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Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Little Italy"Wow. What exquisite gelato. Seriously heavenly delicious gelato. Has to be thee best outside Italy that I've ever had. Beautiful display -…" read more »
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I almost didn't write a review for this place because there were so many. But, I couldn't pass up the chance to express my appreciation for Pappalecco. I went to Italy for the first time last year and having experienced the culture and food of Italy, it confirmed that the Italian-American cuisine stateside just doesn't cut it.
This really is the closest thing to the Italian cafe experience that you can get. The menu has a variety of fresh panninis, pastas, and meat dishes. They have amazing gelato and so many flavors. If you've ever been to Italy, you should come here to reminisce. If you have never been to Italy, please go for the experience and maybe be inspired to visit the boot someday.
The Italians have sexy down. I'm ashamed to say that when it comes to Little Italy, I have not strayed off the beaten path enough...and, I have been missing out on Pappalecco! A friend suggested we meet here for coffee (on the corner of State & Cedar) and I now have a seductive new place to savor coffee, a light lunch, and/or gelato.
I walked in to an orgy of brightly colored gelato transporting me back to Cinque Terre where I had my first taste of this heavenly creation. Up walks cute Italian guy asking for my order in a seductive accent. (Why does everything seem better when served up with an accent???) I looked up at the menu on the wall behind him and decided upon an intriguing concoction called a 'Marrecchino' (sp?)...espresso, milk, Nutella. OMG. From the display case in front of me, I chose a pastry filled with buffalo mozzerella, olives, and tomatoes. I briefly mourned the loss of my smooth talking Italian guy when an uninterested girl took over my order...
All was forgiven when she handed me a work of art in a clear glass mug...I didn't even have to sip it to know this was going to be one of those memorable firsts in my life. We headed out to the sidewalk to sit down next to the six Portuguese men filling the air with more accents. I cringed as I placed my spoon in the mug and blended away the art in order to create the best possible first sip...ummm, yeah. Wow. Who needs a man...even one with an accent??? It was just me and the Marrecchino, merging, bonding, having a moment. The pastry brought me momentarily back to earth...making me detest the invention of the microwave. But, I wasn't going to let that minor flaw detract from my moment.
I will be back...over and over again.
Very authentic and close to the real deal. Put a bag over your head, order, eat the gelato and you are in Italy! Of course I'm joking about the bag on your head but I'm serious in regards to the taste. The signs for the gelato are in Italian! So you'll see the flavors like cioccolato (chocolate), fragola (strawberry), straciatella (choco chip pieces), pesca (peach) and of course Nutella. There are some serious locals that frequent this place.
Service can get a little busy sometimes and there isn't really any total order to the system which can sometimes get annoying. But sometimes you sacrifice service for the product. The inside is small in regards to sitting, taking your time so I recommend the patio outside. The patio does often get filled up.
I've had their coffee and liked it. Never have eaten their food. Gelato is good. Oh and I save my gelato cups for ice cream cups at home!
Bonus: United Mileage Plus Points
This place has an almost flawless rating! I don't want to ruin it. BUT...
I ordered a Nutella gelato and a Cotto Panini. I can't say it wasn't good, because it was, but my Panini was very salty. Maybe it's supposed to be that way? Somebody can come in here and tell me "Hey, that's what it's supposed to taste like!" Okay. The gelato was yummy, but I've never met a gelato I didn't like.
As far as customer service, well, the girl seemed really sweet and all, but it was just awkward. I ordered my Panini and she just walked away as I stood there with my card in my hand. Okay. I walked over to the gelato case and decided to order some also. Went back to the register and handed her my card and she charged me for my Panini and gelato. Good. She knows I ordered a Panini, I wasn't sure. I stand there kinda in front of the register while other people ordered. I saw sandwiches come and go while I wanted for mine, hummm. The girl kept on looking at me funny, like what are you doing here? Finally I asked another girl if my Panini was still being made. She said yes, that they were just kinda busy. A few minutes later comes my Panini. My best guess is they forgot it. During lunch hour. When I'm in a hurry.
All in all, it's a cute little place, the food was reasonably good, and I'll probably come back at least one more time, since it's walking distance from my work. I just couldn't shake the feeling that I was out of place while I was there. Weird.
Oh my godddddddddddddd, i miss this place already. It's definitely some of the best gelato i've ever had.
The look of this place is very chic and clean. Thank goodness they do unlimited samples...i think i almost tried every single one of their flavors. And yes, they were all amazing. But the 2 most amazing that stood out to me were Nutella (of course) and Pumpkin. They were unbelievably rich, creamy, and freshhhh. I got a medium size and i couldn't finish it because it was so rich and filling (note: i have NEVER not finished a cup of gelato. Ever.) I was ashamed in myself, but i was just too full and i was afraid that if i forced myself to finish the rest, i wouldn't enjoy it as much.
But every bite was better than the last. Ultimately, i ended up swirling the Pumpkin with the Nutella and it was probably one of the most delicious things i've ever had in my mouth. :) haha.
I will definitely be back for more.
Great atmosphere and very friendly staff. We made a visit about an hour before closing and surprisingly, there were a few people just hanging out. Definitely a required stop whenever you're in Little Italy and fun date option.
Limone is my new favorite flavor!
I had the orange flavored gelato (Arancia). It was yummy but it had a very artificial orange flavor.… Read more »
Thank you fellow SD Yelps for this fine pick.
We went to this place almost everyday. The coffee was really good, along with the simple breakfast choices.
Now for the gelato, WOW, I couldn't get enough. Had to make one last stop for a fix before we left. I must recommend the vanilla and orange gelato (tasted like a orangesicle)
Me and the BF came in around 9:40pm after our dinner at Buon Appetito and they were closing! I didn't know they close at 9:30pm.. but they were so nice. We were able to grab some gelatto to-go.
They had already brought most of their outdoor tables and chairs inside, but we were able to squeeze through to view their selection of flavors. I asked for a sampe of Pistachio. WOW I just about died and went to heaven. It was rich and oh so delicious. I asked for a small size (pink cup).
The BF tried the Nutella, but got a small size of Strawberry instead. I prefer the sweeter flavors, and after having some of my Pistachio, the Strawberry was too tart for my liking.
Even though it was a chilly night in San Diego, I thoroughly enjoyed my gelato as I shivered my way to the car. So, four stars for now. I'm waiting to come back and try some of the other flavors!
CIAO BELLA!
They now have the Hillcrest location open so get your Gelato on! its still as good as Little Italy without the tourists!
As Good As Gelato Gets...of course unless someone wants to foot the bill of me checking out the… Read more »
Nice coffee shop in Little Italy. The espresso is delicious and the pastries are light, sweet, and at the right portion. The gelato is delicious too; very rich!
The staff is delightful, friendly and although its busy it always seems like there is a space for you somewhere. Soon, I will try the food options, which look good too, but then again it is in Little Italy where there is a lot of Italian dining options.
DELICIOUS gelato; it tastes so good you can taste the high quality of the ingredients. I've also had savory foods here and what I've had had been good. Their gelato though is a standout. The staff is very friendly. This place sits at a pretty quiet corner of Little Italy, away from the main strip. This doesn't offer as many people watching opportunities but it also means there's fewer crowds. I don't know why I don't come here more often!
It has only been about 10 days since I last visited and they changed their menu already? I wanted to come back for their amazing La Nonna salad, but apparently they took it off the menu. The new menu had a smaller selection of dishes and they raised their prices a little too.
I ordered the next closest thing to La Nonna, but was disappointed that they used mozzarella cheese instead of goat cheese. I had asked if they could substitute, but I guess the waitress just said yes to my requests and did not notify the chef. I like mozzarella melted on pizza, but to pair with prosciutto, creamy goat cheese fits the bill better.
We also ordered a ham, tomato, mushroom with mozzarella pizza and it tasted great. Not too oily and the persona l size was perfect for one. Not meant for people who do not appreciate the taste of fresh tomatoes and freshly baked pizza crust.
Last time I tried their delicious coffee so this time we wanted to taste test their famous gelato. Nutella and vanilla went together really well. The thing about gelato is that it melts really fast. Started melting on use upon our first bite. Creamy, delicious and obviously homemade. No comparison with supermarket gelato.
Staff was friendly as ever despite being bombarded with orders left and right.
This place serves some kick ass coffee and salads. The staff are amazingly nice and helpful (not to… Read more »
Great gelato place to walk to for desert after dinner at a Little Italy restaurant.
I think I must've ordered the wrong item.
I just ordered a vanilla gelato (size small; approx $4).
It didn't taste good. It almost reminded me of diluted version of Dryer's Ice Cream. It had this really weird artificial taste. It was really sweet as well.
On the other hand, I had a sample of hazelnut gelato that tasted great
(after my fiance ordered the vanilla already :0). In the end, I wish I had other flavor in my hand, because I tossed the gelato away after eating half-way through. I would probably come back here to try other flavors, but $4 was a bit expensive for what I had.
MMMMM.....I finally went in here for some gelato a few days ago. I've always wanted to try it. Mr. FT and I had the house flavor, Pappalecco, but he mixed his with vanilla. A small cup is the perfect size for after dinner. The pappalecco is chocolatey with a hint of amaretto, I think.
The ladies are very friendly here. It was just like we were in Italy with the grazies and ciaos!
I am visiting San Diego for a week and have explored Yelp as usual; it hasn't steered me wrong yet! Pappalecco is surely the best gelateria I have found in the U.S. and their food is excellent as well!
I found the three staff working when I visited to be very kind and welcoming. I heard hearty "Buon Giorno" greetings to almost every customer that came in the door. In addition, I just heard the cutest thing. A young girl asked "can I have THREE flavors in a cup?" to which the woman serving said in her cute Italian accent "no rules, whatever you want."
The Italian language is authentic and educational but certainly not overbearing. If you do speak any Italian, however, they seem more than happy to speak with you. They entertained my rusty, two-year old recollections of the language. The Little Italy here seems to have many more Italians than New York's!
The café here, Danesi, reminds me of my trips to Italia and the preparation of the drinks is perfect.
Overall great atmosphere and outdoor seating, delicious light food, fresh gelato and kind staff.
Chase spotlight provided me with a $10.00 coupon, and I should have spent it all on Gelato. Instead i tried a Paninni, it was just mediocre. Although the mozzarella was fresh and very tasty. The sandwich was just ok. I'm writing this review because...
THE CANNOLI
WAS THE WORST THING
I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY MOUTH!
First time I've tried gelato so I don't really have a comparison but the gelato here was very good. It was about $4 for the medium size (green cup).
I got the chocolate. If you like chocolaty stuff you'd like this flavor. It had little chocolate flakes which added a very nice texture.
The banana flavor was very good. Usually banana flavored stuff tastes artificial but this was good. I mixed it with my chocolate which made it really good. But, if you eat too much of it, it gets kinda sickening because it has a strong milky/creamy banana flavor. My friend couldn't finish the medium size which is about 2 scoops.
The Pappalecco flavor is chocolate mixed with biscotti I believe. It tastes like the chocolate one with a hint of cherry flavor.
The orange flavor was good. Not what you'd expect for orange. I only had a few little tastes so I don't know if you'd get sick of too much.
I would get the small size cause too much of a good thing is not so good anymore. Though I can't finish the small-sized drinks at Jamba Juice so yea...
This place is the real deal! If you have been to Italy then you must go and have the gelato, it is like being there. The service is always fast and friendly. You can often hear many languages being spoken besides English which makes on feel as if they truly are in Italy.
I've been sick for three days, the sweltering summer heat zaps my regained strength. Night falls and I am searching for some oasis, some place where I can be, and not really be. Some place nice, where my still recovering body and mind can regenerate both socially and mentally.
OMG!
The Melone Frappe on a Friday night! A cantelope milkshake, Mamma Mia!
The perfect way to spend a sober evening where the night is about me and nobody else. Pappalecco is the ideal place to remember that sometimes, it is about what you want, and more importantly, what you need.
Pappalecco's are the purveyors of by far the best gelato in town.
I came here for the first time…
Read more »
My friend and I were here yesterday afternoon and I was excited to get another gelato fix on! I'm a creature of habit and love me some pistachio gelato. To my surprise, there was no pistachio gelato...WTF?! =(
I didn't know which flavor to go with after that shocker, so I had to sample a few. I tried the pear, it was okay. Tried the orange one next (it was pink in color BTW) and went with that.
My friend was hungry, so he had a very light sammich of some sort that had mozzarella cheese, olives and something else along with an Americano to wash it down with. I tried a sip of his Americano and boy was it strong, not a drink of choice for this lady.
My gelato was good and I'd go back, but I hope they have pistachio the next time I come around!
I've been a customer at Pappalecco since they opened, but only recently have I been visiting regularly. The reason: the afogato. It is a serving of espresso with a scoop of gelato on top. I've tried it with hazelnut, pistacchio, and mocha gelato. All are heavenly.
I decided to finally review Pappalecco because of the food. Their menu has developed into a nice array of options to fit different tastes and levels of hunger. I can specifically recommend the insalata rustica. But mostly I suggest anything that comes with the green dressing. It is the most delicious thing I've tasted in quite some time. Its a basil-garlic suspension with... do I detect a hint of artichoke?
I like the variety of seating options here as well. They fit different moods you may be in when you happen to visit. Outdoors, there are bistro tables. Inside there are small booths and a bar.
I love the gelato at Pappalecco (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). It was much creamier than what I expected (not to mention the chocolate shavings were pretty chunky) but I guess that's what makes their Stracciatella (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) so special (and delicious).
Stracciatella.
Alright, so I stop into Pappalecco as I'm coming back on my bike from Pacific Beach. I'm kinda physically and mentally worn out from riding in the sun for the last three hours as I look at, point at and ask for their Stracciatella. Now, instead of pronouncing it the correct way, I pronounce it as, "Strak-a-tella" as I stand there in cool-down mode. Instead of just getting what I asked for, the Italian girl behind the counter asked if I wanted the Stracciatella. Yes, is my response.
Hmmm. Did she purposely correct me just because I pronounced the word incorrectly? Would she have corrected me AGAIN if I had said that yes, I would like the Strak-a-tella? Would we continue to go back and forth like this for hours? "The Stracciatella? Yes, the Strak-a-tella. The Stracciatella? Yes, the Strak-a-tella." I guess I should thank her for not coming right out and just saying, "Hey, you dumb American, you're butchering my language. Get it right!" She came off kinda snooty but when you have an ass like that, I guess it comes with the territory.
No harm, no foul - I'll be back, I'm sure.
The gelato reminded me of my trip to Italy years ago ... especially the european yogurt flavor,,, my absolute favorite flavor!! They don't have an ocean of varieties, but what they have are excellent qualities :) come and try
Also had a nutella croissant and a cannoli. Nutella and I go waaaayyyyy back, so hard not to love,,, wasn't really a fan of their version of the cannoli, too sweet for my taste.
There were other interesting items in the display case, namely 'exotic' looking bruschettas :P Definitely deserve another visit.
O.. and they don't believe in AC, which makes it more authentic? ;)
I want to give this place 5 stars, but I can't because of the smokers outside. I realize that this isn't the fault of the establishment, but it's enough of a problem, for me, to knock a star off. Otherwise it would be 5 stars. Yes, people like to smoke and drink coffee. Also, many international people like to visit this place. International people like to smoke. Ok... fine. But when someone is literally 6 inches away from you smoking, I take away stars... but I digress...
The gelato is pretty damn good. It has more of a homemade feel/taste to it than Gelato Vero. The one flavor in particular that I thoroughly enjoyed was the lemon. I am going to give that flavor 5 stars.
The breakfast and coffee is also very good. Try the eggs with mozzarella, tomatoes and arugula. A very good dish. They also offer the option to make it into a panini and omelet. Pretty cool, but the price does go up if you want those vs just scrambled. The meal also comes with 3 piece of grilled italian bread. Very good.
The cappuccino was pretty good as well. I am more of a latte kind of guy, but they didn't have a vanilla latte, so I got a cappuccino. It was good. I am sure it's very good for a cappuccino, but I did have to add 6 sugars. Yeah, well it was a large, and I like it sweet.
The fact that they accept credit cards here is a big plus when comparing it to Cafe Italia, which is right down the street. All in all a great place.
If you love great coffee, gelato and fresh pastries, this is the place. After I took a trip to Italy last summer I realized I could never drink another Starbucks coffee again. Great coffee, friendly service - now part of my daily ritual.
Mmm... Gelato! And Gelato that tastes pretty much as great as the gelato I had in Italy (except for the spectacular Italian views).
Walked here last night with a handful of ladies that had worked up a sweet tooth after some exercise. And, we were not dissappointed.
This place is located a bit off of the beating path of LIttle Italy, but worth it.
Cute little place with inside and outside seating.
I had walked here with my dog so I only saw the gelato flavors. Not too sure about what else they offered but there was a nice array of gelato flavors for sure! I was taught that if gelato did not have "peaks" on top and is just smooth, that this is not real gelato. Pappalecco's gelato had peaks alright!
I chose the apricot flavor. I always pick the fruit flavors but I did sample my friends Mocha, Caramel and Pappalecco flavors and these were creamy, smooth and delicious as well! All of us were sad that we decided to "be good" and only get a small cup each when all of our gelatos were devoured. Oh well, motivation for next week!
Take the time to visit this place, if you like gelato, you will like this place.
Pappalecco is a cute little gelato spot with a very friendly staff and good eats. Definitely worth a visit.
Great Gelato! Very awesome on a hot day on San Diego.
Best gelato I've ever had in my life!
I've never been to Italy, but have been to many Gelato places across Socal, Vegas, and overseas.. This is the best I can remember!
My favorite was the pistachio. It was so good! I was actually blown away by it, and that never happens to me! Woohoo!
The gelato was very smooth, and creamy.. It's better than anything I've had in OC.
Prices are quite reasonable for the quality.
Parking isn't too bad. Found street parking nearby, and there's paid parking not too far.
I've already commented on this place, but I just wanted to add a bit of advice.
If you order a blended mocha, ask them to add a scoop of the mocha gelato to it. It tastes even more delicious!
I love this place! The coffee is amazing and the owners are really sweet. They make you feel like… Read more »
Was in the area and was craving their pear gelato. Stepped inside at about 4pm on a Sunday afternoon and they were out of the pear gelato. In fact, they were out of about half of their selection of flavors. Disappointed, I tried to rationalize the situation by convincing myself that they're out of half of their gelato supply because, perhaps, it is made daily and therefore it is fresh... or because it was a warm and sunny Mother's Day and they underestimated the market demand for that day?
Anyway, there was some of the banana flavor left so I ordered a cone of it. To my surprise, it was amazing. Unlike most banana flavor desserts that are flavored with artificial banana flavoring, this gelato tasted like an actual, natural, and fresh banana. I still like the pear more but the banana gelato was a very pleasant surprise.
I hope they can offer sugar cones in the future; in addition to the regular cones they carry.
The pear gelato is amazing - even the texture of this flavor of gelato has that distinct feel of an… Read more »
Really liked this friendly neighborhood cafe and "gelato lounge". Came to this cute corner place after dinner and it was just a cool place to lounge about inside or outside and enjoy the warm evening.
Gelato looked very enticing and tasted just as good. The straticella gelato was so excellently creamy and the choc chips were delicious in it. Sure restored my faith in gelato after I had a horrible gelato in NorCal recently where the gelato was like eating elmer's glue.
The pappalecco gelato (chocolate, amaretto, and biscotti) was also really tasty and I would have jumped on it if I were in more of an amaretto mood.
Bottom line: Wish all the neighborhoods I lived in had a cool "gelato lounge" like Pappalecco.
I'll pre write this review. They're going to start offering appertivo. This is probably the best thing to ever happen, ever. Vino and Cibo insieme. Basically, come have a drink before dinner, and get some food to snack on. Always fun, a keystone to the Italian nightlife.
With all of the 4 and 5 stars given Pappalecco, I am surprised that there is so little mention of the coffee.
In short, this is the BEST cappuccino in San Diego. They know how to pull a real shot of espresso and meld it with the foam and steamed milk perfectly. You would expect that in a city with over 350 independent coffee shops it would be easy to get a good espresso drink but sadly that is not the case.
They have a good food selection for a cafe of this size and everything I have ever had has been really good to excellent. I especially like the variety of Italian cookies that go so well with my coffee.
The gelato is as good as every other reviewer here, but try the coffee while you are there. I have been all over Europe looking for three things: the best cheese, the best chocolate and the best coffee. Pappalecco is better even than most of what I found there.
I go here often for breakfast on the weekends or maybe just a gelato when I have a sweet tooth. It's my favorite place for gelato and they also make one of the best iced lattes I've ever had. Parking might be a bit of an issue at times but you'll generally find a spot within a few blocks pretty quickly. Little Italy is a very walkable part of town anyway.
OK I love you again!
Sunny side up for breakfast with the perfect side of simple greens and tomatoes!
The cappuccino, simply the best I've had in San Diego, if you're a coffee addict, please have one here, you will thank me later!
My panino classico which is supposed to have prosciutto came with regular really cheap not tasty at… Read more »
Never had gelatto before. Found this during Taste of Little Italy. Man, nutella gelatto is just heavenly. That's pretty much all you need to know.
"Our Gelato cannot lie because it is simple and pure like a child, unmistakable for its softness, its creaminess, for the richness of its taste, for its "truth" and for its closeness to Nature. Our gelato is an explicit message from Mother Nature, its only secret is to have no secrets."
I can't do any better than the description on their website. This gelato lounge was an absolutely charming place on a corner in Little Italy with the skyscrapers just blocks away. I ordered two flavors and my favorite was the mocha with roasted coffee beans mixed in for a little crunch. A must visit if you're in the area. Love was definitely in the air...
Quick and dirty review:
Decent value at $3.50 for a small
Mad flava -- I had limone, and my friend had strawberry. Both had very high quality ingredients, served by friendly staff. And it's always a good when you see Italians hanging out at a gelato shop :-)
This *was* a five star review, until I went inside asking where the recycle bin was for the plastic cups. The response -- "sorry, there isn't one". There is *no* excuse for this in a city that provides plastic recycling and your product is served in plastic bowls. No excuse at all.
Free Gelato
Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
Lmited time offering.
Neighborhood: Golden Hill
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
Neighborhood: Mission Hills
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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