CUCINA urbana

Living in the neighborhood they’re one of few places with a happy hour so I go fairly regularly and have mostly happy hour items. My go-​to is always brussel sprouts as they are always great! Except the most recent visit a couple of weeks ago… very undercooked.
The specials are pretty normal for a higher end type of place so I still typically spend a good $ 50 – 60 in a couple of hours. The vasi’s are nice at half off on Fridays (if I remember correctly), but I don’t always get them as they are very different and kind of have to be in the mood for them. The garlic one (burrata) is my favorite but the cheese is interestingly gooey. I’m not a smoked fish person but I hear that one is very good. The hummus I tried in the last visit was also NOT good this visit but they make everything fresh each day so probably changes regularly.
Overall though, great food, great drinks, and decent service.

Nice modern style Italian in San Diego. Plates are more tapas size, gives you more variety to choose from. We had the house made ravioli with rabbit sausage, really an excellent plate with tons of flavor. We also had the calamari dish, which was grilled first then chilled and it was cooked very well. The accompaniments in the dish could have been a little better, they were seemingly just sliced up tomatoes and cucumbers. Flavors were good however. For dessert, the lemon semifreddo was excellent, great texture and was fresh and vibrant. Overall, very good food.

Came here for dinner and it did not disappoint! The service was fantastic. The food itself was fresh and delicious. Everything that we ordered was delightfully good. The ambiance is nice as well. Great place for a romantic dinner. Will definitely be coming back here again.

I give them 2.5 in my book.
Ambiance/​atmosphere: 4.0
Very nice design and atmosphere, pretty sophisticated.
Food: 3.0
The pasta looks nice but taste was nothing impressive. They are more into the presentation and sophisticated dishes rather than taste in my opinion.
We also had buretta cheese with bread which was really not that great. The wine was good.
Price: 1.0
2 people, 2 pasta, 1 bread and 2 wine, still hungry and 100 $ less in our pockets. Don’t mind to pay for quality food, but this place just over priced. Not recommended!

The Dining Experience: really friendly staff and a great atmosphere for something intimate, romantic or posh. I arrived at 4:30, just in time for their happy hour (intermezzo). CUCINA URBANA doesn’t serve their dinner menu until 5:00pm. My boyfriend and I sat at the bar for their house red wine, Parmesan Fries and the Burnt Brussels Sprouts. It was such a good deal during happy hour since these items were half off. We then moved to a table at 5:00 for dinner. However when we wanted to move to a table at 5, the hottest informed us that the entire main seating area was booked solid and it was only a Tuesday (no holiday). We were happy to sit in the side seating area near the windows, I personally preferred the brighter lighting. Our waitress and bartender were both lovely.
The Food: I really enjoyed the house red wine, as it paired nicely with the Burnt Brussels Sprout dish, which was amazing. The Fries, though delicious were actually over fried to the point where it’s just crispy batter, and no potato texture on the inside which was a bit of a disappointment, but both sides were great portions for the happy hour price. The Pappardelle (supposedly the most popular dish) had amazing short rib. The portion was small, but shareable if you order sides to accompany your meal. I thought the pappardelle was a tad salty, but the noodles were perfectly al dente. My favorite dish aside from the Brussels Sprouts was the Caesar Salad. Really unique polenta croutons :) I love when a chef does something different
Thoughts: I would come back again! I would strongly recommend to come between 4:30 — 5:30 if you like calm and quite restaurants for dinner. I love the atmosphere and the food, but I wouldn’t order the pappardelle again. The main seating area is dark as well, perfect for a romantic dinner.

The only thing I don’t like about this place is that it’s too loud. The low ceiling traps all the sound inside and it got kinda hard to talk to people at my table. Make sure to make a reservation before since there aren’t a lot of seats! But if you’re too late, there are also first come first serve bar seats which also have the full table service.
Definitely recommend the lamb and the beef pasta!

We came here to celebrate my wife’s 30 birthday. We sat in the front atrium, and while I was a little sceptical at first because of how close we were to the front desk, we really enjoyed the experience. There was more natural light, it was a touch quieter, and the tables were further apart allowing for more privacy.
There’s a lot we could highlight from the experience, but a few things really stood out. They do not mark up their wine (however they do charge an $ 8 corking fee). Overall however, the wine is extensive and affordable. Our waiter, Jonathan, was engaging, professional, and gave us a thorough explanation of the delicious menu items. And the icing on the cake was our waiter heard it was my wife’s birthday and brought us out an incredible dessert with a candle they was not one he menu. He really helped make the evening a wonderful experience.
If we were to visit again, I will order one of the incredible looking mixed drinks coming from the bar. They looked top shelf.

Ambience ⁵⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Food:
chicken liver pâté ⁵⁄₅
ribeye steak carpaccio 4.5÷5
short rib papperdalle ⁴⁄₅
grilled octopus 2.5÷5

I attended a business dinner here and was so pleasantly surprised by how good the food was I had to look it up on Unilocal.Of course they have 4.5 stars with nearly 3,000 reviews…
My 2 cents: Service was exceptional. They really took care of our group well. We went with their recommendations for all the food and wine — shared family style. Everything tasted phenomenal, notably the short rib pappardelle, burrata, and squash blossoms.
The interior is trendy and chic. Overall great ambiance and amazing food.

I found this place on Unilocal,I’m not from Southern California so I wanted to try out a few places that people were raving about. Luckily I was able to find street parking right away, we came around lunch time on a Friday. I made reservations ahead of time just in case I might need them but I didn’t. Walking in, we got greeted, sat down right away. I really loved the décor theme they had going in there. I ordered the papparelle short rib as per recommended by my waiter. Aguazul as my non alcoholic beverage and truffle fries as my appetizer. My main dish was very rich in taste, short rib was tender.
Food was 4.5÷5
Cleanliness ⁵⁄₅
Service ²⁄₅
Literally my experience went from a 5 star to a 2 star in about 30 – 45 min. It went down hill so rapidly, all because our waiter never checked up on us, and the one time he did. I already finished my meal. It wasn’t busy, he looked like he only had 2 other tables besides ours within the same area. I honestly really wanted dessert but the amount of time I wasted trying to wave down anyone was absurd. I gave up and just wanted my check so I can leave.
This place is 4 star because the food was great but the wait for my check or service is uncalled for.

Love this place! If you haven’t been, definitely put it on the list of places to try. Make a reservation a couple weeks in advance if possible, especially if it’s for a weekend.
Located in bankers hill, one of my favorite neighborhoods, it is a short walk to balboa park. Street parking is available and they also offer valet parking.
The service is outstanding. Came to celebrate my cousins engagement and they brought a complimentary round of champagne. The staff was extremely helpful and went above and beyond to ensure a great dining experience!
We tried:
— the polenta with chef’s ragu (4.5÷5). It was a lamb ragu that night and it was amazing! I don’t particularly love polenta but there’s is so creamy, this dish is definitely a must try!
— short rib pappardelle (4.5÷5). It is worth the hype! It is a very decadent dish so I would recommend splitting this. Definitely too rich to have alone.
— whole roasted branzino (⁵⁄₅). Probably one of my favorite fish dishes I’ve had. It’s flavored and cooked so well. And the couscous is a nice touch!
Definitely place I always recommend to people visiting! Will definitely be back.

Had a birthday dinner here and it was awesome! Great wine prices, as they’re marked at retail value. They have a cool little wine corner where you can go ahead and walk around and pick out your own wine. The server was very friendly and informative, was constantly attentive, and kept our rose on ice and poured frequently so we were never dry.
Parking is rough in this neighborhood; they offer a $ 7 valet service.
They brought out an awesome free birthday dessert that was declicous!

Came here to eat with my fiancée and her brother in law when we came down to visit San Diego.
We had reservations at 9:45 and got our table on time. The staff was super attentive and made sure that we knew they didn’t forget about us.
When we got seated, we were seated next to a group of really loud chicks who had high pitched voices. We requested to change tables and they changed it for us right away.
On to the food:
Appetizer:
stuffed fried squash blossoms: This appetizer was pretty damn good, considering I’m not a huge fan of squash. The squash blossoms were fried just right, not too crispy, not too soggy.
Entrée:
pappardelle pasta: The pappardelle pasta was definitely something different. Although the portions were a bit smaller than most pasta entrees, this one was just enough to fill me up. The dish had a teriyaki-​like flavor, which was unique to me for a pasta. It definitely caught me off guard. This would be the ideal entrée if you’re a meat lover like me (seeing that they don’t have that many entrees with meats).
casalingo pepperoni + fennel sausage: Your typical pepperoni and sausage pizza EXCEPT it was SUPER crispy, just the way I like it! The crush was tasty and crunchy and if I were to come here again, you can bet that I’m ordering this pizza again.
Overall, it was a pretty good experience here. The food was awesome, the service was exceptional, and the overall ambiance of the restaurant is pleasant.
***QUICK TIP***: If possible, eat here a little earlier if you want to avoid the clubbing crowd. It appears that a lot of people come here to eat and drink before they head out to the clubs.

Came on a Monday night right before they closed and it was surprisingly crowded. We were able to walk in and get a table tho.
Ordered pepperoni and sausage pizza and the margherita pizza. They were both good but had too much crust. After awhile the crust just gets boring to eat. Also got the spaghettini with shrimp. The sauce and noodles were good. I liked the flavor of the sauce. The shrimp were pretty large, but thought they were kind of tough.
Overall ambiance is nice. It has interesting decorations and the lights are kind of low. However the tables are close together and it is really loud.
I’ve been to cucina enoteca and would say I prefer enoteca. The pizza was better and prefer the table set up at enoteca.

Awesome Happy Hour specials!
We went on a Thursday when ALL the pizzas are ½ off (resulting in a $ 7 – 9 pizza). Which is such an amazing deal. We arrived with 20 minutes left before Happy Hour officially ends and while it was busy it wasn’t so packed we couldn’t find a seat. We snagged 2 chairs right at the bar and were immediately greeted by one of the nicest bartenders ever (Conner). He managed to jump from patron to patron given them each his undivided attention and was just ridiculously personable and attentive.
The hubs and I each ordered a drink in time to snag a happy hour deal and went with the Pear & Gorgonzola pizza to split. It’s a delightful combo of sweet pear and savory cheese with a little acidic balsamic drizzle to balance it out. The pizza crust was amazing. With a crust that good you can put just about anything on top and it will be amazing.
The restaurant has a rustic elegance thing going on and I loved it. Very warm and inviting with a romantic charm.

Cucina urbana, ti amo!
The start of a four day weekend and I had to come Cucina! WHY? They only serve their lasagna for lunch on weekdays!!! We came in a little after 1 which was perfect since we missed the lunch crowd. Also, it gives us the opportunity to sit at the bar, in the corner, in two of the best seats of the house because you can see everything!!!
Matthew took great care of us and not only did I get the best lasagna in San Diego, but we shared the pepperoni and fennel sausage pizza. My lunch companion had the grilled tuna sandwich, which he said was good but the tuna portion was a little small. He should’ve ordered the lasagna! LOL!
Baci a te Cucina, il mio amore, till my next day off!

We wanted to try this place since it was relatively close to where we were staying. If you want a sit down table, you should make a reservation for dinner. Otherwise, there was really no trouble finding a place to sit at the bar near the pizza oven station. The menu is printed on folded, thick paper. There are plenty of options for appetizers, food, signature drinks, wines and beers. If you like a fun and unique ambiance, the atmosphere at CUCINA urbana is very lively and loud!
I don’t remember exactly what we ordered for food because we got so many things, but for dessert, we ordered the Caramel Panna Cotta. It was one of the best things I’ve ever had, and good thing I managed to get a picture of it! It was light and fluffy, the caramel flavor was perfection, and the Nutella on the plate gave it the perfect touch. It was a perfect end to a perfect meal. The service was sublime and fun!
I would definitely recommend this place for a good time and for even better food!

Really, really, REALLY GOOD!
Great customer service too. Celebrated my gfs bday here with a reservation for 5:30. While half of us arrived timely, the rest of our party ran ethnic time. The waitress was patient and did a great job educating us on wines and appetizers. Due to her wine and food education, we ended up ordering a cheese board, the venison with 2 bottles of wine while we waited for the slackers to arrive.
Once everyone got there we ordered one main courses. I had the pappardelle… and OHHH EMM MMMMMMMMMM GHEEEEEE was it good! My mouth is literally watering as I write this.
Tips: if you love carbs, request for bread to be brought to your table– otherwise they won’t bring it out.

I’ve been to this place a few times and I always have a great time!
Ambience — This place, located in Banker’s Hill just west of the Park, is very trendy. The first time I went, I felt like I was in a scene of The Hills. Everyone who worked there looked like they hosted weekly bonfires and only drank out of mason jars. I love the open floor space and rustic designs. Usually, there are cool looking people in attire ranging from basketball shorts to business suits. This place can get incredibly crowded, which adds liveliness to your dining setting, but also means reservations are useful. Despite the tight space, I have enjoyed the first-​come first-​serve community tables, but had to watch like a hawk to snag a seat.
Service — So great! The servers have excellent attitudes, and one even had a litany of suggestions for going out afterwards. Everything was brought out promptly, and I appreciate how the servers appear to be very knowledgeable about treatment.
Food — Historically, I have been very bad at sharing food with others, but the Italian cuisine helped me to overcome my reservations. I tried the truffle Parmesan fries. I’m not the biggest fry fan, and these didn’t change my life. They were fine. I also tried the burrata with prosciutto ‘caprese’, heirloom tomato and arugula. This dish was very fresh-​tasting and beautiful, but the texture was slightly too soft. The ravioli with rabbit sausage, ricotta, piquillo pepper, cherry tomato was also nicely plated. I love the taste of the rabbit sausage and ricotta together. The mushroom goat cheese pizza with fried onion and truffle oil is one of my favorite dishes. Flavorful and not overly greasy. Like most, I also love the short rib pappardelle with cremini mushrooms. This dish has the perfect amount of sweetness and is filling without weighing down my stomach.
CU (can I call it that?) is remarkable for a great menu with harmonious combinations of high-​quality ingredients.

We had heard a lot of good things about this place on Unilocal and even the bartender at our hotel recommended we go there. We made a reservation for dinner. And most of what we had heard was right on. The food was very good, the ambiance was cool, trendy with lots of sparkly lights (it is xmas season still) and the service was also very good. 4.5 stars (a slight deduction for the crowdedness of the room– you sit inches away from the neighboring tables… a minor issue really; and the food was quite good; tasty and inventive even… but not quite ‘fully wow’).
A short $ 10 cab ride from our downtown hotel and we were there. As we waited to be seated we perused the wine ‘store’ which was well stocked with all sorts of organized and very tempting bottles. At the Cucina if you buy a bottle (at retail prices) there is no additional corkage. OK, that is attractive for any foodie who is not on an unlimited budget. We picked out a $ 50 meritage we had never even heard of and were seated at a small table in the full and crowded dining room.
The menu had many, many items we wanted to try and we struggled to keep our order down to something two people might reasonably eat. We opened with the heralded truffle garlic fries which were lightly dressed with cheese and garlic. The homemade ketchup that came with it was more like tomato paste than ketchup. They were thin and tasty and better than the ‘average’ fries, but I was expecting something more amazing. This gave us a minute to sip wine and decide on the rest of the order.
Our waitress was friendly and made some recommendations of her favorite items on the menu. We wanted the grilled octopus appetizer but had to relent in favor of the mushroom pizza with goat cheese. This was all good – excellent crust. We followed up with the pappardelle w/​braised short ribs, broad noodles in a kind of beefy sauce, and the rabbit sausage (!!) ravioli and both were quite tasty. The pasta seemed fresh and was cooked slightly al dente.
We were pretty stuffed and actually weren’t able to finish any of the plates fully and took four boxes with us for lunch today. We decided to walk the 10 blocks back to our hotel just to try and lighten our load. Cucina Urbana is definitely worth your time if you are in San Diego.