly, explained to us what appetizers are popular with kids, and the difference between the two cheese wheel pastas they had on the menu for the evening. We ordered the calamari and the burrata cheese, and the two cheese wheel pastas - one was pesto and the other had shrimp. Burrata was delicious. Calamari I wish was bigger portion. Shrimp pasta was good too but not sure I would've been able to tell it was made with a cheese wheel (I thought there would be more cheese in the dish). Pesto pasta was super salty and we couldn't finish it. Overall I'd say 4 stars for service but 3 stars for food.

I had a great time with my fiancé at Monello. We made same day reservations for an early friday night dinner. After finding parking we walked in and were quickly seated. The ambiance inside is cool, with plenty of lighting and an industrial feel. We shared the calamari, carbonara pasta and margarita pizza with sausage. this was plenty of food for 2 people and brought a few slices home.

One of the first reservations for lunch at 11:30am with a friend from out of state. Excellent service and ambience. Christina provided good service. The lemon cello spritz was nice and refreshing. The homemade pane with olive oil was good. It just lacked pepper and balsamic vinegar. When I asked, it was immediately provided. My water cup was never empty, which is greatly appreciated on a hot San Diego summer day. For the main courses, the recommended cheese wheel pasta was superbly delicious. On the other hand the spaghetti neri con polipo was a bit salty and lacking in visual seafood. I did not enjoy the sauce or presentation. I prefer the squid ink pasta at Bencotto next door. The redeeming part of the meal was the espresso martini tiramisu. I would definitely come back for that.

The restaurant is modern and can accommodate big groups. Depending on when you go, this place can get pretty loud. We had to wait a bit for our waitress to take our order, since it was a busy time when we got there. We ordered the Margherita pizza and the pappardelle pasta. They were both delicious and light, highly recommend eating here for good Italian food.

Perfect Friday happy hour spot with the girls. The portions are great for sharing and you are sure to leave stuffed. The cocktails are unique and priced perfectly. James was our server and he was amazing. Very attention and a great smile. I'll be back for the pizza, the dough is unmatched!

A 100% delightful evening. Grant, our server, was top notch and never let us down. We sat outside so there was less ambience for my taste but our out of town guest wanted outside so there we were. A total delight. Pasta perfection with bursting flavors. Wine that exceeded expectations. Panna cotta that was from the gods - seriously what more could you ask? Not a bit to pick. A best of place for me.

I found this restaurant on the Seed Oil Scout app when searching for Italian restaurants in little Italy. We came here on 4th of July for an early dinner (5pm). Waited only 10 minutes without a reservation. The hostess seating us was very sweet and friendly. Our waitress explained that their ingredients are imported from Italy and made some suggestions. We ordered bread, a Caesar salad, my husband got the spaghetti neri con polipo (squid ink pasta) and I got the gnocchi di zucca (butternut squash pasta, subbed for GF pasta). Everything was DELISH!! Some of the best pasta I've had. Our waitress was very helpful, super sweet and accommodating, answered all my questions promptly, checked on us multiple times and service was fast! It's a little noisy inside and it got busy quickly, then again it was 4th of July. Totally recommend this spot if you're looking for an authentic Italian meal. *Note- for those who care about cooking oils, they cook their pastas with olive oil (and I believe all prepared foods but I confirmed this for pastas since that's what we ordered). They use soybean oil in their deep fryer for fried items only.

Overall delicious food and great service! We made a reservation for 7 on a weekend, and got seated pretty promptly. Our table got a lot of apps to share like the grilled octopus, burrata, and Margherita pizza and my favorite was the octopus! Super tender and flavorful char. I got the squid ink pasta, which also had a generous serving of octopus! The bisque cream sauce was delicious, but it left me wanting some freshness. I really liked my friend's arrabbiata sauce, and would get that next time. My friends who got the cheese wheel pasta said it was a lot and super cheesy, so quite hard to finish alone.

Beautiful local restaurant in Little Italy of San Diego! It was about 15 minutes walking distance from my hotel near downtown. I booked a reservation with my team for a party of 4 at 6:30 pm on a Wednesday night through OpenTable for reservations. We decided to eat outside on their patio since it was serene evening with breeze and sun that faced the waterfront. The restaurant has heaters that you can have turned on to fend off the cold. Our server was super helpful in providing us their favorites and recommendations. I know this restaurant was good since I had trouble narrowing down what I exactly wanted. I ordered the norita to drink- nonalcoholic that was lime lemonade and agave. Refreshing with a great mix of sweet and sour, but I was not expecting the salty rim that slapped my taste buds. Our group ordered the calamari to share, and it was so crispy, light, not too oily, and seasoned well and paired well with their tartar sauce. My colleagues decided to make their own pasta, but I ordered the ravioli di gamberi or stuffed ravioli with ricotta and shrimp. We were content and happy with the portions of our dishes and it was very filling. My dish had a beautiful presentation of color and great flavors of cheese and shrimp with a decadent delicate shrimp bisque. We ended the night with a surprise birthday celebration in which the place gave us a free desert of tiramisu! Absolutely loved the customer service since they recalled my special note in the reservation and I didn't have to remind them. They're on top of it!! The tiramisu was to die for!! Texture so fluffy like a marshmallow with deep rich chocolate flavor. Loved this place and would definitely come again!

Went in a Saturday night early, around 6pm. 5 minute wait for an inside table. The restaurant is loud, being made of glass and concrete. Service was prompt and pleasant. I ordered the cheese wheel tagliatelle with meatballs and asparagus. The dish came and looked deceivingly small, but never seemed to empty. The pasta was perfect, the cheese sauce rich but not overly so, and I thoroughly enjoyed my dish. I look forward to coming back here and trying the rest of the menu.

One of the best authentic Italian meals I've had! The service was phenomenal and the food divine . It is a little on the loud side - as we were being seated I said "it's pretty loud in here" and the host offered to move us to a quieter area, nice corner table around the back. We started with drinks - the gin and pear purée was fantastic! Had the roll appetizer with prosciutto, followed by the "cheese wheel" special (watch the video), pizza and lasagna! Just amazing!

Came here for dinner to celebrate my partner's birthday. Parking is horrendous as expected from Little Italy. We went here around 6pm on a weekday and there was no wait time. I choose this restaurant mostly for the cheese wheel experience so we opted for the specialty one they have that night. Pink sauce pasta w/ asparagus & meatballs cheese wheel: I had expected that they would bring the cheese wheel to our table and provide the full experience, but that wasn't the case. Our server instead informed us that they would start soon in the front so you have to stand there and watch it. They pre-cook the pasta and then mix it in the cheese wheel. I found this a bit unsanitary since leftover pasta from previous batches remains on top, and they don't clean or scrape it off. Additionally, the presentation of the pasta itself was lacking.The sauce flavor is heavy, some of the asparagus was a little fibrous and the meatballs were super tiny which resulted in some dryness. Priced at $30, this was a little gimmicky. Margherita Pizza : This on the other hand was delish! They advertised that the dough goes through a 4 days special fermentation process! The pizza is thin and the crust is super crunchy! It wasn't soggy and surprisingly very light! Overall, I wasn't impressed with the quality for what I paid and it didn't live up to the hype. If I were to come back, I'd probably stick to their pizzas!

The service is really good. The food was OK my second time going there, but the first time it was amazing. The noodles are cooked perfection. Even though I was a little disappointed in the second time going, I will be back.. so far this is my favorite pasta spot.

I haven't been back in so long and finally had the chance to come back in! We made a reservation and were seated inside. They do have a cute patio area as well! We started with burrata and the supplis. We were still waiting on a couple people and our server was super patient. Once everyone arrived, I ordered the squid ink spaghetti with clams. It was great as always and made me realize I need to come back more often!

Ran 10 minutes late to our dinner reservations because parking can be super limited even on a weekday! This restaurant is located in the popular little Italy area so plan ahead of time with street parking. We spoke to the front desk since we were running late and thankfully she was extremely kind and sat us right away when we arrived. We sat in the balcony where I appreciated the heaters. We had a great server who was knowledgeable and professional. They took care of us very well! We ordered the polpette which we absolutely loved as a starter. The bread was insanely soft! I also enjoyed my customized pasta, papardelle Monello with chicken. The pasta came in hot and fresh with generous portion size! Highly recommend for some authentic Italian food!

My recent dining experience at Monello was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warmth and hospitality. Carleigh, our server, provided top-notch service throughout the evening, ensuring our needs were met with a smile. Now, let's talk about the food. Monello truly delivers on authentic Italian cuisine. Each dish was bursting with flavor and made with care. From the classic pasta dishes to the mouthwatering desserts, every bite was a delight. Whether you're craving a cozy dinner for two or celebrating a special occasion with friends, Monello is the perfect spot. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to indulge in delicious Italian fare served with a side of excellent service. Grazie mille, Monello, for a memorable dining experience!

Came here with a bunch of folks that are also in town for a training. The servers were quick to come by and ask us if we needed some help with the menu. Before getting seated, they were super up front about the wait time and it was nice. We sat outside and it was a beautiful day. Definitely wonder what sitting inside would be like . Majority of the pictured plates were shareable with the table. All of it was delicious. Love the flavors from the pesto and the mushroom flat bread. The calamari had a beautiful light batter and didn't at all feel oily or soggy. My main dish was the lamb ragu pasta. There was definitely a lot of protein in the dish and fresh pasta was nice and chewy. However I'm not sure I'd order it again because the lamb was pretty gamey. Not my favorite but I'm sure others don't mind it as much as I do. Looking forward to returning the next time I'm in town to try another menu item.

We had booked this in advance for a special date night dinner celebration. Definitely a nice date vibe inside but also good for groups of friends- big space indoors for seating. Was busy for a friday night- i would recommend booking in advance if you don't want to wait too long. Seated inside, the service was so friendly! Made us feel very comfortable as if a friend was serving us- giving us recommendations and cracking jokes with us. Opted to order the misto to start (lots of calamari- could have had more zucchini pieces) and the mains as 'spaghetti neri con polipo' and 'tagliatelle al ragu' d'agnello' The black spaghetti dish was very fishy which i didn't mind, nice and saucy with a good amount of lobster pieces in it. We had plenty to take home as leftovers. We were pretty full when we arrived as we had a foodie San Diego day prior to dinner so wish we were a bit more hungry to try more things but what we had tried was great.

The food here is delicious! One of my favorite spots in little Italy! Service is always great here. No long waits and food comes out quick.

Monello was nice for a date night but we probably won't be back. We stopped in on a Friday night around 8 pm. We had to wait about 30 minutes for our reservation inside. Our waiter was great, nice guy from Ohio. Inside was crazy. It was pretty loud and seating was tight. While the food and drinks were good, it seemed overpriced. The cheese wheel pasta was the best! Two entrees, 1 app, 3 drinks and no dessert was just under $200 after tip. It was an experience and I'm glad we tried it.

Pasta itself was very tasty! The ambiance during winter season inside the restaurant is very dim & chrismassy. The server was very attentive. Cute little date night spot.

Monello was a great vibe! Good for dates or celebrations -- think light EDM music and modern vibes. The missing star is really for the food - we weren't wow-ed by the food but it was still enjoyable! Large menu with lots of options. There was great service, server was quick, accurate and accommodating! Appreciated the service greatly.

Very good place, sat outside (table of 2) last night. We bought : Bread Still Water And cece e pepe! Service was good for being a standard restaurant. She was very lovely and nice! We came down to San Diego for thanksgiving. Food was bomb! The more you ate the better it tasted! For parking, it looks challenging, if we didn't have a ride to drop us off/pick us up, it wouldve been hard. Very good food and service all around! Thank you.

My friends and I were in town and wanted to hit up a good spot in Little Italy for dinner. We heard good things about Monello and decided to give it a try. It was easy making a reservation online and we were able to do so the night before. We checked in on time to our reservation and the hostess had us wait about 10 minutes before we got seated. We went on a Saturday night and it was packed in there, so I highly recommend you make a reservation! The interior is dark and it can get pretty noisy. Out of our 7 dishes, there were only 2 that really stood out to us. Must gets: - Tortelloni Al Tartufo - the best pasta dish at the table. The creamy dreamy white sauce and the truffle was divine. If I had to recommend one pasta dish here, it would be this one. - Burrata - this was a great appetizer to start the meal off with. Great for sharing and I'm still craving this appetizer days later. The rest of the dishes we ordered weren't very special in terms of their taste. I ordered the cheesewheel pasta and I think my standards may have been too high, I was disappointed in my dish. If I were to come back, I'd probably stick with ordering the Tortelloni Al Tartufo for my entree and Burrata for an appetizer just because I would be hesitant in trying other dishes from here.

First time in little Italy Fun night, found street parking for 5 pm dinner reservations. Food was great!! Service was great. All foods made from scratch The only downside is the placed smelled like bleach when you walk in . Would go again!

Fantastic food and service. Its a cute space and getting reservations was simplThere were 4 of us so we each ordered something different so we could try a variety. The cheese wheel pasta was incredible as was the neri con polipo. Will definitely be back.

Monello was delicious, it was my first time going to an Italian restaurant such as monello. Our waiter was super friendly, he brought us a dessert to celebrate my 7 year olds birthday. I would definitely come back in the future as the vibe was great.

Stopped here today on recommendation from a friend. Companion ordered the Orecchiette and I got the Carbonara. Staff (host person and busser Jayden) were lovely. Our server was friendly at first, then disingenuous. Didn't even check to see how everything was after food was delivered. The food was a huge miss. My Carbonara was cold when it arrived. Would have sent it back but lost my appetite with the cold egg base. Expected better with the reputation and price point. Won't be back.

We chose to sit inside because in the winter in San Diego, you never know how cool it will be during the evening, even on an unusually warm day. We started to review the drink menu and ordered our drinks. When we were reading the food menu, something strange happened. The server started pointing out items that were no longer being served. There is nothing like getting to a restaurant to enjoy a meal and being told how many dishes are on the menu, but no longer are available. Of course, our waiter missed one and it was what my friend wanted to order. We shared the burrata. It was creamy and smooth and served with a small loaf of bread. That was great to sop up the pesto sauce on the plate. I had the spaghetti Nero con polipo. It was very creamy and a large portion. My friend had the a spaghetti with shrimp that was creamy but very bland. Our service was not the best. I asked for a glass of ice for my water and it came only after I asked 3 times. I asked for a spoon so that we could split the burrata and that came sooner, but the service aide had me pull it out of his hand that was filled with dishes for another table. My friend asked for salt three times before she got it and her dish was luke warm before she could eat it. This is not the service I expect in an area that shows off the greatness of Little Italy.

The first time I went it was definitely 5star experience. Just went on Saturday night had reservations and got seated quickly. I was very excited to try it again cause we live like 2hrs away,so we sat down proceeded to order ordered the spaghetti cheese wheel special and a it was a mistake. The pasta was so salty it was like a salt bomb im my mouth. I thought it was just me shared with my party, was told the same thing. Meatballs were dry and didn't really taste any cheese from the wheel. Went to bathroom and barfed about 4x. Told server once he came back,(only seen him 2x during service) he apologized for food not being good we paid and left.

Parking: I did not drive, but restaurant is located in a pretty busy area of Little Italy, so plan to use a lot or do some laps if you're trying to find a street spot. Ambiance: Nice enough decor and typical for the area. Can't speak to the bathrooms, as the line to use them was so long we never did. Not sure if there's only one or what the issue was but the line was all the way through the hallway and into the restaurant. Menus for the specials and the regular ones were a bit dated looking and not exceptionally aesthetic but served their purpose. Service: Our server was great, friendly and honestly the highlight of the experience, because overall I wasn't impressed but she was super nice. Other runners, and assisting staff were not so much. It all felt inattentive and rushed, as if we were bothering them to ask for things, or they could only find the time to drop the food and run without even taking dishes away or asking if we wanted refills on drinks. Food: Appetizers: Burrata with pesto, tomato and bread was really good. Calamari was good, breading wasn't too thick and it was very hot when it arrived at the table. Mains: Ordered the pecorino cheese wheel special pasta. It was bland overall, and was supposed to have butternut squash in it; however, there were only two cubes of squash, and it was hard/undercooked. It tasted under seasoned and was overall not impressive. I ended up ordering a second entree (lamb ragu) which was better and more flavorful. **Also important note for people who want the cheese wheel experience: you can only get the option they offer for that night, you can't order just any type of pasta in the cheese wheel. It also is not done table side, rather they do it at a table in the front, and if you want to see it you need to get up from your table and walk up to watch while they mix the food in the cheese wheel. The food my guest ordered came out super dried out like it sat in the window heat lamps too long, and was missing the protein which was ordered as an add on. When a runner brought us the missing protein it was simply a side plate of it without adding it IN to the pasta. We sent the dish back and they ended up remaking it and it was like a completely different dish than the first round. Much more sauce, a lot less dried out looking, protein tossed in, but again, had to request it after our initial ordering of the food in the first place. Dessert: After all the mishaps of the mains, we didn't try any desserts. It was a bday celebration and to my surprise when I received the bill, they charged us $6 for the mini scoop of lemon gelato with a candle. For a total bill of over $200, I was a little shocked at a charge for the celebration goodie, as I've never been anywhere else that charged for those. Overall: Not terrible but would not highly recommend. Not sure if it was an off night or what, bc the restaurant came HIGHLY recommended from multiple people.

I recently checked out Monello in Downtown San Diego's vibrant Little Italy neighborhood. I was most impressed with this sleek, modern Italian restaurant with excellent service. Attention to detail is on full display in everything they do. Monello has been winning numerous awards since they opened a little more than a decade ago. Such a unique place that specializes in 25 different kinds of handcrafted pasta daily, highlighting traditional Milanese street food and the popular cheesewheel pasta. I ordered the Tagliatelle with Ragu, described as grandma's style all beef red meat sauce. How could you go wrong with that! The dish was outstanding with al dente pasta, and richly flavored sauce. Portions were quite generous and so beautifully presented. Highly recommended.

Always a great time! My favorite place to visit when I'm in San Diego. The pasta and pizza are delicious.

Extremely delicious food! The lasagna was by far the best thing we got! The drink was ok but honestly I just like them sweet....maybe too sweet so sometimes other drinks feel like maybe they might not be sweet enough but they probably are Service was great and the place was clean and modern looking. Would most definitely come here again!

The cheese wheel pasta was surprisingly mid and the meatballs were not great. The atmosphere is pretty but overall was not impressed with the quality for what I paid. Maybe I came in on an off day

We ordered three different pasta dishes and they were all delicious. The cheese wheel pasta was great for my family, too cheesy for me. The service was ok. We made a reservation in advance but got an outdoor table. It's a bit chilly and loud in little Italy area. I would go back to try different dishes.

So let's start off with the location/place. The place is a little small but it is cute and still feels high end. I came for my birthday and we opted to eat inside. They didn't put us in a squished location where we would be bumping into people anytime we scooted our seats out. That was sooo appreciated. Now service, they were so nice from the time we checked in, to the seating, to checking out. Just every aspect was pleasant! When we asked the server for honest opinions he gave them to us and was knowledgeable about items on the memo. Food: I ordered the tortelloni al tartufo and my sister order the gnocchi. Portions: mine looked kind of small so I didn't think I'd get full but honestly I only finished half the plate ...the food was delicious 11/10!! My sisters dish was a good portion and it was also delicious! We got the meatballs as appetizers , we liked the portion size! Some places only give 3/4 meatballs this place gave 8. The meatballs were good but nothing special. Probably a 6.5/10, not horrible but not memorable. The dishes however are undeniably rememberable. This is our new favorite spot. Quality food and good vibes. And since it was my birthday they brought out tiramisu and it was so creamy...honestly just overall we enjoyed this place and will be back. 15/10 recommend!