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!“

“Had a great V day dinner...all the food here is SO good! We had garlic bread, Caesar with anchovies, sausage/onion pizza and the special strawberry ice cream dessert. All excellent. Service was great overall and Grace did a great job for us! Thanks and we will be back.“

“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!“

“Nice place for happy hour margaritas and appetizers. They give you free garlic bread and the happy hours specials were good. Friendly staff that always kept my water glass full. There’s sports on the TVs and lots of pastas and pizzas on the menu. Parking is your typical strip mall kind of thing.“

“After living in the area for ~20 years I finally discovered Bella Roma last year and my only complaint is I wish I knew about it sooner!! This place is loverly. Been around for a long time and for good reason. The staff are friendly and welcoming and clearly care about their craft. The food is always flavorful and always fresh; I once ordered the eggplant appetizer for delivery and burnt my tongue! Not too badly though, I was still able to enjoy it :) Not much seating inside but you can certainly eat there if you want; I typically opt for takeout or delivery. Favorite items include the veggie pizza and chicken parmesan, but I’ve never been disappointed with anything on the menu.“

“Their happy hour is fantastic. They serve an amazing osso bucco, unfortunately it's rarely on the menu, but if you give them your email address, they will let you know when it's on the menu. They have a $20 corkage fee.“

“Seen this place for years and never stopped in. Been several times over the last year or so and it’s much more lively than you’d be lead to believe by appearances.

Happy hour is a great deal. Dog friendly patio is a plus but tight so leave the yappy dogs at home.

Had a number of different servers/assistants and they’ve all been super lovely.

Food is very consistent and delicious. Just has that good, locally owned je ne sais quoi.

Good lil haunt & will be frequenting“

“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.“

“honestly we were just craving italian and this place popped up. the moment we walked in it smelled so good i knew we were in for something special.

i got the lasagna and it was exactly what i wanted, super cheesy and hearty. my friend had the chicken parm and she said it was perfect even the pasta on the side was cooked right. the service was super friendly too our waiter was patient when we took forever to decide.

we sat outside and it was chill even on a busy night. the whole meal felt like a cozy sunday dinner at someones home.

already trying to figure out when i can go back and try the tiramisu.“

“We had a wonderful celebratory birthday dinner last night. The meal was outstanding and our server was the perfect balance of attentiveness and good humor. I had one of the evening's specials: grilled sea bass in beurre blanc—crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside. It was accompanied by perfectly prepared brocollini and potatoes. I couldn't resist the taramisu—always my favorite end to the meal. It was a delight!“

“Trattoria Trullo is a top-shelf modern Italian cuisine experience put together by a remarkable chef-owner. He has set a phenomenal bar for quality, service, ambiance, and, honestly, everything. I highly recommend trying the focaccia with the burrata. Suppose you've got a group of two or three people. The chef often updates the menu to keep it fresh and seasonal. Have fun trying all of the different dishes. There's a limited but outstanding selection of Italian, California, and beer wines. It's a great location for a romantic date, a refined family dinner, or a special occasion for a smaller group. I highly recommend that you make reservations a day or two in advance, or even earlier. There is plenty of parking. The best parking is behind the building. The indoor dining room is great. There's an outdoor covered patio area with space heaters that are comfortable on a cold, cold, windy, or rainy night. It's all tables and no booths, so it's not super private, but the tables are well spaced, and it works. I highly recommend you check out this restaurant!“

“The food was great! We had the beet salad... lots of beets ans great combination of vegetables. We also had the linguine, really good too! We tried a couple of bakery items that we enjoyed, also! Staff and service were great! They were pleasant and helpful!“

“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.“

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

“Great food! Great service! Never disappoints!“

“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?“

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

“We love BF. My wife has celiac and they have great Pizza and Pasta that she loves eating.
Tonight we got the artichoke appetizer with the gluten free Focacia bread. A great combo.
I had the Puttanesca noodles and it was good. It was missing the anchovies, but it was still flavorful and great.
My wife had the Cacio e Pepe with gluten free noodles and the noodle have an interesting shape and good texture. She loved it.
We will he back“

“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 😍“

“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.“

“pasta , lasagna very friendly polite and helpful waiter“

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

“Im a NYer and finding good pizza on the west coast is a challenge, but aPizza makes east coast style pizza that is thin crusted, crispy and delicious. Great service by friendly staff.“

“Everything we ordered was amazing. From appetizers to desserts, all perfect. Highly recommend this restaurant.“

“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!!“

“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.“

“First, time being here and everything was fantastic! My wife and I went for our anniversary. Great dinner all around. I had the Fusilloni with whole roasted garlic, bell peppers, onions, Italian sausage, and a tomato cream sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the sausage had great flavor, and the roasted garlic really brought everything together without overpowering the dish. My wife had the Branzino with cherry tomatoes, olive tapenade, and grilled vegetables. The fish was fresh, flaky, and cooked beautifully, and the vegetables were a perfect complement. Excellent service and a meal we'll definitely come back for.“

“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.“

“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!❤“

“I’ve been coming here for years and always like everything. They have a very clean kitchen and warm, friendly staff. Something that absolutely blew my mom and I away recently was the artichoke dip. Yum!! It is so fresh and delish!!“

“Had a nice evening at Dominicos on the lake this evening. My wife and I had reservations and were fortunate to ask Kory for a patio table which he accommodated. Michael took us to our table and was very kind and professional. Pedro came by with our bread and water and said hello. He is one of the hardest working individuals at the restaurant. Eddie our server came by and took our orders with a bottle of Austin Hope and bread to start. My wife ordered a chicken breast salad and I had the chef's special stroganoff which was amazing. Unfortunately my wife's salad came out 30 minutes after my stroganoff which was a cardinal sin in the restaurant business and we mentioned it was not acceptable. Eddie apologized and we also had Steven, the GM, come by and also apologize and ensure the salad would be out shortly. The salad was delivered, of course after I ate my entree and Steven dropped off and apologetic gift certificate for an appetizer during our next visit. We also ordered an additional beef stroganoff plus an order of meatballs to take home for tomorrow. We undertake things happen and it's certainly nice to see the restaurants busy again but a party of two receiving their entrees 30 minutes apart is not conducive with quality service. I am guessing the chef either misplaced the order or overlooked the obvious and we hope next time we will not have such issues as the restaurant is very good and in a fantastic location. Michael also came back around and stated he was concerned about this mishap and would look into this. As a retired government administrator and former restaurant manager in my college days I expect the simple things like entrees being delivered at the same time to be in sync with quality service and dining. We will be back and see if in fact this was an isolated incident. Good food and ambiance plus. As a writer for Trip Advisor, Yelp and Google I am graceful in my comments and specific in areas needed improvement. Thanks you.“

“fromTexas the best pizza i ever had😎“

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

“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!“

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

“Solid dishes at fair prices from this Italian mom and pop in Lake Forest. Is this the fanciest Italian place with a full bar and bougie vibes? No. Is it a family restaurant with generous portions and high quality flavors? Yes. This is particularly reflected in your price at this no frills establishment. The free bread was hot and fluffy, the appetizers nicely fried, and each entree or lunch portion was heaping. I loved my fettuccine Alfredo with anchovies. The sauce was, chef's kiss. Would love to come back!“

“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.“

“DELICIOUS !!! food and wonderful people“

“Great food, and awesome service!“

“Although staffing can be sparse from time to time, everyone is friendly, eager to make the experience a pleasant one, and focused on providing a quality meal . A real treasure for those of us fortunate enough to live in Nellie Gail Ranch !“

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

“Great place. Love the Beatles atmosphere. Great music playing.“

“I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Italy, and this is one of the few places where the pizza truly deserves to be called PIZZA!

The dough is perfect — light and airy with beautiful bubbles, and the balance between the crust and toppings is just right. It never gets soggy, and the crust isn’t too thick. What I especially love is that every pizza on the menu has its own distinct flavor and character. They don’t all taste like variations of the same thing.

I’ve tried pretty much every highly recommended pizza place in Orange County, including several featured in the Michelin Guide. But after trying them all, this pizzeria is still my favorite!“

“I’ve been a fan of Olive Garden for some time. Just the other week my parents and I were blessed to have Shelly as our server. WOW I would give more stars, if I could, because of her! She truly went above and beyond to make sure my parents and I were taken care of and got whatever we needed. She is SO sweet and funny. You’ll have an extra wonderful dinner with her as your server!“

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

“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.“

“We were visiting from Scotland, having previously lived in NYC for many years, and were desperate for a nice Italian meal like we used to get when we lived in the States. We could not have been more impressed with the food and the service, and made sure we got a second visit in before we returned to Scotland - I just wish we could have gone back a third time… and fourth !!!! Highly recommend !!!“

“We went here for a special birthday celebration. It is recommended to make reservations ahead of time. We last minute called and were able to get a reservation for 5. It is a nice candlelight ambiance. Food was delicious. We had ordered the osso, branzino fish with plate, and the steak. It was all delicious. When we sat down, it came with complimentary bread and marinated mushrooms. The veggies had celery in it which wasn’t my favorite“

“Food and service is excellent!“