Romeo Cucina

Great place. Feels upscale, but some real bargains on the menu. Service, even when busy has always been good. The staff know the ingredients and can answer questions and make changes if you wish.

This restaurant it’s so delicious and the people are so kind! Across from my chemo center and I get hungry before during and after treatments and they treat me so kind and gentle. I don’t think they know what I’m going through but they do know I’m going through something and they are just so kind. Open at 11:15 even though they don’t open till 1130. I have dietary restrictions and they take it seriously. The bread oh my God I just wish I can eat it it just looks and smells delicious. Nice comfy upscale place and very warm and inviting They take food seriously!!!!

Started off with salad was good place is nice clean and food is great

Everything was delicious! We will be going back. And the staff is wonderful.

The best Italian food in South County, bar none!!!

Great food, great service! I recommend getting there early or having a reservation because this place fills up quickly at dinner time, especially on the weekend! We had pasta, pizza, the sirloin entree, a Mediterranean salad, and everything was delicious. We would love to come back again.

Awesome experience. My brother and I sat at the bar and Jack was awesome! Excellent recommendations and he kept us laughing. We both had the caprese, Bolognese and the house red. You'll love all of the above. Thank you for a great service, a fun experience and a much needed break from life. You're awesome Jack!

Food was amazing, service was excellent and the creme brullae was to die for! I had the grilled prawns with angel hair pasta and it was flavorful and very well prepared. Even their bread and olive dip was incredible. Hope to go again soon

We had a great time with my co-workers (12 people) the service was friendly, the food is very good. And the big surprise : on Thursday the wine is Half price yay ! We will definitely come back soon

LOVE this spot. Tons of GF options. Staff is really nice. My new favorite lunch spot.

Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service and live music, and delicious food at Romeo Cucina Italian restaurant.

We had 20 people with reservations and parking was easy. Opens at 5PM closed Tuesdays. Parking is great and wheel chair accessible. Linda was an excellent waitress and thank GOD she gave us individual checks and we paid very fast with cash. The food is superb, hot and oversized enough to share or taste or take home leftovers. I had pasta with. Chicken, mushrooms, pine nuts, tomatoes and oil and garlic. Just sayLenore sent you and Enjoy

This place we have been to several times, always reliable delicious food, great prompt service. They start you off with sliced French bread and olive tapenade. They have a full bar (wine list) where you can sit at and plenty of seating inside in booth or tables with chairs. They also make some really great pizzas personal size. We love their cannoli and a good cup of coffee to finish off our dinner. Parking is easy as it’s in a small shopping area where the main shop is Ralph’s.

Great place we’ve been coming here for 20 years!!! The short rib tortellini is fantastic, the pizza is good and the happy hour is amazing! Chicken wings, bruschetta, eggplant, pasta, drinks are just all great! Must come if your a local and a must stop if your new!

Authentic Italian food, all portions and flavors were very good, worth it, they gave us bread as a starter with an olive sauce or olive oil, then we ordered pizza, risotto and a salad. My recommendation is definitely the risotto.

I've been going here for years. I love the bread and pesto, but they have several unique and tasty entrees. They get pretty busy on weekends, but relatively quiet during the week for a romantic dinner.

Amazing food and amazing service. Phil was super nice. The food is truly good and the environment is Covid friendly.

Lenore Riechlin

We had 20 people with reservations and parking was easy. Opens at 5PM closed Tuesdays. Parking is great and wheel chair accessible. Linda was an excellent waitress and thank GOD she gave us individual checks and we paid very fast with cash. The food is superb, hot and oversized enough to share or taste or take home leftovers. I had pasta with. Chicken, mushrooms, pine nuts, tomatoes and oil and garlic. Just sayLenore sent you and Enjoy

Cheryl Nasser

This place we have been to several times, always reliable delicious food, great prompt service. They start you off with sliced French bread and olive tapenade. They have a full bar (wine list) where you can sit at and plenty of seating inside in booth or tables with chairs. They also make some really great pizzas personal size. We love their cannoli and a good cup of coffee to finish off our dinner. Parking is easy as it’s in a small shopping area where the main shop is Ralph’s.

Ryan & Daisy Grunau

Great place we’ve been coming here for 20 years!!! The short rib tortellini is fantastic, the pizza is good and the happy hour is amazing! Chicken wings, bruschetta, eggplant, pasta, drinks are just all great! Must come if your a local and a must stop if your new!

Mel

Authentic Italian food, all portions and flavors were very good, worth it, they gave us bread as a starter with an olive sauce or olive oil, then we ordered pizza, risotto and a salad. My recommendation is definitely the risotto.

Chris Mattingly

I've been going here for years. I love the bread and pesto, but they have several unique and tasty entrees. They get pretty busy on weekends, but relatively quiet during the week for a romantic dinner.

Farshad M

Amazing food and amazing service. Phil was super nice. The food is truly good and the environment is Covid friendly.

Manga, manga...My sister and I had our first visit to Romeo Cucina...now we wondered what took us so long to try this magnificent restaurant! There is a comfortable atmosphere, and the service was amazing; especially Luigi! This is now our favorite Italian restaurant! I had the Lobster Ravioli w scallops and a red sauce with basil. Yes, I will go back !

What an amazing restaurant. The dining room, bathroom, and kitchen are amazingly clean. I met the head chef Michael and he has so much passion for what he does and has been in the industry since 14 years old. Being in the plumbing industry for 25 years, I have seen a lot of kitchens. Romeo Cucina’s kitchen is immaculate. One of the cleanest I have ever seen. You can tell they take pride in serving customers. Highly recommend.

Very good...surprised that more people dont dine here!

Such a great little Italian spot. Phil and Enrique made our dinning experience extra special by some of the best service I had in a while. I had the lobster ravioli and it was cooked perfectly! I ate everything on the plate. I will be coming back!

This is a very good Italian restaurant. The food portions are large, prices are moderate depending on what you order. My wife and I ordered the chicken parmesan after viewing another customers order. It was very good and so large that we both took half home for lunch the next day. There are a large number of choices on the menu. We sat near the bar area so we could watch a NFL game we were interested in. The service was excellent and the staff was very attentive. The facility is not overly large and they do not take reservations. They opened at 5pm and we arrived about 5:20 to find a 20 to 30 minute wait. They gave us a pager and we sat at the bar to wait. Bar service was very good. We enjoyed the food, the service, and the atmosphere. This was our first time there, but will not be our last. Highly recommend. There was ample free parking available.

I'm a bit of an Italian food snob, having spent a good bit of time there. Most "American Italian" food places just disappoint. I absolutely LOVE it here. The food is always great, with authentic flavors and an excellent wine list. The servers are outstanding, and even work to establish long-term connections with regular customers, remembering favorite places to sit, regular dishes, etc. The only unfortunate thing for me? Not enough people go here!! I'm not sure how or why more folks don't know about this gem, but they should. Help keep such an excellent place in business by coming here and telling all your friends about it! In my opinion, there is not a better Italian restaurant in OC. And yes, I've eaten at them all.

Aparna Chaudhari

Very good...surprised that more people dont dine here!

Jim Schott

This is a very good Italian restaurant. The food portions are large, prices are moderate depending on what you order. My wife and I ordered the chicken parmesan after viewing another customers order. It was very good and so large that we both took half home for lunch the next day. There are a large number of choices on the menu. We sat near the bar area so we could watch a NFL game we were interested in. The service was excellent and the staff was very attentive. The facility is not overly large and they do not take reservations. They opened at 5pm and we arrived about 5:20 to find a 20 to 30 minute wait. They gave us a pager and we sat at the bar to wait. Bar service was very good. We enjoyed the food, the service, and the atmosphere. This was our first time there, but will not be our last. Highly recommend. There was ample free parking available.

Dave Crouch

I'm a bit of an Italian food snob, having spent a good bit of time there. Most "American Italian" food places just disappoint. I absolutely LOVE it here. The food is always great, with authentic flavors and an excellent wine list. The servers are outstanding, and even work to establish long-term connections with regular customers, remembering favorite places to sit, regular dishes, etc. The only unfortunate thing for me? Not enough people go here!! I'm not sure how or why more folks don't know about this gem, but they should. Help keep such an excellent place in business by coming here and telling all your friends about it! In my opinion, there is not a better Italian restaurant in OC. And yes, I've eaten at them all.

Chrissy Raines

Food was delicious. Phillip, our server was very kind and helpful.

Wish Granted Plumbing

What an amazing restaurant. The dining room, bathroom, and kitchen are amazingly clean. I met the head chef Michael and he has so much passion for what he does and has been in the industry since 14 years old. Being in the plumbing industry for 25 years, I have seen a lot of kitchens. Romeo Cucina’s kitchen is immaculate. One of the cleanest I have ever seen. You can tell they take pride in serving customers. Highly recommend.

Debby Lambert

Manga, manga...My sister and I had our first visit to Romeo Cucina...now we wondered what took us so long to try this magnificent restaurant! There is a comfortable atmosphere, and the service was amazing; especially Luigi! This is now our favorite Italian restaurant! I had the Lobster Ravioli w scallops and a red sauce with basil. Yes, I will go back !

Ryan Hughes

Such a great little Italian spot. Phil and Enrique made our dinning experience extra special by some of the best service I had in a while. I had the lobster ravioli and it was cooked perfectly! I ate everything on the plate. I will be coming back!

Catherine Hazlett

Romeo Cucina is 5 star all the way! This Italian restaurant is the epitome of perfect atmosphere, impeccable service and the food is spectacular, which now (at least at lunch, not sure at night) the new owner, Ada, cooks with passion and flair. Luis is an amazing bartender and server and very friendly. The prices are reasonable and the amount of food you are served is often enough for two meals. In Orange County we have many excellent restaurants from which to choose and quite a few exceptional Italian restaurants, as well. Romeo Cucina gets my number one vote and is my absolute favorite! Ciao. Victoria.

5 stars would be excellent dining in Italy and Romeo comes real close. Our server sadly didn't get her name was excellent. Bread still best and fresh. My son said his Margherita 🍕 was close to the ones in Italy. Pepata di Cozze appetizer fresh green mussels in red sauce delicious. Their food and quality have been consistent. Brava Ada!

Had dinner here. Food was great, although we were just trying to relax and service kept interrupting us. We would go back, but not our top choice.

Romeo is our go to for delicious Italian comfort food. Prompt and friendly service, reasonably priced. It’s not too big, and can get busy, but a great restaurant to consider in Laguna Niguel.

Typical Italian place, better food than you get at a chain. The food was great! Bread was served with an olive tapenade which was excellent, no butter or olive oil though, unless that was something our server forgot. Service was so so. Our server offered parmesan cheese to one of us and then everyone else eating had to ask for it. Also, no pepper on the table, yet it wasn't offered at all and it was five minutes before we could get our server's attention to get a grinder to our table. I'd give it another try as the food was great, although a bit on the pricey side for lunch.

Nice and friendly bartender. If parking is easy. The food was simple traditional Italian. Price is very reasonable. They have a pretty decent happy hour

This Italian Eatery & Bar is warm with a feel of being upscale. From the tables to the decor, it has a great vibe. Many regular customers are there, even on a Wednesday night. We met after work and decided to head to Romero Cucina for their Happy Hour menu. We were told that we could only order from the Happy Hour Menu from the bar. So, we ended moving over there. The bartender was very helpful with suggestions and very funny. It was cool seeing the pizza being made and put in a central brick oven. What we shared: * Calamari Fritti Their Unique Fried Calamari served with a side of Zesty Romeo sauce. * Eggplant Parmigiana (so tasty) Golden light crisp eggplant topped with Fresh grated parmigiano, mozzarella in a fresh tomato sauce * Guazzetto di Vongole (our favorite) Steamed Clams with olive oil & garlic, parsley, basil, diced tomatoes, in white wine sauce. The sauce is fantastic! Dessert: Tiramisu (loved it) Lady fingers dipped in espresso and layered with cloud-light mascarpone cream and Belgian chocolate. Overall, we had a good time and the food was delicious. 😋

Good place with variety of pasta. Live music on Sunday evenings. Courteous staff! Perfect location!

Anice local gem in Laguna Niguel with great Italian Food. This place can get busy on weekends and during happy hour which has great deals.

Used to be a great place to come to the bar when Jack the bartender worked there. The vibe has disappeared...

Michele Leocadio

This Italian Eatery & Bar is warm with a feel of being upscale. From the tables to the decor, it has a great vibe. Many regular customers are there, even on a Wednesday night. We met after work and decided to head to Romero Cucina for their Happy Hour menu. We were told that we could only order from the Happy Hour Menu from the bar. So, we ended moving over there. The bartender was very helpful with suggestions and very funny. It was cool seeing the pizza being made and put in a central brick oven. What we shared: * Calamari Fritti Their Unique Fried Calamari served with a side of Zesty Romeo sauce. * Eggplant Parmigiana (so tasty) Golden light crisp eggplant topped with Fresh grated parmigiano, mozzarella in a fresh tomato sauce * Guazzetto di Vongole (our favorite) Steamed Clams with olive oil & garlic, parsley, basil, diced tomatoes, in white wine sauce. The sauce is fantastic! Dessert: Tiramisu (loved it) Lady fingers dipped in espresso and layered with cloud-light mascarpone cream and Belgian chocolate. Overall, we had a good time and the food was delicious. 😋

Dzmitry Mik

Good place with variety of pasta. Live music on Sunday evenings. Courteous staff! Perfect location!

Krystina Jarema

Anice local gem in Laguna Niguel with great Italian Food. This place can get busy on weekends and during happy hour which has great deals.

Frankie Albert

Used to be a great place to come to the bar when Jack the bartender worked there. The vibe has disappeared...

Another of my favorite Italian restaurants has gone downhill. Disappointed over negative changes of bread, entrees, tiramisu, etc. Fortunately MG restaurant has not changed. I will go there from now on.

I started going here nine years ago. I had several good meals originally, but I think the quality has gone down. Even though I was disappointed, I have gone back two more times. I thought maybe I ordered the wrong meal, but I also tasted my Friend's meal and it was not very good. They're so close. Very disappointed and will not be going back.

Something is wrong here. The food is great, the service is really spotty. If you have a table for Phil or Linda, you are in great hands. Luis is good too. After that, it’s a nosedive. I do not want a server who is chatty, tries to make jokes, and then fails to listen to what you want and gets the order partially or even totally wrong. There is no excuse for that, but it’s the second time this has happened with the same server in the past two times we have been here. So, the owner needs to stop hiring friends of the family, properly train the staff, or get a review like this. I am not going to pay these prices for inadequate service. Fix your problems or go the way of other restaurants losing their long time customers. Not happy.

Margaret Matlock

I started going here nine years ago. I had several good meals originally, but I think the quality has gone down. Even though I was disappointed, I have gone back two more times. I thought maybe I ordered the wrong meal, but I also tasted my Friend's meal and it was not very good. They're so close. Very disappointed and will not be going back.

Today definitely it wasn’t their day, never had problems before but with today Barman it was very bad . He forgot to order my food to go to the kitchen and I had to wait standing 25 minutes like an Idiot and nobody sorry about the mistake. Disappointing.

I ordered lasagna the taste and appearance of the food indicated that it had been microwaved to reheat frozen food.but my daughter ordered a breaded chicken it taste good.

Fariba

I ordered lasagna the taste and appearance of the food indicated that it had been microwaved to reheat frozen food.but my daughter ordered a breaded chicken it taste good.

Food was so so. I spent my lunch reading, had a glass of wine, bill was $37 and change, gave the server 2 $20 Bill's and he comes back to me with $25 saying I didn't give him enough. I never cheat any server out of their money as they do work hard. This server argued with me that I didn't give him enough money. I won't make assumptions what happened to the other 20. I didn't leave a tip nor did I take my left over food. I will never go back.

The worst customer service!!! I attempted to call ahead of time and was placed on hold on two separate occasions. The first time, the “call was dropped.” I get it, figured I’d give it another go - the second time I was greeted with sheer incompetency by the person answering the phone. The individual refused to give up his name and seemed to only have one answer, “I don’t know.” I asked to speak with a different employee or manager - this person gets on the phone and is just absolutely rude. Talked over me, half-assed answered my questions and could only “take my number.” I kindly prompted the person to get their manager and who would have guessed - another “dropped call.” Me and my partner arrived anyways? I’m a huge fan of the food and wanted to share the experience with her, when I arrive I’m told to have a seat so the hostess can seat us. I explained to the hostess that I attempted to call twice to make reservations and avoid any and all wait times. Once I had informed the employees that I had called twice, I suspect they talked it over, and had us wait for over thirty (3. 0.) minutes! Unacceptable. I’ve been a loyal patron to this establishment was let down completely tonight. This experience, which hasn’t been my only one here at this establishment, has tarnished my interest in going back. I don’t care how good your food is - treat people kindly!! Ps. the second employee refused to give up their name. How childish!?

Went there for dinner last night with another couple. We had reservations and the place was packed and very loud. We asked for a booth, but we were seated at a table. A few minutes after sitting, the booth a few feet away became vacant, so we asked the waiter if we could move to the booth. I have a cane and there was no where to put it, as our table was in the middle of the thoroughfare. We were told that we couldn't move. The booth sat vacant for about 10 minutes until a party of 3 entered and was seated there. We were given no explanation as to why we 4 had to stay crammed at our small table. Then the food came, and it was very disappointing. My husband had a chicken pasta dish (pennette ruspanti) and it was just okay. I ordered Misto Fresco, an appetizer with mozzarella cheese & tomatoes. The tomatoes weren't ripe enough, and there wasn't any balsamic vinegar and olive oil on it. It simply had a little sprinkling of seasoning. Other than that, it was dry and flavorless. I asked the waiter to bring me oil and vinegar, and that helped a little. Bottom line, we'll never go back. Pricey, noisey, and mediocre food, not to mention the rudeness we experienced.