Great food, good ambience and great service…read more Tried this restaurant to enjoy dinner with friends. I really enjoyed the pasta. The consistency was amazing and the flavor was superb. It was nice to be able to enjoy good food in a relaxing and vibrant location. No wonder this place was packed on a Wednesday evening. I wanna try other dishes on the menu. I'll have to go back soon!

OC girls with pretty heels, beware of the patio! I wish I were joking. I was having dinner in the…read moreoutdoor patio when my heel got lodged in the heavy metal grating beneath our table. It was stuck badly enough that the manager had to come over and repeatedly work my heel back and forth to get it out, which left the patent leather visibly dented and damaged. What bothered me more than my damaged heel was what happened next. I was asked to fill out an incident report at the table, during dinner, but we were never moved from the area. Nothing was adjusted on our bill and we were simply left at the same table. Sure enough, when I stood up later to go to the ladies room, my heel went into the grate AGAIN. This time I lost my balance and nearly fell. Thankfully, I caught myself. The first time was an accident. The second time was frustrating because they already knew exactly what had happened and how easily a heel could get caught there. Moving us to another table would have prevented it. The manager was kind and empathetic, and I want to be fair about that. My disappointment is with how the situation was handled after the problem was known. So ladies, if you're dining on the patio in heels, watch where you step.

What a fantastic authentic Italian restaurant! We came in after a movie date nearby. Glad we made a…read morereservation cause there were people waiting and place was packed all evening. Our corner booth was perfect for hubby and I. The menu was so good with many seafood items. We started off with sparkling water and Vesper martini. For appetizers we decided on Caesar salad, lentil soup and special crab cake. For mains we decided on octopus pizza, lobster and shrimp pasta, special veal risotto and whole branzino. The dishes were so delicious and authentic Italian food is really my favorite! For desserts we had lemon sorbet, tiramisu and creme brûlée. Also double espresso to fight food coma. The service was excellent and low key which was perfect! We will definitely visit again whenever we are in this area!

Came on a Sunday evening and my experience this time was a lot better! Our server was extremely…read moreaccommodating letting us know the table options, we opted to sit at the high tops by the bar. She was also very attentive, but not overbearing. Ordered one of the truffle pastas, and they do not skimp on the shavings. Also ordered the tortellini - very flavorful filling and a prosciutto burrata pizza. Random note, but I love the versatile atmosphere here--it strikes a great balance between casual and upscale with zero pretentiousness. You'll see people celebrating in formal attire right alongside folks in shorts and sandals, and the staff treats everyone with the exact same high level of hospitality. Unlike other spots that can feel a bit snobby, I love that I can dress comfortably without feeling judged and still enjoy top-tier, authentic Italian food.

First Time at Il Fornaio We decided to spend our Monday…read morenight date night at Il Fornaio, and it definitely won't be our last! We grabbed seats at the bar, and from the moment we sat down, Mauricio made us feel welcome. He was friendly, attentive, and truly made our first visit memorable. He even topped off the evening with one of the best Il fogato I've had! I ordered the Linguine Mare Chiaro, and it was outstanding. Perfectly cooked linguine with fresh shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels in a light, flavorful tomato broth--it was fresh, comforting, and absolutely delicious. We also tried the Hot Honey Calabrese Pizza from the Happy Hour menu, baked in their wood-fired oven. The crispy crust, spicy Calabrese salami, gooey cheese, and drizzle of hot honey made for the perfect sweet-and-spicy bite. If it's your first time visiting, I highly recommend sitting at the bar and asking for Mauricio. His outstanding service made an already delicious meal even more enjoyable. We'll definitely be back!

Got the margarita italiano and some Italian wine that was pretty good…read more Margherita pizza Pollo Tuscan And some great pasta with a filet. Our server Cristobal was excellent. Definitely have been meaning to go back. Highly recommend this Italian restaurant. Clean flavors and very comforting dishw

Great thin crust pizza. We had the prosciutto with basis and mozzarella. Very good dough. Calamari…read morewas perfectly fried and not oily. Pancetta appetizer was over charred, and did not taste like Italian pancetta. More like a leaner pork belly slab of U.S. grade bacon. Mango and raspberry gelato was tart. Pistachio gelato had soft pistachios. Usually means it's not fresh. Kids like the pizza and one mozzarella pizza was good for the two. I'd come back for the pizza and calamari.

Food is outstanding…read more I initially intended to order 2 happy hour items and then an entree and pizza to go. Sat down at the bar and watched a little bit of the MLB Playoffs. There's a lot of Happy Hour items and drinks at reasonable prices. An extensive menu. I don't think Ive ordered a pasta dish or meatballs at a restaurant for nearly 5 years but kept debating about the appetizer meatballs. Ordering took longer than expected and I felt uncomfortable so I opted to just pick two items for take-out. The Saporita pizza was phenomenal. It's on par with any pie Ive eaten at a Chef Bianco restaurant. Worth every penny. Quality ingredients and delicious. Irvine has a great pizza and Italian restaurant that does not get talked about nearly enough.

We came in as a large group for a surprise birthday for my sister. We had the perfect table right…read moreinside the door. Because of the way they store the wine bottles the table was hidden from view until we were right next to it. It made for the perfect surprise when she walked in. Our table ordered a variety of menu items and cocktails with our meals. Everyone enjoyed and shared amongst our group. When it came to dessert they surprised my sister with a a little something so we could all terrorize her with our singing voices. Overall we had a great meal with excellent service. We couldn't have asked for a better spot to celebrate.

The Bolognese was a comforting, hearty dish that understood the assignment and it seemed like it…read morewas done without effort. lThe sauce had a rich, slow-cooked depth to it, coating the pasta generously with that familiar balance of meat, and herbs that makes a good Bolognese feel like comfort food with a little sophistication. It was filling and flavorful, this is the kind of dish I would happily order again reliable, warm, satisfying, and especially enjoyable when you're craving something substantial rather than experimental. A solid plate of pasta that delivers exactly what you want from a Bolognese.

We made a reservation the day in advance or 6:30pm on a Friday. We were seated quickly. There's…read moreparking in the structure that you can get validated for 2 hours. I ended up getting the burger option with truffle fries on the menu. The burger was delicious. The cheese was exquisite. I opted for Medium well. The ketchup tasted like it was made in house. Definitely scooped some home for the to-go fries. The dessert drink was a nice night cap and truly felt like drinking a dessert. Beware it can keep you up at night. The Espressor Martini has two options. You can have the regular one with Espresso that's a little old and the second is freshly made Espresso which is more expensive. Sadly the Espresso Martini does not come with any coffee beans. The hostess and server knew we were here to celebrate a birthday. Our server sang happy birthday with us which was cute. She also came over to our table frequently so we were never desperate to get attention and were well taken care of. Highly recommend the Tiramisu dessert. It was enough to split with a table of 4 while attempting being conscious of our a1c.

Cute place tucked next to other restaurants and kind of under a parking structure when you walk…read morethrough the entrance. We are always greeted when walking in and have been regulars here on Mondays. Ellie is our girl that always helps us and has remembered our orders haha I have tried a few varieties of food items here but my go to will always be the burger. Everything else I have tried, I thought was okay. The burger is good and I enjoy what it comes with, see the picture. The garlic truffle fries are delicious and I like that they are thin and crispy. Like that there are two dipping sauce for the fries as I'm not a ketchup girl so the aioli is perfect. Overall food is decent and will recommend the burger!

My husband and I love this place. I LOVE the vibe of this restaurant. I've only ever been seated…read moreoutside, and I intend to never be seated indoors because their outdoor patio seating is beautiful. Very romantic feeling. Great for a date night. The food is excellent. Authentic, fresh, delicious. The service is 7/10. Which I don't entirely hold against them. It can get very crowded and busy. But sometimes you're left needing a drink refill for a while. We have been coming here for several years for our special occasions. Admittedly we have had one bad food experience. But it was Valentine's Day a couple years back, which is notoriously a bad day to eat out anyway. They have redeemed themselves since. I would just advise to not go on a holiday, for the demand of the crowd and limited staff may be why the quality in food dipped that evening. We were just here a month ago to celebrate a birthday, and I have just made a reservation for tomorrow night. Very much looking forward to it.

Got lucky with a belly hungry for pizza last time in Newport and it will now be a staple for my…read morewife and I every time we come to OC. Best authentic Italian food outside of Italy that we've found so far!

Have eaten at both the original Pico Blvd and Culver City location, and am so glad a new take out…read morelocation is so close to me now! I've ordered delivery and pick up, and both times the food has been ready within 20 minutes and been PIPING hot when I get it. The quality is just as good as the sit down restaurant in Culver City. This location does provide French bread rather than the focaccia the Culver City location provides, which I dearly miss, but other than that the menu does not feel limited at all. I've tried several signature sauces as well as a couple of the specials, and nothing has disappointed. Always a great experience eating at Pasta Sisters!

My wife and I are fans of the original Pasta Sisters location in Culver City. Their handmade…read morepastas are delicious, and we were excited to try their location on the border of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. The extraordinary thing about the Pasta Sisters is that they offer house made pastas, which guarantees a higher price point, but offers unparalleled texture. The spaghetti has a "bite" that you get from a true "al dente" pasta. Their cheese tortellini were incredibly rich and cheesy, but a touch salty. The drawback of this location is that it's a ghost kitchen. You order it online and the order will be ready for you when you come in to pick it up. The location does not have seating, and you eat it at your own convenience. If you live/work locally, then this can be definitely worth checking out. Because I live out of town, I have to enjoy it either in my car, after a long drive home, or at my wife's office; however, I want to enjoy these $20 pastas in a restaurant, with wine and good company. A ghost kitchen is very different than a restaurant experience. I hope they do choose to bring their restaurant to the OC one day.

I gave Postino Park Place in Irvine 3 stars. The location itself is a really nice, clean, and…read moremodern restaurant with a great vibe, but the overall experience was definitely a mixed bag. We ordered a bunch of bruschetta to share for the table, and while they were good, they were honestly lacking that real "wow" factor. For my main, I ordered the P.R.E.A.M. bowl and found it to be quite mediocre. It was pretty plain overall, and all of the vegetables inside were extremely undercooked. While the food was average, the service was pretty much zero stars. It was extremely spotty throughout the entire meal, our drinks were never refilled, and to make matters worse, they actually charged us for coffee that never showed up at our table. It's a lovely space with decent light bites, but the food execution fell short and the severe service issues really dragged down the experience.

First time here with my girlfriend, and Ivanna P. Was an absolute gem. We had great food, cold…read moredrinks and amazing service. We're new to the area and searching for our new watering hole. Ivanna was the convincer! See ya soon!

First time here and everything was delicious…read more I ordered the gnocchi short rib pasta and hubby ordered the miso black cod. Also had the calamari and the truffle bread was amazing ! That's a must. The cocktails were tasty tried the espresso martini and the lychee spritz- both yummy. Definitely will be back !

My 6th time at Ini - I would say that the ambiance and service has always been amazing. As for food…read morewise, I personally think it is a bit too salty for me even when I asked the dishes to be made less salty. I tried all the pasta options on the menu. My favorite would be Squid Ink Uni and Crab Spaghetti (less salty compared to other flavors) Appetizers: salmon crudo, Calamari, Cauliflower Pizza: highly recommended seafood poke and Mala Lamb. Entree: Scallop, Short ribs and Ribeye are good options. I didn't think Branzino, Chicken or Pork Tomahawk were as special as I hope for.