Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Ocean Beach

Pretty, pretty good. A bit overpriced for the quality, but the ambiance is absolutely amazing. The food is good enough to get the job done, but not that great. The ahi tuna appetizer was tasty. The tampiqueña steak was average at best. Served to me cold, which was ironic because it’s on a hot plate. The hot plate was cold as well. Not much flavor. Desert was meh. Our server was awesome. Can’t remember her name, but she was super duper.

Cesarina absolutely blew me away this time! it was such an upgrade from my last visit! From the moment we walked in, everything felt elevated, from the ambiance to the exceptional service. Travis, our server, went above and beyond to make the evening special. His friendly demeanor, expert recommendations, and genuine attentiveness added so much to the experience. The pasta was out of this world, fresh, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. And don’t even get me started on the tiramisu! Every bite was pure bliss and a testament to the care and passion this restaurant puts into its craft. This visit truly changed the game for me. Cesarina isn’t just a restaurant; it’s an experience, and with service like Travis provided, it’s one I’ll definitely be back for! Highly recommend for anyone craving authentic Italian cuisine with a modern, welcoming touch.

Unmatched hospitality! The server was knowledgeable about the food and able to describe them well. We didn’t have great luck with the clams, they were very chewy & overcooked but the broth was delicious. They took it back and a sweet manager, (I’m forgetting names) sent a hamachi that was to die for! Everything else that hit the table was delicious and we were very impressed. The bubbly and celebration desert was super appreciated as well. Honestly made my birthday dinner feel extra special, some places really don’t go the extra mile but they sure know how to impress.

Overall our dining experience was terrific. We started with a beet salad that was as beautiful as it was delicious. One of our best ever dishes. We also had the pork belly that was also good but not even close to the salad. We also had wagyu butter biscuits. They were served in a smoked filled glass. A new dining experience for us. Very cool. When our waitress came back for our entree order, my wife selected the Rock fish special. I then ordered the flat iron steak. My wife told me after dinner she meant to pick the black cod but got confused. It's not a big deal but the Rock fish dish was $70 vs $36. The Rock fish was grilled perfectly. The only issue I have is our waitress should have told us the fish was big enough for two. I felt like she was padding my bill because it was a Tuesday night. I gave her ample opportunity to apologize for not telling us but she didn't seem to care. I mentioned how big a piece of fish it was. How it's big enough for two. Nothing!! I didn't eat my steak dinner at all, so I took it home. Overall it was still a great place to dine. I would go back , but be mindful of what you order. Our bill was $300. I would expect more honesty from the wait staff. Kudos to the chef.

First we enjoyed happy hour on the patio. The oysters' price and quality was excellent as were the happy hour drinks. We went inside for dinner where we had a reservation. The view from both the patio and the dining seats were beautiful as we were able to see the view of the bay and downtown both in daylight and as the sun set. We enjoyed the asparagus and corn salad and the salmon entree--both excellent!!!