we really enjoyed our dinner at romeo cucina! we sat in the outdoor patio which was a nice ambiance on a warm summer night, and our server was very attentive and friendly. we started off with the cesarina salad and the romeo salad-- the romeo salad was a hit, the caesar salad was different than what you'd expect for a caesar salad but still good! also, the bread and fresh pesto they brought us was amazing! for mains, we got the margerita pizza, rigatoni giulietta, and bolognese with meatballs. the rigatoni was beautiful & flavorful; no notes 10/10! the pizza was enjoyable as well, and the bolognese was great. the meatballs were a tad dry. overall, we really enjoyed our experience here and would definitely come back! read more

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I wanted to treat my girlfriend to a nice Italian dinner on a Saturday night, so we booked Romeo Cucina through OpenTable. The fact that they still had plenty of 8pm openings in Laguna should've been my first warning sign -- every other decent spot was fully booked. Still, it had been a while, and I figured it couldn't be that bad. After paying $20 for parking, we walked in to find the restaurant fairly empty. A nice gentleman seated us all the way in the back -- never a good start. It took quite a while before anyone came by to offer water and bread, and even then we had to ask three separate times before it finally arrived. My girlfriend ordered the salmon, and I went with the eggplant parm, a side of penne with arrabbiata, and a glass of Pinot. The salmon arrived undercooked, and by the time we flagged someone down to send it back, it still didn't come out right. She ended up eating a small portion and some potatoes. My eggplant tasted like something you'd get at Olive Garden, and the penne had no flavor at all -- clearly boxed pasta. I sent it back. For dessert, we ordered a cannoli and decaf coffee. The cannoli shell was extremely hard, and to top it off, the restaurant started playing salsa music -- great for a Mexican restaurant, not an Italian one. I apologized to my girlfriend for such an uninspiring dinner. We paid, walked next door for gelato, and that ended up being the best part of the night. To many in Orange County, this place might seem fine. But I've spent time in Italy and grew up eating authentic Southern Italian food made by people who cared at a restaurant in Indiana-- fresh eggplant, handmade pasta, real ingredients. Most Italian restaurants in OC simply don't measure up, and unfortunately Romeo Cucina proved that again. My first choice was Nick's for their excellent salmon and mashed potatoes, but they were fully booked until 10pm -- which tells you everything. If anyone knows of a truly authentic Southern Italian spot where the owners care about quality and service, I'm all ears. Otherwise, I'll keep searching. We had a fantastic Italian meal in Pasadena recently, so I know it's still possible. read more

The menu was as amazing as the service. From the second we walked in our server Freddie was kind, precise, and knew everything about the menu. I had the tortelloni al pesto with the short ribs, eating beyond being full simply because it was that enjoyable. I honestly can't tell you which was better, the food or Freddie's service. read more

Great service at this location. I wasn't really in the mood for Italian food, which I have had here before, very good. I had a delicious fresh salmon, the spinach and potatoes. Very good. Street parking as well as a paid parking in the Wells Fargo parking lot connected to the restaurant. read more

Romeo Cucina - Grilled Salmone al Prosecco - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Service was attentive. Came in to get a snack and a drink. Settled on the house Chianti (as expected;fine), and the charcuterie. As we waited, we were offered bread and an olive tapenade, which was the best thing about our whole experience. It was hands-down the worst charcuterie I've ever had. One of the cheeses was the end piece and was inedible. You could see the hard rind on every piece. The other cheese was soggy and slimy. The prosciutto and the spicy salami were good, but again got the end piece. There was arugula scattered about the board, un-dressed, four raspberries, and four of the most flavorless olives. No sauce or bread to accompany. When we asked for more bread, the server explained they charge for a second basket even though none comes with the board. Aside from the poor quality of the cheeses, the board felt incomplete . read more

Romeo Cucina - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Excellent service, excellent happy hour, delicious food at a reasonable price. Great location. read more

The appetizer we had, the calamari, was decent. The caprese salad was weak. The mozzarella cheese was similar to that you could buy at any supermarket, not the soft, squishy kind you normally find in good Italian restaurants. The red sauce on my pasta was very similar to that of canned SpaghettiOs, the stuff we used to have as kids. The meatballs were very hard and dry. I had to dunk them in the aforementioned SpaghettiOs sauce, but that didn't help much. No spumoni ice cream was on the menu. What kind of Italian restaurant doesn't serve spumoni? The staff was very attentive, but other than that, Romeo Italian restaurant is a big NO. read more

They made us pay a mandatory "service fee" aka tip that costed $40, 20%, just because we are a party of 6. Never had that type of experience in a restaurant and I am very frustrated. Also was about to charge us $16 for bringing outside beverages, but after complaining about it they waved us off. They weren't treating any other customers like that which was also very frustrating. Along with that there was no Parmesan cheese on our table which I feel as that is expected in an Italian restaurant. Honestly the food was garbage and wouldn't recommend it all. read more

Food taste is great but the service is literally the worst imaginable. Tried to charge us the most stupid fees imaginable.

Was given list of chefs specials - lobster raviolis, Fruit de mar and then was told only the spaghetti special was available. I had the spare- rib ravioli.Food was excellent but not service. No refills water or bread. Would have had second glass of wine if asked, had to ask 5 people to get my bill read more

Romeo Cucina - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Great experience! Freddy provided great service, took good care of us and our kids, very patient with children. We even got hot chocolate for our kids, not from menu. read more

This place is very nicely decorated, with low intimate lighting and live jazz music! We were recommended the Riggatoni and ended up ordering just that. The bread came out before our food with a really yummy pesto-type of spread to go with it. Our server was good, other than he spoke across the table to get our orders rather than moving down closer to that end. The riggatoni ended up not being as good as I was hoping, maybe a 7.5/10! The Parmesan was necessary to give it a little extra flavor. Our friend ordered a pesto pasta that she very much enjoyed, so it all depends on what you get. Enjoyed our evening over all! read more

Romeo Cucina - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

It had been over 20 years since I have dined here, so when I was planning a date night with my girlfriend at the Pageant of the Masters, I was excited to come back to Romeo Cucina. The atmosphere and service were top notch, and the food was just as great as I remembered. We both ordered a glass of wine with our meal. Our waiter Robert was extremely helpful and patient with us in choosing both the wine and dishes. His recommendation to split a salad was appreciated. The entire meal was a lot of food and we did not want to waste any nor take it with us to the show so any place we can limit the quantity helped. The energy of the restaurant still resonates Italy throughout. Such a great way to start off a wonderful evening. Hope to come back soon. read more

Such fresh ingredients and authentic Italian cuisine! A classical experience with attentive service. Rudy was helpful in descriptions and suggestions. Lots of upfront contact and then non intrusive service while we ate our meal. Also loved the music. read more

I live in Temecula and often come down to visit my brother who goes to college and dorms down here. We decided to try this place out and we LOVED every bite and every sip. Freddie our server was awesome and very attentive making sure our cup was always full and our needs were always filled. Great place! Great food! Great drinks! 10/10 would come here again! read more

Came in on 08/29/24 Amazing. Delicious. Chefs kiss. Everything about this dining experience was perfection. It was a beautiful afternoon and just a few hours until sunset, so we sat on the patio. We started with their complimentary baked bread with an olive tapenade spread. I'm not a fan of olives but this was good! For appetizer, we ordered the caprese with prosciutto: mozzarella, tomato, basil with slices of cantaloupes. I was unsure of the pairing with the meat, cheese and cantaloupe, but the salty to the sweet was perfect! My friend ordered the Tortelloni: Tortelloni stuffed with braised beef short rib in a pesto sauce, topped with arugula and shaved parmigiano. I had a piece of it and the meat was so tender and the pesto sauce had a rich but silky texture. I ordered a chicken fettuccini alfredo which wasn't on the menu but they said that could make it no problem! Some places just don't hit the butter and cheese ratio for the sauce but they did! It was perfect and delicious. To end the meal, we ordered a tiramisu which was very light and perfectly portioned to share for a party of 2! How many times did I say perfect? Well it was and I will definitely be back again! 10/10 read more

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Highly recommend the happy hour!!! You can get dinner and drinks for 2 for just over 50$ with tip. Hard to beat that especially with the friendly and fast service. The decor is wonderful with pieces by local artists around which really matches the vibe of Laguna beach. Go here! read more

Romeo Cucina - Eggplant - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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The service was great. Got seated right away. Constantly filled our waters. Calamari was flavorful with good marinara sauce. Cesar salad was okay. The dressing was mild and I wasn't 100% sure it was Cesar. The croutons were like corn bread but I was expecting crunchy so I was caught off guard. The pasta was cooked well but the sauce lacked a little flavor for both. Meat pieces were good though. Live music was amazing ! Bathrooms were clean read more

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I love this restaurant. They have the best calamari it is featured with fish and shrimp just to wet your taste buds. The bread with the olive tapenade is fantastic. The service we had was amazing our waiter's named (Rudy) Rodolfo, who is very personable he is very familiar with Italian food as he is from New York his recommendations were great. If you h go check out different things. I have not had a bad meal there. read more

Freddie is amazing - he has the courtesy and brilliant manners. Thank you for hosting us. Food is very delicious - we had polletta and calamarita - very tasty. Very nice ambiance and team is very friendly and smiling. Thank you so much for an excellent memorable experience. Definitely will come again. read more

Romeo Cucina - Polleta and calamartia - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Ugh I cannot rave about this place enough. I'm completely in love with the tortellini al pesto- it has fresh pesto sauce, stuffed with tender short rib and the mildest parmesan shavings on top. Great staff as well! read more

Romeo Cucina - Tortelloni al Pesto - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Absolutely delicious! So creamy and flavorful. I love pesto & I love pasta. This has been the best pesto pasta I've had! & this was my first time having short rib pesto and let me tell you this dish was chefs kiss! The meat was insanely tender, rich, and full of flavor, and the sauce clung perfectly to the pasta. This dish was done right. I'd order this again without hesitation. read more

Romeo Cucina - The short rib pesto - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Best Italian restaurant in OC (especially if you are gluten free!). I just discovered this restaurant in the last week and I have been twice since! The coffee is delicious, food authentic, staff friendly. I highly recommend! No need to go anywhere else for Italian food. read more

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Delicious!!! Great staff and amazing food! Not too packed and our server Alfonso was attentive and very friendly...coming again for sure. read more

Romeo Cucina - Salmone al Prosecco, pizza Al Gusto Forte, chicken alfredo - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Food and Service is top notch, our kids love this place. Also special thanks to our server Rodrigo read more

Romeo Cucina - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

We had an amazing dinner, and our waiter, Freddie, made the night truly special. He was incredibly warm, attentive, and gave the perfect menu recommendations. The food was authentic and delicious, but Freddie's exceptional hospitality elevated the entire experience. We will definitely be back and asking for his section! Highly recommend! read more

Romeo Cucina - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Service good. Food good. Street parking or nearby lot. Overall great Laguna Beach Italian cucina and would return. Our party of seven had reservations Saturday evening and we sat at their front patio because our dogs requested to join this adult dinner. Although a very busy area with summer visitors, the patio is far enough from the noise and walking traffic. Our server was nice and friendly. My girlfriend and I shared two dishes - Rigatoni Giuletta and Cioppino. Since we finished both, I'd say we enjoyed it. Seems many of their dishes are shareable. If preferred, the indoor sitting ambiance was cozy and nice. A great place to dine for two. read more

Romeo Cucina - Rigatoni Giulietta - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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First, let me say that my wife and I love the atmosphere. There's plenty of room and you don't feel crowded either inside our outside. The service was outstanding. Maybe because we got there early, but it's been good in the past as well. Our waiter and his support team were on it. We didn't feel rushed at all and the food came out as it was ready. I always like to try the house Cianti as it will tell you a lot about authenticity of the restaurant. Not bad for $8 / glass. Now for the food, it was Awesome! Calamari was delicious. The pasta was fresh and the meat sauce authentic. Same for the delicious meatballs. The salad was very nice. To top it off we had Cannoli. OMG!! It was literally the best I've had. I've been to Italy over 20 times. So that's saying something! My wife and I split everything and are so glad we did because all the portion sizes were generous and very shareable. Overall, two thumbs up!! Not sure why we waited so long to go back! read more

Romeo Cucina - Cannoli - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Freddie was an excellent server and treated us very well. The rigatoni 30 yr special was a hit for my vegetarian friend. We also got the marghetti pizza which was delicious! read more

Romeo Cucina - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Wow!! I just had one of the specials for dinner. Tortellini 4 Boscaiola. The best I have ever had! Thank you Chef Antonio!! I love coming here, it's so inviting, the bartender Chris is also amazing. You should definitely visit it for the good, drinks, ambienceservice is top notch read more

Romeo Cucina - Bar - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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LOVED the staff, Freddy was the sweetest server and the food was amazing. coffee's are so good and they are willing to do substitutions for no mushrooms! all around great experience. read more

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Had a weird experience here. Came with family after a day at the beach for an early Sunday night dinner. Restaurant was 2/3 empty and we were seated promptly. Our waitress for the night said she was new but was sweet and worked hard. However, everything else about the restaurant seemed off. It first started with how late our food came out. We ordered Tagliere Sfizioso (Charcuterie) appetizer, two pizzas w/ one of them being gluten free, Fettuccine alla Carne, and a couple of sides. The fettuccine came out first and rather quickly from the back where the kitchen was. The charcuterie and pizzas were made at the brick oven station, but the chef seemed to be in no man's land. At one point, we saw him walk out and not return for 15 minutes. A guy from the back came and quickly put together our charcuterie board which took too long to arrive. The chef came back and made our pizzas, only for the gluten free one to have no cheese on it. It was the La Bianca and the menu states it comes with ricotta, but there was none on it. It was literally just the crust, some sauce, and the toppings. We pointed it out and the waitress took it back to the chef only to return and say something we couldn't comprehend, something along the lines of the chef said there's already cheese on it. Another issue was the La Capricciosa pizza was not evenly cut with some large slices and skinny slices, and the prosciutto was unevenly placed with some slices having none and some having too much. We ended up canceling the La Bianca and ate the rest of our food which tasted decent. But the time it took for the food to arrive and the mistake on one pizza and the sloppily made other one left a bad taste in our mouths. The waitress was nice enough to provide free desserts, but overall it was just a weird vibe that night. The other servers were all acting overly busy too yet the restaurant was hardly full. read more

The food was excellent! We ordered the salmon and the fettuccini. And the prices were as expected for the setting. I loved the ambiance and location as well in Laguna Beach. My only hesitancy for 5 stars is that the staff seemed stretched thin. Everything took longer than expected from being seated to getting bread to having our check taken care of, etc. It wasn't a problem for us but if you are worried about your parking running out or have somewhere to be, plan for double the time. read more

The server, the food, the simple ambiance. Everything was perfect. It seemed like locals enjoy this wonderful Italian restaurant as well as this tourist. We'll return. read more

Freddie provided outstanding service and went above and beyond to accommodate our food requests exactly the way we wanted. He was attentive, friendly, and made sure every detail was perfect, making our dining experience truly enjoyable. read more

This is the place ! As a local, this is one of our favorite restaurants. Everything is made in the house. The bread, the pastas, the sauces. Want something special that's not on the menu ? Just tell our favorite waiters and they'll make it for you ! Ask for Freddy or Angel. Excellent food, amazing service and cozy decor. Lots of Italian restaurants around, but this one is super special. Cheers and enjoy ! Here's a picture of my custom ordered, light Alfredo with mushrooms, broccoli and chicken. read more

Romeo Cucina - Light Alfredo with mushrooms, broccoli and chicken. - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

This is a hidden treasure! We have never been disappointed with the food! It tastes so good! Either the Pizza, salad, pastas! You must check it out whe you take a drive into Laguna Beach!!!! read more

Rudee was our server and he was kind and quick to help! Coming back just for the service!

1-Poor service. Long wait time for ice teas to arrive. Even longer wait time for order to be taken 2-Server a bit bitchy. He frequently made snippy comments when bread, water or salad dressing "on the side" was requested 3- Insalata Mista nothing more than a plate of bagged salad from grocery store Years ago, we loved Romeo Cucina. Something has definitely changed read more

Romeo Cucina - Basic bagged lettuce - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

I was here last night with my boyfriend. The evening started off okay. The restaurant was very pretty and it was less than half filled with diners. I ordered a cappuccino. I understand cappuccino with dinner isn't very Italian of me, but I had to have one. It really was among the more delicious cappuccino's I have had. The bread basket It was ... okay. The bread crust was hard and almost had to tear it like jerky. The balsamic vinegar and olive oil were nice-ish. The olive oil probably isn't the highest quality. It was a very light green color (almost yellow), not too fragrant and a bit mild. The balsamic vinegar was rich and had nice balance. Polpo appetizer The octopus was tender and was served with large pieces of meat. The octopus was prepared with olives, capers, lettuce, and ... other savory ingredients. Overall, it was decent. The tart, bitter flavor of the black olive was strong and did overpower the dish and took the attention off of the octopus. It was like, POW!!! I'm HERE MOTHAF***KAS! IT'S ME! OLIVE! Cioppino UGH, this was a GREAT disappointment. First off, the dish was $48. I was anticipating a delicious dish full of seafood and rich broth. What I received was the equivalent of imagining yourself soaring through the air with wings, and then realizing you can't fly so you plummet to the ground instead. The tomato broth was thin and bland. I needed to add salt, pepper, and lemon to try and give it some personality. The shrimp (very small and about 4 pieces), baby scallop (also only a few pieces), clams, mussels, calamari (all pretty scant), and fish were overcooked, chewy and dry. I should have returned the dish but...i'm not sure why I did not. Maybe I just decided that I definitely would not be returning and considered it a loss. Being served that dish at that price indeed feel a bit insulting. The service The servers were all attentive and kind. My date appreciated those qualities and was happy to leave them a tip. Overall, I loved my cappuccino, the Polpo was decent, the bread was alright, and the cioppino was blasphemy. read more

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