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CUCINA urbana, San Diego, CA
Award-winning

CUCINA urbana

4.8
4.8
7094 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 64 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Neighbourhood gem
We are a wine shop inside of a restaurant | Dining and design form the perfect union at San Diego's highly acclaimed CUCINA urbana, a California-inspired Italian kitchen and wine shop, located in the heart of Bankers Hill since 2009.

The restaurant boasts comfort and familiarity, welcoming diners to a country farmhouse with the added whimsy of a contemporary art installation.

CUCINA urbana is the originator of the CUCINA retail wine program where each dedicated shop allows guests to hand select wines at a retail price, either to enjoy with their meal for a minimal corkage fee or for purchase to-go. The wine list is comprised of many familiar labels as well as rare and small-batch gems, with an emphasis on Italian varietals.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, American, Mediterranean
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 239-2222
  • Website
    http://www.urbankitchengroup.com/cucina-urbana-bankers-hill/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Tim Kolanko
  • Catering
    URBAN KITCHEN CATERING provides four star, stunning events with menus unique to your occasion. For more information check the URBAN KITCHEN CATERING link on our website www.urbankitchengroup.com or call Alison at 619.239.2222 extension 2. Or if interested in restaurant buyout opportunities, please contact Tiffany Tassano at 619.239.2222 extension 4.
  • Private party facilities
    From birthday celebrations and corporate dinners to graduation celebrations and wedding receptions, our space is perfect for your dining event. Our Wine Shop offers an intimate semi-private space for smaller functions, while larger groups are welcome to host their event using our entire restaurant as a private venue. We offer: wine specialists, who will design pairings for your meal, personalized printed menus, table decorations, specialty to-go gifts, and more.
  • Location
    505 Laurel St., San Diego, CA 92101
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Area
    Banker's Hill
  • Cross Street
    5th avenue
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Featured in

Experiences

  • Feast of the Seven Fishes

    US$75.00 per person

    18 Dec 2024 - 24 Dec 2024
    A modern spin on an Italian Tradition, enjoy the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian holiday ritual at CUCINA with a four-course prix fixe menu available from December 18-24th along with our a la carte menu. MENU: salt cod fritters + tonnato sauce + chicory salad lobster tortellini + saffron cream + trout roe + bonito striped bass + borlotti bean + clam + seafood brodo + salmoriglio chocolate budino + coco nib tuile + chocolate crumb + salted caramel + whip
    Feast of the Seven Fishes photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 7,094 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • San Diego

    Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
CUCINA urbana offers a delightful dining experience with "exceptional food" and "perfect service." Guests rave about the "wonderfully boisterous ambience" and diverse wine selection. While some find the noise level high, the "fresh pastas, pizzas, and salads" are consistently praised. It's a favorite for pre-theater meals with convenient shuttle service to the Old Globe.

7,094 Reviews

  1. Leslie

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent menu choices especially the side potatoes and burnt Brussel sprouts. Everyone was happy with the chopped and beet, burrata and persimmon salads and their meal choices. Only issue was the noise level. I hope to get the table in the way back next time.

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  2. Will

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The burrata eggplant pizza was rich and a little spicy, loved it. Tuna tartare and ribeye carpaccio tasted fresh flavorful. The service was quick and awesome, we didn’t stay long but we’ll come again

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  3. Kara

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    We always love coming here; especially during the holidays. Food is great and it is always reasonably crowded adding to the ambiance. We were able to be seated right away (we had a reservation)....The only feedback I wanted to share was the overall wait time once we were seated. It just seems to take an unusually long time to place an order, be visited to check in once we do get our order, then to close out. This happened in our visit prior as well. Our server was very nice but was clearly very busy.

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  4. John

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Loved the food and service! Only issue is that it is a large room, so very loud and difficult to speak and hear. I would suggest getting an outside table, which we have done before.

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  5. Peter

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always amazing food and ambience! Friendly, great service!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Marcela

    San Diego

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had a great dinner, our server was very helpful recommending from the wine selection and dinner entree. It is a little noisy but it is very nice ambiance. The food is very good !

    Is this helpful?

  7. Georgi

    New York City

    39 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    39 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Time got away from me and I hadn’t been back in two years. They didn’t lose a beat if anything it was even better than I remember . The salads are creative and plentiful - the chicken dish was outstanding. Friends had pasta and pizza and were delighted with their meal. The wine list is extensive with many reasonable bottles. Our server was excellent - despite a very busy night she checked in with us frequently. Kudos to the new manager, who also came by and introduced herself. This establishment has never forgotten that it is a neighborhood restaurant and treats its customers with consideration and attentiveness. I highly recommend and will be back again, very soon .

    Is this helpful?

  8. Erika

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We go here for dinner as a December Nights tradition every year! Always great service and the food is wonderful! Kevin, our server, was kind and attentive. Will definitely be back next year!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Eloisa

    San Diego

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Joshua served us and he was amazing. He handled our large party like a pro during December nights with so much patience and with a smile. Thank you! We’ll be returning and dining at our regular bar top spot with Bobby and Sean. 🙂

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  10. Omar

    San Diego

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 5 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The wine on the wall, the service, the ambient lighting, the woodfire pizza oven, and the overall presence when you walk into the restaurant. The experience was truly class from when you set foot in the establishment. 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and dessert for 120? Sign me up! * Mussels Linguine is a must! * Meatballs is a must! * Tiramisú is a must! Perfect for a date night!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

CUCINA urbana offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 239-2222.

CUCINA urbana is rated 4.8 stars by 7094 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 64 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for CUCINA urbana

505 Laurel St., San Diego, CA 92101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Cross Street
    5th avenue
  • Area
    Banker's Hill
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, American, Mediterranean
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Tim Kolanko
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Website
    http://www.urbankitchengroup.com/cucina-urbana-bankers-hill/
  • Phone number
    (619) 239-2222
  • Catering
    URBAN KITCHEN CATERING provides four star, stunning events with menus unique to your occasion. For more information check the URBAN KITCHEN CATERING link on our website www.urbankitchengroup.com or call Alison at 619.239.2222 extension 2. Or if interested in restaurant buyout opportunities, please contact Tiffany Tassano at 619.239.2222 extension 4.
  • Private party facilities
    From birthday celebrations and corporate dinners to graduation celebrations and wedding receptions, our space is perfect for your dining event. Our Wine Shop offers an intimate semi-private space for smaller functions, while larger groups are welcome to host their event using our entire restaurant as a private venue. We offer: wine specialists, who will design pairings for your meal, personalized printed menus, table decorations, specialty to-go gifts, and more.

Featured in

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