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Cucina Urbana

505 Laurel St, San Diego, CA 92101-1634
619-239-2222
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Ranked #4 of 2,399 restaurants in San Diego
Price range: €23 - €23
Cuisines: Italian
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Restaurant details
Good for: Bar Scene, Groups, Local cuisine, Special Occasion Dining, Entertaining clients
Dining options: Lunch Spot, Dinner, Reservations, After-hours
Dining style: Casual Dining
Cross street: 5th Avenue
Description: Welcome to CUCINA urbana, a casual Italian American Neighborhood Kitchen and Wine Shop located in the heart of Banker's Hill. The menu highlights the cuisines of various Italian regions with a distinct California ‘farm to table’ flair for which the Urban Kitchen Group has become known. Chef Joe Magnanelli is excited to preview his Italian heritage and create dishes that are fresh, simple and seasonal. Items include: antipasti, artisan pizza, pasta and piatti. Enjoy wine by the glass or visit the Wine Spectator award-winning wine shop and select a bottle from over 100 selections at retail price ($8 corkage fee applies). The space features contemporary elements and vintage artifacts creating the feel of a modern Italian kitchen combined with the history and comfort of an old rustic country farmhouse. A focus on raw, sustainable material is evident with much product coming from recycled/reclaimed local sources.
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264 reviews from our community

88% Recommend
    173
    60
    24
    5
    2
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
New Castle, New Hampshire
Top Contributor
55 reviews 55 reviews
50 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 May 2013 NEW

You sit down to a table that has been covered in construction paper and your first thought is this place might be a little low brow. In truth in is nothing but high brow, the food, the drinks, picking out the wine all really well done. We had a couple of the spreads to start, I would highly recommend the... More

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Leesburg, Virginia
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
20 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2013

This is one of my all time favorite restaurants in San Diego. The food is incredible! For an app, we got the barrata and garlic vasi....seriously amazing. We all loved it. For a salad, we ordered the farmers chop, which is huge and plennnnty of food for 4 people. We didn't even finish it. It was one of the best... More

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See 2 more reviews by Pinkrose529 for San Diego
VAIL
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
10 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2013

We ate here on a Monday night and had a reservation for 8:30. The place was packed but we were seated immediately. The server was very attentive but not overly so, the food was to die for! The burrata and roasted garlic was a great way to start our meal, the caesar salad was one of the best we ever... More

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San Francisco, CA
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 May 2013

I had a girls weekend with some friends, we had heard a lot of buzz about this restaurant and decided to go. We were not disappointed. It was an incredible dining experience. The service was impeccable and the food was amazing. The atmosphere was perfect for our fun night out. We started with appetizers; the stuffed fired squash blossoms and... More

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Norwood, Massachusetts
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
9 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 May 2013

This was the highlight of our trip. From the great drinks (infused bourbon made in house) to the apps and the main course. The selection, and creativity was outstanding but that paled in comparison to the quality of the food. GO THERE, end of story.

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See 7 more reviews by Robert F for San Diego
San Diego, California
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
6 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 May 2013 via mobile

How do start !!! The food all if it is just so darn good . Wide selection of menu items and bottles of wine . Yes , this place is also a wine store . Just pay a corkage fee and enjoy at the table. The staff is top notch looking to make your visit memorable . Reservations a must... More

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Falls Church, Virginia
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
13 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 April 2013 via mobile

This restaurant is a nice choice. The service was great, the good very good, and the atmosphere very pleasant. The only negative was that we had to wait 20 min past out reservation time to be seated. That sucked, but still a nice night.

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Seattle, WA
Top Contributor
63 reviews 63 reviews
44 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 27 cities Reviews in 27 cities
35 helpful votes 35 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 April 2013

I wish more restaruants were like Cucina Urbana, make sure you have a reservation Nice rustic feel, well designed Italian Menu and an in restaurant Retail Wine Store with a very nice selection at a wide range of price points. I was able to find a nice bottle of Washington Owne Roe Syrah for $28.00 That's actually 2 bottles for... More

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Asheville, North Carolina
Senior Contributor
48 reviews 48 reviews
19 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 April 2013

Outstanding service and food! A comfortable atmosphere with fresh food, both in terms of seasonality and takes on traditional dishes. Menu varies by season. Attentive and engaging staff, but doesn't interfere with meal or conversation... a rare combination! Highly recommend but popular so plan ahead with a reservation if you can!

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See 6 more reviews by Greg G for San Diego
Poulsbo, Washington
Senior Contributor
46 reviews 46 reviews
29 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 April 2013

We decided to try this place based on the reviews on TripAdvisor, and had a truly wonderful dinner. The restaurant was really hopping -- this is not the place for an intimate dinner for two. The pace didn't ease up the whole time we were there. On the other hand, it is casual and attractive, and the service was exceptional.... More

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