Hidden GEM. My favorite Italian spot in Dana Point! Every dish is exceptional and service is incredible.

MUST TRY AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD!!! Vibes- 10/10 Service- 11/10 Execution- 100/10 If you haven't already tried Casanova get ready for your mind to be blown. Fom the carefully crafted drinks to the comforting food, you'll never want to leave. The service and mood lighting makes you feel like you're home. The dessert??? Affogato and Italian ice are a MUST! Everything was spot on and I can't wait to come back read more

Casanova Ristorante - Tiramisu - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

I ordered a pizza thru DoorDash on Tuesday night , October 20 It was the one with pancetta with mushrooms. Very fast , but undercooked, no wonder was fast . Please make sure your pizzas are cooked thru before give it to the delivery driver . I had to put it in the oven to finish what your cook didn't read more

Amazing food, ambiance and service! The meatballs are a must. Overall everything tasted fresh! I did have the pesto pasta but I forgot to take a picture because I was too busy enjoying it. You definitely can't go wrong with their drink menu too! read more

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Came here and tried the spicy rigatoni with chicken, and had to come back a week later for the same dish. Delicious!!! read more

Casanova Ristorante - Spicy rigatoni with chicken...amazing!!! - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

Casanova Ristorante has been in the same shopping center in Dana Point for decades and this was the first time I finally enjoyed their food. First off, it has a great vibe inside with large booths, a bar, and then on the other side more of a dining vibe, and an outdoor patio. I went on a Saturday night around 6:45 and there was plenty of seating available. We started with some complimentary focaccia with olive oil and balsamic, and then I ordered the cheese and spinach ravioli, that comes with a small side salad. My friend ordered the chicken Parmesan and I highly recommend. That one also comes with a baby side salad as well as broccolini and a small portion of delicious fettuccini Alfredo. It was quite the meal. We finished dinner with one of the best pieces of tiramisu I've ever had. The portion was huge, enough to have some left over for later. I wish I could remember our server's name...she was wonderful! Super friendly and helpful. She also gave great recommendations on what to order. Looking forward to coming back soon! read more

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We were in Laguna Nigel and our Son suggested this Italian restaurant. We made reservations and when we arrived we were seated immediately. Garlic bread was provided, olive oil and balsamic vinegar were already plated on the table and our server, Mario brought the wine we asked for quickly. What great service! The vibe was very chill and had a romantic feel with an Italian flair. I order the Carbonara and my wine was a Pinot Noir. Both were excellent! The Carbonara was rich and filling and the Pinot was so smooth, I wish I had ordered a bottle! All in all, this venue is a must visit for a romantic eventing. read more

Casanova Ristorante - Carbonara - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

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My wife and I and some friends stumbled upon Casanova Ristorante, it was a warm day by the ocean. Thank you for having AC! The food was great, Caesar salad, pasta, pizza. The ambiance of the restaurant was customers choice, nice bar area, a nice spot where you can see all the great food coming out of the kitchen. Lastly they offered outside, on a better weathered day, definitely. The service was great!! We will be back for the dessert!!!!!! Thank you all of Casanova Ristorante staff. Ps I wasn't upset at my pizza at all, I loved it! ;) read more

I had placed an order for take out. I was looking forward to eating my chicken fettuccine. As soon as I cut through the chicken, it was pink. I'm so disappointed I couldn't eat it. The linguine did not taste fresh, it might've been from the box. I also ordered 2 pepperoni pizzas and my husband and kids liked it. Unfortunately for me pizza is not what I wanted for dinner. read more

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The eggplant parmigiana melts in your mouth. My wife said the chicken Marsala was the best. Good service, nice atmosphere. We love it and always come back read more

Casanova Ristorante - Chicken Marsala - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

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I grew up at my Italian grandmother's stove. So trust me, I know eggplant Parmigiano, I've had it a hundred times, and it's almost never worth writing home about. But Casanova? They actually made me forget every other version I've ever had. The eggplant was thick, tender, not greasy, and that sauce, I don't know what they do, but it's got this depth that just hits different. And it wasn't just that. The rigatoni had that perfect bite, the kind you chase. Even the salad was shockingly fresh. But the real kicker? The espresso. I'm not one to rave about coffee after a meal, but this one was smooth, dark, no bitterness, just a perfect little punch to end the night. Look, I'm picky. Like, annoyingly picky. Italian food is my baseline, my comfort zone, my measuring stick. And this place cleared it with room to spare. The vibe is warm, the service feels genuine, and you leave feeling like you actually ate something made with care. Casanova is a gem. Plain and simple. If you're in the area and you love real Italian, not the glossy, overpriced kind, go. You won't regret it. read more

Casanova Ristorante - Special touches in every booth. - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Our go to girls night spot! The burrata is always a great start, the meatballs are amazing but the spicy rigatoni takes the cake. Drinks are always on point, I like the new Casanova martini or a dirty martini if I want to keep it classic. read more

Food was delicious! Great service- highly recommend for a cute date night spot. Spicy rigatoni was incredible and the Italian ice dessert is a must order! read more

The portions at this restaurant are outrageously misleading. They promote a buy-one-get-one-free deal for tiramisu, yet charge $14 for what is essentially a single tiramisu, cleverly divided into two pieces one larger and one smaller to deceive customers into thinking they are getting two separate desserts. This tactic is both disrespectful and dishonest, clearly taking advantage of people. The restaurant should be upfront about their offerings to maintain trust and integrity. read more

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Incredible customer service! We just moved to Dana point this month and on our first night we ordered the creamy mac n cheese with fried chicken (10/10 delicious!!) and then a week later my mother in law came to visit and we ordered here the gluten free version (she is celiac) well when we got the order she took a bite and it had bread crumbs on it. We called the restaurant to confirm and they were extremely apologetic, delivered a fresh new gluten free dish within 20 mins to our house and gave us a giftcard, I mean incredible customer service to turn that situation around! We just went in to the restaurant to eat and they are so friendly, and the creamy Mac did not disappoint!!! read more

Casanova Ristorante - Creamy Mac n cheese with fried chicken - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

Martini's used to be $8 at Happy Hour, $11. Doesn't make me as happy. Friday night the bartender was non attentive. I ordered bolognese pasta. Over 20 minutes went by and I pointed at my empty counter. He told me he put the order in. Another 5 minutes, food arrived. Not that good. I do really enjoy their eggplant Parmesan and the chicken Parmesan. Everything was off last night, it happens. read more

Casanova Ristorante - Lemon drop martini - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

We went to Casanova Ristorante on a Thursday evening around 6:00 PM to celebrate my wife's birthday, and the entire experience was absolutely amazing. From the moment we walked in, everything felt welcoming. Our waiter was awesome--attentive, friendly, and genuinely cared about making the night special. The owner even stopped by and was incredibly warm and personable, which really added to the experience. The food was super good. The Bianca Pizza and the Bolognese were straight-up bomb--fresh, flavorful, and perfectly executed. You can tell a lot of pride goes into the kitchen here. Great service, great food, great atmosphere, and a perfect spot for a special occasion. We can't wait to come back and try more items on the menu. Highly recommend! read more

Casanova Ristorante - Bianca Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

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This place is a local place and I'm a local. My wife and I have often gone there for martinis and appetizers, sat down for dinner, and ordered pizza to go to take home. You really can't beat their consistent and good food. My wife would always get the pink lady parentheses a creamy pasta with chicken, and I would always find myself wanting hers even though I enjoyed whatever I had ordered. If for nothing else, sit at the barn and have a martini it gets very busy and that tells you something. read more

Our neighborhood restaurant is absolutely terrific with excellent service and consistently delicious food. It's always a great date night and somewhere we often take people visiting us in South Orange County. I've had almost everything on the menu and have never been disappointed. It gets a solid 5 stars. read more

Found this place by complete accident and loved it so much. The waiter was friendly and super helpful. The food was amazing I had the scalps with a pesto pasta and my boyfriend had the carbonara and it was the best thing ever. The deserts were also really good but the crème brûlée was the best. Loved it there! read more

Do not order their marinara sauce unless you want your mouth to burn incessantly. The food tonight was awful. I ordered pasta with mushrooms and she gave me tons of bell peppers and broccolini stems. Why would anyone put green bell peppers in pasta? The sauce was awful and so spicy. read more

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This lovely gem is consistently on point with amazing food, amazing service... a little piece of Italy right here in Dana Point ! Great for special occasions as well as a delicious family meal, any day of the week! Want to add a special THANK YOU to Casanova for your community support and supporting Dana Hills Lacrosse! read more

Well forget my last review, went last night and the pizza was excellent! I was going to try the chicken parm or the chicken marsala but I just can't get by not ordering pizza. It was the best I have had in a long time. I had the pepperoni and added mushrooms and garlic. read more

We had such a great experience at Casanova Ristorante in Dana Point. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt warm and inviting -- the kind of place where you can settle in and really enjoy your meal. The food was fantastic and felt truly authentic. Every dish was beautifully prepared and full of flavor, and you can tell they care about the quality of the ingredients. We also loved the handcrafted cocktails and the wine list -- lots of great options whether you're in the mood for a classic Italian pairing or just a great glass of wine with dinner. Another highlight is their daily happy hour from 3:30-6pm, which is such a great excuse to stop in for drinks and a few bites before dinner. If you're looking for authentic Italian in Dana Point with great service, cocktails, and wine, Casanova Ristorante is absolutely worth a visit. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Came here on Halloween, was seated quickly. The server was nice and attentive. As soon as our water got low they were there refilling it! Awesome service! The restrooms were clean. The oil they use for the bread was so good. The shrimp was tasty and fresh. The sauce was not spicy at all. The mozzarella sticks were so good and cheesy. The egg plant was one of the best plates , so much flavor super delicious. && fulfilling. Calamari was good and fresh not chewy at all just prefect. Pizza was good not too thick on the bread and cheesy. The meatballs just melted in my mouth so good so soft, the sauce they use was not heavy at all. (No heart burn) I will say One of the best meatballs I have had in a long time. The only dish that I was not a fan of was the pink lady. The chicken was okay didn't really like the flavor the pasta kinda tasted old . But overall what a great restaurant! I will be returning to try more dishes. read more

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Great fresh twist on Italian. Fresh offerings and great service. Not your typical kids kind of place but tasty and unique. Food is next level read more

Cozy place with a welcoming atmosphere and tasty Italian food. The portions were good, and everything arrived fresh. The staff was polite and helpful. The experience was enjoyable overall, though there is a little room for improvement with the timing during busy hours. I'd be happy to visit again. read more

Hands down some of the best pizza I've ever had. The prosciutto, ricotta, and arugula pizza was outstanding, and the Margherita and pepperoni were just as amazing. So flavorful and perfectly done. Make sure to get a side of the creamy Italian to dip the crust in. Chef's kiss! read more

Casanova Ristorante - Prosciutto, Arugula, Ricotta - Bianca Pizza. - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

Looking for a cozy, romantic spot in Dana Point? Casanova Ristorante is must in South Orange County for a charming Italian aesthetic, rich pasta / pizza / antipasti and an incredible wine list. Whether you're inside soaking up the moody, wine bar aesthetic or enjoying the fresh air on the patio--every bite feels like a little trip to Italy. Oh and don't skip dessert!!! The crème brûlée is divine. read more

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Car weeek? Bust small portions! Slow slow and be ready to be seated in there front Patio. If you don't like butter or cheeese don't come here read more

I came to visit my son and his wife as they just moved to Dana Point. After a long day of unpacking we decided to get some take out. They told me to look and see if Casanova had anything gluten-free for me, because they had had a meal here and really liked it. They had a GF pasta so my son called it in and he ordered gluten-free pasta with a grilled chicken breast on top for me. He told the restaurant that it was a gluten allergy. We picked up the food and when I got it back to the house, I took my first bite and heard a little crunch I looked down and under the chicken breast were some breadcrumbs. We called the restaurant immediately and the owner or manager, i'm not sure which, was so apologetic and said he would remake the dish and deliver it to us. He showed up not 20 minutes later with a fresh made pasta and chicken apologized again and handed my son a gift card! We were all so impressed with the level of service, not to mention the food was delicious! Last night, we were trying to figure out dinner again and decided to go in and eat there and again the food and service was amazing! We will definitely be going back. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

We ordered takeout. We had it delivered by DoorDash. The DoorDash server was very good. His name is Kelvis. My husband and I enjoy Italian food. Being raised on the jersey coast in what is referred to sometimes as a little Italy, I know Italian food, both good and bad. This is good. We started with bruschetta, and shared a Casanova salad. We both ordered Godfather tortellini. The food was molto bene. I only recommendation would be to add packets of red pepper. I really enjoyed their balsamic vinegar. It was very thick very delicious and went very well with the bruschetta. This is the only Italian restaurant where we've dined in Dana point area, and I would recommend it if you're looking for italian. read more

This place has a lot of hit and miss on everything in my opinion. The hostess sat us and gave us one wine menu and one dinner menu. Which would be fine if I was solo dining but I wasn't. The decor is nice with big booths to sit in. The water tasted like refrigerated sink water. Didn't come with ice. Their free focaccia bread was absolutely delicious. Lots of herbs and salt on it. We were told it was fresh baked in house. You don't need the olive oil and balsamic vinegar that comes with it. When it was brought to our table the man immediately dumped a puddle of oil and vinegar on my bread plate without even asking if I wanted any and just said it was for the bread. I ordered the spinach and cheese ravioli. It's actually 6 pieces of cheese ravioli on top of spinach, burnt pine nuts and came soaking in a huge puddle of oil for $26. Got stomach pain soon after, even though I tried shaking most of the oil off prior to eating. Despite the grotesque amount of oil, the ravioli had a nice flavor to them. I tried eating a bit of the soggy spinach but the woody stems from the addition of some herbs was really off putting. $4+ per ravioli is not worth it. If the ravioli didn't come in a puddle of oil it would have been a wonderful dish. My husband got a basic pasta dish that he said was delicious but way over priced. The waitress was ok. Not planning on coming here again. read more

I returned from a month in Italy and wanted the same pasta with clams. Hoping it would compare, I headed to our local Italian restaurant Casanova's in Dana Point. Amazing!! Just like Italy! The ambience is nice as well as the service. We enjoyed a Best Friend BonVoyage dinner and lingered having wine and dessert. A wonderful evening. read more

Casanova Ristorante - Vongole! Excellent! Just like in Italy - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Amazing from start to finish. Leo is the absolute best! Give this man a raise and keep him! My family went in for dinner tonight we had delicious lemon raspberry drop martinis, a glass of Pinot- highly recommend. We then shared a pepperoni pizza (perfection) and the creamy rigatoni- sooo good! We ended the meal with a crème brûlée- so good!! Cant wait to come Back! read more

We were visiting Dana point for our anniversary and I looked up several restaurants. Casanova was the one we decided to visit. The restaurant is located in a little strip mall, but don't let that deter you from visiting... Once you enter, the atmosphere is very cozy. I loved that the servers and hostesses were dressed professionally in slacks, shirts and vests. Not leggings and jeans. I would like to suggest that the hostess wear black sneakers instead of white. Onto the food... The bread and soft flavored butter was superb. We had the clams, meatballs and eggplant and all were very, very good. Wonderful atmosphere and very good service. Not disappointed. read more

I have been going to Casanova's for over 12 years. Food was always good, service is awesome, but lately things have changed. I even asked our server if management had changed, no, same people in charge. They eliminated the included small salad, which was the perfect amount. Then the prices started going up. $29.00 for spaghetti with sauce??? $35.00 for short ribs and pasta ??? Ridiculous. Save your money and go to Fratello's , just one exit down the 5 . I don't work for either just a consistent customer looking for good food at reasonable prices. read more

What the hell is wrong with you people. It cost me an extra $3.00 for them to "Prep" my $14.00 Martini. Bring it to me and I will shake it on my own to save the $3.00. Isn't it part of giving me a drink is prepping it. Never again. read more

Casanova Ristorante - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

I hope this was a one off. Very disappointed in salad that comes with the meal. I know this might come as a shock but if you include a salad with the meal, please fill the small plate with lettuce. Paying $28 for pasta with chicken that includes a salad should have a decent amount of lettuce. Please improve this part of the meal and don't nickel and dime on an extra piece of bread for $4. read more

Casanova Ristorante - Side salad - Pizza Near Me - Dana Point, California

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We arrived early on Sunday evening when the restaurant was not busy hoping for a romantic evening to celebrate Valentine's Day weekend. We were drawn in by the white tablecloths in the photos, but there were none. We first had to return an empty water glass set on our table which was wet and covered with fingerprints. My wife ordered lamb chops well done, but one was medium well and the others were medium. She couldn't eat most of them. I ordered the Rigatoni Grande Pesto which was described in the menu as "rigatoni, scallops, basil pesto, pine nuts, lemon zest." Instead, it was a bowl of greasy oil and heavy cream drowning some rigatoni with 4 small scallops. The hollow rigatoni didn't help because they were filled with the viscous sauce. Even more concerning is that no dairy was disclosed on the menu, and I have a sensitivity to dairy products. I don't want to patronize a restaurant and spend $100 before tip where you have the awkward choice of trying to muddle through two substandard dishes or sending them back. Dining out should be enjoyable. read more