Service is top-notch. Very watchful of what the table needs. Nice inside but noisy because it is…read morealways crowded. As for the food, they have a huge choice of Italian stuff from the usual to the exotic, & all of it is very good, except I made the error of choosing a carpaccio of octopus + salmon. The slices were few & far between & so thin, they were tasteless, but everything else was excellent from the pizza to the cioppino to the meatballs & calamari, etc. Nice wine selection especially the Italian Vinos. Portion size is large & enough for at least 2 meals, except of course if you have 2 growing 20-year-old boys/men who would eat the plates if they were soft enough. All in all, Mother's day brunch was enjoyable. One addition is they are more expensive than Yelp would leave you to expect.

03/2026 If you're…read moreever in the Laguna Beach area and looking for Italian food for lunch or dinner, this is the place to stop. My wife and I came here last year (2025) for dinner and were blown away by how good the food was. Everything is made fresh, and they use their own homemade pasta in their dishes. So when we came back in 2026, we made sure to bring my mom--her first time on the West Coast--and planned a stop here before heading to Santa Monica. The restaurant is very nicely decorated, and they also have bags of their homemade pasta available for purchase. We sat inside this time due to construction outside. Our server was excellent. She took our drink orders--my wife and mom had tea, and I had an Old Fashioned, which was made very well. She also brought us an appetizer of deep-fried olives stuffed with cheese. I'm not usually an olive fan, but these were surprisingly good and didn't have a strong olive taste, also ask for a side of tomato sauce makes them even better! My wife wanted a fish dish with pasta and a lemon sauce that she had twice before on our last visit. Although they didn't have the exact same fish, the kitchen was able to prepare it with a different one, and it tasted just as good as she remembered. My mom ordered the meatball sub, and I had the Bolognese with homemade pappardelle pasta. The meat sauce was excellent. My mom said the meatballs were the best she's ever had--she barely touched the bread because she just wanted to enjoy the meatballs themselves. We also picked up some of their fresh pasta to take home. It's incredibly easy to prepare--just drop it in hot water for 2-3 minutes depending on how you like it, much quicker than store-bought pasta. We'll definitely keep stopping here whenever we're in the area. Give it a try--you won't be disappointed.

My husband and I chose Salerno's to celebrate our first Valentine's Day as a married couple based…read moreon the strong reviews. Unfortunately, our experience did not reflect those reviews at all. Despite having a reservation, our seating options were either directly on the curb, where traffic and exhaust were blowing toward the tables, or at an indoor table packed so tightly between others that it was difficult to even move without bumping into neighboring guests. More importantly, after placing our order, we waited 45 minutes with no food, no glass of wine, and no communication from staff. No one checked on us. No one acknowledged the delay. We were given no reassurance that our order had even been placed. Meanwhile, multiple parties seated after us were served their meals. We understand Valentine's Day is busy. We are patient people. But being left without service or communication for that length of time is unacceptable. We ultimately left without ever receiving our food. A simple acknowledgment or update would have changed the entire experience. Instead, we left disappointed and unfed on what should have been a meaningful evening. I hope management reevaluates how reservations and kitchen capacity are handled on high-volume nights so other couples don't have the same experience.

Excellent food for a very affordable priced dinner. We have not frequented many Italian…read morerestaurants thinking that it's "just" pasta, but this was a very eye opening experience. Fresh ingredients and served piping hot as we can see the open kitchen from where we were seated. We look forward to returning again.

Food is awesome and Rudy was amazing, very attentive and nice! Made us feel welcome and wasn't…read morerigid.

Came here for Valentine's day and left pretty underwhelmed, sadly. We were seated outside in a tent…read morein the parking lot which was a little disappointing. Ambiance plays a big role (in my opinion) to a restaurant and not getting to be seated inside or at least on a patio docked some points off for me. For a special occasion dinner, I don't want to be sitting in a parking lot tent. For the price point, I didn't really feel the restaurant quality (plating, service, ambiance) really reaches those expectations. I can tell their food is great, I think I wish I chose something different when ordering. I couldn't tell you exactly what we ordered since I think they launched a new menu just this week but I'll describe it the best I can. Espresso Martini -5/5 Great espresso martini! No notes. Burrata with pesto - 4/5 Light and refreshing appetizer. This wasn't my first choice for appetizer but my partner loves burrata so we got it. It would be really hard to mess this up so I have no notes. $20+ for one tomato was pretty shocking, though. Tagliolini with shrimp and mushrooms - 2/5 To be fair, I've never had tagliolini before so I don't have a reference point of how it should be and maybe it's just not my style. The pasta was thin and flat and very very soft. There was absolutely no bite to it whatsoever and felt like it might be over cooked (again, I'm not expert so maybe this is how it should be). Because of the texture and size it kind of was just one big soft clump on the plate. The shrimp and mushrooms were nice and I enjoyed the sauce but I really didn't like the pasta on this one. And I know plating have any affect of the food but this one seemed really sloppily thrown together and I was pretty sad when it was put on the table. Definitely wasn't pretty or exciting to look at. Pappardelle made w/ beets in quail ragu - 4/5 We really enjoyed this pasta! The pasta itself had a subtle sweetness to it from the beets which made it much more interesting than your typical pasta dough. It had a nice chew, which is what I was really missing in the other dish. The quail ragu was yummy, although we did find a bone but it was large enough to easily pick out and put to the side. Panna Cotta - 4.5/5 Thick and rich vanilla panna cotta with a tart berry compote. Very delicious!

Here's a polished Yelp review you could post:…read more We had a great experience at Rumari! Their Sunday happy hour is fantastic with awesome deals and a chill atmosphere. My husband had the spaghetti and meatballs, and I had the bruschetta--both were absolutely delicious. The martinis were also excellent! What really stood out was the customer service. My cell phone died while we were there, and the staff happily charged it for me without hesitation. It's those little gestures that make a place memorable. Great food, great drinks, and outstanding service. We'll definitely be back!

Cozy atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. Dress up or come in casual, either way you won't…read morefeel out of place. The host is so friendly you feel like you've been friend for years. Staff is attentive, and helpful. Really top notch service. Try the pasta with seafood and white wine sauce. It's loaded with all the good stuff and you won't go home hungry. Surprise dish was the grilled Ceasar salad and warm olives with garlic and feta. I'll never eat olives any other way again. Great for a date, a small group of friends or a celebration.

***Little Gem in Laguna Beach***…read more A great restaurant located in the heart of Laguna Beach. This was our second time here and it did not disappoint. My husband and I wandered in on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant has nice indoor and patio seating. Since there was some construction we decided to eat inside. They have a nice drink selection, I had an Espresso martini, which was the perfect pick me up. My husband ordered IPA. My husband ordered the House Cheeseburger, which was the size of a double patty. It comes with the perfect melted white cheddar cheese. I ordered the Chipotle Lime Chicken Sandwich, which was delicious. The havarti and guacamole are the perfect topping. I don't know if they make their own buns but they are so delicious. The service was excellent . Food: 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 If you find yourself in Laguna Beach, don't sleep on this restaurant.

Went for a date night last night and we enjoyed our dinner! We've been passing this place forever…read morebut hadn't had a chance to try it! Nice atmosphere, it feels slightly upscale but still relaxed. Good service! Food: I got the lamp chop salad- VERY good! The lamb was cooked *perfectly* and was very flavorful. It was pretty fatty, but I think that leant to the good flavor and juiciness. It wasn't a massive meal, but I was full after finishing it. My husband got the shrimp pasta and that was VERY good! He scraped his plate clean and raved about it. We split the artichoke appetizer- this I wouldn't get again. It was good in the beginning and the dipping sauce was yummy, but as you ate the artichoke the seasoning and butter/oil ran out and it became gradually less flavorful and more tough. Not to say it was bad, we've just had better. Ultimately the 4/5 is mostly for pricing, it isn't cheap, but given the location the price is pretty comparable to other restaurants in the area. We'll definitely go back!

Came here on a Saturday night for their EDM night. At 10:30 the place is converted into a lounge…read morefor dancing and it gets poppin. I liked it a lot, especially the tech house, I think all of the DJs that come here do tech house only. The only thing I didn't like was the people who make their way into the audience but then they just stand there and don't dance. If you are going to push your way towards the front and disrupt everyone's flow and rhythm just to stand there and take up space, that's very annoying. Go stand in the back if you aren't going to dance.

Service 10 Ambiance…read more10 Beer Options 10 Food 1-2 (Fries best part) Long time customer. Laguna Beach native. Don't know if it was just an off day/night the food was underwhelming. The escargot a favorite of ours. Re-used shells ok whatever but at least put a bigger piece of meat in there. The shells were filled with oil and some greens but the meat of the "escargot " was a little bit bigger than a pea! The fresh bread was great. Salad Endive - ehh chunks of ham??? Couldn't parent it better or just cheap meat? Steak was very tough. I had to spit a part out bc of the sinew. Then the frozen garlic butter hockey puck!! How do you expect people to put this or use this when it's frozen solid? The meat isn't hot enough to melt it. Overall you need to do better. Won't be coming back anytime soon unfortunately!

We came just to enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and everything about this place was amazing!…read moreThe atmosphere was beautiful, the staff was incredibly friendly, and the margaritas were absolutely delicious. We shared the cheeseburger and the shrimp tacos, and both were outstanding. No complaints about the food at all it was fresh, flavorful, and definitely worth it. I would absolutely recommend this place and will definitely be coming back. Thank you for making our weekend so enjoyable!

We stopped into Nick's in Laguna Beach specifically for their legendary butter cake, and let me…read moretell you. if you haven't tried this dessert yet, your life is tragically incomplete. You're basically just going through the motions, my friend. We paired it with their ice cream fudge sundae, and we could not have been happier with our decision. The moment that warm butter cake hits the table, pure joy consumes your soul. Anticipation builds like you're about to open the best gift ever. The only logical response is to grab a spoon (yes, a spoon because a for would be a travesty of a mistake) because you need the perfect ratio of buttery cake, berry compote, and ice cream in every single bite. You carve that first perfect scoop, lift it toward your mouth, and suddenly your taste buds are doing an Olympic-level gymnastics routine--sticking the landing with a gold medal performance. It's a holy, almost spiritual experience you desperately hope never ends. By the final bite, you're slumped back in your seat, practically begging for a belly rub like a satisfied golden retriever, whispering a quiet prayer that this isn't the last time you'll experience this life-changing dessert. Ps. The service is amazing and the vibe is perfect for a date, a night with friends, or a celebration.

Came here for my birthday dinner! Not crowded at all on a weeknight. Intimate ambiance upstairs +…read moreoutside, plus great food. Food comes out a little slow, something to keep in mind when parking. We ordered most of the menu and loved almost every bite! Standouts were: - Bone marrow: pairs perfectly with the crispy toast. Caramelized candied onions on top were super good, never had anything like that before! - Argentine red shrimp: OMG. Must order this. Shrimp was super tender and buttery, so much good juice coming out of the head too. Great with the bread. - Pork belly and scallops: cooked perfectly and very nice with that white sauce. - Octopus ceviche: very fruity. Different from your usual lime lemon ceviche, big fan of this too. - College dropout cocktail: super acidic and fruity, loved this! Definitely want to come back for special occasions or live music on a weekend!

Food and drink are amazing…read more I sat at the bar so service is great Ambience is chic and trending