Sole Toscano Italian Cafe

This place opening snuck up on me, but I am never ever going to turn down a new quick-service pasta place! If this seems very similar to the previous tenant, Piadina, I heard that it has the same owners so it seems to just be a rebrand, but one I am grateful for. I do love piadinas every once in a while, but Sole Toscano has piadinas, focaccia, pizza, pasta, and more! They even have an all-day breakfast menu, meaning there is something for everyone.The first thing I noticed about the menu, besides being quite expansive, was that everything seemed fairly priced. I don't think there was a single menu item over $18! That is truly a rarity for a place that uses high quality ingredients, especially in Irvine. In my order I got a tagliatelle al ragu and a Caesar salad with chicken added. The pasta was made fresh at the location and you can tell. The meat sauce was flavorful, and the dish as a whole was super filling. It also came with two little pieces of focaccia. I was easily able to take half of my dish for leftovers. I am planning on trying their cream sauce next, especially since it's only $10!I would like to see them come out with other sauces for their pasta dishes in the future. There is a lasagna option, but when you have fresh made pasta, there needs to be more options so I can come back several times and try something new each time!The presentation of the restaurant is nice, and I loved how they had an example of many things they sold right at the counter under glass. This tactic clearly worked on me as I saw they had Nutella muffins. I am a huge fan of Nutella so I had no choice but to buy one. The muffin was okay- the muffin part was too dense for me and it did not have enough filling. However it was super kind of the place to throw in a cream filled croissant with my muffin order! I was already planning on coming back but this sealed the deal. If you're looking for some quick and high quality Italian food that is not a sit-down restaurant, this is a great spot!

Likes:+ Yummy food. Not too filling. I like their use of thin bread so you can enjoy everything else more and not get distracted by getting full too fast.+ Polite, helpful staff.+ Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.. Ample but often crowded parking.Non-likes:- Not a wide selection of meats.- So, adding meat just to meet a decent amount cost extra for me :/- I think Piadina used to have a water machine. They removed it since change of ownership.I had:$12.45 #8 California + $2.25 extra meat + tax= $15.84

F: The food here is delicious for the value. The home made Focaccia bread was crisp (slightly dry), light and a good flavor. The bread complimented the pasta / sandwich well. The pasta sauce had nice depth and complexity, but the home made pasta missed Al Dente by about a minute. Overall I would definitely recommend the food. They also sell an assortment of pastries and pizza.S: Everyone was welcoming and friendly. The person taking our order had a smile on their face and brought out the food to our table which I appreciated. I saw them preparing the food and they really took their time assembling the dishes with care.A: The place gives a modern and upscale vibe. It was fairly empty for lunch so it was quiet and felt pretty upscale for the type of food and service. There's a decent amount of seating inside and plenty of seating outside.Overall, I'd give Sole a 85/100 - 4 stars

A very fairly priced Italian spot with a modern interior. There's a decent amount of indoor seating and outdoor seating is also available. We were greeted when we entered walked by all of the food on display before placing our order at the register at the end of the counter. They recommended their homemade focaccia bread as well as the homemade pasta. The Prosciutto sandwich had a decent amount of prosciutto and other toppings in it. The focaccia bread was fluffy and had a crispy exterior. The ingredients were really fresh and it was a decent portion size. The Tagliatelle al Ragu had a lot of flavor in the sauce but the pasta was slightly overcooked. The tagliatelle was very soft and the dish could've been elevated more by having the pasta cooked closer to al dente, but it was still a very tasty dish. The amount of pasta is fair and the focaccia that they give on the side makes the dish more substantial. However, the focaccia that came with the pasta was a little bit more dried out and stale compared to that of the prosciutto sandwich.

Quick authentic Italian cuisine in a take out and small seated type environment. Got the caprese which was a great size and great pesto flavor and spaghetti which was also a great size. Very clean inside likely because it's new. Solid recommend if you're driving past the area.

Really liked it. Can eat on repeat. Easy and fresh and Italian. The outside doesn't look like much but inside is upscale and the ordering is easy and food is authentic

Very good Italian food, the service was quick and easy even when busy. I would recommend this restaurant for a day when you need a quick lunch or dinner.Piadina Nutella-Banana is also amazing!

Good to have a very good spot for quick lunch real Italian food. Love their piadinas and sandwiches haven't tried the pasta yet

I found this place since I was around the area and my husband and I wanted a quick bite, but we also wanted to sit down with minimal service. Found this on Yelp and I must say, i'm impressed! First, the service was great! initially upon arrival, we were greeted and the cashier made friendly conversation, she even complimented my ring. When our food was ready, she brought our food to our table. The Food is top tier quality, you can tell their focaccia bread is fresh as well as their ingredients (cheese, vegetables, etc). I also am a big fan of their pesto! Sooo yummy.The ambiance is airy, minimalist yet chic. they also have fresh baked pastries. Needless to say, we found a hidden gem. It's a drive from my house, but I will say it's worth the 45 minute drive.

Just okie. I came for dinner and I got the prosciutto focaccia. The bread was tough to chew. Not enough meat in it. The pasta was better than the focaccia.The staff was extremely nice.