Buona Forchetta

Got reservations to Forchetta for my birthday and a friend's birthday celebration dinner! Man, we were not disappointed at all, and this place surprised me immensely. Great flavors on EVERY dish. There was not one dish we had that had bad taste at all. The service was on it the entire night as well! What we got - Foccacia Garlic Bread and Gluten-Free Garlic Bread, Meatballs, and the Juno pizza as appetizers. The Juno was phenomenal. It's a great pack of punch and flavor with a wonderful fluffy crust. The bread had great crunch and TONS of garlic flavor! Meatballs can't go wrong. Just get them.Main courses, we of course, had to the pasta and ended up choosing their Pappardella with the Buona Forchetta sauce, just do it. Make sure to get the handmade egg pasta! Friends got the pesto, cacio e pepe, and another meatball red sauce. Again, all wonderful. I'm definitely going back again to try more pasta and pizza. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Very strange experience. Euro server started off by sharing a story about how Americans don't know how to order food, and they eat like pigs by putting protein on everything and shoveling everything in their mouth like fat pigs. It ended by saying we should order multiple courses, and not add protein to a dish, to solve the eating like a pig problem. Strange way to greet the table. Pizza's were ordered. Completely charred crust - not a little char - black and hard as a rock, while the inside was so soggy and floppy you couldn't even pick up the slice without the toppings and cheese falling off. Flavor would have been good if you subtract the burnt. Service overall was fine, ambiance is nice. Good bottled water.

As a vegetarian this place has options.Firstly, my friends and I did get a reservation a week before since we heard it was popular and were planning on going on a Saturday evening. But wow, this place is definitely well decorated and would be great if you're looking to dress up which we did! Let's talk food; I got a pappardelle pesto pasta and it was creamy and filling. However, it was kind of plain since it didn't have any vegetables or toppings (most of the extra toppings are additional cost and were meat). I heard the pizza is highly recommended for vegetarians but unfortunately I was carbo loading for my half marathon the next day :( So i'll definitely be revisiting to try it out, but for now I would give it a 4/5 rating. I think it would be a good idea to share a pasta and a pizza for variety!

Buona Forchetta is a popular Italian restaurant chain from the San Diego area that opened up in Newport Beach. They offer patio seating as well as a cozy indoor dining option. Complimentary parking is available in the parking structure next to the restaurant. I visited on a weekday with some co-workers and ordered a few items to share.Cacio e pepe with penne pasta ($20) - The penne pasta was prepared perfectly al dente and the sauce incorporated pecorino cheese and black pepper. The sauce was a little disappointing and didn't have a sharp and nutty flavor, and couldn't really taste the black pepper.Lasagna Bolognese ($24) - Made with layers of pasta with a ground beef ragu, bechamel sauce, and parmesan cheese I found the lasagna to be just OK taste wise, and nothing really stood out.Margherita ($16) - The neopolitan pizzas here are good and have a thin crust and are slightly chewy. The sauce was made with San Marzano tomatoes and had a wonderful flavor, and were topped with mozzarella, basil and evoo. I expected a bit more flavor from the basil.Isabella ($19) - This was a white sauce pizza made with mozzarella di bufola, sundried tomatoes, onions, and goat cheese. It tasted great.Overall, the food here isn't bad if you are looking for a reasonably priced Italian spot in Newport Beach.

Excellent Italian food & romantic ambiance. The outdoor patio is perfectly designed & the lighting makes for a great setting. The service is great, the waiters understand & provide recommendations on food options. Also, the drinks & wine selection are great! Also, a great central location!

So you still need a reservation to get seated promptly here at night. I suspect this will be the case for a while. I left here with kind of mixed feelings. I felt like the wine pours were kind of small. The waiter that we had was amazing but literally like jogging from table to table as it appeared he was the only waiter working. He was also pouring all the drinks. The restaurant was completely full. We started with the focaccia, which was amazing. Totally recommend. My friend and I probably would have been happy with just this. We both got pappadelle with bolognese. She added sausage and burrata I believe. After one bite, we both looked at each other and said that it felt like something was missing. I'm not sure if it needed more garlic, or what but it just kind of lacked flavor. The pasta itself was great. We also got tiramisu, which was delicious. I would recommend. Side note-The women's large bathroom stall has the lock installed upside down, so the door doesn't lock.

Friends recommendation of authentic Italian food. No public parking so you have to use meter parking (strictly enforce everyday). There outside courtyard that has a nice view while waiting. There's inside and outside seating. Recommend on outside dining if bringing pets. Server was knowledge on answering questions and concerns. Got the calamari Fritti, cioppono (seafood soup), Giuseppe pizza while friend got AmatricianaHere's what this restaurant specialize: everything is made to order. Each pasta dish is unique because you get to choose what type of pasta you want (some cost extra) and pizza can be sauce/no sauce. Calamari fritti is lightly friend so it's not too greasy but household marina sauce is homemade and can actually taste the tomatoes. Giuseppe pizza is "spicy" but not spicy enough if you are spicy lover. Cioppono is most order if you love seafood and worth it to add noddles to it. Friend say Amatriciana is deli's if want something simple.Overall, highly recommend on trying authentic Italian cuisine.

Solid spot! A+ for service (Rico, our server, was excellent). Ambiance is bright, cute and fun. Very beach-town vibes. There's a cute yellow car outside. We shared a beet salad (it was okay), a pasta- homemade noodles in a sauce that was supposed to be like vodka (but def didn't taste like it), and the guila pizza (perfection). Ended the meal with a tiramisu (solid). We will def come back for pizza!

We've been wanting to try this place for a while. When you drive by, it's super cute and charming. The food was pretty solid, and the espresso martini was delicious. The only downsides were slow service and a little noisy inside. Worth going to, and I'm sure we'll go back during the summer.

Really cute indoor and outdoor Italian restaurant near the beach. It's a fun ambiance to gather and enjoy friends/familyLoved their pizza-crust was perfectly thin and ingredients were quality. Their house made pasta is a must try. Calamari was not too breaded-and the sauce paired well with it. I had to ask for extra to dip my pizza crust. Service was on par-attentive but not too overbearing.