Luna Rossa

Oh? You want a review? Well, just sit right down here at this open table.
{fifty minutes later}
Oh! There’s someone here! Did you, like, want a review or something?
Okay {glare}, we’ll get started on your review.
{thirty-​five minutes later}
Here’syerreviewbyenow:
«Food was okay.»
{Twenty minutes after you finish reading review.}
{sullen} Oh, did you want me to say something about the service? {glare}
Oh, okay, whatever. Hang on.
{twenty minutes later}
Here you go.
«Service was horrendous.»
There’s your review. Now go away.
Hmm, I wonder why none of the people who read this review left a tip or any compliments?

One of the best Italian restaurants in OC. The penne alla vodka, short rib ravioli and casertana pizza are my favorites. They make many of there pastas fresh in house and cook them to perfection. They are also very generous with there portion sizes. Basically, you are missing out if you haven’t gone there yet.

I went here on a Friday night and they had live music playing outside. Their outside patio is definitely a nice area to sit. Me and my boyfriend both ordered pasta. I got the clam linguine and he got the pasta carbonara. Both of the dishes were really good, just a tad on the oily side. This place is definitely a good date night place and the movie theater is also really close too.

I went here on Valentine’s Day and I was blown away!
Environment: (⁵⁄₅)
The place was decorated in a classic Italian restaurant look… But on this day, each table had a cute Valentine’s Day setup. A flower, white tablecloth, and every girl got a red heart balloon! Very cute!
Food: (⁵⁄₅)
I had penne al pollo e broccoli. I was very impressed! At this restaurant, they make their own pasta, so it tasted so fresh and was perfectly cooked. This was one of my favorite pasta dished that I have ever had!
Service: (⁵⁄₅)
The server was very attentive and even called me «madam”– which added an extra fancy touch. I asked him about a few dishes and he was very thorough.
Would come back! Everything about this place is great.

The food is amazing. The servers and cooks are incredibly nice and friendly. Nothing but good things to say about this place. I will be back!

Let me start off by sayinf the place is very nicely setup. It is a small intimate place for dates, family gatherings and it’s conveniently at The District in Tustin. So AMC near by, and other options for food but if you’re craving Italian I will say this… I’ve gone there once but I WILL defintely be back again. The waiters are charming and polite. The food offerings are not huge but what I’ve tried makes me want to go back again. I’ve had calamari fritti often and theirs were ranked at the top. They were light, crispy, and not weighed down by oil. My friend and I both had fettuccine alfredo. A decadent dish and one I’ve always asked to have packed in a doggie bag because I would get full fast. As decadent as the dish was it was sooo addicting. Bite after bite the dish just kept calling me back for me. My friend was drinking a white wine with his meal and on most occasion he’s very particular about his wines. He nearly drank the bottle having 3 glasses and yes he ordered by the glass because he never knows if he’s going to like the wine. Needless to say we will be going back but be warned you will be placed into a blissful food coma of YUM!

Stopped in around 6:30 after a movie next door. No reservations, but we were seated immediately at a nice two top in the bar. Absolutely a full house.
Our waiter, Wallace, I think, also handled the busy bar. My margarita, martini style was excellent, and very generous. The bar tequila is Hornedos, which I drink at home. House chianti is a nice, tart Ruffino.
Atmosphere was upbeat and pleasant, save the 30ish couple heavily petting at the bar in front of us.
Service — confident and competent… timely service with a smile, even with the full house.
The Food — Gratis appetizer of pork rib w/​risotto and marina. Nice.
Bread is both warm pita and italian. Above average.
Clam, mussel appetizer excellent. lots of broth.
Chicken Parm with penne… The chicken was tender and flavorful, the penne perfect.
Shrimp with gluten free penne, $ 2. extra, cherry tomatoes etc. in vodka sauce, wife says excellent.
Value…What you see above was $ 95. plus Tax/​tip. I found it just a tad on the high side, but ok. You be the judge. We’ll return.

So incredibly delicious and our waiter was FANTASTIC!
We were a small party of 3 celebrating some pre-​wedding planning events and had such a wonderful time. We asked our server for recommendations and he did not disappoint! We started with the buttered crostini … do it — you’ll thank yourself tomorrow. Topped with melted mozzarella and prosciutto, you cannot go wrong here.
All pastas are made to order and they were cooked beautifully. One girlfriend had a clam pasta (delicious), and the other also had a SPICY spaghetti pescatora — to die for. Lots of fresh seafood, and amazingly seasoned sauce. I had the braised short rib stuffed pasta and it was just alright for my liking. I enjoyed that they used shaved black truffle, but I found the alfredo/​garlic sauce a bit too sweet when I was craving something savory.
The bread is also fabulous — but don’t fill up. We of course did not head the warning, but finished most of the pasta anyways (go us!). Did not have room for dessert here, but will definitely try it on our return!

Wow !! Always miss writing the good word for our favorite restaurant in the District. Found this one back in 2014 using Unilocal and this has been savior for many last minute programs (you can never go wrong with Movie at AMC followed by Dinner at Luna Rossa). !
They have live music in patio and good ambiance even if you sit inside. Service is good and fast. Location is near to fountain area and even if you you need to wait, they is a lot of play area of kids. Also it’s very close to parking area for a restaurant located in shopping center .
Food is delicious here and has never disappointed with taste and also variety of menu is good, has things for everyone .!
One dish that we always take without miss is Gnocci with Rose /​Pink Sause and also Ortolana Salad is also great .!
Needless to see that I am a regular customer here and will be going back soon :)

My husband and I came here on Sunday evening and it wasn’t too packed. The food was good, definitely nothing compared to the real thing in Italy, but it was doable. We ordered spaghetti pescatora and chicken piccata as our entrees, both of which were good. We also got limoncello and the exotic bomba for dessert. I had originally planned on giving them four stars but they messed up on our bill. I used the 10% off offered by Unilocal and they did not give us the full 10%. Our bill came out to $ 106 without tax so we should have gotten &10.60 off, which is a basic mathematical calculation that is learned in middle school. If I were to include tax and then take off the 10% off it would still be more than what they took off our bill which was $ 7.30. I am just disappointed that they were trying to take more of our money because they thought we wouldn’t notice, not to mention that this is a mathematical calculation that doesn’t even require a calculator to do.
If you want Italian food, go to Italy. It will taste 100x better and be half the price of this place. Also, the limoncello would be complimentary instead of $ 10 a glass.

Having moved from San Diego, I was on the lookout for authentic Italian restaurants like we had in Little Italy. Luna Rossa did not disappoint. My gf and I chose this restaurant to celebrate our 5 year anniversary due to the eclectic menu choice, fair pricing, great Unilocal reviews, and delicious pictures from other Unilocalers. This restaurant is located in The District shopping center so there are plenty of parking spaces. You wouldn’t think there would be an authentic Italian restaurant in a shopping center, but I was wrong. I had arranged for a florist to delivery flowers at our table and low and behold, they were sitting perfectly on our tabletop right when we arrived.
Prior to ordering, the hostess offered to take pictures for us, and that happened throughout the night with various members of the staff. They were very friendly. There was also live music (but not too loud; just the right level of sound) with a piano outside their patio which added to the character of the restaurant. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about all the dishes and mentioned the owner and the chef are originally from Rome. That’s when we knew this place was legit. Throughout the night, our waiter, who had a flamboyant flair to him, was very attentive to our table.
Their complimentary bread was delicious when eaten alone or paired with EVOO and/​or balsamic vinegar. This effortless addition is lacking in many restaurants that just give a cold bread basket. The dish of the night was the appetizer Crostini della Tradizione which was a toasted crispy bread topped with melted mozzarella, Italian prosciutto butter and sage. The proscioutto was so tender and melted like butter when eaten, and the mozzarella was the freshest ever. You have to order this when you come. This is not to say the rest of the dishes weren’t great, because they were, but this is a testament to the restaurant’s attentiveness to start off on a great note with a delicious antipasti. I ordered the Risotto Al Tartufo Nero, which is risotto in creamy truffle sauce with shaved Black Truffle. Trust me, it tastes as good and even better than it sounds. One thing I would change next time for me is to add chicken because eating creamy risotto by itself eventually numbs the tastes. But this one I could eat alone with shaved parmesan. My gf got the tortellini di pollo which is chicken filled pasta with Alfredo sauce, mushroom and green peas. Also very good and delicious. I preferred her dish since she had chicken, which adds to the texture of the creamy tortellini filling.
Lastly, to top off the night, they surprised us with additional champagne and an anniversary panna cotta. It was creamy, light, and wasn’t too sweet. It was a perfect way to celebrate our 5 year mark and we’ll surely be coming again.

This is one of my favorite local Italian restaurants. Patrick is one of the waiters and he’s very helpful and funny. He’s good at recommending dishes. I also like how the chef will whip up pretty much anything you request. Their outside patio seating area is really nice. I love going to AMC to catch a flick then have dinner at Luna Rossa afterward.

Had Saturday dinner here last night. Aside from that, the only other time I had been here was my Christmas Holiday dinner.
Parking — A
It’s located in the District. You may have to park far, but there is lots of parking.
Location — A
It’s across the AMC Theater, on the corner to the parking lot. Great location.
Atmosphere — A–
Was seated outside. This night a was a little windy, but they have enough heaters outside to be comfortable. Surprisingly, it was not crowded when we arrived and we were seated within 5 minutes.
Service — B
Overall, the staff was friendly, including our server. But I rate B because he seemed forgetful. I asked for lemon wedges 3 times (for my seafood spaghetti). We also asked for water several times.
Food — A+
Wow, everything we had was just delicious! Fresh and made with quality ingredients. The menu had Italian names, so I can’t remember… (see pic) Portions are big, enough for 2 people if you don’t mind sharing.
Bonus — Live Music and complimentary dessert thing
They were a group of 3 men. Sounds jazzy type, but they played a variety. Band is outside.
Overall — A
Can’t wait to go back! The food last night tasted just as great from 1.5 years ago. Very consistent!

Location: Luna Rossa is located in Tustin at The District. It’s on the «inside» portion of the complex so you have to park and walk inside as its located close to the movie theaters. You cannot really see it from the parking lot. Being that it’s in the District however, there is plenty of parking. You may just have to walk a bit if its a busy time.
Service: My first visit here happened to be around 4:30 pm on a weekday for an early dinner, so this may not exactly be representative of regular lunch/​dinner times. We did make a reservation because my friend who recommended the place said that it can get really crowded, but at this particular day/​time, it was pretty empty. There was one other table that was occupied. Service was great, but again, being that there were only two tables, I would expect it to be! He brought out our drinks right away and food came out within 10 minutes. No complaints.
Food: We got a nice complimentary bread basket and a polenta/​meat sauce place prior to our meal which was great. Food came out very quickly. My friends each got a fresh egg pasta with seafood and neither had any complaints. I ended up getting a fresh gnocchi with meat sauce. The portion was HUGE. I could barely eat half of it. The texture was good — nice and pillowy. The sauce was yummy. No dessert for us this time as we were very full, but he did bring us a complimentary dessert of fried dough with powdered sugar.
Overall: Nice little Italian place at the District, although a little pricy. Service was great at this odd time, but I hear it gets a little busier during regular lunch/​dinner times. We will probably be back, but not in this area a whole lot. Don’t forget to use your Unilocal 10% off check in offer!

Thank you for participating in OC Restaurant Week and being one of the few restaurants that really shined!
There’s not many good eat spots at the District that I like, but Luna Rossa has risen to the top of my list if I had to select a local dine-​in date spot especially since it’s not obviously busy. Sure, the décor and lighting can use some help, but the food was more than satisfactory!
Caprese: 3.5÷5 Tender, moist, and delicious buffalo mozzarella. I could of eaten a whole plate of that by itself. Tomato and tender greens I don’t care for as much.
Spaghetti Pescatora: ⁴⁄₅ This has a bit of a kick to it. Spaghetti was cooked al dente, seafood well prepared and clean. Good solid dish.
Tortellaci Ripieni: ⁵⁄₅ I wish they sold a jumbo pack of this at Costco or something. This shiz was bomb. The braised beef stuffing was tender and the sauce was just wow, especially the aftertaste (strange, maybe, but dam was it good). Order this.
Strawberry Tiramisu: ⁴⁄₅ They use girl scouts short bread cookie as a sub to lady fingers. Wasn’t sure how that’d work, but surprisingly it did. Sweet, but not cavity sweet.
If you order hot tea, they bring you a box and you select which tea you like. too bad they don’t just leave the box with you :)
Anyways, Yay! I’m a fan.

Came here for OC Restaurant week with average expectations, but hoping for some good Italian food. Luna Rossa delivered! All three courses on the pre-​fixe menu that I had were outstanding.
Appetizer:
Crostini Della Tradicione — excellent bread toasted to perfection with Olive Oil and nicely melted mozerrela and some prosciutto on top, yum!
Main Course:
Tortellaci Ripieni — Braised beef filled tortellini with an Alfredo sauce. Probably some of the best tortellini’s I’ve ever had and one of the better Alfredo sauces as well. A little grated Parma on top = perfection!
Desert:
Mini Strawberry tiramisu:
All I can say is wow. Was delicious with crushed shortbread girls out cookies and a wonderful pudding and cream and large pieces of fresh strawberry. Outstanding
Ambience was also great, apart from the couple next to us that needed to get a room… Can’t fault Luna for that tho haha
Will be returning to Luna Rossa!

A Black women and a Jewish man walk into an Italian restaurant and are greeted by an Asian man…
Yeah, this sounds like an off colored joke! But, what happened to us, was not funny. On a slow Thursday night we entered and near empty restaurant, eager to enjoy good food. Instead we were told there was no room because we did not have a reservation. My partner and I looked at each other, after only seeing three tables occupied, in disbelief. «Is he for real?», we thought to ourselves. Feeling resolve to punish us for not having a reservation, he offered us a table located by the entrance, where the chilly night air would flood the table each time the door opened. Again, more than 80% of the tables were empty, at 7:30 pm. He had already missed the dinner rush.
At last, I was so disgusted and disappointed about his behavior that I insisted that we eat elsewhere. So, we left and dined elsewhere where we were treated with respect.
Just out of fairness, I walked pass the resturant again. One hour later, the resturant was still empty, with only three tables seated. Who knew what sinister motives that host had. Whatever motivated him, it wasn’t right and it freaked my out.
So, the food might be good, but I will never know because of the bad service.
Shame on you!

First off, I just want to THANK Stefano for such excellent and generous service! He’s seriously a gem at Luna Rossa and they’re seriously lucky to have such an amazing employee. He’s hilarious and very attentive!
My best friend hosted her 23^rd birthday party here over the weekend. It was a beautiful venue with beyond excellent service. If Stefano is serving you, you are one lucky party/​person, because you will have fun. So much laughs with him! Upon arriving we were seated at a huge table that accommodated a party of 12. They have a vast menu of pasta, anti pasta, appetizer, pizza, and many more. My bf ordered the calamari to start off and it was soooo yuummy; definitely a great appetizer to start with. I ordered the Spaghetti Gamberi Pomodorini consisted of sauteed shrimp, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and basil. It was delightful! Also, their portions are HUGE! I couldn’t finish it. I also took a bite of my friend’s Tortellacci Ripieni Di Brasato Di Manzo Al Tartufo Nero (WOW THAT WAS LONG), it’s basically a ravioli filled with red wine braised beef short ribs and black truffles all covered in Alfredo sauce. I usually don’t like Alfredo sauce because of heavy it is, but mmmm it was PACKED full of flavor! I also took a few bites of my bf’s pasta… don’t remember what it is but it was real good too! Definitely a gem to dine here! My best definitely had a blast and they’re great with groups
Stefano, you’re so great. Thank you for such great serviceee and treating us like royalty hahaha. He’s seriously the sweetest! A GEM.

As a venue to celebrate a gf’s birthday, we made rezzies in advance which scored us a nice and comfy booth perfect for our party. Our Italian server, Stefano, was personable and proved to be knowledgeable of the menu as he explained it to us in his wonderful accent. As that may be music to my ears, the live band playing was also well received as it provided the evening’s background to all the chatter and laughter between my friends and I.
Complimentary house bread started us off to quiet down our hunger. The duo of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping is always a winner in my book so not a bad start at all. Their FRIED CALAMARI ($ 14) however, tasted pedestrian with its light batter that could use more seasoning. The rings and tentacles could also be sliced smaller. I wasn’t a big fan of their SPAGHETTI CARBONARA either as it left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Perhaps some peas and more sauce?
Enough complaining. On the plus side, I speak for everyone in our group when I say the TORTELLACCI ($ 26) was fantastic. It’s pasta pockets filled with delicious wine braised beef short ribs that’s über tender, and then generously covered with Alfredo sauce — emanating a luxurious aroma that black truffle shavings can do. The moment it was set down on the table, right away I knew I picked well. SPAGHETTI alle VONGOLE ($ 24) was the 2^nd best thing I ate that night. Not only was the pasta al dente, their version of white wine and garlic sauce with bits of parsley was solid — not to mention the abundance of clams and its subtle flavor that heightened the dish bite after bite.
As far as dessert goes, PANNA COTTA was on the house for the birthday girl while an order of STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU ($ 8.95) was shared by all. The latter was worth a try but I prefer the original espresso flavor and would stick to that next time. I’ve also had better panna cotta elsewhere. That said, it’s quite a mixed bag when it comes down to all the dishes that night but considering the service, the full bar, live entertainment, and overall experience, I certainly wouldn’t mind making Luna Rossa my go-​to for a nearby Italian fix.
Don’t forget to check-​in on Unilocal for 10% off your bill!

Perhaps I came on an off day or I ordered the wrong thing but I didn’t have the same 4 – 5 star experience all my other fellow Unilocalers have had.
Polenta — Who doesn’t love free things? I enjoyed the porridge it was like I was eating sweet mashed potatoes. Enjoy it with their complimentary bread basket. My friend started dipping the bread into the polenta.
Calamari — It’s really hard to do wrong with calamari. A simple dish consisting of lightly fried calamari. The portion was a slight disappointment but dip it in their sauce and all will be forgotten.
Penne alla Vodka (w/​Chicken) — Extremely oily at the bottom to the point where I barfed in my mouth a little. I was extremely displeased with the amount of chicken I got. Afterall, if I have to pay extra to add it on, I expect to have a pretty decent amount. It was as if they mashed up a cup of chicken and sprinkled it over the pasta. The creamy vodka sauce had a lot of depth to it but the thick layer of oil at the bottom was just too much for me.
Our waiter was fantastic. His heavy Italian accent was a trip! Their Luna Rossa martini is really fruity and a great pairing with your dinner.
TIP: Park in the back lot closest to AMC for the shortest walk to the restaurant.