You need to come here! I have now been here 3 times and every time the experience is better than the last. The lasagna could be my last meal and I would die a happy man. I have never tasted a bread like their homemade focaccia, and if you do not add the imported fresh burrata cheese then you should slap yourself. And do not let the description deceive you, the savory pecorino doughnuts are the lightest, fluffiest, little taste of heaven that I almost asked for a few orders to go, but I held back as to know I would always return for more. Do yourself a favor and make sure to plan a dinner or lunch to come and do not plan on leaving quickly as you will keep ordering more.
Nancy E.
Run - do not walk - to dine at this little-slice-of-heaven Italian restaurant in Aliso Viejo. Chef Marco's divine food should not be missed! Start with the Focaccia Pugliese paired with your choice of toppings: Burrata Basil (my favorite), Ricotta, or Pistachio Mortadella Mousse. Good luck narrowing down your choice of what's next. The pasta is made fresh daily on premises. Dishes range from squid ink mafaldine with calamari and langoustine, to ricotta and spinich gnudi, classic lasagna (my current favorite), and so many more. Entrees include Branzino (grilled Mediterranean sea bass), Bombette (stuffed and rolled pork braciola), and Polpo alla Pignata (slow braised Mediterranean octopus), just to name a few. Save room for some mouth-watering tiramisu, or simply an affogato (espresso with vanilla gelato). The serving staff is friendly and attentive which, coupled with the outstanding food, makes for a wonderful dining experience. If you are looking for authentic Italian food, you would be hard-pressed to find anything better than Trattoria Trullo.
Rob S.
People in the OC must be kinda F#cking stupid. If this place were located outside of the orange curtain it would be impossible to get a table. Ate here on Saturday night and it wasn't packed at all. The salades, amazing, pastas as good as any place in LA or NYC. Lasagna is phenomenal. The orchiettie was better than any version I've ever had. The chocolate dessert in a shortbread crust was out of this world: This place should be impossible to get a Rez at, and it is as good as Italian gets in the USA.
Anna P.
Tonight was our first time dining at Trattoria Trullo and we were very impressed by the food and the service. The attention to detail was outstanding, down to the complexity of flavors and the presentation of the food. I would say this is more on the fine dining side of Italian but the dishes were fairly priced for the exceptional quality of what you're getting. We look forward to dining here again!
Matthew Cohen
This is already in the top 3 Italian restaurants in Orange County.The chef (Marco) was formerly the top dog at the Italian restaurant at Pelican Hill. He's from Puglia Italy (the region at the heel) and the restaurant has several dishes from that area.I love the hamachi crudo. Very well prepared with beautiful colors and lots of texture. If you are an Instagram fan, this is a dish you need to order and photograph.Carpaccio is also amazing. So thin. Terrific frisee and arugula. The lemon vinaigrette was perfect. Just that terrific combination of salad with a tiny bit of savory from the meat and thinly sliced cheese.We've also had the focaccia with burrata which was a miracle. Crunch on the outside. Soft and rich on the inside. Fantastic.The pastas and mains here are incredible as well.I love the orecchiette with broccoli rabe sauce. This is a classic dish from Puglia and it was spectacular. First, the orecchiette are hand made in house (which is a major pain to do). The sauce was perfect. A puree of the rabe and some very good pecorino. I know that this sounds like a weird vegetarian dish but trust me it's very, very savory. Puglia has not exactly been the wealthiest region in Italy so centuries of very good Puglian chefs created very tasty dishes that didn't use expensive meats. This is as tasty as any meat dish - trust me. There are (not very) spicy breadcrumbs on top to add a bit of balance and crunch. A masterpiece of a dish.My wife has had the Branzino several times. It is always perfectly seasoned. Perfectly cooked. You can tell that you are getting food prepared by an Italian born chef with enough skill to work at one of the top hotel restaurants in Orange County.The Pork Bombette was a surprise. I thought that it would be braised but they grill it to order, which is quite tricky. Wow! An explosion of pork flavor. They stuff thinly sliced pork with ground pork, spices and cheese and it's cooked until just done so the pork remains juicy. And none of the pork juices in the middle escape because they are sealed within this pouch made of the pork meat. It's almost like eating Xiao Luong Bao. It's served on this perfect salad with lemon vinaigrette. A couple of smashed potatoes on the side. This is worth a trip to eat. I ran to the back after dinner to thank the chef who cooked it - it was that good!Desserts were fun and interesting. Almond cake with fruit and the Italian version of cherry cream pie which I liked a lot. Most people will get the Tiramisu which I'm sure is great.Service was friendly and professional. Very casual decor. The wine list is short but very intelligently selected. I’ve had the Chardonnay and Negroamaro from Puglia. Both were very good and fairly priced.Vegetarian options: Orechiette with brocoli rabe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mortadella Mousse
Charles Waterman
Absolutely my favorite Italian restaurant in SoCal.The foods authentic.The staff is very welcoming and is one of the reasons I come back.I wish I found it sooner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matthew C.
Ate here again and another terrific performance. Carpaccio was amazing. So thin. Terrific frisee and arugula. The lemon vinaigrette was perfect. Just that terrific combination of salad with a tiny bit of savory from the meat and thinly sliced cheese. The Pork Bombette was a surprise. I thought that it would be braised but they grill it to order, which is quite tricky. Wow! An explosion of pork flavor. They stuff thinly sliced pork with ground pork, spices and cheese and it's cooked until just done so the pork remains juicy. And none of the pork juices in the middle escape because they are sealed within this pouch made of the pork meat. It's almost like eating Xiao Luong Bao. It's served on this perfect salad with lemon vinaigrette. A couple of smashed potatoes on the side. This is worth a trip to eat. I ran to the back after dinner to thank the chef who cooked it - it was that good!
Susanne M.
Food was excellent! A must try in Aliso Viejo. Service was great . We will definitely be going back!
KD NGOurmet
Our first visit was last night, my friend and I were not very hungry but wanted to try out Trullo. Turn out we both had one of the most satisfying meals in the longest time, professional and warm services both from the kitchen and from the front of the house. The focaccia was moist with a distinct well-fermented flavor of good old yeast-risen bread. Next time we will try the bread with the house-made spread, we were already happy with only olive oil and balsamic vinegar. How can you beat hand-roll fresh pasta for lagana stacked perfectly between velvety cheese meat sauce, and the green sauce with round pasta is light and nutty at the same time? We finished everything!!! Definitely be back very soon. Thank you for cooking from the heart. We can taste it with every bite.
Forget all the pseudo Italian restaurants anywhere in SoCal area... Trullo is one of the best truly Italian new place with the most dedicated staff and fabulous chef, Marco, whose inventive cuisine takes casual dining to an unforgettable food experience. Kudos to the staff (Siena, etc.) and the manager.
Found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Wow! Love loved everything we had. Very different from any Italian food we had so far and tasted so good. The service is great too. We'll definitely come back to try the dinner menu.
Janet S.
What a delightful find! Chef Marco is a master, and the dishes are both beautifully presented and authentic, Italian cuisine! The service is excellent, the restaurant is excellent for a gathering of friends or family. Treat your tastebuds to this one!
Grace C.
I love this place, part of my culture is Italian so i love this place. My aunt's daughter works here and I just love how the food is. The food is pure and delicious and there pasta is the best pasta I have ever had in my entire life and I have been living here my whole entire life. I recommend there meatball dish. It have this wonderful homemade seasoned marinara sauce and there meatballs are delicious they are greatly seasoned with a dash of Parmesan (just a little). There Ficoccia bread is also the best bread and best Ficoccia bread i have ever had in my whole entire life. They make it homemade but they make it the day before because i think it takes a whole day. One other great thing is that the owner is true Italian. He was born and raised there. I also know him (not to brag). He speaks Italian but he also speaks English. The service he is also wonderful! and i truly adored my experience. In conclusion if your looking for a great Italian restaurant for date nights, anniversary, honeymoons or just to go eat out I recommend this place - Trattoria Trullo.
Denise B.
Forget all the pseudo Italian restaurants anywhere in SoCal area... Trullo is one of the best truly Italian new place with the most dedicated staff and fabulous chef, Marco, whose inventive cuisine takes casual dining to an unforgettable food experience. Kudos to the staff (Siena, etc.) and the manager.
Stephanie Labile
The presentation of food was beautiful, and the flavors blended beautifully together. The artichoke and mushroom appetizer are to die for. These alone will bring me back over and over again. My husband loved the Focaccia, pasta, his main dish, and his chocolate cake slice. They don't have a liquor license, but they serve tasteful drinks regardless. We will be coming back. Thank you for an amazing experience.If you have Celiac, they do offer a gluten-free Focaccia, but the flour they use is the Caputo gluten-free flour that contains wheat starch (personally, I react to this so I steer clear) just wanted to give a fair warning ⚠️
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Focaccia Pugliese, Braised Artichokes, Burrata, Spaghetti Al Pomodoro
You need to come here! I have now been here 3 times and every time the experience is better than the last. The lasagna could be my last meal and I would die a happy man. I have never tasted a bread like their homemade focaccia, and if you do not add the imported fresh burrata cheese then you should slap yourself. And do not let the description deceive you, the savory pecorino doughnuts are the lightest, fluffiest, little taste of heaven that I almost asked for a few orders to go, but I held back as to know I would always return for more. Do yourself a favor and make sure to plan a dinner or lunch to come and do not plan on leaving quickly as you will keep ordering more.
Run - do not walk - to dine at this little-slice-of-heaven Italian restaurant in Aliso Viejo. Chef Marco's divine food should not be missed! Start with the Focaccia Pugliese paired with your choice of toppings: Burrata Basil (my favorite), Ricotta, or Pistachio Mortadella Mousse. Good luck narrowing down your choice of what's next. The pasta is made fresh daily on premises. Dishes range from squid ink mafaldine with calamari and langoustine, to ricotta and spinich gnudi, classic lasagna (my current favorite), and so many more. Entrees include Branzino (grilled Mediterranean sea bass), Bombette (stuffed and rolled pork braciola), and Polpo alla Pignata (slow braised Mediterranean octopus), just to name a few. Save room for some mouth-watering tiramisu, or simply an affogato (espresso with vanilla gelato). The serving staff is friendly and attentive which, coupled with the outstanding food, makes for a wonderful dining experience. If you are looking for authentic Italian food, you would be hard-pressed to find anything better than Trattoria Trullo.
People in the OC must be kinda F#cking stupid. If this place were located outside of the orange curtain it would be impossible to get a table. Ate here on Saturday night and it wasn't packed at all. The salades, amazing, pastas as good as any place in LA or NYC. Lasagna is phenomenal. The orchiettie was better than any version I've ever had. The chocolate dessert in a shortbread crust was out of this world: This place should be impossible to get a Rez at, and it is as good as Italian gets in the USA.
Tonight was our first time dining at Trattoria Trullo and we were very impressed by the food and the service. The attention to detail was outstanding, down to the complexity of flavors and the presentation of the food. I would say this is more on the fine dining side of Italian but the dishes were fairly priced for the exceptional quality of what you're getting. We look forward to dining here again!
This is already in the top 3 Italian restaurants in Orange County.The chef (Marco) was formerly the top dog at the Italian restaurant at Pelican Hill. He's from Puglia Italy (the region at the heel) and the restaurant has several dishes from that area.I love the hamachi crudo. Very well prepared with beautiful colors and lots of texture. If you are an Instagram fan, this is a dish you need to order and photograph.Carpaccio is also amazing. So thin. Terrific frisee and arugula. The lemon vinaigrette was perfect. Just that terrific combination of salad with a tiny bit of savory from the meat and thinly sliced cheese.We've also had the focaccia with burrata which was a miracle. Crunch on the outside. Soft and rich on the inside. Fantastic.The pastas and mains here are incredible as well.I love the orecchiette with broccoli rabe sauce. This is a classic dish from Puglia and it was spectacular. First, the orecchiette are hand made in house (which is a major pain to do). The sauce was perfect. A puree of the rabe and some very good pecorino. I know that this sounds like a weird vegetarian dish but trust me it's very, very savory. Puglia has not exactly been the wealthiest region in Italy so centuries of very good Puglian chefs created very tasty dishes that didn't use expensive meats. This is as tasty as any meat dish - trust me. There are (not very) spicy breadcrumbs on top to add a bit of balance and crunch. A masterpiece of a dish.My wife has had the Branzino several times. It is always perfectly seasoned. Perfectly cooked. You can tell that you are getting food prepared by an Italian born chef with enough skill to work at one of the top hotel restaurants in Orange County.The Pork Bombette was a surprise. I thought that it would be braised but they grill it to order, which is quite tricky. Wow! An explosion of pork flavor. They stuff thinly sliced pork with ground pork, spices and cheese and it's cooked until just done so the pork remains juicy. And none of the pork juices in the middle escape because they are sealed within this pouch made of the pork meat. It's almost like eating Xiao Luong Bao. It's served on this perfect salad with lemon vinaigrette. A couple of smashed potatoes on the side. This is worth a trip to eat. I ran to the back after dinner to thank the chef who cooked it - it was that good!Desserts were fun and interesting. Almond cake with fruit and the Italian version of cherry cream pie which I liked a lot. Most people will get the Tiramisu which I'm sure is great.Service was friendly and professional. Very casual decor. The wine list is short but very intelligently selected. I’ve had the Chardonnay and Negroamaro from Puglia. Both were very good and fairly priced.Vegetarian options: Orechiette with brocoli rabe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mortadella Mousse
Absolutely my favorite Italian restaurant in SoCal.The foods authentic.The staff is very welcoming and is one of the reasons I come back.I wish I found it sooner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ate here again and another terrific performance. Carpaccio was amazing. So thin. Terrific frisee and arugula. The lemon vinaigrette was perfect. Just that terrific combination of salad with a tiny bit of savory from the meat and thinly sliced cheese. The Pork Bombette was a surprise. I thought that it would be braised but they grill it to order, which is quite tricky. Wow! An explosion of pork flavor. They stuff thinly sliced pork with ground pork, spices and cheese and it's cooked until just done so the pork remains juicy. And none of the pork juices in the middle escape because they are sealed within this pouch made of the pork meat. It's almost like eating Xiao Luong Bao. It's served on this perfect salad with lemon vinaigrette. A couple of smashed potatoes on the side. This is worth a trip to eat. I ran to the back after dinner to thank the chef who cooked it - it was that good!
Food was excellent! A must try in Aliso Viejo. Service was great . We will definitely be going back!
Our first visit was last night, my friend and I were not very hungry but wanted to try out Trullo. Turn out we both had one of the most satisfying meals in the longest time, professional and warm services both from the kitchen and from the front of the house. The focaccia was moist with a distinct well-fermented flavor of good old yeast-risen bread. Next time we will try the bread with the house-made spread, we were already happy with only olive oil and balsamic vinegar. How can you beat hand-roll fresh pasta for lagana stacked perfectly between velvety cheese meat sauce, and the green sauce with round pasta is light and nutty at the same time? We finished everything!!! Definitely be back very soon. Thank you for cooking from the heart. We can taste it with every bite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Focaccia Pugliese, Lasagna Classica
Forget all the pseudo Italian restaurants anywhere in SoCal area... Trullo is one of the best truly Italian new place with the most dedicated staff and fabulous chef, Marco, whose inventive cuisine takes casual dining to an unforgettable food experience. Kudos to the staff (Siena, etc.) and the manager.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Wow! Love loved everything we had. Very different from any Italian food we had so far and tasted so good. The service is great too. We'll definitely come back to try the dinner menu.
What a delightful find! Chef Marco is a master, and the dishes are both beautifully presented and authentic, Italian cuisine! The service is excellent, the restaurant is excellent for a gathering of friends or family. Treat your tastebuds to this one!
I love this place, part of my culture is Italian so i love this place. My aunt's daughter works here and I just love how the food is. The food is pure and delicious and there pasta is the best pasta I have ever had in my entire life and I have been living here my whole entire life. I recommend there meatball dish. It have this wonderful homemade seasoned marinara sauce and there meatballs are delicious they are greatly seasoned with a dash of Parmesan (just a little). There Ficoccia bread is also the best bread and best Ficoccia bread i have ever had in my whole entire life. They make it homemade but they make it the day before because i think it takes a whole day. One other great thing is that the owner is true Italian. He was born and raised there. I also know him (not to brag). He speaks Italian but he also speaks English. The service he is also wonderful! and i truly adored my experience. In conclusion if your looking for a great Italian restaurant for date nights, anniversary, honeymoons or just to go eat out I recommend this place - Trattoria Trullo.
Forget all the pseudo Italian restaurants anywhere in SoCal area... Trullo is one of the best truly Italian new place with the most dedicated staff and fabulous chef, Marco, whose inventive cuisine takes casual dining to an unforgettable food experience. Kudos to the staff (Siena, etc.) and the manager.
The presentation of food was beautiful, and the flavors blended beautifully together. The artichoke and mushroom appetizer are to die for. These alone will bring me back over and over again. My husband loved the Focaccia, pasta, his main dish, and his chocolate cake slice. They don't have a liquor license, but they serve tasteful drinks regardless. We will be coming back. Thank you for an amazing experience.If you have Celiac, they do offer a gluten-free Focaccia, but the flour they use is the Caputo gluten-free flour that contains wheat starch (personally, I react to this so I steer clear) just wanted to give a fair warning ⚠️
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Focaccia Pugliese, Braised Artichokes, Burrata, Spaghetti Al Pomodoro