Best Italian Restaurants in Fountain Valley

This was the first time eating hare. The food and service were both excellent. The cioppino was one of the best that I have had and I've ordered a lot thru the years. The service was exceptional. I don't know how it could have been better. I would definitely recommend having dinner here. We will definitely be back.

Historically, SOCO has been home to some excellent restaurants and while we occasionally mourn the closing of one excellent eatery, such as Michelin-star rated Taco María, a new one will typically take its place and afford us the opportunity for an entirely new dining experience. Il Girasole was on my radar once I heard about their recent opening, so we booked a table for a late lunch, since we were in the area. My girlfriend and I arrived promptly at our reservation time and we were personally welcomed by name at the entrance of the restaurant, by Michael, at the hostess stand. An unexpected and nice touch and also a positive sign of more good things to come. The artwork on the walls kept up entertained throughout our meal. My girlfriend ordered a glass of the DuMOL Pinot Noir, which was pricey, but absolutely incredible. We decided to share the Pomodoro salad, the Formaggio plate and the Yellowtail Crudo, along with their bread plate. The salad was fresh, flavorful and well balanced. The cheeses consisted of a generous portion of Parmigiana and Manchego, which were both delicious with a slight nod to the Manchego. The Yellowtail was excellent, although the portion was fairly modest. The assorted breads / rolls were warm and tasty, as were the dipping sauces, although paying for bread still rubs me the wrong way, for some reason, as many restaurants still offer this gratis. The Salmone Reale was very good, and my Fettuccine Agnello was interesting, but I would probably opt for another dish on our next visit, as the tomato confit had a subtle sweetness to it, which isn't my thing. We shared the flourless chocolate cake, which was a good thing due to how rich the dessert was, but it was worth each and every bite. The service was very attentive and our server was quite engaging. Each dish was carefully prepared and the presentation was delightful. All in all, it was a great experience and we look forward to returning.

Service was excellent. Food was delicious. The wait time for both getting the table and getting our food was great. The staff are very considerate. I perceived that they are short on staff, considering it's Christmas Day, but service was very kind, attentive and cheerful despite the stress of handling so many tables, even assuring us of getting our food as quick as possible, owing the waiting time before they got our orders. I really have to stress that as a comment of thanks and praise! Food tasted amazing. We had the big thin crust pizza, the pasta with the artichokes and chicken parmesan - all really good, great portions and tasty! We had the calamari as our appetizer. Really good crunch and the spicy marinara had a good kick to it!

We were there to celebrate a Christmas Eve birthday and once again thoroughly enjoyed it. Cucina Alyssa has definitely become our go-to for this occasion. The hostess held a booth for us because I mentioned how we enjoyed where we set the prior year. Our server was charming and efficient, and the food was absolutely excellent. It was another successful birthday evening for someone whose birthday often gets overlooked, and we’re already discussing what we’re going to order the next time. Thanks for a lovely evening.

Always an awesome dining experience at Maggiano’s! As close to authentic as they come. Their lobster carbonara is over the top. But their bronzini fish is pretty awesome too! Never a disappointment here. We had a new server this time. His name was Austin. You must ask for him. Fabulous service!