Even though I have been to this restaurant before (many a time), it’s a restaurant week menu (check out the menu here: http://www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com/restaurants/davanti-enoteca-in-del-mar ) so I had to review.
Love this place, have for a while now, so it’s not a stretch to imagine that I would be there when I can get a discount! LOL
Overall Rating: 10
This rating is on a scale of 1-10 and here are my thoughts:
1. Parking – Davanti is located at the Carmel Highlands mall, therefore parking is just what it is. You will fight for parking from time to time, but we went there for lunch around 11am, so parking was not bad at all.
2. Atmosphere – Very nice décor (however, I have been there in the summer heat and it can get HOT). They have a most amazing “bloody mary bar” and it is definitely worth trying. I love it. Nice Italian feel with the décor and I like that half of the restaurant is inside and the other half is “outside” but the outside area is actually covered with glass windows, so you are still protected from the elements for the most part.
3. Service – So we went to lunch for a friend’s birthday AND went with a friend of mine “V” who is like a BEYOND regular there. That being the case, service was even MORE amazing than usual. It’s always been good, but our server (I think he may be an owner or manager, but at any rate, he’s so sweet!) was SO good. Attentive, charming and so accommodating. Even threw in a free piece of birthday cake and a song. LOVE.
4. Food/Portions – Portions were enormous and food was just as delicious as always. If you go, get the focaccia bread with fresh honeycomb. HEAVEN! I had the Davanti Burger & the Butternut Squash salad from the RW menu with a beer. All in all, there was nothing I didn’t love…other than the feeling of inevitable uncomfortableness since I ALWAYS eat too much when I go to Davanti. The free birthday cake was DIVINE .. some wonderful soft white cake on a bed of tangy/sweet lemon concoction and all of it topped with fresh blueberries, served on a chilled plate. Perfect after dinner sweet and with three of us to share it, we still didn’t eat all of the cake.
Would I go back? Oh yes, as I have so many times before. Love this place and have nothing but wonderful experiences and memories there.
Davanti Enoteca
Italian
Price (on a scale of $-$$$): $$
12955 El Camino Real- Suite G3
San Diego, CA 92130
http://davantidelmar.com/
DreamerSD 