Best Contemporary Italian Restaurants in Rancho Santa Fe

Service was incredible for a birthday celebration for 6 of us. Duck Crostini and Lamb Ribs were outstanding.

This was a solid place...I wouldn't say anything was outstanding about it other than the great service we received from Lucky who served us at the bar. The menu has a nice variety and everything was well-executed.

Amazing food, service and ambiance. Authentic pasta, one of the best steaks I have ever had, and great wine. Also, our server was incredible.

Wonderful gem of a restaurant in UTC, a mall that has been transformed into a foodie paradise. From the moment we walked in for the first visit, we were treated as returning family. Service was exceptional! We started with the Calabrian mussels which were absolutely perfect. We tried the Cacio e Peppe with shaved truffles, Lobster Fra diavlo (one of the night’s specials), spicy rigatoni and Carbonara. None disappointed and the pasta was clearly all freshly made. Ending with limoncello really put the cherry on top of a fabulous evening. The restaurant space is beautiful and big, music was perfect and set the stage for a fun night. We will definitely be back to try other offerings.

North Italia in Del Mar is such a beautiful restaurant with warm, genuine service. I love all the staff here. Some unfortunate observations though from this most recent visit. Meatball appetizer with the polenta is something I always order. This time the meatballs were not thoroughly hot in the center. One of the meatballs had a noticeably dense, off-putting texture. The poleta base was hot & tasty as usual. I did try the new Lasagna Bianca al Forno. There was a generous amount of braised short rib on top. The center of the lasagna was not hot and rather bland. Not sure I would order it again. Also, their plating now with the stainless steel baking dishes right on top of plates is awkward and frustrating. It’s almost like eating on an air hockey table. They really need to put a cloth napkin in between or some other friction agent. This was a surprising oversight in their attention to detail. Tiramisu was excellent!