CUCINA enoteca Newport Beach

What a sad disappointment. The location is nice and the outdoor patio is a very nice place to hang out on a hot day. Sadly, the service was extremely bad, cold and disappointing and the food was a mix of culinary awkwardness.
We ordered drinks — I had the lavender lemonade (too sweet) and my husband had the sangria (good, but as he said, losing flavor with every sip).
For the meal. He ordered lamb rigatoni and it was just plain bad. Overcooked pasta served with cafeteria-​like, heavy sauce. No lightness to this dish, no flair. It was flat and plain bad. It was supposed to contain escarole, but this light lettuce just disappeared in the overcooked sauce. The cheese was non-​present or maybe too — melted into the monolith of heavy sauciness.
I had creste which had good ingredients, but just too many of them. Great mushrooms, keep them. Ditch the canned sauce (oh, it’s homemade? tasted like a progresso). Do be more generous with the goat cheese and please, just DO NOT OVERCOOK the pasta. You’re supposed to be an italian restaurant, ever learned the meaning of al dente?
For the dessert… Oh my lord. What was the pastry chef thinking? The tiramisu was a super heavy, thick, weighted, fat bomb of… flat flavor!!! Why oh why? How can you murder this classic in such a cruel way? We actually told the robot of a waitress that we didn’t like it. The robot lifted one eyebrow and commented — «oh most people actually really like it…» Well, we didn’t and we failed to eat it. A hint to you — take it away and do not make us pay for this week-​old, maybe-​mascarpone-​based clump. Disappointed, we ordered panna cotta. That was a proper creamy panna cotta, maybe too stiff, but OK… but why did the chef put GRANOLA on my panna cotta? What was he thinking???
Oh, the sad, sad disappointment. Will never be coming back.

Cucina Enoteca is a curious mixture of modern atmosphere and fine dining with a casual pretense.
The menu doesn’t really have a cosnsitent theme outside of solid culinary dishes. For our dinner we ordered the Grilled Octopus, Pappardelle, and the Lamb «Osso Bucco» Confit. The dishes tasted good, and were of reasonable presentation, but were not quite as stellar as I expected them to be.
They had a decent selection of craft beer, especially from The Bruery –which is one of my favorites. This is always a plus in my book.
Service was good, and in line with the casual nature of the venue. Super friendly, non-​invasive, and not overly attentive.
This particular venue has all the right ideas, but has yet to find its groove. My experience was a solid 4, and that’s mainly because of the beer.

I took my mom here for her birthday dinner and we both loved the food and atmosphere.
We ordered the daily crudo and burrata appy to start off. The fish was fresh, but I could not get over the weird bubbliness of the dish. That was off-​putting. The burrata was an indulgence. It was such a treat to scoop from that cute little jar and to choose from the array of breads that were served with it. I really enjoyed the one with the sliced olives baked into it. And the baked garlic clove you can pick out and top it all off with?! Jesus, I could’ve had the jar to myself!
For entrées, I ordered the short rib pappardelle and my mom wanted shrimp so we got the shrimp spaghettini. Let me tell you, my dish was DELICIOUS. My mom could not deny it. The spaghettini wasn’t anything special, so we ended up switching :)
Service was hardly decent. All the other waiters picked up the slack for our nearly nonexistent waitress which was really annoying because I had already mentioned to the host and the waitress that it was a birthday dinner. However, overall, the food was very satisfying and the décor is absolutely beautiful. I want to try to come back for brunch or lunch out on the patio as it seems like a great place for something like that.
And side note, I forgot which wine I ordered with my meal but it was phenomenal. Seriously, one of the best French whites I’ve ever had. Definitely need to come back and grab the name.

I went here for my boyfriend’s birthday and it was really good better than I expected especially when it’s by the mall. it was a random day and we ordered half of the menu and everything was delicious

⁴⁄₅ solids stars
Quality and taste are always consistent at Cucina… whether you’re in San Diego or Newport Beach.
Ordered:
1) Mushroom pizza: ⁴⁄₅ yummmm my go to here!
2) Burrata + prosciutto ‘caprese’: 3.5÷5 delicious!
3) Pappardelle: 3.5÷5 yumm, but I still like the pizza better!
4) Giant meatball-​Pretty good but eh, could pass next time

Adorable atmosphere, which is why we made reservations for this restaurant in the first place. Loved all the wines on the wall and the patio décor! However, it was a tad overpriced and the wines were pretty expensive. The bottle prices were good, but seeing as I was the only one who drank red wine I had to buy by the glass. I’m used to $ 7 glasses of wine, not $ 10+. The food was delicious but the portions were very small. It was nice to try it out, but definitely isn’t a keeper in my book.

We celebrated my boyfriends birthday here, it was also our first time here. The inside reminded me of Anthropologie, a lot of mixed wood and nature-​made décor. The chandeliers were beautiful and I loved how they used different printed wallpaper to brighten up the room and give the restaurant some character. I can’t wait to come back and sit out on the patio! I’d come back just to have drinks, the flipping whiskey is dangerously delicious!
The host described their food as Northern Italian with a California twist. Everything we ate had a totally different flavor. My two favorites were the fried octopus antipasti and the chicken liver pâté vasi. We also ordered the lamb chop and clam linguine. I preferred the clam linguine cooked al dente, but can appreciate how well the lamb chop was prepared. The meat literally fell off the bone and melted in my mouth. I don’t eat a lot meat is why I preferred the linguine.
We were taken care by Audrey A. who made very good recommendations and was very knowledgeable. The staff seemed to genuinely care about the guest and enjoyed working at the restaurant. Everyone was highly interactive, from the manager to the host to the bussers and obviously our waitress.
Price: 2 appetizers 1 salad entrée 2 large plates 2 drinks = $ 120.00, not bad. we had left overs!
I can’t wait to come back! Thanks for a great birthday.

My amazing work buddies picked this place for lunch and we couldn’t be more happy! Great choice BK. We sat out in the patio area since it was such a nice day. Our waiter was amazing and friendly. He quickly got our drinks ordered, came back with a basket of rustic bread. The vibe really set the tone of our entire lunch, we had an amazing time.
We ordered:
01. Complimentary Bread/​Butter
— The rustic bread was perfect with their Pepper/​Garlicky Butter or just alone with the Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar dip.
02. Stuffed Fried Squash Blossoms (4 Pieces) $ 13 — 5 Stars
Herb ricotta + opal basil pesto + lemon aioli*
— We ordered 3 orders after sampling the 1^st tray. We all looked at each other and said MORE PLEASE!!! Crispy on the outside and heavenly creamy in the inside. The Lemon Aioli was light so you only taste a hint of the lemony goodness. Can’t describe it, truly a MUST TRY.
03. Cucina Hero Sandwich w/​Truffle Fries $ 14 — 4 Stars
Prosciutto, Lamb Mortadella, Caslingo, Provolone, Peperoncini, Sun-​dried Tomatoes Aioli
— I liked the flavors of the meats with the Butter Lettuce with a Chili/​Peperoncini spread. The bread wasn’t crispy but good. Very tasty for a sandwich. Truffle Fries were crispy and fragrant just the way I like them. Their spicy ketchup was just Chili Sauce & Ketchup. It was good on its own, no sauce needed.
04. Shaved Apple/​Gorgonzola Pizza $ 15 — 3.5 Stars
Red Wine Braised Onions, Rosemary
— Simple yet yummy. Wasn’t our favorite dish but it was good and light.
05. Pappardelle $ 21.50 — 4 Stars
Short-​Ribs, Cremini Mushrooms, Carrots, Parmigiano
— YUMMY! Reminds me of a good Bolognese except not as saucy. I like Short-​Ribs and Mushrooms so this was DELISH! Not so creamy if you don’t care for Creamy types of pastas.
06. Special Combo: Glass of Wine, Half Panini & Salad $ 19 — 4.5 Stars
Prochetta, Brie Panini — Arugula, Truffle Oil, Wildflower Honey
— What a great deal… WINE with anything is AMAZING! Just the perfect portion and combo.
07. Special Combo: Glass of Wine, Half Ribeye Reuben Sandwich & Salad $ 19 — 4 Stars
Balsamic Onions, Pecorino, Watercress, Romesco
— The Ribeye was tender and melted in the warmth of the onions. What a great marriage in taste. Perfect with the wine pairing.
VERDICT — I like this location and food better than their Spectrum location. The vibe is much classier ad laid back. Staff was friendlier and attentive. I’ll come here since it’s much closer to me than going to Irvine. Adding to my FAVE list spots.
LOCATION — Sitting solo right adjacent to the Cheesecake Factory. If you sit in the patio area you can see the Cheesecake Factory’s guests thru their glass window.
FOOD — Amazing, everything was so DELISH and perfectly paired with their sauces. Truffle fries is a MUST. Just remember to NOT carb up on the bread… it’s good bread!
SERVICE — Friendly and attentive staff. Knowledgeable in wine & food pairings.
Can’t wait to return for more of their Stuffed Fried Squash Blossoms!!! Wished it came in a larger portion so we don’t have to order 3 times.

This is the first time I’ve been to this location at Fashion Island. Their other location at Irvine Spectrum is one of my favorites. The food at this one just didn’t compare — inconsistent with mixed reviews.
2 stars — Kale Caesar. Kale with shaved brussels, orange cognac raisins, parmesan fricos, and meyer lemon anchovy emulsion. The kale pieces were cut large and square here, instead of shredded like I’m used to. This made it hard to eat. The parmesan crisps were crumbled on top and were overcooked and bitter.
4 stars — Mini mason jar of burrata cheese. Herb oil, roasted garlic, with slices of grilled baguette, olive bread, and dark pumpernickel. This is their best mason jar offering for me. Took the roasted garlic and spread it on the bread first and then the creamy burrata came next.
4 stars — Fried stuffed squash blossoms. Herb ricotta, basil pesto, lemon aioli. This was the favorite of the night. Crispy outer coating and a smooth cheesy filling. The pesto and lemon was perfect to cut through the fried blossom.
The rest of the table also had mixed reviews. Grilled octopus was overdone but came with a flavorful citrus tomato sauce. The short rib pappardelle is usually devoured, but no one went back for seconds. The pasta was overdone and the whole dish was dry.
If you’re visiting Cucina Enoteca and deciding between both of the OC locations, go with the one in Irvine. I’ve been there more times than I can count and it’s never disappointed me.

Very nice atmosphere and good service. The best thing we order was the octopus for the appetizer. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
We also got the kale salad (it was ok), the short rib pasta (this was also ok), chicken dish that was really moist (best out of all our main dishes), pepperoni pizza, and the lamb (pretty tender).
I liked that on some of the dishes, we can order a larger size so that we could all share.
Overall, we had a good experience here.

Just discovered brunch here and it’s my favorite brunch in Newport Beach. Table side Bellinis and their antipasta bar is awesome and full of so many goodies from meats, cheeses, pastries, pasta salads and even meatballs! Their Bloody Mary’s are also tasty with bacon infused salt. Definitely get the steak and eggs!

I’ve been really wanting to try this restaurant and decided to do a tasting during happy hour.
First off, great atmosphere with the décor, tables and lighting. We sat at the bar and service was great. Now for the food.
They have different happy hour specials Mon-​Fri. Check out their website for more info.
Friday’s are half priced Vasi which are different types of spreads in little mason jars. We tried 3 different vasis.
Vasi-(2.5/5)
Burrata-​Roasted garlic. I really didn’t care for this. There was no flavor to the spread even after we squeezed in the garlic. It came with a lot of different types of bread though.
Chicken liver pâté– the pâté was bland but the sweet onion helped give it a sweet taste.
Artichoke and truffle hummus-​this also was very bland and not a lot of flavor.
Roasted Cauliflower-(5/5) Great balsamic and roasted flavor. Definitely recommend this $ 3.75 during HH.
Margherita pizza– my favorite part of the meal! Fresh taste and a well made pizza. Good combination of herbs, cheese and sauce. $ 7 during HH
Caramelized Banana Semifreddo-​I love any kind of dessert but this one fell flat. It was basically an ice cream bar with bananas and nuts and overly priced at $ 9. Skip it or try another dessert.
I was really disappointed with my dining experience after reading all the great reviews. I’ll try them one more time to see if their pastas might be better. It seems like the pizzas are the best part of Enotica Cuccina. Thursday’s are half priced pizzas during HH so might try their other pizzas.

We sat outside on a warm night. It was a Monday so there was no wait. They have a large patio that resembles a green house, with flowers hanging down. Loved the ambience of this restaurant!
We shared three entrees, the bucatini, pappardelle and the spicy coppa pizza. My favorite was the pizza! Thin crust, with melty cheese, crispy spicy coppa and sweet pineapples! Ask for some pepper flakes and fresh grated cheese to top it off! The pappardelle was really good! Thick ribbons of pasta cooked al dente with shreds of short ribs throughout. The bucatini wasn’t my favorite, because I didn’t like the noodles.
Overall, a cute spot for pasta and pizza. Get the spicy coppa and the pappardelle and you won’t be disappointed.

#47 review for 2016 Unilocal 100 Challenge
When Gigi M plans our GLOY night out, we have yet to say it was a fail. And when she says pasta and wine, Belle B and I are always game. A l w a y s !
We were promptly seated and I forgot if Gigi made reservations. Anyway, the staff was friendly and very laid back especially in their Sunday attire of plaid top and jeans. I forgot our servers name. He was very informative and suggested amazing wine for a Cab lover and a Pinot lover in the house. Belle wanted the hard stuff.
We ordered —
Grilled octopus was surprisingly delicous. I didn’t think I’d love it as much as I did. Flavor was bold and texture was perfect. I’d order that again!
Short rib Pappardelle was the one I was excited to taste. It was perfect in every level –presentation, seasoning, and al dente. Loved it! And I agree with G, next time we are both ordering our own! Can’t share this dish again hahaha…
Cauliflower was lightly coated and sauteed with pine nuts and tasted good. I’m not cauliflower fan but I actually liked this one!
Margarita pizza was delish, especially with their thin crust and light marinara sauce. Cesar salad was a perfect addition to our feast as our veggies hahaha.
And to celebrate Gigi Ms birthday, complementary yummy butterscotch for dessert.
We had an exceptionally nice dinner with great service. I would definitely return!

Been wanting to try this place since I’ve heard about it in sd. The concept is that they make everything there. This Includes their drinks. Come for happy hour 3−6pm everyday. There’s different happy hr items each day.
Happy hour items we got: $ 7 for margherita pizza and $ 3.50 truffle fries. Both were good sizes more than enough for 2 people. Felt like a win with those prices. Truffle fries were thin, crispy and they were generous with the truffle cheese.
Bucatini: al dente. Interesting noodles as they are very long and thick but hollow in the middle. Had a good tomato based flavor but the sauce wasn’t too heavy.
Ambiance: ⁵⁄₅. Interesting Decorations, but very nice inside. Like a classy farmhouse feel.
Service: also good. Our waiter recommended to use the left Over truffle cheese from the fries on the pasta.
It’s in fashion island, so parking could be crowded on the wkend. Also make reservations, could get pretty crowded.

Thnx but no thnx, in the nicest way possible of course! Our server was kind enough to try and save us money by suggesting we get a bottle of wine instead of 2 glasses but it’s impossible when we have two wine snobs at our table, a cab lover and a pinot noir lover, neither would bend! It was sweet of him for trying. YW, CE, that was a glass of pinot, 2 glasses of cab, a well drink and a pineapple express to complete our meal!
The grilled octopus was highly recommended and it definitely lived up to the hype. The less hyped about dish was the short rib pappardelle which we had to have since two us love pappardelle! Glad we got it bc we loved it! Texture was perfect and al dente, perfectly seasoned, it was magnifico! I’m ordering that as my own main entrée next time instead of sharing! :) Margarita pizza was perfect, hot, crispy and light! Everything else was good! Thnx for the complimentary butterscotch dessert as a bday treat, it was delicious!!!
Service was great! Servers, bus boys, hostess, everyone was very friendly, attentive, polite and helpful! Thnx to the hostess who gave us perfect directions to get to Island Cinemas where we caught a showing of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.
We had an awesome time and can’t wait to return! As a side note, the vibe in this restaurant is way less snooty and pretentious than others in the area, such as Fig & Olive and Red O. Maybe it was bc it was a Sunday night.

Cucina Enoteca is probably one of my favorite Italian places to eat. The menu is great and whether you go to the Newport Beach or Irvine location, the service and ambiance never fails to amaze me. It’s rustic, romantic, casual, secluded, and perfect.
This particular location is located within Fashion Island across the street from SoulCycle.
We were seated at the bar immediately on a Friday night for my boyfriend and our friend who was visiting and we ordered a focaccia bread to share, a mushroom pizza, grilled vegetables, a pasta (I forgot!), and a chocolate dessert. It was all amazing and delicious.
⁵⁄₅. Would return.

Visited Cucina a few weeks ago while in town. I’ve visited the San Diego location various times therefore I knew I was in for a treat. Cucina Urbana in Newport is beautiful! The inside is very colorful and vibrant it reminds me of stepping into an Anthropologie/​Lilly Pullitzer store and or being on vacation somewhere beautiful and relaxing. The view from the dining during sunset is beautiful too.
We arrived for HH and stayed for dinner and received great service the entire time. We were catching up with and old friend for hours and our waitress did not seem to mind despite the long time it took us to order our entrees and leave after paying our check :)
We started by ordering some wine and sangria off their HH menu and a jar (vasi) filled with artichoke truffle hummus and a generous side of bread for app– it was very delicious. Also, ordered a side of their fries which were very good and crispy.
For entrees I had the mushroom Bolognese– which was very decadent– a perfect combination of sauce, mushrooms and goat cheese. Bf had the spaghetti with shrimp — which was delicious as well.
All in all a great experience at Cucina in Newport!

My first experience was Cucina Urbana in SD. The experience and the food was so good that I never hesitate to dine at the Cucina Enoteca. I’ve dined at the spectrum location and recently got around to trying the location at Fashion Island in Newport Beach with some coworkers for lunch.
Started off sharing the Truffle Parmesan fries ~
These were fried up crisp and had just the right amount of truffle flavoring.
Saffron linguine with Clams ~
was not my order but I certainly did get to try it and I must say it was really tasty. I would definitely try this next time.
Bucatini ~
Another dish that I tried. The pasta was perfectly al dente. Unfortunately it was a bit too salty.
Pancetta and Brussel Sprout pizza with farm egg ~
was what I ordered. It was good but wished there was a bit of salt.
Overall the service was good as the other locations. The flavoring was off in salt use.
Eyes ~ I really luv how they decorate all of their restaurants
Nose ~ Not much smell sitting outside
Ear ~ People enjoying their company and food
Mouth ~ Wished some of the salt use was switched around on some of the dishes!
Tummy ~ Glad to have been fed

My wife and I absolutely love this place. We come here for happy hour quite frequently and enjoy some discounted drinks and appetizers. she usually gets the house sangria which is outstanding (as I tend to sample hers a lot) and I get a glass of Cabernet. The pizzas and cauliflower are two crowd pleasers that we always get. The atmosphere and ambiance alone would keep us coming back, but their service and food options go above and beyond each time.
P. S. The Parmesan Truffle fries are outrageous