CUCINA enoteca Newport Beach

$50–100

$30–50

Not sure why this place has so many good reviews because I've had better food at much lower prices. Had it not been for the mushroom goat cheese pizza, I would have given it one star. The service was decent, nothing to brag about. It was also really dark so many people were using the lights on their phones to read the menus. Hadn't been to fashion island in awhile so I wanted to take my parents to Cheesecake Factory to have some cheesecake while enjoying the ocean view but didn't realize it disappeared. Nothing really stood out for food besides Fleming's but since we didn't have any reservations, this place looked the most promising. We ordered the clam linguini, margherita pizza and the mushroom goat cheese pizza. The clam linguini was an utter disappointment. I've never had one so bland before and pasta wasn't quite al dente so somewhat rough to eat. The clams weren't very fresh either. There were no salt or pepper on the table either but it wouldn't have helped. The margherita pizza...I don't know who makes the sauce but it reminded me of chef boy ardee canned food. Yes, it was that bad. The only decent one was the mushroom goat cheese pizza. It's got basil and truffle oil on it as well so that made it standout somewhat. While this was the only decent tasting item, the pizza dough was incredibly chewy. I asked for steak knives to cut the pizza but even that was hard to cut with. To make things worse, the interior door was open to the outside tables so I had the pleasure of being visited by the local mosquito tribes to feast on me while dining (they got the better deal than I did). They also bring the billing right to your table with a portable P.O.S. machine so I accidentally selected the 20% tip (was planning to just tip the usual 15% in cash) so be careful when you're paying your bill. This was the first time trying this place so maybe I didn't order the best dishes but for the amount of money I paid for pizza and pasta, I can't recommend this place.

$100+

$20–30

Visited Saturday evening @ 7pm without a reservation and waited 1.5 hours to get seated (we ended up choosing a spot/seating ourselves at the long community table next the bar). Service from the hostesses was unwelcoming (I wouldn't recommend bringing guests you are hosting here or coming without a reservation). Our server was kind u0026 prompt and the food was good. We ordered the burrata to start and the short rib pappardelle for our main course. I appreciated the filling portions and decent selection of red wines. Ambience: 5 stars Food u0026 Drinks: 4 stars Service: 3 stars I'd highly recommend a making reservation in advance.

Hats off to Head Chef/Manger Jad! I usually go to the Irvine Spectrum location but I ended up coming to Fashion Islands on my last visit. Got my usual favorites and off to a great dinner. One of the dish (pictured) is their Short rib pappardelle. Amazing dish... Surprisingly, it came out bit salty. I wasn't sure so I had all my family give it a go and it was on the salty side for all. I turned my head to see if my waiter was around but Jad spotted me and ran over. He didn't hesitate for a second and took the dish. In matter of minutes he was out with a fresh plate and it did not disappoint. I was more impressed with his mannerism and professionalism. He even got us a free Gelato and Sorbet for all of us. Jad's quick responsiveness with customer centered actions made our night a dinner to be remembered for a long time. Thank you for the wonderful experience.

I always order the mushroom with goat cheese pizza to go

the restaurant is very beautiful and comfortable, but the pizza is too salty, the pasta with the meat too salty, my 13 year old son couldn't eat the pizza because it was too salty and my guests also found it too salty, I was very frustrated

$20–30

Stopped by here for dinner. It was busy but definitely could eat here. Would recommend getting a reservation just in case. When you enter in, there is a wide variety of wine that captures your attention. Once you’re led inside, you can tell it’s a pretty big restaurant. Ordered drinks and food to make it simple. The drink I got was recommended by the server. I wanted something on the sweeter side vs all the other mixed drink available on the menu. Definitely was a great mix. Ricotta pizza was nice with a bit a saltiness from the cheeses but lightness and almost like a breath a fresh air with the ricotta. Squash blossoms were fantastic. Fried wonderfully and the cheese (more like a marscapone/cream cheese type) in the middle of the flower really is killer and the stem of the blossom was cooked on point, tender and easy to eat. The octopus was tasty and goes great with all the pickles and sauce. Squid ink pasta was nice with the tomato pieces to help add to it. The steak was delicious as well with the sauce and mushrooms to give it more of a meatiness and lightness. Overall I’d come back but for me the squash blossoms was the highlight.

The food, drinks, service and decor here are AMAZING, as they are at every Cucina restaurant. Been to this location a few times and I can confidently say the Irvine location is better in terms of food. The menu is pretty much the same if not almost identical, but there is a noticeable (albeit slight) difference in quality of food. That being said, everything here still tastes very delicious and the service and decor are superb as always. It’s nowhere near as busy as the Irvine location, so I’ve never had to wait for a seat, and the atmosphere is much more relaxed, open, airy. Really love the Cucina group of restaurants— my favorite!!

5 Stars for one reason. Alex u0026 Gina Can’t rave about them enough. Like 6 star service. Usually an 8-Top (us customers) is a nightmare, I mean we were enjoying ourselves but Alex’s attentive and excellent service made us stay not only for brunch for but for afternoon wine and evening hangs. Seriously — We had a blast and it definitely created a core memory. Of course the food and drinks are great. Plenty of things to sample and choose from. And while we definitely drank (well my peoples) our 5-6 bottles of wine — everything felt right at home. Oh the desserts are pretty amazing. Again Alex’s service, backed by Gina’s assistance — amazing. Next time you go, ask for Alex and say you were sent by the large group, with the “president” who celebrated his birthday and stayed for 8 hours. He will remember.