24 Best Italian Restaurants in Costa Mesa

“This is my favorite restaurant! I loved it back when it was on Bristol, but I have been back to the new Red Hill location twice now and it is even more of a special dining experience. Massimo has come out to explain the history of the wine and food and the sources of his ingredients. He tells wonderful stories with a great sense of humor, and his daughter who helps serve is also very knowledgeable and delightful. I feel transported and hosted in a way I have never experienced in a restaurant. The food is amazing. The fresh handmade pasta melts in your mouth. We have eaten every dessert and they are all spectacular. Every wine and appetizer we have tried has been extraordinary. I couldn't recommend this place more.“

“IL Dolce Ristorante is truly a hidden gem. As a vegetarian and someone who is very particular about food quality, I was delighted by every dish we ordered. The pizza, gnocchi, and fried squash blossoms were exceptional. The pizza dough was light and flavorful, and the quality of the olive oil and cheeses was evident in every bite. Best of all, everything was fresh, authentic, and easy on our sensitive stomachs.

What makes this restaurant even more special is the owner, who is genuinely kind, passionate, and attentive. He takes the time to explain the menu and ingredients in detail, making the dining experience feel personal and welcoming.

The desserts were equally outstanding—the tiramisu and sfogliatella were fresh, delicious, and the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

I am so happy to have found a restaurant that combines exceptional food, elegant ambiance, and genuine hospitality. I will definitely be returning often and highly recommend IL Dolce Ristorante to anyone looking for an authentic, classy Italian dining experience.“

“Fresh homemade pasta. Lovely atmosphere and excellent service 😍“

“Delicious Italian cuisine! Stylish interior of the Restaurant!“

“amazing food! fungi pasta was out of this world!“

“Been going here for over 30 years 😲. Tortellini Pesto is my family’s favorite. If we go even close we make a point of eating here, or will order a large catering pan full to take home to Riverside county Mark and Julie have created a great and memorable place to eat“

“The food is fantastic, the staff is attentive and Thursday nights they have a comedy show that was hilarious. Definitely coming back!“

“Really enjoyed a great breakfast here polite hostess and the food was absolutely delicious“

“What a GEM of a restaurant located in a small strip center. Also includes an Italian market with fantastic prepared Italian meals ready to heat and eat. Our server could not have been more accommodating and attentive. Food was delicious and generous portions. Would highly recommend for families or date night.“

“Highly recommend their spicy rigatoni with vodka sauce. Was very surprised how good it was. Salmon was excellently made. Needs more flavor but had a good amount of crisp and softness. Some areas were reallly soft, but you can ask how you want your salmon. It was good with their cilantro sauce. The pizza was good, but just okay, got the asaka style too. Loved the dip that it came with, but nothing special. Japanese eggplant was delicious. Had a surprising crisp to it and it was veryy good. Got the cheesy toast bc I thought it was the crispy parm, but it was still really good! Wasn’t a fan of their seasoning, but that cheese pull and softness of the bread was great! Seasoning I think was rosemary bc I hate rosemary lol. Tiramisu is a MUST. It was warm, perfect balance of sweetness and moist! Great service!!! Really sweet and attentive!“

“Great customer service! Placed an order over the phone for pick up. Spicy Rigatoni ADD chicken. Lemon Ricotta Ravioli ADD Shrimp. Out of this world. Better than Mama Ds and Maggianos! Artichoke appetizer perfectly executed. Will come back again.“

“We were visiting a nearby restaurant but stopped here as the other one had crazy wait. This turned out to be a nice little surprise.

They are a bit disoriented with their management though. We struggled to find a table and service was highly lacking - it was chaotic to be precise. This place has a cute ambience and it can do better with efficient management.

However, once we got the table and were able to place our order, everything fell in place. The food was tasty , a lot better than I expected. The pinsas that we got were both very good. The Gnocchi pasta was also to the point.

They have nice dessert options as well , we got the gelato sampler(nice and cute) and the Tiramisu (OK).

Overall - A Good Experience !“

“This is my go to place 😁“

“Staff was super friendly, service was quick, and the food was great. fresh large portions. highly recommended putting it in your dining rotation.“

“absolutely delicious food!“

“Best Pizza in SoCal if you ask me.“

“This is an amazing place to eat. The owner is very attentive and sweet. You can truly see she cares about her business and it's ingredients. She makes everything fresh including the mayo nothing is store bought. The sandwiches are appetizing and have a very unique flavor. Had the pleasure of meeting the owner and talking to her love her concept everything she stands for and listening to her journey on how this business came to be makes me so happy to support this business. Thank you so much“

“I can’t believe what I thought I was eating before was pizza! Such fresh ingredients, I felt I was eating direct from the garden. Even the plentiful cheese tasted super fresh. Make note that this excellent pie takes time to make. You can rush perfection. Be patient and have a beer on tap!“

“The food is definitely better in Hawaii 😬
We tried the tacos our super sweet waitress recommended, and they were actually really good, super crispy and different from anything I’ve had before.
I got the mushroom ravioli, and it just wasn’t it… the pasta was thick and you couldn’t taste the mushrooms at all. My husband ordered a burger and said it was fine, but honestly, he thinks Burger King tastes better.
The woman who took care of us was amazing super friendly, warm, and really attentive. I’m giving it 4 stars just because of the staff.“

“altl the food is awesome!“

“Fantastic place Great food and atmosphere“

“This was my first visit. I ordered the sausage and pepper sandwich. It was great. I will definitely be coming back.“

“Victor I cannot tell you how much it meant to us that you would go so above and beyond to accommodate our favorite soup
What an amazing experience , thank you to Chef Miriam as well
You made us feel so loved
We absolutely loved the balsamic mix you made us with the fresh baked bread
Would drive down from San Diego any time for this kind of amazing service“

“Always the best experience here, the team treats us so well, the ambiance and especially food is so great!! Thanks to Brenda for the recommendations. We had the Honey Bear pizza, garlic ginger wings & the farmhouse trio with broccolini topped w bread crumbs, charred snap peas with Greek yogurt w cilantro chimi churri (my favorite 😋) & the house salad. Thanks again to the team, this is why we keep coming back.“