Il Sole Cucina

Awesome experience today Friday around 1 pm. Not too busy. Parking is as expected, it is a busy area. Inside and outside seating available. You can also do reservations. Customer service was excellent, Luigi was just too funny, very kind, professional, and friendly. Also he was very knowledgeable (As an owner should) about every single dish on the menu. It was our first time, so we asked for recommendations. Ingredients taste fresh and with a very pleasant seasoning. Pasta and bread are all make there. Every dish from scratch! Lots of wine options. They also have desserts, just ask, there is no menu for them! It was pricey, but it is worth every penny for the high quality of the food! Highly recommended!

This was our first time here, and I had a high hopes for this place because I've heard that the food was pretty good and the reviews are pretty good. But unfortunately, it was very mediocre Italian food.My husband got the lasagna and he said it was just OK. I got the gluten-free pasta with basil and tomato sauce and added grilled chicken. The grilled chicken was cold and the sauce was not good at all with no flavor. And the food is very very expensive for such a small portion for me and my husband. It was like $100 so we will not be coming back here again. There's better a time for other places.It took so long for our food to arrive that I didn't wanna say anything to have them go make the chicken warmer or anything cause I was so hungry. And there wasn't many people at the restaurant, but the food just took so long to come. The service was OK The hostess and the waiter were very friendly. But when we ask, what's good here or what to get they didn't seem to be very helpful in that area, especially knowing this was her first time.Also, they do not have many gluten-free options only two options. So that was very disappointing as well because I've been to other Italian places which they have gluten-free pizzas and many other gluten-free options.Also, it is very very expensive for the amount of food that you get and the quality was very low. It was $100 for me and my husband. That is just crazy to me and I can definitely eat better Italian food with better price.

This restaurant exceeded our expectations on our initial visit, revealing itself to be a culinary treasure. The substantial travel time of over thirty minutes was justified. The owner's gracious demeanor and the superb cuisine left a lasting impression. Plans are already underway for our return trip to explore further menu options. The dining establishment boasts a simple yet inviting atmosphere, free from pretension and imbued with a cozy, homelike quality.Thank you for the free tiramisu! See you around Costa Mesa next year, we are looking forward.

My family and I love coming here during the afternoon because it isn't crowded and they have amazing food. With that said, I give it 3 stars cause they don't have a lunch option. I get the price cause the portions are like we were at dinner, but sometimes I just want a nice light Italian lunch by the lake. Unfortunately there are competitors that offer what we are looking for and we visit them a bit more frequently than here. Hoping they will consider a lunch menu cause we love coming here.

First off we go to "happy hour" EVERY Friday night with our best friends. So we know what we like. To start off we had the best waiter Luiji (I think he was the manager or owner). Completely knowledgeable about the food wine and beer. Had so much fun interacting with him, we like to joke around and he was right on point with our group. Made us feel like friends. We got there early and got a great table in the corner with a view of the lake. We ordered ravioli Al fichi and bruschetta for appetizers. The ravioli were to die for! For dinner we had the special fried scallops with cacio e Pepe pasta(I think).WOW!!! Rigatoni Al Forno, Raviolacci D' Aragosta and Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken. We loved everything. Very excited to come back and try more. It is pricey but I think worth it.

Third time here. This time we sat outside with a view of the lake from the patio area. It's not lake front but some tables there is a view! All the food is wonderful! So far everything we have had on the menu is so good! Bread basket is warmAnd fresh! Oil dip is good. The sea bass special was superb! Fresh and light and perfectly cooked' light creamSauce! So good! Portions are big. Servers are friendly and patient and attentive to details! They expanded and now have more room but it's still a small location. Definitely make reservations. They offer several wines and you can bring your own for a cork fee. Definitely need to check this place out you wont regret it!

We chose this place after seeing an ad in Instagram. This place is next to a lake, gives you that romatic feel coming in. The restaurant is clean and cozy. The servers are very friendly. I had their special, seabass in a cream sauce and mix veggies. Husband had their special chicken marsala. Both were so delicious and satisfying. The calamari was also very good, I highly recommend that you try. Now, the best part is the dessert. We got the butter cake with vanilla ice cream. We both agreed this is the best butter cake dessert we've ever had. I highly recommend this place. I would come back here in a heartbeat.

I've been here a few times now, and I just don't get the hype about this place. We went for the pasta special on Thursdays ($14 pastas), and I don't think they were worth even that. There's just an overall lack of quality and flavor. Especially the amatriciana that I got.. the shallots were still raw and crunchy. Their funghi pizza was good though, and the desserts were a tiny but above average too. The upside is their service! They always treat my in-laws very well. The food is nothing to write home about. I'm looking for a more authentic/high quality Italian place in south OC, and sadly Il Sole is not it.

The food is great and our server Liza was super helpful and wonderful!! The overall vibe was nice and service was quick.

The food was mediocre. We dined on New Year's Eve, and the hostess who seated us (a middle-aged woman) was not friendly. Her attitude left a negative impression