Photo of Piacere Mio, one of the best restaurants in San Diego

Piacere Mio

4.7/5.0 (1480 reviews)

At Piacere Mio, you'll find a cozy Italian retreat where delicious food meets attentive service. While the ambiance is vibrant, be prepared for a bustling atmosphere.

Our Expert's Take

Piacere Mio combines the charm of a traditional Italian eatery with a modern bar vibe, making it a popular spot among locals. While the service shines with its attentive wait staff, the dining experience may be slightly marred by the noise levels, especially during peak hours.

In terms of cuisine, the offerings at Piacere Mio are decent but may not stand out in a city rich with Italian restaurants. Patrons might find themselves drawn to the friendly atmosphere and the promise of good company, yet they may leave wishing for that extra spark in flavor that truly defines Italian cooking.

At a Glance

Pros

  • Fabulous and attentive wait staff.
  • Charming and cozy Italian ambiance.
  • Great for casual family dining.

Cons

  • Limited parking options nearby.
  • Can be noisy during busy hours.
  • Food may not meet high expectations.

What Diners Are Saying

Rating: 3/5

"I want to give a better rating to this cute Italian restaurant, but I just can’t. Parking was hard to find. The wait staff were fabulous and attentive. The food was average. My biggest problem with the restaurant was the noise. We had a family dinner at Piacere Mio and could only speak/hear the person right beside each other. Maybe it’s the concrete floors and brick walls. Lastly, its not reasonable to have only one bathroom for the whole restaurant."
- Kimberly Krivich

Rating: 4/5

"Excellent spot for a a quick bite or lunch/dinner with friends. There is plenty of authentic pasta options to choose from. My favorite was of course, the carbonara. They’re pasta is freshly made everyday and you can really taste the quality in the ingredients. Although the caesar salad looked a little different from usual, it tasted pretty good and had a decent amount of dressing to balance out all the flavors. However, I would’ve preferred the cheese to be shredded instead of the bites, but that’s just personal preference. The portions are perfect and worth each penny."
- Francisco Arana

Rating: 4/5

"We ordered the Carbonara and Caesar Salad. I would definitely skip on the salad, they used whole romaine hearts so the dressing was not evenly distributed. -The Carbonara was good but mild because they use Parmesan instead of Pecorino, the pancetta was crispy and very flavorful. The staff was super friendly and overall they make it an enjoyable experience."
- carolina vizcarra

Rating: 5/5

"We came in initially without any reservation. Thank God for the perfect timing (a little past 5 pm) and God bless our guy waiter with the amber/clay colored glasses who welcomed us in (I didn’t get to ask his name, I’m so sorry!!). My family and I came in visiting San Diego from Northern California. Upon the recommendations provided for our waiter (so thorough and kind!) we got the following for 5 people (2 quiet dogs who sat with us outside): —2 appetizers— POLPO E PATATE - our family has never had this before! The octopus is so soft. Paired with the arugula, olives, and potatoes - it provided a nice break from the pastas when needed. COZZE E VONGOLE ALLA MARINARA - The amount of mussels and clams were generous. Thank you all so much. If you are getting the Taglierini Neri Ai Frutti di Mare, the sauces are quite similar so our family will be getting the calamari next time! —3 pastas— TAGLIERINI NERI AI FRUTTI DI MARE - the squid ink pasta and sauce was equally balanced. For my brother and my mom who like a cleaner, lighter taste - they loved this pasta. ORECCHIETTE CON SALSICCIA - my sister and I delighted in the texture of the ear-shaped pasta. I thought the pairing of spinach, diced tomatoes, sausages, and creamy cheese was a warm hug for my palate. RAVIOLI DI SALMONE AI GAMBERI - the shrimp was cooked to an amazingly soft texture! They offer you the option between having the appetizers before pasta or having all of them come out together. Our family opted for the latter. I just wanted to highlight this to demonstrate the exceptional standard of service all sought to achieve here. An extra shoutout to our amber/clay colored glasses guy waiter again for providing us with good recommendations for our first time visiting. The team of servers regularly checked in with our table to ensure our water glasses were full and the plates that we were finished with were cleaned. I hope the restaurant space grows so that more people can experience the lovely atmosphere. This is a restaurant versatile for any party. I will reserve in advance next time! I want to show better respect for the kindness the team has shown me. Thank you all, God bless you all! For what it is worth - quite reasonably priced, about $20 per dish. Bread and olive oil+balsamic vinaigrette are also provided; they are excellent to eat with the remaining pasta sauce."
- Michelle Cho

Rating: 5/5

"4.5 stars and an absolute flavor heaven of a place!! I will recommend them a hundred times over and come back here again and again! We called them around 7:45 pm on a Sat to see if they needed reservations for a table for two. They told us to show up by 8:30 pm, which was awesome! We were close by and got there at 8 pm, hoping to be seated early or walk around the neighborhood if we couldn't. We got seated immediately! However, my tip is to reserve in advance if you are a bigger group as this is a small restaurant with limited seating space. As a party of two, we were seated in their covered patio, which I loved, because the restaurant itself was loud. The patio was quieter and felt more secluded from all the noise. Parking is in the Target parking lot across the street or street parking in the area. Their menu is mainly pasta, which is their specialty. You can get appetizers and salads as well as some specials, but I would recommend sticking to pasta - the portions are big and trust me, you want the space to eat as much as you can. We got a Cabernet and a Sauvignon Blanc to go with our meal and they were both delicious and light. The complimentary bread was ok. Nothing to write home about. Again, leave space for those delicious pastas. You will regret filling up on everything else. For our entree, my husband got the Gnocchi and I got the Salmon ravioli. The gnocchi was very very good - the potato balls were not excessively heavy or creamy but still melted in the mouth. The marinara was fresh and sweet. The burrata added a layer of creaminess that elevated the whole experience. But the absolute winner of this meal was the salmon ravioli. If you come here, please order the Salmon ravioli. The ravioli itself is perfect and stuffed with delicious salmon. They add shrimp to the plate, but it doesn't do much. I love shrimp and will eat it any how, so take me seriously here: I think the shrimp in this plate actually takes away attention from the delicious heaven that the rest of the plate it. The pesto with tomato cream sauce is now officially my most favorite sauce ever. It was the perfect combination of savory, creamy, pesto-ey. This was THE dish for us. The plate was cleaned up so well that they probably didn't need to wash it lol! Best $23 I have ever spent on an Italian dish. For dessert, we got the Tiramisu because they didn't have Panna cotta. Now, this Tiramisu is also one of the best we have had. The mascarpone was perfect, the coffee was perfect and there was cocoa but not too much. For the non-coffee lovers, this Tiramisu is definitely coffee forward but oh my God, it just melts in your mouth into a wonderful medley of flavors! Our only complaint would be the ladyfingers to marcarpone ratio. Since the mascarpone layer was so thick and the ladyfingers were so soaked, the middle layer of ladyfingers was very soggy and didn't provide the slightly firm consistency to the morsel in the mouth. Surprisingly, the bottom layer held its own. They decorated the plate with strawberries, but this is not needed. The tiramisu speaks for itself and doesn't need adornments. This plate was also cleaned up to within an inch of itself. The whole meal cost about $80 which we thought was very reasonable for the quality of food we got! The servers were very friendly and bubbly. All in all, a great experience and we will definitely be back!"
- Pranjali Sharma

Frequently Asked Questions

Is parking available at Piacere Mio?

Parking can be difficult to find, so consider arriving early or using a rideshare service.

What is the dress code?

The dress code is casual, making it easy for families and friends to enjoy a relaxed dining experience.

What dishes are recommended?

While the menu features a variety of Italian classics, some patrons suggest trying the pasta dishes for a satisfying meal.