50 Best Italian Restaurants near Lake Forest

“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.“

“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!“

“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 !!!“

“The pizza and spaghetti and meatballs was AMAZING! So delicious! 😊😋🥰🍕🇮🇹“

“I've eaten at a few Amecis over the decades, but the pizza I picked up from this location, was far and away the best one I've ever had from them. As a matter of fact, we were looking for a new pizza place and the family all loved the pizzas I picked up, so I think we've found our new pizza place!“

“Sal’s is a class A establishment. I messed up my order (grandma pie with breadcrumb and onion + sausage pinwheel and cannoli + black and white cookies) I ordered for pick up when it should have been delivery. The owner delivered the order himself. The grandma pie was on point and the sausage pinwheel was right! Waiting to taste the desert but im sure it will be great. Thank you Sal’s“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“The food was so great! The waiter was so attentive. We had lots left over. And desert to go.“

“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?“

“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!!“

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

“Simply over the top! That’s a wrap“

“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 😍“

“pasta , lasagna very friendly polite and helpful waiter“

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

“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.“

“Italian Express has great food and even better service. It's a great local family owned Italian restaurant. All of the typical foods are awesome - pizzas, pastas, etc - but also try their spicy wings and their garlic knots!!“

“Olive Garden is always a nice treat and I've had good experiences every time I've eaten at this location! On my most recent visit our server Justin was very attentive and great about bringing over drinks, breadsticks, and refills quickly. Modifications were remembered perfectly, and everyone left the meal satisfied.“

“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.“

“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.“

“fromTexas the best pizza i ever had😎“

“Just love this place!! This past week our group was there for an early dinner and we were treated with such great customer service. Our server, Taylor, was so attentive and friendly and quick to respond to any of our requests. The food was so good and the ambiance was lovely.“

“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 !“

“Great food, and awesome service!“

“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.“

“Great food, great service, and great entertainment, especially the sax and guitar duo (Dave Rivera and Saxophone ONE)!“

“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!“

“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.“

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

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

“Amazing place for a delicious, fresh and healthy lunch.
Their food tastes great and their prices is amazingly affordable during their lunch specials. They have a different plate for every day and their pizza is really good. We found it when we were looking for some pasta for a friend and we immediately got the reference from other Google reviewers. We are happy for finding another good family owned restaurant.“

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

“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!“

“Amazing menu, excellent atmosphere. We truly enjoy meeting here for our lunch gatherings!“

“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 !! 🇮🇹“

“I absolutely love Piadina. The food is consistently excellent and the quality of the ingredients is outstanding. My parents live abroad, and every time they visit, this is one of their favorite places to eat — it’s honestly one of the healthiest and highest-quality options we can find.

I was also very happy to see that you recently added a premium, high-quality steak to the menu. It’s a great addition and fits perfectly with the quality standards of the restaurant.

The only challenge I’ve encountered is with online ordering. At the moment, the steak option is not available online (only brisket appears), and the platform mainly offers “add-ons” but doesn’t allow for easy substitutions or removals. There’s also no option to request no dressing, which makes it harder to customize orders.

Because I truly love this place and order from here often, I’d love to see some improvements in the online menu — more flexibility with substitutions, removals, and full access to the in-store menu items. I believe this would make ordering even more efficient and enjoyable for customers.

Thank you for the amazing food and for maintaining such high standards. I’ll definitely keep coming back!“

“Amazing food, atmosphere and service!
I highly recommend this Italian food spot. Their portions are a really great size and prices are great!
They have a wine Wednesday with 50% off all their bottled wine 🍷 Madilyn was such a great server :)“

“Their wine dinners are incredible!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“We went for the first time yesterday before Pageant of the Masters. We were in a hurry for reasons out of our control, and they were great about getting our food out in time to enjoy on their front patio with a nice bottle of Italian red wine. They have umbrellas and heat lamps, but we didn't need them; the weather was perfect. I'm vegan so I ordered the Capellini al Pomodoro, but substituted it with the spicy sauce from the Rigatoni Arrabbiata. It was SO good. My husband had the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, and that was also delicious. The other dish ordered was the Pesto Gnocchi, also so good! Every other place on Forest had at least an hour wait, but after all, it was a Saturday evening during the Festival of Arts. Thankfully someone recommended Salerno. We're definitely going back. Price spent reflects the wine. Next time, I'll try to make a reservation just in case!“

“Our go to spot in Laguna for the past few years. The Burrata & Truffles pizza is heaven on Earth. The crust is a complex symphony of tastebud-tingling delightfulness. These guys and gals know dough. Great location and friendly service too.“

“The food was excellent! I will definitely return.“

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

“What makes an excellent pizza? A great foundation: dough, sauce, and cheese. Coastline nails all three. The crust is sourdough, perfectly chewy with real character. The tomato sauce is zesty without being too salty. And it’s all topped with cheese that melts beautifully across every slice. If you want a great pizza, this is probably the best in the area.

We started with the coastal chopped salad, which was the perfect opener and a great preview of the pizza to come.

The service is top notch and everyone is genuinely friendly. At one point I was waiting at the bar for a beer that was actively being poured, and a staff member still came over to check if I needed help. A great touch that says a lot about how they run the place. Even better for beer fans: all their drafts come in schooner size.

Bottom line: if you like pizza and beer, this place is a must-visit. Coastline Pizza is our new default for pizza night.“

“We tried your pizza tonight and we love it!! Three different pizzas and they were all perfect. We will definitely be ordering from here again ❤️“