23 Best Italian Restaurants in Costa Mesa

“Il Dolce never disappoints. Every single bite is delicious, and the team behind it is just as great as the food — warm, welcoming, and genuinely happy to see you. Fernanda has built something special on Harbor and 19th. Go hungry.“

“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.“

“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“

“Came across this restaurant somehow. So I have decided to give it a try. It’s a small, cozy restaurant. Surprisingly food was good, and the restaurant very generous with the bottomless mimosa on a Sunday brunch. The champagne pour into the glass till it’s almost full. Leave only a little bit room to add the juice of your choice which was pineapple, guava, orange juice I forgot 1 more with just $19.99. It’s so cheap compare to other restaurants that offer bottomless mimosa starting at least $22 and up. Our server Gustavo was very nice, very attentive. There’s some parking in front and there are some in the back. I was there at 12pm so I found it ok. Not difficult at all. Not sure about dinner time. They do offer dinner menu as well on a Sunday brunch if you are interested you can ask for both menu to decide. For us, we ordered everything on dinner menu. lol.“

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

“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.“

“Maybe the best Italian food we've had outside of Italy. Our server Hector was charming and accommodating. He invited (required) us to taste several wines before deciding on a bottle. Overall great experience and the walk to OC Amphitheater was a breeze. Highly recommend this establishment.“

“absolutely delicious food!“

“Best Pizza in SoCal if you ask me.“

“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!“

“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“

“Most authentic Italian food from the Florence region. Family owned, friendly atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating where you can bring your furry friends. The food is amazing, the deserts are plentiful and fresh while the Gelato & sorbet are delicious. Part of the Camp/Lab anti-mall with good shopping. We usually go here once a week.“

“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“

“Whenever I’m at South Coast Plaza, I often come to this Quattro Cafe. I’ve been here many times, but this is actually my first time leaving a review.

This time, we ordered the pepperoni pizza, beef lasagna, and seafood pasta. Honestly, the pizza was just okay. If you asked me if I would order it again next time, probably not. My son actually wanted pizza, which is why we came here today, but even he said the pizza wasn’t that great and ended up liking the beef lasagna much more.

The beef lasagna was really good, and the seafood pasta was definitely my favorite. It had a little bit of a spicy kick, just enough to give it some heat, and it was really flavorful.

I’ve tried different dishes here on my previous visits, and overall, the food has always been good. I would definitely come back—I'd just skip the pizza next time!“

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

“Delicious and a huge fan!! Their pizzas were recommended to us by a friend and couldn’t agree more, fantastic experience. We’ve been trying their Honey Bear and the traditional pepperoni and the margherita pizza. The dough is a perfect chewy stretchy thin texture and complement the pizza ingredients really well. My favorite seem to be the pizza with anything ricotta. Tried the sauced one too that has their pesto, marinara and another cream sauce I believe, but while it is tasty, definitely gravitate to the hot honey Honey Bear and pepperoni pizzas.“