W Perry

We went on a busy Saturday evening, my first visit. I had a last minute change with my reservation, and they graciously accommodated me. We were seated inside (got lucky), but the noise level was quite high. Food was overall very good: > the house bread with olive spread was very good > Della Casa (green salad), just OK > Brasato di Manzo (short rib with pasta), very good cut of meat, tasty pasta in tomato sauce > Tiramisu, excellent flavor, nice size serving Service was good, friendly and fairly quick I was disappointed that my reservation thru OpenTable, where I was asked if it was a special occasion (it was our 50th anniversary) was not noticed by the restaurant. If they ask about special occasions, but don’t respond to the information, what’s the point of asking ? Recommended.

+1

O.k Tomahawk

I absolutely love this place the bread is highly addicting served with fresh olives in olive oil. The pizza is very delicious, the salad and pasta would highly recommend. The staff is very attentive friendly and nice. Great atmosphere. Came here on a Saturday. Decided to check this place out and stumbled across just waltzing right in. The staff is the best they communicate well with each other to ensure each guest is taken care of. I would recommend everyone coming in.

Olaf Kilthau

We chose this restaurant today after the Swallows Day parade and it was a perfect setting! We were seated with minimal wait time and the service was excellent. They brought us the bread and olive oil to start, which we devoured! Then we ordered the Burrata with prosciutto which was very tasty albeit not enough for 3 people. We ordered lasagna, papardelle with truffle and mushrooms, and Margherita pizza. It was all very tasty!!! I really liked my papardelle, and our daughter liked my papardelle dish the best of the three. My wife is super picky when it comes to Margherita pizza, usually doesn't like pizza here in California but she actually said that she liked this Margherita pizza!!! 👍👍 We splurged and got dessert and cappuccinos...I chose the Cannoli and our daughter the Spumoni. The cappuccinos were oustanding and a great contrast for the cannoli. The Spumoni was a large serving enough for 2 people to share! Ciao Pasta is the best choice for Italian food if you're in or around San Juan Capistrano. We'll be back to try more of the menu choices.

+1

shawna

My family and I were cruising around Laguna Beach and we were starting to get hungry. We just happen too be driving by Ciao’s Pasta Trattoria & we decided to give them a try. Let me start off by saying how awesome the bread is! I am not a bread person, but that happen to be some of the best bread I have ever tried! Unfortunately I can’t really remember the names of our dishes that we ordered but they were all amazingly delicious! 😋 I’m so glad we stopped in for lunch/dinner! We will definitely be back again! Not only was the food great but the service was great too!! It was also a nice clean establishment! Like I said we will definitely be back! 💯😍👌

Romina Hogue

Absolutely phenomenal food! The Ciao Pasta was serendipity for my taste buds! My mouth was in a delicious food coma. Wow! What a delicious meal! Hearty, fresh, light, and phenomenal taste! The bread and oil/vinegar was delicious as well! The place is super clean, staff is warm and welcoming, and the outside patio is a Wonderful, serene dining space experience! Thank you for a delicious experience! I'll be back soon!!

+1

Russo Gasimov

Ciao Pasta Trattoria in San Juan Capistrano has a cozy, welcoming atmosphere and friendly service. The calamato olives with bread were a delicious surprise, bold, briny, and super flavorful. I ordered the salmon salad; while the greens were fresh and well-dressed, the salmon was unfortunately overcooked and a bit dry. That said, the overall experience was enjoyable, and I’d definitely come back to try more from the menu.

+12

john m.

The Diavolo thin crust pizza with sausage & salami was very good. Spicy & well done which is my preference. The small salad with freshly made with greens, tomatoes, & blue cheese. A small dish of olive oil with spices & fresh bread was also provided. Service was attentive. The outside area is a nice ambiance. Very close to the train station & a variety of other restaurants, & a gelato shop.

+3

J Tan

We came in for lunch on Saturday afternoon. There was no wait and we got seated in the patio, which was perfect with the weather and ambiance. We ordered fried calamari for appetizer, a salmon salad, and brasato di manzo as the main course. We received some bread and olive oil for free. The food tasted good, typical Italian restaurant, but didn't blow my mind. The service was attentive and friendly.

+1

Nutan S

Food was good. This is a pasta place, so the pastas were really yummy. I made a mistake of ordering a pizza without the meat for myself and the pizza was very dry. I didn’t like it. The staff were good. Ambience was good too. We sat in the patio.

Sunroof W

A friend searched and recommended this place, it is close to Mission San Juan Capistrano. Firstly, the welcome bread was exceptional, and we were so impressed that we had to ask for more. This speaks to the quality of the restaurant's ingredients and preparation methods. It's always a good sign when a restaurant can impress diners with something as simple as bread. The service at Ciao Pasta was also fantastic, and our server Mauricio Ayala went above and beyond to ensure we were well taken care of. He even gave us extra bread, which is a nice touch that shows the staff is attentive and caring towards their customers. Marco was also helpful and provide professional service. Moving on to the food, the Ahi Tuna Balsamico was exceptionally good. This dish likely featured fresh, high-quality tuna and a well-balanced balsamic sauce that complemented the fish's flavor without overpowering it. This testament to the restaurant's skill in creating flavorful and balanced dishes. Overall, we had a great experience at Ciao Pasta. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a tasty Italian meal.

+1

We order food to be delivered fairly regularly from Ciao Pasta. Not sure if there is a new chef or new people in the kitchen, but our meal tonight was not as good as usual. The Ciao Pasta barely had any chicken or mushrooms and my lasagna had very little sauce. Not happy with the change. Will probably find a new Italian spot in SJC.