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Lupi
Rating Details »
5518 La Jolla Blvd
(between Forward St & Midway St)
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 454-6421
(between Forward St & Midway St)
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 454-6421
- Hours:
Tue-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
20 reviews for Lupi
My friend who lives in San Diego took us to Lupi one night for dinner. Lupi is a cozy Italian restaurant located in the Bird Rock (a mostly residential area) neighborhood of La Jolla. Probably one of the better Italian restaurants that I've ever been to. It's authentic and their dishes are tasty and delicious. I ordered a pasta dish, which came with meatballs. The meatballs were prepared very nicely - just the perfect mix of spices and ingredients. My friend had a dish with mushroom sauce (I forget which one), and he said it was "to die for." The bread was also delicious.
The staff was attentive, without overdoing it. It was a very casual dinner. It was not like one of those busy Italian places where there are people running all over the place, and the atmosphere busy. Definitely not like that at all. When in La Jolla again, I'd definitely stop in again for dinner.
I like the owner- Raffo- a true Italian gentleman. I like the server- Alessandra- an attentive, great waitress and I really really like the authentic, homemade food.
Pretty much everything is good here. You can sit inside or out- it's very casual.
They know how to take care of you at this wonderful local spot.
"you give me the...sweetest taboo..."
Live music. Good live music. At a reasonable volume. I must be getting old. But whatever. I really like Lupi. From the wonderfully fresh homemade bread to the stuffed mushrooms (to die for) to the alfredo to the veal scallopini to the zabaglioni and tirimisu. The wine and the coffee. The service that knows when to help and when to leave you in peace. I really really like Lupi.
Two starters, two entrees, two desserts, 4 glasses of wine, 2 coffee plus tax = under $100. If you're not as much of a piggie your bill will be a lot less.
Birdrock summer happy hour from 5-7 every weeknight:
Doggie social on the patio
$3 beer
$4 wine
$5 martini
free doggie treats
I wanted to like this place really badly- the owner was awesome, and they were accomodating to us when we were cold and wanted to move....the food was just okay- but really the service was awful...and it wasn't because our waitress wasn't nice, because she was, she was really nice, I just don't think that she knows how to serve....she forgot pretty much everything, and asked us a couple of times to clairfy what we wanted. It was definitely a shame, since I truly wanted to love it. I will for sure give it another go.....and hopefully our server has learned the ropes a bit more.
My all time favorite Italian restaurant. I go there at least once a month to get my Italian fix. Who we are assuming is the owner is always out mingling. Last time we went we brought our son and they were GREAT with him. Everything about this place makes it a 5 star restaurant. If you go get the flour less chocolate cake. Its to die for!
The Birdrock area is finally turning into a place to go!
Lupi and Beaumont's are both terrific, although the music at Beaumont's is not always a treat.
Lupi has the best ever bread, the best ever stuffed 'shrooms and scampi. Their music is perfect, live but in the background, not overpowering your conversations.
The staff was perfectly attentive yet not hovering and interrupting you in mid-bite or mid-sentence.
I went to Lupi's on a Sunday afternoon when there wasn't a lot of people. The service was great, with the owner greeting us and making jokes while the waiters were very attentive if we needed water, change of cutlery or anything else.
I ordered the "SALSSICIA E PEPERONATA" (sausage and peppers) as an appetizer, MANICOTTI ALLA ROMANA (spnich pasta filled with ricotta) and spagheti and meatballs. All 3 dishes were absolutely delicious. The spaghetti and meatball came with a fresh tomato sauce so you could really taste the tomatoes instead of the overly-sweet tomato sauces that you get elsehwere. This restaurant focuses on simple yet perfectly executed dishes. The pasta was al dente and all the flavors indicated that everything was made from scratch only 20mins before it got to your table. Its great when you can really taste every single ingredient on your plate. They definitely know how to keep a great restaurant around by ensuring great customer service, the freshest ingredients and perfectly made simple creations. I highly recommend it if you are craving some real italian cooking.
Vino - Cucina - Bar
(full bar by the way)
An Italian restaurant located in Bird Rock which is absolutely amazing! Vivid reminders of Rome as you walk into this lovely establishment to greetings by the friendly owner. Upon arrival, sensational scents of garlic and the like fill your nose and salivation ensues. The menu has a variety of delicious options: meats, various sea creatures and most importantly includes vegetarian dishes. BONUS: they happily accommodate special orders, which makes me a very happy girl!
Lupi's delectable sauces can give my Italian mother a run for her money...sorry mom. The homemade pastas are perfect. My favorite: gnocchetti prepared with a pomodoro sauce. Prices are very reasonable for food and drink with plentiful portions...including wine by the glass, gotta love that!
FYI: Outside seating available on fair-weather days/nights. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Went for dinner, a friend from work was moving, thought it would be a nice, quite place. We made a reservation for 13, but only 8 of us showed. It took awhile for our server to come to the table. Asked if we could have seprate checks (only 4 seperate checks) she pitched a fit and demanded that she wouldn't be doing 13 tickets. We all looked around at each other, and finally someone in the party said how would that be possible since we don't have 13 ppl, she just rolled her eyes and continued with the attitude. Food was a little slow coming from the kitchen, but was great.
I later found out the owner was out of town, so I guess while the cats away the mice will play!
I hate giving two star ratings, especially for this place because I tried so hard to like it. First strike was the fact that all the servers completely ignored us when we walked in the door. No "Hey, I'll be there in a second." Zilch. Instead, we stood by the door for about five minutes before someone acknowledged our existence and showed us to a table without any apologies.
That's okay. They might've been very busy. Completely understandable. We loved the bread that they brought out which was warm and crusty. We thought that we had made a snap judgment. However, after placing our order, no one ever checked back in with us or filled our water glasses. They dropped off our food with a quickness and I almost had to run after our server to get a water refill. My braised turkey leg ragu pasta tasted like a salt mine with undercooked pasta. To be honest, I couldn't see or taste a hint of turkey in my dish; only overly salty tomato sauce. My bf's dish was decent, but nothing to write home about since it was mushrooms with pancetta smothered in olive oil.
Up until this point, I would have still rated Lupi's three stars if a family of Italians didn't walk in and get waited on by three servers as if they were royalty. It took us almost 20 minutes to get our check while we watched our server twitter around inside, putting tablecloths on tables in a near empty restaurant.
I left hungry and wishing that I stopped by Jack-In-The-Box instead.
I'm not a big fan of Italian nor 5-stars, so this is a pretty big deal.
Came here for a friend's birthday dinner on a Friday night, and the service was outstanding. Our server was this little lady who seemed like our mom throughout the night, constantly filling up our waters/drinks and asking if we needed anything else. Live music and the restaurant was 3/4 full, not too crowded and not too empty.
I ordered the capellini, which was angel hair pasta with tomatoes and basil, the pasta was so fresh and the food was super tasty for being that simple. I also tried their pizza (it's ginormous), ravioli, and their gnocchi (sp?). All their pasta is homemade and they have crazy-good warm bread with breadsticks too. For my friend's birthday, they even asked her what kind of dessert she wanted. Flourless chocolate cake here is to die for.
The location is quite ideal for a small restaurant in Bird Rock with both indoor and outdoor seating. You'll never have to fight for parking and you won't need to complain about the service.
Come here and you'll get loopy for Lupi's. Haha, I had to say it.
Absolutely delicious. The tomato sauce is the best I've ever tasted. It covered our eggplant appetizer and my husband's ravioli. I had the gnocchi with 4 cheeses which was the most decadent, rich, delicious dish! I couldn't finish it, because I was worried about what all that cheese might do to my digestive system, but boy, did I want to.
Everything is fresh, the service is great, and it's a nice place without being pretentious.
Now this is what I am talking about....INCREDIBLE SERVICE, INCREDIBLE FOOD...INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Went with two girls...where on a Friday night was def. packed. The owner sits you down where him, his cousin...basically family all work there. They offered helpful suggestions and advice.
BROCHETTE - AMAZING...seriously...the best I think I have ever had. Fresh, tasty...party in the mouth.
We each got completely different dishes...I got the pesto with chicken. Very heavy so great left overs...the others basic rav. with marinara and a shrimp / seafood special. That is the nice thing...THEY HAVE OPTIONS.
Overall it was an amazing and enjoyable 3 hour dinner with two best friends that I will never forget. I would recommend bringing your own wine though...we were expecting a better wine list.
Coming from an Italian family I can honestly say this is the best real Italian eatery I have found in SD thus far. The wine selection is amazing, the wait staff very knowledge on suggestions, the ambiance and decor is cozy, warm and still big enough to accomodate large groups. Despite the street parking, there was available spots out front. The INSALATA DEI LUPI and RISOTTO PESCATORE was excellent, I highly recommend it. Their prices are extremely reasonably. You could fill up on any one of their $10-$20 entrees as the portions are a good size, but is absolutely worth it to try other dishes and appetizers as well. They are closed Mondays, and you can check out their menu at http://www.lupivinocuc....
Pasta lovers rejoice!! Housemade noodles and creative sauces are being served here. Big, beautiful ravioli are filled with ricotta, arugula and spinach, then smothered in a heavenly sauce of lentils, white wine and olive oil. A few sauteed rock shrimp add to the dish's pleasing texture.
Panzotti, cousins of the raviolo, are stuffed with mashed potatoes and roasted garlic and sauced with a savory tomato ragu speckled with homemade sausage.
Also included in the menu are imported linguine with fresh clams, and risotto with wild mushrooms or prawns.
Prices are gentle. Salads start at $5; pasta dishes are about $13; entrees range from $13 to $20 for filet mignon.
The short wine list offers some interesting bottles and decent value.
Service is efficient but, on one occasion, rather abrupt.
Favorite Dish: Panko-breaded chicken breast, topped with tomato, mozzarella and arugula, is a winner.
The food was good, and the servers were very attentive. Rich food, plentiful portions and a decent wine list. I'd rather stick closer to home and eat in Little Italy, but this is a good option for those in the PB/La Jolla areas.
A favorite spot for a great dinner. My boyfriend always tries their specials. My BF's mother is loyal to the sea food pasta fruitti de mar type dish. My BF's dad swears the bolgonese is the best he's ever had. I, however, recently found the Costoletta pork chop and I am in love. Delicious sauce and perfectly steamed veggies.
Food prep takes a while, so I suggest you go here when your looking to have a long leisurely dinner.
What a fabulous place to enjoy wonderfully tasty Italian food. Love the selection of fresh bread and breadsticks. Salads and entrees are memorable and delicious. The cozy feel combines nicely with the excellent service. Lovely wines as well!
Lupi gets my vote for one of the better (if not the best) Italian restaurants in San Diego. My criteria is simple: you must make and serve homemade pastas and offer a good bottle of wine for less than $20. Well, Lupi delivers with an entire section of homemade pastas (including noodles and ravioli-type stuff). As for the wine, I have enjoyed both Sangiovese and Barberas for reasonable prices (only one of those for $20 but I can't recall which one). Adding to the charm are the fact that the restaurant is a neighborhood-type joint, the owner is actually Italian and he is there (all times except once). The homemade bread is also very good and always served warm.
Blah! We live in the area and love to support local businesses; however, after trying Lupi multiple times we came to a final conclusion that it is better to make the drive to either Piatti or Little Italy. The food is salty, options limited, and the owner is not even from Italy. We have also heard some poor stories about the people running the shop that would make patrons leave in the middle of their 'sumptous' meal. Sorry Lupi, we cannot support you.
