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    Pizzeria Irene

    4.5 (237 reviews)
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    Pizzeria Irene Reservations

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    PIZZERIA IRENE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Intimate

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    Recommended Reviews - Pizzeria Irene

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    Cynthia M.

    Cute little pizzeria in old town Orange. Who doesn't love wood fire pizzas! Calabrese is my go to pizza and pizzeria Irene had a unique twist on it. They added habanero pepper sauce and boy did it have a pretty good kick! Loved the flavor combos. My friend went with his go to margherita pizza and it was simple and full of flavor. Service was on point here. Lots of parking along the street. Make sure not to park in the Citrus Grille parking lot or you'll be towed.

    Bianca and pepperoni
    Peyton R.

    I'm picky with tirimisu and I can honestly say this is the best tirimisu I've ever had! * came on a Saturday at 5pm, we didn't have a reservation because we didn't see the option on google . I was so excited based on google images , and wasn't disappointed . We were sat promptly , it's small inside as I've seen passing by, the ceasar salad was incredible (as someone who doesn't enjoy salad much) and the pizza was better than expected. I am impressed. The Bianca was my favorite and the fennel sausage slice I tried was good too, took dessert home! Tirimisu was INSANE , star of the show ! Everything rocked. worth every penny!

    Broccolini...also pretty
    Tovan T.

    Hit Pizzeria Irene with some friends over the weekend. Tucked into Old Towne Orange along one of the side streets, it offers a simple menu: 4 starters, 6-8 pizzas, 3 desserts and a very interesting wine list. Ordered one of each starter. Great meatball and solid Caesar. Funny enough, Pizzeria Irene uses the same flour as Sei. Great dough...soft and chewy with a nice crisp. Gentle fermentation flavor. Fennel sausage and pepperoni. Liked them both. Dessert here is great. The cheesecake comes topped with a seasonal compote...our visit was pear. But where they shine is the ice cream game. The pistachio is the best rendition of a frozen pistachio treat since Leo's at Bulgarini. The coffee ice cream was complex with other flavors that can be found in a great coffee like warm spices. The strawberry was also good. The wine list was very interesting. Lots of options between here and Europe. We had a lovely rioja from 2015 with a pepper finish that went great with sausage and pepperoni. And it was only $100. Apparently, they had a Lafitte-Rothschild wine tasting tonight that I didn't have time for. Service was great even though we were their last reservation of the night. We felt welcomed and had a great experience. Chef here likes Truly in Dana Point and has his sights set on Sei after my recommendation. An evening stroll in the neighborhood for a nightcap is also highly recommended.

    Phung V.

    Husband and I live in Orange and finally made reservations here on Saturday at 5 pm. So glad we tried this place. I'm not a huge fan of food at the Orange Circle because they're mid but not this place. We ordered the burrata and broccolini apps...delish!!! Recommend both. I asked the server which pizza he recommended and he said the most popular is the Calabrese pizza. I'm surprised this is the most popular because it is SPICY! But we can handle spicy and we enjoyed it. The crust was sooo good. We also got a bottle of wine. We are not wine drinkers but it has what looks like from an untrained eye, a great wine selection. The host, food runner and server were all amazing! The host was attentive. He must have been the owner. This place is great! I love supporting small businesses in my town.

    Eddie Y.

    Pizzería Irene has delicious pizza and a great wine list. I recommend making a reservation, the space is small but we made a same day reservation for 4 and sat at the bar while our table was freed up.

    Justin K.

    As we near the end of the year, I feel like this might be the last review of 2025. And what a way to end the year! Pizzeria Irene is a small little restaurant located near the Orange Circle. Pro tip: make a reservation! This place fills up and if you don't make one, you might have to wait a while to get seating. However, if you're lucky enough to snag a reservation, you'll enjoy this place! The aesthetics of this restaurant is nice. A lot of wine by the window and a wall full of wines. They also have a pizza oven with the "Irene" name on it. In December 2025, the prices are about $21-$30 for a pizza and the apps can range in the mid teens to about $25 I think. We ended up getting the Caesar salad and the mushroom pizza. The salad was $21 and the pizza was $27 I think. I really appreciated them offering filtered water. As a water snob, I like the sound of filtered water (as opposed to tap water). They offer a bunch of wines as well as Mexican coke and some other drinks. The service was awesome. The server was nice and took our order and was attentive to fill our waters. Rick, the owner, was very nice as well and it was cool to see his restaurant thriving. The food was excellent! The salad, while simple, was elevated. The subtle lemon flavor in every bite made it taste fresh and exciting. The pizza. Oh man. The pizza was delicious!! The crust was fantastic. The pesto on it was amazing. The mushrooms were delicious. The pizza was one of, if not, the best pizza I've had. Such an amazing pizza. If there's one downside to this place, it's definitely the price. It ain't cheap! At $21 for a salad, I would consider this a nice date spot. Granted, the food all tasted fresh and delicious. But it's expensive and won't be a weekly spot. But that's what makes this place special. The vibes and the food make this place a worthwhile spot to check out if you're in the area!

    Broccolini
    Raven R.

    This is a cozy place nestled in Old Towne Orange. I would recommend reservations because you'll likely have a long wait otherwise. The vibe is chic and I love seeing the pizza oven and the chefs in action. We got a calabrese and broccolini pizza. Calabrese- The dough is chewy with a crisp char. The spicy salame is flavorful and it's balanced out by the creamy ricotta. Finished with chilis that provide ample heat. Broccolini- You get tasty sausage accented with broccolini. The cheese is creamy and gooey. Finished with roasted garlic pieces that add a depth of flavor. Great experience overall!

    Outdoor chalk board. Pizzeria Irene to left and "cruel world" to the right. Make good choices!
    Tamara T.

    What an amazing meal! The food was delicious--the mushroom pizza the best pizza I've ever had. Will be dreaming about that. Beautiful space, strong wine list, excellent service and such a warm welcome from Rick. It felt like we were eating at his house. Thank you all for a spectacular evening.

    Pistachio ice cream and strawberry cheesecake
    Nicole C.

    After more than one visit I can confidently say Pizzeria Irene is a super solid spot, and another great restaurant in the Orange area, specifically the orange circle. I had this restaurant on my radar for a while but the reviews seemed more mixed than I would have expected. I've honestly been disappointed with the reviewing crowd for restaurants in the OC circle as I find I generally don't follow the full opinions of highly rated / low rated establishments in the area. I can genuinely say Pizzeria Irene is spectacular. The menu is extremely limited and refined - the owner clearly honed in their pizza making skills. The dough here is probably some of the best I've come across in the OC area. It's got a beautiful bouncy / chewy textures that's hard to describe, and the crust is almost sour dough like in its bounciness. The marinara sauce they're using, I can't say with complete certainty but I taste San Marzano or an adjacent tomato used. Needless to say big plus for high quality processes, ingredients, and clearly putting quality over quantity. I've eaten a lot of pizza around the world (North and South Italy, NYC, Japan, Chicago, etc) so it's generally pretty easy to tell when some corners are cut. The menu does lean a little more expensive but you get what you pay for. For any couple visiting, I would recommend ordering the Iberico meatball dish (it's spectacular and bonus points for also using Iberico pork which is my favorite type of pork in the world) and a pizza to split. The reason you want the meatball dish is because it comes with this spectacular sauce that you can dip the crust of the pizza into for basically a "third" dish. Now one thing that surprised me was the wine program here. I've heard the owner is a sommelier so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but all the wines are very well curated and just about every option seems to pair well with every dish on the menu. You have of course your standard Italian and Spanish wines that pair well with more acidic food, but also a beautiful selection of French wines that are also delicious. I wouldn't skip trying any of the wines and speaking with your server for recommendations. It's not to say you'll necessarily have the best wine / wine pairings of your life, but it's very curated and clearly not an afterthought as an offering. For the times I've been, service is great. You can make a reservation in advance on Yelp, or walk in and seat at the bar. I've walked in every time and never had issues getting bar seatings, though if you want an actual table definitely book a reservation in advance. The actual restaurant is small and seating is limited, so keep that in mind when you visit. Overall, if you're on the fence by other reviews or you have a pizza craving definely give Pizzeria Irene a try. I personally think it's the best restaurant in the immediate orange circle area by far - coming from someone who's tried most of them.

    Margherita
    Thomas L.

    Pizzeria Irene makes an incredible wood fired pizza. The crust is thick, but has a nice bouncy chew to it that makes for an incredible eating experience. Our group got three pizzas, the mushroom pizza, margherita, and Calabrian chili. The mushroom pizza had a generous helping of cheese and mushrooms and think it was the best pizza of the three. The margherita pizza was well executed, but my wife found the crust to taste a bit burned although I thought it was an acceptable level of burned for a wood fired pizza. The Calabrian chili and ricotta paired well, but the pizza had more of a spicy kick than I was expecting. We started with the Cesar salad which had an acidic but light dressing and a heavy layer of cheese shredded on top. While not the best pizza I've had, the value for the amount of food you get earns it a 5 start from me. We had a reservation for a group of three and we're seated right away on a Saturday night. The restaurant decor and service felt like they were a level more fancy compared to the more rustic looking pizza, but we appreciated the well informed wait staff that were able to give detailed recommendations on their pizzas. The shop does have limited seating so would recommend making a reservation.

    Broccolini $12
    Evelyn L.

    Small space but great service. Food is good, pizza dough is amazing, but on the pricier side. Overall, a good try, perfect for date night!

    Multo bonisimo!  La migliore pizza di sempre!
    Jashua P.

    Thank you Rick, Yara, & Irene! I just had the most wonderful pizza dinner with friends and finally made it to the best pizza place this side of the Atlantic. Everyone is correct, it's a stellar menu. Make a reservation and order one of each. Bring your happy pants. I'll be back to take a few more looks at the ambiance because quite frankly, I was really focused on the food this time. I have one humble suggestion for the owners: Add a monthly specialty pizza recipe. It can still be a classic, it can be a complete funky invention, but add our homegrown California ingredients and a monthly or seasonal twist. Other than that, they have perfected this menu. Currently training for a race, so couldn't pair it with a wine, but excited to make it happen during the next round.

    Holy smokes. European quality in the Orange Circle. The wine, the olives, the olive oil, the pizza! It is hard to find this level of quality anywhere in Orange County. Keeping the menu focused allows them to craft recipes with top-notch ingredients and create something superb. By the way, this is not AI crafted. And I have been an OC resident since birth. I did not know about this restaurant until today.

    Bianca

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    13 days ago

    Came here for a valentines date and LOVED my experience, really authentic food and greatttt wine. Cant wait to go back many more times.

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    Ask the Community - Pizzeria Irene

    Do you sell gift cards? Thought this would be a great present for the pizza lover in the family.

    Yes, we do! We sell them during operating hours, and you can also order a printable version online through Toast.

    Do you accept walk in's or reservations only?

    We encourage reservations, but we definitely take walk-ins as well.

    How do I contact the restaurant to cancel or change my reservation? There is no phone number on Yelp and the one on Instagram just continuously rings.

    Hi there! You are able to message us here on Yelp, or you can also respond to the text for the Yelp reservation line.… Read more

    Do you offer carry out? I would call it in directly not door dash or like.

    I walked over and the wait to dine in was going to be too long. I ordered a couple pizzas and the burrata cheese appetizer to go from the host. So yes they do carry out.

    Do you allow customers to bring their own wine? If so, what is your corkage?

    Yes, we do! The fee is $20.

    Do you offer gluten free crust?

    We currently do not have any gluten free offerings, but we can update if anything changes. Thank you for your question!

    Do they take reservations? Is there a website or phone number for this restaurant?

    We currently are taking reservations through Yelp. :)

    View All 9 Questions

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    O Sea - Great Wine!

    O Sea

    4.5(726 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Sad to see this place go! If you haven't heard they're closing on April 30th, 2026. Do yourself a…read morefavor and go check them out before then! We stopped by here on my birthday for a nice evening dinner. Got there a little before sunset. There's just something magical about eating outside during a sunset, especially at the Orange Plaza. The restaurant has such a cool look and vibe! We started off with the Hamachi crudo, salmon ceviche, and a bowl of clam "chowdah". The crudo was absolutely delicious, highly recommend. The salmon ceviche was really good but a bit heavy on the sauce for me. The clam chowder had whole clams in the shell throughout. That was fun to pick them out! For entrees we got the lean and mean plate with sea bass. It comes with salad and rice, we substituted the rice for black beans. We also got the skirt steak "bulgogi" which was served on top of mushrooms and bok choy with a sweet soy sauce. They accidentally brought out salmon instead of sea bass, but were very apologetic. They brought out a sea bass on the side and comped the entree to make up for it. Great service right there! The salmon and seabass were both delicious and cooked perfectly. The steak was tender and juicy, full of flavor. As a birthday gift they brought out a thai milk tea blondie sundae which was soooo good! Get it if you like sweets. I wish the owners all the best in their future endeavors, they created a great restaurant that many will miss. Thanks to all the servers, hostesses, cooks, and bussers as well for making my birthday dinner so special!

    So sad to see this place go, from what I've heard the owner and manager were given a nice…read moreopportunity. We came here four or five times with our book club, and the service has always been friendly. The owner was always awesome and let us have our annual Girl Scout Cookies and wine pairings here, along with some Conqueror challenge celebration lunches. The food was delicious. You will be missed.

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    O Sea
    O Sea
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    PROVISIONS cafe - coffee - beer - wine - shop

    PROVISIONS cafe - coffee - beer - wine - shop

    3.7(451 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Free WiFi

    I've been here a few times in the past but only as a grab and go for Pliny…read more Today we came here for brunch. Tried the avocado toast which was delicious! I judged it lol thinking it wouldn't be that great but it was actually really good And of course, I had a Pliny while there. Service was great. The girl at the counter was very friendly and patient, because I was a little undecided at first. The vibe was fairly quiet but we were there around 11 am. Other times I've been in here it's usually more lively.

    After posting they would have Pliny the Younger this year for a three day event starting on Friday…read more2/13 at 3 pm we were played. I have gone the past 2 years and never had issues getting it on the first day. This year was different. I got there around 5:05 and walked into the shop to see a lot of tables empty. I was shocked to see that. I waited in line with maybe like two people in front of me and guess what they asked of Pliny was still available. The guy working said to the people in front of me that they sold out. It was my turn I asked if they had it and the guy said that they had a line since 3pm and that they sold out of the keg. We ended up getting two beers since we went anyways but that's when things didn't add up. He kept telling all the other people that started to show up the same thing. These are reasons why it didn't add up 1) empty seats inside but had a line since 3pm and beer was released at 4pm 2) I don't think the people going for younger would just order one beer and not try other RR beers? 3) only one guy working beer counter and having to clean the tables and make sandwiches? 4) 12 oz pours of beer and keg with about 1984 oz would make it 166 beers. No way they sold 166 beers in an hour with one person working the bar and shop empty in an hour. They could have posted on their instagram or socials that they sold out but failed to do so. I'm sure a lot of people all night were disappointed to see that they didn't have it or post anything about it.

    Photos
    PROVISIONS cafe - coffee - beer - wine - shop
    PROVISIONS cafe - coffee - beer - wine - shop
    PROVISIONS cafe - coffee - beer - wine - shop

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    Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar - The front of Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar

    Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar

    3.7(3.3k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$
    Full bar
    Takes reservations

    I love OC restaurant week, cuz not only do I get to try new places for affordable prices (3 course…read moremeals no less), but I also get to sneak in a date night with the hubs. Double win! This year, we opt'd to try Haven Craft Kitchen & Bar in Old Town Orange. The menu looked enticing and the Yelp reviews were positive. Such a cute, modern Californian restaurant with chill/laidback vibes. Known for their gourmet comfort food, craft cocktails, and an extensive selection of beer, wine, and whiskey, it offers a warm atmosphere with indoor and patio seating. The menu emphasizes fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Definitely a place that could be good for brunch, dinner, happy hour, and group hangouts. Our server was nice and attentive. Just parking along the Old Towne streets can be a pain, but we lucked out with front row parking. The hubs & I got different dishes for our appetizer, entree & dessert courses, so we could try a lil bit of everything. French onion soup, duck confit & sticky toffee pudding for me and locally grown burrata, 6 oz prime flat iron steak and pumpkin cheesecake for him. My soup was deelish. Full of depth & onion flavor and cheesy goodness. Not overly salty at all, like others can sometime be. The duck was moist and accompanied the beans, pork belly sofrito & spring onion well. I was pleasantly surprised, since I'm usually not a huge fan of beans. The sticky toffee pudding was decadently sweet and rich. I could only take a few bits, but glad I was able to try it. Not something I'd order on my own accord usually. The hub's burrata app was ok, wish it was more softer in texture, to eat & spread with the grilled toast. His flat iron steak was cooked perfectly, to our medium-rare specifications. It was soft and tender. His pumpkin cheesecake was surprisingly sooo good. Definitely my fav of the 2 desserts. I'm not a huge pumpkin fan, but it was light & subtle and not an overly rich cheesecake. It was surely baked to melt in your mouth. My hubs & I finished that dessert, for sure! Mmm.. Overall, such a good food find. A must try & RxFoodie recommend ~ esp. during OCRW when it's such a deal for all that food!

    ​A Major Disappointment: 1 out of 10 ​I visited Haven Craft…read moreKitchen + Bar this past Tuesday with some former colleagues, and unfortunately, it was a "one and done" experience for all of us. Almost everything we ordered was a massive letdown. ​The European Seabass: This was the biggest issue. The fish had a very strong, unpleasant odor and tasted just as bad. Even adding fresh lemon couldn't mask it. Worst of all, it actually made me sick afterward. ​Pappardelle Pasta with Pesto: We couldn't even finish this dish. It was so heavily seasoned with pepper that it became completely inedible. ​The Coffee: It was incredibly weak--essentially hot water with a faint hint of coffee flavor. ​The Only Highlight: The skillet cornbread was actually quite good, but it certainly wasn't enough to save the meal. ​Between the poor food quality and the physical aftermath, I cannot recommend this spot. We were very disappointed and won't be returning.

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    Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar - Interior bar seating

    Interior bar seating

    Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar - Interior Window Seating

    Interior Window Seating

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    Finney's Crafthouse - Orange

    Finney's Crafthouse - Orange

    4.3(1.1k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    The food was great! We sat at the bar before the lunch rush…read morecame through on Saturday. Bar staff is attentive and quick to put in our orders after we sat down. Plenty of beer selections to choose from, but I actually opted for a dirty soda!! Diet Coke, vanilla cream, coconut and lime ‍ Good selection and variety of options on the menu, we want to come back to just try a mix of appetizers- they had a lot to pick from. We ordered a few apps and some entrees: Deviled eggs, Crispy Tuna, Southwest Chicken Bowl and Pepperoni Pizza. All were very tasty, we cleaned the plates! They have a lot of seating, as well as an outdoor patio. Plenty of TVs if you are wanting to watch a game. We will definitely be back for more options on the menu!

    I came here a few times already with my wife and this place is really good! Menu is pretty diverse…read moreand seems pretty busy the last few times we were here. Great place to come have a couple of drinks as well and watch some local sport games. There are also a few games in the back you can play. We started off with the carnitas nachos and it was pretty good. Very filling and a good amount for the both of us. No complaints there. For our main course, my wife ordered a couscous salad of some sort. She really enjoyed it. I chose the Wagyu Burger and this was expected from this restaurant. Juicy, artisan craft buns and definitely was not the first time we ordered it since we have came here a few times already. We even door dashed it one time haha. Other than that, great place to come and hang out especially on big sport days. Good vibes, great service as well. Lots of TV's which is perfect.

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    Finney's Crafthouse - Orange
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    Pizzeria Irene - pizza - Updated May 2026

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