La Fontana Ristorante

Looked for an alternative to Macaroni’s and asked Unilocal for Italian. Little did I know I was going to get my socks knocked off. The artichoke stuffed with cheese and spinach was a great beginning. The veal chop with portabello mushrooms and mashed potatoes was he surprise. The sauce had a hint of basalmic and Basil blew me away. Can’t wait till our next visit.

It’s closed… Was very good…

They are closed… disconnected phone #.and I’m sitting on a $ 25 gift card for this place. Oh well. The location was weak. Food was good but its not a great loss to our world as we know it. Time to move on.

The food is truly disappointing. Everything doesn’t taste fresh and needed seasoning. The price is not even worth it. Service was mediocre. Enough said.

Great place!!! Great Italian food. Corado is the best, an awsome guy straight from Italy

So a friend was back from Korea for a visit and 7 of us were in need of a restaurant for dinner. La Fontana was bookmarked recently on my gluten free restaurant search and it was the lucky winner for the nite. I called 3 days in advance and made reservations.
The place looks very veeerrryyyyyyyy meh from the outside. As I pulled up to meet my girls I immediately felt bad for choosing this place without researching more but the dishes looked amazing on Unilocal!
Most of us drove so we all declined the wine. We ordered an appetizer and the waiter said there were artichokes… There were no sign if artichokes… A Brushetta, salad w Parm, few shrimps… Very little and let’s just say 7 hungry girls didn’t polish off the plate in fact unwillingly cleared it to make room for our entrees.
I asked the waiter if risotto was gluten free… he checked came back and said yea it was gluten free… Then when I had my heart set i was told when ordering the risotto that The risotto is not gluten free… Interesting because authentic real risotto should be… Where’s the gluten? And after being denied many dishes I settled with a simple dish of gluten free pasta with olive oil tomators and parm and I added in artichokes.
the dishes EVERY DISH we got was BEYOND salty I mean almost to the point of being unedible… and LET ME tell you I like my food SALTY but this was BAD. i’m not sure if the chef was no there that night that everyone raves about or her SLIPPED and spilled salt in all of our dishes but that was something else… not only was our food almost-​unbearably salty the portions were mighty small.
we ended the nite thirsty and hungry and looking for a fulfilling dessert joint –_​–
for around $ 15+ a dish it was really a let down :(
im really hoping/​thinking it must have been a OFF night though because how can SO MANY people give this place a 5 when I felt like it was around a 2 – 3 …

I decided to treat my whole nuclear family to the cooking artistry of chef-​owner Corrado Gianotti, so we met at La Fontana at dusk, and had a long table to ourselves as we sampled course after course. I was thrilled to hear that, after reading my previous review wherein I described how crestfallen I was after finding out that the ristorante served no soup, a soup of the day is now served! This day it was Spinach & Egg Stracciatella Soup, and I ordered a bowl at once! It was made from scratch and was excellent in all respects, featuring a melting croûton with strands and strands of swirling spinach and egg, and a hot, tasty broth.
As starters the Carpaccio alla Cipriani was lean and delectable, and the Fried Calamari was delicate and excellent dipped in Lemon Aioli and mild Marinara Sauce. This time the Marinara Sauce was consistent through and through. A bowl of Insalatina alla Cesare (Caesar Salad) served with anchovies was very good, except I discovered a small piece of core amidst the Romaine leaves. And, my son-in-law’s beef medallions were tough and chewy in spots.
A new dish for me to try was Gnocchetti alla Sorrentina. Hot, doughy, and delicious potato dumplings bathed in a mild Tomato Sauce, and accented with garlic and basil. I then enjoyed very lemony and thinly pounded Piccatine di Vitello with extra mushrooms, capers, zucchini, and good Mashed Potatoes. The scallops of veal were topped with thin slices of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, and fresh grated Parmesan shavings were added for good measure by our friendly and efficient server. A side of French Fries featured soft, elongated potato fingers that were oily and different from the norm but tasty.
All special needs were nicely accommodated. My two grandchildren enjoyed simple Spaghetti & Marinara Sauce, and my daughter was pleased with her Gluten-​free Fusilli & Meat Sauce with Mushrooms. A creative-​looking dish was the giant prawn with antennae shooting skyward on the plate ordered by my daughter-​in-​law.
At one point my son returned to the table and reported that no paper towels were in the men’s restroom. I told our server, and went to check for myself 20 minutes later. As I expected, the problem had already been remedied, and paper towels were now available in abundance. This is a place that is highly professional, and takes care of its customers. It is expensive, but you are paying for high-​quality ingredients and savvy authentic Italian cooking.
For dessert, this time I had the «Mess» (Pacciuzo Liguria), a fruit, ice cream, and whipped cream concoction. And, it was very good, but I would have preferred it without Grand Marnier, which overpowered other more delicate flavors.
Overall, this was another 5-​star dining experience for me!

Before I start my review, here is a bit of history. My first date with hubby was in Rome, so ever since our Rome holiday, we looked and tried a lot of Italian restaurants to finally find a place we both LOVE.
It is pricy, but well worth it. heck, it is cheaper than flying all the way back to Italy. ;p
So if you want AUTHENTIC Italian food. This is the place to go to.

Randomly came in here with my boyfriend last week on a Thursday night. We were craving Italian food but didn’t want to go to the major chains like Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill, cause they suck and I’m always disappointed I’m not claiming to be some Italian food connoisseur but La Fontana was honestly the best Italian food I have ever had!
The interior was absolutely charming and classy. I wish I can remember the name of the dishes even thought I couldn’t even pronounce them. We started off with crispy ravioli that was covered in a spicy creamy tomato sauce. I ordered the tortellini which was AMAZING, the sauce was creamy and extremely savory. I was eating it by the spoonfuls. My boyfriend ordered a pasta with spicy tomato sauce and pancetta. Equally delicious! I wish we had room for dessert.
I saw some Unilocalers write that the portions were small and not worth the money. But I came home with leftovers that was good enough for another meal the next day. I left completely satisfied. Yes it was pricey, but it was worth it! Can’t wait to come back :)

The food is GREAT. The best.
So why four instead of five stars? Go to Sebastiani’s, for example, for comparable food, and a salad with your pasta is $ 3.50. At La Fontana you pay for $ 8.50 for the salad. Take the family out to dinner and this makes a huge difference. But if cost is no object, this place is first rate.

ATTN UnilocalERS PLEASE KEEP MY POST IN MIND If you are hungry and do not have a LAP BAND SIZED STOMACH!
I’m sorry, but when I go to an Italian restaurant I expect to leave full. This was my first and last visit here. I ordered the lobster ravioli (house special), and all I got was 6 small raviolis. REPEAT: SIX SMALL RAVIOLIS! PATHETIC! Only 2 of the 6 raviolis had lobster filling, which were good, but only 2?!? Come on! We also waited 20 – 30 minutes for our meal while being reminded how it was freshly made. Honestly, I would much rather have them prepare it beforehand than to sit there starving and hoping for a decent amount of food that was going to have me rubbing my belly and waddling out of the restaurant like any other REAL Italian joint. To add insult to injury, the price was absolutely insane considering it cost them about, hmmmm… 3 – 4 bucks to actually make because of the 2 pieces of lobster? I willnot be returning.
My dining friend’s experience in his words:
I have no idea what other Unilocalers here are raving about. The food was good, but nothign like these people are going crazy over. I notice that some Unilocalers here used
certificates for this restaurant — I wonder if that changed their experiences somewhat since they were able to order a lot more for less.
I ordered one of their pasta dishes, and the first thing that struck me was how humongous the plate was… which seemed especially gargantuan considering the measly amount of food on it! It was like rations or something. There was barely anything, and I mean that in the most sincere way possible. I am not one of those people who expect all the food served to me to be super-​sized, but the portions here are extremely small — I did NOT leave nearly full. I would comment on the taste of the food, but I was so annoyed by the small serving and exorbitant prices that I couldn’t really focus too much on how it tasted. Great Italian food isn’t too difficult to find — if you want decent tasting Italian food served in tiny portions at high prices, then this may be your restaurant.

Was excited to try this place cuz of Unilocal reviews and always love trying yummy Italian places, especially when the Italian craving was stronger than ever! Very cute, romantic décor! Murals everywhere, super cool! Checked out the menu and ordered my items to-​go. Woulda been cool if they offered me a drink and bread while I was waiting! But whatever! The one waiter dude was busy with 3 tables and didn’t look too friendly or hospitable. I have the perfect word to describe his demeanor but I’ll keep it to myself rather than be mean. Some people can’t help it, they were born that way!
Anyway, food was yummy! Tried the calamari and Rigatoni Casarecci (tube pasta, Italian sausage, and Porcini Mushrooms enrobed in a creamy Sherry Tomato Sauce). OMG, the spicy tomato dip for the calamari was sooooooo goooood!!! I wanted to pour it all over everything! The Riagtoni was yummers too!!!
This place is certainly a diamond in the rough! Would have never known about this place if it hadn’t been for Unilocal.Will def. be back to try more yummy stuff!

La Fontana is a great little (actually tiny) Italian spot in a bizarre strip mall. The inside feels like some of the places I ate at in Italy with friendly service and thick Italian accents… I love it. The owner switched serveral years back and the place used to be very romantic with HUGE plush chairs and feweer tables. It’s a little more streamlined now, but it still has a intimate feel to it.
From the appetizers to the wine to the entrees everything is very good. It’s a good spot to take a date who appreciates Italian food.
This place is definitely a 4.5. Home-​y feel to it with delicious food.

this place is jewel
its hidden in the plaza in huntington beach
but very authentic italian bistro
italian food and wine always go well together and they have both here
little bit pricey but worth it to spend that extra bucks

Love it! Always delicious… chocolate soufflé is a must… and the bruschetta is better than anywhere around… dooo it.
A little pricey… but totally worth it… We can’t pronounce ½ of what we order, so we usually just point… very nice waiter and the food is just amazing.

La Fontana was amazing. I went here during Valentine’s day last year, but I never had the chance to leave a review. It was a very intimate place to have dinner at, and the low lighting plus candles created a very ambient setting. The food was kind of pricy, but it was well worth it. The chicken was delicious, but the beef dish was also very flavorful and cooked to perfection. The service was also very good, they brought us a drink that we did not order, so they decided to give it to us for free anyway.
Great restaurant worth trying out.

Ooohh! I love this place :) I’ve been here twice now and I highly recommend. The service is superb with your own personal Italian server. They try really hard to speak english and explain the items on their menu because most are written in Italian. the restaurant setting is super cute with a cozy feel. The food is very well presented and tastes just as good as it looks. I ordered the seafood pasta that is cooked in foil the last time I went and it was sooooo good! I don’t like seafood when it’s over cooked and this dish was perfectly cooked. Their pasta is freshly made and obvious. If you don’t know about Italian cuisine well they love garlic so don’t come here if you’re not a fan ;)

Searching the internet for «best Italian in Huntington Beach» and this place came up. I had heard good things about this place from friends but it is in one of the typical Huntington Beach crappy looking run down strip malls so I never really gave it a second look. Decided to take «special lady friend» out for a nice dinner last Saturday and we went here.
The place is pretty small inside but has tons of personality and the owner /​waiter /​head chef dude is super cool.
We started with stuffed artichoke hearts with mascarpone cheese and some type of tomato /​balsamic thing, they were super good. Really rich.
Special lady friend got some baked chicken dish with creamy polenta and some sauce that was awesome — I got the special «cioppino» that night. The broth was killer, the squid rings, tentacles and shrimp all seemed really overcooked though, it was loaded with shell fish and salmon that was awesome though. Aside from being on the overdone side the food tasted great and super authentic style Italian. I will definitely go back to try some other stuff in the future.
Service was decent, a tad slow considering there where only 2 other tables in the place. But overall the food was really good. Stoked.

Definitely hidden in an ugly plaza in Huntington Beach — La Fontana definitely has the best authentic Italian eats. I totally recommend this place if you love Italian; from appetizers, to pasta, to wine — they got all the good stuff. They will also help assist you on pairing up your meal with a good bottle of wine which I think is super awesome!
I’ve been here for many occasions, and each time I’m here the service is still good. Fast, friendly, and accommodating is all I need when it comes to good service and they have it.

WHAT A FIND! My wife and I are always in search of authentic and delicious Italian food and La Fontana meets and exceeds those expectations. It is a very romantic but very small restaurant hidden in a strip mall in HB on Beach. It is worth looking for though! I would make reservations on a weekend night because I would estimate they have under 20 tables and if there are any larger parties, good luck getting in.
As soon as you walk in, the wonderful smell of garlic will captivate you. If you aren’t hungry then, you must not have a pulse. We started with the Carpaccio which was excellent. Very thin sliced, plenty of parm, you can’t go wrong. My wife and I each selected a risotto (hers with the sausage and mushrooms, mine with prawns) and we were blown away by them. Beware, the menu does alert you to the fact these are made fresh and cannot be rushed so expect to wait a few extra minutes for them. We enjoyed ourselves, had wine, loved dinner and the dessert was also great.
I believe the owner is also the head chef, and a genuine Italian and I think his daughter was working as a server. We could hear Italian being spoken constantly and it just added to the charm. Another bonus, is that this restaurant is included on
so you can get a great discount as well. Nothing wrong with saving a couple bucks on a great meal.
UPDATE 5/​14*****
Went again last night with Mom and the family to celebrate Mother’s Day and was equally as pleased as the first visit. I tried a peppered Filet special that was topped with prosciutto in a rich pepper balsamic reduction. YUM. My father had the veal Milanese which was the size of the entire dinner plate and cooked PERFECTLY. My wife had a pasta with duck sausage ragu that she really enjoyed too. 2 for 2 (although the service was a little stressed last night due to the holiday but it was ok). Can’t wait for another visit.
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Another Update ¹²⁄₃₁
Came here on NYE to celebrate my official day of aging with our close friends and had yet ANOTHER great meal! I tried the Veal Saltimbocca this time and enjoyed it but probably not as much as some of the other dishes I had. My wife had the same duck ragu pasta and loved it again. We also got an order or brushetta for the table and it was great! 3 for 3 so far and fast becoming my favorite restaurant for Italian food!!!