Little Italy · Best Italian Restaurants in San Diego
Nonna Review
Last updatedRanked #5 of 8 in Best Italian Restaurants in San Diego
The most stylish Italian dining room in Little Italy, with strong cocktails.
Score breakdown
- Taste90/100
- Consistency86/100
- Value80/100
- Atmosphere90/100
- Uniqueness84/100
The verdict on Nonna
Ranked #5 of 8 — 87/100 in our Best Italian Restaurants in San Diego coverage
Nonna is where Little Italy goes when it wants to feel like a big city. The cooking is confident, the room is designed to the last light fixture, and the cocktail program is better than most Italian restaurants bother with.
What to order at Nonna
Across our coverage the recommendation is consistent: Cacio e pepe.
Book the bar seats for the best view of the kitchen pass.
Is Nonna worth the price?
Nonna sits at $$$ — the splurge band for this category. We scored 1 other $$$ option on the same list, and Nonna outscores 0 of them. The bracket leader is Cesarina at 91/100, so compare the two before you commit.
Nonna FAQ
Is Nonna expensive?
Nonna is priced at $$$, which puts it in the splurge band for this category. We scored 1 other $$$ option on the same list for a direct comparison.
Is Nonna worth it?
It scores 87/100, 0.9 points below the 87.9 average for its list. It still ranks, but there are stronger options nearby in score.
What should I order at Nonna?
We recommend the Cacio e pepe.
What else is nearby Nonna?
Born & Raised (93/100 in our best steakhouses in san diego list) and False Idol (93/100 in our best tiki bars in san diego list) are also ranked in the same neighborhood, so it's easy to pair a visit.
What works
- Strong taste — scored 90/100 in our ranking
- Strong atmosphere — scored 90/100 in our ranking
Know before you go
- Value is the weak point — 80/100, below the rest of its scores
- Book the bar seats for the best view of the kitchen pass.
The full review
Nonna is where Little Italy goes when it wants to feel like a big city. The cooking is confident, the room is designed to the last light fixture, and the cocktail program is better than most Italian restaurants bother with.
On our weighted scale it earns 87/100 — good for #5 of 8 places we evaluated for best italian restaurants in san diego. We eat at the places we rank, pay full price for what we order, and re-score when a kitchen, chef or menu changes.
What to order at Nonna
Cacio e pepe
Price: $$$
How we scored Nonna
Every score on this page comes from the same editorial rubric we apply to the whole category: taste, consistency, value, atmosphere, uniqueness. The criteria are weighted toward what matters most in the category, compared against every other place we ranked in the same list rather than against an abstract ideal. We eat at the places we rank, pay full price for what we order, and re-score when a kitchen, chef or menu changes. Scores are editorial judgments rather than aggregated user ratings.