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Alessa by Chef Pirozzi, Laguna Beach, CA

Alessa by Chef Pirozzi

4.6
4.6
1596 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

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2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 9 times today
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Bustling pizzeria just steps from the beach that serves thin-crust pies & pasta amid a rustic dining room.
NOTE: This is not affiliated with Cucina Alessa in Newport Beach or Huntington Beach.

Additional information

What 1,596 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Alessa by Chef Pirozzi offers an authentic Italian dining experience in Laguna Beach, consistently praised for its "fantastic food" and "generous portions." Guests frequently highlight the "amazing meatballs" and homemade pastas like Cacio E Pepe. The ambiance is cozy, with outdoor seating options. Service can be slow, but the "friendly staff" often elevates the experience.

1,596 Reviews
  1. Tiffany

    Orange County4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great all around, Best food ever. The service was good and friendly.

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  2. Jill

    Orange County1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always look forward to having their GF Ravioli. Yum!

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  3. Sue

    Los Angeles7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    It was a very cold night and we were seated outside. I was concerned at first but everyone made sure we were comfortable by adding heaters. It was very comfortable and sitting outside added the ambiance. Our server, Savannah was terrific. She was patient and flexible with us. She gave us great service. Thank you.

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  4. Garry

    Central Coast5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We arrive early enough to take a walk on the board walk and beach. Then go to restaurant. It's our favorite restaurant and we go several times a year.

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  5. Daniele VIP

    Orange County7 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Last time I dined here was perhaps 7-8 years ago. I remember Chef Pirozzi was around. Food was great and ambiance was great. Today the place seems taken from the beginning scenes from "Kitchen Nightmares". My girlfriend order cacio e pepe spaghetti which came with almost no pepper and in a cheesy soupy mess sprinkled with parsley (?). This seemed something they might serve at the Olive Garden. The menus were oily and stained and so it was the check book. Drinks were ok, although it is hard to screw up a negroni or an aperol spritz (although I had to send back the negroni the first time as the bartender put some maraschino cherries in it...why??). It was a really mediocre dining experience. Going to the bathroom I took a look at the kitchen which seemed in disarray (dirty and full of used pots). Floors were dirty and so was the bathroom (no towels, toilet paper everywhere). I would not recoomend this place at all. Service was good and I didn't complain as servers might not have a lot of saying and blaming them felt like shooting on the red cross. Overall value was pretty low given that it is not inexpensive. Would never dine here again. Do better, Chef Pirozzi!

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  6. A

    Orange County20 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We made reservations for 445 but had to wait to check in and be seated but both the hostess and waiter were apologetic for the wait. The menu had lots of delicious looking options. We ordered calamari an butternut squash ravioli for an appetizer. Both delicious but took about 30 minutes to arrive! I think the kitchen was having issues. The table behind us left without getting their food. We initially were not in a hurry so didn't mind the wait. But our entrees didn't come out until 610pm and we had to be at an event at 630pm, so we ate quickly. Despite the long time to get food, everything was delicious and the server great. Luckily we caught up with one another over a bottle of wine. We had lemoncillo shrimp pasta, crispy prosciutto pizza and a kale salad and ate it family style. Perfect amount for 4 ladies.

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  7. Tori

    San Diego1 review

    3.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    It kind of seems like a tourist trap, but the service was good and food was good but not like i remembered 10 years ago

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  8. Jan

    Orange County2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 19, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I emailed Alessa. I always send my out of town guests for dinner. We have always enjoyed however, this time I ordered the risotto with the shrimp, clams, calamari as usual. I order pink sauce and make it quite clear very light on the sauce. It came drenched sauce and I couldn't finish it. We didn't have time to send it back because we're on a strict time schedule. I was not very happy with this times visit. So sorry

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  9. Peter

    Orange County106 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food. Good meeting place. Great service. Had a great time with longtime friend.

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  10. Michael

    Las Vegas1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service, Food and location was GREAT!!! Definitely coming back when it’s not raining.

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FAQs

Alessa by Chef Pirozzi offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (949) 497-8222.

Alessa by Chef Pirozzi is rated 4.6 stars by 1596 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 9 times today
Google Map for Alessa by Chef Pirozzi

234 Forest Ave, Laguna Beach, CA 92651-2114

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Pizzeria
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Alessandro Pirozzi
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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