We stopped by Dark Room, a new neighborhood spot, just to check it out and have a quick drink and…read moreapp, and we were so impressed! We had the peppers along with some wine and beer, and everything was great. What really made the experience exceptional was Scotty, our bartender/waiter. He was absolutely amazing, warm, attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the restaurant, the food, and what he does. You can tell he truly cares about the experience he creates. Honestly, some of the best service I've had in a very long time. We only planned to stop in briefly, but Scotty made such a great impression that we're already looking forward to coming back for a full dinner and trying more of the menu. Highly recommend checking out Dark Room and if you get Scotty, you're in very good hands!

(TLDR: Came here around the beginning of the month; it's the perfect spot for a date night. Great…read moreservice and very unique dishes through which you can tell the chef-owners love their craft. Even for the dishes that weren't a perfect hit, we appreciated their artistry and saw the vision they were trying to implement. Darkroom's concept as a restaurant is hard to find in Orange County: not only does this establishment gather inspiration from various influences, but also has fun with it by producing distinct, original plates.) Located in an unassuming strip mall, Darkroom is a chef-driven restaurant with a dimly lit, moody atmosphere. Reminiscent of its photographic namesake, the restaurant is literally a dark room lit with soft red lights. The bar area looked especially cool and edgy with its unique lighting and design. Another nice touch was the menus, which appeared to be printed daily to reflect the revolving offerings. The vinyls were also changed by hand after each song. Seating was prompt with a reservation on a Saturday night. Service was A+. The staff here are so on top of things that, when I twisted myself to observe the bar behind me, some staff rushed over thinking I was looking for my server (oops). Waters were constantly refilled. I also saw one of the chefs checking in on tables; he told us he was one of the two chef-owners. Now, onto the food. I averaged our ratings and included our separate ratings when we didn't agree: little gem caesar salad // 7 // Pretty tasty. Some pieces were a bit bitter, which brought down the overall taste. The bitterness was masked with enough dressing and parm (would've been nicer w/ more dressing). We did finish the dish and appreciate its unique handheld plating though. wagyu tartare // 2 // 0, 4 // The herbs and shiso leaf concept was unique, but it was a bit plain and dry as a whole. We mixed thoroughly as instructed yet still couldn't detect the sauce at the bottom. Maybe they forgot it or didn't add enough? They kindly took it off the tab without us asking. potatoes // 8.75 // 8.5, 9 // Very good: the potatoes had crispy skin and a fluffy interior while the tobiko added "crunchy" pops. The dish was finished w/ a creamy sauce, and had umami and smoky notes. Pro tip: there is extra sauce at the bottom. My bf didn't like the roe, hence his lower rating. Delicious overall. lasagna // 9 // I'm usually not drawn to pasta, so this was my bf's pick. The pasta was both soft and crispy, paired with a creamy orange Calabrian chili sauce and a heap of parmesan. the wanderer steak // 8 // Sesame chili crisp added crunch, while the sauce complemented shishito peppers and tender steak. We enjoyed it; our server said it's a menu mainstay. pork tomahawk // 9.4 // 9.25, 9.5 // Five words: crispy, fatty, tender, tangy, juicy. Thai-inspired and apparently a recent addition. Perfect ratio of fat to lean meat. Tangy sauce with papaya salad balanced the pork. Personally, I prefer unripened mango over papaya for more tartness/depth; something in the papaya salad felt slightly missing for me. Still our favorite dish of the night. ricotta donuts // 8 // Creamy ricotta balls reminiscent of donut holes. If I were a Food Network contestant, I'd call it a deconstructed jelly donut with ricotta balls, cream, and fig jam. Not mind-blowing but good, and we finished them. drink 108 frosé // 7.5 // A strong, bright, citrusy slushy cocktail. I liked it more when melted, probably because I don't like alcohol. My bf said he "see[s] the vision." We got two free drinks for our anniversary, one non-alcoholic and one wine. Surprisingly, the non-alcoholic drink (a sharp, refreshing herbal tea from China) tasted better to us than the wines. Take that with a grain of salt since we don't like alcohol. Now that I've experienced Darkroom, I plan on booking Chrysalis sometime. Even for anything we didn't find perfectly to our liking, we appreciated the artistic vision and understood what the components were trying to accomplish. I would definitely recommend Darkroom to others -- especially if you want fun, highly creative dishes.

What a great experience! We came here for our quarterly girls' night, and it exceeded our…read moreexpectations. There was a mix-up with our reservation, but they graciously accommodated our group anyway, which really set the tone for the evening. The wine was fantastic, and the candle-making was so much fun. It was such a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere that the two hours flew by. We never felt rushed and had plenty of time to enjoy the entire experience. One thing to keep in mind: because the candle-making experience takes about two hours, be sure to arrive at least two hours before closing so you have enough time to enjoy it all. It's absolutely worth it! The owner is incredibly welcoming, and the staff was so warm, friendly, and attentive. We can't wait to come back!

Chris was so cool , he was so funny, attentive and the wine was amazing . My bf took me here and I…read morehad the best time fr .For sure coming back soon !

Love this place. A long-overdue OC gem! Won't be long till you can't get a reservation. Vibe…read more Service. Food... exceptional! Thanks

Didn't know a restaurant like this could exist! Loved everything about it, EVERYTHING! Service,…read morefood, and ambiance. The place is gorgeous. As soon as you step in, it's feels lux yet quaint. It's a tiny restaurant, we didn't have reservations but thankfully got sat bc we arrived at 5pm. Service was impeccable. Someone in my party had gluten allergy and the server made suggestions to which dishes to get and which were easily made gluten free. - Squash salad: impressed. This was a new novel dish and I loved it. It had finely shaved zucchini like super thin flat noodles. There was shaved Parmesan cheese, hazelnuts, and the dressing was light and barely dressed. - Mushrooms: the onsen egg was perfectly runny and the mushrooms so savory. - Gambas: plump shrimp with yummy flavors. - Rack of pork: our fav! We asked what was in the sauce it was so delectable. We predicted fish sauce and maybe orange. The server went back and confirmed it was fish sauce! The chef has Vietnamese origins. This was so good, we cleaned the bone and licked the plate. - Cheesecake: only enjoyed by the gluten eaters. It was well made. I'm not a dessert eater typically but I found this wonderful. Not too sweet and decadent.

I gave Postino Park Place in Irvine 3 stars. The location itself is a really nice, clean, and…read moremodern restaurant with a great vibe, but the overall experience was definitely a mixed bag. We ordered a bunch of bruschetta to share for the table, and while they were good, they were honestly lacking that real "wow" factor. For my main, I ordered the P.R.E.A.M. bowl and found it to be quite mediocre. It was pretty plain overall, and all of the vegetables inside were extremely undercooked. While the food was average, the service was pretty much zero stars. It was extremely spotty throughout the entire meal, our drinks were never refilled, and to make matters worse, they actually charged us for coffee that never showed up at our table. It's a lovely space with decent light bites, but the food execution fell short and the severe service issues really dragged down the experience.

First time here with my girlfriend, and Ivanna P. Was an absolute gem. We had great food, cold…read moredrinks and amazing service. We're new to the area and searching for our new watering hole. Ivanna was the convincer! See ya soon!

One of my favorite wine spots in OC! Wine lab is the in…read morecamp, parking is a hassle here but valet is available in a pinch. Interior is small and cozy. We come here at least once a month. Our favorite is a set of flight where you guess the region and type of wine. I have yet to get it 100% right but it's always fun to guess. The owners here are friendly and great wine section. They also have a small food selection of cheese and meats. Highly recommend for a wine tasting in OC!

Wine was decent, but I refused to try more because of the service. Came here on a Wednesday early…read moreevening to catch up with someone and was greeted in a way that was pretty distasteful. He was an asian bartender that was the only one on shift at the time and lets just say I could tell he was projecting some insecurity in his life cause this man came off so rude lol. We tried asking questions to get a better feel for which wines would work best for us and he came off quite dismissive. I even noticed that as other customers came in, he kept chewing with his mouth full of falafel as he greeted them in. I've been in hospitality for almost a decade now and never in my years have I seen such repetitive terrible service within 30 minutes. It's actually impressive lol. Spend your money at another place that actually cares about your experience.

Chris the only server that was there when we got there was great! He's one of those people that…read morehave a calling and love what they do. Funny, caring and was just an all around stand up guy. The decor was a nice 1950s throwback diner in a quansett hut. Formica tables, cool cutlery, diner chairs. Love the vibe. We went on a Friday morning when we had a rare day off. So it wasn't busy at all. Got there right when it opened so didn't have a problem getting a table, so I can't speak to a long wait. Got the breakfast burrito en mojado divorciado style. I read about it on some article. Comes with the green chile verde with the pulled pork and the red sauce with the brisket. I'm a FOMO guy so i wanted to try both. It was unsurprisingly an expensive dish. I got it with sausage inside, didn't really need the sausage cuz the thing was massive. I'm a big eater so it's unusual for me to not finish. That thing was delicious and would surely go back to try something else on a day when it's not busy. My wife got the french toast, to which she said was easily the best french toast she'd ever had. They use milk bread so it's extra tender and the center was super custardy and melt in your mouth. The berry topping was nicely tart giving a nice contrast from the sweet and creamy center and the cream topping was rich and delicious. Sure, it's diner food. Sure it's pricey, but you don't go every day or week. You might go once or twice a year and it's a treat for sure if not just for the company of the great wait staff. I don't usually post reviews because who the hell cares what I think, but I think its worth a try on a non busy day for sure. If you go on a busy day and you're in a rush then that's already a bad start to your experience anyways. Go early take your time and walk around. The neighborhood around there is quite nice.

Great food and great service…read more Reservations are recommended and I believe required. Parking is street parking and you probably have to walk a bit during the busy times. Recommend almost anything on the menu. But French toast was phenomenal. Santa Maria slam was very good. You must get the blue sourdough bread. And the jam.

What a pleasant find. Right across from Angel stadium. Intimate and classy but still down to earth…read more I didn't feel out of place in casual clothes with my kids. Service was excellent. Even the owner, Earnest, was helping. We don't drink alcohol so went for the food. We always like to try a bunch of the small items. The Burrata and baby heirloom tomato. Nice contrasts of the bitter arugula, creamy burrata, slightly sweet balsamic, fresh tomatoes. It just worked. My son was sad that they ran out of their shishito peppers. Must be good to sell out.... The little gem caesar was the only dish that disappointed. It was fresh, but quite bland. The truffle french fries seemed so simple but so good. Something about a french fry done well... the spicy ketchup and truffle aioli were perfect pairings. The wagyu beef sliders were perfect small bites. Very beefy, in a good way. Normally I don't like sweet pickles but the honey mustard pickles were a perfect compliment to the beefy wagyu. The crispy fried chicken was really well done. Reminded me of Korean fried chicken but slightly more refined. The citrus cured hamachi were perfect little bites. The spicy tuna roll was pretty good. A lot bigger than what you get at sushi restaurants. I do prefer it a little spicier though. For dessert we tried the cheesecake. Another example of something seemingly simple but very well done. For me the star of the show was the berry sauce on top. Really fresh berries. The sauce was perfect, not too sweet, a hint of mint. There is a parking garage under the apartments. No tickets, they scan you license plate when you enter. They give you a validation code but I couldn't get it to work. It was only $2.50.

Small, intimate, classy wine bistro. Across the street from the Angel Stadium. We enjoyed a nice…read moreevening sitting outside in their little patio as it was beautiful weather. The owner and server were attentive and friendly and gave great wine suggestions. We enjoyed a couple of things from their happy hour menu and I also got a salad. Everything was good and we enjoyed a delicious zin from Napa. My mom got some bubbly that she enjoyed very much. It was like a mini-Napa experience... very lovely!

The Blind Rabbit has been on my Yelp to-do list for a few years now, and I finally made it happen…read more I love a good speakeasy, but so many places claim the title and miss the mark. This one absolutely nailed it. Reservations are required, and they're usually booked up, so I'd missed my chance in the past by remembering too late. This time I was on a solo trip and managed to snag a spot by booking early in the morning. It happened to be the last night of their Great Gatsby theme, and they executed it perfectly, from the details to the overall atmosphere. I love that they rotate themes instead of sticking with the same setup every time; it keeps things exciting and gives people a reason to keep coming back. The drinks and food were both top-notch. Every single person I interacted with- bartenders, servers, and hosts- was amazing, super friendly, and helpful. Can't wait to go back and see what the next theme brings.

September is SepTiki month at the Blind Rabbit. The interior has been decorated tiki style, and…read morethere is a new specialty cocktail menu with eight new tiki inspired drinks. We visited a few times in recent weeks to try out some of the new drinks. El Quetzal (Illegal Caribbean cask mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Campari, lime, pineapple, cane, cardamom). This is a variation of a Junglebird, and has a nice smokiness with light bitterness. It's an easy drinker, and is served in a tiki mug with a lit sugar cube. 3 Rabbits & a Dash (Blind Rabbit Garrison Brothers single barrel bourbon, Kuleana Nanea rum, falernum, allspice, honey, orange, lime). It drinks a little boozy from the bourbon, and is complemented by nice spice notes. Let the Man'Go (Patron 100 tequila, bitter Bianca, mango, rice, lemon). I love drinks with a foam top, and even though it didn't say it on the menu, it was obvious after one sip that the foam was infused with toasted rice. Good balanced cocktail with light mango flavor and rice notes. Velvet Samba (guava, cachaca, Patron 100 tequila, lime, condensed milk). Unique milky looking cocktail. It's guava and lime forward, balanced, and has a little creamy mouthfeel from the condensed milk. Clarified Ango-Lada (Blind Rabbit single barrel Sagamore rye, Angostura bitters, coconut, pineapple, lime). It's served with a nutmeg sprinkle on top. The rye is toned way down from clarification, and it's a smooth drinker. The Cocktail of Week I believe was a type of zombie. I forgot to write down the ingredients but I believe some of them were rum, vodka, raspberry, and lemon. It is served in their zombie mug with a lit cinnamon stick and was good. Dreamwave (Empress gin, barrel aged Curacao, sherry lychee, lemon). I think this was my favorite. It has a nice tart flavor, not boozy at all and balanced. I was sitting at the bar where my drink was being made, and when the Li Hing Hui powder was sprinkled on top, it had a really nice sweet, almost vanilla-ish aroma. I asked bartender Adrian to make me a Captain's Reserve (bartenders own creation) using rum as the main spirit. He made an amazing cocktail with rum, scotch, passion fruit, and some other ingredients I forgot to jot down. It was lush and perfectly balanced with multiple layers of flavor. I hope he remembers that recipe, it was one of the best drinks I've ever had. Adrian, Ruben, and Sergio all provided great service and conversation, and they make some excellent drinks. Hosts Anna and Emma always give a warm welcome and were very friendly. There's only a few weeks left of SepTiki, so visit soon if you're interested in these drinks. Their Halloween theme will be starting in early October.

Bar Tinto is more than a hidden gem. It is a rare find in Orange County. It offers some of the best…read moreMexico City style food items I've had anywhere other than CDMX itself. The chef uses his free range of creativity and offers such unique and amazing ingredients in all of his dishes. He truly cares and has a passion for beautiful food. My wife and I know alot of chefs and restaurants in SoCal and this is some of the best food we can find. Chef Jonathan and his kitchen staff are all one of a kind. They shop for only the freshest ingredients and offer a variety of seasonal dishes throughout the year. The Pork Belly Taco has been a long standing menu item that literally NEVER disappoints. It is incredible. Every tostada the chef creates is amazing. And the Green Goddess dressing on their salad is worthy of bottling and drinking straight. The wine program is also incredible. The range of wine is amazing and everyone on staff is SO knowledgeable about every wine they offer. If you aren't sure about wine or how to pick out you can give them the simplest explanation of what wine you want and they will bring over several bottles to chose from and will give you an in depth and beautiful description of all of them before you decide what you want. Amazing food, wine, music and vibes are all huge perks but what really sets Bar Tinto over the edge is the hospitality and kindness of all the staff. Great for date night, for a night out with friends, a spot to bring the parents too, literally any occasion. We look forward to sitting in tinto and enjoying the food and wine at least twice a week!! Gracias, Bar Tinto! 10/10

Went to check out the Jazz nights at Bar Tinto and had a nice night out with a girlfriend. Seating…read morewas limited so make sure to come early, managed to grab one in the corner. Staff was really friendly and accommodating. They recommended an orange wine that we liked. The oysters were fresh too and the bread had a nice crunch. Make sure to purchase tickets for the Jazz night in advanced they do sell out!

My husband and I went to Pali for a date since we know it is a great place to enjoy a nice glass of…read morewine with a great ambiance. We had a fantastic server who made it even more enjoyable. Shania was very attentive and even seemed to know what we needed, before we asked. She was Amazing! Thank you, Shania! We love the wine selection here (especially the Huntington Pinot) and the charcuterie board paired well with our wine, as well. It really was a wonderful evening! Nate and Debbie

Parking in the district is so bad so we parking quite a bit away & walked…read more No reservations, walked in towards the end of the night & we found seats. Got a wine flight to share which was fun & tasty. Loved all the games there were to play. Lots of good seating inside & out. Nice ambiance and unique decorations. The bartender was nice & friendly.