Mona Lisa Italian Restaurant
San Diego, CA 92101-1721
Phone: (619) 234-4893
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Hawthorne Street
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 9am-10pm, Fri-Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 10am-10pm
Editorial Review for Mona Lisa Italian Restaurant – by Amanda Knoles
In Short
Located in the heart of Little Italy and a San Diego institution for more than 50 years, this Italian eatery features abundant seating and retro New York-style decor. Office workers flock in for the lunch buffet, while families make a feast of the hand-tossed pizzas. Specialties include lasagna, ravioli and shrimp scampi served with homemade minestrone soup and a dinner salad. Tiramisu is the must-have dessert.
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Insider Tips
When to GoParking can be difficult at lunchtime and on Friday and Saturday nights. Go early or dine late to minimize your wait for a table.
Where to SitAsk for seating on the outdoor patio for the best people-watching.
The ExtrasShop for authentic Italian cheeses, pasta, olive oil, liquor, meats and sauces at the adjacent deli.
User Reviews for Mona Lisa Italian Restaurant
10/28/2008 Posted by downtowntom
I live in San Diego and have been to many of the restaurants in Little Italy. Mona Lisa will not disappoint. I recommend the Veal Scallopini and the Chicken Marsala. The salad that comes with the dinner topped with their oil and vinegar dressing is very tasty. Start with a glass of Pinot Grigio by Zenato.
08/14/2007 Posted by daziegurl
Mona Lisa is by far one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego. I've been going there for about 13 years, and one of the main reasons is the tiramisu! It is the best. I don't think it has any kahlua at all - I think the sponge cake is just soaked in espresso. And that cream cheese! Oh my gosh - literally to die for! If you go during the week, you can pretty much get seated right away. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night, I'd recommend going early or later in the evening. Many times I have waited around 20 minutes or so for a table, so plan accordingly. Their food is pretty good. I usually get the lasagna marinara (sometimes the cooks add onions, sometimes they don't - I like it without), or the cheese raviolis with marinara sauce. My fiancee will get their meat dishes, and thinks they're pretty good. Their dinner salads are simple but good, and I love their minestrone soup, though on occasion it has been a bit bland. A little salt usually helps. The service (most of the time) leaves something to be desired. Every so often we'll get a great waitress, but more often than not the service is a bit slow, and you'll realize you've been sitting there for 10 minutes or so with a drink just waiting to be refilled. However, the food and reasonable prices usually make up for this, and I generally try to go by there now whenever I'm in San Diego (recently moved to LA).
Pros: AWESOME Tiramisu! Reasonable prices.
Cons: Parking, Occasionally service is slow
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