50 Best Italian Restaurants near Lake Forest

“The service here is great they make sure your drinks are full and they are very friendly. I love lasagna but this was just ok! I’ll have to try something different next time. Also the bruschetta was just OK. Guess I’m a little spoiled because My daughter makes it so good. I’ll definitely be back to try another dish!“

“Solid dishes at fair prices from this Italian mom and pop in Lake Forest. Is this the fanciest Italian place with a full bar and bougie vibes? No. Is it a family restaurant with generous portions and high quality flavors? Yes. This is particularly reflected in your price at this no frills establishment. The free bread was hot and fluffy, the appetizers nicely fried, and each entree or lunch portion was heaping. I loved my fettuccine Alfredo with anchovies. The sauce was, chef's kiss. Would love to come back!“

“tienen buena comidas un ambiente limpio y agradable se los recomiendo“

“We were visiting from Scotland, having previously lived in NYC for many years, and were desperate for a nice Italian meal like we used to get when we lived in the States. We could not have been more impressed with the food and the service, and made sure we got a second visit in before we returned to Scotland - I just wish we could have gone back a third time… and fourth !!!! Highly recommend !!!“

“The pizza and spaghetti and meatballs was AMAZING! So delicious! 😊😋🥰🍕🇮🇹“

“Sal’s is a class A establishment. I messed up my order (grandma pie with breadcrumb and onion + sausage pinwheel and cannoli + black and white cookies) I ordered for pick up when it should have been delivery. The owner delivered the order himself. The grandma pie was on point and the sausage pinwheel was right! Waiting to taste the desert but im sure it will be great. Thank you Sal’s“

“I've eaten at a few Amecis over the decades, but the pizza I picked up from this location, was far and away the best one I've ever had from them. As a matter of fact, we were looking for a new pizza place and the family all loved the pizzas I picked up, so I think we've found our new pizza place!“

“Second visit to Limoncello and want to say the food is excellent in every way. Last night I had Arugula salad (very lemony dressing), the Risotto (outstanding) and chocolate gelato which was VERY chocolate. Topped with a nice wine. All Excellent. As for atmosphere, lots of large parties there last night celebrating Christmas and birthdays so was quite noisy, but 'tis the season. Highly recommend Limoncello. Food and service are excellent and above average. Menu is extensive with very different and interesting options. If they would have served a shot of Limoncello after dinner I would have thought I was dining in Italy.“

“Great spot! Parking can be a little tricky in the front when it’s crowded, so I recommend parking behind the restaurant—it makes things much easier.

The food was delicious, and you should definitely ask about the specials. I had the focaccia sandwich special and it was so good I finished it pretty quickly. Even the desserts were impressive—the picture I included was taken within the first minute of it hitting the table because we couldn’t wait to dig in.

I would absolutely come back again. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but worth it for the quality and experience 😅“

“What a great place to eat, talk, and enjoy, food made fresh when ordered, the atmosphere reminded me of Sunday dinner, with family and friends. I would highly recommend this gem.“

“The food was so great! The waiter was so attentive. We had lots left over. And desert to go.“

“Great food! Great service! Never disappoints!“

“they always change their menu. we drive down here from irvine to find out what we like ismt on the menu today its only on the menu on certain days we asked the server when is it on the menu and he didnt know. We won't be back. how hard is it to keep the menu the same? I can see lunch and dinner menus but changin the dinner menus all the time?“

“Had a great meal and wine with friends. We did have to ask for olive oil and vinegar after they brought us the wonderful rosemary bread, but hey, no biggie. Otherwise, service was great!!“

“We tried the Chicken Marsala, Lobster Ravioli and Gnocchi in VodkaSauce along with the Piccolino dinner salad and Tiramisu. All was magnifico! 😘“

“Simply over the top! That’s a wrap“

“Absolutely amazing we like the Marguerite, Cheese and the PMS pepperoni mushroom and sausage Gluten-free the fabulous antipasto salad all so worth it. Just eat my leftovers 😍“

“pasta , lasagna very friendly polite and helpful waiter“

“Tasty, delicious food every time. They are consistent. I especially like their house salad with ranch dressing, free pizza bread, garlic bread, chicken parmigiana pasta with meat sauce. These are my faves here. I love their pizza too.“

“Italian Express has great food and even better service. It's a great local family owned Italian restaurant. All of the typical foods are awesome - pizzas, pastas, etc - but also try their spicy wings and their garlic knots!!“

“The restaurant also has complimentary bread 🥖 with olive oil.“

“Great vibes and crew. Food has great variety (large or small portions) and service is quick and efficient. I bring friends and family days and nights when we want frssh Italian meals away from home.“

“Had a great V day dinner...all the food here is SO good! We had garlic bread, Caesar with anchovies, sausage/onion pizza and the special strawberry ice cream dessert. All excellent. Service was great overall and Grace did a great job for us! Thanks and we will be back.“

“fromTexas the best pizza i ever had😎“

“Great food, great service, and great entertainment, especially the sax and guitar duo (Dave Rivera and Saxophone ONE)!“

“My husband and I had a wonderful evening at Tannins Restaurant. We kicked things off with the Shrimp Scampi and Cadillac Margarita—both were simply amazing! For our main course, we indulged in the surf and turf, which was delicious and perfectly cooked. We couldn’t resist finishing off the night with a delectable Tiramisu. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a great dining experience.“

“The pizza & spaghetti lunch were really good! The meat sauce had plenty of meat ! The service was awesome.! The garlic bread 2 slices was hot and tastey ! My only complaint would be if someone spends $25 + tip for lunch when you ask for a couple more pieces of garlic bread to take home with my huge portions and they want to sell you a whole loaf! That was a turn off for me! Just give the customer more bread without a charge l could see if l was asking for a whole basket! Nickel & diming is never good! FYI“

“A wonderful find. My wife and I had a wonderful dining experience at Sabatinos Italian Bistro this evening. Our server Frederico was professional and quite personable. We started our dinner with two glasses of wine and the bruchetta. The Talbot Chardonnay and the Dry Creek Cabernet were both excellent choices. My wife ordered the eggplant gnocchi, which she loved, and I had the sausage and pepper rigatoni. Both dishes were excellent. The service, food, and ambiance were quite authentic and enjoyable. We spoke with Frederico, who is the ultimate professional, and decided to order a side of meatballs to go as well. This was our first time at Sabatinos, and this restaurant is definitely worth a visit. Ask for Frederico as he is the ultimate professional. Highly Recommended.“

“Great food and prices. Especially the alcohol prices. your bill isn't half alcohol cost.“

“Best place for local Italian! Highly recommended...“

“Party of 6 went for lunch at 2pm on a Sunday in December. The restaurant is very spacious, with multiple rooms, and we were able to find a large booth pretty easily. In true Olive Garden fashion, we were given an endless supply of warm breadsticks with creamy alfredo sauce, and I am sure I had 4 of them after my 10k run earlier. Some of us had the salad, others soup, and again, we were given a huge bowl of salad which was refilled once as well. It was pretty delicious. I had the spaghetti and meatballs entree, which was very good in both quantity and quality as well. Our server was very friendly, and kept inquiring repeatedly if we needed anything. Great experience, and before tips, it came to around 25 bucks per person, including some iced teas that some folks got.“

“Javier, the manager delivered the most amazing food last night for a thank you dinner for my Catechists. I highly recommend Alza Italian Kitchen. Every thing was superb…. Thank you!“

“This resteraunt is near my sister, and she loves it the people, the food and the Bar! I have been there a few times now and I love their garlic bread that is free appetizers. Every meal has been great so far! The last meal I shared with my wife was Blackened Salmon with Mash and Asparagus and a salad!“

“Although staffing can be sparse from time to time, everyone is friendly, eager to make the experience a pleasant one, and focused on providing a quality meal . A real treasure for those of us fortunate enough to live in Nellie Gail Ranch !“

“Great food, and awesome service!“

“This place is gold. If you haven’t tried Olive Garden yet, you’re missing out! GO right now. Seriously!

Our waiter Josh was the best I’ve ever met in this industry. Not only was he positive and brought a friendly atmosphere, but he was also prompt and incredibly helpful while being respectful and polite. It made my day and my whole dining experience so pleasant.

I can’t stop smiling because this level of service is RARE! Like I said, gold!!!!

The food? ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! I recommend the Lasagna, the Zupatoscana soup, and a sweet iced tea. There are so many tasty options, all for a very fair price.

The food will be better than what you’ll get at a 5-star luxury million dollar restaurant. It’s that good.

This is not a sponsored review. I just wanted to share my intensely brilliant and fantastic experience at this location!“

“Me gustó mucho el servicio atendieron rápido, personal amable y sirvieron muy rápido y sobre todo la comida muy rica thanks.“

“Amazing menu, excellent atmosphere. We truly enjoy meeting here for our lunch gatherings!“

“12/7/22. In town for a seminar and this restaurant was recommended. Excellent pizza and excellent price. I'll return Friday and grab lunch again on my way home to San Diego!“

“I absolutely love Piadina. The food is consistently excellent and the quality of the ingredients is outstanding. My parents live abroad, and every time they visit, this is one of their favorite places to eat — it’s honestly one of the healthiest and highest-quality options we can find.

I was also very happy to see that you recently added a premium, high-quality steak to the menu. It’s a great addition and fits perfectly with the quality standards of the restaurant.

The only challenge I’ve encountered is with online ordering. At the moment, the steak option is not available online (only brisket appears), and the platform mainly offers “add-ons” but doesn’t allow for easy substitutions or removals. There’s also no option to request no dressing, which makes it harder to customize orders.

Because I truly love this place and order from here often, I’d love to see some improvements in the online menu — more flexibility with substitutions, removals, and full access to the in-store menu items. I believe this would make ordering even more efficient and enjoyable for customers.

Thank you for the amazing food and for maintaining such high standards. I’ll definitely keep coming back!“

“Excellent food , wine and desert and great service. Can’t wait to go back.,we are from New York and we know what good Italian food is !! 🇮🇹“

“Their wine dinners are incredible!“

“Love this place. Really great food and service. Patio atmosphere was very enjoyable with fountain sounds and music. Our server, Juan Carlos, was super friendly and very helpful with recommendations. We loved eggplant parmezan, fungi pizza (incredible), and grilled octopus (one of the best ones i ever had). We will be back!!!“

“Had a nice evening at Dominicos on the lake this evening. My wife and I had reservations and were fortunate to ask Kory for a patio table which he accommodated. Michael took us to our table and was very kind and professional. Pedro came by with our bread and water and said hello. He is one of the hardest working individuals at the restaurant. Eddie our server came by and took our orders with a bottle of Austin Hope and bread to start. My wife ordered a chicken breast salad and I had the chef's special stroganoff which was amazing. Unfortunately my wife's salad came out 30 minutes after my stroganoff which was a cardinal sin in the restaurant business and we mentioned it was not acceptable. Eddie apologized and we also had Steven, the GM, come by and also apologize and ensure the salad would be out shortly. The salad was delivered, of course after I ate my entree and Steven dropped off and apologetic gift certificate for an appetizer during our next visit. We also ordered an additional beef stroganoff plus an order of meatballs to take home for tomorrow. We undertake things happen and it's certainly nice to see the restaurants busy again but a party of two receiving their entrees 30 minutes apart is not conducive with quality service. I am guessing the chef either misplaced the order or overlooked the obvious and we hope next time we will not have such issues as the restaurant is very good and in a fantastic location. Michael also came back around and stated he was concerned about this mishap and would look into this. As a retired government administrator and former restaurant manager in my college days I expect the simple things like entrees being delivered at the same time to be in sync with quality service and dining. We will be back and see if in fact this was an isolated incident. Good food and ambiance plus. As a writer for Trip Advisor, Yelp and Google I am graceful in my comments and specific in areas needed improvement. Thanks you.“

“This place is such a gem. I seriously loved it!! The pizza was so delicious with the perfect thin crust with a blistered and crunchy crust. Bonus points for the gelato and their awesome drink selection (canned + bottled options, and even mimosas). We had an amazing meal here!“

“We went for the first time yesterday before Pageant of the Masters. We were in a hurry for reasons out of our control, and they were great about getting our food out in time to enjoy on their front patio with a nice bottle of Italian red wine. They have umbrellas and heat lamps, but we didn't need them; the weather was perfect. I'm vegan so I ordered the Capellini al Pomodoro, but substituted it with the spicy sauce from the Rigatoni Arrabbiata. It was SO good. My husband had the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, and that was also delicious. The other dish ordered was the Pesto Gnocchi, also so good! Every other place on Forest had at least an hour wait, but after all, it was a Saturday evening during the Festival of Arts. Thankfully someone recommended Salerno. We're definitely going back. Price spent reflects the wine. Next time, I'll try to make a reservation just in case!“

“Updare.
This location is permanently closed. Its been like that for over a year. They put in Corner Bakery in it place.

My go for Italian, although since they made changes to the menu some things were taken off that I really liked. But it is still a good experience at reasonable prices.
The bread could use some improvement“

“We tried your pizza tonight and we love it!! Three different pizzas and they were all perfect. We will definitely be ordering from here again ❤️“

“Hands down one of the best pizza locations in Orange County. I have tried pizza everywhere, but nothing beats the freshness and ingredients that are used here in Bella Roma. You can tell that the owner carefully sources all of his ingredients and products to give us the best tasting pizzas, salads, and pastas! Thank you Bella Roma, I will be coming more frequently.
Trevor“

“Sal’s is a class A establishment. I messed up my order (grandma pie with breadcrumb and onion + sausage pinwheel and cannoli + black and white cookies) I ordered for pick up when it should have been delivery. The owner delivered the order himself. The grandma pie was on point and the sausage pinwheel was right! Waiting to taste the desert but im sure it will be great. Thank you Sal’s“