Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, but it’s too late to get a reservation at Cesarina, the Michelin Bib Gourmand-honored Italian restaurant in Point Loma.
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Almost as soon as reservations for February opened in mid-January, they sold out. And that was before it was announced Jan. 31 that Cesarina is ranked the No. 1 restaurant in America on Yelp’s Top 100 Date Night Restaurants 2025.
The annual list — which also includes Mission Hills’ intimate Santa Fe-inspired bistro and bar Wolf in the Woods at No. 11 and North Park’s Neapolitan pizzeria and restaurant Siamo Napoli at 37 — was determined by Yelp officials based on the number of reviews and star ratings left by diners who use the Yelp website/app. Since it opened in March 2019, Cesarina has racked up 2,975 Yelp reviews with an overall star rating of 4.7 (out of 5).
Cesarina is co-owned by Niccolò Angius and his wife, chef Cesarina Mezzoni, who moved to San Diego from Rome in 2015, and their business partner Giuseppe Capasso.
Angius said he can think of many reasons why customers find Cesarina a good date night spot.
The dining room of Cesarina restaurant, which opened in 2019 in Point Loma. On Jan. 31, Yelp named it the No. 1 most romantic restaurant in America. (Swell Creative)
Diners frequently praise the restaurant’s pink and gold décor, the servers’ colorful aprons, the greenery around the restaurant, the fire pit and the cozy blankets provided to diners at its outdoor tables. But Angius said it’s the food and service that bring diners back, particularly on high-demand holidays like Valentine’s Day.
“The main role is played by the food, but the experience our team provides makes everyone feel extremely special and well taken care of, as if they are part of the family,” he said. “When you go on a date, it can be stressful, but if you feel relaxed and comfortable, that enhances the romantic experience.”
Angius said the house-made tiramisu dessert is the top-selling dish at Cesarina, followed by the paccheri vodka and scampi dish and the funghi (mushroom) sauce, which is served over the diner’s choice of nine pastas — all made in-house by Mezzoni at the “pastificio” (pasta factory) in the main dining room.
These days, Mezzoni is splitting her time between the pasta bar and the couple’s Ocean Beach home, where she’s caring for their 8-month-old twin sons, Carlo and Adriano.
At Cesarina restaurant in Point Loma, pasta is handmade at a pastificio (pasta factory) in the dining room. Cesarina has been named the No. 1 most romantic restaurant in America by Yelp. (Veauux)
Thanks to the success of Cesarina, Angius, Mezzoni and Capasso opened their second restaurant, Elvira, in December 2023. It is also solidly booked for Valentine’s Day.
Located in the former BO-Beau Kitchen + Bar space in Ocean Beach, it’s a Roman-style pizzeria named after Angius’ great-grandmother Elvira Lippi. Angius said they are gradually expanding the diner experiences at Elvira. This includes plans for desserts prepared tableside and a dinner theater experience called Cucina di La Nonna, where a small group of diners can experience an interactive meal like Nonna (grandmother) Elvira used to make.
Angius said that while they’re very happy with the success of Cesarina and Elvira, they’re now looking for another location in the Point Loma/Ocean Beach area for a third restaurant where they can offer more seating, expand their catering business and possibly offer take-home/delivery options.
“We have to find a place we fall in love with first, but we’re in no rush,” he said.
