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Cucina Alessa

234 Forest Avenue, (Cross streets PCH & Forest), Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 497-8222
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Ranked #12 of 133 restaurants in Laguna Beach
Cuisines: Italian
Good for: Families with children, Doing business, Special occasions, Entertaining clients
Dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Reservations, Late Night
Restaurant details
Good for: Families with children, Doing business, Special occasions, Entertaining clients
Dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Reservations, Late Night
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97 reviews from our community

82% Recommend
    57
    24
    11
    1
    4
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Tucson, Arizona
Senior Contributor
44 reviews 44 reviews
33 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 19, 2013 NEW

The butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sage sauce was so delicious that I haven't stopped talking about it! Great setting as well. We sat outside people-watching and enjoyed the entire evening.

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Hollywood, Florida
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 18, 2013 NEW

Best meal we hd in SoCal so far. We has a bolognese pasta dish and then the short rib ravioli. Both were great. Can get busy and tables are close together but worth it.

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New Mexico mountains
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
30 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 18, 2013 NEW

Lunch in Laguna Beach on a Saturday can be a bit daunting, with the crowds and the dogs and the darling children not always kept in tow. However, even on a busy Saturday, we had a nice relaxing lunch here and the food and service lived up to its billing. We followed the waitress's recommendation for the special- fennel and... More

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Los Angeles, California
Top Contributor
159 reviews 159 reviews
83 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 61 cities Reviews in 61 cities
73 helpful votes 73 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 12, 2013

I ate lunch here on the patio and really enjoyed it. I had the Arugula and Fennel salad followed by eggplant parmigiana . Both were fantastic. My server , Auroura (sp) was very sweet and the atmosphere and food made this a memorable meal. I will be back ! The eggplant was enough for 2 people so I took half... More

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Henderson, Nevada
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
7 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 10, 2013

When we walked by and saw San Danielle prosciutto and Burrata mozzarella on the menu, we knew we'd have to eat here. I've always found it incredibly difficult to find great gnocchi, Alessa's pesto gnocchi was excellent! The tiramisu wonderful. The mushroom risotto not as creamy as most risottos but good flavor, not something we'd recommend. Limoncello liquor very nice.... More

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See 3 more reviews by Julie S for Laguna Beach
Pasadena, California
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
19 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
19 helpful votes 19 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 8, 2013

We had 3 generations at dinner and we all loved the food. Great prosciutto and cheese starters. Staff recommended great Italian wines and pasta. You will love it

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See 3 more reviews by LADuckFan for Laguna Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Top Contributor
92 reviews 92 reviews
63 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 32 cities Reviews in 32 cities
51 helpful votes 51 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2013

The menu here seems short but is very comprehensive. We loved the salads, the pizza . . . and wish we had room for Tiramisu. We had dinner here a few years ago and loved it, so we were pleased it's still as we remembered- worth the return trip. If the weather's nice (and when isn't it in Laguna Beach!)... More

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Atlanta, Georgia
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2013

We just celebrated with a special dinner at Cucina Alessa. Recommended to us by the concierge at the St. Regis, we had a fun Saturday night. The food is fantastic, and we would highly recommend starting with the Antipasti meat and cheese platter. Could have stopped there, but went on to relish Mama's meatballs and other dishes. Bring an appetite.... More

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california
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed April 18, 2013

I had a pasta dish with chicken and asparagus and needed a magnifying glass to find the chicken and asparagus. I mentioned this to the waiter and he said he would talk to the chef. Whether he did or didn't, I don't know because I didn't see him again until he brought the check. Never even got a refill of... More

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Tallahassee, Florida
Senior Contributor
34 reviews 34 reviews
27 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed March 31, 2013

Right next to the US 1 coast highway is this quaint little Italian place. This has one of the best shrimp scampis I have eve had. The portions are of decent size. The waiter helped us decide what to order after knowing our choices and tastes .great seafood. Bit on the expensive side..but hey you are in SoCal!!

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