Fennel Kitchen and Bar

I had dinner here with my girlfriend tonight, and we both really enjoyed it. The restaurant, located in the Aliso Viejo Plaza Mall where the old Panini Grill used to be, has a cozy and inviting atmosphere. It's a great spot both during the day and at night, and the stylish bar in the back adds a nice touch. The decor is charming, and the large windows make the space feel open and bright.We ordered the Regular and Pesto hummus, along with the Baba Ghanoush, served with fresh, warm pita bread. Everything was smooth, flavorful, and well-balanced. The Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas dish was recommended to us, and it's easy to see why--it was delicious. As a vegetarian, I appreciated the option to add protein, though the dish was filling on its own. The portions were generous, and I liked that the menu leaned toward healthier options.This restaurant was a great find, and I'll definitely be back. Service was fast and attentive too! So if you're looking for tasty, fresh, and healthy food in the area, I'd definitely recommend giving it a try!

1. Service extremely slow2. Ordered appetizer first, but it was served five minutes after main dish 3. Ordered medium rare but it cooked well done4. Waiter never visit my table after brought dishes and refill water

Great addition to the AV Town Center. This used to be the Panini Kabob Grill so I was happy to see that it's still a Mediterranean restaurant. Love how they decorated the interior of this place. Feels very intimate & cozy especially for dinner. For an early week night dinner, our party of 4 was seated immediately. The restaurant also extends to a covered patio with a full bar. For starters we did the garlic potatoes & the fennel trio (pita with tatziki, fennel hummus, & pesto dip). For entrees, the barley risotto with lamb chops was delicious. The chicken kabob plate & the beef koobideh kabob plate hit the spot. The proteins were cooked perfectly & juicy! Generous portions. Each entree could've easily been shared between two. We tried their cardamom creme brulee for dessert & they torch the sugar table side. Price range of entrees $18-30 but hefty servings. Amazing service. Delicious food. I will be back.

Fab brunch. The brunch bowl was healthful and filling and homemade schug sauce had a nice flavor. Shakshuka was tasty. Drinks were very expensive compared to the price of food. Staff were nice as was the space, which was open and airy. Have been before and would go again.

I have told so many of my friends about this amazing restaurant! The food is absolutely amazing and so yummy! But, for me it's all about Jacob! He's amazing , his service and personality are 100% what you want when you go to a restaurant. I love his beautiful latte drinks, pistachio, rose and my fav is the lavender. Thank you so much Jacob for outstanding service!

We finally got around to try this restaurant out.I had the salmon bowl and substituted a salad for rice. Hubby had the chicken kabob.The roasted sweet potatoes that came with it were good but salmon was burnt. When notified the manager, he offered to replace the salmon. Told him I'll take the chicken kabob instead since the kabob didn't look burnt on my husband's plate. He quickly brought out a skewer of chicken fresh off the grill!Chicken was delicious! Juicy and perfectly seasoned. Hubby loved his kabob plate.Everything was very good.But the service was even better. Our server Paula was attentive and pleasant. The manager was amazing. He walked around, introduced himself, and checked on all diners. He told us to let him know if we need anything. Top notch service all around at Fennel!We will be back.Foods: 4.5/5Service: 10/5

The entrance was kinda odd, but it seems we arrived when the hostess wasn't set up outside. We walked in and didn't see a hostess stand so we weren't sure how to be seated. The decor is beautiful. It was inspirational to see how I can decorate like them in my own house.As a vegetarian, Mediterranean food is pretty acceptable and was so happy to see a plant dish that didn't have falafel as part of the plate!!! Yes, they offered falafel, but I didn't want fried bean balls for dinner. Their roasted cauliflower plate was absolutely delicious. It had many textures and colors to the plate. I highly recommend it for any meat eater to try it. I will definitely come back for this dish.

Food was super yummy. Tried the Trio Hummus app, and the pita bread was sooo good, warm and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, dips were delish too! The Fennel Rose Cocktail was refreshing and light. I went for the Fennel Burger with an EGG and it came with a side salad. Burger was huge and super tasty would def get it again. For dessert we had Creme Brulee, which was bruleed it at our table with a torch. It felt so fancy lol. The staff was friendly and professional. Our Server was Claudia who was AH-MAZING!! She was attentive, sweet and elevated our experience, we asked for her suggestions on dips and all her picks were on point! I hope I get her as my server next time. Ambiance was nice, we went in the evening and loved the whole candlelight vibe. It also smelled so nice, I dunno what scent or aroma they use in there but I kinda want it for my house. Had a great time cuz Claudia ROCKS!!

Missed Happy Hour by a few min tonight but we decided to stay! Saw the beef koobideh plate arrive at another table and decided it was big enough for sharing so we got that, their famous hummus and pita app, and some beers. The koobideh plate comes with 2 beef skewers both of which were perfectly seasoned, moist, and tender without being too greasy. Rice was perfection and my favorite part of ordering kebabs are the grilled onions and tomatoes! The pickled red onions were fab as well. This plate was so yummy. The hummus and pita app was also phenomenal. Really great flavor and there was more than enough pita slices to dip and share. I will be back to try the hummus trio. Fair prices for the generous servings! Really great ambiance on a Friday evening or weekend night and the perfect spot for happy hour with the friends and family. Shout out to our amazing server Chuchi!!! She was so helpful and kind. Love her energy

Between the service, the food, and the ambiance this place gives you everything you could ask for. Their happy hour is incredibly generous and they have specials Monday Through Thursday. Definitely recommend and will be back. Make sure to ask for Claudia. She is a top notch server.