Honestly, eating at Nordstrom cafe is always a must for me where ever I go. Their cilantro lime salad is the best thing on the menu. Can't go wrong with their service - they're always nice, friendly and on point. The establishment is always clean and no funky smell. It's like your typical restaurant setting but in Nordstrom. I will always recommend coming here even if you're not shopping at Nordstrom. read more

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Russello is an Italian inspired restaurant nested inside the Nordstrom. Ordered the following: Salmon Salad Fried Panko Breaded Chicken Salad Overall, the salads were pretty tasty and I enjoyed watching the half time show here! The service was friendly and quick. read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Wild Salmon Niçoise - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Pretty much every dish at Ruscello is a classic--you really can't go wrong. The food is consistently fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared, and the service is always friendly and reliable. The Margherita pizza is a must-order and one of my favorites. I also love the lime cilantro chicken tacos, and I'm so glad they increased the order from two tacos to four! Another staple for me is the panko chicken salad--it's always fresh, crisp, and delicious. They also do an excellent job with takeout. Orders are accurate, packaged well, and the food tastes just as good at home. Ruscello is one of my go-to restaurants for a consistently great meal. read more

Came here before a Segerstrom performance; phenomenal service! The entire staff was so helpful and caring - top notch. As someone who regular dines at Nordstrom cafes, I think I prefer them to Ruscello? I'm a pretty plain eater overall - But -- the portobello mushroom ravioli was quite tasty. My better half also enjoyed his sandwich. The french fries were consistent between here and Nordstrom cafe. While we dined indoors, I liked that they had a little patio area, too! One of the more affordable places to eat in the area. 2026: 41/100 read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Cup Roma Tomato Basil - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Mother's Day at Ruscello! 4 starters, 4 entrées, and 4 desserts for the table! Cocktails and wines made the celebration even better. The service was extremely attentive from the staff and assistant manager throughout the lunch. Everything felt smooth, warm, and well cared for. Perfect place for a Mother's Day treat! read more

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We had a great experience! The ambiance was wonderful, and the service was excellent. Bella, our server, was friendly, attentive, and made our visit even more enjoyable. The food was delicious and made with great quality ingredients. We had the burgers and the miso salmon, and both were full of flavor and cooked perfectly. We would definitely come back and highly recommend this place! read more

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The staff here is great! They are super attentive, give great recommendations, and prompt for the "to go cup" for your beverage. The food is fantastic and has a wider selection than the de facto Nordstrom cafe fare. The salads are great and the ever present, Nordstrom crème brûlée is a great finisher. The restaurant is bigger inside than it looks like from the outside, which is always great. Who wants to be crowded? Am I right? If you are out shopping, take break and fuel up to keep your energy levels up. read more

Adam is the best server on the planet! He is a ray of sunshine, remembers everything (like your order) and goes above and beyond. The food is fresh, consistent and delicious. We usually order tortellini (no longer in the menu), a cheese pizza and the lime cilantro salad. The spinach dip and tomato/burrata are great starters. Also, save room for dessert because the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and crème brûlée are to die for! We always leave happy. read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom is a great upscale vibe and perfectly located inside Nordstrom without feeling like you are in a store. The grilled cheese and tomato soup with a side caesar was the perfect combo for the middle of my shopping day. It's a large menu with a variety of choices that would suite most palates. There's lots of indoor and outdoor seating depending on the weather. Service was fast and I enjoyed my lunch. Would definitely come back during my next trip to South Coast Plaza. read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup & Little Gem Caesar - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Staff was nice but their smash burger couldve been better. It was so salty that i had to chase every bite with a sip of water...

I love dining at restaurants inside Nordstrom. Cozy warm vibes throughout. Each location has the same menu, but have to say they each taste different. This one is located at the South Coast Plaza Mall. Atmosphere can be a bit loud inside, but best place to sit is outside patio where it's nice and calm. It was a sunny beautiful day to dine outside with fresh air. Service could have been better because no one didn't attend to me until 10 minutes later. When my server finally arrived, I was quick to put in my order. Margarita pizza was absolutely delicious paired with a sweet cocktail on the side. I enjoyed every moment while eating my lunch. Usually, I order a cup of tomato basil soup with crostini. It's the best! Not this time around because I knew I wouldn't finish my meal. So if you happen to shop at Nordstrom and need a bite to eat make a stop here. Food and cocktails are good. read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Medium rare ribeye steak was delicious but the shrimp was my favorite part of the meal! Artichoke spinach dip with the bread was cheesy goodness. The chicken tacos were surprisingly good-- they had enough flavor and weren't dry. The cranberry drink was tart but the cinnamon syrup in it added a unique sweetness. I don't have a sweet tooth, but the rest of my family enjoyed the desserts. Great holiday dinner overall! read more

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They changed their menu and got rid of one of the most popular pasta items: Spicy Shrimp Pomodoro. Heard from one of the servers that they got a lot of complaints from patrons about this, too so not sure why they would get rid of it especially since it's been on the menu for at least 15 years. Bring it back!! read more

Loved everything! I will definitely be back for the lobster bisque. It was so flavorful. They have an array of drinks and so many menu options I want to try. read more

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Our Server, Miguel, made our excellent food even better with his lovely customer service! The Manager, Julie, is always focused on taking great care of us as well. I come here once a week for a reason! :) read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Salmon saffron couscous - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Found an earwig in one of my salad. Very disappointed. Hope management reads this and do better read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Earwig in Wild Salmon Niçoise - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Fresh food and great service. I come in regularly and can't remember ever having a problem.

First time visitors Located 3rd floor of Nordstrom's in south coast plaza Plenty of exterior parking and parking structure Open bar sitting and tables or sit down table service available FYI bathrooms located outside the restaurant by the strollers Adam - server - was very friendly enthusiastic detailed orientated really made the experience of explaining it all and remembering the details of our conversation Tomato basil soup served with garlic crostini very soothing warming of the soul not to acidic and pretty in color Chicken tacos freshly fried size of street tacos in a hard shell tender meat - for $10 definetly smaller scale and wish there were 3 instead of 2 Braise beef and ragu and cheese tortellini was shareable hearty like a tomato confit with spinach leaves and perfectly cooked tortellini - great for a cold day and not overly stuff when consuming pasta Both drinks order yes on the more expensive side but liquor and quality shows for it Great hidden gem for date night solo eaters family happy hour watch sports journal however it maybe Certainly will return to try more read more

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Great food - I had the Salmon Nicoise and my hubby had French dip sandwich. Both were yummy! Ambiance was nice and felt upscale but casual vibe. Plenty of seating- our server (Adam) was great. Super friendly and checked on us several times. Definitely try this place if you're at Nordstrom. read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Salmon Nicoise and French Dip - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I always have a great experience dining at a Nordstrom restaurant and Ruscello was no different. It has an Italian theme, but their seasonal menu offers some interesting additional items. The restaurant is modern, busy, and pretty fast-paced. All of the servers are friendly and Jessy was exceptionally attentive. There was fresh bread and butter to start with which was delicious. We ordered the seasonal birria pizza with consommé as well as two cilantro lime salads, one with chicken and the other with cauliflower. Loved the birria pizza! The meat was tender, the sauce wasn't too creamy, and the consommé added a lot of flavor. I also enjoyed the cilantro lime salad as a more fresh, healthy side dish. I wouldn't recommend the chicken which came out pretty dry, but I highly recommend the cauliflower option or perhaps a different protein altogether. I'm excited to see what the next seasonal menu is! read more

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5 stars are for the Manager of this location - Panos. He genuinely wants everyone to enjoy their food and their experience while dining here - It's evident/felt in every interaction and his quality of service is greatly appreciated. Definitely recommend the pasta dishes here. The warm sandwiches are also very good. Can get busy/crowded but the food is always very good. I recommend placing to go orders online or in person (versus over the phone) or dining here in person! read more

The lime cilantro tacos are very good. Good restaurant on the 3rd floor at Nordstroms. Nice atmosphere. Good for kids

We went to Ruscello (located on the 3rd floor inside Nordstrom) for HH which is from 2:30 to 5 PM, Mon - Fri. We shared the artichoke spinach dip and each of us ordered a burger. Both were good. The burger was juicy and prepared perfectly. Definitely will be back. read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Happy Hour Menu (May 2025) - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Words don't describe how much I love this cafe. Casually mentioned a small inconvenience about soup being cold and they did the absolute most to make up for it. Appreciate their great food and service. read more

Lunch and shopping at Nordstrom was a much needed weekend distraction. Not sure why I have been living down the street all my life and had never visited the restaurant. It quickly became an obsession and I will now have to make up for lost time here! :) Our server Adam was such a delight! Very friendly, attentive and best of all, so funny. His recommendations were all 10/10 and he made the experience better. For a starter, we did the soup of the day which was a chicken green tomatillo soup. So delicious! I couldn't believe how good it tasted. It was basically pozole which I'm not a fan of, but I truly enjoyed this delightful little soup. The bread that came with it was scrumptious. My entree was 10/10! It consisted of: Wild Salmon & Cauliflower and only 660 calories. Comes with peperonata vegetables, creamy parmesan polenta, and lemon honey gastrique For drinks, I can't recommend anything better than their Vine Street cocktail. This is a refreshing and delicious drink! Must try. For dessert we went with Adam's recommendation which was their White chocolate bread pudding with fresh raspberry and house whipped cream. OH MY GOODNESS. Such a treat! I will absolutely be back to try the rest of their menu. read more

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Very good food, they definitely improved a lot. I've always thought of him pretty good food though this time is really really good. Sometimes it's more fun and I pre read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Minestrone - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Haven't been to a Nordstrom cafe in years but had chance to go to renamed Russello. Have always been a fan of the grilled cheese and tomatoe bisque. Had a birria grilled cheese and a pasta and meatball dish also. The food and the service was ok but for some reason the experience wasn't the same. Would I come back? Probably not since there are so many other options. read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Lobster bisque bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Ruscello is a pretty solid option with basic Italian and American fare. The restaurant is located inside Nordstroms and it's been easy to get a table in my experience. This is especially helpful during the weekend when other restaurants inside South Coast have long wait times. The restaurant doesn't disappoint but nothing here is too exciting. The restaurant offers salads, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches and burgers. I've had a couple of sandwiches. All come with fries which have a pretty heavy taste of rosemary. The spicy shrimp pasta isn't too spicy and has a stronger tomato flavor. read more

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Kate, the hostess, is always great. Expect to wait during busy hours, but it moves pretty fast. I enjoy dining at Ruscellos when I'm shopping at Nordstrom and meeting up with friends. They have a very good menu with lots of options. In my last visit, I went with my friend who is vegetarian and she was able to find a few options. She ordered a veggie burger with fries and I got the turkey club with avocado and salad. The portions are satisfying. read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Roasted Turkey and avocado - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

You know, it is a great spot for lunch while shopping. Would I seek it out and drive out of the way to get here? Probably not, but it's a great spot for an afternoon on the patio. read more

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If you are looking for an Italian food, just go somewhere else. I challenge you to find a "Tacos chicken" or a "Kung Pao Brussels sprouts" or a "Pizza" like the picture in Italy. Every time you call this "Italian food" an Italian chef, die. Please guys read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - "Pizza" - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Leave it to Nordstrom to provide great service and great quality, and at reasonable prices? This place was a lifesaver. Very tasty soup, salad, and sandwich at the same, if not better, prices than anywhere in South Coast. read more

I love the service at the bar , there's a guy super good server and very nice been a handful of times, there's food is actually good and priced well honestly green light for this place to eat read more

There was a minimal wait time to get seated. After seated, the server came and gave us recommendations. The interior was nice, well-lit area. The food was great, the shrimp pasta was just the right portion for lunch. I was disappointed that they didn't have any coffee options such as lattes. read more

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I enjoy calamari. I order it everywhere. I rate it. I am usually very disappointed. It is most often tough greasy and tasteless. Kudos to Nordstrom/ Ruscello for a delicious, tasty and perfectly crunchy dish with an amazing sauce. It was cooked perfectly and presented well. A generous serving I enjoyed as my lunch. The coating was just the right thickness and was a great companion to the tender and tasty calamari. Server Michelle was a great resource and very helpful. Attentive but not overbearing, pleasant but not fake. Bravo and Well Done! Team South Coast! read more

Met a friend here for lunch. This restaurant is located on the third floor of Nordstrom. Since it's located at the mall parking is not an issue. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Lee seated me at a table while I waiting on the other person in my party. Jamie was our waiter. Both provided extraordinary service. I had the shrimp burger with a salad and it was really good. The other person ordered a soup (chicken tortilla). read more

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My husband and I had a chance to check out one of the South Coast Plaza Nordstrom's 2025 Black History dishes and I must say that it was pretty good. Initially when it was brought to us the rice was placed on top of the collard tzatziki sauce which seemed to make the rice pretty cool and the steak was cooked a little more than medium as we ordered. Nonetheless; the waiter was gracious enough to take our food back and have it re-done. I thought they were just going to give me a fresh hot rice but they actually made the whole dish over and this time they placed the steak on top collard tzatziki sauce; which I liked alot better. I also appreciated that they re-did our steak which was cooked more to our likings. To say the least our dining experience was very pleasant as it was around 5 p.m. and was a bit more quiet and calming during that time! This dish is worth trying and very flavorful! read more

Ruscello at Nordstrom - Berbere Steak and African Fried Rice atop collard tzatziki sauce and cilantro - Mediterranean Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I know I would die happy after that white chocolate bread pudding ! yummmmmyyyyyyyyyyy!!

Overpriced for a mediocre food. Do better. They have good drinks but the food sucks. I suggest going somewhere else

Ruscello is a pretty nice restaurant that is located inside of Nordstrom. They have a decent sized menu but I feel like everything on it leans either Italian or American. I ordered the ginger sesame salad with roasted chicken because I wanted to eat something light and healthy. The salad consists of organic baby greens, julienne vegetables, crisp wontons, mandarin oranges, toasted walnuts, sesame seeds, cilantro, and ginger sesame dressing. The salad was really good and I really liked all the flavors that came from the different things in it. I particularly enjoyed the wonton crisps in the salad because it gave it a nice crunch. My only complaint with the salad is that the chicken was a bit on the dry side but it wasn't too bad. The others in my party ordered the crispy panko chicken, Nordstrom burger, chicken lemon pesto gnocchi, and the lamb pizza. Although I didn't try everyone else's dishes, they all said that they enjoyed what they got as well. One thing to note is that we asked to not have tomatoes on the pizza due to an allergy, however, the pizza still had tomatoes on it. After we brought it to our waiter's attention, he talked to the manager and they removed it from our bill, which we appreciated, however, we were disappointed that it happened in the first place. Service here was really good and our server was friendly and checked up on us often. The ambiance here is warm yet upscale at the same time and I love how they had twinkly lights to decorate for the holidays. Because it is located at the mall, there is plenty of parking. read more

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