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

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

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!!

We sat on the patio on a cool night. The tables are packed in so you can see, smell and discuss another couples meal. It is a great way to choose your food. Every course was better than the last & the waiter was willing to steer to the best choices once you stated your criteria. The wine list was... More

Although I felt Alessa was quite expensive for the level of service we received, the food was very good. The pizza was delicious, and the Brussels sprouts were outstanding!

Overall very good. The main courses, especially the pastas, were very good. The sauce and seafood on the Pasta Livornese was excellent: just spicy enough with generous amounts of shrimp, salmon, and scallops. The Chicken Marsala was also very good. A classic dish well done. There were only two problems. The first was that the featured shaved grilled octopus was... More

We asked the desk clerk at our hotel to recommend a good Italian restaurant within walking distance. She told us "Alessa" would not disappoint. It was one of the best Italian restaurants we have ever dined at. It has it all: great waitstaff, ambience, exceptional menu, and very reasonable prices. Our waiter,Mike, was entertaining, gave great menu and wine advice,... More

During an R&R weekend, my wife and I ate at Alessa twice. It was a reasonably priced restaurant that specializes in Italian food. Our starter salad (brassatta) was great as was our mains (Pescatore for me). I would definitely recommend Cucina Alessa if you are in Laguna Beach

Can't wait to go back! I had the seafood risotto with a lobster reduction, with fresh shrimp and asparagus. Great light, delicate fried calamari. Good wines. They have a delicious pesto they serve with the bread. My companions loved their meals. I have dined in much more expensive restaurants and the food wasn't nearly as good. This is the second... More