Parioli Italian Bistro

A couple weeks ago while staying at the Marriott my husband and I walked over to Parioli for a cocktail. We have stayed here many times but never been in so we decided to take a look. Small and cozy we sat at the bar. We were greeted by a lovely gal, Michelle. She was our waitress, bartender and entertainment for the evening. So sweet and attentive, we decided to order a pizza & salad. Both were delicious! The rest of the staff was great too!
We will definitely be back for dinner next time we’re in the area.
Thank you!

From the outside, this restaurant appears to be a place of authentic Italian cuisine. However, this is definitely not the case. This place is by far one of the worst Italian restaurants that I have ever dined in. The service was good, but the dishes were extremely overpriced and the portion sizes were small (definitely not worth the price). Lastly, the drinks are extremely expensive and not too mention, tiny. PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!! STAY AWAY!!!

Luckily I bought my groupon without reading Unilocal reviews otherwise I would have missed out on a fun experience! The night before the class I read bad reviews and was like oh well, hope the food is edible and figured I would just make the most of it. To make sure your expectations are accurate, it is a cooking demo and he Chef does the work while you observe and then magically a plate comes out with the dish he cooked. This was a negative to some reviewers but a plus in my book because on a thurs night I’m too tired to cook anyway. The Chef was knowledgable and friendly and I thought all the food was great! I will even add that I normally pass on cannoli but that was the best I ever had! It’s held in a tent outside with heaters but was a little chilly so dress accordingly. Overall this was a date night win! (And it I can say it’s worth paying a babysitter to attend then that’s a statement!) if you come with an open mind and correct expectations you will enjoy it!

This is the first time I have ever written a review, but this restaurant has become so bad I feel I need to warn everyone.
Our meals were awful.
From Linguine bolognese that had over-​cooked meatballs, and pasta that was rubber, to Veal Picata that had a sliver of veal that was a little better than cardboard.
The finale was my friend ordered a Cannoli and it was like paste.
It makes me sad that the bottom line is that this is actually the worst restaurant we have ever eaten in.

We signed up for a cooking class for 4. Upon entering the bar area, we were greeted by a bartender who welcomed us in. Owner sat at the end of a table in the bar, totally ignoring all guests, not a hello, welcome, how are you… we proceeded to the back covered patio for our «class» only to see several tables set up for dining, and a stage.
It was clearly obvious that this was not going to be a class, but more a demonstration. I went back to owner and said, this is not a cooking class is it? «No», it’s a demonstration isn’t it? «Yes»…
This is from Parioli’s description of their cooking class:
«During 90-​minute classes, students help chefs whip up starters, main dishes, and desserts based around themes such as Sicilian seafood, Tuscan soul food, or vegetarian and gluten-​free cuisine. Pupils can sample various wines as they cook, and when they sit down to eat, they can enjoy a wine paired to the dinner they created.»
The guests sat there while a guy made what should be called vegetable stew, not minestrone soup. What came out to guests was a bowl of cooked carrots, a piece or two of celery, no tomatoes, & some broth.
The «chef» then made the second course while we were being served. Our pasta was dry, served with a small sausage, peppers and no potatoes on most plates, though that is how he made it.
What the «chef» made was better than the food coming from the kitchen.
After finishing our meal, almost a ½ hour went by, no «chef», the couple in front of us left, as did the 4 of us, didn’t want to wait for dessert.
This was NOT a cooking class, we did not participate in whipping up starters, main dishes or desserts. There was no wine pairing, they just served you wine… bad wine too.
We sat there watching a guy cook basic food. They totally misrepresented this as a «class», it was a marginal dinner at best.
Had we known it wasn’t going to be a class, we would have chosen to just have dinner. We will never return, shame on you Mr. Owner… it’s called FRAUD…
I wish I would have checked Unilocal before buying the Groupon special.

You’re driving down 101, you’re hungry, you see this little bistro… keep going!
We stopped here for lunch on our way to San Diego. I’ts a small place, with lackluster almost awkward service. The first table we were sat at had a cobweb running from the ceiling to one of the wine glasses on the table. The food itself was simply not good.
The noodles in the pasta dishes three of us ordered went from really mushy to under cooked and difficult to cut. Two of us ordered a dish with lobster and scallops in it, one only had 2 little scallops in it. Both lacked sauce and flavor. I ordered a chicken dish that was dry and had very little chicken in it. One other person had lasagna and at least it was hot!

Whenever I am in San Diego, I try to go here. The food is outstanding. The atmosphere is great and it is someplace that makes you feel comfortable. Highly recommend.

Given the close proximity to our hotel, I was hopeful this place would be a winner. Sadly to report I was disappointed. It was a quiet Monday around 6pm. Place was pretty empty and yet our service was poor. Menus were old, ripped and stained. Attention to detail was lacking. Menu selection was so so. Bartender/​server seemed preoccupied on his phone. After ordering entrees not only did it take awhile, but both were cold when we got them. My chicken Parmesan was cold and bland. Penne pasta was tasteless. Very disappointing evening.

Paid $ 130 for 4 people and meal was definitely not worth it. I don’t recommend getting this groupon.

The food was nice and so was the service, but the price was a bit of a bummer for the quality of the food and the quality of the restaurant itself. Not the most amazing décor and one of the entrees was just ok, which is totally fine, except the dishes were ~$ 16-​$ 20 each. I probably wouldn’t go back just because you can get even nicer food for the same price relatively close by. If they dropped their prices to more of an $ 11 – 13 range I would go back for sure.

This review for for Cooking class groupon deal only. Cooking class and diner for two and wine pairing. First it is a cooking demonstration, second it is not a wine pairing.
Cooking demo was very good the chef Daniel was very good and a seasoned chef.
Serving staff was good but there only was 6 of us a lot of no shows due to event at race track.
Quint little back yard felt like you were in someone’s home very comfortable except for the giant white like tent. Suggestion easy to assemble no maintance white pergola with some climbing vines in huge pots you can even use fake vines on top until the plants grow. This will provide shade but let air flow through the tent keeps the heat in.
Wine, we we’re give two half glass of a red and white to sample, this is not a pairing it is a sampling so you know can order more for a price.
Food, was good (these come from the kitchen not the demo) bruschetta, sausage plate, tiramisu but the pasta dish was the saltiest pasta I ever tasted.
The groupon I got was 60 $ for two, it is not worth anymore. We have purchased many groupons and have discovered many great places, if they are using class as a way of bring returning customers they missed. I really wanted to love this place, staff was great place is charming but the menu and food during class will not have me coming back.
Wow people with your demo menu and make it a real wine pairing (sample size with each dish) people will order more $. No Italian meal is complete without coffee.

This is an old favorite of mine that I fearlessly recommend. The service is personal, the drinks are strong and COLD. The food is by far the best available in the area and it is spotlessly clean. I started with two dirty martini a and the Heirloom Tomato Caprese salad. I continued with the seafood pasta dish «pescatori papardelli». I washed it all down with two bottles of San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, served ice cold.
This place is relaxed and has a nice family owned kind of vibe. The main dishes and appetizers were great and so was the dessert.
If you have an unhurried evening and you are in Del Mar, stop by and enjoy fresh, tasty Italian food at its best.

Nice, locally owned, very cozy Italian bar & restaurant.
Salad was very fresh, great greens & olive oil dressing. Chicken Picatta entrée was great as well.

We are staying walking distance to this Great Find!!! The Salmon dish is fab!
We dined with another couple and they loved their dishes as well! I didn’t feel like wine that night and ordered a Whiskey Sour! And that was delish too! The staff is very accommodating. And this quaint little bistro lends itself for conversation. Going to go back again this week with another couple.

Went here for a rehearsal dinner. This place has a great location really close to the beach (although we couldn’t see the beach!). It provided a lot of room for a large party. The service was quick, food authentic, and company great! Thanks!

My husband and I did the ‘cooking class’ on a Friday night. I was fairly disappointed that guests did not prepare or cook the food. Rather guests just watch a chef prepare dishes and then get served these previously made courses by servers. On top of this there were technology issues and we could not hear or see what he was doing most of the time. I think this class is better served for inexperienced cooks (I would have loved this out of college) not for those looking to cook complicated Italian dishes– and the pasta they use isn’t even handmade?! I was overall very disappointed with the overall experience and taste/​quality of food.

Hadn’t even noticed this place before. Go figure that it was a groupon that paired us together. Bought a groupon to attend an Italian cooking class, figured what the heck… Looked at the offered courses and sure enough, there was a Sicilian class, I thought to myself, hey I’m Sicilian, so it seemed like a perfect match.
The course is chef taught, no you don’t get to actually cook, just watch and learn from a awesome Sicilian chef (Antonio). I thought the wait staff was prompt and courteous and Antonio did a wonderful job teaching the course with a bit of flair, education and humor. The food was excellent consisting of an appetizer, soup, main entrée, desert and two glasses of wine multiple that by two and all for around $ 40. Can’t beat that for a night out. The food was flavorful and a well done representation of Sicilian cuisine. Nice job Antonio and the wait staff.

I attended the restaurant with my friends for a cooking class. I arrived early so I had a drink, bread and the Clam/​Mussels appetizer. WONDERFUL!
We enjoyed the cooking class. We were served courses of the meal as the chef demonstrated the recipes. The crème sauce on the spinach ravioli was AMAZING.
The Owners, servers and chef are very Italian. It was a great experience.
I will go back to dine.

Always passed by this place and wanted to try it. They welcomed dogs on the patio and for that they deserve a star. The service was great, I love when italian restaurants have italian folks working there.
Started with burrata, just flown in, creamy and delicious
Bread and dip was fantastic, some olive oil infused with garlic, tomatoes, capers and goodness
Had to try their homemade sausage, good intense flavor, excellent marinara sauce
Homemade spinach pappardelle with a creamy Marsala sauce, chicken and some veggies. The noodles were so light and tender.
The italian wine selection, although somewhat limited, they had wines from the Fruiliano region which were fantastic
Overall a great experience, I would definitely go back.

I’ve been to Parioli twice in the past year… once for lunch and once for happy hour… and was not impressed either time. First, the good… I love that the servers are actually Italian, service is great, and they serve bread with tapenade and balsamic vinegar to start. However, overall, the food is just meh… not much flavor, very small servings, and a little overpriced. The wine on both occasions was also nothing special… drinkable, but not something I’d order again.
+1 Conveniently located on the Coast Highway in Solana Beach
+1 Yummy bread with tapenade and balsamic vinegar to start
–1 Average food & wine
–1 Small servings
–1 Overpriced