Unique, eclectic decor and interesting food to go with it. Burnt Brussels Sprouts were delicious as were the Fried Squash Blossoms. The Burrata was also very good. I would skip the Pasta Bolognese next time. We sat inside but it was still cool as they keep the doors to the patio open. Our server was friendly and efficient and brought me a delicious birthday dessert!
Artemis was amazing this weekend! I hosted 65 people on the beautiful outdoor patio for a birthday party. Everyone supporting her was also amazing and very friendly. The food was excellent especially given that it was 65 people and kids. Drinks were great! Overall a great experience and good value, not cheap but very fairly priced.
Hats off to Head Chef/Manger Jad! I usually go to the Irvine Spectrum location but I ended up coming to Fashion Islands on my last visit.
Got my usual favorites and off to a great dinner. One of the dish (pictured) is their "Short rib pappardelle". Amazing dish... Surprisingly, it came out bit salty. I wasn't sure so I had all my family give it a go and it was on the salty side for all.
I turned my head to see if my waiter was around but Jad spotted me and ran over. He didn't hesitate for a second and took the dish. In matter of minutes he was out with a fresh plate and it did not disappoint. I was more impressed with his mannerism and professionalism. He even got us a free Gelato and Sorbet for all of us. Jad's quick responsiveness with customer centered actions made our night a dinner to be remembered for a long time. Thank you for the wonderful experience.
The food, drinks, service and decor here are AMAZING, as they are at every Cucina restaurant. Been to this location a few times and I can confidently say the Irvine location is better in terms of food. The menu is pretty much the same if not almost identical, but there is a noticeable (albeit slight) difference in quality of food. That being said, everything here still tastes very delicious and the service and decor are superb as always. It’s nowhere near as busy as the Irvine location, so I’ve never had to wait for a seat, and the atmosphere is much more relaxed, open, airy. Really love the Cucina group of restaurants— my favorite!!
Kristerpher Henderson (MooseQuest)
+5
5 Stars for one reason.
Alex & Gina
Can’t rave about them enough. Like 6 star service. Usually an 8-Top (us customers) is a nightmare, I mean we were enjoying ourselves but Alex’s attentive and excellent service made us stay not only for brunch for but for afternoon wine and evening hangs.
Seriously — We had a blast and it definitely created a core memory. Of course the food and drinks are great. Plenty of things to sample and choose from. And while we definitely drank (well my peoples) our 5-6 bottles of wine — everything felt right at home.
Oh the desserts are pretty amazing.
Again Alex’s service, backed by Gina’s assistance — amazing.
Next time you go, ask for Alex and say you were sent by the large group, with the “president” who celebrated his birthday and stayed for 8 hours. He will remember.
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Stopped by here for dinner. It was busy but definitely could eat here. Would recommend getting a reservation just in case. When you enter in, there is a wide variety of wine that captures your attention. Once you’re led inside, you can tell it’s a pretty big restaurant. Ordered drinks and food to make it simple. The drink I got was recommended by the server. I wanted something on the sweeter side vs all the other mixed drink available on the menu. Definitely was a great mix. Ricotta pizza was nice with a bit a saltiness from the cheeses but lightness and almost like a breath a fresh air with the ricotta. Squash blossoms were fantastic. Fried wonderfully and the cheese (more like a marscapone/cream cheese type) in the middle of the flower really is killer and the stem of the blossom was cooked on point, tender and easy to eat. The octopus was tasty and goes great with all the pickles and sauce. Squid ink pasta was nice with the tomato pieces to help add to it. The steak was delicious as well with the sauce and mushrooms to give it more of a meatiness and lightness. Overall I’d come back but for me the squash blossoms was the highlight.
Visited Saturday evening @ 7pm without a reservation and waited 1.5 hours to get seated (we ended up choosing a spot/seating ourselves at the long community table next the bar).
Service from the hostesses was unwelcoming (I wouldn't recommend bringing guests you are hosting here or coming without a reservation).
Our server was kind & prompt and the food was good. We ordered the burrata to start and the short rib pappardelle for our main course. I appreciated the filling portions and decent selection of red wines.
Ambience: 5 stars
Food & Drinks: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
I'd highly recommend a making reservation in advance.
This pizza was sooooo good 👍 🍕😋 Arrived an hour after opening on a Tuesday and the outside patio was already almost fully seated definitely recommend a reservation. The atmosphere is chill and rustic planty vibes. We ordered two pepperoni pizzas & shared truffle fries and it was enough to feed 4 people. Can’t wait to come back for the pizza alone!
I really enjoyed the food amd the service. Was very pleased ! Make reservations is a must!
They serve rustic Italian food with California ingredients and influence. The restaurant is cozy modern. They have individual plates as well as family style orders. We loved the fried squash blossoms, grilled octopus and butternut squash mezzaluna. The squid ink pasta and charcuterie board were ok.
LOVE! I love everything about this place. The food, the vibe, the drinks! I had my baby shower here in a half patio rental. It was a dream. The waitstaff were excellent and attentive.
The space itself is beautiful. And the food 👏 omg. That mushroom pizza is divine. We also had the veggie pasta and the Ragu pasta. Everything was excellent!
Even coming here for a non event is great. One of my fave restaurants in OC. Thank you for the best baby shower!!
Excelent attention in the bar. The octopus was amazing. Good vine and good atmosphere... i recomended it.
I always order the mushroom with goat cheese pizza to go 😋. The pizza was perfectly seasoned and not salty with lots of mushrooms. The crust was crunchy on the rim, chewy, soft in the center but not soggy. Delicious!
We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere at the relaxing restaurant. Service was great.
Always wonderful food! Great selection and good portions.
Excellent customer service, delicious food, not too overpriced. I had the Shrimp, clam, and squid ink linguini... absolutely delicious. The layers of flavors were like heaven in my mouth. I had a rosa corsa, with hibiscus vodka. Not only was it delicious with its unique and fresh flavors, it was beautiful! Definitely worth going back! Thank you for doing it right!🥰
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