Little Italy is a charming little neighborhood just north of downtown San Diego that is ideal for couples and romantic date nights. Though Little Italy has become San Diego’s hottest neighborhood lately (with an influx of world class restaurants, trendy drinking establishments, and high rise apartment buildings), it has managed to maintain its warm and welcoming vibe. There is no posturing here – the feeling on the very walkable streets is always friendly and fun. And it is not hard to find cozy corners around Little Italy to have a romantic dinner or get away from the hustle and bustle to focus on your significant other.

So if you are visiting San Diego as a couple, or you live here and want to explore a new neighborhood, or most of your time in Little Italy has been spent in a haze at Waterfront, this itinerary is for you. This guide is how to spend a whole day in Little Italy as a couple, but you can pick it apart and take pieces. Or just do the whole thing.

If you are trying to figure out where to stay in Little Italy, we recommend either La Pensione Hotel or Porto Vista Hotel. Both are located right in the heart of the neighborhood and are decently nice for their price.

The Itinerary

1. Go To Coco Maya For Brunch
2. Gaze At Art on Kettner Boulevard
3. Get A Glass Of Wine At M Winehouse
4. Have Dinner At Civico 1845
5. Have An Amaro And Dessert Pastry At Solunto
6. A map to this itinerary

Morning

Go To Coco Maya For Brunch

Coco Maya is a bit more Instagrammable than most places we recommend (they even have drinks labeled as “for the gram”), but they do serve good food and drinks in a lovely setting, so we will let it slide. Located on a rooftop at the busiest intersection in Little Italy, this is a nice place to start a day.

Coco Maya serves brunch classics, like chicken and waffles, french toast, and chilaquiles, alongside tropical drinks and breakfast cocktails. Get a table by the front and enjoy a view of the piazza and the Little Italy sign.

Afternoon

Gaze At Art On Kettner Boulevard

Little Italy has a few independent art galleries, and a couple of cute furniture stores, all along India Street and Kettner Boulevard, all within walking distance of each other. You can start south and walk north – visit Stefanie Bales Fine Art, Adelman Gallery, Mee Shim, and then farther up on Kettner Boulevard are three galleries in the same building – Blue Azul, Jacqueline Lavenu, and Meyer Fine Art.

The galleries are either the showcase for local artists (Mee Shim, Stefanie Bales, Jacqueline Lavenu) or private collections. Near Meyer Fine art are a couple of antique and furniture stores which are worth browsing because furniture can be art too. Enjoy these quiet pockets of tranquil consideration amidst the consumption and rush of a modernizing and buzzing neighborhood.

Get A Glass Of Wine At M Winehouse

M Winehouse is one of the most romantic bars in San Diego. It actually isn’t really a bar, more of a house. Or perhaps it is a bar. What it is… M Winehouse is a cute wine bar located in a historic house. Located on India Street in Little Italy, M Winehouse has a tiny front porch where you can have a glass of wine and feel like you are sitting in the 19th century while you watch the 21st century pass by on the sidewalk. There is also an old wooden bar inside with seating options, as well as a cozy upstairs with tables.

M Winehouse place is a nice alternative to the sleek and trendy establishments that tend to pop up in Little Italy and all over the rest of San Diego, and it is certainly one of the more romantic spots to visit. It feels as though every room should be lit by candlelight. They serve some food offerings – cheese and charcuterie boards – but the star here is the wine. Get a glass, or a bottle, and enjoy the old world feel of the place.

Evening

Dinner At Civico 1845

There are so many options for a nice romantic dinner in Little Italy, but in our opinion Civico 1845 is the most romantic. It is also, in our opinion, the best Italian restaurant in Little Italy, so that helps. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with a cozy but elegant dining room and an outdoor patio, but they do not sacrifice food quality for ambience.

Civico 1845 serves delicious, rustic Italian dishes. We suggest the zucchini blossoms and seared octopus for starters. The papardelle brasato, a homemade pasta topped with a short-rib ragu sauce, is delicious for a main course. You can’t go too wrong here. And if one of you is vegan, Civico has an entire vegan menu with no real drop in quality for the dishes there.

Have An Amaro And Italian Dessert At Solunto

Solunto Ristorante and Bakery serves traditional sit down dinner, but the real reason to go here is the bakery i.e. the dessert. They have a large glass case of Italian pastries like cannoli, biscotti, profiteroles, tiramisu, as well as several choices of gelato. Choose one or five desserts and head to the corner bar in the back of the restaurant to have an amaro or, if you’re feeling bold, a fernet to go with your dessert. Solunto has a lovely, bustling, friendly vibe that feels like you are in the mother country itself. The inside is casual and open seating and is the perfect place to linger over a dessert and a drink at the end of the night.

Alternative: Go to Salt and Straw for a scoop of ice cream. Located below Coco Maya, Salt and Straw is an ever popular place, particularly at night when the line stretches around the corner. But there is a reason for this – the ice cream is delicious.