50 Best Italian Restaurants near Laguna Niguel

“What a fabulous place. Went there to celebrate mutual birthdays with my BFF. I loved everything about this restaurant. Our bartender was fabulous, our meal, Branzino.. delicious, eye appealing, beautiful presentation and enough to split We met the owner who spent ample time with us as we asked questions about his journey opening the location, his background and the concept/vision for the restaurant and we met the GM. I loved the ambiance, open and welcoming and they have a mercado with authentic product. Next time I'm going to the pizza bar with some more birthday girls!“

“My family and I went to Bricco on Valentine's day and had the best experience. We did not make reservations because we are having construction done at our home and we did not know if the workers were going to leave in time for us to go out to dinner. When we arrived at Bricco they were booked with reservations (as expected on Vday), but they were so kind and brought out a beautiful folding table and chairs on the side and made us feel so welcome. I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and hospitality that day. The entire staff was amazing and the food was absolutely delicious. Bricco is our favorite Italian restaurant in Orange County! The homemade dessert was also delicious and the portions are generous. Great food and great people!“

“Great food and prices. Especially the alcohol prices. your bill isn't half alcohol cost.“

“We have been dining at Mangia Bene for over a decade and it has been a great experience for us. Food has always been consistently good and full bar service also is one of the highlights. We are very pleased with the hospitality. I give thumbs up!“

“12/7/22. In town for a seminar and this restaurant was recommended. Excellent pizza and excellent price. I'll return Friday and grab lunch again on my way home to San Diego!“

“Best pasta place ever! The garlic cheese balls are to die for. Only 3 or 4 tables, but it reminds me of the Italian restaurant s back in the day. With red table cloths and food cooked to order. We ordered our go to Penne Bella Roma with extra sauce, so creamy, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and chicken. Been going there for years quality unchanged. Wanted the antipasto salad, but weren’t sure if we’d have room. Food was served PDQ with crusty garlic bread and excellent service. Sandwiches and pizza is great too. Recommend this place for lunch or even an early dinner since they are open until 9;30.“

“Food was outstanding. Pirtions big enough to share. Wait staff was very helpful and supportive. Only downside was noise level, especially on Friday and Saturday night when they have live music.

Kid-friendliness: Not really a restaurant for children.“

“New Yorkers here...

Best Meatballs (by far)
Best Lasagna (by far)
Best Pinwheels
Best Mozzarella and Ricotta
Pretty good overall on pasta dishes we've tried
Best calzones (though expensive and recently under-filled)

Nice they have pizza by the slice, overall very good NY style pizza. The crust is very decent, but not the best available in the area (again, for NY style). Pretty sure they still use Polly-O Ricotta and import their mozzarella, which makes a big difference.

Highly recommend along specifics above!“

“Just ate here today for the first time and the pizza was amazing!! I ordered the bbq chicken and my friend got pepperoni. The crust was insanely delicious and crispy! Cheese to toppings ratio was on point! The mozzarella cheese sticks were also very good! And to top it all off, the customer service was 💯!! Highly recommend!!“

“Second visit to Limoncello and want to say the food is excellent in every way. Last night I had Arugula salad (very lemony dressing), the Risotto (outstanding) and chocolate gelato which was VERY chocolate. Topped with a nice wine. All Excellent. As for atmosphere, lots of large parties there last night celebrating Christmas and birthdays so was quite noisy, but 'tis the season. Highly recommend Limoncello. Food and service are excellent and above average. Menu is extensive with very different and interesting options. If they would have served a shot of Limoncello after dinner I would have thought I was dining in Italy.“

“My fiance and I adore this place. We have become regulars , we dine here every weekend with our kiddos or our border collie, Arlow.
The staff is amazing, especially Sean! Everyone comes over to say hi to us and our puppy. The service is quick, food is delicious. Please please try Gianas!“

“So bummed we only now discovered this gem. Service was top shelf…….seriously outstanding. Food was really solid, the lasagna is the best around according to my wife. They also do the IG worthy pasta in the block of cheese. Not my best pics, but check them out.“

“A real family owned and operated gem. Vinny and his dad (the chef) are great. His side pasta w garlic and olive oil is amazing. I usually get the veal piccata and my wife the chicken marsala. Both are great. In general he makes the best sauces. The deserts are yummy too. Give them a try. You will be delighted.“

“What a great place to eat, talk, and enjoy, food made fresh when ordered, the atmosphere reminded me of Sunday dinner, with family and friends. I would highly recommend this gem.“

“Great food! Great service! Never disappoints!“

“Took my cousin and her son to Jack's this evening. We all had never been, and being beach town residents, we gave it a try. Orange Roughy for me with the spinach and mash, Rainbow trout and Ravioli for remaining dishes. All outstanding! One dessert (pictured) which tastes even better than it looks. Waiters were punctual and fantastic. A great dining experience. Recommended 5 stars.“

“Excellent experience! Excellent food! Excellent service! Fantastic little owner owned/operated Northern Italian cuisine restaurant. We will return!“

“I stumbled upon this delightful Italian restaurant while visiting the area, and I’m so glad I did! It can be a challenge to find a truly great Italian spot in the Valley or I.E., but this place exceeded my expectations. From the moment I walked in, the service was outstanding. The maître d, manager, head waiter (all in one)—was attentive and engaging, checking in on us throughout our meal. It felt more like a warm, family-run establishment than a typical restaurant, with staff and regular patrons sharing hugs and laughter.
The complimentary salsa served with the bread was an interesting twist—I appreciated the cucumber base, but being a traditionalist, I usually prefer simply good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. At first, I thought it was pesto, but it had a unique flavor that prompted us to inquire about its ingredients.
While the food was delicious, I did feel that the portions could have been a bit larger for the price, and the salsa accompaniment with the calamari didn’t quite hit the mark for me. However, the true star of the meal was the sauce—it was absolutely fantastic, with no complaints whatsoever.
Overall, I had a lovely experience with great service, a warm ambiance, and delicious food. I would definitely recommend giving this place a try if you’re in town!“

“The restaurant also has complimentary bread 🥖 with olive oil.“

“Absolutely amazing we like the Marguerite, Cheese and the PMS pepperoni mushroom and sausage Gluten-free the fabulous antipasto salad all so worth it. Just eat my leftovers 😍“

“Great vibes and crew. Food has great variety (large or small portions) and service is quick and efficient. I bring friends and family days and nights when we want frssh Italian meals away from home.“

“they always change their menu. we drive down here from irvine to find out what we like ismt on the menu today its only on the menu on certain days we asked the server when is it on the menu and he didnt know. We won't be back. how hard is it to keep the menu the same? I can see lunch and dinner menus but changin the dinner menus all the time?“

“Wonderful, memorable experience. Food is always excellent with a vast array of tasty dishes. The service was incredible and attentive. Always a pleasure to dine here and partake of consistently great food and to receive world class customer service.“

“We tried the Chicken Marsala, Lobster Ravioli and Gnocchi in VodkaSauce along with the Piccolino dinner salad and Tiramisu. All was magnifico! 😘“

“Always have had a great experience here, and I have going here for over 40 years!!!“

“I stumbled upon this area unexpectedly and decided to explore. This restaurant was open and it looked very elegant and clean. There was plenty of seating outside and I liked that the soup ? of the day was cream of broccoli. I decided to enjoy a bow and it was delicious ?. It was creamy but you could still savor chunks of broccoli. It hit the spot! For some reason, it took a long time for my order to arrive. The staff was professional and cordial. I wish there were more than 1 Italian red wine available. I enjoyed a nice glass of Californian Pinot Noir.
I thought prices were average and the happy hour offers discounts.
You can get a little view if the Pacific Coast I'd you sit outside facing West.
I would definitely come back.“

“Tasty, delicious food every time. They are consistent. I especially like their house salad with ranch dressing, free pizza bread, garlic bread, chicken parmigiana pasta with meat sauce. These are my faves here. I love their pizza too.“

“A wonderful find. My wife and I had a wonderful dining experience at Sabatinos Italian Bistro this evening. Our server Frederico was professional and quite personable. We started our dinner with two glasses of wine and the bruchetta. The Talbot Chardonnay and the Dry Creek Cabernet were both excellent choices. My wife ordered the eggplant gnocchi, which she loved, and I had the sausage and pepper rigatoni. Both dishes were excellent. The service, food, and ambiance were quite authentic and enjoyable. We spoke with Frederico, who is the ultimate professional, and decided to order a side of meatballs to go as well. This was our first time at Sabatinos, and this restaurant is definitely worth a visit. Ask for Frederico as he is the ultimate professional. Highly Recommended.“

“Had a great meal and wine with friends. We did have to ask for olive oil and vinegar after they brought us the wonderful rosemary bread, but hey, no biggie. Otherwise, service was great!!“

“Javier, the manager delivered the most amazing food last night for a thank you dinner for my Catechists. I highly recommend Alza Italian Kitchen. Every thing was superb…. Thank you!“

“Best place for local Italian! Highly recommended...“

“This restaurant is a hidden gem. The food is incredible, the service is amazing, and we love the live piano music. There are so many restaurants in the area to choose from, but we find ourselves always choosing Luxe.“

“fromTexas the best pizza i ever had😎“

“DELICIOUS !!! food and wonderful people“

“Excellent restaurant and bar, with a wine room and a good selection of various wines. They have a surf andturf special on Tuesdays consisting of steak and lobster tail that is very reasonably priced and quite tasty. The service is excellent.“

“Karaoke ? night worth Peggie Perkins was a hoot. Not only is she a fun KJ, she's one heck of a singer in her own right. Is come in just to hear her sing!

Dietary restrictions: I'm Celiac and they were knowledgeable and courteous about helping navigate the menu.

Kid-friendliness: This is definitely a family place.

Wheelchair accessibility: From what I could tell it's very WC accessible.“

“Great food and service. Was very impressed to see all workers wearing gloves and masks. Other restaurants need to follow your example. These are uncertain times and every precaution is necessary. I want to help support local businesses but if they don't protect both staff and workers, I won't be back. Kudos to you Guichos!❤“

“Wonderful experience. Spectacular food. Amazing one time service. Friendly people. Boyfriend Joshua Ream took me here, the place is amazing. Their desserts are to die for.“

“tienen buena comidas un ambiente limpio y agradable se los recomiendo“

“Nice place - horrible service. We became that forgotten table of 2. Nothing was done without us asking from the bread service which they never finished to getting drinks. When someone came but they through the item on the table and walked off. No asking about empty drinks or taking no longer needed plates. The manager finally came over at the end and comped a desert. We were not looking for that, we had given up by then. The food was great!“

“Me gustó mucho el servicio atendieron rápido, personal amable y sirvieron muy rápido y sobre todo la comida muy rica thanks.“

“UPDATED from today's visit on 3/30/25
Exceptional service from Josh at our table. He was so friendly, efficient, and accommodating!
The GM, Milton, was a saving grace to correct my error I created during self checkout. He adjusted the entire bill to utilize my gift card and refund my credit card. Thanks for your time and concern for full resolution....Fantastico 🤗

Server was super friendly... Food was typical for olive garden“

“Wonderful food great service, and amazing vibe and the singer…omg I have no words how to express how much I love the singer in the pianist, I had a wonderful time“

“My wife & I had dinner here. I had the small pizza & she had the eggplant parmesan. Both was very good. The bread was amazing. I love the decor & atmosphere...Italian vibe. Great customer service and the prices were very reasonable. I would definitely recommend this family owned place since 1976. ??“

“The best Italian food in Orange County. Happy hour is great! Best Casanova’s martinis.“

“Excellent food , wine and desert and great service. Can’t wait to go back.,we are from New York and we know what good Italian food is !! 🇮🇹“

“You can see your pizza being made. The servers are very good, and the food is excellent. I was with a group and we had several different types of pizza, appetizers, and salads. My fave was the Vampire!! The zucchini chips were to die for!“

“Sooooo fabulous!! Been coming here since the 90’s!!!“

“Their wine dinners are incredible!“

“Best food ever! Have never ever been disappointed. All the staff and the owners are truly good to all of the customers. Definitely one of our favorite places.“