Irvine, California offers a diverse restaurant scene ranging from fine dining and steakhouses to Japanese cuisine, Italian restaurants, Mexican food, Cuban dining and craft ramen. With restaurants spread across areas such as the Irvine Spectrum, Park Place, Quail Hill and other parts of the city, choosing where to eat can depend on the cuisine, occasion and type of dining experience you want.
This guide highlights 15 restaurants in Irvine and the immediate area that offer distinctive dining experiences, including fine dining, seafood, steaks, sushi, Italian cuisine, Mexican food, Cuban dishes and ramen.
The selection considers factors such as restaurant concept, cuisine, dining experience, location, specialty offerings, entertainment, private dining and suitability for different occasions. Restaurant information is based on current restaurant and destination information available in 2026.
15 Best Restaurants in Irvine, California
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Best For | Irvine Location |
| Bistango | New American | Fine dining, live music, wine, art, outdoor dining & private events | Von Karman Avenue |
| Mastro’s Ocean Club | Steakhouse & seafood | Steaks, seafood & upscale dining | Irvine Spectrum |
| O Fine Japanese Cuisine | Japanese & omakase | Sushi, omakase & special occasions | Quail Hill |
| Houston’s | American | Classic American dining & business meals | Michelson Drive |
| Andrei’s | Contemporary American | Seasonal dining & special occasions | Main Street |
| CUCINA enoteca | Italian | Pasta, pizza & wine | Irvine Spectrum |
| North Italia | Italian | Pasta, pizza & casual upscale dining | Michelson Drive |
| Puesto | Modern Mexican | Tacos, margaritas & group dining | Irvine |
| Habana | Cuban | Cuban food, cocktails & live music | Irvine Spectrum |
| Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana | Italian | Neapolitan pizza & Italian dining | Irvine Center Drive |
| Il Fornaio | Italian | Italian dining & outdoor dining | Von Karman Avenue |
| HiroNori Craft Ramen | Japanese ramen | Craft ramen & casual dining | Irvine |
| Chaak Kitchen | Mexican / Yucatecan | Mexican cuisine, wine, dinner, lunch & brunch | El Camino Real, Tustin |
| Fukada | Japanese | Japanese noodles & casual dining | Irvine Center Drive |
| Solstice Seasonal Kitchen & Bar | Modern American | Seasonal dining, brunch & cocktails | Jamboree Road |
1. Bistango
Bistango is an art-focused New American restaurant at 19100 Von Karman Avenue in Irvine. The restaurant combines dining with contemporary art, an extensive wine program, live entertainment, a full-service French-style patio, and private dining spaces.
Why consider Bistango?
- Artful New American cuisine
- Wine Spectator award-winning wine list with fewer than 100 varieties
- Rotating modern art exhibits
- Full-service French-style café patio
- Live entertainment Monday–Saturday
- Bar and lounge
- Private dining and event spaces
Bistango offers more than a traditional restaurant dining experience. Guests can combine dinner with live music, contemporary art, wine, and indoor or outdoor dining.
Artful New American Cuisine
Bistango’s current menus include a broad selection of appetizers, salads, pasta and risotto dishes, steaks, seafood, chicken, lamb and desserts.
Current menu selections include Black Mission Figs & Goat Cheese, Ahi Tuna Tartare, Blue Lump Crab Cake, Pan-Seared Diver Scallops, Oven-Roasted Chilean Sea Bass, Prime Angus Ribeye, Grilled Grass-Fed Filet Mignon, New Zealand Lamb Chops and Tamarind-Chili Glazed King Salmon.
The menu also includes pasta dishes such as Spaghetti Bolognese, Linguine Alla Arrabbiata, Squid Ink Linguine Alle Vongole and Fettuccine with Marinated Filet.
Award-Winning Wine Program
Bistango features an extensive bar and Wine Spectator award-winning wine list with fewer than 100, making wine an important part of the restaurant’s dining experience.
Contemporary Art
The restaurant’s atmosphere incorporates revolving modern art exhibits, allowing guests to experience contemporary artwork while dining. Bistango’s private spaces also incorporate art into their surroundings, including The Galleria and The Studio.
Live Music & Entertainment
Bistango provides live entertainment Monday through Saturday. Its entertainment program includes styles ranging from Latin jazz and R&B to classic and contemporary cover music. The restaurant also features a dance floor.
Best for: Fine dining, date nights, live entertainment, wine, contemporary art, business dinners, indoor and outdoor dining, private events and special occasions.
2. Mastro’s Ocean Club
Mastro’s Ocean Club official website
Mastro’s Ocean Club is located at 772 Spectrum Center Drive in Irvine. The restaurant combines steakhouse and seafood offerings with an upscale dining environment. Its Irvine location serves USDA Prime steaks, seafood and raw-bar selections, sushi and chef-crafted desserts.
The restaurant also features a bar and patio and offers private dining space.
Best for: Steak, seafood, upscale dinners, celebrations and special occasions.
3. O Fine Japanese Cuisine
O Fine Japanese Cuisine official website
O Fine Japanese Cuisine is located in Irvine’s Quail Hill Shopping Center at 6731 Quail Hill Parkway. The restaurant has built its dining concept around Japanese cuisine and an omakase experience, with the restaurant noting that it has offered omakase in the area since 2009.
O Fine also offers private dining. Its private dining room can accommodate up to 32 guests and can be arranged for customized omakase or prix fixe menus.
Best for: Omakase, sushi, date nights, celebrations and private dining.
4. Houston’s
Houston’s Irvine official website
Houston’s Irvine is located at 2991 Michelson Drive. The restaurant offers an American dining experience and maintains a relatively intimate approach to reservations, while walk-ins are welcomed for parties of two.
The restaurant also provides food and wine menus and maintains a smart-casual dress standard.
Best for: American dining, business meals, lunch and dinner.
5. Andrei’s
Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine & Cocktails is located at 2607 Main Street in Irvine. Its menu emphasizes locally and organically grown produce, naturally raised meats and sustainable seafood. The restaurant describes its approach as “Conscious Cuisine.”
Andrei’s also accommodates events ranging from intimate dinners to large celebrations.
Best for: Seasonal dining, conscious cuisine, cocktails, celebrations and group events.
6. CUCINA enoteca
CUCINA enoteca Irvine official website
CUCINA enoteca is located at 532 Spectrum Center Drive in Irvine. The restaurant combines Italian culinary traditions with California ingredients and operates an in-restaurant retail wine shop. Its menu includes house-made pastas, pizzas, antipasti and larger plates.
Its wine program features more than 200 labels, with an emphasis on Italian and California wines. The Irvine location also offers daily happy hour from 3–6 p.m.
Best for: Italian food, pasta, pizza, wine and group dining.
7. North Italia
North Italia Irvine official website
North Italia is located at 2957 Michelson Drive in Irvine. The restaurant offers Italian dishes across lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, with a menu that includes pasta, pizza, small plates, desserts and cocktails.
The Irvine location also offers weekday happy hour and a lunch fixe menu.
Best for: Italian food, pasta, pizza, lunch, brunch and casual upscale dining.
8. Puesto
Puesto has two Irvine locations: Los Olivos at 8577 Irvine Center Drive and Park Place at 3311 Michelson Drive. The restaurant serves modern Mexican cuisine, including tacos, burritos and shareable dishes.
Puesto’s Los Olivos location features indoor and outdoor dining, a large patio and private event capabilities. The restaurant also offers daily happy hour and Taco Tuesday promotions at the Los Olivos location.
Best for: Mexican food, tacos, margaritas, casual dates and group dining.
9. Habana
Habana brings Cuban-inspired dining to the Irvine Spectrum at 708 Spectrum Center Drive. The restaurant’s menu includes Cuban dishes such as pork croquetas, ceviche, Cuban sandwiches, rum pepper shrimp and paella.
The Irvine location also offers lunch, dinner, a full bar, outdoor seating and live music on Wednesday and Friday evenings according to Irvine Spectrum Center’s current restaurant listing.
Best for: Cuban cuisine, cocktails, brunch, live music and group dining.
10. Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana
Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana official website
Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana is a fine-casual Italian restaurant at 8573 Irvine Center Drive. The restaurant specializes in Italian food and Pizza Napoletana using ingredients imported from Italy along with fresh produce from local farms.
Its current menu includes Neapolitan-style pizzas such as Margherita, Marinara, Diavola and Capricciosa.
The restaurant also offers catering and group dining for celebrations and other gatherings.
Best for: Neapolitan pizza, Italian food, casual dinners and group dining.
11. Il Fornaio Irvine
Il Fornaio Irvine official website
Il Fornaio is located at 18051 Von Karman Avenue in Irvine. The Irvine restaurant offers dine-in, outdoor dining and takeout, with lunch and dinner service throughout the week.
Its location near the Irvine business district makes it an option for both daytime dining and evening meals.
Best for: Italian dining, lunch, dinner and outdoor dining.
12. HiroNori Craft Ramen
HiroNori Craft Ramen official website
HiroNori Craft Ramen operates multiple Irvine locations, including Michelson Drive and Irvine Center Drive/Sand Canyon. The restaurant specializes in craft ramen, with options including tonkotsu, shoyu and vegan ramen.
The restaurant makes its own ramen noodles, stock and sauces. Its vegan ramen uses a 100% vegan broth, while its shoyu ramen combines artisan noodles with a soy-based broth.
Irvine Michelson address: 2222 Michelson Drive #234, Irvine, CA 92612
Best for: Craft ramen, Japanese comfort food and casual dining.
13. Fukada
Fukada is a Japanese restaurant at 8683 Irvine Center Drive in Irvine. The restaurant currently lists lunch and dinner service Tuesday through Sunday and is closed Mondays.
Best for: Japanese cuisine and casual lunch or dinner.
14. Solstice Seasonal Kitchen & Bar
Solstice Seasonal Kitchen & Bar official website
Solstice Seasonal Kitchen & Bar is located at 18555 Jamboree Road in Irvine. The restaurant describes its concept as modern American cuisine with ingredient-driven dishes inspired by the seasons. Its menu includes salads, steaks, seafood, pastas, vegan dishes, desserts and craft cocktails.
Solstice offers lunch, dinner and brunch, as well as a cocktail and wine bar. Its current site also lists Social Hour Monday–Friday from 3–6 p.m. and Saturday from 4–6 p.m.
Best for: Seasonal dining, brunch, cocktails and modern American cuisine.
15. Chaak Kitchen
Chaak Kitchen official website
Chaak Kitchen is located at 215 El Camino Real in nearby Tustin, making it an option for diners looking beyond Irvine’s city limits while staying in the immediate Irvine dining area.
The restaurant focuses on Mexican cuisine and offers dinner service Tuesday through Sunday, with additional Friday and Saturday lunch and Sunday brunch service.
Best for: Mexican cuisine, wine, dinner and brunch.
Best Restaurants in Irvine by Dining Experience
Different restaurants suit different occasions. Instead of choosing a restaurant based only on an overall list, consider what type of experience you want.
Best for Fine Dining
Bistango and Mastro’s Ocean Club offer upscale dining experiences in Irvine, with Bistango combining New American cuisine, art and live entertainment and Mastro’s focusing on steakhouse and seafood dining.
Best for Japanese Cuisine
O Fine Japanese Cuisine offers an omakase-focused experience, while HiroNori Craft Ramen focuses on craft ramen and Fukada provides another Japanese dining option in Irvine.
Best for Italian Food
CUCINA enoteca, North Italia, Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana and Il Fornaio provide different approaches to Italian dining, from house-made pasta and pizza to Neapolitan-style pizza and traditional Italian restaurant dining.
Best for Mexican Food
Puesto offers modern Mexican cuisine at two Irvine locations, while Chaak Kitchen in nearby Tustin offers a Mexican dining experience with a different regional focus.
Best for Live Entertainment
Bistango offers live entertainment Monday through Saturday evenings, while Habana’s Irvine Spectrum location currently lists live music on Wednesday and Friday nights.
Best for Private Events
Bistango offers multiple private and semi-private dining spaces, while Puesto Los Olivos and CUCINA enoteca also offer group and event dining options.
Best for Seasonal American Dining
Solstice Seasonal Kitchen & Bar focuses on modern American cuisine built around seasonal ingredients, with lunch, dinner and brunch available.
Best Restaurants in Irvine for Date Night
For a date night, the right restaurant depends on the atmosphere and type of food you prefer.
Bistango combines artful New American cuisine, modern art exhibits, a full-service patio and live entertainment. O Fine Japanese Cuisine offers an omakase experience and private dining options. Mastro’s Ocean Club provides steak and seafood in an upscale setting, while Habana offers Cuban cuisine and a lively atmosphere at Irvine Spectrum.
Best Restaurants in Irvine for Business Dining
For business meals, consider restaurants based on the type of meeting, desired atmosphere and group size.
Bistango offers private dining spaces for business and social gatherings. Houston’s describes its Irvine restaurant as an intimate dining environment and maintains smart-casual attire standards. Andrei’s also accommodates events ranging from intimate dinners to large gatherings.
Best Restaurants in Irvine for Outdoor Dining
Several Irvine restaurants offer outdoor dining options.
Bistango has a full-service French-style café patio with umbrellas and heating lamps. Puesto Los Olivos features a large patio, while Solstice offers dining in a landscaped setting and lists patio seating for Social Hour.
Frequently Asked Questions About Restaurants in Irvine
What are the best restaurants in Irvine, California?
Irvine has restaurants representing a wide range of cuisines and dining styles. Options in this guide include Bistango, Mastro’s Ocean Club, O Fine Japanese Cuisine, Houston’s, Andrei’s, CUCINA enoteca, North Italia, Puesto, Habana, Angelina’s, Il Fornaio, HiroNori Craft Ramen, Fukada and Solstice.
The right choice depends on whether you are looking for fine dining, steak and seafood, Japanese food, Italian cuisine, Mexican food, ramen, brunch or live entertainment.
What are the best fine dining restaurants in Irvine?
Bistango and Mastro’s Ocean Club are two upscale dining options in Irvine. Bistango combines New American cuisine with modern art exhibits, wine and live entertainment, while Mastro’s Ocean Club offers steakhouse and seafood dining at Irvine Spectrum.
Where can I find live music with dinner in Irvine?
Bistango offers live entertainment Monday through Saturday evenings. Habana’s Irvine Spectrum location currently lists live music on Wednesday and Friday evenings.
What are some good Japanese restaurants in Irvine?
O Fine Japanese Cuisine, HiroNori Craft Ramen and Fukada are three Japanese dining options in Irvine. O Fine focuses on Japanese cuisine and omakase, HiroNori specializes in craft ramen, and Fukada provides another Japanese restaurant option on Irvine Center Drive.
Where can I find Italian restaurants in Irvine?
Italian dining options include CUCINA enoteca, North Italia, Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana and Il Fornaio. Their concepts range from seasonal Italian-Californian cuisine and house-made pasta to Neapolitan pizza and traditional Italian dining.
Which Irvine restaurants offer private dining?
Bistango offers several private and semi-private dining spaces. O Fine Japanese Cuisine has a private dining room for up to 32 guests, while Puesto Los Olivos and CUCINA enoteca also provide group and event dining options.
What restaurants in Irvine are good for a date night?
Date-night options include Bistango for New American cuisine and live entertainment, O Fine for omakase, Mastro’s Ocean Club for steak and seafood, and Habana for Cuban cuisine and a lively atmosphere.
Are there restaurants near Irvine Spectrum?
Yes. Several restaurants in this guide are located at or near Irvine Spectrum, including Mastro’s Ocean Club, CUCINA enoteca, Puesto Los Olivos and Habana.
Where Should You Eat in Irvine?
Irvine’s restaurant scene offers considerably more variety than a single best restaurant list can capture. Fine dining, Japanese cuisine, Italian restaurants, Mexican food, Cuban dining, craft ramen, seasonal American cuisine and restaurants designed for private events are all represented across the city.
For an art-filled New American dining experience with an award-winning wine program and live entertainment, Bistango offers a distinctive option. For steak and seafood, Mastro’s Ocean Club provides an upscale alternative. O Fine offers omakase, CUCINA enoteca and North Italia offer Italian dining, Puesto specializes in modern Mexican cuisine, and HiroNori brings craft ramen to Irvine.
The best restaurant for you ultimately depends on the occasion, cuisine and dining experience you are looking for.
Restaurant information, menus, hours and availability can change. Check the restaurant’s official website before visiting.