Il Girasole

Review summary

1. K

   Kelly VIP

   Los Angeles7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   The atmosphere is very beautiful, nice outside patio and amazing food. The desserts are incredibly beautiful and delicious!
   

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2. G

   General VIP

   Baltimore17 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

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

   Our waitress was THE BEST!! IRENE was the best! She was knowledgeable and helpful. The bartender did a great job with my mystery drink! The appetizers were great (Oxtail balls and soft multigrain bread). The 4 course was good. I wish better selection on desserts!
   

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3. J

   Jovan VIP

   Orange County2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

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

   The restaurant was unbelievable and the service was impeccable, give it a try — you won’t regret it!
   

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4. T

   Teresa

   San Francisco11 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

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

   This upscale northern Italian restaurant opened in early 2025. The menu is thoughtful and succinct while offering a varied selection. The food is particularly notable for its presentation and freshness. The service is resort-worthy, with a high level of attentiveness and professionalism, and the mixologist is gifted. The ambiance is warm and artistic, the lighting is appropriate for the setting, and the noise level is moderate, making it easy to converse. Parking is easy, too. All of this creates an inviting environment and an enhanced experience. The inside is nice for an intimate setting, and the outside patio offers a great social group setting. My mocktail was fabulous and explicitly crafted to my liking (tart, not sweet, and unique). He created a virgin pomegranate mojito with a unique non-alcoholic elixir. Dinner: We started with the Granchio and Insalata Siciliana. Both were light and easy to share. The Granchio is Dungeness crab with a smooth layer of avocado cream on top, espelette, apple gelee, chive oil, and a dollop of caviar. The insalata was mixed greens, beets, fennel, pine nuts, and buffalo mozzarella. Main courses: I ordered the Gnocchetti Sardi, and my friend ordered the Spigola (striped bass). The Gnocchetti was in a wonderful pork ragú, and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire dish. NOTE: If you’re thinking fluffy potato gnocchi, don’t! Gnoccichetti is a semolina pasta. My friend’s Spigola was beautifully presented and worthy of a magazine page. The fish was white and fluffy, the skin crispy, surrounded by white asparagus and pea tendrils with a chive oil sauce poured gently around the outside of the fish. I tried the fish hesitantly and was pleasantly surprised as there was not even the slightest fishy smell or taste, not even in the crispy skin. The dessert was the Tiramisu. It’s uniquely made in a small ball, with lady fingers, rum, Bailey’s, and cocoa powder at the center. It was not overly sweet. I'll definitely go again!
   

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5. M

   Marj VIP

   Orange County28 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 23 March 2025

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

   Antonio and his team are the best! I came here to Il Girasole with two other friends to celebrate one of their early birthday. Kevin and another server helped us and, of course, the service was exceptional! We had Burrata and Prosciutto with figs, Gnocchetti Sardi, and Risotto al Tartufo Nero. Kevin mixed some martinis for my friends. Antonio treated us to the yummiest and to die for desserts (tiramisu, cannolis, and gelato) and limoncello. The presentation of everything looked as good as it tasted! Everything was superb! Antonio is Orange County's best Italian restaurateur and Il Girasole is a neighborhood gem that I highly recommend!
   

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6. M

   Michael VIP

   San Francisco1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 22 March 2025

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

   I had the most wonderful experience at Il Girasole. My husband and I got the pre-fixe 4-course dinner and each dinner was as delicious as the next. Our amuse-bouche and bread service began the night on a wonderful flavor note, complimented with our Limoncello Spritz. The star, the housemade pasta and truffle risotto, along with the burrata, and my eye of ribeye. Well, every dish was a star then.
   

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7. J

   Jeremy

   Spain7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 22 March 2025

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

   Amazing.. my new favorite restaurant. Great cocktail, truly outstanding.
   

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8. J

   Jessica

   Orange County4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 22 March 2025

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

   We went back after coming on Valentines Day, as the restaurant reached out to try to make up for the experience which we really appreciated. This time around, everything was great. Our waitress was extremely kind and friendly, the service was great and table was cleaned and water was never empty, food came out timely and was delicious, and overall it was a much better experience. A restaurant that recognizes their shortcoming and tries to make things right is admirable and we really appreciated the gesture they made to improve our experience.
   

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9. JR

   JeanneR

   Orange County1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 16 March 2025

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

   We had a beautiful evening with the most delicious food and drinks.
   

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10. D

    David VIP

    Greater Boston14 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 15 March 2025

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

    Delicious but….a little too loud and extremely modest portions. The Dungeness crab appetizer was delicious however was no larger than 3 small bites and had the diameter of a silver dollar. Very “thoughtful” presentation but very little portion for $32. My wife and I really enjoyed the hamachi crudo, and you can tell from the picture they really are putting in the “extra mile” effort, as if they were practicing for a Michelin star. My bass was delicious but again, a tiny portion. I think the burrata salad was the only dish where the portion made sense with the price. Finally, it is a fun ambience however the louder music made it hard to speak because everyone’s voice was louder trying to bear each other above other tables and the music. Small portions, kind of loud, and delicious.
    

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