41 Best Italian Restaurants near Rancho Santa Margarita

“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?“

“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!“

“Great food, and awesome service!“

“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 !! 🇮🇹“

“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.“

“Great spot! Parking can be a little tricky in the front when it’s crowded, so I recommend parking behind the restaurant—it makes things much easier.

The food was delicious, and you should definitely ask about the specials. I had the focaccia sandwich special and it was so good I finished it pretty quickly. Even the desserts were impressive—the picture I included was taken within the first minute of it hitting the table because we couldn’t wait to dig in.

I would absolutely come back again. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but worth it for the quality and experience 😅“

“The service here is great they make sure your drinks are full and they are very friendly. I love lasagna but this was just ok! I’ll have to try something different next time. Also the bruschetta was just OK. Guess I’m a little spoiled because My daughter makes it so good. I’ll definitely be back to try another dish!“

“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!“

“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 😍“

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

“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.“

“fromTexas the best pizza i ever had😎“

“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.“

“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 !“

“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.“

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

“This resteraunt is near my sister, and she loves it the people, the food and the Bar! I have been there a few times now and I love their garlic bread that is free appetizers. Every meal has been great so far! The last meal I shared with my wife was Blackened Salmon with Mash and Asparagus and a salad!“

“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!“

“The staff was excellent.
The Manager was a Jerk .
We came to get the special but found out it ended a day before.
He the manager acted like he didn't give a crap.
Fire the manager worst
attitude ever.
Great food and service otherwise“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 ❤️“

“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 !!!“

“Hands down one of the best pizza locations in Orange County. I have tried pizza everywhere, but nothing beats the freshness and ingredients that are used here in Bella Roma. You can tell that the owner carefully sources all of his ingredients and products to give us the best tasting pizzas, salads, and pastas! Thank you Bella Roma, I will be coming more frequently.
Trevor“

“Our family celebrated my birthday at Bistro K. The calamari appetizer was very good, I had the halibut and it was delicious. The star of the entire meal was the slice of coconut cake they served for my birthday treat. It was amazing - moist and delectable with a perfect whipped cream frosting loaded with coconut. I’m definitely ordering the cake next time I’m there. Yummy!“

“Visited the El Segundo store. Outstanding pizza. As good as the best pizza I’ve had in NYC. (I’ve had a lot of NYC Pizza) Staff are really friendly and the manager goes above and beyond to make sure every customer is happy. Highly recommend.“

“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“

“Excellent service. Great pizza and pasta.“

“Best pizza in town!! I can recommend Cicero‘s any day!“

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

“You can get confused as the market and restaurant are next to each other, but separate. The staff were very friendly, I recommend the house sangria. The mix of Italian and Argentinian food worked surprisingly well. The food feels like comfort, and the portions are large.“

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

“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!“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely delicious!
We dined in and had an outstanding experience at Pizza Castello. The food was fresh, flavorful, and generously portioned. The cheesy meatball sandwich was perfectly toasted and loaded with melted cheese and herbs—comfort food at its best. We also tried a few dessert pizzas, and they were truly unique. The Nutella and pistachio combinations were indulgent without being overly sweet, and the crust was light yet crisp.

The service was friendly and efficient, and the casual atmosphere made it a relaxing place to enjoy a meal. It’s clear that attention to detail goes into every dish, from preparation to presentation.

We’ll definitely be back. Highly recommended!!!“