Il Girasole

Review summary

1. D

   Dina

   VIP

   Orange County

   53 reviews

   5.0

   53 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food was great. Ambiance great. Server, Marco, was great! Bravo!
   

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2. K

   Kinnakone

   Orange County

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Came in wanting to try a couple of dishes on the menu and it did not disappoint. The polipo was crispy, yet soft tender and chewy in the best possible way, the presentation and the perfectly cooked fingerlings were a match made in heaven. All of our mains were incredible, but the filet cacio Pepe was insane! Shoutout Irene for being an incredible server, she perfectly matched our energy at the table and didn’t ever intrude into our experience. My girl is a carb queen and she can’t wait to go back.
   

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3. M

   Marj

   VIP

   Orange County

   26 reviews

   5.0

   26 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   An exceptional new Italian restaurant in the Soco District Costa Mesa. Antonio, the owner, is great at what he does! Everything about this restaurant is elevated from the menu to the decor and ambiance. It has a romantic atmosphere perfect for date nights and small gatherings. Michael greeted us at the front who is really nice and friendly. Max and Kevin are incredibly nice as well and the service they provide is definitely top notch! We even got offered a comfy blanket while dining in the patio that had heaters. It definitely felt like going to a fancy Michelin restaurant with the best food and service. We had fresh veni, vedi, vici salad which is similar to Caesar salad with high quality anchovies, amazing Margherita pizza with generous prosciutto and mozzarella cheese and a delicious special homemade sauce, rich flourless chocolate cake, and prosecco and beer + coffee for our beverages. The price was reasonable for the quality of everything we ate and drank. That chocolate cake is velvety and is just perfect in every way! I think we'll keep coming back here and next time, we'll try their pastas which I learned are their specialty. Can't wait for next time!
   

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4. r

   roger

   VIP

   Las Vegas

   8 reviews

   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was very good Service was great with Michael as our server. He guided us through the menu and made excellent suggestions Very friendly place--owner came to our table and we enjoyed the conversation.
   

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5. D

   Danilo

   Denver

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 1 January 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food quality, small menu with gourmet plates at reasonable prices Feels like you are eating at your grandmas house
   

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6. M

   Marc

   Orange County

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 1 January 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food! A big surprise, coming from a new restaurant!
   

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7. D

   Darin

   VIP

   Las Vegas

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 1 January 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great food. So nice service. And the food is so so great
   

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8. C

   Carlie

   VIP

   Orange County

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on 1 January 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent experience at this new restaurant. Food was innovative and presented beautifully. Nice selection of wines, domestic, Italian and international. Looking forward to becoming regulars!
   

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9. K

   Kevin

   Palm Springs

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 31 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great place for special occasions and fun nights out. Really good food!
   

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10. M

    Michael

    Orange County

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 28 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Historically, SOCO has been home to some excellent restaurants and while we occasionally mourn the closing of one excellent eatery, such as Michelin-star rated Taco María, a new one will typically take its place and afford us the opportunity for an entirely new dining experience. Il Girasole was on my radar once I heard about their recent opening, so we booked a table for a late lunch, since we were in the area. My girlfriend and I arrived promptly at our reservation time and we were personally welcomed by name at the entrance of the restaurant, by Michael, at the hostess stand. An unexpected and nice touch and also a positive sign of more good things to come. The artwork on the walls kept up entertained throughout our meal. My girlfriend ordered a glass of the DuMOL Pinot Noir, which was pricey, but absolutely incredible. We decided to share the Pomodoro salad, the Formaggio plate and the Yellowtail Crudo, along with their bread plate. The salad was fresh, flavorful and well balanced. The cheeses consisted of a generous portion of Parmigiana and Manchego, which were both delicious with a slight nod to the Manchego. The Yellowtail was excellent, although the portion was fairly modest. The assorted breads / rolls were warm and tasty, as were the dipping sauces, although paying for bread still rubs me the wrong way, for some reason, as many restaurants still offer this gratis. The Salmone Reale was very good, and my Fettuccine Agnello was interesting, but I would probably opt for another dish on our next visit, as the tomato confit had a subtle sweetness to it, which isn't my thing. We shared the flourless chocolate cake, which was a good thing due to how rich the dessert was, but it was worth each and every bite. The service was very attentive and our server was quite engaging. Each dish was carefully prepared and the presentation was delightful. All in all, it was a great experience and we look forward to returning.
    

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