Best Italian Restaurants in San Clemente

Wow! What a lovely restaurant. The prices kind of blew me away. I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the price point was. Everything that the table ordered was expertly crafted and so tasty. We shared a bottle of wine that was recommended by the sommelier and it paired so well with the entire meal. Don’t skip out on dessert! The special that day was the pineapple cheesecake, so different but so yummy. We also enjoyed the espresso and affogato. The espresso was delicious and super strong. There was live music the evening that we went. A woman was playing Christmas classics on the accordion. We loved it. The staff was helpful, attentive, and swift. 10/10 will be there again.

Authentic Italian food! Excellent selection of wines by the glass, including some specials. The Calamari fritti was delicately breaded and not over-fried. I had the house made pappardelle with Buona Forchetta sauce - white with a splash of spicy marinara. A kick but not enough to be off-putting. I added sausage to my pasta at the suggestion of Simone, our lovely server. He was spot on with that add. A perfect flavor blend! Others have said portions were on the smaller side but this was an appropriate size and I could not finish it. To their credit, it was not drowning in sauce. It was an amazing dish. My husband had the tagliolini with truffle which tasted incredible. Huge depth of flavor from the truffles without being overwhelming. The only thing that I would have changed was the timing between appetizer and entree. I wanted to linger a little longer in this lovely spot. We can’t wait to go back.

Food is excellent as always. Truly pizza may truly have the best pizza in OC if not SoCal. Service is great. All the servers are so nice and accommodating. The price point is also fairly decent. Cocktails are good, and the ambience is very cozy.

We had a very nice dining experience at Slyvesters. We sat at the bar, the restaurant is beautifully designed and appointed. The food was top notch. From the herbed focaccia bread to the short rib lasagna everything was excellent. The service at the bar was very good. We are excited to try more of the menu and will definitely return.

Fabulous food and very relaxing and peaceful sitting outside. Wonderful fire pit!!