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The Godfather Restaurant, San Diego, CA

The Godfather Restaurant

4.7
4.7
1938 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 12 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Romantic
  • Great for fine wines
The Godfather, a Balistreri restaurant, is an Italian monument in downtown San Diego providing authentic cuisine from the hills of Italy. Established in 1974, The Godfather is a sophisticated and classy establishment that centers around generational recipes from both Northern and Southern Italy. Over the years, the quality of food and standard of service has never declined and thus garnered The Godfather a national recognition as one of the top twenty-five Italian restaurants in the entire nation. The menu is filled with classic favorites based in steak, chicken and pasta. For an intimate evening for two, try the Sicilian kiss prix fixe meal that includes a bottle of champagne.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Isidoro Balistreri

What 1,938 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Romantic

  • San Diego

    Great for fine wines

  • San Diego

    Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Godfather Restaurant offers a "classic Italian dining" experience with consistently "amazing food," "wonderful ambiance," and "top-notch service." Patrons praise the "friendly, attentive staff" and the "distinctive old-school Italian vibe." Ideal for special occasions, guests enjoy "large portions" and complimentary appetizers, making it a beloved San Diego staple.

1,938 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything here is Italian perfection. Piano music. Great food. Great servers. It never misses.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellence in both service and food. Quiet enough for a personal conversation (which is not common these days.) No rushing the customer just an easy paced elegant dinner. You feel welcomed. The food is very generous in size and cooked to perfection. And best Of all Dessert different offerings not just “run of the mill” and excellent (I’m a dessert girl !). Overall a Perfect evening

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  3. Michael VIP

    Los Angeles100 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is probably the best traditional Italian restaurant that I have ever dined in in the United States. Certainly the very best Calamari and Lasagna. We were both completely blown away. The service was so warm and superb, that we felt like honored guests. We are only in San Diego a few times a year. But the next time we go, making a reservation here will be top on our list

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  4. Natalie

    Orange County2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Food was good but nothing special. Very loud can’t even hear piano, will not be back.

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  5. Marge

    San Diego27 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was fantastic as always. The piano music was a wonderful background.

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  6. Leighton

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An amazing meal, my date and I were perfectly attended too, if mid conversation the staff were not pestering but always were coming by in case anything was needed. The food ood was fantastic, the vibe was immaculate. Desert cannoli was to be written home about.

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  7. Adrian VIP

    San Diego21 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    When the fish special is $74 in price, the customer should probably be aware. That price is outrageous for any type of meal, especially fish.

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  8. Steven

    San Diego7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a great restaurant. I will definitely be back. Great food, service and ambiance. I've heard several times how good this restaurant is, and I finally dined there, so glad I did!

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  9. Melissa VIP

    Charleston5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved our night at the godfather as always. Very intimate place for a delicious steak dinner for date night. The service is always incredible and we love that we have found this gem so close by.

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  10. Brooke

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The lasagna is ridiculously good. I had no idea it was supposed to taste like that. Just WOW

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FAQs

The Godfather Restaurant offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (858) 560-1747.

The Godfather Restaurant is rated 4.7 stars by 1938 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 12 times today
Google Map for The Godfather Restaurant

7878 Clrmt Msa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111-1621

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Isidoro Balistreri
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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