Outdoor Dining at Operacaffe in Downtown San Diego

Outdoor Dining Is Back at Operacaffe

If you want to enjoy amazingly fresh food, excellent customer service and a safe outdoor dining experience, look no further than Operacaffe in Downtown San Diego. They were one of the last places I got to dine out at before everything was shut down again in December of 2020. It was such an enjoyable experience and I’m so happy that they are finally open again this week!

If you’re still not comfortable with dining outdoors I highly recommend grabbing takeout from them as well. For Valentine’s Day they have a fun menu available that they will deliver that day so you don’t even have to leave your home.

During our last visit we were able to enjoy several different dishes from their dinner menu. I’m happy to report that everything tasted exceptionally fresh. One of my favorite dishes was their Shrimp and Calamari Fritti. This is a dish that can easily go wrong at many restaurants. But at Operacaffe it was clearly fresh and didn’t have the dreaded rubbery texture I’ve experienced many times.

Another show stopping appetizer was their Fried Burrata. Oh my goodness. You know I love a good burrata because I’ve used it in recipes like my Pepperoni, Burrata and Basil Pizza. But experiencing it fried in a bed of fresh tomato sauce was next level. A must order when you visit!

Next up was the Patrizia salad. No matter where I dine out these days I always order a salad. I find it’s a great way to get some extra veggies into your diet. This vibrant and flavorful salad has mixed greens with arugula, hearts of palm, mozzarella, avocado, and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. It was very light and refreshing to balance out our meal.

Now we can’t forget the cocktails! Admittedly I can’t personally explain how these tasted because I was pregnant at the time, but judging from my husband Jarod’s reaction they seemed to be excellent. Our bartender told us that he loves coming up with fun and unique cocktails. His enthusiasm was contagious and I can’t wait to try one myself soon. Jarod got to have all the fun drinks during my pregnancy!

Let’s talk about entrees next. I had to watch my carbohydrates during pregnancy due to being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, so every meal I had at a restaurant I tried to balance out to keep my blood sugars stable. I was thankfully able to enjoy some of their amazing pasta as well as a bright and juicy chicken dish.

The pasta we ordered was the Bucatini Mare E Monti. If you don’t know what that means, don’t worry I didn’t either. However I can tell you that it includes a spicy sausage sauce with mushrooms and shrimp. I loved the idea of combining the sausage and the shrimp in the sauce. Typically you get one or the other. This dish is a winner!

For our other entrée we had the Pollo Limone. I’m not typically a fan of chicken breast at restaurants. It’s a dish that can be dry and overcooked very easily. Happily this citrusy chicken breast was prepared perfectly! I loved the creamy lemon sauce it was served in and wish it was something I could bottle up and take home with me.

To close out the evening they surprised us with a brand new dessert that they just added to the menu. The beauty pictured here is their meringue cake. Unfortunately due to my gestational diabetes at the time I only had a few bites, but rest assured this cake was not only unique but delicious! I loved the crispy yet fluffy bits of meringue paired with the vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Be sure to ask for it on your visit!

Overall, Operacaffe in downtown San Diego is a must visit. They have a beautiful patio for dining outdoors and when indoor dining is available again they just recently refurbished the inside as well. Add this one to your list of next places to try!