Best Casual Restaurants in Old Town

We chose Fred’s for our dog, Ziggy. The staff were more than accommodating - they are dog lovers and people persons, making us all feel at home. Great food, pure pleasure!

We had out-of-state company, and where better to go for a memorable dinner than Cesarina. We were seated on the side outside patio- it's lovely with lots of plants. Although it was a cold evening, the patio was very comfortable with the patio heaters and they even had blankets available if people got a chill. Classy and perfect. My husband and I wanted to leave room for the fabulous desserts so shared a Caprese salad to start. OMG! Such creamy and fresh burrata on heirloom tomatoes and very high quality balsamic. Delicious! We all had pastas, a hard decision on which one to get always. While one of my favorites is always the gnocchi with funghi sauce, I opted for the seasonal butternut ravioli with butter and sage for the sauce. It was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and the Barbera that the server suggested was perfect for it too. Yum. We finished the meal by sharing the tiramisu made tableside. I can't imagine how they are able to make Lady Fingers that melt in your mouth - the fresh ones at the base of the tiramisu topped by the expresso, mound of delicious puffy pastry cream and lots of chocolate make a dessert to remember. Such a delicious dinner, and reliably so. I have never had a bad, or even average, meal here. A favorite from the time they opened, and they just keep getting better.

Two friends flew in from out of town & I suggested we try C Level. Neither had been before. It was a sunny gorgeous day & we sat out on the patio. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. We ordered the lobster Mac & cheese, fish & chips & shrimp & crab Louie salad. Everything was fresh & flavorful. They loved our lunch & would highly recommend it.

i’ve dined here eight or 10 times over the years just brought someone new last night and he raved about the entire experience: food service creativity. We got the tasting menu and as usual the Alna and the Kampachi were huge hits early on. The subtlety combined with sharp notes took what could otherwise be very straightforward and made them rich. It was all excellent but as usual the Leppo chicken is Callie’s feathering the cap for that experience. Why doesn’t have a Michelin star is beyond me? Perhaps it’s the more casual approach to dining, but the food is easily Michelin quality for my taste by far away the best food in San Diego south of Addison 

We had a lovely time at Lala. We met the proprietor and thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. The food was very good. The atmosphere was very comfortable. The wine prices were a little too high. But highly suggest the espresso martini. Would like to see more vegan options available.