Pappalecco

1602 State St, San Diego, CA

★★★★★4.6(2,204 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

Pappalecco is a beloved Little Italy institution that's earned its stellar reputation through consistently excellent execution across the board, from meticulously crafted espresso drinks to their signature focaccia paninis and genuinely standout baked goods. The warm, patient staff and inviting atmosphere make it equally suited for a quick morning coffee run or a lingering breakfast, while their housemade gelato with creative flavor combinations adds an unexpected Italian touch that keeps regulars coming back for years.

What to expect

Espresso focusedFamily friendlyTraditional drinksSpecialty drinksLight foodQuick grabFull breakfastPastries

Google Reviews

Angie Gomez
★★★★★3 months ago

Literally the best food and service! Hasn’t changed for years! If anything it’s gotten better since I left. So glad to be in the area and trying out the Foccacia Pannini(what they are known for) and the Nonna custard!! 🍮 Delicious with every bite!!

Vipul Singh
★★★★★4 months ago

Went for a quick bite around 9am on a Wednesday in December. Staff was very friendly and service was quick. Loved the Santa art on my hot chai latte. Had a croissant too, and total came to 13 bucks, taxes and tips included. The place feels very cozy and cute.

Phyllis Rostykus
★★★★6 months ago

Lots of things on the menu, but the gelato was only sold in $7 cups that you could get up to three flavors. The girl serving our gelato wasn't used to doing the work and got it all over the outside of my cup and there was way more of the pistachio than the other two flavors I wanted. She was really trying, though, and was very eager to please. So I didn't lower the score that much because she was just inexperienced. There were so many flavors, and the ones with alcohol were rich with it. The Amaretto in the house special flavor was delicious as was the Marcala wine in the Tiramisu. The chocolate was rich with cocoa, and the Nutella had chunks of Nutella in it. The pistachio was too sweet and had no nut meats in it at all. I am too used to being able to choose sizes and for the more traditional gelatos to have more flavor and less sugar. I was not happy with that aspect of how the business was run. The bakery's items looked amazing, and I think this place is very proud of it's traditional roots. There was outside seating, and there was a very strong neighborhood presence.

Lauren Phipps
★★★★★7 months ago

The people helping us were so nice and patient as we tried to figure out what to get. We were looking for gelato our whole trip so we're excited to try this place. The flavors were perfect and the smooth texture of the gelato hit the spot. We ended up going back ans ordering rhe canoli as well ans were very happy with the shell and flavor of the filling. We went around 7:30pm on a weekday and it was pretty quiet around with nice relaxing out door seating.

Tiffany Street
★★★★★7 months ago

I’ve been going to Pappalecco for years. The baked goods are to die for and the selection of food is better and nicer than most of the restaurants and coffee shops nearby in Little Italy. Great stop before you hit the farmer’s market on Saturday mornings. Their espresso tastes really clean and they have a good deal of different syrup options for coffee. I HIGHLY recommend a stop here if you’re a local or just visiting the city. The frittata is so fluffy and the sweet breakfast toasts are really divine. I recommend the salmon croissant as well.

Crema Reviews

No Crema reviews yet

Been here? Be the first to leave a review in the app.

Write a review on iOS