Here's a polished Yelp review you could post: We had a great experience at Rumari! Their Sunday happy hour is fantastic with awesome deals and a chill atmosphere. My husband had the spaghetti and meatballs, and I had the bruschetta--both were absolutely delicious. The martinis were also excellent! What really stood out was the customer service. My cell phone died while we were there, and the staff happily charged it for me without hesitation. It's those little gestures that make a place memorable. Great food, great drinks, and outstanding service. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Cozy atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. Dress up or come in casual, either way you won't feel out of place. The host is so friendly you feel like you've been friend for years. Staff is attentive, and helpful. Really top notch service. Try the pasta with seafood and white wine sauce. It's loaded with all the good stuff and you won't go home hungry. Surprise dish was the grilled Ceasar salad and warm olives with garlic and feta. I'll never eat olives any other way again. Great for a date, a small group of friends or a celebration. read more

Rumari - Seafood pasta and chefs signature dish. - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Its located on the main street of coast hwy so i parked on the street its free after 7pm. Came here for dinner, they didnt require a reservation and so we sat outside there are heat lamps above you too. The host was super nice once we arrived she was lively and sat us right away, unlike a place we tried to dine at a few shops down where they seemed snobbish, Rumari is not that, they welcome you like family. The entire staff was great and friendly I love a place that gives you free bread and thats what we got plus they also serve it with a side of some green sauce/dip it was refreshing and very flavorful garlicy and citrusy. We ordered: Appetizer: meatballs comes w/3 decent sized meatballs and a piece of small garlic bread Cesar salad which was totally different from a typical American cesar, it came grilled half a romaine and deconstructed with the ingredients of an authentic cesar dressing garnished on top including the anchovy and a nice big crouton on the side. Entree: veal piccata (this was alright lacked flavor but the pasta it came with was nice and al dente and simple) Greek lamp chops (fire full of flavor came with potatoes and spinach) Dessert: chocolate souffle (forgot to take a pic but this was hot and fresh and not too sweet they pour in ice cream in the middle and some whipped cream if im not mistaken to cool it off) I highly recommend read more

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Got a baklava with ice cream here and it was fabulous. The baklava was drizzled with honey and topped with ice cream made it the perfect sweet treat to enjoy by the ocean side. We parked by the residential area and strolled down. They also validate parking at mozambique down the street. read more

Rumari - Bakalava - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Superb restaurant serving quality food and great service. They are very unique since they serve both Italian and Greek food. The environment is dark and intimate, perfect for date night or any celebration. They have good portions and the food is all delicious. Staff are friendly and they have indoor and outdoor seating. Very read more

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I had the baklava with vanilla ice cream and it was delicious! The baklava was warm and the vanilla ice cream combo was divine. I stopped by for this dessert after spending some time at treasure beach in Laguna! For $12, it was so refreshing and perfect on a summer day. There is relatively little street parking when I went on a Friday afternoon but there valet at a nearby restaurant - which I have not used. Highly recommend trying their pasta and lobster tail as well. I've enjoyed their main dishes on other occasions and nothing has disappointed! read more

We loved Rumari! It was our first visit and it was so cozy with great service. Everyone was so nice and the food was delicious!!! The beef souvlakia was a standout, the meat was so tender. Will absolutely be back read more

Couldn't tell which one I liked more, the Greek food or Italian. We had one dish of each and they both came out with tons of flavor. We were greeted nicely and our server was attentive and let us know that we showed up with 15 minutes left for happy hour and made a few suggestions of what to get. The place is really laid back, kinda nice and also homey feeling. Next time it would be nice to sit at the bar. We'll be back the next time we are in Laguna. ... oh and if you have a birthday this is a great place to go and get a nice dessert and be serenaded with a little opera birthday tune read more

4.3/5 Came for happy hour (3-6 wed through sun) and really enjoyed the experience. The waitstaff is friendly, there's plenty of seating, and we were sat at our table immediately. There's a nice outdoor patio, but we sat indoors. We ordered a glass of wine ($10) each and started with complimentary focaccia. The rigatoni, penne, and souvlaki (chicken or beef) were all great. Portions are large so you can share and still have plenty to eat. Highly recommend this place for happy hour! read more

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TLDR: top tier service and food; a must try their Chef's rotelle when you're in Laguna Beach Chef's Rotelle 5/5 Halibut Piccata 5/5 Caesar Salad 2/5 Located right next to the beach, Rumari is an Italian gem with some Greek dishes as well. Most of the employees seem to be Italian and the service is warm and friendly all around. They start you off with bread and some sort of lemony yogurt dill dip, the happy hour menu is robust, and their cocktail/beer/wine offerings are heavily Italian-influenced. My mom wasn't too fond of their limited cocktail and beer options, but she's a hard woman to please. So you know Rumari's food is good because she loved it! The Chef's Rotelle are lasagna rolls with half cream and turkey bacon (?) and half marinara. It was not only aesthetically pleasing, but it was also rich, creamy, and piping hot. The tomato side really helped to balance the heaviness of the cream. The halibut piccata was also beautifully presented, cooked, and garnished. I loved the accompanying spinach. The only meh for me was the Caesar salad as there was too much sauce and too much cheese to be enjoyable. That's probably the authentic way to eat it though so that's on me. Thank you Rumari for a great time! P.s. if you go on a birthday, you are in for a treat ;) read more

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We were in town for Pageant of the Masters, and were seated across the street at Wine Gallery about to order dinner when I remembered the fantastic meal we had at Rumari last year. We were able to secure a last minute reservation, so we finished our drinks and headed across the street. I'm so glad we changed our plans because our dinner was fantastic! Three of us ordered the halibut, veal and chicken piccata. My halibut was absolutely delicious! The hostess and our server, Leo, made us feel at home. We also loved hearing the staff (chef included) serenade Happy Birthday to a guest. It felt very special. We've decided to make it our tradition when we visit for Pageant of the Masters. Side note - we went to Mozambique (sister property next door) after dinner for dessert and were equally impressed. read more

Great ambiance. The food was not my favorite. The atmosphere was fab but the taste of the pasta and apps were really mediocre.

Food = delicious sausage pizza Service = so friendly and sang for my friends birthday! The chef is an opera singer! Ambiance = beautiful read more

Amazing! Local friends of ours who are foodies themselves recommended us to join them for Happy Hour between 4 and 6pm.... we decided to go in on a Saturday at 5pm and it was not too busy as yet. Outdoor seating was available but as there is a lot of noisy (bang-bang-bang exhaust) traffic, sitting indoors is highly preferred. Cozy place! Very inviting but definitely not too cramped. In regard to our food, our funchi al forno and sausage pizza were fantastic and the drink specials ($5 bottled beer, $10 wine) attractive. For the ones not too familiar with Italian beer, Peroni is very light so Moretti would be the better choice if there's a need for more flavor. Our host Leo did a stellar job in entertaining us. 10/10. read more

Rumari - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Made reservations & enjoyed their Valentines Menu. We had a really great time. The ambiance was lovely. The food was excellent. Drinks were great. I loved their hostess, Yari? I think was her name. She gave all us ladies roses. Really really wonderful experience. I would certainly go back. read more

We were looking for a dinner spot near our hotel on Saturday night, the first day of our trip and found Rumari which was less than 15 min walk away. We arrived around 7:30 and unfortunately the restaurant was already busy, so we were only able to get a table outside. It was breezy out so we were glad we dressed in layers. Ended up ordering the chicken souvlaki. Nothing special to write home about for this dish.. the chicken was a tad dry. Since we were seated outside it felt like we were ignored by our servers. We asked for the bill three times and waited awhile till it was too cold out that we went into the restaurant to pay. Service could definitely be improved on this point. read more

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I visit Rumari regularly. The food is consistently delicious and service is always amazing. I have a handful of favorites, but my top menu items have to be the zucchini al forno; zucchini stuffed with house made sausage, the Greek salad, and (because I love spicy food), the Linguini fra diavola; which is a spicy shrimp pasta. My boyfriend loves the classic veal piccata. We love to finish off with the tiramisu with their espresso martini! All of the staff is so great and accommodating! I don't leave reviews too often, but I felt compelled because I go to Rumari almost every Sunday and they're always so great to me. That said--big shout out to Rumari!!! :) read more

Special request: Can I give 6 or 7 stars? We love Rumari! We found it a little over a year ago and have returned several times. The food, atmosphere, and service is wonderful! We enjoy the chef's rotelle. Two large wheels of pasta stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and topped with sauces (one with marinara and one with alfredo). We also love the bruschetta, Greek salad, Ceasar salad, and Souvlakia. read more

We come every year for our birthday celebration. Always great food and a fun atmosphere. The birthday singers are entertaining but can be a little much if there are a lot of people celebrating. read more

So for a casual Italian this is good. They share valet with Mozambique which is great and just a block away - $10 - free electric vehicle charging. They are a sister restaurant to Mozambique so they also offer crayons and paper for the kids to color which is always fun for the littles. The kids did not like the cheese pasta which was heavily doused in butter. The caprese was ok but average. The cheese seemed store bought so not special. We should have stuck with our initial thought to get the greek and not have changed to the caprese when we learned N's dish came with the greek. The greek salad is amazing and the flavors are on point with the acidity and herbs. I would def. order the greek salad next time. The riagtoni fileto marsala was a huge hit. My kids really enjoyed my dish as well. The filet was cooked well and the flavor of the marsala was delicious. N enjoyed his chicken souvlaki. read more

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The food here is exceptional and that sang a very musical happy birthday to my 91 year old father. It's was priceless watching his expression and the operatic singing was amazing and heartfelt! Thank you Rumari and Ivan!! read more

Great chicken parmigiana, love the feel of this place. It's like being in someone's home rather than your typical restaurant. Food, staff were great and will be going back. Very relaxing ambiance read more

Last night was our second time there! Food is delicious , service is also good. Our server Paniz was amazing , she was very kind and attentive. Will definitely go back again read more

Rumari - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Pretty disheartening experience tonight. My friend and I came in looking forward to good food and service after a long beach day only to be met with bad service. As a server myself in the restaurant industry, i can understand how serving a younger group of people can sometimes be stereotyped into thinking they "don't tip" however it's not a stereotype that should ever be acted upon. Our server did not greet us with a smile, was very quick to rush us into ordering, did not explain any items on the menu or even try to upsell, and did not check on us once until it was time to bring the check (which he dropped off the same time our dessert came out). It would be one thing if the tables around us were receiving the same kind of service but they weren't. A couple next to us were spoken to about specials, another table was offered options on types of waters, he was checking in on them during their entrees, all things we blatantly didn't get. Again, because I am a server myself I understand that we survive off of tips, so I still tipped 18% but if I could've done less I would have. After closing out, then he proceeded to check on us and smile and see if we needed anything. Honestly shitty experience to have when the food was very good. read more

Rumari - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Great little Italian restaurant in Laguna Beach. Food was wonderful and service is awesome. Yari was especially awesome. If you come you won't be disappointed. read more

Had dinner here last night and we LOVED IT!!! Hands down best Italian meal I've had in a while! Service was excellent and he even made suggestions that were spot on. The Caesar salad was probably the BEST SALAD I've ever had! It was romaine lettuce slightly grilled. The bread with the pesto! We in the area often and will definitely be back. Honestly if I lived closer I'd be there every day lol. read more

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Tried Rumari's happy hour for the first time and it was just OK. The bartender was very nice but we had some communication issues and couldn't get a clear answer on the beers they offered. After some back and forth we finally understood the offerings and the beer selection was very mediocre with no dark, amber, or Belgian options. The only IPA (Lagunitas) is very mainstream and underwhelming.. so if you want beer for happy hour it's not the right place for it. Food we ordered: sausage pizza, the souvlaki plate, and Caesar salad. The miscommunication continued as we received our first plate, we had stressed more than 5 times that we did not want anchovy in our Caesar salad due to my seafood allergy, the salad comes with anchovy filets on top and had to be sent back. Caesar salad: I liked the small chop on the salad, but the dressing was three times as it should be. The lettuce were so drenched and soon they became very soggy. We had asked for ranch instead of the Caesar dressing to avoid anchovy in the sauce. Dressing tasted like generic bottled dressing, not gourmet. I would not order this salad again. The Suvlaki (both chicken and beef) were hands down the best plates we tried. Chicken and beef were very tender, however, they were once again drenched in a heavy tangy yogurt sauce that overpowered the meet and bread so we couldn't really taste them. I would order this with no sauce (the plate comes with side of tzatziki any way). The side Greek salad and fries were excellent!!! Order this for sure! Sausage pizza: didn't like this one either, it was extremely salty and heavy/thick dough compared to the lighter topping ratio. It's only $9 but I don't recommend it. Overall it wasn't the best experience and I'm not sure if we would go back for HH any time soon. read more

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Excellent!! I can't believe this place doesn't have more reviews?? Apparently it has been here since the 90s. I was told they get a lot of regulars. I can see why because the food was delicious! We really enjoyed everything. Cocktails were pricey but were incredibly good as was the focaccia bread (they serve before the meal) and the delicious dessert soufflé. The ambience was awesome too! Lovely servers and staff. Loved everything about this restaurant and will definitely be back. read more

Rumari - This was one of their specials: lobster, ravioli, and it was amazing. - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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This was our first time eating here and the manager greeted us outside and asked if we had any questions because we were looking at the menu and not sure if the Happy hour was going on since it wasn't 3:00. We were excited to hear that they did have happy hour and we were sold. My husband had the margarita pizza which he said was the best he has ever had. I switched it up and had a chicken Greek plate and the homemade taziki was so good. We also had the bruschetta which was amazing. Our waiter, Charles, was super friendly and personable. Great service over all and excellent food. read more

Wonderful place to experience great food and service..early bird dinners are great Amm read more

Celebrated my daughter's birthday here and everything from the food to the service was perfect! I had the Chef's Rotelle which is house made pasta rolled with prosciutto, bechamel sauce, buffalo mozzarella, topped with marinara and Alfredo sauce. It was really delicious! My birthday girl had the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and really enjoyed it. My husband had the Bistecca alla Fiorentina which was a 18oz ribeye steak with herb butter and served with spinach and lemon potatoes. He also got a side of macaroni and cheese (it's a shareable side). He loved everything. I had a little slice of the steak and it was flavorful. My other daughter had the Surf and Turf which came with a 6oz lobster tail and 6oz beef filet with garlic butter and lemon and had it with the spinach and lemon potatoes. She also enjoyed her plate. We had Zucchini Al Forno as an appetizer and it had great flavor. The chef also gave us a caprese salad which was really nice and delicious. Now they really go all out when they sing happy birthday here. They bring out the whole staff and sing it in Italian. It really made my daughter feel special. I forgot what type of cake they brought out for her, but she was happy to get a free dessert. My other daughter wanted to try their chocolate souffle and I wanted to as well. It took a while to make, but it was worth it. It was rich, decadent, and so yummy. We definitely loved this restaurant and will be returning for more! read more

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We love this restaurant the food is excellent and the waiters are too!! OMG if you are celebrating a birthday they have the best song that they sing and they sing it amazing. The happy hour is also very good. Highly recommend this hidden gem. read more

We had a great happy hour experience! the service, drinks, & food are excellent here. i love the artwork and design. i recommend joining the rewards program. don't let the road construction keep you from enjoying tasty italian and greek cuisine at this fine restaurant! read more

Rumari - green salad, greek fries, rigatoni with italian sausage - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Had the calamari and a pizza -- both hit the spot. Calamari was crispy, rustic pizza was amazingly good. Amazing service started with Manny. He was so sweet and greeted us first as we walked up. We sat outside and Noah was the best waiter: Very friendly and attentive. Helped us choose our meal, super chill guy. Yari was by far the best part. She was extremely welcoming and fun. She gave great advice and kept us intrigued read more

Service was great and food was delicious. Yari was amazing and went above and beyond. I will definitely be back!

As a local of 46+ years i have enjoyed some of these longtime signature eateries and Rumari is certainly one of them. The remodel was a bold yet positive move.. The hostess is fabulous and the food is as you would hope for in a fine dining Italian Restaurant. My server was extremely hurried and we had some communication issues: When you are paying $100 plus to go to dinner you want to " RELAX" not be told you have 60 minutes to eat and romance then leave. That may work in other locations but it gives a selfish impression off the restaurant that says... we want your money so eat drink and be on your way.. If you could slow everyone down a bit to create a more relaxing ambiance and think more about the customers having a calm, relaxing time.. I believe this restaurant could easily grow into the top 3 Restaurants in Laguna read more

Rumari is my fave restaurant and now they're open for LUNCH! come enjoy special lunch menu and all your favorites.

OH MY GOODNESS!! YES AND YES!! We stopped for an early dinner after a day of work and I was beyond delighted. The ambiance is charming, romantic and relaxed with outdoor seating if you want. While the service was attentive without being overbearing. The helpful honesty and fantastic suggestions made for a wonderful dinner. Had an exquisite veal puttanesca with an arrabbiata penne (and I don't eat pasta). I'm salivating just thinking of how delicious it was. I can hardly wait to try the veal piccata next! GO!!! It's a gastronomic delight. read more

Great food, drinks, and service. Happy Hour specials can't be beat. Going to be one of my regular spots. read more

Quite impressed with Rumari! My husband and I were looking for someplace to grab dinner around 8pm during a weeknight and most places around close at 9, so we decided to go to Rumari because they didn't close until 9:30, which gave us some extra time to enjoy an evening without feeling rushed. First off, it started with exemplary service by the hostess. She was warm and friendly and gave us the option to sit either in the bar area with high tops which is cozy and quaint or the regular dining room which is more romantic but still snug. They also have a patio bordering the sidewalk and PCH which would be lovely in the summer. We were pleasantly attended to by our server Aaron who was equally as great. To start, we enjoyed sipping on Negronis which were made to spec. Then we had the beef carpaccio which was light and refreshing with bright lemon flavors which complimented the bitterness of the arugula. The star of the show had to be my fettuccine alfredo with added shrimp. It was very rich with sauce that completely hugged the pasta and not a liquid runny mess like is typical for alfredo. My husband couldn't stop taking bites of my dish though he still enjoyed his souvlakia. While we were too full for dessert, we are looking forward to returning and incorporating this restaurant in our regular rotation. It has true charm to it with dishes that are on point! read more

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