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Cucina Urbana

505 Laurel St, San Diego, CA 92101-1634
619-239-2222
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Ranked #6 of 2,686 restaurants in San Diego
Price range: $30 - $30
Cuisines: Italian
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Restaurant details
Good for: Bar scene, Large groups, Local cuisine, Special occasions, Entertaining clients
Dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Reservations, Late Night
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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268 reviews from our community

88% Recommend
    177
    60
    24
    5
    2
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Sierra Vista, Arizona
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2013 NEW

My wife and I dined here on May 14, 2013. I must say this was one of the most amazing restaurants I have ever been to. Our server was great, he made recommendations for dinner and also from the excellent wines that you can purchase by the bottle. The food( appetizers, main course and the desserts) were really tasty. For... More

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Boston, Massachusetts
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2013 NEW

The volume is a tad loud, but the sounds are of people enjoying themselves. Great service, great staff, wonderful variety, delicious food

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Top Contributor
50 reviews 50 reviews
34 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 21, 2013 NEW via mobile

There is not a lot to criticize at this upscale Italian eatery--it has deservedly high ratings from other Trip Advisors, but the owners should not rest on their laurels. The facility is everything you would expect of a very hip San Diego restaurant. Entering at street level, one overlooks the entire restaurant and bar area below, and it visually exciting.... More

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New York City, New York
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
21 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2013 NEW via mobile

We definitely over ordered here, but glad we tried everything. The focaccia bread was great to start with. We had the blossoms and risotto as an appetizer, which left us little room for our lasagna and parpadelle (our favorite). Wait staff was excellent. I definitely suggest making a reservation. Might be hard to get a table otherwise.

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See 3 more reviews by SamSafD for San Diego
New Castle, New Hampshire
Top Contributor
56 reviews 56 reviews
51 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2013

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
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 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 May 7, 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 May 6, 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 May 5, 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 May 5, 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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