Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
Monello, San Diego, CA

Monello

4.8 (2712)
$31 to $50
Italian
750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 30 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Hot spot
As Bencotto's brother located next door,
Monello lives up to its sibling's reputation as Best Italian restaurant in San Diego.
From the 800 LB of fresh pasta handcrafted every week, Monello displays up to 27 different recipes of pasta.
Mediterranean style seafood is served along with gourmet pizza.
Monello delivers Pasta & Risotto tossed in the Parmigiano cheese wheel tableside.
Unique Italian-style brunch is served on weekends.
Voted Best Happy Hour 2016, Monello's Milanese Aperitivo offers small plates on the house with drinks every night.
UN­ABLE TO FIND A TABLE? CHECK OUT OUR BROTHER RESTAURANT BENCOTTO NEXT DOOR

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Mediterranean, Comfort Food
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Fri 12:00 pm–9:30 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–9:30 pm Happy Hour Tue–Sun 3:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 501-0030
  • Website
    http://www.lovemonello.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Fabrizio Cavallini
  • Catering
    Send catering inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Private party facilities
    Monello offers semiprivate and private SPACES. www.lovemonello.com Send inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Location
    750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101
  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy
  • Cross street
    Kettner
  • Parking details
    The Little Italy Association offers valet parking Tuesday through Sunday at the corner of India St. and Fir St. (in front of Influx) & Kettner Blvd. & Fir for $10.00 beginning at 5:30pm. Limited street parking is available. Metered parking is free after 6:00pm until 6:00am Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday.
  • Public transit
    MTS Transit Trolley Stop Green Line: County Center/Little Italy
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 2,712 people are saying

Monello reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Monello offers a delightful Italian dining experience in the heart of Little Italy, San Diego. Guests rave about the "cheese wheel pasta" and the "authentic and flavorful" dishes. With an "amazing team" providing attentive service and a cozy ambiance, it's a must-visit for pasta enthusiasts. Parking can be challenging, so plan ahead.
2,712 Reviews

  1. Eric

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    I message the restaurant that it was our 19th wedding anniversary and in town for the night. They put us at a table at the front door next to host station, after I complicated how beautiful the restaurants design was…?!?! We really felt unattended. Waiter never checked on us for 2nd round of drinks or how the food is…?!?! I read about the owners and they have two restaurants in town. I’m guessing we caught them on an off night or our bad luck. :-(

    Is this helpful?

  2. Sharen

    Tucson1 review

    4.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was absolutely excellent—every bite was a reminder of why this place is so highly rated. From the perfectly cooked pasta to the rich and flavorful lasagna the kitchen clearly knows what it’s doing. It was one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time. That said, the experience wasn’t without hiccups. The restaurant was noticeably understaffed. Our server was doing their best but was clearly stretched thin—long waits, never could get a second glass of wine and we stopped whoever was walking by to get bread. It wasn’t the staff’s fault; they were polite, professional, and working incredibly hard—but they were simply overwhelmed. If the service matched the quality of the food, this would easily be a five-star spot. Hopefully, they can get the staffing sorted out soon, because the kitchen deserves a full house and a smooth operation out front.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Julia

    San Diego4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and excellent customer service. Julie our server provided us with outstanding customer service. Thank you.

    Is this helpful?

  4. phil

    Asheville / Western North Carolina2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Got this recommendation from a co worker - so good! We tried four different pastas between the table (including the cheese wheel pasta). They were all top notch and super fresh. Really, the cheese wheel was probably the least favorite amongst the table (more experiential than anything else). Ragu app and pasta were amazing! Servings very large. Good value for price!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Kristian VIP

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service! Lovely experience and the staff was amazing.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Louise VIP

    New York City13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Visiting from NY metro area and this food is delicious. We know our Italian cuisine! Everything was so fresh and plentiful. Although on the noisier side, our family’s table felt intimate and we were able to carry on a conversation. Highly recommend getting the cheese wheel pasta, which was freshly made. Squid ink pasta was equally delicious, with a savory and rich lobster bisque sauce and freshly grilled chunks of octopus. Pizza Margherita was crisp and fresh, and the chicken breast cutlet with prosciutto and mozzarella was juicy and thick. We only wish we’d left room for some of the desserts, which sounded fantastic.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Rob

    Los Angeles3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food from the staters to the main dishes. Staff were all extremely attentive and kind. Parking is difficult being that it is in little Italy but well worth the trouble.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Kaylyn

    Pittsburgh / Western PA2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food! Everyone loved their dishes and they had good GF options.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Jody VIP

    Columbus3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    For our large group (7), the noise level made it hard to hear everyone.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Kathleen

    San Francisco Bay Area18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious as always! We had the cheese wheel pasta and it was amazing. Also wish they would bring back the apertivo for happy hour!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Monello offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 501-0030.

Monello is rated 4.8 stars by 2712 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. San Diego
  5. Little Italy

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 30 times today
Google Map for Monello

750 W. Fir St., Suite 103B, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Kettner
  • Neighborhood
    Little Italy
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Fri 12:00 pm–9:30 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–9:30 pm Happy Hour Tue–Sun 3:00 pm–5:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Mediterranean, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    The Little Italy Association offers valet parking Tuesday through Sunday at the corner of India St. and Fir St. (in front of Influx) & Kettner Blvd. & Fir for $10.00 beginning at 5:30pm. Limited street parking is available. Metered parking is free after 6:00pm until 6:00am Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday.
  • Public transit
    MTS Transit Trolley Stop Green Line: County Center/Little Italy
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Fabrizio Cavallini
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.lovemonello.com/
  • Phone number
    (619) 501-0030
  • Catering
    Send catering inquiry to info@lovemonello.com
  • Private party facilities
    Monello offers semiprivate and private SPACES. www.lovemonello.com Send inquiry to info@lovemonello.com

Featured in

Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Restaurant Management Solutions
  • Restaurant Reservation Software
  • Restaurant Marketing Software
  • Restaurant Event Software
  • OpenTable For Restaurants
  • OpenTable For Restaurant Groups
  • Restaurant Resources
  • OpenTable Pricing & Plans
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2025 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo