40 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!“

“We had such a great experience at Cosmos thanks to our amazing waitress, Rosie. She was so friendly, thoughtful, and truly went above and beyond. As a young mom herself, she completely understood what it’s like dining out with a toddler, she just got it. She brought out our son’s food early, brought to-go boxes before we even asked (because with a toddler, you’re always on borrowed time!), and made us feel so comfortable and cared for. It’s rare to have someone anticipate your needs so naturally. We left saying, “That’s how customer service should always be.” Rosie was absolutely lovely and turned what could’ve been a stressful dinner into such an enjoyable one. We will be coming back more frequently.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Amazing!

Looking to get dinner with my wife and I was hungry for Italian food, at a place where pizza isn’t their main dish. Theres no place around that we’ve been to that was amazing, so I turned to Google maps to find a new place, which is how we found Tutto Famiglia.
We headed down and it looked pretty bland front m the outside. The signage said “Italian Food” where the biz name would normally go, and the space was pretty small.
From the moment we got inspected de though, the service was very attentive, the place was pretty busy for a random Thursday night and the menu looked tasty.
My wife got the salmon and I the quattro Formagio pasta. Both were Delicious! They brought fresh bread while we waited for our minestrone soup and those both were perfect.
Service was on point with immediately removing dishes we were done with, food was hot and steamy, flavoring was better than what I could have possibly expected and I am so happy that we ventured out.

We will absolutely be returning and I’m so happy to have found this gem!!!“

“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 😍“

“I had an amazing dining experience at Trattoria Trullo Cucina Italiana! The food was absolutely delicious — authentic flavors, beautifully presented, and full of that true Italian warmth. But the highlight of the evening was our wonderful waitress, Aurora. She was attentive, friendly, and made us feel completely at home. Her kindness and professionalism turned a great meal into a perfect one. Highly recommend this place — and if you’re lucky, ask for Aurora! 🍝🍷🇮🇹“

“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! 😘“

“pasta , lasagna very friendly polite and helpful waiter“

“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.“

“Bricco has a wonderful outside dining area and a happy hour EVERY day (Monday-Sunday) from 4-5:30 where you can find really good prices on several items. We arrived early for this visit, which is why I rated the “value” for *this visit as “excellent.” If you like a spicy marinara, we highly recommend their arrabiata sauce - and insider tip: you can order it over any pasta you'd like, without all the seafood that it's served with in the entree version on the menu.“

“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.“

“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 prices. Especially the alcohol prices. your bill isn't half alcohol cost.“

“Best place for local Italian! Highly recommended...“

“We have often enjoyed Mangia Bene - it is good food, good garlic bread toasts to start and a decent wine list and menu. The service could have been a little better last night. He got our orders to us correctly, but no additional effort - he seemed annoyed that we did want parmesan on our entrees, and didn't offer to substitute anything (when I ordered my risotto without the sausage) as other servers had in previous visits. When asked, our server stated that only one of the desserts was made in house, which I don't believe is accurate. Anyway, a decent , upbeat neighborhood place to meet friends for dinner.“

“fromTexas the best pizza i ever had😎“

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

“A simple local neighborhood, family-run italian restaurant. Excellent A+ service. Warm bread was great, fresh green salad, and custom pizza. We were delighted with the warm welcome and yummy dishes. Will be back to try some more! Molto bene!“

“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.“

“This place is gold. If you haven’t tried Olive Garden yet, you’re missing out! GO right now. Seriously!

Our waiter Josh was the best I’ve ever met in this industry. Not only was he positive and brought a friendly atmosphere, but he was also prompt and incredibly helpful while being respectful and polite. It made my day and my whole dining experience so pleasant.

I can’t stop smiling because this level of service is RARE! Like I said, gold!!!!

The food? ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! I recommend the Lasagna, the Zupatoscana soup, and a sweet iced tea. There are so many tasty options, all for a very fair price.

The food will be better than what you’ll get at a 5-star luxury million dollar restaurant. It’s that good.

This is not a sponsored review. I just wanted to share my intensely brilliant and fantastic experience at this location!“

“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.“

“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“

“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“

“I absolutely love The Bistro K. They have the best staff who have been there a while and the owner and her family are the best! A great breakfast menu makes it a perfect place to start the day. The lunch & dinner menu will keep you coming back. They have a long history in the restaurant business and it shows in every meal. It was a real pleasure to see Tony there when we were there in April. Very sorry we missed Katia- such a wonder host and just a delight to meet.

You can’t beat the prices either. I wanted to order everything on the menu!

So much fun to watch customers come in and be greeted as old friends and family. Everyone has a table at The Bistro K ❤️

5 stars all the way.“

“Iris, the owner and the main man in the kitchen are nothing short of awesome. Happy hour rules, food is great, and the best service. Love this place and I encourage everyone to come try at least twice.

By far the best place in MV for beers and a game. Kids will have fun too!“

“Excellent service. Great pizza and pasta.“

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

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

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

“For the first time since I've been going to Villa Roma, which has been about 15 years, the noise level was unbearable. I had to ask Juan on our waiter to lower the amplifiers. Everybody was shouting. No one could talk we couldn't hear and I was very disappointed about that it did get better I think after one you know pay attention to it and I'm grateful for that but what we love about Villa Roma is that when you go there for a nice dinner and it's always a nice dinner that the music is in the background it's not in the forefront but Friday night it was not good so I hope in the future that that can be corrected. Thank you“

“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!!!“