Best Romantic Restaurants in El Cajon / Lakeside

My wife and I had such a great evening at Giardino Neighborhood Cucina in Lemon Grove. The food was incredible – the Pappardelle Bolognese was rich and flavorful, the Tiramisu was perfect, and the wine selection really brought everything together. Roberto, our server, was amazing—so friendly and attentive. After dinner, we checked out Zest, the wine bistro right next door, owned by the same people as Giardino. Heather was working there and gave us great recommendations for wine, making it a perfect way to end the night. If you’re looking for delicious Italian food, awesome service, and a great spot to relax with a glass of wine, Giardino and Zest are a winning combo. We can’t wait to come back!

My fiancé and I were first timers. Last time we went to celebrate our anniversary. Our server, Izzy, was phenomenal. He was very receptive to our questions. Everything we ordered was amazing. We gave Izzy the option to pick our wines and we enjoyed his choice. We will be returning soon!

Place and ambience is great. Being French in a French restaurant I was expecting the duck to be like ‘at home’ but it wasn’t. It was well overcooked and became hard. Bit of a disappointment. My partner had the Boeuf Bourgignon which was delicious. Also apparently there are the old and the new menu going around with different wine prices. I was charged $75 a bottle of wine that was shown at $58 on my menu. Small thing but makes the overall experience a little annoying.

We always have a good experience. AND the food is always delicious. New server Brad was very engaging and a delight. The pecorino cheese wheel served tables tableside is excellent. As was the chicken parm. Our new go-to Italian restaurant

Fun place to hang with friend to watch the Padre game.