Very busy restaurant. Very good food. The wait staff was excellent. First time there. I highly recommend this restaurant

Great restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best bread and dip anywhere! I could make an entire meal out of that dip!!! Always leave there with a feeling like I was transported to Italy!! read more

Ciao is a cute little Italian restaurant in San Juan Capistrano just across from the mission offering delicious classic Italian fare in a warm, family friendly environment. I brought my family here on a Sunday evening around 615. We were seated promptly, about 2/3 of seats were full, with the remainder filling over the next hour. The initial complementary bread was warm, slightly toasted, and paired with olive oil, a good start. I ordered the chicken parm ($29) which was great; a very nicely spiced breaded chicken cutlet topped with parm, a zesty tomato sauce, and tons of flavor. The chicken was a touch dry, something hard to avoid when cut so thin, but otherwise was great. The pasta accompanying it was cooked perfectly. Service was friendly and accommodating, and wait time was appropriate given how busy the restaurant was. We sat on the outside patio which was clean, breezy, and well kept. Prices, above, I found to be quite reasonable. With a great chicken parm at a great price, you can't go wrong here if you're looking for good, respectable Italian fare. Ciao Bella! Food: 4.5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Value: 4.5/5 read more

Ciao Pasta - Pollo Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

When Breanne was five or six, her father told her that the best pasta shape was the screw ones because they could fix your house in an emergency. I doubt she believed that truly, but it made an impression on her enough to gravitate to the rotinis and fusillis of the world when it comes to choosing a pasta shape. And, of course, being her best friend for three decades now, it made me adopt rotini as well when I need a break from linguine. And yet in all that time I have never encountered fusillini, which seems to be giant corkscrews like I had at Ciao Pasta. And, if the vodka fusillini I had there is any indication, I've been missing out. The sauce was great, as were the roasted bell peppers and sausage. It was perfectly proportioned too as I felt full but not stuffed as is often the case with pasta. The service was good. Everything was brought out quickly and cleared with the same verve after. It was very professional and noticeable how well-trained everyone was. The ambience was great too. The seats were outside, which is normally a downgrade, but here was just comfortable and joyous. I even liked the way the arrangement of the tables fell. Nothing felt cramped or closed off. All in all, this is a great place to grab a bite and I'm already thinking of those giant corkscrews again and what kind of giant's house you could renovate with those suckers. read more

Ciao Pasta - Speakin' of the devil Look who just walked on in Fusilloni (large corkscrew pasta, Italian Sausage, Roasted Bell Peppers, & Vodka Sauce) - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

I was beyond impressed with my last visit and have to give that a shout out for service that goes above and beyond! I booked ahead for my boyfriend's birthday dinner, and as soon as we walked in for our reservation the host wished him a happy birthday! I loved that they didn't have to confirm who we were or what the occasion was, that really set a great tone for the evening:) Our service was fantastic, we loved our waiter! He was great and provided lots of recommendations for us and helped us pick the perfect bottle of wine. Everything we tried was so delicious!! We started with the Burrata e Prosciutto flatbread and that was so good! Definitely recommend order that to share as an appetizer, although it definitely is more than enough if you just want to have that for your meal. I got the prosciutto gnocchi from their special menu and it was phenomenal! So rich and creamy, 10/10! My boyfriend had the Tagliolini and that was amazing as well, I would order that myself next time because it was a delicious and lighter option as opposed to gnocchi. From start to finish every moment of our experience was enjoyable. Thank you so much for your attention to detail, and for caring so much for your guests. It does not go unnoticed. Can't wait to be back! read more

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Really nice Italian restaurant right across the street from Mission San Juan Capistrano. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating available for any size party. I really like both options, it has a really nice Italian esthetic. The food options are really great and authentic Italian. They have specials, so I'm sure the menu changes often. I didn't give it 5 stars only because of the service. The waitress/server who assisted me was not very attentive and there were only 1 other party during the time I was dining and she didn't offer refills, I had to keep asking. Towards the end a bus boy was nice enough to come and ask me if I needed another refill and even offered me a take out box. Overall I enjoyed my dish, it tasted fresh and delicious!! read more

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ciao pasta has a lovely ambiance and is perfect for a nice occasion. i came here with my family for father's day and overall had a great experience. the service was friendly and attentive, and all the food was solid. they offered a more limited holiday menu, but we were told anything from the full online menu was still available. it felt a bit unusual, but they explained it was to keep the kitchen less busy. for starters, we got the calamari and the pizza quattro stagioni, and both were delicious. the calamari was lightly battered and cooked really nicely, and the pizza was light and well flavored. for mains, we each ordered a pasta dish. i got the ciao pasta, and it was just okay, i probably wouldn't recommend the restaurant's namesake dish. the paccheri and tagliatelle were good, but not especially memorable. the strozzapreti with seafood (not pictured) was the standout, with a really flavorful sauce and perfectly cooked seafood. overall, i'd recommend ciao pasta as a nice spot for a relaxed meal. the patio is beautiful, and it looks like they have heating for cooler nights. just note that parking can be a bit tricky since it's in downtown san juan capistrano. read more

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Updating as I took my family here today for lunch. We loved our waiter, and received excellent service. The food, however, was disappointing. I do not believe the pasta is homemade. My pesto tortellini special was delicious, but no on else raved about their food. Not sure I'll return, which makes me sad. So many memories! read more

Ciao Pasta - Rotelle - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Grabbed some takeout on a Friday night. I scoured Yelp for a hand made pasta place, drove 30 minutes to get it and It was just okay. I grabbed truffle mushroom pasta with chicken. It was a bit unseasoned & dry, the chicken had a few burnt black parts I had to pick out. Luckily I had some extra cream and Parmesan cheese at home to add in some flavor. Maybe it's a different experience when you eat in person. For $36 for one pasta - I not get take out again. read more

Ciao Pasta - Ciao Pasta - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

Unfortunately changing my review here to 1 star had a quite rude and passive aggressive experience with staff after leaving an honest review. Can't believe he tried to call me broke and stupid via a private message!! No public response tho. Anyways stay safe out there Last update!! At least he spelled my name right once! read more

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Ciao Pasta is a gem in SJC. It's the perfect spot to have a nice dinner or to celebrate a special occasion. The outdoor seating is lovely and they have heaters too. I wish I could order their entire menu if I could because everything sounds incredible. Luckily I came here with a larger party so we were able to try each other's dishes. We were served complimentary bread and olive oil which was addicting, I was tempted to ask for more because of how good the bread was. For mains, we ordered the trofie, lasagna, tagliolini, and mezze maniche. While all of the pastas were good, I really liked the flavor of the tagliolini and trofie. If you are a lemon lover, order the tagliolini and if you love pesto, get the trofie. Supposedly the noodles are all housemade and even if they aren't, they are cooked al dente and just perfect. I would definitely make a reservation here if you want a delicious Italian dinner. read more

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First time here and we tried the Ciao pasta and the Margherita pizza -- such a perfect combo, you really can't go wrong! Also had their sparkling wine, which was so delicious. The service was amazing and super attentive, especially with keeping our waters refilled such a thoughtful touch. The ambiance was really nice and vibey. Loved this spot and will definitely be back if I'm in the area craving Italian again! read more

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Hadn't been here in quite a long time as my last visit we didn't have the best experience. Anyway, we decided to give it another chance; it was a good lunch option for a group of us meeting downtown on a Saturday. We had a reservation for a Saturday lunch, but it wasn't too packed even by 12:30 so we got a really nice table out on the patio. Unlike our last visit over 3 years ago, all the wait staff were very courteous and friendly, service was fast and attentive without being intrusive. Fried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella were excellent as well as the pomodoro sauce. Pizza was decent but not a place I would go for a pizza. All our dishes were generous and served quickly and piping hot. Overall the menu has a great selection of dishes. We all enjoyed our lunch here and it's a really nice spot to dine outside. With the improved service and the nice ambience, it's definitely back on my go to list for Italian. read more

Had an Italian craving hit me so I rolled the dice for something "new". Ciao Pasta is close to home so I looked online at their menu. All looked extraordinarily fantastic so I went the "for sure" route and ordered the spaghetti with meatballs and an order of garlic bread, delivered. A healthy portion with an abundance of tastes! The garlic bread was a great choice and I was overjoyed. I've also ordered 3-4 more times since and had the sausage once, their pizza, and a lasagna. 5 stars on quality. Price another 5 stars. Highly recommend. read more

Mamma Mia, you feel like you are in the heart of Italy when you dine in this gorgeous sun lit flower filled outdoor patio. The food is very authentic and made from scratch. We asked the chef Pascal if he could make us a lobster ravioli that was not on the menu and he whipped it up for us. The sauce was so flavorful and decadent. The lasagna we got was also super authentic and had a homemade taste to it. The bread was also very buttery and delicious. Served with the mushroom oil on the side. Our server was also incredibly kind and helpful. The wine was so sweet and refreshing. It was so enjoyable and peaceful here. We were made to feel very welcome and we left feeling so satisfied and wanting to come back again soon!! read more

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My girlfriend and I drove out here for work and wanted to try this place out, we noticed one of the workers was being very nice to all the tables but us, he was very short and cold but to everyone else he was very attentive and talkative, not a great feeling especially for first timers! Food was good though but could not stop feeling bad about him being the way he was read more

It was the week of our 30th anniversary so we were dining all around town. This evening we were craving a good Pizza and were waking around in SJC near the mission when we stumbled upon this place. Good Pizza? No. Amazing Pizza!!! We started with the bruschettta and its was one of the best we've had and mind you we are in Italia at least one a year if not twice. Here we had the Diavolita and Margherita half/half and it was superb. The bread they served with the olive tapenade was a treat. All this with a bottle of Super Tuscan. Perfect evening. Tiramisu for dessert was a nice way to bring the lovely evening to a nice close. Love this place. One of our absolute favorites in South OC read more

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this place is more like a 3.5 out of 5 stars. What i really like about this place is the dedicated parking lot in the back. it's very difficult to find parking around here, and the fact they have parking is a win in my books. the reason i actually came here was that i need a place that took reservation on open table for about 10 people, and luckily this place was able to accommodate. When we walked in, they had a table for us in the back, and it was fairly empty. before we got our food, they provided house bread with some oil. the bread was pretty good. As for the entrees, we all got different items, as for me i ended up getting a pizza and a pasta dish (ciao pasta). Both were good. Service was good. read more

We went there for our anniversary. It was very nice, outside seating. Had a bottle of wine and my wife and I both had pasta dishes. They have a great menu but would recommend the pasta dishes. Service was great as well. read more

We've been coming here for years but last two times the food was very disappointing. Last month our bill was over $450 and this month it was $250. The portions seem to get smaller while prices go higher, which is fine if at least the quality stayed consistent. The pasta was overcooked. The sauce was watery. The chicken was hard. We ordered a large Caesar salad and received lettuce with no dressing thrown on a plate that in no way justified the $15 or so price. Calamari was good but again very small portion for $22. Please do better. No matter how cute the restaurant is or how nice the staff is if the food is not good people will stop coming. read more

Ciao Pasta - Large Caesar salad with no dressing, 3 croutons just thrown on a plate. - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

I wanted to love this cute restaurant in San Juan. I went when I was craving pasta. The service was great and they had a lot of recommendations. The only thing was that I did not feel like the food lived up to its hype. read more

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My fiance and I made a reservation on OpenTable on Friday, for a Sunday night on a busy holiday weekend. Safe to say, it was worth the effort! We'll definitely be back next time we visit San Juan. FOOD/PRICE The fresh, hot, extra soft complimentary focaccia bread with olive tapenade in oil was a delicious, unique surprise that most Italian restaurants don't offer. We sipped on our respective drinks, a small hot espresso and glass of rosé, both excellent. My fiance got the Tagliatelle bolognese style pasta for $24. Although he wished it came with a bit more meat in the sauce, it came out piping hot, had excellent flavor and was ample in size. I got the pasta special for $26 they are currently running, a twisted pasta with mushrooms and spicy ground sausage. We both agreed this was the star, which came out super hot, mild/medium spicy, and with a savory and sweet red sauce. It was big enough to take home leftovers. We loved the fresh grated unlimited Parmesan, and that a separate worker came around to tables who had just started their meals in case you were craving a little extra! SERVICE Although we had an 8pm reservation, we were hungry by 7:15pm and were still taken immediately to be seated despite a busy atmosphere. Once seated, our waitress was kind, attentive, and helpful. Our drinks came out with bread in a reasonable time, and we were checked up on regularly. Our water glasses were never even half empty. AMBIANCE We sat outside on the very spacious covered, enclosed patio which featured string lights, foliage, and during the winter, overhead heaters. There's an indoor bar accessible off the patio, as well as plenty of indoor seating for those that prefer to be inside. Tables were perfectly distanced so it felt private and not overly crowded. LOCATION/PARKING Nestled in the heart of historic downtown San Juan, it's within easy walking distance of River Street Market, the historic Mission, and nearby shopping. Parking was easy and free for restaurant patrons right behind the building. No need for validation or tickets, park in a designated Plaza stall and head inside. read more

Ciao Pasta - Tagliatelle bolognese style meat sauce with fresh grated Parmesan - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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This is an Italian restaurant in the heart of San Juan Capistrano right across the Mission. They have their own parking which can get full pretty fast. The house bread is delicious. The Ciao pasta is tasty but a bit salty. The fish with veggies were also salty. The cheese pizza (yup you guessed it) salty. I wonder why restaurants like to make their food salty. If a food needs salt, the guests can always ADD salt, but if it is too salty, there is nothing you can do about it!!!! It is common sense! The service was good and friendly. The ambiance a bit too dark inside. The reservation was easy through open table. Next time I will request to be seating outside. I would bookmark it only if you like your food SALTY! read more

Great food , great atmosphere Wonderful service. Very accommodating. A bit pricey what what isn't in today's market. read more

We were on a family vacation at the end of December and were looking for a dining option to celebrate NYE as well as my niece's and nephew's birthdays. There were 13 of us and parents did not plan anything so I hopped on Open Table with my fingers crossed, hoping we'd be able to find a place that could take our group size last minute and luckily we found Ciao Pasta. It's located in a little strip mall with free parking around back. They seated us in the back where they have a covered patio. Personally I prefer indoor dining but given they were able to accommodate us so last minute - no complaints here. Our server was Alessandra and she handled our group very well. The restaurant provides complimentary fresh baked focaccia bread with an olive oil tapenade which was delicious, although I wish it came with parmesan too). We ordered 2 orders of the calamari and a burrata to start. Then across the group, we had a few branzinos, halibut, sea bass special, lemon pastas, wide noodle pasta w/ truffle and spaghetti. I ordered the sea bass special and it was okay but I had a bite of the halibut and that was absolutely delicious. I also tried the lemon pasta and the flavor was great (not overpowering) and the noodles were tender and cooked well. They brought out two small canolis w a candle for the bday kids and then we closed out with some ice cream dish and the creme brule. All with tax and tip (no alcohol), the meal came to $700, which for 13 people on NYE is definitely reasonable. Overall this was a great find and I'm so grateful for their hospitality. read more

This restaurant was a great location to dine in. Food was delicious! Outdoor dining was lovely! Service was great! And plenty of parking here. We had an amazing experience with so much yummy food. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

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If you want great homemade feel like you're at grandma's house for Sunday dinner pasta you need to go to ciao pasta and San Juan Capistrano food is awesome. Ambience is wonderful service treat you like family. read more

The food was delicious and the service was excellent and the staff were very friendly thank you

I've been coming here for years. Great food, great atmosphere and great staff. I love this place!

The service was ok, however it was made up for in the quality of the food. The pesto is to DIE for. It's nice and quiet during Saturday afternoons. read more

Wish my experience was a little better but still giving a 5 star review regardless of some disappointments. First off let me say that the food and ambiance is absolutely wonderful! The starter house salad was fresh and perfectly dressed. I got the Caio pasta and my fiancé got the pollo parmigiana, both of which were pure perfection! Even just the bread was amazing! Shout out to the busser for being so on top of things, checking on us and being such a hard worker! I gave you a $5 but I wish I gave you a $10! I hope you get a tip out from our finalized check as well! Now onto the disappointments.. My fiancé and I both work in food service and have experience working in restaurants of the same capacity if not more. When we go out we strive to be the easiest table possible, but have some bare minimum expectations when it comes to service. Whenever we encounter a fellow server at our place of business we usually make sure to give them the best service possible knowing how it feels to be on the other side. With that being said we had requested George if available but couldn't get him since he was working inside instead of the patio. Probably would've felt better having him. Mostly just felt that after a long workday seeing 500 people at my resturant, maybe there'd be a little more attentiveness. Not even a few quick how's it going till the very end. We weren't really checked on besides the wonderful busser, poured our own bottle of wine, and felt a bit forgotten haha. Nonetheless I love pasta and can't wait to come back again and have a new experience. read more

We live in Carlsbad and pass tons of Italian Restaurants to come to Ciao Pasta. Fabulous! Spectacular! Alessandra waited on us. I had the Mezze Maniche. I will be dreaming about this all night. It was perfect. The sausage was exceptional. The cream sauce light and just right. The flavors magnificently melding together. I judge an excellent meal by how I cut it into smaller pieces as I get down to the end because I don't want the experience to end. Not very many restaurants prepare meals this sensational. Complimenti allo chef! E' tutti molto buono!!! read more

Experience- Have been coming here for 18 years, and loved it until this weekend. When we first arrived the manager asked if we would like to be seated but told us that our double stroller had stay outside because "it's a big car." We agreed thinking he could be polite enough to keep an eye on it for us. To our mistake, when we walked outside, we noticed our stroller soaked from the rain.The inside of the restaurant has plenty of space for the stroller but he simply didn't want it sitting inside. If he can fit a Vespa looking motorcycle inside, he can accommodate a two seat stroller. While going in and out of the restaurant, the man didn't have the common sense to relocate the stroller in a place where it wouldn't get soaked. Food-The menu has shrunk over the years, yet we continued to come since we loved it so much. This time, the pasta sauce was watered down, including the minestrone soup which was very basic with only carrots, celery and potatoes. Overall the food was bland--nothing compared to the past. The manager scolded our server because he thought he placed our menus on a dinner table and not in their adequate place. It was obvious to us that the workers are not happy working there. We were very dissatisfied customers and won't be returning, so unfortunate. read more

Very disappointed in what I received on Uber eats, This restaurant seems to have different standards for delivery! Second time with delivery issue with them so won't be ordering from them again! My pizza was gluten free so crust is different, one slice didn't even have any basil. Basil isn't that expensive! Don't false advertise read more

Ciao Pasta - Margharita Pizza I received and what they advertise on their website - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Always, consistently good food served. Our go-to place any day. Great food, nice wine list with appropriate menu pricing.

Ciao pasta is a great spot in south Orange County to get Italian with a good vibe. I'm all about the ambiance when it comes to Italian food and this place is decent for a family or friend meal. Feels more like a home type of place. The service here was solid and the food came out hot and ready to eat. I would give this place another go. Cheers! read more

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Ordered the chicken piccatta and was very pleased with it. Their bread comes with olive spread which was delicious! Great tagliatelle and their salad looks great. Beautiful space to eat, San Juan Capistrano is an easy delight. Perfect weather in the dead of California weather. I guess my star count doesn't go to 4 because the waitress/server/hostess (not sure what her job was) was noticeably unwelcoming. I didn't really mind, but my mama in law noticed, and that says alot. Service is everything! read more

Ciao Pasta - Carpaccio - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

I was in need of finding something I was halfway between Orange County and Oceanside. I discovered Ciao Pasta in San Juan Capistrano. This charming eatery is a testament to the authentic Italian dining. Upon entering, I was greeted by the warm and inviting ambiance that promised an evening of delightful indulgence. The selection of local California wines. For starters we prosciutto with mozzarella was The lemon pasta was al dente, coated in a light and zesty lemon sauce, was a refreshing twist on a classic dish. read more

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Outstanding dining experience at Ciao Pasta! The pasta was fresh, the flavors authentic, and the atmosphere warm and inviting. A special thank you to our server Wilfred,his attentive, friendly service made the evening unforgettable. He recommended dishes that were spot on and made us feel truly taken care of. We'll definitely be back! read more

Ciao Pasta - Traditional Vespa - Italian Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

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Soooo good! Appetizers we had Calamari, Carpaccio, Crudo Pizza, and I have to include the bread soooo yummy. Main dishes Limone E Carciofi, lasagna and the Strozzapreti. Amazing. The drinks were also on point. Service was great and ambience of the restaurant was pleasant. We unintentionally went during the swallows parade day so lots of people, drinking and loud music on the walk down and back. read more