Asti Ristorante

Had my birthday dinner here. Reserved online for outdoor seating but the hostess made us sit inside. I think it's because they were about to close out the outside area but it's kinda sad because we booked outdoor dining for that time and even came early. Food is okay and had large portions. I think the pesto on the lobster fettuccine tastes exactly like peruvian pesto which I really enjoyed but I found the lobster harder to chew and it was a bit rubbery (probably overcooked). PS If you use a giftcard here u can only use a $50 card for every $100 you spend. Waiter was great though.

Cozy dining experience with wonderful, kind staff. The portions are large and great for sharing, food is delicious and came out quickly as well. One of the few places in Gaslamp I would highly recommend. Be sure to try the crab cakes and the mixed grilled seafood linguine!

Decent place but much better options in the gas lamp area. I had the ribeye priced at $55. It was decent, but nothing special. The asparagus was amazing though. One member of our party had lasagna. Good but very small portion The waiter forgot to bring me the last beer I ordered, even though we’re only two tables occupied in the whole restaurant. He ignored us and left us sitting and wondering where our bill was for 30 minutes. We had to get up and find him to pay the bill so we could leave. I didn’t hate the food, but didn’t love it and do the price, I probably won’t be coming back

The place is very nice and their quantity and quality of food exceeds expectations. We tried the carbonara, gnocchi and alrededor pastas and they were all delicious and rich in flavor.

It is very rare to have a 5 star dining experience. I have been wanting to dine at Asti for many years. I needed a special restaurant to celebrate a special occasion and Asti was the first restaurant that came up for my Restaurants. Com gift card. A last minute reservation on a Thursday evening was no problem. Asti has a prime location on 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego. Parking is difficult, especially since 5th Avenue is now a pedestrian boulevard and closed to cars. I circled the area twice, then gave up and found paid parking at Horton Plaza. I was nervous because I couldn't calculate the charge, but it ended up to be a reasonable $16. We chose to sit inside instead of the large outdoor patio on the street in front of the restaurant. The inside was empty with only 2 other tables of diners. More people were dining outside, but the restaurant was alarmingly empty for a usually busy Thursday evening. It made me a but nervous but I was determined to give Asti a chance. I'm so glad we did. Asti is an old school fancy Italian restaurant. It has a charming ambience and a lovely decor dominated by two huge murals on either side of the space. I didn't care for the silk flowers on each table...a few stems of an inexpensive flower on each table would be a huge improvement at minimal cost. I also didn't care for the slightly too loud modern music. They should play Italian opera or Frank Sinatra. The menu was formally presented in a heavy binder, just like the old days. I missed this so much during and after Covid. There was an insert listing specials without any prices. I have been burned by this before and asked how much the appetizer we were considering was. The burrata with heirloom tomatoes and procuitto was $25. I think that's an expensive appetizer, but it was very good. The first time I've had such delicious tomatoes in years. A bread basket with butter was provided at no charge to start our meal. The bread was warm and very good. We also enjoyed a large Pelegrino. I had the gnocchi with Alfredo Sauce and my guest had the spaghetti with meatballs ($28 each). I usually order the gnocchi if it's on the menu and this was the best gnocchi I've ever had. My guest enjoyed his dish. Portions were generous enough that we both took leftovers home. We considered dessert, but decided we were full. Dinner was $100 for an appetizer, 2 entrees and the large Pelegrino. A good value for an excellent meal. Service was friendly although a bit casual for a "fancy" restaurant. Diners were not dressed up at all. I think they should have been. The women's bathroom was beautifully decorated. One of the nicest restrooms I've been in. The paper towel dispenser wasn't working though. I informed the bartender. I highly recommend Asti. The waitress said it was unusually empty. She said the prior night was packed. 9/12/2024 6:30 pm