We had a reservation for 13 on Saturday, October 25th at 8:00 PM to celebrate a 60th birthday and had a wonderful evening at Molo. Although we waited about 30 minutes to be seated, the team quickly made it right — the manager graciously sent over some wine, which was a lovely gesture. Once we were settled on the patio, the experience was excellent.
Our server Valentino was outstanding — professional, attentive, and spot-on with his recommendations. The citrus avocado salad and calamari were fresh and delicious, and the Orecchiette and Penne Vodka were flavorful and perfectly cooked. The patio ambiance was warm and inviting, ideal for our celebration.
Overall, Molo delivered a memorable dining experience — great food, great service, and great atmosphere. Highly recommend for any special occasion in Newport Beach!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Debbie Penko
It’s a great restaurant- sit outside if you can. Atmosphere is nicer outside. Service was attentive and helpful. Our pasta was good- sausage dish is still the best. It’s the old Sabatino sausage recipe. If you ask- you can buy a frozen pack to take home.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Catherine Jean-Couture
Everything we ate was delicious - the beef tartar (comes on toast), the citrus avocado salad and the cacio and pepe were all great, as was the bottle of barolo. Recommend if you're in the area
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Maria L
The food was delicious, the place is beautiful, and Nicola Crudo was amazing with us! 5 stars and more!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeffrey Ward
Ong most amazing dish I have ever had…and I’m Italian. Molo is the real deal. Get the Orechetti with mushroom and sausage. Melts in your mouth so tasty
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Keith Thai
We came here a birthday celebration. The atmosphere of the place was great, inviting. Our servers were friendly and attentive. The standout dish was the branzino fish dish of the day! It was an impressive big fish that serves at least 4 people. However, the execution was average. Other dishes we tried were a little above average but no dish really standout. The bread in particular were very meh. It was also on the expensive side. We would come back for the ambience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Michael de Virgilio
Incredible food and atmosphere. The trofie al pesto felt like it was straight from Liguria.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
roostahktchn M
Let go directly to the points:
1. Ceasar salad: 3/5 - was good and typical but nothing special overall. 2. - like naan or Turkish flat bread or just flat bread, good but not special. 3. Garlic bread:3/5 - just typical garlic bread. 4. Fried calamari:5/5 - super good, the coating is so light like tempura, the calamari is cooked perfectly, tender. 5. Pizza Alla - good but not great, similar to Neapolitan-style but not so puffy and crispy for American liking. Flavors are abit bland other than when biting on sausage. 6. Linguine all Aragosta:4/5 - was very good, nice balanced of tomato brightness, taste, and flavors. 7. Brazino Isolana:3/5- good but not great. It is $250 for the fish. Fresh but needs some salt. I would add some more flavors to balance the fishiness with citrusy and some herbal (lemon or capers or dill or fennel etc...) 8. Spaghetti Vongole:3/5 - good but not great. Needs abit more garlic, some crushed pepper, and white wines to give abit citrusy for the amount of Spaghetti. 9. -good but not knocking my socks off. 10. Panna cotta with mixed berry sauce: 3/5 - ok. The texture is not set or abit firm like real pana cotta, it is spongy with tapioca pearls. The berry sauce is not tart and sweet to balance the amount of pana cotta mouse. 11. Banana and chocolate tart:3/5 - good but can get tired after a few of bites... 12. Sporcamuss:3/5- good but not so great. I would serve with lemon cream or custard and drizzle with berry sauce or compote.
Service was good. The staff changed our plates but forgot serveware so I had to ask.
It was a good experience but didn't live up to my expectations. Very expensive for what you pay for.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Nelann Gorman
We went there mid afternoon & our experience was the best! The food perfection! Service, our waiter Martein was superb. The omniscience , sat outdoors was absolutely beautiful.Such a great experience, can’t wait to go back!!
The food was delicious!! The pasta and deserts were fantastic and were full of flavor. The burrata and pesto gnocchi specifically were to die for. Everyone was so nice and the atmosphere was cozy! 100% recommend!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mia Brown
This place was amazing! Great food, amazing drinks, and great speedy service! Never felt rushed but such an amazing dinning experience overall, great team!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Rowlands
THE BEST! Food, service, atmosphere all amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
M A S
Delightful Italian restaurant—a little off the beaten path—but definitely worth the extra two minutes of travel and searching to find. Molo offers indoor dining as well as outdoor dining on a large and bright patio with its own walkway. Service was attentive, friendly, and helpful. Fennel, arugula, and fava bean salad was light and refreshing—have had this twice. My friend had mushroom risotto and thought it was the best. I had a pasta ragu; the pasta and sauce was yummy although the meat seemed overcooked and lacked moisture. Mushroom pizza (without cheese) was yummy—good sauce and nice crust. Green beans side dish also good. Roasted potatoes were disappointing—skinless, cold, and mushy like Italian tater tots—they weren’t bad, just very mushy.
Definitely look forward to returning here and trying other dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Emmett Towey
This is actually one of the best Italian dinners I have had on the entire west coast. Food was great and as authentic as I have had in SoCal
Everything was amazing!🤩 The food, the attention and the desserts. I would come again, and again and again, 100000/10. Also, try the limoncello sorbet flute, it's amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a reservation for 13 on Saturday, October 25th at 8:00 PM to celebrate a 60th birthday and had a wonderful evening at Molo. Although we waited about 30 minutes to be seated, the team quickly made it right — the manager graciously sent over some wine, which was a lovely gesture. Once we were settled on the patio, the experience was excellent.
Our server Valentino was outstanding — professional, attentive, and spot-on with his recommendations. The citrus avocado salad and calamari were fresh and delicious, and the Orecchiette and Penne Vodka were flavorful and perfectly cooked. The patio ambiance was warm and inviting, ideal for our celebration.
Overall, Molo delivered a memorable dining experience — great food, great service, and great atmosphere. Highly recommend for any special occasion in Newport Beach!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s a great restaurant- sit outside if you can. Atmosphere is nicer outside. Service was attentive and helpful. Our pasta was good- sausage dish is still the best. It’s the old Sabatino sausage recipe. If you ask- you can buy a frozen pack to take home.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Everything we ate was delicious - the beef tartar (comes on toast), the citrus avocado salad and the cacio and pepe were all great, as was the bottle of barolo. Recommend if you're in the area
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
The food was delicious, the place is beautiful, and Nicola Crudo was amazing with us! 5 stars and more!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ong most amazing dish I have ever had…and I’m Italian. Molo is the real deal. Get the Orechetti with mushroom and sausage. Melts in your mouth so tasty
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We came here a birthday celebration. The atmosphere of the place was great, inviting. Our servers were friendly and attentive. The standout dish was the branzino fish dish of the day! It was an impressive big fish that serves at least 4 people. However, the execution was average. Other dishes we tried were a little above average but no dish really standout. The bread in particular were very meh. It was also on the expensive side. We would come back for the ambience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Incredible food and atmosphere. The trofie al pesto felt like it was straight from Liguria.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Let go directly to the points:
1. Ceasar salad: 3/5 - was good and typical but nothing special overall.
2. - like naan or Turkish flat bread or just flat bread, good but not special.
3. Garlic bread:3/5 - just typical garlic bread.
4. Fried calamari:5/5 - super good, the coating is so light like tempura, the calamari is cooked perfectly, tender.
5. Pizza Alla - good but not great, similar to Neapolitan-style but not so puffy and crispy for American liking. Flavors are abit bland other than when biting on sausage.
6. Linguine all Aragosta:4/5 - was very good, nice balanced of tomato brightness, taste, and flavors.
7. Brazino Isolana:3/5- good but not great. It is $250 for the fish. Fresh but needs some salt. I would add some more flavors to balance the fishiness with citrusy and some herbal (lemon or capers or dill or fennel etc...)
8. Spaghetti Vongole:3/5 - good but not great. Needs abit more garlic, some crushed pepper, and white wines to give abit citrusy for the amount of Spaghetti.
9. -good but not knocking my socks off.
10. Panna cotta with mixed berry sauce: 3/5 - ok. The texture is not set or abit firm like real pana cotta, it is spongy with tapioca pearls. The berry sauce is not tart and sweet to balance the amount of pana cotta mouse.
11. Banana and chocolate tart:3/5 - good but can get tired after a few of bites...
12. Sporcamuss:3/5- good but not so great. I would serve with lemon cream or custard and drizzle with berry sauce or compote.
Service was good. The staff changed our plates but forgot serveware so I had to ask.
It was a good experience but didn't live up to my expectations. Very expensive for what you pay for.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
We went there mid afternoon & our experience was the best! The food perfection!
Service, our waiter Martein was superb. The omniscience , sat outdoors was absolutely beautiful.Such a great experience, can’t wait to go back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was delicious!! The pasta and deserts were fantastic and were full of flavor. The burrata and pesto gnocchi specifically were to die for. Everyone was so nice and the atmosphere was cozy! 100% recommend!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was amazing! Great food, amazing drinks, and great speedy service! Never felt rushed but such an amazing dinning experience overall, great team!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
THE BEST! Food, service, atmosphere all amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delightful Italian restaurant—a little off the beaten path—but definitely worth the extra two minutes of travel and searching to find.
Molo offers indoor dining as well as outdoor dining on a large and bright patio with its own walkway.
Service was attentive, friendly, and helpful.
Fennel, arugula, and fava bean salad was light and refreshing—have had this twice.
My friend had mushroom risotto and thought it was the best.
I had a pasta ragu; the pasta and sauce was yummy although the meat seemed overcooked and lacked moisture.
Mushroom pizza (without cheese) was yummy—good sauce and nice crust.
Green beans side dish also good.
Roasted potatoes were disappointing—skinless, cold, and mushy like Italian tater tots—they weren’t bad, just very mushy.
Definitely look forward to returning here and trying other dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
This is actually one of the best Italian dinners I have had on the entire west coast. Food was great and as authentic as I have had in SoCal
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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