Bruxie

My wife and I had a wonderful impromptu date night at this establishment. We did not have a reservation and were seated promptly but I think that was just luck. I highly recommend a reservation because they were busy. They also have some phenomenal specials for the weekends that make it very affordable. The sauce was excellent and the broccoli was perfect. We had some drinks that were expertly mixed and our waitress was friendly fast efficient and funny. A wonderful evening, 5 out of 5 would recommend.

Went here for my 13th wedding anniversary and it was great! Friendly staff and they work fast, they even gifted our dessert for our anniversary! Loved it and food was amazing, hands down best Italian food I ever had.

A food Mecca for quality Italian food! The location is well placed and eating outside is such a treat with good weather. The food though…incredible from the start. The Bread is light and the olive oil mix kicks taste to the max. The Bruschetta is not one to miss. The Lasagna is a generous portion with a not sweet sauce; layers are stacked perfectly. The Penne Al Pesto is my favorite without question…highly recommend. The nice Ricotta to the side mix’s superbly with the Pine Nuts and the Pesto sauce is just……TRY IT! Excellent service with the staff always checking in on you. Do not mind the crowd, as they serve you in a good amount of time.

+4

Service was amazing, food was great, drinks were gooooood. Appetizers were the best. LEMON DROP MARTINI, RIGATONI 2.0, MEATBALLS(APPRETIZER), POTATOES(APPRETIZER). TIRAMISU AMAZING. Everything is great here.

Tremendous value in Italian dining especially these inflationary times. They have dinner specials that are deliciously prepared. Amazing atmosphere with friendly and pleasant staff. Their house bread and chimichuri dipping sauce together with their house chopped salad are both amazing. Their main enteees are very tasty.

+6

Dined in for dinner this weekend and had a nice relaxing experience. Plenty of seating, and I'm glad I got to sit right by the patio. This is my second time at Bruno's- the first time I ordered takeout. Food: to start I ordered the Mozzarella Burrata (both visits) and I must say this is my favorite dish here. The Burrata, which I enjoyed with the complimentary bread, came with a surprisingly delicious beet salad. The beet salad was so good it almost stole the show. For my main course I ordered the Rigatoni Alfredo and changed the pasta to fettuccine and held the mushrooms and pancetta... so basically the fettuccine chicken alfredo I wanted. Another great dish! The sauce for this dish is tasty- creamy, and perfectly cheesy. Service: the service has been wonderful for both experiences (takeout and dine-in). The staff is friendly, patient, polite, and considerate. My waitress did a nice job especially with coming around frequently at the right time. The manager was friendly and went around asking customers how they were doing. Needless to say, this restuarant is worth a visit! Seems like the perfect spot in this plaza to dine in at. I look forward to returning!

+3

The pasta was really good. Good amount of choices to order from. The flavor was on point. Even though the restaurant was packed, our server managed to check on us regularly, making the experience most welcome

+1

This has become one of my favorite Italian restaurants. The food is amazing and everything about the restaurant was top notch.

Food is amazing. Cocktails are fabulous. Staff was so warm, pleasant, and helpful. Don't skip on desert, possibly the best Tiramisu in orange county.

+2

We enjoy Brunos Italian. Good cocktails, nice wine selection. And good food. Daily specials. Check the website for specials. Staff is friendly and helpful. Parking is free and plentiful. Worth a visit

+2

We went to eat at Bruno's and got to try the restaurant week $30 deal. I had Caesar salad, lasagna and a dessert. The food was really good and the service was great. The bread was also very good. They have a very good selection of dinner items. The restaurant is only open from 4 to 9 p.m. It is a little dark in the inside and I needed to use my phone flashlight to see the menu. I will definitely be coming back. Show up early unless you want to wait. You can also make a reservation. There is a large bar and also some outside seating.

Love this place for great pasta ! Never disappoints, great service each time. I usually go on Wednesdays, pasta and wine bottles are half off (: my favorite pasta dish isbthe rigatoni alfredo 2.0 i add chicken and shrimp. Also there tiramisu dessert is my favorite (:Theres two parking structures adjacent from the restaurant which is nice. Restaurant is in a nice location.

Very much enjoyed their Wednesday 25% off pasta dinner. Ordered, shared and loved 4 of the appetizers as well: fresh mozzarella burrata and salad, arancini balls, fritto misto and mussels & clams. Also a huge shout out to the warm & yummy freshly baked comp bread that we shamelessly layered with carb upon precious carb! That and my lemon drop martini set the stage for a fantastic meal anchored by the Bruno pappardelle with tender short rib and al dente pasta! Yum in every bite. My husband also loved his shrimp and crab fettucine - huge serving and generous with seafood. I’ll order that next time! Also plotting our return to try the Monday night lasagna special - something to look forward to! Thank you to Alberto- our efficient and friendly server for a lovely mid-week dinner. Reserve on Opentable. My insta of food & travel: @i_therefore_conclude

Bruno's Italian Kitchen is a great find in Downtown Brea. We had a dinner reservation for 12 people and were seated right away. The ambiance is lovely and the service was very efficient—food arrived quickly and the presentation was beautiful. ​The Cioppino was delicious and a personal highlight! I also found the plates to be very fairly priced for the portion sizes. They have a good wine selection that complemented the meal perfectly. Great spot for large groups or a nice night out.

I love this place, I come here often, and love their food, their gluten free pasta is always cooked right, not too hard and not mushy either. I have tried almost all their pasta dishes, and I enjoyed every one of tgem. Sometimes I just go alone and have dinner at the bar. I recommend making reservations if you plan on going on a weekend and having dinner.

First of all, bread was really good. The sauce that comes with it tasted amazing. This area has nice view and atmosphere, it’s good for date night. However, it can be very loud so keep that in mind. I loved the sizing of the dishes, it was not too much not too small. I can say the sauces of the dishes are pretty strong, but I personally loved that. Definitely coming again!

Great place to get Italian!! Probably the best bruschetta I've had in a long time! Servers were awesome and attentive. We noticed the manager walking around and talking to the tables checking in. He's even seen helping the staff which I think contributes to a great environment. My only critiques: 1) the volume. Not much you can do about it, but lots of people talking so like other people suggested, probably not the best spot for an intimate date. 2) next to the host podium are two high top tables that I feel are way too close to the door. We didn't sit there, but I dreaded the idea that we would be. I think if these two were removed, it would create a better entry way and reduce the risk of a bad experience. Regardless, I would definitely come back for that pesto and bruschetta!

Came here for my birthday, and didn't know pasta and wine was half off on wednesday. I will be coming back. Food was great compare to most, and their dessert is also good. Will be trying canoli next time.

My boyfriend and I went here for dinner and we’re very pleased! We got the bruschetta, rigatoni Alfredo, and I forgot what the red pasta was called, but it’s spicy and delicious! Everything was very tasty and staff was very friendly. I look forward to coming back :)

This place is amazing. The atmosphere is to die for. The service top of the line. And the food OMG the best Italian food I've ever had! And let's not forget about the Cadillac Margaritas I can tell you right now they do not skimp on the alcohol!

Always a great dining experience. GM Tim is attentive to everything going on AND the customers. Erin, the bartender, is creative and gragarious and has his regulars at the bar. I used to like dining at a table with my other half, but we are becoming regulars at the bar. It's like a neighborhood bar , friendly and a good time. They have great happy hour specials and nightly specials...definitely a place to frequent . . . Good food, good drinks, good people!

Maria Vee

Very much enjoyed their Wednesday 25% off pasta dinner. Ordered, shared and loved 4 of the appetizers as well: fresh mozzarella burrata and salad, arancini balls, fritto misto and mussels & clams. Also a huge shout out to the warm & yummy freshly baked comp bread that we shamelessly layered with carb upon precious carb! That and my lemon drop martini set the stage for a fantastic meal anchored by the Bruno pappardelle with tender short rib and al dente pasta! Yum in every bite. My husband also loved his shrimp and crab fettucine - huge serving and generous with seafood. I’ll order that next time! Also plotting our return to try the Monday night lasagna special - something to look forward to! Thank you to Alberto- our efficient and friendly server for a lovely mid-week dinner. Reserve on Opentable. My insta of food & travel: @i_therefore_conclude

Jen Sandoval

Bruno's Italian Kitchen is a great find in Downtown Brea. We had a dinner reservation for 12 people and were seated right away. The ambiance is lovely and the service was very efficient—food arrived quickly and the presentation was beautiful. ​The Cioppino was delicious and a personal highlight! I also found the plates to be very fairly priced for the portion sizes. They have a good wine selection that complemented the meal perfectly. Great spot for large groups or a nice night out.

Mia S.

I love this place, I come here often, and love their food, their gluten free pasta is always cooked right, not too hard and not mushy either. I have tried almost all their pasta dishes, and I enjoyed every one of tgem. Sometimes I just go alone and have dinner at the bar. I recommend making reservations if you plan on going on a weekend and having dinner.

J

First of all, bread was really good. The sauce that comes with it tasted amazing. This area has nice view and atmosphere, it’s good for date night. However, it can be very loud so keep that in mind. I loved the sizing of the dishes, it was not too much not too small. I can say the sauces of the dishes are pretty strong, but I personally loved that. Definitely coming again!

Maxwell Myers

Great place to get Italian!! Probably the best bruschetta I've had in a long time! Servers were awesome and attentive. We noticed the manager walking around and talking to the tables checking in. He's even seen helping the staff which I think contributes to a great environment. My only critiques: 1) the volume. Not much you can do about it, but lots of people talking so like other people suggested, probably not the best spot for an intimate date. 2) next to the host podium are two high top tables that I feel are way too close to the door. We didn't sit there, but I dreaded the idea that we would be. I think if these two were removed, it would create a better entry way and reduce the risk of a bad experience. Regardless, I would definitely come back for that pesto and bruschetta!

Krit I (Jgeeisnice)

Came here for my birthday, and didn't know pasta and wine was half off on wednesday. I will be coming back. Food was great compare to most, and their dessert is also good. Will be trying canoli next time.

Audrey Bloom

My boyfriend and I went here for dinner and we’re very pleased! We got the bruschetta, rigatoni Alfredo, and I forgot what the red pasta was called, but it’s spicy and delicious! Everything was very tasty and staff was very friendly. I look forward to coming back :)

Lydia Grace Cintron

This place is amazing. The atmosphere is to die for. The service top of the line. And the food OMG the best Italian food I've ever had! And let's not forget about the Cadillac Margaritas I can tell you right now they do not skimp on the alcohol!

Bruce Banares

Always a great dining experience. GM Tim is attentive to everything going on AND the customers. Erin, the bartender, is creative and gragarious and has his regulars at the bar. I used to like dining at a table with my other half, but we are becoming regulars at the bar. It's like a neighborhood bar , friendly and a good time. They have great happy hour specials and nightly specials...definitely a place to frequent . . . Good food, good drinks, good people!

Delicious! I am not normally an Italian food fan, but the food at Bruno's was fantastic! We started with an appetizer bruschetta, meatballs and risotto type ball, then I had the short rib dish and followed it with a delicious dessert. Definitely will be going back!

Let me start off by saying that Robert, our lovely server that we had twice, provides 10/10 customer service which is hard to come by in this day and age. He is always polite, quick and makes pleasant conversation. He also remembered us which was nice :) The food is hot, the quality of the dish matches the price and they have a nice selection and you can make most dishes vegetarian. On Wednesday's they have 25% off pasta & 50% off wine bottles.

Absolutely delicious, do not sleep on Brunos! Everything we had was amazing even the bread and oil! I could eat that every day will definitely be back for happy hour and dinner again! Desiree, was absolutely amazing as well thank you again!

Had an amazing dinner at Bruno’s! It was incredibly busy for a Monday night during the holidays, but EmmaLee made sure we were well taken care of. Even with a few items being out of stock, her recommendations and high-quality service saved the night. Thank you, EmmaLee, for going the extra mile!

I'd give way more stars if possible. The service is always wonderful. The food has never let me down. Make sure you ask for the bread. The cioppino was by far the best I've had.

I had the privilege of dining at Bruno’s for Valentine’s Day. This place came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere was relaxing and the food was outstanding. I had the lasagna which I found tasty but I was given a portion the lobster ravioli and found that to be incredible. The host Tim was welcoming and kind as well as our server Alfredo. I certainly will return again.

Miguel Ramirez

Service was amazing, food was great, drinks were gooooood. Appetizers were the best. LEMON DROP MARTINI, RIGATONI 2.0, MEATBALLS(APPRETIZER), POTATOES(APPRETIZER). TIRAMISU AMAZING. Everything is great here.

Jorge Terzian

Went here for my 13th wedding anniversary and it was great! Friendly staff and they work fast, they even gifted our dessert for our anniversary! Loved it and food was amazing, hands down best Italian food I ever had.

erskaare

Absolutely delicious, do not sleep on Brunos! Everything we had was amazing even the bread and oil! I could eat that every day will definitely be back for happy hour and dinner again! Desiree, was absolutely amazing as well thank you again!

Sammy Noija

Had an amazing dinner at Bruno’s! It was incredibly busy for a Monday night during the holidays, but EmmaLee made sure we were well taken care of. Even with a few items being out of stock, her recommendations and high-quality service saved the night. Thank you, EmmaLee, for going the extra mile!

Phyllis Snyder

Delicious! I am not normally an Italian food fan, but the food at Bruno's was fantastic! We started with an appetizer bruschetta, meatballs and risotto type ball, then I had the short rib dish and followed it with a delicious dessert. Definitely will be going back!

Isabella Gaughan

Let me start off by saying that Robert, our lovely server that we had twice, provides 10/10 customer service which is hard to come by in this day and age. He is always polite, quick and makes pleasant conversation. He also remembered us which was nice :) The food is hot, the quality of the dish matches the price and they have a nice selection and you can make most dishes vegetarian. On Wednesday's they have 25% off pasta & 50% off wine bottles.

As far as Italian food goes nobody likes it more then me so i'm happy to have found Bruno's Italian Kitchen. The place itself is pretty charming and the staff are super amazing some of the best service anywhere. As for the food i've only been once but the menu looked pretty good and Im looking forward to coming back some more. We split the Beef Carpaccio and Fritto and I had the Lasagna meatballs and Budino Caramello for dessert.

The food was very good. I had scallops with rice that was seasoned with saffron. Saffron is not easy to find on a restaurant menu, and it is one of my favorite spices, and the rice was very good. The service was top-notch. Even over the phone when making a reservation, the staff was professional and friendly. When I arrived, my friend was already at the bar, and we stayed there a little while before going to our table and the restaurant held our table for us. Super nice. The ambiance was energetic, though a little too noisy. I was there on a Saturday evening. I would definitely go again when I'm in the area, but would aim for a weeknight. It is in downtown Brea which is a great place to walk around after a meal.

My friend had pappardelle, it was amazing. I had the gluten free fettuccine with chicken. It had zero flavor and zero salt. I asked our server for salt. He rolled his eyes and was snippy about it. He didn't bring it till around 15 minutes later. My food was flavorless and cold by the time I got to eat it. My food picture was beautiful but it didn't taste good at all. Needless to say, I didn't finish it. The desert is good 👍

The fritto misto, not good what I thought was sliced fried potato’s turns out to be slices of fried lemons and had several of them mixed in portion was meh. Value for lasagna is not but do not expect any meat in it. Would I go back probably not

This is my second time here and was really looking forward to more amazing food but was a bit disappointed with my entree. Drinks and apps were great and the service was excellent but the Papardella Bruno I ordered was just too raw garlicky that ruined the dish 😑. I will come back as the whole vibe and apps were great but definitely will NOT order this dish again...

We had reservations for Saturday night at 7:30 (open table) and were seated right away. They were SUPER busy! It was loud, so unless you go at an unusual time, I wouldn’t recommend going for a first date, or any date where you want to have a conversation. That said, the atmosphere was fun, just loud. Our food was ok. The Milano Manhattan is VERY strong, you can taste the alcohol before your lips even touch the glass, but good if you like’em strong! If you want something sweet, the Limoncello Drop is a good one! We tried the Cozze Muscles, they were good, the “juice” it came in was lackluster in flavor though. For dinner I had the Cioppino… if you want a start, as for linguine or fettuccine, it doesn’t come with it. My boyfriend got the Bistecca ‘Flat Iron’. It arrived cold, so he didn’t really eat much of it unfortunately. I used it to make him a steak sandwich the next day, so it worked out. We ended with the gelato and Budino al Caramello. Those were both pretty good, 5 stars :)

+3

We haven’t been here probably for more than 10 years. The taste had declined a bit, but the dishes were still decent. The fried combo-appetizer was pretty good, the broccolini was good as well. The salad was okay, but my favorite dish spicy sausage orecchiette was bit too watery and the sausage was on the tough side (more so than I remembered). The service was friendly and excellent as before. The location is close to the free parking structure.

Daina Thomas

This is my second time here and was really looking forward to more amazing food but was a bit disappointed with my entree. Drinks and apps were great and the service was excellent but the Papardella Bruno I ordered was just too raw garlicky that ruined the dish 😑. I will come back as the whole vibe and apps were great but definitely will NOT order this dish again...

Big Fish Dive Club

We haven’t been here probably for more than 10 years. The taste had declined a bit, but the dishes were still decent. The fried combo-appetizer was pretty good, the broccolini was good as well. The salad was okay, but my favorite dish spicy sausage orecchiette was bit too watery and the sausage was on the tough side (more so than I remembered). The service was friendly and excellent as before. The location is close to the free parking structure.

We like Bruno’s, and the service is ALWAYS impeccable! The only thing that isn’t consistent is the taste or quality of the food. When it’s great, it’s great! When the kitchen is super busy on a Saturday night, it’s understandable that things won’t always be perfect (saltier than usual, pasta slightly overcooked, bread a little gummy). A major plus would be if they asked people waiting for a table to wait OUTSIDE. The last time we were there, there were people literally pushed up against my husband’s back and leering over his shoulder at our food. We had to ask them to back up a little ourselves. Total vibe killer.

Came here for mothers day. We had a reservation but apparently cannot choose between a regular table or a high top. We had a party of 5 adults and 1 small child. We asked if we could be moved to a regular table to reduce the risk of the child falling and they said no. There was a standard table with 8 seats right next to our high top that we also asked about, but was told that table we being held for another reservation. For starters we had the fritto misto which we all enjoyed, it had a good variety of items and was nice and crunchy. Also for the carpaccio which I did not particularly like. The meat was sliced super thin and put on a plate and topped with arugula and olive oil. The meat was so thin it just sticks to the plate and shreds into little bits when you try to eat it. The strength of flavor from the arugula and capers was very overpowering for this dish. For my main I got the branzino. The fish itself was good but a little on the salty side. The spinach was overcooked so it just turned in to a mushy blob, and it was extremely over salted, totally inedible. The potatos were bland and flavorless. For dessert I got the cheesecake which could have been good, but they added so many toppings that is really just masked the cheesecake itself. Less is definitely more in this situation. They have a good wine selection, we ordered a few bottles. Any happy hour specials they have do not apply in the main dining room, only in the bar. Parking is atrocious, you'll end up walking several blocks to get here. Halfway through our dinner they sat a group of 6 adults at the table with 8 chairs. So we they technically could have sat us there, since we had a table for 6 as well and since you apparently can't specify high top or regular during your reservation.... Overall I was really unimpressed and don't think I would return again.

Nate D. Suppanade

Came here for mothers day. We had a reservation but apparently cannot choose between a regular table or a high top. We had a party of 5 adults and 1 small child. We asked if we could be moved to a regular table to reduce the risk of the child falling and they said no. There was a standard table with 8 seats right next to our high top that we also asked about, but was told that table we being held for another reservation. For starters we had the fritto misto which we all enjoyed, it had a good variety of items and was nice and crunchy. Also for the carpaccio which I did not particularly like. The meat was sliced super thin and put on a plate and topped with arugula and olive oil. The meat was so thin it just sticks to the plate and shreds into little bits when you try to eat it. The strength of flavor from the arugula and capers was very overpowering for this dish. For my main I got the branzino. The fish itself was good but a little on the salty side. The spinach was overcooked so it just turned in to a mushy blob, and it was extremely over salted, totally inedible. The potatos were bland and flavorless. For dessert I got the cheesecake which could have been good, but they added so many toppings that is really just masked the cheesecake itself. Less is definitely more in this situation. They have a good wine selection, we ordered a few bottles. Any happy hour specials they have do not apply in the main dining room, only in the bar. Parking is atrocious, you'll end up walking several blocks to get here. Halfway through our dinner they sat a group of 6 adults at the table with 8 chairs. So we they technically could have sat us there, since we had a table for 6 as well and since you apparently can't specify high top or regular during your reservation.... Overall I was really unimpressed and don't think I would return again.

⭐⭐☆☆☆ 2 out of 5 Stars My wife and I came in for dinner and ordered lasagna and chicken Alfredo. The food is normally good here, but the service last night was disappointing. My wife wasn’t feeling well and barely touched her meal. She asked for a box because she wanted to take it home for lunch. While I stepped away for a moment, the bartender threw her full plate away, claiming she “was done.” She wasn’t — she just didn’t feel good. He realized he messed up, but that didn’t help us. On top of that, we felt rushed from the moment we sat down. The bartender asked if we were done with our food when we had barely started. Overall, we paid full price for a meal my wife hardly ate and never got to take home. Food is usually solid here, but the service last night was not.

“We don’t talk about Bruno” Came here for OC restaurant week with high expectations due to all the great reviews. The food was extremely disappointing. We tried the first course: meatballs. My husband and I ordered the same thing for our appetizer and main dish. His appetizer was cold, mine was over salted, and the marinara sauce was very tangy. Second course came and my pasta was cold and undercooked. His pasta was warm, but also lacked flavor. The chicken parm looked like someone added a slice of store bought cheese, placed it on top and microwaved it. Yes, we were asked if everything was ok at one point, but we were really trying to give this place a chance. We kept hoping the next dish would be better, but unfortunately that was not the case. We couldn’t believe that every dish that came out was so poorly made.

Robert Carper

⭐⭐☆☆☆ 2 out of 5 Stars My wife and I came in for dinner and ordered lasagna and chicken Alfredo. The food is normally good here, but the service last night was disappointing. My wife wasn’t feeling well and barely touched her meal. She asked for a box because she wanted to take it home for lunch. While I stepped away for a moment, the bartender threw her full plate away, claiming she “was done.” She wasn’t — she just didn’t feel good. He realized he messed up, but that didn’t help us. On top of that, we felt rushed from the moment we sat down. The bartender asked if we were done with our food when we had barely started. Overall, we paid full price for a meal my wife hardly ate and never got to take home. Food is usually solid here, but the service last night was not.

I rated Bruno’s Italian Kitchen one star due to repeated poor treatment by the hostesses at the front desk. This has now happened twice, with the most recent experience occurring last night. Despite having a reservation, we were made to wait while several tables sat empty. During that time, another couple with the same reservation time arrived and was seated immediately, which felt unfair and uncomfortable. Once seated, we were not offered bread and had to ask for it. We did bring our concerns to the manager. I want to note that our server was very kind and professional; unfortunately, the issues at the front of the house overshadowed the rest of the experience. Given the inconsistent and disappointing service, we will not be returning. We are consistently treated far better at Brea Chop House and other local restaurants.

I went to a big group dinner and had the ciopino. This is a mixed seafood in a tomato broth. I have a lot of experience with this sophisticated dish. I’ve had it dozens of times. Bruno’s was absolutely awful. The mussels were old. Some clams didn’t open. The broth was more thick marinara sauce. The fish was spongy and overcooked. To maintain the spirit of our group celebration, I didn’t complain. However I did insist that they heat it up though. My first bowl was delivered with oven mits with a warning to be careful because it was hot. It was not even warm! The truth came out —the dish wasn’t prepared fresh. In seconds they replaced my bowl with a hot one. Ciopino is best with crusty bread. There wasn’t any. The table’s white wine was kept in a vessel, but it wasn’t chilled.

Laura J.

I rated Bruno’s Italian Kitchen one star due to repeated poor treatment by the hostesses at the front desk. This has now happened twice, with the most recent experience occurring last night. Despite having a reservation, we were made to wait while several tables sat empty. During that time, another couple with the same reservation time arrived and was seated immediately, which felt unfair and uncomfortable. Once seated, we were not offered bread and had to ask for it. We did bring our concerns to the manager. I want to note that our server was very kind and professional; unfortunately, the issues at the front of the house overshadowed the rest of the experience. Given the inconsistent and disappointing service, we will not be returning. We are consistently treated far better at Brea Chop House and other local restaurants.