CUCINA enoteca is centrally located in the Irvine Spectrum, one of Orange County's most energized retail experiences! Owner Tracy Borkum's flair for combining great ambience, award-winning cuisine and unparalleled service are once again starring components in this latest Urban Kitchen Group creation. Executive Chef Joe Magnanelli and Chef de Cuisine Lulu de Rouen bring their artistry to the table as guests enjoy an open kitchen, including a rotisserie, pizza oven and salumi and formaggi display. The menu features Italian classics with a modern twist, made with the freshest local, organic and sustainable ingredients. Along with a diverse selection of wines by the glass, guests may visit the restaurant's retail area to select from over 200 bottles for dinner (corkage fee of $8 applies) or purchase wine to go. The energetic space features contemporary elements and vintage artifacts creating the feel of a modern Italian kitchen combined with the comfort of an old rustic farmhouse.
"The food is outstanding and service is top notch. The manager kept coming by to see how our experience and food was to us. I have never been here for lunch, and brought my 2 year old and they made her feel welcome and it's kid friendly.
Awesome!"
Dined on 5/21/2013
Special Features: great for lunch
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"We celebrated my birthday here last week with just a very small group. I've been here many times and it's my favorite restaurant in Orange County for the foodie-worthy food, the terrific service, and the great ambience. But this night they really went above and beyond because one of the members in my party was very badly behaved (downright rude) and they handled it with grace and style. I was so embarrassed by her attitude, negativity, and tone of voice and I told her so. But the staff (Daniel was our server) and manager at Cucina handled a fiery situation with calm and cool. I'll head back to Cucina every time I want great food, great service, and a great environment in Orange County."
Dined on 5/20/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, great for brunch, notable wine list, neighborhood gem, great for lunch
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"The food was amazing, found a new favorite wine, so we bought a bottle to take home from the wine store. The staff was super friendly and helpful. It was such a memorable birthday celebration for my husband with the whole family. Service was excellent. And I love the ambiance, the decor is very eclectic, flea market vintage style, so cool. Love this place!!!!!"
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, great for brunch, romantic, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, hot spot, great for lunch, special occasion
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"This was my second time here and the food was beyond tasty. I thought everything was amazing! I can't wait to go back. My family and I ordered three different dishes and shared and that was the best idea! Great service!"
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, vibrant bar scene, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, romantic, late-night find, hot spot, great for lunch, special occasion
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"Went for lunch with 4 friends on a Saturday. We sat in the "tree side" patio which is a nice touch. Service was top notch. Food was awesome. Highlights: buratta cheese and tapenade with olive bread, fried squash blossom appetizers, bruschetta and assorted salads - we ate family style. Also enjoyed a few bottles of reasonably priced Taittinger champagne."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, great for brunch, neighborhood gem, hot spot, great for lunch, special occasion
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"This is a great addition to a shopping center that is heavily populated with the typical chain eateries. They continually refresh their menu and have very interesting bar selections. Service is always great. Make a reservation otherwise you will wait."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, special occasion
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"Cucina is a lovely experience - service is typically good and food is also typically good. Personally I prefer the seasonal specials and this week tried the Romano beans and Cauliflower and Artichoke pasta. The beans were lovely, flat green beans (which are very hard to find!) lightly seasoned with garlic and oil. The pasta was pitch perfect. Utterly seasonal, complex with a multitude of fresh flavor in every bite. The blend of tastes was incredible - I'll be back! I also had the cucumber martini which was wonderfully light and refreshing. The flavor was delicious!"
Dined on 5/09/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, great for lunch
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"The food pallette was terrific Not overpowering of garlic and warm and inviting Can't wait to go back to try something new Lasagne pizza and spicy shrimp pasta excellent
Apple crostana a great ending"
Dined on 5/09/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list
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"Cucina has been one of my favorite restaurants for a while now, and I have yet to be disappointed by their selection. Lots of great pasta and fish dishes with many unique flavors. The decor and ambiance complete the dining experience."
Dined on 5/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, vibrant bar scene, great for outdoor dining, romantic, notable wine list, hot spot, great for lunch, special occasion
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"Cucina Enoteca I s a fabulous restaurant. If you want to taste lots of different sides or go main course this is the restaurant for you. Service is very efficient and friendly. Inside tends to be a little noisy but the patio is lovely. Very extensive wine list and great Happy Hour choices."
Dined on 5/02/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, special occasion
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"3rd visit .....very pleased again. Food very fresh and always delicious. Chef sent message to table to apologize for delay, the fish that was ordered did not satisfy him when prepared, so he cooked another."
Dined on 04/28/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"A runner brought out our family style salad and upon placing it in the middle of the table, knocked my full glass of white wine directly into my lap. I was soaked. The manager was nice but on the bill they comped only the 2nd bottle of wine, nothing else. I had expected more, because it was exactly 1/4 of a bottle that was lost, and one might interpret that as our paying for less than a full bottle of wine. Also, our server showed his inexperience by emptying that entire first bottle into our 4 glasses right from the start, which I've never seen before. Maybe if he had left some wine in the bottle, less would've ended up in my lap! We've been here several times but service last night not great. And was hosting out of town guests."
Dined on 04/27/2013
2004
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"Comfortable setting and a varied menu. The stuffed squash blossoms are excellent and the side veggie dishes. The salads are surprisingly simple - well anemic actually. Lots of lettuce, not much for toppings and not up to the same creative level as the other dishes. That being siad, this is a solid choice and you are very unlikely to be disappointed."
Dined on 04/22/2013
2007
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list
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"We really like Enoteca, however on this trip they sat us (party of 5) at the very last banquette and the air conditioner was blowing so strong on us it was hard to enjoy our lunch. Asked the waitress to see if it could be adjusted but nothing was done."
Dined on 04/21/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, great for lunch
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"maybe it was an off day, but the food was not as good as it has been in the past. bread, although toasted, still tasted stale. burrata was crusty rather than creamy. unfortunately, i think inconsistency has marked our several visits here. the restaurant was not crowded. be aware that although wine is marked $8 over retail, their "retail" is overall higher than you would find if you bought the same wines elsewhere. still, it beats a lot of corkage policies"
Dined on 04/20/2013
2005
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, great for lunch, hot spot
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Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"Good brunch with $15 bottomless Bellinis. The only issue was our waitress was not very friendly towards us and I don't know if it's because we were ordering a lot of Bellinis. Either way, we tried to ignore the attitude and had a good time. Regardless of the waitress, the food is excellent."
Dined on 04/14/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"I really like it but it is a little pricey....$10 for a glass of wine is too much for me, food was great and different. Went with a group of four girlfriends and we all felt the same. There are too many other nice places where you can get a glass of wine for $7."
Dined on 04/09/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining
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"The whole evening was wonderful. We sat outside on the patio, and had the best waitress. She was always smiling and very helpful in our selections. We will definitely be going back."
Dined on 04/05/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem
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"This was my third time eating there. I've been quite happy with my meals although this time I had the rabbit cavatelli and it was not very good. At other visits I had the eggplant pizza and the short rib. Both were quite good."
Dined on 03/05/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"The food is always great and service excellent. I love this place."
Dined on 03/28/2013
2010
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"This was our second visit, first for brunch. Very memorable visit again, great food, fabulous patio dining, special treat with boutique for wine or gift purchases! Recommend highly."
Dined on 03/31/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, late-night find, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT, WE MADE A RESERVATION AND ARRIVED A HALF HOUR BEFORE TO GO TO THE BAR. THE WINE MENU HAD ALOT OF WINES I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. SO I ASKED DAVID, A BARTENDER FOR SOME ADVICE. I TOLD HIM MY WIFE PREFERS A DRY CHARDONAY. HE EXPLAINED THAT ALL THEIR WINES ARE PRICED AT RETAIL AND THAT THEY ADD A $8 CORKAGE FEE. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD GIVE US A TASTE AND SEE IF WE LIKED IT. WE DID AND HE BROUGHT US A BOTTLE. THE WINE WAS $30 PLUS THE $8 CORKAGE FEE. WE ORDERED A BREAD BOARD WITH SALUMI AND CHEESE, TWO OF EACH FOR $15. FOR DINNER WE SHARED AN ORDER OF MUSHROOM RAVOLI AND A EGGPLANT PIZZA. THE PIZZA WAS NORMALLY $15 FOR WHAT I WOULD CALL A MEDIUM. ON THURSDAY, ALL PIZZAS ARE 1/2 OFF."
Dined on 03/28/2013
2007
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, notable wine list
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"This is my favorite place! The ONLY negative for me is the heaters on the patio (where we prefer to sit) can't be adjusted and are WAY to hot. The servers hate them too...so that needs to be addressed. The food is wonderful, the servers are great (love Danielle!) and the patio is fun when the heaters are off!"
Dined on 03/26/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, great for lunch
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"I was on a special diet and our server,Tucky, made a special effort to accommodate my requests. I had a excellent salad. Great, fresh food. I would definitely go back."
Dined on 03/25/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"We had high hopes since the restaurant is owned by the same people who own Kensington Grill, unfortunately there is no comparison. While the restaurant is beautifully decorated and staffed with friendly people, the menu is lacking in vegetarian or seafood dishes. Because of the lack of variety I ordered the farmers chopped salad with shrimp. A mistake. The salad was tasteless and small for the nearly $20 we were charged."
Dined on 03/25/2013
2012
Special Features: great for outdoor dining
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"Although there was a little mixup we my reservation (after I confirmed indoor seating twice), Cucina was quick to rectify the situation. I will admit that I was with a small group of 4 that was very loud and we overstayed our welcome, but there was never a sour glance thrown our way. In fact, our server was more than accommodating. The food is not my favorite but my group loved it, so overall the restaurant was a good experience. I'd definitely come back for them."
Dined on 03/14/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list
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"My first time eating here. The kale soup was tasty. Butternut squash ravioli was delish. This is a great spot to meet friends, hang and enjoy great wines."
Dined on 02/27/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, great for lunch
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"I went with a group for OC Restaurant week. Unlike other participating restaurants they went out of their way to ensure some of their BEST selections were offered for their prix fix menu. Between the 6 of us, we were able to try just about everything. The hits were the Gnudi (house-made ricotta balls), fried squash blossoms, lentil soup, seabass, shortrib pasta, squash ravioli, french donuts, and chocolate mousse. My girlfriends are still talking about it!!! The service was very friendly, and, after some encouragement, our server was able to make a great recommendations for a bottle for the main course. The bottles were even offered at retail price (rather than resturant mark-up price), which was wonderful!!"
Dined on 02/28/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, special occasion
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"This was my second time dining here. We had a table of 7 for a birthday dinner. It was a disaster from start to finish. Table with screaming children next to us..way past their bedtime. 45 minutes for a drink order. 1hr 30 min just to order food. Host was actually searching for our waiter. Finally called for manager. Ordered and paid for a second appetizer that never came but to worn out to argue over bill. Kept refilling Pelegrino we didn't order and paid for that too. Brought us lovely desserts as a make up gift we thought but they were on the bill too. Myself and the 6 others with me and whoever they associate with will probably never go back. Oh and I forgot we had to continually ask to get our table bussed."
Dined on 03/05/2013
2007
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, notable wine list
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"Overall this is a nice place to go at any time of the day, any meal. I enjoy Cucina Enoteca more than most places around the area. Two stars for service only because I waited about 15 minutes (or more) for one glass of wine and had to remind the waitress about it. The only reason that I would not give four or five stars is that they did not do anything worth commending. Typical dining experience, nothing special beside freshness and visual organization of food, and decoration of the restaraunt. For lunch I had the soup of the day an the caprese salad. Nothing special, simple and tasty. My friend had some sort of chicken pizza, he was pleased, I didn't try it. Wine is a great price here for a restaurant, that's one commendable attribute."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, late-night find, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, great for lunch, hot spot
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"I've been here twice now and thoroughly enjoyed the food! In my book Irvine is lacking for good italian food. Cucina Enoteca is one of the few places to go. The service was acceptable, but not the best."
Dined on 02/05/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, special occasion
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"Excellent food especially the meatball pizza and the trout. Would definitely return to this restaurant. Great happy hour prices and food specials! The chocolate budino was so smooth and chocolatey."
Dined on 02/28/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, hot spot
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"last time we were here we had a less than stellar experience (service was dreadful) and we hesitated returning. but this time it was like it was a different restaurant. staff was stellar (thank you mark!), food was creative and well executed. wine list pricing is very fair. the menu keeps enough of the menu constant to satisfy people who want to get the things they love, but there are enough changes to keep it interesting."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, great for lunch, hot spot
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"Just love the place...go at least monthly. the oro d milano (beer) is worth trying as are the squash blossoms, the mussels, the pizza, the pasta, the lasagna...wait...everything. the staff is very friendly and very good."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, romantic, great for lunch
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"This is a special place. The setting is unique and the food is terrific. Every item had something a little special added to it The service staff are casually dressed, but very professional in their attention to their guests."
Dined on 02/19/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, hot spot
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"Nice place. Great service. Nice ambiance. Creative menu. I am not an olive fan and all of the food we ordered had olives in it. My wife enjoyed it. I would not go back. It just wasn't for me."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2012
Special Features: scenic view
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