About Us
A Sicilian family, a dream carried from Bagheria to San Diego, and a dining room they built with their own hands.
Italian Roots, Local Heart
Amuri was born from love — for family, for Sicily, and for the dream of building something meaningful far from home.
In 2020, Alessandra and Marco arrived in San Diego from a small Sicilian town called Bagheria. With hearts full of courage and a suitcase of dreams, they worked tirelessly in restaurants, always telling each other, “We work hard now, so one day we’ll work for ourselves.”
That dream came to life when Marco’s father, Joe — a construction worker for over thirty years — and Uncle Raimondo, a former restaurateur from Sicily, joined them. Soon after, fate brought back Simone, Marco’s childhood friend and a talented chef, who helped give shape to their vision: a modern Sicilian restaurant where every dish carries a story.
Together they created Amuri — Sicilian for love. Built with their own hands, Amuri became a place where people gather to share authentic flavors, warm hospitality, and a true sense of family.
What We Care About
Three things shape everything that leaves our kitchen.
Made By Hand
Pasta, sauces, breads and desserts are made in house. It is slower, and it is the only way we know how to cook.
Sicilian, Not Generic
Arancine, caponata, cannoli, Norma, grigliata siciliana — dishes from Bagheria, cooked the way they are cooked at home.
A Family Business
Two generations and lifelong friends run this room. The people who own Amuri are the people who greet you.
The People Behind Amuri
Alessandra and Marco — the couple who left Bagheria in 2020 and spent years working in other people’s restaurants before opening their own.
Joe — Marco’s father. Thirty-plus years as a construction worker, and the reason the dining room was built by hand rather than by contract.
Raimondo — Marco’s uncle and a former restaurateur in Sicily, who brought decades of hospitality experience to the project.
Simone — Marco’s childhood friend and the chef who shaped the menu into a modern Sicilian kitchen where every plate has a story behind it.
Authentic Sicilian Cuisine in San Diego
Our menu is inspired by the food we grew up eating and the traditions that bring families together around the table in Sicily.
Guests come to Amuri for authentic Sicilian and Italian cuisine in San Diego — handmade pasta, fresh seafood, Roman-style pinsa, traditional antipasti and recipes drawn from our family’s roots in Bagheria.
But authentic Italian dining is about more than the food. It is lingering at the table. Sharing pasta and wine. Celebrating birthdays and milestones. Welcoming someone as a guest and having them leave feeling like family. That is the experience we wanted to bring from Sicily to San Diego.
The Room
Hand-painted Amalfi murals, Sicilian ceramic tile, an open kitchen and a full bar — in the Canyon Hills Shopping Center on Mercy Road.
A Family-Owned Italian Restaurant in Mira Mesa
Today Amuri is proud to call Mira Mesa home, welcoming guests from Scripps Ranch, Rancho Peñasquitos, Miramar, Sabre Springs, Poway, Rancho Bernardo and communities across San Diego.
Whether you visit for handmade pasta, a romantic Italian date night, lunch with friends, happy hour, a family dinner or a special celebration, we want every visit to feel personal.
Because Amuri is not simply the name above our door. It is why we opened it.
From our family to yours, welcome to Amuri.
Come Sit With Us
Open every day, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday evenings.