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Operacaffe, San Diego, CA

Operacaffe

4.7
4.7
1356 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 4 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
At Operacaffe we are passionate about our culinary business and our customers. The reputation for excellent cuisine, top-notch service, the quality and freshness of ingredients are the reasons we are so proud of our brand new restaurant!

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 234-6538
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Patrizia Branchi
  • Neighbourhood
    Downtown / Gaslamp
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,356 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Operacaffe in downtown San Diego is a culinary gem praised for its authentic Italian cuisine and attentive service. Guests rave about the "best Italian restaurant in San Diego," highlighting delicious dishes like veal osso bucco and porcini ravioli. Its convenient location makes it ideal for pre-theater dining.

1,356 Reviews
  1. Sam

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I have been eating at Opera Caffe for over 15 years. The great food and ambiance and staff have always bowled me over and have made this wonderful venue one of my favorite downtown San Diego restaurants. Of course tonight was a full house at 7:30 pm and i was very glad to see this!

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  2. Enrique

    New York City

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Outstanding food and service make up for an iffy location in downtown San Diego. Great pasta and main dishes, had cannoli for desert and they were really good. Enjoyed very much the experience.

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  3. Patty

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We’re repeat customers- the service and food are consistent, excellent, and the atmosphere is upscale casual. Highly recommend, especially before an event at Balboa Theater!

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  4. Carol

    VIP

    San Diego

    214 reviews

    4.0

    214 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    We really enjoyed our dinners at Opera Cafe last night There were 9 of us having dinner before a show at Balboa Theatre - this is really the best place to go for dinner before a show there! We were seated immediately and our waiter was very nice. Sorry that I don't recall his name! The food was delicious - there were so many choices and everyone in our group was very satisfied with their choices. I had the fettuccini alfredo and as usual, it was great. Many in our group tried the various ravioli dishes offered and they all loved what they ordered. The prices are very reasonable and we were out in plenty of time to walk across the street for the show. I definitely recommend Opera Cafe for a great downtown restaurant.

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  5. Donna

    San Diego

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    It is a perfect place to eat before a show. The service was excellent! The food was delicious!

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  6. Donna

    VIP

    San Diego

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Small and cozy. The food was outstanding. I will definitely be going back!

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  7. Teresa

    San Diego

    44 reviews

    4.0

    44 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Wonderful food! Great service. Tables very close together, pretty noisy. But the food is worth the inconvenience

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  8. Gregg

    San Diego

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on December 12, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Service was good, food very good. A bit noisy for a Wednesday. I can only imagine what a weekend might might be like. Wait staff very accommodating to get us out in time to make a theater show.

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  9. Oliva

    San Diego

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 12, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Dining at Operacaffe was a great experience. The location was perfect for our show at the Balboa Theater, and we conveniently parked right across the street at the Horton parking garage on 4th and F st. The service was prompt and courteous, and the food was delicious. The house wines were also very good and reasonably priced. We will definitely be back!

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  10. Raymond

    San Diego

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great restaurant! Love the food and very convenient when attending the Balboa Theater.

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FAQs

Operacaffe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 234-6538.

Operacaffe is rated 4.7 stars by 1356 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 4 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Operacaffe

835 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Additional information

  • Neighbourhood
    Downtown / Gaslamp
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Patrizia Branchi
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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