The San Diego Neighborhood Serving Some Of The Country's Best Italian Food

While New York City may be home to a well-known Little Italy, these days, it's just a few small blocks surrounded by the ever-expanding Chinatown neighborhood. The good news is that there are many more versions of Little Italy all over the United States, like Boston's North End or Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. On the West Coast, just north of Downtown San Diego and its busy Gaslamp District, sits a wildly popular area known as Little Italy, home to incredible Italian food and a bustling nightlife scene.

In the early 20th century, this area started as a hub for Italian and Portuguese tuna fisherman. During the 1920s, it evolved into both a residential neighborhood and business district. But Little Italy wasn't always the hot neighborhood it is now. The construction of Interstate 5 directly through the town led to a major loss of homes and businesses, but newer developments and commitment to a neighborhood feel have revitalized the town in the past few decades.

I worked in Little Italy about 10 years ago, and while the neighborhood was already popular in the mid 2010s, it's now a full-blown hotspot, with luxury residential buildings and fancy restaurants dotted in amongst the charming older buildings. Outdoor dining structures that popped up during the pandemic have remained in place and even expanded, giving the already-bustling neighborhood an even busier feel as diners spread out into the sidewalks and streets.

San Diego is full of incredible restaurants, and Little Italy is no exception. Bencotto and Allegro are both known for their deliciously creamy cheese wheel pastas, where freshly cooked noodles are tossed in a massive, hollowed-out wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano right next to your table. Run by the Busalacchi family, which has deep roots in Little Italy, the lively Barbusa features modern Sicilian dishes and cocktails. Vinarius features a great happy hour, which it calls Apericena, while Buon Appetito and its sister restaurant, Sogno di Vino, are full of rustic charm.

While it's a trendy spot for restaurants and nightlife, Little Italy also has much to offer locals and visitors during the daylight hours. Mona Lisa Italian Foods is a densely packed, old-school spot for amazing deli sandwiches and Italian food products, while Assenti's Pasta has been providing San Diegans with fresh, high-quality pasta since 1981. Little Italy is also home to many coffee shops, like the modern Influx cafe or Pappalecco, which also boasts amazing gelato.

The area has plenty of trendy, Instagram-worthy brunch spots, too, like Morning Glory, which serves an extravagant breakfast carbonara. Every October, the town hosts the Galbani Bella Vita Fest, a weekend-long celebration of Italian culture that features local food and wine vendors, art, and cooking demonstrations. Most famously, Little Italy hosts a farmers market known as the Mercato every Saturday morning that draws crowds from all over the city.