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Little Italy
Once home to San Diego's flourishing tuna fishing industry and generations of Italian families who made their living on the sea, Little Italy is a quaint and lively neighborhood filled with patio cafés, restaurants, pubs, art galleries, shops, hotels, and the beautiful Amici Park.
Hotels
The 68-room, Mediterranean-style La Pensione offers quaint accommodations along with a bistro, open-air courtyard and Italian restaurant.
Little Italy Inn is a boutique bed and breakfast with 23 rooms, each with its own style and décor.
The Porto Vista Hotel, with its Italian-inspired, playful imagery and iconic Mediterranean design, offers 190 guest rooms.
Restaurants
India Street is lined with several restaurants featuring cuisines of both Southern and Northern Italy, including Sicilian dishes served with a modern flair at Trattoria Fantastica and sophisticated Italian food with a cozy ambiance at Buon Appetito. Filippi’s Pizza Grotto features an old-fashioned Italian dining experience along with a delicatessen and market, which offers everything from prosciutto to mascarpone.
Caffe Italia offers street-side tables and a serene courtyard atrium along with paninis, salads and a wide selection of Italian gelato.
The menu at Extraordinary Desserts is an innovative melding of the owner’s classic French background and her experience in the tropics of Hawaii and Mexico.
Indigo Grill’s varied colorful motifs and cuisines of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Oaxaca, Mexico provide a unique dining experience.
At Anthology, a world-renowned chef creates California fresh masterpieces, while musicians set the rhythm in a state-of-the-art venue.
Nightlife
Since 1934, the Waterfront Bar & Grill has been a favorite local watering hole serving locally brewed ales and burgers.
British-owned and -operated British Princess Pub serves British and Irish beers, along with traditional pub fare such as fish and chips for patrons watching soccer and rugby via satellite TV.
Anthology is a contemporary version of the great supper clubs of the 30s and 40s. Nightly entertainment, which can be enjoyed on any of their three levels, includes some of the finest artists in the world in Jazz, Rock, Blues, Latin, Indie, Classical and Singer/Songwriter.
Shopping
The Kettner Art & Design District encompasses a group of retail shops and art galleries that feature grand selections of home furnishings and fashion accessories. Among its 21 shops is Mixture, featuring a young and fresh take on contemporary furniture, and India Street Antiques, offering affordable European dressers, armoires, cabinets, and other collectibles.
Italian-inspired retail includes colorful sconces and sparkling chandeliers at Simply Italian and elegant Italian ceramics and gifts at Bella Stanza.
Fir Street Shops is a block of colorful cottages housing stylish and unique boutiques, such as the Carol Gardyne Gallery, which offers designer scarves and jewelry.
Architectural Salvage is a haven of vintage home décor and accessories like antique drawer handles.
Arts & Culture
Art galleries include
Scott White Contemporary Art, which promotes the works of emerging and mid-career artists, and
Perry L. Meyer Fine Art, specializing in 18th-century art to contemporary works on paper.
Events
During the annual
Mission Federal Art Walk in April, guests enjoy a variety of art media displayed in outdoor venues, studios, galleries, and local businesses, along with live entertainment.
Every October is the Annual Festa, a traditional street festival with music, fine foods and specialty crafts.
Held the second Friday of every other month, Kettner Nights is a progressive evening event featuring art and design exhibitions in the Kettner Art & Design District.
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Dynamic Downtown San Diego
