Every first Friday in December, Laguna Beach celebrates Hospitality Night in the downtown LB village along Forest Avenue. We were there with thousands of others boisterously dancing & singing to music provided by talented local bands. We had reservations for our birthday party of twelve at 5:00. Kudos to Alessa for: Jolly smiling hostesses who assured us our table would be ready on time [even though the restaurant was full at 4:45 when we checked in] and it was! After being seated, the restaurant staff unknowingly put on an amazing synchronized service ballet at no extra charge. I was enthralled watching the bussers, food runners, servers, and managers deftly dance their way through the milling crowds on the sidewalk and around the tables tightly packed outside in the tented area without a single misstep/mishap. I gave an extra tip to the gentleman who served us for his incredible tray expertise carrying a dozen drinks and placing them gently in front of us [he remembered every order without asking] never spilling a drop! The "back of the house" wasn't visible to me, but I bet they're equally fantastic since they were probably crushed by the number of dishes to be prepared [and cleaned up afterwards]. The welcoming complementary [in-house baked] endless focaccia bread with a tasty parsley/basil pesto was a classy way to start our meal. Our orders weren't delayed and were served deliciously steaming hot. They even baked the scrumptious crispy prosciutto pizza to well done just as I ordered. Everyone in our party thoroughly enjoyed the appetizers and various pasta dishes which ended up being passed around the table for everyone to taste. Thank you Alessa for providing entertainment, eats, & drinks with skills and smiles. We'll be back. read more

Food was tasty and professionally served. Our waiter, Miguel G was polite, professional and pleasant. He took time to explain the specific dishes and made some excellent suggestions. Pasta was out of this world. Busy evening- but service and dishes superb read more

an extremely unique experience by nancy! we were met with a friendly face, amazing food and good service. i have some health ailments and i was going to order a salad, but nancy suggested having a baked butternut squash. it comes with pesto quinoa--but i can't have pesto. she let me know they can make it without pesto... awesome!! my boyfriend got a wonderful pasta that he loved and said was flavorful. what i really loved was that nancy suggested something much more unique than the pasta i was going to get, and i was extremely happy. the squash was cooked perfectly with a wonderful tender inside and the quinoa was perfect. the sweet potatoes were yummy and starchy atop a bed of some arugula. loved it so much! service was exceptional and nancy made us feel like family, so great! definitely recommend for great service and food. read more

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Our first time there. The waitress was amazing. We had the delicious fresh bread and pesto dip (they are really conservative in serving more even if you offer to pay!). The cheese and charcuterie plate with wild salami selection was amazing. Our cocktails were perfect Old Fashion's. The salad was decent, the meatballs were good but the lamb chops were sent back as they were so tough you could not get a steak knife through them. Round 2 they were under cooked. It had nothing to do with the cute sweet chef but the quality of meat was horrible. Lastly we shared a lovely pana cota (note they dont use the bean). Salami was delicious! PS. Please note there is a little alleyway from where GPS tells you to park and the restaurant is on the street behind Bank of America. It's easy access from the parking lot if you can find the little Ally. read more

I was surprised to see other negative reviews and thought , has Alessa's food and service gone down since we were last here in October. I am so glad we came back because the service was excellent and the food was the same delicious food! The bread and dip they serve complimentary is fresh and delicious and the eggplant parmesan was superb! Our favorite restaurant we went to over 4 days of being in Laguna again. Definitely recommend and we will be back! read more

Loved this place in laguna beach. Had 4 course with desert and was all delightful. We started with a bottle of New Zealand SB paired with a fillet mignon carpaccio probably one of the best be had in my lifetime. We then had the homemade special butternut squash ricotta ravioli in brown butter reduction. Wow what a delicious decadent ravioli oh yea it was finished with a crispy Parmesan crust. Next was our entrees my wife had the linguini pescatpre something like that and it was a gastronomic delight!!! I had my staple baked ziti with Bolognaese sauce and the mama meatball. The meatball melted in your mouth and can savor all the delicate seasonings. Service was fantastic. We came in without appointment and we're sat immediately. Laguna Beach was unforgettable. This was a nice was to seal our trip back home. read more

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A group of us had dinner here with an early reservation, and were anxious to try the lasagna, advertised on the menu as "The best lasagna on earth." Well, by 6 PM, they were out of lasagna, scampi ravioli and had no straws for our glasses. We were all so disappointed and had to settle for other choices. One of the gals is from Italy and a gourmet Italian cook, she got the eggplant parmigiana, it was not very good and lacked any sauce on the eggplant, by the time the server brought her the requested sauce, her dish was cold. The fusilli rossi was disappointing as the substitute dish for the the scampi ravioli. I had the chicken piccata and it was OK, not great. Let's just say, our dinner could have been a much better experience. Our server was very unprofessional, and we were all charged $1 more than what our dishes were listed for on the menu. When we asked him why, he said, "Oh, they increased the prices and never told us?" We are a group of foodies that go out to eat frequently, and we're used to great service and delicious food this did not live up to our expectations. read more

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I felt like I had walked into an episode of Hell's Kitchen--and not in a good way. The meat was disgusting, the pizza was bland, and the pasta had absolutely no flavor. For the price, we expected something at least edible. Instead, it all went straight to the trash. Total disappointment. read more

Here on a trip and just wanted some pasta.. made a reservation and showed up early and told they were closing early... super disappointed... the man was kinda rude about it too .. read more

Alessa - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

The service sucked so bad. The server never came to our table. We had to get up to get someone and it was like that all night. The food was mediocre at best. High prices food for plane food. I'll never go back there. They think that by saying Alessa By Chef... that people will think it's great but it's not!!!!!!! read more

So delicious every time we go ! The meatballs are especially good. Sitting outside is great . Love the location also

Waiter was great. The food not so much. Limoncello chicken was bland. My wife got cacio e Pepe and it was just not our cup of tea. I guess we lived in Italy too long and have been to many great Italian restaurants here in the US. Should've checked yelp before we sat down. read more

Well this one was a hard 1 to review.. We came here from our hotel it was in walking distance which was great. I got seated right away which was great but the food in the service in the service were just OK. Maybe they were very shorthanded because of covid? They had linguini with clams on E with clams on the menu I wanted red sauce but it wasn't on the menu but they made it happen which I appreciate . But frankly it wasn't as good as a couple of restaurants back home . My husband got spaghetti and meatballs and he said it was OK but not great . Our meal was half over before they came back and I asked for parmesan. Parmesan helped it some. read more

Alessa - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Great food as always. Very impressed with the service and quality of the food hoping to try more items with new friends, soon

Service is horrible! We waited over 30 min for a caprese appetizer. Also, when the main arrived, my husband asked the waiter about his order. The reply was 'I can only carry so much at a time.' There was a discrepancy on the bill and order. The waiter raised his voice and insisted to tell me what I ordered. Finally addressed but in a very unprofessional manner. Food is mediocre. Very rude and bad service. Stay away from this place! read more

This restaurant could be so much better than the 3.5 stars they have now. My husband and I arrived around 6pm last Thursday and were seated right away in their outdoor patio. It was nice and spacious and the hostess was kind and friendly. Our server, who was also friendly, took our drink and appetizer orders right away. Then we waited... and waited... at approximately, 6:20pm our drinks of Prosecco and Elderflower Spritzer and burrata appetizer finally arrived and they were all tasty and good. We also placed our dinner orders. At around 7pm (40 minutes after placing our orders), our dinners arrived. We had braised short ribs with pappardelle pasta and sausage in arrabbiata sauce over penne pasta. Both were generous in their portions and super flavorful. My only complaint about the food was that my pappardelle pasta seemed undercooked. This was not aldente. I'm talking about the fact that it almost crunchy and very clumpy (really stuck together). On the other hand, my husband's pasta was perfect and bursting with flavor. The reason why I'm giving this establishment 4 stars is because the atmosphere was very nice, the service, although very slow, was friendly and upbeat, and the food (besides my pasta being undercooked) was quite tasty. They gave me so much short ribs that I had to take the meat home. For fellow diners, my suggestion would be to come here with no time constraints. For the restaurant management, i would suggest working on the timing of service and the cooking of the meals (there's a lot of love in the food, just gotta follow through). read more

A fantastic dinner experience, the food was all delicious and our waiter Johan took very good care of us all evening, his recommendations of the short rib pappardelle and veal Marsala were excellent and we enjoyed talking with him. The atmosphere is typical of many great Italian restaurants and the chairs were comfortable. The menu has wide variety of options, we will be back again soon to try more soon. read more

The service was absolutely amazing and Johan did an amazing job. The food was 10/10 and would recommend to everyone if you are looking for a great Italian restaurant! read more

Had the triple chocolate mousse as dessert, chef @Josecardoza knows what to do when it comes to desserts too! Delicious! read more

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Even if the sound of Pumpkin Squash, Ravioli doesn't sound good to you, don't you dare miss out, it's absolutely one of the most delicious dishes I've ever had in my life anywhere in the world, and I'm a major foodie. It's my favorite restaurant anywhere in the world and all because of that dish. If nothing else get it as an appetizer and split it and I guarantee next time that will be your main course !! read more

it's expensive but i mean it's laguna what can you do. the bread was CRAZY and the pesto that came with it went even crazier. like bro, how is that free how is that free fr. spaghetti and meatballs was good, the balls were so squishy and tender which was surprising and very nice, good ambience. quick enough service for a busy night. read more

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The pasta was I tried some of my friends squid ink which was nice and slightly chewy and squid ink is not my favorite, but he seemed to really enjoy it. My rigatoni was amazing! My friends review of it: "the sausage is not too porky but adds good flavor", and when I gave him more he was like the critic from ratatouille who was amazed by the food, saying that it was so delicious and in general praises I have never really heard about food. So it's safe to say he thinks it's amazing and I did as well! I put the leftover arugula from the ricotta in and it helped since I like my greens haha! The server was pretty good, welcoming and asking if we need anything : we were pretty confused about some things so he was very patient in answering questions. Ricotta with honey never disappoints: it was so wonderfully light and sweet and paired well with the walnuts/pecans?, and after having it with the little toasts we still had some left for the free bread (!!!! My favorite thing ever at Italian places. So light and fluffy and yum$. read more

Alessa - Ricotta - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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This used to be one of our Laguna favorites. The last two visits have been so disappointing that we won't be back. The service is incredibly slow. Last time, my son had a piece of plastic in his spaghetti (the meal we had waited over 30 minutes for) and this time the service was painfully slow. Our calamari arrived after a long wait and was cold to touch and had to be sent back. It is so overpriced for what you get, especially the drinks. Time for a revamp after all these years! read more

The food is incredible! Truly an amazing location with great ambiance and service. Nancy took our order and gave us a great experience. High recommend the Shrimp scampi and salmon salad. read more

Alessa - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

What a perfect spot to dine outside with my family after a long week! This place has a super cool atmosphere, a mixture between traditional and unique. We all loved Limoncello pasta and the lamb pasta ! Pizzas and Calzone were great to share, also the meatballs, kids loved them, amazing service from our server Miguel, good job! we will come back ! read more

While visiting Laguna Beach my family and I decided to dine at Alessa for lunch. This place did not disappoint everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The service was great even during a busy time of the day. The outdoor seating was very comfortable and relaxing with plenty of umbrellas for shade. I will definitely go back over and over again. read more

Alessa - Outdoor sign of Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

I've been coming here each time I visit the Laguna Beach area for years. The food is always very consistent and their pizzas are out of this world! The Di Parma pizza is my all time favorite. Definitely make a reservation or plan on waiting for a while as they are very popular, for good reason. read more

Alessa - Linguine Clams - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

I ate here several times when i visited family. The meat lover pizza is one of the best pizza i have had and it is made to order so it always tastes fresh, but expect to wait a little for the pizza to come out. read more

We've visited this place over the years, and we were never disappointed. The menu changes on occasion, but that's up to the chef. Today I tried the "Light Salmon Pasta". The salmon was cooked perfectly. Served over limoncello infused fettuccine. The pasta is fresh, cooked al dente, just perfect. Our server Luis was friendly and accommodating. The weather permitted for comfortable outside seating. Great place! read more

Good decent pasta, house made but not anything special the sauce wasn't crazy either. read more

Alessa - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

We made reservations the night before. They have open concept seating and outdoor patio seating. I would recommend making a reservation even for a week night dinner. I was nervous based on the design of the menu. It seemed very busy and all over the place to me. The Limoncello taglierini was amazing. The texture of the pasta was Al dente. The sauce was very zesty with lots of lemon flavor. The dish only came with four of five shrimp so that was a little disappointing. The bolognese was not in the top five that we have had. The prices were reasonable and this hits the mark of being considered a great place for a date without breaking the bank. The prices of the cocktails here were almost the price of a pasta dish, so be warned. Overall, we were satisfied with the service and the meal and would return here for Italian food if in the area. read more

I have a mixed experience with this restaurant. The food is great, and when I came here with friends, so was the service. However, when my little brother was in town, we both came to this restaurant for some appetizers and drinks. Our server was rude to us, which we found bizarre since he was very kind to the tables around us. The only thing we could think of was that my brother and I were dressed very casual, as suited a beach town, and the tables around us were dressed for an evening downtown, thus getting better service (this waiter even comped a meal and a drink for their wait time, even though we were waiting longer...) The whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth, and while I love the food, it was downright embarrassing to have my brother fly in from Colorado, only for our server to ignore us the entire dinner service. This is the only time in my life I have not left a tip. I do not blame the server for the wait time, the ambiance, or anything else. This was purely reflected on how he treated my brother and I, made even worse by how he doted on the tables next to us. (We weren't even given a drink menu, we had to ask the table next to us if we could borrow theirs). read more

We had an absolutely wonderful dining experience at Alessa. We were three adults and two kids, ages 3 and 6. The staff was more than accommodating in seating us even tho it was busy. They added a two person table to a four-top to give us some breathing room. Our server was excellent and even threw in a passable Italian for the authentic feeling. This being in downtown Laguna in a prime location, the prices were more than reasonable and affordable. And then there's the food. Many menu options for just about anyone. Our kids gobbled up the spaghetti, i got the Caccio e Pepe, a dish i became very familiar with when traveling to Italy. It's perhaps my favorite pasta dish, extremely simple and elegant: linguine, black pepper and pecorino. As simple as it is, many Italian places in America screw it up horrendously. This is not one of those places. It was spectacular. For three adults, two kids, a bottle of Chardonnay we paid about $115. A really really good deal for really really good meal read more

Alessa - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Caesar salad did not look fresh at all. Service is not that great. Only the pizza was good. read more

Alessa - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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I don't know why this place is rated as a 3 star restaurant. As an Italian who lived in Italy and grew up in an Italian household I can tell you this place and its ingredients are extremely authentic. The gnocchi with white sauce are to DIE FOR!!! They are sooooo creamy you simply cannot stop eating them, the ziti with bolognese is incredible - the tomato sauce is sooooo tasty and the meatballs melt in your mouth just like the calamari! I've been here more than one and it never disappoints. The cold cuts are good but the rest of the food is honestly better. Still delish regardless! read more

Cheers to Alessa's. Had tickets to a show at the Laguna Playhouse, so we grabbed pre-show drinks and shared a quick pear salad to hold us over - definitely hit the spot. Great service at the bar - we'll be back read more

Alessa - Can't go wrong with martinis or wine - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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WOW this place is amazing and we loved all of our dishes! If you are walking around Laguna definitely make a stop here for lunch to enjoy the atmosphere. The quality of food surprised us how good it was plus the a greta value! read more

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Cute restaurant, very close to the beach. It was busy around 2 pm on the afternoon on a Saturday but got seated immediately. We ordered the Zucca and the Cali Cali pizza. Zucca was delicious. The flavor is not my favorite thing in the world and the caramelised sugar is not my thing, but I still ate half of it with my mom, so it was well made. Everyone should definitely try this. The pizza was a wee bit disappointing in that I wanted it be overloaded with avocadoes, chicken and bacon bit it wasn't really. The bread was good, thick crust and tasty, just wanted to see more toppings. Decent size for 2 of us to share and finish. The bread and olive oil with herbs deserves a special mention. We ended up getting it at the end of the meal. But that bread!! Soft with hints of herbs in the dough and that olive oil concoctions!! Amazing!! Good thing we got it at the end, I'd have only eaten the bread before the main course. read more

Alessa - Cali Cali - Italian Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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The location is excellent for a pre-pageant bite to eat! We ate on the COVID-erected deck outside, which was packed. They had umbrellas, which were really nice for staying out of the sunset. I had the cacio e pepe and really liked it. Friends had the salmon and spinach (they really liked), the vegetarian pasta (the sauce was "bland") and the pasta with salmon which also received a "sauce was boring" evaluation. We shared the 3 meat and 3 cheese board and really liked the burrata, Parmesan and pear, and the third cheese (I can't recall!) we had the ham, prosciutto and I forgot the 3 meat as well. The staff were super busy and seemed stressed. There was a large crowd waiting (I was so glad we had made a reservation) and the bathroom waits were also very long. After dinner we walked less than half a block for a beach stroll before heading up to the amphitheater for the Pageant. read more

This was overall really bad... the servers were all acceptable but the food was very sub par and extremely over priced. $30 spaghetti and it tastes like it came from a can. the same can i feed my dog from. the caprese salad tasted like moth balls, armpit, & zesty italian. jesus the seasoning is horrid. and why is the tomato sauce sweet?? "here comes the airplane" they say... well this one crashed and burned read more