Ristorante Illando

Alex Min

We had a reservation on a busy Saturday night as were seated right away. The service was amazing and they were very attentive to all the guests. Starting off, their bread was delicious. I got the mushroom risotto (the regular non vegan one). Wow it was delicious. For desert was the tiramisu. It was creamy, light, and moist. I will 100% recommend this place!

Annabelle Veatch

I absolutely fell in love with this place. 😍 Food came out steaming hot and tasted absolutely divine. I would recommend to anyone and everyone. If you are by little Italy in San Diego…this is definitely the place to try! Boyfriend’s order: Pappardelle al Granchio—Alaskan crab meat in light creamy sauce My order: Ravioli all'Aragosta—lobster ravioli sautéed with crab in a creamy vodka sauce Outdoor patio seating available with a small indoor dining room with bar. 🙌🥂Have some champagne, have some pasta, and eat all the bread. DON’T FORGET TO TRY THE TIRAMISU 😍

Kathryn Akomah-Mordi

I had mixed feelings about coming here, because all the reviews seemed polar opposite (some really great and some really terrible) and I didn’t know what to expect. But we took a shot at it anyway and I’m so glad we did! This is a cozy restaurant that feels artisan without being too uppity. We ate upstairs. We made a reservation (on a Wednesday) but arrived about 15 minutes early and were seated immediately. There were many other guests, but it didn’t feel too crowded. We were brought bread, oil and balsamic while we reviewed the menu. There were about 3 different people who helped/checked in on us through our experience, so we felt well attended but not overshadowed. Looking around, the other guests all seemed to have plates with large portion sizes and this was also our experience when we ordered. My husband got the mushroom risotto and I got the shrimp & pancetta linguini with the vodka sauce, although I subbed gluten free noodles. They have GF penne pasta that can be subbed for regular noodles (although I’m not sure if that works with things like ravioli). Our food was phenomenal! The risotto was cooked Al dente, and had a great cheese and mushroom flavor. The shrimp in my pasta (4 pieces) was very large in size and cooked perfectly - juicy and a good pop in the bite - not too chewy. There was enough pancetta that I felt like I had some with every bite. The vodka sauce was fantastic, with well rounded flavors! Neither of us could completely finish our food and took home the rest. We were offered dessert, which I would like to try another time, but we were too full this time. This is definitely a place I would come again!

Isaac Montano

With so many different Italian restaurants in the area it's hard enough to find the "authentic" Italian. Illando is one of the few in Little Italy. Delightfully tucked between two parking lots and many restaurants this ristorante is a quaint little find. To cut to the chase, the top two dishes here are the Bolognese and Carbonara. You can't go wrong with either. When you pick this place keep in mind that other restaurants in the area can cater to bigger groups and have bigger portions. Ristorante Illando is made for 2-4 people, thought they can accommodate at least 8 pretty comfortable. Each dish is made when ordered, hot and fresh. The service is the only thing I found wanting, with sometimes curt waiters. That being said not all are like that and many are straight to the point and very helpful. I loved both bolognese and carbonara, but I could also recommend the mushroom risotto. I hope you try and enjoy your food and time at Ristorante Illando... Oh! And we love the bread with oil and balsamic vinegar 😁 Ristorante Illando, highly recommended!