50 Best Italian Restaurants near Lake Forest

“Great restaurant with a small, family feel. The food is amazing, and honestly at a steal of a price; the food is half as expensive and more than twice as delicious as other restaurants I've been to. I had the quatrro formaggio because I noticed gorgonzola on the ingredients list, and I loved every single bite! It was so nice to have a dish that put the gorgonzola flavor front-and-center, and the cream sauce was somehow light while still being packed full of flavor.
My wife had the lasagna, and it's easy to see why it's a favorite here. It cem out with the sauce still bubbling, and once she could dig in she described it as lightly sweet, a welcome change from some overly-acidic dishes at some other places.
The service was also impeccable, the staff was very friendly and welcoming and we felt very well attended-to. We came in about an hour or so before closing so there weren't many other customers, and we got our food impressively quickly.
Another note, if you are staying at any of the nearby hotels (specifically the row of hotels on Lake Center Drive) then this restaurant is extremely close, easily walkable if you want. It would make a convenient, delicious, and good-valued addition to your vacation.“

“Biagio’s is officially our new go-to pizza place! Everything about our experience was amazing — the food, the service, and the atmosphere.

It’s family-owned and operated, and you can genuinely feel that personal touch from the moment you walk in. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and the food was absolutely delicious.

What really made our visit special was how sweet they were with our son. They actually took him into the back to show him the kitchen and how everything works, and it completely made his day! It was such a thoughtful gesture and the kind of experience you just don’t get at a big chain.

Great food, great people, and a wonderful family atmosphere. We’re so happy we found Biagio’s and it is officially our new go-to pizza spot. We’ll definitely be 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! 😊😋🥰🍕🇮🇹“

“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“

“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!“

“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.“

“Simply over the top! That’s a wrap“

“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.“

“I had such a wonderful experience at Trattoria Trullo! Everyone was incredibly kind, welcoming, and accommodating to my party, and they truly made us feel so well taken care of. The food has such a delicious, homey and comforting feel—the spaghetti was amazing, the focaccia bread was so good, and the Hugo Spritz was the perfect drink to go with everything. I highly recommend this place not only for the quality of the food, but also for the exceptional service and genuine kindness of the staff. They made our experience feel special, and I’ll definitely be coming back!“

“Great food! Great service! Never disappoints!“

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

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

“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!!“

“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“

“The rennovated patio is perfect for nice dining experience. The food was delicious. The singer for the night was quite entertaining singing songs from Tony Orlando, Neil Diamond, Jimmy Buffet, Jim Croce to name a few and ended his set with Elvis songs, white suit and all.“

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

“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!!“

“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.“

“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.“

“fromTexas the best pizza i ever had😎“

“I am a challenging customer because I have been the food service profession for decades. I can look at an item and tell you if it came from SYSCO, US Foods, Restaurant Depot, or some other popular source…and my familiarity can adversely impact my dining experiences. I tend to be hypercritical of both the front & back of a restaurant (kitchen staff & servers) and this skepticism is magnified when I feel the need to be catered to. Yes…I’m that guy.

I have returned to Mangia Bene every time I need to impress someone or simply feel the need for great food and service that makes me feel catered to…even spoiled. They do not disappoint and Reggie manages the establishment with a watchful eye and hires very well. You can tell his staff enjoys working here and they value the patron. It’s a tightly run ship decorated with crystal, linen and amazing food that stuns the eye and pleases the taste buds. The bartenders are above average as well. They can make anything and everything and you can have it your way! A slightly dirty martini with enough olives you can call it a low-cal salad? No problem. We have never been served a bad drink here. Martinis come to you with ice crystals floating…not melted like “some places” who do not know better.

After a particularly brutal day, my wife & I needed a date night. We chose Mangia Bene and tried some new dishes. The appetizers were fabulous and generous…so much so we went straight to dessert afterwards because that was all we had room for. But we still ordered entrees to take home cuz great Italian food for breakfast is a wonderful thing! (New Yorkers are smiling as they read this).

If you are a tough customer…if you scrutinize things like the crystal stemware, the house wine selections, expect the perfect port wine served in a proper snifter, holding a quality steak knife and other fine touches that mean something, if you know when your server is providing the ideal level of service (not stopping to check on you too often or disappearing for too long) and seek a dining experience in elegant and comfortable surroundings, then do yourself a favor and go visit Mangia Bene on a day when you need to be treated right…or have a client you need to delight. Go ahead…book your table with absolute confidence. I have been dining here for decades and never once had a negative experience. Of course, unlike the 1-star review people I am not using DoorDash or complaining about the restaurant being packed because it is so popular. There’s an excellent reason for this. At Mangia Bene…they set the customer service bar so high…other restauranteurs need to charter a plane just to see it.“

“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.“

“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!!“

“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!“

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

“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!“

“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!“

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

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

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

“This what Michelin service should be! From beginning to end we were served and taken care of. Thank you to both the managers Brayden and Andrew who stepped in when it was busy. This is what management is expected of to be and you guys did not disappoint and all of the wait staff thank you so much for always taking care of us!“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“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!“

“We had a wonderful experience at Olive Garden! The food was delicious, everything was fresh, and the service was excellent from start to finish. A special thank you to our waitress, Lizzeth, who was absolutely fantastic! She was friendly, attentive, professional, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. Her warm and welcoming attitude really made our visit extra special.“

“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 !! 🇮🇹“

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

“Didn't look like much from the outside, but inside is very nice. The couples tables tho, are way too close together and so cluttered. There isn't enough room for your plate and drink.....but....food was delicious!

I had the halibut with mango salsa. OMG.... Delicious!! My bf had the shrimp n pasta. He said it was very good but the halibut was better. You absolutely need to try the beet salad. So many flavors. For dessert we had the lemon cheesecake. It was mouth watering.

Service was too rushed. I got my beet salad and 4 min later I received my dinner plate.

Even though there were a few hiccups, we did have a pleasant evening and we'll be back.“

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

“What a great place to have a meal! A beautuful restaurant with a lovely big patio, delicious food, homemade pasta's and excellent service! We had Lino and he was so personable and checked on us often. We highly recommend the whipped ricotta appetizer and all the food was delicious! We even tryied the Amaro and it was like a sweet desert wine, but great after dinner! Thank you!“

“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 ❤️“

“Love Neapolitan! Great service. Terrific selection. Our pizza was so tasty - crust and light sauce Yum! The Caprese Buratta was fresh and creamy. Fabulous, decadent dessert options. Very nice wine and beer list. Will return. Definitely recommend.“

“The best pizza in Orange County. I found them during COVID and was a client since then. I was devastated when they closed after fire, and continued ordering from them since they reopened. I live in Irvine, but I do not mind such a long drive, it’s worth it.“

“I've been fortunate to get to know the family behind Coastline Pizzeria through my work, and they're every bit as genuine and welcoming as you'd hope. They're passionate about what they do, and it shows in both the food and the experience.

I've also eaten here several times, and the pizza is outstanding. I especially appreciate that they use beef tallow instead of seed oils, make their crust with sourdough, and focus on high-quality ingredients. It's refreshing to find a family-owned restaurant that's committed to doing things the right way rather than the easy way.

Great food, great people, and a business that's easy to support. Highly recommend!“