Bice

This was a most enjoyable dining experience. We found this to be a first rate Italian restaurant in the Gaslamp District. The décor is modern, sleek, and open. There are banquettes along the wall as well as tables for four. There is also a cheese bar where one can sample the many offerings of Italian cheeses and salumi — a good choice for someone wanting a simple, small meal!
On to the meal: My husband chose spinach and ricotta tortelloni served with a Gorgonzola sauce. The pasta was homemade, cooked al dente, and the sauce had the nice sharp taste of cheese but was light. I chose branzino roasted on a plank, with roasted tomatoes, and caponata — the fish was cooked perfectly with just some olive oil and touch of herbs. The caponata was a nice touch — roasted eggplants, pepper, pine nuts and a good accompaniment to the fish. We shared a green salad.
For dessert we opted to share three scoops of gelato and sorbet — -vanilla, chocolate, and a berry sorbet. Topped off with espresso coffees. A very satisfying end to a delicious meal!

Best service I’ve received at a restaurant in a long time!
We came to Bice on Friday night at 8:45pm and we were quickly seated.
We were engaged in conversation, so we didn’t notice service was more slow than usual. However, the wait staff noticed and brought us complimentary champagne within seconds of us sitting down to apologize in advance for the wait. Then they brought us a complimentary cheese platter! So sweet that they go above and beyond to be proactive to customer needs and complaints.
The food was awesome, bread platter was to die for, amazing service, easy to get reservations, best wine list at at Italian restaurant.
We ended up sharing Veal and it was HUGE!
Bice, you have made me a big fan! I’ll be back for sure!

Where do I begin … Staff was extremely professional and very attentive other than the owner or whatever he was but that’s beside the point. Arnold was our server and let me just tell you he was super friendly and not fake and robotic kind that you find at these types of restaurants he was genuine and made the whole experience very much worth it for my birthday festivities. Food was amazing and complemented by great customer service makes the whole experience worth it. Thank you Bice we will back again!

Very disappointing all around.
The night started off with two different waiters arguing over which one would get our table. And they had this argument table side as we were trying to order drinks and appetizers. Eventually the guy who won the argument abandoned us as soon as we placed our entrée order and was never seen again. So we had to switch to one of the managers for the rest of dinner. He was great, but it was very confusing and inappropriate to say the least.
The cheese plate was great and a nice start to the night. But we did have to ask multiple times about getting a burrata included. It’s an Italian place after all, burrata should never be far.
Then we ordered entrees. The menu seemed great, but the food was overall bland and disappointing and not what would be expected. I ordered the Carbonara. And when it showed up, it was Rosotto with a few pieces of bacon. Literally bacon strips. That is nothing like what I would expect from a Carbonara. You have to warn the customer that it is not a typical Carbonara! Two people had the ribeye steak that came covered in arugula. They said it was flavorless and overcooked. Another person had a ravioli dish, it turned out to have mushroom sauce on it, when they expected red sauce. And to top it off the portions were generally small, especially for an Italian place.
Knowing how many good food options there are in Sand Diego and especially amazing Italian places in Little Italy, I see no reason for ever needing to go to Bice. It was confusing service, bland food and disappointing service. Thankfully I had great company at my table.

I was waiting for an experience to birth my first review on an social media review to be stellar and the pinnacle of true cuisine paired with flawless service. Sadly, BicE is the reciprocal of any enjoyable experience outside of the presentation and passion of the lead cheese crafter.
Service was decent but the food was weak and therefore frivolous for such an atmosphere offered. It seems Martha Stewart was hired as their lead interior decorator as well as their chef, of course more on par with aesthetics.
My first course was the Ahi-​Tuna Tartare and I wish I had ordered «Bumble Bee» in a can with a miracle whip aioli. The Tuna was fresh but the taste was potent of medieval flavors and lack luster seasoning to be worth any price of plate to be placed upon.
My next course was the Lobster flatbread and swear Neptune could not create such an ingredient that was so dismal to be included as an ingredient. It brought true meaning to «Imitation» products such as so, in fact preferring so.
The Lobster was cut in cubicles as if I was working a 9 – 5 job even though I have worked in Relias & Chateaux and Forbes rated restaurants for 12 years. Lobster that was so «cookie-​Cuter» had me craving Monk Fish and at the point wishing I had the poor man’s lobster. The manager which seemed to be craving retirement simply stated that the lobster was imported. I’m assuming imported means from the local Von’s to this so called «restaurant»
Next course was the «Coveted, Hand crafted, House-​made, spinach potato gnocchi» according to the Chef and Manager whom was nothing of less than self absorbed, misplaced and idiotic personification of a professional in Hospitality that he try to justify in recommendation of altering the dish with a «Béchamel Sauce»
They did remove the «Lobster Flatbread» and gnocchi off the menu, I’m sure it was the server being the bigger adult. For the price of happy hour, I would recommend a miserable hour and despair dishes knowing that would be higher quality of food and respect served at any Taco Bell.
I had requested to speak with Manager and wishes I had kept recommendation slips to hand to aspriring profressionals in the Hospitality Industry, that was also serve no justice. This manager questioned ever remark, As well as not knowing nothing to sway my opinion as well as banter and accuse me of «Working at TGI Fridays» I will tell anyone considering this restaurant, Buy an easy bake oven, you will get you’re monies worth more so with self appreciation and such tools.
I mentioned to the Manager of my constructive remakrss but He easily passed me on to the «Thank You» Line and said good look at TGI Fridays, Where I make more as an AGM and Sommelier at night .
Overall, BiCe is not worth any memories or price per dash as you may find equilavency and preparation in your home kitchen

This restaurant is a very cute spot with delicious food. The service was great as well, they really know how to treat their guests! The prices are fair and the food portions are generous. I came here for a date one time and we both agreed that this restaurant was perfect for an intimate night out. The set-​up is also great for large groups as well and that’s why I like this place, it is very versatile.

The review is high here, but for what? The dish came 2 minutes after you just ordered it? The dish that tasted like it was microwaved? Or the loud chatty waiter, Or their gross cocktails? Or ???
The service is good!
–+Pan Seared «MANO DE LEON» Sea Scallops with Crispy Vegetables Strings, Saffron Sauce & Squid Ink Dressing — Scallops were undercooked, the meat is semi translucent on the outside and totally pink translucent in the middle, the scallop has a gluey layer and it smelled fishy. Vegetable string wasn’t crisp, but it has a nice flavor, squid ink should provide a umami flavor, but here at BR, the sauce left you a numb feeling on the tongue. It’s the same feeling after you lick a raw persimmon or the after taste that a ripe persimmon will give you.
—Lasagne: The dough is mushy, raw on the inside and the corner of the lasagne is as hard as glue gun paste. The dish definitely came out of the microwave. From the taste to the texture. It’s hot on the outside, but it’s cold/​lukewarm inside. It’s like eating school cantina food.
«Excuse me, is the dough suppose to taste raw and mushy?» Our waiter:” We make our lasagne by using ricotta cheese, and the other restaurant probably made lasagne with Parmigiano-​Reggiano, it’s a matter of the taste, whether you like it or hate it”. He covered the mistakes smoothly.
I didn’t give up yet:” But the ricotta cheese made the dough taste raw?“
He: «So, you didn’t like it?»
OKay, I give up:” It’s me, I don’t like to eat raw dough”.
—Flowers in Brooklyn: All I can taste in this cocktail is vodka.
—Mojita: Cough syrup with rum… Ugh…
—Molten Pistacchio and Chocolate Lava Cake with Raspberry Sauce and Hisbiscus Ice Cream — Gluten Free: chocolate lava cake wasn’t special, it wasn’t even nice. The muffin dough have a sandy texture, sugared Hibiscus wasn’t edible, it’s like eating dried hibiscus with syrup, and the strawberry pocky on the top? That was a lazy design. The presentation of the dessert looks like a crime scene, it was just too much. Very messy.
We didn’t like the crowded restaurant with a lot of shouting customers, gross cocktail, stale scallops and microwaved raw lasagne.

We went here to celebrate Valentine’s Day. There was a set menu, which is fun at times if there is enough choices to select from. There were plenty of choices. We had the prosciutto and burrata cheese and the ravioli stuffed with wild mushroom as starters. Both were delicious. The prosciutto was my favorite– freshly sliced, thin, and with the burrata, it was perfect!
Then I had the grilled sea bass. That was incredible! The fish was so fresh and flaky, it melted in my mouth. It was so simply seasoned, I could taste the freshness of the fish. That’s how to make a great seafood dish!
I liked the ambience of the restaurant– not a loud place. The servers provided impeccable service. That makes for a wonderful experience!

I came here with my boyfriend for our Valentine’s dinner. He knew I have this thing for cheese and he did his research and found this place where they have imported cheese. So we looked over the menu and everything and was set on this place. We made reservations for Saturday night. Oh, and we were told that there’s a cancellation fee if we decide to cancel our reservation so they kept a card on file.
When we got there, we got seated against the wall. The place was nice and the hostess was welcoming. She handed us the wine list and a Valentine’s pre-​fix menu. We didn’t want anything from the pre-​fix menu so we asked for the regular menu to order off from because we originally wanted to order the cheese we wanted. The sever got back to us and told us we were NOT able to order from the regular menu. And that we can leave and cancel our reservations. But leaving our reservations would involved getting charged the fee and still no reservations for anywhere else for our dinner because it was already 7pm. So we ended up staying there.
The pre-​fix was $ 65 a person. A bit pricey but not worth it for what was put on there. I paid an additional $ 12 for the chefs choice on cheese. And I thought I was able to choose from the regular prefix appetizer too but she did not give me that option. The table next to us got to order a 3 course plus the additional calamari. I was kind of disappointed. So my dinner was the cheese, salmon entrée and the cinnamon apple dessert. And my boyfriend got the prosciutto appetizer, beef tenderloin and peanut butter dessert. We both also got a glass of wine as well. I asked her to give me a preference on a fruity wine and not too strong. She ended up coming out with a glass that was NOT fruity at all and it was strong.
Overall, everything was not worth the price we paid. Our bill was $ 210 and I could of enjoyed the food else where on stuff I actually wanted. Just wished they would of told us over the phone that they were doing pre-​fix menus only for Valentine’s weekend.

With so many high reviews I can only assume Valentine’s Day is not a good night to come here.
It’s kind of like traveling back in time. Overly stuffy and pretentious feeling, very bare interiors, which could be a style, but the food just doesn’t match (aside from using dated plating techniques and recipes). Looking at their restaurants all of them seem to have this 90’s style about them that’s very bizarre. We thought it reminded us of Dorsia from American Psycho. After waiting a half an hour because they didn’t have a table ready for us, we were led to a 50% empty room, which was a very plainly decorated expansion room they had recently built, with bright lights. Not a romantic or classy experience.
It was a prix fixe menu for the night, which is always a turn off. Don’t book the tables if you can’t serve your menu. It seemed like they had hired new help specifically for Valentine’s Day too with little training. It took 15 – 20 minutes for a server to even come over and take our drink order. The burrata and prosciutto was by far the best thing, and even then the burrata had a skin (not terrible, just a minor freshness issue). My wife’s salmon was served on a bed of what I would call hot trash with no seasoning, and my gnocchi were dense spheres with a little sauce, two tomato halves, and some crab thrown on top. Her peanut butter panna cotta was tasty apparently, and whatever I got was a little dense corn cake with some fruit. $ 65/​pp and a required 20% gratuity. I have no problem paying for good food, but this felt more like a $ 35 three course meal at a far less pretentious place.
All we could do was laugh about how terrible it all was. With so many excellent places in the area, which were bursting at the seams with couples, we’re taking the hint and never returning.

The company my husband works for had a big dinner party here renting out a private room with several tables. I called in advance to find out if there would be any vegan options. The hostess who answered had never heard the phrase «vegan» and when I explained she said they didn’t have anything for me except maybe a side salad. This is San Diego! To be safe, I ate beforehand and sat out the meal but one of the waiters very kindly brought me a dish of really excellent fruit sorbets while others had iced cream. They could very well have vegan options, but there is no information on the website or menu itself, so you have to risk actually going to the restaurant to find out, unless you can get a hostess on the phone who knows the menu better.
I will say that from what I can tell, the party ran smoothly and wine was refilled pretty quickly.

I have been dining here since its opening, maybe 20 times so far. It’s not the same since Rinaldo left (miss his genuine smile and welcome… and he checked on every table, regardless of how expensive the wine they ordered), but Bice’s food is still among my top two favorite Italian restaurants in SD (Buon Apetito is second).
This Thursday, we had the ravioli and veggie lasagna. Both were full of flavor and perfectly gourmet. For dessert we had the vodka limoncello, which is prepared table-side…what a treat, especially if you are on a date. It’s strong and delic! The cheese bar is also a wonderful place to start if you haven’t had the experience. We like to let the cheese master choose our selections, after giving a short list of «NOT“s, such as not too soft or stinky. The house-​made marinara sauce is so good, ask for 3 servings of it, and less olives or something else. If you remember, ask for Francesca. Doll.
We didn’t have wine this time (because Oceanaire tried to get us drunk at HH so we had to take a break), but when you do, they are happy to talk about the wine and make its service special.

Died and went to heaven! I need to agree with April R. when she says «How on Earth do they make pasta taste so good???» RIGHT NOW. I mean RIGHT NOW. Make a reservation and be sure to order the fettucine with white truffle shavings! OMIGOSH!!! Everyone at the was in their own world, savoring this dish — I had my eyes closed and was like OMIGOSH and when I peeked around, everyone else at the table had their eyes closed too!!!
You must try the Tomahawk — sure it’s $ 98 but this scrumptious piece of meat was good enough for 3 people and it was sumptuous!
I’ll post the two red wines we had; upon their suggestion. Oh my goodness the first was very very good and the third was very very very good! Like Jesus’ miracle; they saved the best wine for last!
We also had a special octopus. This octopus was like NOTHING I have ever tasted in my life! It was sooo very tender! It was heavenly… I know I keep saying that about this food, but it was.
I trust this place to be one of the very best places to get a fine meal in San Diego. EVERY bite was amazing.
The Beerimisu was a miss; only because I like traditional tiramisu too much, but beer lovers will like it a lot I am sure.
But all in all this was a 10 stars and I can’t wait to go back again! I think I’ll try to hit up happy hour and the cheese bar sometime. Yes, I said cheese bar! Hollah!

This Italian place at the gaslamp district is superb. They have great service, great food and wide wine selection. Beef medallion, ahi tuna salad and tte flourless cake were excellent. I wasn’t too impressed with their gelato though. The salmon was just ok also.

«Real Italian Menu, Great Atmosphere, Romantic, Awesome Staff ! «
My wife and I attended a special cooking class at the BICE Ristorante in San Diego a month ago. The class was a 5 hour class taught by the Head Chef Mario and was Fantastic. Chef Mario’s personality is fantastic and he makes you feel like one of his family. During the 5 hours you listen and watch as Chef Mario instructs and prepares many wonderful dishes from appetizers to deserts with organic ingredients that you will not find on normal Italian Menus. You will taste all the food prepared while drinking as many glasses of wine as you like. A wonderful class, and a great way to learn and enjoy Italian cuisine. My wife and I returned to the restaurant last night and spent an 1 ½ hours at the one of a kind Cheese Bar with host Ester. We went during Happy Hour so you can enjoy wonderful flavors of exotic cheeses from all over the world and taste $ 5.00 appetizers, wine and cocktails. We then had a very romantic dinner with an outstanding waiter Stefano. Their unscale Real Italian Menu is Fantastic. Chef Mario came out of the kitchen to give us a hug during our visit and we can’t wait to go back again ! A Must try on anyone’s Bucket List !

Easily a 5.
Every dish was fantastic and the service (aside from our initial wait after seating) was excellent.
Meal highlights:
1. Bread basket: WOW. I have never been to a restaurant that put so much effort into their complimentary bread selection. Great and delicious variety. The bread also came with a scoop of creamy butter sitting in a pool of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
2. Cheese platter: Bice’s award winning cheese bar did not disappoint. We ordered 7 cheeses of the chef’s discretion for $ 24. The cheeses themselves were exciting and came with some dried fruits and an amazing Italian raisin bread. Try it!
3. Beef Tenderloin Medallion: at this point in the meal, the lady and I were quite full, but we left this plate spotless. The beef medallion was pink and juicy throughout with a nice sear around the edges. The garnish/​sauce atop the beef was phenomenal and added a perfect crunch to the steak. Mashed potato and Brussel sprouts complimented the meat perfectly.
Honorable mention:
We had a shaved steam octopus appetizer that tasted like no octopus we’ve ever had before. I loved this dish and would definitely recommend it. Ask your waiter, because this was not on the normal menu. It was a part of the chef-​inspired 4-​course wine pairing meal.
I highly recommend this place. It can be pricy, but it is worth it.
Speaking of price though, I am interested to see and plan to check out their happy hour. Other Unilocalers have said good things!

Great happy hour place in Gaslamp Quarters. Ate dinner here with my bf and his parents. We were immediately seated at the stool tables right by the entrance. We ordered the calamari, lobster pizza, ahi tune tartar, and prosciutto sandwich.
The calamari was the group’s favorite. The next favorite varied among us. My second favorite dish of the night was the prosciutto sandwich, but got burned by the jalapeño in there. I thought the lobster pizza wasn’t bad, but just okay and interesting with the pesto drizzle on top. Their complimentary bread basket was also very good, especially this orange bread chip thing.
For drinks, we ordered red wine, Pinot Grigio, and Franscati Superiore (white wine). My bf and I both preferred the Franscati Superiore over the Pinot Grigio because it tasted sweeter.
I just wished we were seated at a larger table as the stool table was not big enough to hold 4 entrees and plates and tall stem glasses at the same time. It felt like a dishware disaster waiting to happen. It felt more suited for serving 2 people instead of 4.
Quite an intimate atmosphere in there too.

Came here for dinner and got to try a pretty good sampling of the menu. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t particularly memorable.
We came to Bice because they had last-​minute large group reservations available on Open Table and are centrally located near the gaslamp. Parking is terrible if you have a later reservation on a weekend, but they do have a valet for I think $ 15 or $ 20 — same price as most of the lots nearby but ends at midnight. I believe the valet is off 4^th.
Food: We ordered appetizers to start — cheese and salami samplers, the tartare trio, prosciutto with burrata. The appetizers were all pretty good. My favorite was probably the cheese plate.
For my entrée, I ordered the branzino. It was okay — not too overcooked, but not cooked perfectly either. According to our waiter, it is one of their most popular dishes, but I have had better. The rest of my group ordered pastas. Everyone liked their dish more or less. I tried a few of the pastas and my favorite was the braised rabbit ravioli — I enjoyed that more than my own dish.
Service: Was not a fan of the service we received. Waiter had a weird demeanor when we asked him questions about the menu. He also kept pressuring us to order more, even when we had already expressed concern that we ordered too much food (we had recently eaten and definitely ordered more than enough — I didn’t even finish my entrée). Towards the end, we also felt a bit rushed to get out of there.
Overall, it was an okay dining experience. For the price, I expected the execution of the branzino to be top notch and the service to be better. But as a whole, I feel pretty neutral about Bice as a dining option in the gaslamp — not in any rush to come back, but I’d give them another try.

My wife and I made a reservation for Bice after buying a four-​course Chef Inspired Dinner for Two People with Wine Pairings on Groupon. $ 150 worth of food for $ 79. Sounded like a great deal… and it was!
Highlights:
* The Bread Basket
— Best bread basket I have EVER had. Period.
* Melon & Pineapple w/​Proscutto & Arugula
— Clean, vibrant. This is what fancy people eat!
* Braised Beef-​Stuffed Ravioli in wine sauce
— Rich & Creamy. I could bathe in this stuff. And I will.
* Beef Tenderloin with glazed vegetables
— Star of the show. Roll out the red carpet
Lowlights:
* Sea Bass Filet on Cedar Plank
— This was missing the citrus and was incredibly dry
* Calamarata di Gragnano w/​Fava & Huge Prawn
— This is a weird dish and did not taste good at all
Note: if you crack open the huge prawn, a bunch of ooze will spill out onto your fresh pasta-​filled plate. It’s quite revolting I assure you. Get two orders of the ravioli and thank me later.
Honorable Mentions:
* Shaved Octopus, Watercress & Tomato Zabajon
— Cute dish… but the octopus is not super flavorful
We had a wine pairing with each dish so prepare to get sloshed. Overall, Bice is very nice. I’d come back just for that bread basket and tenderloin. Wow. I think if you choose to dine here Groupon or not, you’ll have a great experience. Just be sure to tip on the original total and stay far far away from that giant prawn.

Came here for HH: Monday — Friday 5pm — 7pm.
Sat at the bar and the bartender, Derrick (oops sorry if I forgot your name), but he was very nice. Very attentive and also chit chatted with my friend and I. (I asked for restaurant recommendations etc.)
Food:
Fried Calamari and Zucchini, Spicy Tomato Sauce
Fresh Ahi Tuna Tartar with Tomato, Lemon Dressing and Celery Root Sauce
Potato and Spinach Gnocchi, Creamy Gorogonzola Sauce
Blue Cheese «COTTON CANDY»
Signature BICE Lobster Crispy «Pizza»
We tore it up and washed it down with HH drinks.
All the dishes we ordered were delicious. The Ahi was fresh and I loved the Gnocchi. I definitely need to try different flavors of it.
Something that was interesting was the Blue Cheese Cotton Candy. See my picture: Squeeze the cotton candy all together and the cheese should be in the middle. Surprisingly, I liked it. It was a great combination.
Nice modern décor and chill ambiance.
I’m already planning on returning to have dinner here.