Monaco Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Irvine

A taste of Italy in Irvine!

The highly anticipated fourth concept by Orange County restaurateur, Tony Monaco, has opened Monaco Italian Kitchen at Irvine’s newest dining complex, Eighteen Main!

With a focus on freshness and tradition, scratch-made doughs, specialty hand-rolled pastas, locally sourced meats, craft sauces, and hand-crafted cocktails, Executive Chef Karl Pfleider showcases dishes heavily inspired by a team trip to Italy last year.

Here’s what we tried: Burrata with pesto, tomato jam, crispy prosciutto, 12 yr aged balsamic and basil

Beef Tartare: hand cut ribeye medallions with egg yolk, capers, shallots, evoo and dijonaise sauce

Arancini with scamorza affumicata and marinara and grana padano

Charred Octopus with romesco, broccolini, arugula, almonds and lemon (MY FAVE)

Neapolitan-Style Pizzas: Showcasing Neapolitan tradition with favorites like Bianca, Margherita, and Diavola.

Saltimbocca Sandwiches: Naples street food made with fresh pizza dough: Mortadella with pistachio pesto and ricotta, Chicken & Nduja with Calabrian chili aioli, and Neapolitan Sausage, Prosciutto, and Caprese.

Housemade Pastas: Cacio e Pepe, Tortellini in Brodo, Lamb Bolognese (MUST-TRY)

Branzino : Mediterranean Sea Bass with crispy potatoes, Swiss Chard, confit tomatoes and Italian Salsa Verde

Chicken Picatta: panko crusted chicken with orzo, frisée and lemon (MUST-TRY)

Cannoli

Gorgeous decor!! Lovely indoor and outdoor dining! Elevated Italian Cuisine!

Park in the parking structure and have them validate...

I recently visited Monaco with my girlfriend, and while there were some high points, the overall experience left much to be desired.

Starting with the positives: the drinks were excellent. I ordered the Hugo Spritz, which was both unique and refreshing—definitely a highlight of the night. The focaccia bread was delightful, and the mushroom appetizer was decent.

Unfortunately, the meal went downhill from there. The pizza was underwhelming and not worth ordering. I had the Campanelle pasta, which was described as containing butternut squash, brown sugar, and honey. While I usually avoid overly sweet dishes, I gave it a shot—but the dish had almost no flavor at all. My girlfriend likened it to baby mac and cheese, and honestly, that’s being generous. It was bland, unappetizing, and felt like plain pasta with barely any sauce.

At first, I thought I might be overreacting, but I overheard the table next to us (a group of four) also making negative comments about their appetizers, which only confirmed my impression.

On the bright side, service was great—everyone was friendly and welcoming, from the front desk to our server. I genuinely didn’t know how to tell our kind waitress that her recommendation completely missed the mark.

Overall: This place might be okay for drinks and a couple of appetizers, but I won’t be returning for a full meal. And a tip: make sure you validate your parking...

Swanky new Italian spot in town 🌃🍝🤝

What happens when a culinary team tours Italy and brings ✨the best✨ back? You get Monaco Italian Kitchen—where every bite is amore❣️

From hand-rolled pastas to scratch-made doughs, and cocktails that hit just right (like the espresso martini with oat milk!), Monaco’s menu is a love letter 💌 to regional Italian flavors—with a Cali twist.

My favorite menu items: Octopus - charred octopus, romesco sauce, charred broccolini, arugula, almonds, charred lemon ($21) Beef Tartare - hand cut ribeye medallions, egg yolk, capers, shallots, evoo, dijonaise sauce ($21) Arugula Salad - lemon vinaigrette, toasted pine nuts, pickled shallots, grana padano ($14) Lamb Bolognese lamb ragu, pappardelle, pecorino romano, basil($31) Branzino - Mediterranean Sea bass, crispy potatoes, Swiss chard, confit tomatoes, Italian salsa verde ($38)

FYI❕There’s also a kids menu. Kids pasta and kids cheese pizza, both $12. I also noticed that there are two TVs, one of which is playing kids show so it’s family friendly.

If you like to imbibe, choose from the classics, specialty cocktails, an extensive wine menu, and 3 items are mocktails. I’m eyeing the pesto cocktail, cannoli cocktail, and white lotus...