Monaco Italian Kitchen - Irvine (CA)

2 /5 Eric Vilain: Do you want to experience the blandest Italian food possible? Monaco Italian kitchen is for you! For example, you can have the Branzino, which the kitchen manages to get both dry and flavorless, or you can have the Caccio e Pepe, the emblematic Roman pasta. Alas, what you will get is a plate of spaghetti for kids with a random runny sauce. See photo. And if you request Parmesan cheese, they will tell you that it comes at an extra charge (!) and you get a tiny sample of powder flavorless cheese! Have they lost their minds? Even at Pizza Hut you get the powder cheese for free! Cocktails were ok that’s about it. Enjoy!

4 /5 K J: Highly recommended italian restaurant. Meets all requirements for high-end casual. Set in an office park area, the eatery offers outdoor and bar seating with more proper indoor options. Ellie our server was excellent on all levels. Cold Peroni and a formidable Apperol Spritz was refreshing. The chopped salad has a nice freshness and light dressing with pepperocinis. The Capricciosa pizza didnt disappoint. Monaco can be a destination or -in-the-area stop. Good happy hour and drink specials nightly.

5 /5 Elia Rho: I think they deserve better review score than what they have now. A new, thoroughly decorated Italian restaurant opened near my place. Ive been meaning to go and finally did. ​Based on the prices, atmosphere, and menu, its a direct competitor to North. ​Ive only tried the pizza and the ceaser salad so far, so its too early to say much, but the pizza was pretty good. ​Id describe it as New York style rather than Neapolitan. It was tasty overall, though it could have been a bit softer if it had been taken out of the oven about 30 seconds sooner. The ceaser salad was perfect with the right amount of dressing, cheese, crouton, and bacon pieces. ​Ill need to try other dishes to really compare it to North. It was a promising first impression. ​Oh, and their kids menu pizza was an amazing deal.

5 /5 Christina Lois: I feel like people have not given this place their due diligence, or they haven’t actually experienced cuisine outside of their own bubble enough to appreciate everything that Monaco is. I went with a girl friend and the drinks are on point with perfect balance and flavor profiles (I’m a mixologist, so yes I would know). The Hugo Spritz, Aperol Spritz, and espresso martini were all great. The wine pairing suggested with the lamb shank was on point. Food wise, the crudo was fresh and had a great presentation. The lamb shank was cooked perfectly and very tender. All of the pizza was perfection, as well as the shrimp appetizer. Love the flavor profiles here. The only dish that missed the mark was the mussels in the mussels and clam dish for my friend, and our server was more than attentive and on the ball to correct it. Great vibe all around, wonderful food, and a nice spot for whatever the vibe is.

5 /5 Amenita T: We went here for our bday. I must say the staffs are phenomenal. From our waiter to bartender to host to busboy. Our Monti waiter, Jeff, Holly, Levi, Tristan, and Sam the manager. Love the food, the drinks, the vibe, the decorations. Totally recommended. We had so much fun. All of our girls. We went wild haha. Please come and experience for yourself. Don’t take my words for it. Everyone taste buds are different but overall for me, love everything about this place. There’s outdoor patio. You can bring your pet. You can choose to valet or validated self parking.