Cardamom Cafe and Bakery Review

We knew Accursio from his previous restaurant and were very excited to try his new restaurant. We were not disappointed. The food was fabulous and inventive. But, aside from the delicious food, it s the warmth and enthusiasm of Acorsio that makes this a special experience. It s like eating in a Family Trattoria in Italy. We highly recommend it.

Really wonderful and personal service. Pasta is sublime, would recommend to anyone visiting San Diego or in the North Park area.

Staff was knowledgeable and accommodating about allergies. Cute atmosphere, although counter service was a little awkward. Had the vegan pesto with fresh penne and it was completely crave worthy.

Wow! I am completely amazed of the vision by Accursio Lota. This place has made its mark as an outstanding restaurant that provides over the counter service. Absolutely delicious entrees with unique varieties of beverages. Must dine, over and over.

We went to Cori with high expectations and were not disappointed. Every dish we tried was incredible. In particular the escargots were one of the best dishes I have ever had. It was a completely unique take on a dish almost always done there same way. My cavatelli was perfectly cooked and the ingredients were incredible balanced. And despite have opened this week the service was fantastic. Everyone was will educated on the menu and wine list and food came out in the perfect timing. The decor is perfect mid century and creates a comfortable space.T is a restaurant you should not miss!

Amazing food! The dishes are Not like anything I have tasted before ! This Restaurant is a must try!

Fabulous food and service.
Highly recommend.

A delightful new Italian restaurant! The pastas are great! I had the maccheroni with gamberi and pistachio pesto. Delicious and the shrimp were amazingly delicate. My friend had the ravioli al magro and she said it was one of the best she's ever had. The semifreddo was a great dessert to finish with. Service was friendly and attentive. Highly recommended!

Great food and hospitality, the kind of place that you have to keep coming back until you try everything then come back for more because everything is delicious. Treated like a friend when entering, genuine service and hospitality.

This place is wonderful! The food is extremely delicious and the service is super friendly. If you get a chance to add summer truffles - fits especially well with the cacio e pepe - you won't regret it. The lamb shank is buttery soft (special this week). The acclaimed chef is Sicilian and you can taste all the love for the Sicilian cuisine in those beautiful dishes. His family story is embedded in the restaurant (gorgeous hand drawn street maps from his home town on the wall) which makes the experience very personal.

As someone who has lived in Italy, I always have low expectations when trying Italian restaurants in the US. We ordered Cori Pastificio Trattoria via delivery and were so pleasantly surprised! The food was excellent and you can taste the authenticity in each plate :) We will be definitely be continuing to come back for great Italian food. Grazie!

Warm, friendly, family feel type restaurant with incredible food. Accursio and Corinne welcome you like you are family and leave you wanting to come back time and time again. Even our kids ask to go regularly they love the food so much and they are very hard to please! Accursio is an extremely talented chef, a must go!

Delicious, fresh traditional Sicilian food. The ravioli is especially tasty, with a light lemon butter sauce that perfectly balanced the slightly bitter greens inside the pasta. The owner is a neighbor, so it's especially nice to support a local.

This place is aight - and that's the problem - it's just aight. There are so many amazing options for Italian food in South Park. This one is casual dining - but is at the same price point as the other restaurants that are are a full-service restaurant. Food was OK. Portions were small. Selection of menu items was small. Service was very friendly. I had a positive dining experience here - but will likely not go back anytime soon, simply because there are too many better options in South Park.

Great wine selection. The chef/owner is from Italy and his passion for fresh, seasonal, cooking comes through in all the delicious dishes. We've had the spaghetti and meatballs, gnocchi, bruschetta, lots of mushroom dishes, summer truffles, and other pastas. Really can't do wrong. Servers are also friendly and the heat lamps on the patio work great.

I m Italian (born and raised in bologna) and Cori took me back to Italy for a meal. We had the lasagna, calamari, and the arancini, all A+. You can really taste that the chef is a real Italian. Delicious is an understatement, the attention to details is what surprised me the most. Can t wait to order again from Cori, keep up the great work. Grandissimi

Order at the door before you ve had chance to read the menu, restaurant prices at a self service style. We were expecting to go for a meal and only spent half an hour there - $70 for two dishes and wine. Ok for fast food American Italian but I expected a lot more service and flare. Food was ok

Delicious pasta and friendly service. Nice outdoor setup as well!

Very friendly staff. The chef is from Italy and is very respected. The food is delicious and very closely representative of the same dishes you would find in Italy, some that are difficult to find in the US. A casual environment and a good place for solo diners. You order at the counter and they bring you the food. But despite that, the quality is that of an elegant restaurant.

This place is phenomenal!! I have been twice and everything we ordered was beyond expectations. The chef made sure to deliver at least one of our courses and check in on us. The wine prices are great. This is my favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego

Very "gezellig" ( warm/cozy ) environment with outstanding small plate and balanced dishes. Great vegetarian options as well.

Best eggplant parmesan I've had in ages. The focaccia was delicious. Nice patio, dog friendly, very nice and knowledgeable servers. You can tell the chef has pride in their craft.

The atmosphere was casual and fun while the food was good but nothing really a standout. I love that they make their own gluten free pasta.

They have some teething issues but the food was delicious.

You know you landed in the right place when your server has a thick Italian accent and as you made your way through the restaurant all you could smell was the aroma of garlic. This place was phenomenal. Hats off the chef. I made it here for the last week of their summer specials. If you haven t gone yet try to make it in before it s over. Service was great and outdoor seating was shaded. The food is a 10/10. I ll let you decide for yourself but you won t be disappointed.

I'll admit, the order at the counter then eat thing made me skeptical. But after eating here, I'm a believer. A great casual place to dine with great prices and amazing people. The tiramisu was superb!

Fantastic Italian food that I truly enjoyed. I had an anchovy salad and butternut squash ravioli with duck sausage. The ravioli was in a triangular shape and definitely tasted freshly made and cooked in brown butter. And I generally like anchovies with that tangy taste on top of the salad greens. Love it. My husband had the fettuccine with pork sausage. He raved over them all night. My overall review rating is closer to 4.5 stars though, because food was good quality and tasty. I was just slightly disappointed with the slower service. Not enough staff members to cover all the tables. Other than that, I was pleased with my dinner.

The only Italian restaurant in San Diego that is truly *chef's kiss*. Please dine here and order off of their specials menu when you have the chance. It is seriously worth it.

The staff is awesome food is mostly good I've had two good dishes and one not so good I didn't care for the eggplant that was very squishy but the pasta dishes were excellent

My first experience in little Italy San Diego, fantastic service and food!

Food: Meh. Not great, not bad.
Service: Fast-Casual atmosphere so you pay at the counter, not traditional Italian restaurant service.

We had a great dinner start to finish.
Chef Arcursio is serving wonderful food.
Our first time here. We will return.

I had such a delicious dish, the catch of the day, the swordfish. It was soooo good, I actually finished the entire dish because it was alot for me. It came with roasted veggies & they were out of this world. The pasta was fabulous & would definitely recommend this place.

Excellent, excellent food! They make their own olive oil, balsamic, pasta in house.

Cori Pastifico Trattoria is wonderful! Situated in a walking area of North Park, the restaurant has the feel of a neighborhood, inviting, cozy place, with chef Accursio Lota welcoming customers and checking in at their tables. At first glance, the menu proposes familiar dishes (lasagna, ravioli, etc.) but Lota and his team take such obvious care in celebrating the ingredients they use that it truly feels like I was re-discovering ravioli (mmmh! the sage) or gnocchi (the chili really brought the dish together). The crudo in the antipasti offerings is a delight and I highly recommend the frittelle cacio e pepe. Judging by the reaction of my friend (who is from Milan), the frittelle managed to encapsulate warm memories of childhood. Comfort food brought to a brand new level and made by wonderful people! Yay!

The gnocchi made me feel at home at peace great experience the next big thing in San Diego!!

Awesome food. Had the meatballs appetizer, the ravioli, shrimp/ nettle/calabrese peppers, spelt cavatelli. Everything was fabulous. Very reasonable prices. All Sicilian wine list excellent! A bunch of my favorites from Planeta from Chef Accursio s hometown of Menfi in Sicily. Magnifico!!!!

I went with my family and had an absolutely delicious dinner. Our pastas were all fantastic! Their pistachio pesto was so flavorful and their crudo marinato was very fresh and balanced. The handmade pasta was cooked perfectly. Their vegan gelato was so creamy!
Great dinner, great ambiance, great restaurant! We will be happy to go back and try more.

Awesome, delicious, great outdoor seating accommodations. Perfect night for a date night, matched with chef Accursio s flavors

Delicious food and High Quality food! Top chef (Best Chef San Diego and Winner of Barilla Pasta Word Championship). A Gem in San Diego

Hand made pastas, fresh fish dishes. All by the Barilla Pasta World Champion!

Four of us dined at Cori for the first time tonight. All of us ordered a different pasta dish and everyone was blown away! You can taste the freshness of the pasta and the care that went into every last detail. The staff was incredibly attentive and welcoming and the owner even came by and chatted for a bit. We look forward to becoming regulars at Cori Pastificio Trattoria!