Casanova Ristorante

This is a great restaurant with amazing food and ambiance. The staff are friendly and had a beautiful birthday balloon setup for our friend who was celebrating her 89 birthday, very thoughtful

This neighborhood favorite has an excellent menu. Their service is excellent. I highly recommend their happy hour appetizers and wine choices.

I have been going to Casanova for years and this time , it just felt different. Still ok, just not as good as in the past.

Beyond embarrassed to say I have lived in Mission Viejo and San Clemente for over 25 years and have never stopped in to try Casanova Ristorante. What a mistake because this place is a gem! Also, I typically don't do the review thing, but after spending the course of over two hours experiencing this awesome restaurant with my wife, I felt the need to publicly thank them and let others know how good they are. From the moment we walked in, to the moment we left, we felt like family. Carla was our server and I cannot praise her enough. She was slammed with several other large party tables, but she took the time to smile, be warm and personable and graciously offer suggestions - she also took great care and genuine concern for my wife as she is allergic to any food containing egg. A lot of the time I'll contact the restaurant in advance so we don't bother the staff, but I failed to do so this time. We didn't get any eye rolls or huffs, and Carla made us feel absolutely validated and had no reservation to take care of us - which included her having to contact the chef on a few occasions to confirm dishes. Once dialed in, we ended up ordering a few cocktails, followed by the mozzarella caprese, lasagne al forno, chicken piccata, accompanied by a fantastic chianti and house merlot. So, needless to say, we dug in. After the first bite, I looked at my wife and she looked at me. SPEECHLESS! This was so damn good! (My ma was second generation Italian from New Jersey - she knew what was good and I can say, she woulda quit cooking if she ate here). I raved to Carla how good this food was several times - so she brought out the chef, Gabe. Kid you not, we sat and chatted with him for 10 minutes. He took the time to explain everything is freshly made by hand, usually the day of, with quality ingredients. Gabe was super friendly and completely understood the challenge folks have who have allergies. He also explained how we can order in the future for other items that may pose a problem. (For instance, there are some items they can prepare with olive oil instead of butter). Anyway, I'm rambling a bit, but I just want to be real and honest. Ultimately, these guys get it: wonderful hospitality, in an awesome environment (dimly lit dinner lamps in a very lush, romantic dining room with jazz music in the background) and absolutely jaw-dropping, mouth-watering dishes. Wrapping this up: don't be like us and wait to go there. GO NOW! We are heading back as soon as we can and we're bringing friends! Casanova's - Carla, Gabe and Omar - you guys made our night with amazing service and stellar food - thank you for helping us forget about life for awhile. By the way, my wife is telling me to add - the Espresso Martini's are the best she's ever had! and she's had a lot! :)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food is excellent.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Casanova's never disappoints! Our group of four shared a pizza and some apps, along with wine and cocktails. Great service, never rushed, and the chef even stopped by. It's our go-to in Dana Point.

Everyone in our party of 4 thoroughly enjoyed the dinner. Food was excellent and served hot. Minor issue was a long wait for the server to pick up our checks and credit cards after the meal. Overall great dining experience.

Casanova Ristorante is one of our favorite restaurants in the south OC. Each generously sized dish is prepared with care and is seasoned to perfection. The homemade focaccia bread is delicious! The service is genuine and friendly by all the staff. This is a rare experience. I like to recognize Raquel for exceptional service.

We live in the neighborhood. The restaurant has changed ownership two times I am aware. Still has amazing food, however, menu has changed. Some classics remain, Other favorites are gone. Another note, since Covid, the prices have gone up a lot. One thing that changed besides condensed menu and larger prices, you get one complementary bread basket. If you want more, you have to pay. Not a huge deal breaker, but it sucks. No oil and vinegar on the table they pour it for you and what if that's not how you like it. No salt and pepper on the table either, have to ask multiple times. New owners, changed the classic feel. That's sad. But probably corporate and not small family restaurant that it used to be.

Great food and wonderful service. A nice neighborhood feel to this restaurant. Will continue to come here.

Casanova is an intimate old fashioned dining experience. The Italian menu is extensive with generous drinks and courteous servers. We love the ambience of the bar with its cozy booths. Very authentic Italian cuisine in generous proportions. A definite thumbs up!

We have been enjoying this restaurant since Nik was the owner. Those were great times. Excellent food, inviting atmosphere, great music and service. Last night was probably the last time we'll visit. The menu has changed so much. Our family favorites are no longer in existence — lobster ravioli, seafood risotto and pork chop nicola. The restaurant was hot, stuffy and silent — no music. So long, old friend

I've been to Casanova about 4-5 times in the past. The food was delicious and our waitress was outstanding. Usually it's very quiet. Tonight it was quite busy, probably because of the Ohana concert later that night. Despite the hustle and bustle, we still were able to chat with our waitress, who was charming. The linguine and clams and chicken picata were delicious and ample enough that we got to bring some home.

Food was terrific. Raquel is a phenomenal asset to Casanova! Everything is taken care at exactly the right moment! Thank you, Raquel!

Bartender is rude
Food kind of sucks but the rude old person serving makes it miserable 😔