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Interior - Il Girasole, Costa Mesa, CA

Il Girasole

4.5 (101)
$31 to $50
Italian
3321 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:30 PM
Booked 7 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Neighborhood gem
Il Girasole, now open at SOCO & The OC Mix in Costa Mesa, CA, brings a refined, modern Italian dining experience to Orange County. Named after the Italian word for "sunflower," the restaurant embraces a family-owned ethos, with a menu inspired by classic Italian flavors elevated through fresh, high-quality ingredients. Enjoy a variety of beautifully crafted dishes, from handmade pastas and creative flatbreads to thoughtfully curated seafood and meat selections. Each dish is prepared with a focus on authenticity and quality, delivering a dining experience that balances traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine.

Highlights from the menu include unique offerings like wild striped bass, duck, sea urchin risotto, and handmade pasta with truffle enhancements. Il Girasole has quickly become a must-visit destination for both Italian food aficionados and those seeking an elegant yet welcoming dining environment in Costa Mesa.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Fri 11:30 am–2:00 pm Bar Tue–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:30 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Neighborhood
    Costa Mesa
  • Cross street
    Sunflower Ave and Hyland Ave
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    Bus 43 stops at Harbor Blvd & Sunflower Ave
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • 5 course Il Girasole Experience

    $125.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Join us to an exclusive 5 course menu created by our culinary team check the menu here https://www.il-girasole.com/menu

Offers

  • La Merenda at Il Girasole

    Multiple dates available
    Sun - 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM,Tue - Sat - 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
    “Experience La Merenda, our Italian bar hour! Indulge in artisanal bites like caviar-topped gravalax or crispy arancini at our 19-seat bar and patio, 2-6 PM (4-6 PM Tuesdays). Limited spots—book now!”

    La Merenda at Il Girasole Photo

What 101 people are saying

Il Girasole reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Orange County

    Most Booked 1000-Point Tables

  • North Orange County

    Most Booked 1000-Point Tables

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Il Girasole dazzles with "excellent food" and "impeccable service," offering a modern Italian culinary experience that "exceeds expectations." Guests praise the "beautifully decorated" venue and "creative" dishes presented as "works of art." The attentive staff and "vibrant" ambiance make it a "highly recommended" destination for special occasions and refined dining.
101 Reviews
  1. Joseph VIP

    Orange County7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was presented as works of art. It's Italian food with a creative modern spin. The owner has extensive restaurant experience and it shows.

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  2. Bill

    Orange County6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Top notch professional service. Delicious meal. Nice cocktails.

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  3. John VIP

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely wonderful restaurant, service and food were superb. Highly recommend you visit this establishment, you will not be disappointed!!!

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  4. George VIP

    Orange County31 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Clearly one of the best restaurants in Orange County! Excellent cuisine and exceptional service. Life is too short to miss this experience.
    Il GirasoleResponded on May 5, 2025
    Thanks for the feedback, George! We're thrilled to hear that you consider Il Girasole one of the best restaurants in Orange County. We take great pride in our culinary offerings and it's wonderful to know that they impressed you. We're also glad to hear that our service met your expectations. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us. We look forward to welcoming you back soon for another exceptional experience. Best regards, Il Girasole Management Team

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  5. Irene

    Orange County1 review

    2.0

    Dined on May 3, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    We dine out a lot in OC and LA. This restaurant is pretentious, overpriced and frankly scary. After being seated our server asked us if we had any allergies. One of our party is gluten intolerant. I was impressed at the thoughtful gesture, and asked if the lamb meatballs were gluten free. He said “YES” and left and we didn’t see him again for 15 minutes. So 20 to 25 minutes into our dining experience all we were offered water. No bread no appetizer, little attention. The lamb meatballs did contain gluten. The server obviously didn’t know the menu and it could have led to disastrous results! At this point I called the Maitre De. He suggested a suitable dish was about to leave but realizing our server still wasn’t around took our order. Two dishes of the six dishes we ordered were good. The octopus and bass. The lasagna was dry as if it had been sitting out for sometime and reheated. The halibut was hot and slightly overcooked and to my astonishment the server poured lukewarm sauce over it. A second server poured a sauce over my bass and spilled it on the side of my wine glass and on the table top: he just left it. I’m not sure how long this restaurant has been open but in order to live up to the image it’s trying to portray, its pricing as well exposing itself to potential liability, needs much more refinement and better service including servers who know the menu.
    Il GirasoleResponded on May 5, 2025
    Hey Irene, We're truly sorry to hear about your experience at Il Girasole. We pride ourselves on our attentive service and quality food, so it's disheartening to hear that we fell short. We understand how important it is to have a clear understanding of our menu and we apologize for not meeting your expectations. We're taking your feedback seriously and will use it to improve our service and food quality. We hope you'll give us another chance to provide the dining experience you've come to expect from us. Sincerely, The Management Team

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  6. Kelly VIP

    Los Angeles8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is delicious and the service is even better. The desserts are a work of art.

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  7. HERBERT VIP

    Orange County19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food. Michelin quality. Great service. Highly recommended
    Il GirasoleResponded on May 5, 2025
    Hello HERBERT, Thank you for your glowing review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our food and found our service to be top-notch. It's always our goal to provide our guests with an exceptional dining experience, and we're glad to know we hit the mark with you. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to serving you again soon. Best regards, Il Girasole Management Team

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  8. Kevin

    Virginia1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We celebrated my wife’s birthday with the 5 course meal and it was such a pleasant and delicious experience! All of the courses were beautifully crafted and absolutely delectable for the palate, catering both ambitious and wonderfully paired flavors. My personal favorite was the seafood course. The halibut is to die for. I’m VERY excited for my next experience here
    Il GirasoleResponded on May 5, 2025
    Hey Kevin, We're over the moon to hear that you had such a wonderful experience celebrating your wife's birthday at Il Girasole! It's heartening to know that you found our 5-course meal delectable and beautifully crafted. We're especially glad that you loved the seafood course and the halibut - it's one of our favorites too! Your kind words mean the world to us and we can't wait to welcome you back for another delightful meal. Warm regards, The Management Team

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  9. Kelly

    Orange County3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time for us and everything was excellent. Will definitely return!
    Il GirasoleResponded on April 27, 2025
    Thanks for the review, Kelly! We're thrilled to hear that you had an excellent first experience at Il Girasole. It's wonderful to know that you enjoyed our food and service. We strive to provide our guests with an exceptional dining experience and your kind words are a testament to our efforts. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

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  10. Susan

    Orange County1 review

    2.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant was inviting and beautiful. The staff was attentive. However the food was not good. The bread was microwaved before being brought to the table , so was super hot and a bit soggy - was difficult to eat. Once it cooled it became rock hard. I ordered the radicchio salad and it was swimming in balsamic vinegar. It came with Gorgonzola cheese and while I love balsamic and cheese, there was so much of both that it was too strong. We ordered the scallop and it had an amazing presentation, but the sauce overpowered the scallop and all we could taste was vinegar. I ordered the gnocchi and again they looked amazing but when I ate one it was cold. I don’t know if they were prepared way in advance and were supposed to warm up with the sauce but they didn’t. Finally my husband had the halibut. It was cooked well except for the center which was not firm but mushy. I have never had so many misses at one restaurant. I don’t know if the issue was with inexperienced cooks or we just went on an off night.

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FAQs

Il Girasole is rated 4.5 stars by 101 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Orange County
  4. North Orange County
  5. Costa Mesa

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:30 PM
Booked 7 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Il Girasole

3321 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Sunflower Ave and Hyland Ave
  • Neighborhood
    Costa Mesa
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Fri 11:30 am–2:00 pm Bar Tue–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:30 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    Bus 43 stops at Harbor Blvd & Sunflower Ave
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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