Alessa by Chef Pirozzi

It happens to be my Birthday and I was craving for a good Cioppino for lunch near my area and Alessa came out as my choice to try. Our sever Larissa was amiable and kind enough to deliver my special request to add spaghetti and more sauce for my preferred entree. Sure enough they deliver, it was sumptuously delicious. One of the best if not the best Cioppino I’ve ever had. My compliments to the Chef. I highly recommend and we will sure come back for this dish our next visit to Laguna Beach.

Been coming to Alessas for years. Never reviewed it though. We love the bread and pesto w olive oil. It’s the best. The risotto is great. The lasagna is wonderful. The Rigatoni Arrabbiata was delicious. The lobster ravioli w pink vodka sauce is exceptional. My favorite though is the meatballs. Best meatballs I’ve had anywhere! We always finish with the affogato. Never been disappointed here.

The Italian food is great and there is an amazing selection. Sitting outside at night for dinner is a relaxing and serene experience. The staff was friendly and attentive. Overall, a great place to eat and enjoy the wonderful California climate.

A perennial favorite in Laguna Beach. Good food and great service. The menu is large and there is certainly something for every taste. We sat outdoors in their outdoor dining terrace, which was relaxing. I ordered the house special Bucatini with Burrata, cherry tomatoes and spinach. The sauce was perfect as the Burrata slowly melted into the pasta to create a rich and creamy mixture. Unfortunately, the pasta was overcooked. But that didn't take away from deliciousness of the sauce. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. They boast a wide selection of wines by the bottle and the glass. Overall, a great choice for Italian food in Laguna Beach and only a block from the beach.

Most of the food we had was very tasty and our server was lovely . Unfortunately our meatballs were raw . We sent them back and they were returned still raw and were told that the redness was because of the sauce (you can clearly see in the photo they look like straight raw beef). I would encourage the older male server came over and told us that we were wrong and argued with us when they are clearly soft and raw in the centre to look at the picture attached to this review before arguing with customers (even if you think it’s about matters of taste). They ended up removing the charge for them which was a nice gesture, but we would’ve been more than happy to pay for them and not take them home to cook them ourselves. Unfortunately it’s one thing to make a mistake but I was very taken aback by the response considering the clearly raw beef.

I only ordered delivery so can’t comment on the dine in experience but pictured is my $24.99 Bolognese which was the same size as the kid’s pasta, had no cheese, and it was completely flavorless and dried out. The sauce was very disappointing. The baby kale salad we ordered also looked extremely disappointing and the cauliflower raw. The crispy prosciutto pizza was decent.

Pizza was very authentic to my trip in Italy. Made me have a little bit of nostalgia which was touching 🥲 I got the Margarita pizza with crispy thinly sliced prosciutto. It was amazing. Staff is low-key and is very attentive in the way they know what to do and when. Thank you chefs and servers, really special experience.

Mixed feelings. Food was great, but we came on Saturday evening and it was packed, so waiters were barely managing. We got our appetizers an hour after we sat down. One of 4 orders was wrong (but promptly fixed) and we got the wrong check as well. But we weren’t starving and in good company so it didn’t bother us that much. I think if you aim for a less busy time it will be a fantastic experience. Parking (little lots and street) is too busy on a weekend as well.

Came for drinks, got the Positano Sunset! Very strong. Good views (not of the ocean, sadly) and seating was fast. Edit: we also got a meatball. Just one! Apparently you can get as many number as you want. It was great!! Highly recommend.

We went here for dinner after enjoying the summer art festivals. It was a beautiful night to enjoy dinner on the outside patio and the service was excellent. The food was excellent and the portions were large. I enjoyed a glass of wine to start. They serve very fresh bread and a pesto dipping sauce that was very good. I ordered the Pollo Limoncello on the waiter's recommendation. It did not disappoint. My friend had the Pasta Shells with Pesto and Shrimp and really enjoyed it. We both had at least half left over to take home. I look forward to returning to try another dish.

Visited Alessa on a Saturday night with a group of 7. We had an 8pm reservation, but it still took 20 minutes to be sat. Location is definitely nice, especially sat out on the outdoor patio. The menu is expansive, but it gives off tourist trap and inauthentic, especially after trying the food. I tried the margherita pizza and zucca ravioli. Both were subpar. The ravioli was especially disappointing since I love butternut squash/sage combos in pastas. The squash filling was extremely sweet and inedible. Wine was also not very good, but maybe it was my fault for making a bad selection (lol). The bread and pesto oil to start was probably the best part of the meal, and it was just okay. The inside of the restaurant also smells really bad, almost like bathroom. So gross, there is no way I'd be able to sit through a meal if I sat indoors. The service was okay, not bad but not really good. Such a shame, I was looking forward to trying a new spot in Laguna but I now know I don't need to return. This place is a tourist trap and a weak attempt at Italian food.

I always like to plan before visiting a restaurant by checking out their menu on their website or Yelp. I noticed they had a lunch menu and found something I wanted to order. When I visited the restaurant, the server only gave us the dinner and drink menus, so I asked for the lunch menu. Our group enjoyed outdoor dining at the restaurant because the weather was nice and sunny. What we ordered: WILD TURKEY PANINI (Smoked turkey breast, Gouda, crispy bacon, organic Roma tomato, basil mayo, lettuce) - Available on the Lunch Menu. Advertised as the Best Italian Sandwich in Laguna Beach. Personally, I didn't think it was the best I've tried, but the portion was reasonably GENEROUS. CALAMARI FRITTI (Crispy fried calamari, Arrabbiata sauce) - A good shareable plate for the group. The portion was also GENEROUS, and the sauce complemented the calamari well. PESCATORE RISOTTO (Tiger shrimp, calamari, Manila clams, heirloom tomato, white wine reduction) - The size of the seafood was IMPRESIVE. They were big, and the collection of seafood almost covered the plate. However, I found the overall taste of this dish to be oversaucy. I believe it would be much better with half the amount of sauce.

Excellent service and good pasta, Alessa Italian Restaurant offers excellent service with a delightful ambiance. The pasta dishes are prepared with high-quality ingredients and are truly delicious. However, the prices at Alessa can be on the higher side compared to other Italian restaurants in the area. Overall, if you're willing to splurge a bit, Alessa is worth a visit for the excellent service and pasta dishes.

Super cute restaurant right off of main beach. Didn't get a good look at the inside but loved sitting outside cause of the great weather. Ok so food was really good (we also got a mushroom ravioli not pictured), the baby kale salad, veggie panini, and zucca ravioli. Loved all of the food tbh. Only taking a star off cause the zucca ravioli was a little meh but that's only cause it was a little sweeter than I expected but if that's what you like the flavor was pretty good! (would give like 4.5 stars but that's not rlly an option) Our server was also great and it's a great place for a little post beach day lunch.

A traditional family Italian cuisine An old establishment in Laguna Beach It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon, an early dinner before attending Pageant of the Masters at 8. The menu was full of tasty food. We decided to share 3 dishes meal, it was good decision, as it all came in big portion: Mamma Mia, a 3 meat balls in ragú sauce, topping with burrata and basil. Very tasty, very italian. Loved it! - perfect 3, one meat ball for each of us. $24.99 Margherita Pizza, simple topping tomatoes and cheese, garnishing with basil was just right. $18.95 Arugula Salad, refreshing organic aromatic arugula, light dressing with lemon and topping bruschetta tomato! Delightful! $17.99 The professional server was bustling around yet still managed to offer friend one-lighted-candle on a big scoop of happy-birthday-ice cream, and three spoons. Oh yeah! The almond flavor was indulgent! I have come to Laguna Beach during this time for festival of the arts for a number of years. However, my first visit here definitely will not be the last. Buon Appetito!!!

Cute spot by the beach but mediocre food & drinks I came by here on a weekend because I was drawn to the live music nearby. I didn't have a reservation and they were nice enough to seat us on the patio because we had my dog with us. I initially wanted to come here for the wine, but then gathered and appetite and decided to try the food. Let's start off with the service, they weren't as knowledgeable in the wine menu though the menu did share some profile notes on there. If you're a wine person, they don't have the strongest collection of wine. I opted for a "unique white wine" which was refreshing for the temperature. I decided to order the bolognese to pair with the wine. I noticed that a few tables were receiving bread but they didn't offer it to us, so we requested it. I was unimpressed with the bread, it could've been toasted a little but it was essentially like white bread. The bolognese was very disappointing.. there were a few spaghetti that got into the mix, but there was also barely any meat. It was so oily that I ended up leaving 3/4 of the dish. Overall, would've been a cute spot to hang out during the weekend but disappointed in the service and food.

I was in the Laguna area and had two friends tell me to try Alessa, so I did! My husband and I went for lunch on a Sunday and got sat right away on their patio. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive the entire service! They start you off with some bread and fresh pesto dip. Pesto was very tasty but kinda wish they did a rustic sourdough or focaccia bread. We decided to order pasta. I had fettuccini and my husband ordered osso bucco ravioli. The fettuccini was very tasty 10/10 they make the sauce fresh everyday and noodles tasted handmade too. Osso bucco was tender and delicious with plenty of mushrooms 10/10. We peeked at their dessert menu but seemed a bit pricey for dessert so we passed. Overall it was a good meal with quality pastas!

A travesty. The waiter forgot about our table so we waited 30 minutes before we ordered drinks. The drinks came out and the espresso martinis were made with milk (they had chocolate sauce on the bottom and the bartender smelled a shaker to make sure it was clean prior to using it...). The Eggplant Parmesan came out in the smallest circles with a tiny side salad. All around tough experience. FYI Martinis were $22 dollars ea

They have TERRIBLE service!!!! We had a reservation at 7:15pm and we arrived at 6:55pm. Maya at the reception told us they are cleaning the table inside and it will be ready around 5min. Then we waited for 10min and a lady arrived and she went inside and sat down. We were waiting and waiting and waiting. Maya kept telling us the table is not ready On the verge of losing my temper, I asked Maya once again when our table would be ready. Only then did she and her colleague separate an outdoor table meant for four and seat us! So, WHO SAT THE TABLE THAT WAS CLEANING FOR US INSIDE? BAD SERVICE. DO NOT COME. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Service is horrible! We waited over 30 min for a caprese appetizer. Also, when the main arrived, my husband asked the waiter about his order. The reply was 'I can only carry so much at a time.' There was a discrepancy on the bill and order. The waiter raised his voice and insisted to tell me what I ordered. Finally addressed but in a very unprofessional manner. Food is mediocre. Very rude and bad service. Stay away from this place!

Definitely a busy night, but the service was really slow for us. I think it may have been because we were in a weird area that was covered by the bartender instead of a regular waiter. Took a really long time for us to order and get drinks. The guy was really nice, but obviously just way too busy. We had some hits and some misses. The pesto for the bread was good, but the bread was really too soft. The gnocchi with chicken was decent, I liked the pesto sauce, but it was a little light on the seasoning for the chicken. I probably could have done without the chicken completely. The orecchiette was pretty good and the scampi ravioli was squarely in the ok column as well. We thought the calamari was nicely fried, but just needed some seasoning. Again, right in the ok area for us, not terrible and not amazing. Might have been better on a slower night.

We had dinner last night at Alessa, as we have done several times since my first review. Our food was great! The Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette was excellent, the bread with Pesto and Olive Oil that is brought out to share was soft and perfect accompanying the salad. We also shared the homemade Green Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Prosciutto - to die for, perfectly cooked for fresh pasta, with just enough chew, and a creamy white sauce. We had enough left over to bring home some pasta for lunch! Even at 5:00 PM on a weekday, the restaurant was packed inside and out. Yet service was prompt and attentive. We will certainly continue to visit when in Laguna.

HORRIBLE. BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. HEALTH HAZARD. HORRIBLE: Food was lukewarm. We ordered the Bolognese and the fried mozzarella. When I went to the bathroom, I saw a ton of orders sitting there. No wonder the food was just warm. Bad BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE: The waitress we had was named Savannah. She did not offer us the complimentary bread. She did not have good communication. When we told her about the health hazard, which was shrimp shells left over in our non-seafood Bolognese pasta, all she said was sorry and walked away. We asked again after to make sure this had no shrimp because I cannot eat shrimp, and all she said was that the kitchen is small, mistakes happen, sometimes there are plastic in the food. That's it. It seems like a common practice of not caring about the quality of food. Bad HEALTH HAZARD: Our Bolognese had some shrimp shells in it. I cannot eat seafood. I did not eat anymore. I was afraid of eating that dish. The waitress acted like it was no big deal and a lot of mistakes happen. Bad WOULD NOT GO BACK. DO NOT RECOMMEND. BAD WARNING: Beware of potential mistakes such as plastic or seafood in non seafood dishes.

This is one of the few times I've felt compelled to write a review, and look, on any other day, I'd give Alessa's a 5/5. But I would not give this score based on our most recent visit. My wife and I stumbled across this place on a chance evening a year ago while we wandered aimlessly through Google Maps, trying to find a new spot for Italian food. Since that night, we've been to Alessa's at least 6 times. Almost every birthday, date night, and visit from the in-laws brought us here, eager to show off what we feel is one of the best Italian restaurants we've ever been to. So, we expected the experience to be just as incredible for some new friends visiting from out of town. Unfortunately, they left with a less-than-stellar impression of Alessa's. For one, the food took an hour from when we ordered to when it was finally served; meanwhile, a gentleman whom I presume knows the owner(s) was served within 10-15 minutes and another group who arrived after us secured their food within 30. Furthermore, our server, "Rachelle" (per the receipt) was less than friendly. To his credit, he checked on us about 20 minutes into our 1-hour wait to tell us the food was delayed, but we didn't hear back from him or anyone else for the rest of the time. The food was served in silence and our waiter immediately left, making us and our friends uncomfortable, as though there was something not being said or that we were somehow annoying him. The entire dining experience was awkward after this interaction, and we left feeling like we had failed in providing this recommendation to others. So, suffice to say we're disappointed. Not sure if our waiter was having an off day, or if us not ordering drinks/appetizers annoyed him, or if we had said/done something to him, but it was not what we've come to expect from Alessa's.

Every time we go to Laguna we have our meal at Alessa, oh we say we'll try someplace new, but we never do, and we are never disappointed. We enjoy our "must have" Zucca Ravioli to start while deciding on our main course. There are so many flavor profiles, and everything is made with respect for the ingredients. The staff is always accommodating and eager to answer any questions. Atmosphere is inviting and comfortable. Had the pleasure of meeting Chef Pirozzi this last visit and got to see the love and dedication firsthand. Looking forward to taking guests this coming weekend to enjoy this gem by the ocean. Michelle #orecchiette

We have not visited here for quite some time but were interested in some pasta and were not disappointed! I had the baked ziti with sausage added and the girls shared a Cesar salad as well as the seafood risotto. Service was very good while sitting outside on the patio area. If you go inside to see the tiny kitchen, you will be amazed the quality & quantity the chefs are able to produce!

We love the food and the atmosphere, not to mention the service. The meatballs are the best! Tender, flavorful and delicious! The bolognese is meaty, fresh and tasty with fresh delicious pasta! The seafood pasta in white wine sauce is a fresh and delicious treat! Miguel is the greatest! He runs this restaurant like no other and takes customer service and hospitality to a whole new level! We love the outdoor patio! A must every time we visit Laguna! Thank you Chef Pirozzi and Miguel for a fabulous evening!!!

Other than the food being pretty good, the service is horribly slow. The cooking alone took 30 mins ... what?! The waiter was not friendly, and service was a mess. We sat waiting for our server, our food and then the bill after! I would save your time and your money and go somewhere else.

The food it's super good! A great Italian place with good service and quality. A lot of people there so we need to book in advance

Excellent food for Italian!!! Service - Fast even during the busy time. Ambience- Pretty patio!

Whenever we walked by this restaurant, it's always super packed & so we've had it on our list to try. There is both indoor and outdoor sitting with heaters. I always have to check for the heaters. Loved the ambiance and it is both family & dog friendly. The service was good. Parking could be a pain in Laguna depending on the day & time but we got lucky and were able to snag a spot almost immediately. Parking is either metered street parking or pay to park in private lots. If I could rate this place with 3.5 stars, I would. The food in our opinion was just ok. They start you out with some soft bread & pesto sauce... I think she called it salsa verde. We ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana with the Casa Salad (the dish comes with Caeser Salad but we were allowed to substitute it with the Casa Salad for vegetarian option) and the Pappardelle Tartufo. Of the two, we liked the Pappardelle dish better. The Eggplant Parmigiana was very under salted (honestly, don't think it was salted at all), greasy, and not very crispy. The Casa Salad in the center was more of a highlight than the eggplant. It also seemed overpriced for the portion itself... $23 for 4 slices of fried eggplant + house salad. If you want pasta instead of salad, then there is an up charge of $4. They had a good number of vegetarian options on the menu, always appreciate that.

While visiting Laguna Beach my family and I decided to dine at Alessa for lunch. This place did not disappoint everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The service was great even during a busy time of the day. The outdoor seating was very comfortable and relaxing with plenty of umbrellas for shade. I will definitely go back over and over again.

The food was really delicious and the service was amazing. I really liked the olive fritte and their bread was even amazing. Lovely spot.

Got seated quickly but my waiter didn't come to my table until 15 minutes after. The food was bland and cold. The ambiance is nice and it was a busy night however I got the wrong check 3 times! Presentation of the dish was nice too, but it was pretty but an all looks restaurant.

Such a bummer this use to be our favorite restaurant and we would come here once a month! The service now is sooo bad we won't be coming back. Hostess is so rude, quoted us 30 minutes it took an hour. Once we sat down we were starving and ordered everything right away and took 30 minutes from sitting down to just get water.

Would give a 3.5 if possible. The inside is nice and love the tiles. Bread and dip was really good but the main dish was just okay. I ordered gnocchi and it was way overcooked, soggy almost..

I had to go for the Lamb Pappardelle. I had never tried this Italian dish. If you love Lamb, you know that this dish was going to taste good, Lamb was good, I also wanted to try some Mammia Meatballs, and they were off the hook with lots of flavors. Nice spot here on the coast . We will become regulars.

Other than the food actually tasting good, we waited a full 1-hr for our food. Seemed like most guests experienced the same frustration. No idea what was going on tonight, but the restaurant seemed to have a bad ambiance with long waits for seats and food

We were able to get a set for my husband and I during busy dinner service. Came specifically for the gnocchi. Unfortunately, the gnocchi was not as good as we hoped for. Ordered it with the four cheese browned sauce. It was relatively bland so asked for pesto which was much better. Service was a bit sporadic with staff hurrying around but inconsistent with when bread was delivered, drinks, order taking. A couple seated after us received bread right away but water and drinks were very delayed. Whereas, we received our water but bread had to be requested. Had butternut squash ravioli appetizer which was delicious! Cesar salad and Chianti were also good. Next table raved about the mushroom pasta so would likely try that next time as it smelled wonderful instead of the gnocchi.

So yummy! Been there twice already! Right by the main beach. Outdoor and indoor seating. Servers and front people are so nice and great people. One down side is that calling is hard to hear them but over all would recommend going!!

Food was very good. Topping it off with a cappuccino would have been great but.... an Italian restaurant that doesn't serve cappuccino?? A little disappointing but not enough to keep us from coming back.

I go here often. This time I ordered calamari & Caesar salad. Calamari breading was light and paired with a marinara sauce. The Caesar salad dressing was tasty. I ordered my favorite pasta, the linguine cacio e pepe (black pepper & pecorino cheese). This linguine is simple and flavorful. I also ordered Pesto Cochiglie Shrimp, Margherita pizza, and the meat lover pizza. The meatballs on the meat lover pizza are really good. Service here is good. Parking is challenging in Laguna Beach, so allow yourself enough time to find parking especially during the summer.

Really, don't waste your time here. The wait is insane and the food is so average. You end up wondering why did you even bother eating with the flavor so average. They claim they make the pasta daily, but it's way overcooked. Move on to another restaurant or just open a can of chef boyardee and call it a night.

Ambiance was great. Food was subpar for the price. Waitress was very short and rude. The pizza was so so the spicy sausage pasta was supposed to be rigatoni but we got penny pasta. Very bland pasta sauce. We also got bruschetta and it was only tomato's no basil or garlic. Completely terrible will never order again. If it was for the ambiance I would give them 4+ stars. Not great for Mother's Day.

Five stars to my fave place in Laguna. We decided to celabrate my mom's birthday Friday night and everything was amazing. Homemade pasta was absolutely delicious ! ( Lamb Pappardelle ) ( Limoncello pasta ) ( Zucca Ravioli ) and please you must try THE meatballs! Our server Luis was the best as always, and music, table, surprise dessert EVERYTHING was exactly as we wanted it. Perfect birthday night.

I don't know why this place is rated as a 3 star restaurant. As an Italian who lived in Italy and grew up in an Italian household I can tell you this place and its ingredients are extremely authentic. The gnocchi with white sauce are to DIE FOR!!! They are sooooo creamy you simply cannot stop eating them, the ziti with bolognese is incredible - the tomato sauce is sooooo tasty and the meatballs melt in your mouth just like the calamari! I've been here more than one and it never disappoints. The cold cuts are good but the rest of the food is honestly better. Still delish regardless!

OMG. The service was bad. Slow. Had to ask for things two or three times Food: Ordered the baby kale and cauliflower salad But: big salad greens which didn't look like baby kale. Cauliflower?? Tiny microscopic shaved bit, less than .5% of the salad. And menu says pecans, but it was walnuts. Underdressed after all that. Bad show!

Fun restaurant on lively Forest Ave. They offer heated outdoor and indoor dining. Fresh delicious ingredients. Always a pleasure to dine here.

Wish we hadn't come, especially for the price. I frequent many restaurants and don't think I'm super particular or uptight but this was just disappointing. Ordered three pasta dishes that lacked a lot of flavor and just didn't do anything for me. Would've been fine if everything wasn't so damned expensive these days. On top of that we were utterly ignored by our waiter, needed water refills or utensils during the meal and were having to ask the busboy because he wouldn't make eye contact with us and was rude as well. Don't think I'll be back

Service was terrible!! Jesus our waiter completely ignored us concentrating on two other tables that seemed to be locals. Every time we tried to get his attention, he kept his eyes down towards the floor. He was filling up water to the other two tables, but completely ignored us and we had to call him out several times to get cheese, water utensils, napkins. I've never seen such a bad waiter in my entire life. The Caprese salad was very mediocre however, the butternut squash ravioli was excellent. It was not a good experience for us and we would never go back again.

As someone who's born and raised in Italy, and who works in the restaurant industry, please believe me when I say there is nothing Italian about their food. They falsely advertise to have Neapolitan pizza but it was one of the most awful pizzas I've ever had, Domino's got better. Their ridiculously large menu should have been a red flag of this place being a tourist trap. Service did not make our experience better either, our waiter was basically absent. I'd give 0 stars if I could.

We had an absolutely wonderful dining experience at Alessa. We were three adults and two kids, ages 3 and 6. The staff was more than accommodating in seating us even tho it was busy. They added a two person table to a four-top to give us some breathing room. Our server was excellent and even threw in a passable Italian for the authentic feeling. This being in downtown Laguna in a prime location, the prices were more than reasonable and affordable. And then there's the food. Many menu options for just about anyone. Our kids gobbled up the spaghetti, i got the Caccio e Pepe, a dish i became very familiar with when traveling to Italy. It's perhaps my favorite pasta dish, extremely simple and elegant: linguine, black pepper and pecorino. As simple as it is, many Italian places in America screw it up horrendously. This is not one of those places. It was spectacular. For three adults, two kids, a bottle of Chardonnay we paid about $115. A really really good deal for really really good meal

Very disappointed with the service. Took a loooong time to bring the food. Food was not as good as usual either.

We made reservations the night before. They have open concept seating and outdoor patio seating. I would recommend making a reservation even for a week night dinner. I was nervous based on the design of the menu. It seemed very busy and all over the place to me. The Limoncello taglierini was amazing. The texture of the pasta was Al dente. The sauce was very zesty with lots of lemon flavor. The dish only came with four of five shrimp so that was a little disappointing. The bolognese was not in the top five that we have had. The prices were reasonable and this hits the mark of being considered a great place for a date without breaking the bank. The prices of the cocktails here were almost the price of a pasta dish, so be warned. Overall, we were satisfied with the service and the meal and would return here for Italian food if in the area.

On Yelp, its hard to rate a restaurant with 3 stars because this looks like a bad review, when, in actuality, 3 stars is average ... nothing amazing ... but nothing terrible. That is what this restaurant was. Average. 2 diners did not like their meal (chicken parmigano, lemoncello chicken), 1 thought it was okay (fettuccine bolognese) and 1 liked their meal (eggplant parmigiano). This is a crowded Laguna spot full of tourists and locals. While most other restaurants we wanted to go in Laguna this night were completely booked (Nick's, Oak) there were plenty of open reservations at Alessa. They have an outdoor tent whose ambiance felt like a graduation party in someone's back yard ... a porch area with space heaters above ... and a charming brick interior main space with a long bar. We sat in the porch area as the main dining room had no openings. The chicken dishes were not up to snuff. The Limoncello Chicken was chewy and rubbery. The chicken parmigano was equally rubbery. The outer layer seemed to be a thicker panko breadcrumb and the cutlet seemed to be too thick ... having grew up in an Italian household, the secret to tender chicken cutlets is pounding them thinner. It takes time but makes them much more tender. The fettuccine bolognese was received as an above average dish. It seemed the pasta was homemade and not dried, although its a shame to overcook homemade pasta, which really shouod be cooked al dente. The sauce had a good flavor. Whomever made this dish knew what they were doing from a sauce standpoint. The standout dish was the eggplant parmigiano ... the eggplant was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Just enough cheese and sauce without being soggy. The side caesar salad on the same dish was a bit odd from a presentation standpoint, hot and cold on the same dish, but preferred to the chicken parmigiano, which came with blah pene pasta. The best thing I can say about this restaurant ... although the main components of the dishes (chicken, pasta, etc.) seemed to fail us, the sauces were fairly flavorful and well done. Maybe the tomato-based sauces were a tad on the sweet/sugary side for our liking (mildly acidic San Marzano tomatoes these were not) ... but from the olive oil and herb dipping plate to the bolognese sauce, the chef did the best job at creating the sauces. We were going to have dessert but there was a table next to us who was out of control. Singing songs together at high volumes, screaming the F-word every other word. We gave them some stares, which only seemed to make them more obnoxious. I really feel that the server should have stepped in and asked them to settle down a bit. We overheard the couple at the table next to us lament them and they got their dessert to go. The other table also rolled their eyes a few times and looked like they rushed through their meal. Not the restaurant's fault these diners were trashy but the waiter should have said something. Overall, it was an average meal ... for the price, it should have been better. While I wouldn't return, our group is very picky about Italian food. I honestly was not expecting to find Dan Tana's quality Italian food in Laguna Beach ... there was nothing really terrible about the meal, so please note this isn't a BAD review. It's an average review. If you are in a pinch while visiting Laguna and reservations are hard to find, you could do worse than this spot, for sure. It seems to be a local spot that has been around forever, so they must be doing something right for the right folks.

fantastic food at a reasonable price. great location n the middle of Laguna. At an Italian restaurant, you can always tell how good the meal will be by how good the bread is and the bread is fantastic! Pear salad was perfect. Ravioli were amazing and Calzone was huge. Well done!

Ate here tonight... food was terrible (not tasty), service sucked (you ask for things you never get and sloooooow), expensive and definitely NOT worth it. Worst $200 I ever paid.