If you love the outdoors, the smell of the ocean and the feel of a small community's marina, then dining at Circle Hook Fish Co. should be right up your alley. Featuring fresh catch, especially importance of sustainability of the seafood sold, makes this fish grill and oyster bar particularly attractive. I first encountered this small restaurant one evening a little too close to closing time but took note to try as soon as I could. First, I attempted to get reservations for Father's Day but they were already maxed out. Finally, I went solo and this is the report of my first of many visits. As I approached after the lunch hour I was pleased to see there was plenty of space inside and out to sit. I found everyone who works here to be extremely friendly and attentive, and I felt very at ease. Off to a great start. After hearing the list of daily fresh fish (there was a nice variety, including Blue Fin) I asked what was a good choice. A Swordfish Burger was the immediate response. It's been a while since I had Swordfish. Seasoned fries were selected from the list of sides that included Coleslaw, Asian Slaw, and garlic fries. The weather and fare called for the perfect wine and I was happy to see Ferrari-Carano Sauvignon Blanc by the glass. It was indeed the correct choice and I probably don't need to explain the buzz white wine is noted for. All throughout the meal service was discreet and well-spaced. From delivery of the wine, the food and subsequent busing, everyone I spoke or dealt with had great attitudes. The fries were delicious but the Swordfish rightfully took center stage. Perfectly cooked, not too dry, lightly seasoned, it played nicely with the coleslaw and crisp fried onions included. Despite the fries I didn't feel overly full and the flavors of the fish lingered. I noticed the staff were wearing house brand caps so I asked if they had any for sale. Apparently I completely missed the display inside where they had a decent selection of ball caps and a beanie. I have my souvenir and I look forward to more trips. Definitely getting oysters next time! read more

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Stopped by for a meal after an outing at the beach. We were craving seafood and our search lead us here. We grabbed a seat at a table against the rail and found it comfortable and cool for a spring afternoon. We ordered a couple beers, lobster chowder, calamari, and the fish/shrimp platter. Everything was fresh and delicious. The chowder was creamy with enough lobster chunks and tasty. The calamari came in thick strips and tender. The fish and shrimp platter came out crisp and non-greasy. The service was also quick and friendly. Recommend for small groups for casual dining. read more

Great vibe, food and water views. Calamari well portioned, curry mussels flavorful and lobster roll was filling. French bread all around. Nice sport to enjoy the beautiful weather and have lunch. read more

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Came here with a group of six (and a pup) for dinner on 4/3/23 at 6pm (for manager's reference). It was a cold and windy weeknight and it wasn't very busy anywhere around. Though typically this is an 'order at the counter' style place, the employees here pulled out all the stops to welcome us in, ensuring we had an exceptional experience. They even offered us full service dining which was unexpected, but made our time so much more enjoyable, since our group hadn't seen each other in some time and it was nice gathering together around the table while we looked over a menu and were helped as we needed. I was blown away at the consideration and kindness of the crew. Even our out of town relative was stunned at how the staff went above and beyond. I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone there tonight. p.s. shishito peppers, fish and chips and lobster roll were excellent! read more

Came here on a whim while walking through Lido Marina Village, and decided to eat here for dinner. I was craving fish overall, and the fish tacos looked really good. I decided to get these, and my husband got fish and chips. The fish tacos had a good portion, with the same crisp battered fish as the fish and chips. The slaw was perfect. I got a side of cilantro rice as well, which I would recommend. My husband's fish and chips were on the smaller side for portions, so I would not recommend this if you are hungry. Fish and chips were served with fries. There are amazing views on the water here, even though it is a fast casual place where you order at the counter and they bring you your food to the table. Service was friendly and prompt. There is an inside area with a bar and some limited seating, otherwise you can grab your own table outside. I would come back for the fish tacos or to try some of the other items! read more

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Great quick lunch spot located in Lido village area. Order through the cashier, get a number and staff brings the food and drinks out. Excellent customer service the cashier was patient when I read the menu and placed my order. Along with providing suggestion of mock tail (virgin prickly pear margarita) was excellent. Ordered the Baja fish tacos excellent, along with the server who brought out my food. Great view of the Harbour and boats docked. read more

Customer services is really great here. I love how the hosts are very optimistic while serving their guests!! No kidding!! It's even more so welcoming to feel good when you're respectfully greeted with smiles and excitement for your services as a guest. These employees were so informative of their menus, on top on their "A" game so well, it was also an addition to the food! I ordered (2) of the the salmon croquettes which was about $18 and the Cod fish and chips, which was an absolute fav!! The dressing and sauces on the side was a plus. The portion sizes were everything, which is what I appreciated most. It was well worth every buck because I devoured my food the moment I tasted those fluffy, freshly molded salmon croquettes!! The Cod fish was lightly fried and thin/crispy which I loved. The fries were delicious. Boy-oh-boy!! I should have asked if there were any popular drinks I should have ordered and I'm sure that would have been the cherry on top. Absolutely love everything about this spot and the food I ordered. The view is amazing and they adds a nice touch!! This restaurant is a definite must try!! read more

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We ordered the fish and chips, fried seafood platter, and fried cucumbers. Food was delicious! Love the batter here, it's not too bready and super crispy. Foods delicious and the view here is lovely. Right next to the beach. Service was fast too. You pay first before sitting down. Forgot to take photos but it's a great place for a date! read more

Located in the Lido Marina Village, parking can be difficult to find especially during weekends. I love the fish and chips here and also the fish tacos. The experience gets even better if you're able to eat outside by the water, but sitting inside at the bar isn't so bad either. read more

Went to Circle Hook as we browsed in the Lido Marina Village and it was pretty good! The views are absolutely gorgeous as your seated facing the dock. We ordered their lobster roll, crudo, their fish of the day, and some cocktails. All were great and the staff was very kind and even led us in the direction of different beaches in the area. My only complaint was the lobster roll the bread was just too hard that it took away from a lot of the flavor. Overall, great place with a great view and I would definitely come back. read more

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My wife and I had lunch here and it was a very pleasant experience. We ordered Oysters, a Fish Fry, Lobster Roll, Seafood Chowder and a Blonde Beer on tap. Nice view of Marina, and friendly staff. read more

Circle Hook Fish - Oysters, Blonde Beer on tap, Clam Chowder, Fish Fry and Lobster Roll - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Came here today as kid was hungry and ordered chicken tenders with fries for $11.99. Seating available outside and by the waterfront. Fast service. Decent food but tenders tasted a bit burnt. read more

Circle Hook Fish - Chicken tenders & fries $11.99 - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

It is very rare for me to eat fish... like at all and there's only one place I will each fish and chips at. However, I was craving fish and chips so I decided to branch out and try this place as we decided to come down to Newport on our day off. Honestly, this place was pretty good. I ordered the fish and chips with cod and they tasted very fresh and had a nice amount of batter on them. The fish and chips came with coleslaw but I decided to opt for the coconut coleslaw which I thought was just alright, it was quite different than I expected. My boyfriend on the other hand ordered a fish plate, he got the swordfish which he really enjoyed. The plate also came with garlic fries which I thought were tasty and also traditional coleslaw which my boyfriend really liked so definitely pick the traditional slaw. While I enjoyed the fish and chips, I decided to order some to take home to a family member. My only issue is that I had noticed that there were 2 moderate sized pieces of fish and a ton of fries in my to-go order but when I dined in there were 3 large pieces of fish. I figured that I'm paying the same price the portions would be the same especially for almost $17, but I guess not. Other than this, food was great regardless and the staff was chill. read more

Circle Hook Fish - fish and chips (cod) with coconut coleslaw - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

What a great little find right at the waters edge. We were looking for a bite to eat so we stopped into this place. We sat outside after we put in our drink order and some food. The view was great and the people watching could not be better. Our drinks came out fairly quickly and then our food followed. We enjoyed both food and drinks and the great view. The service was good and the prices were fair. I would recommend this little place to anyone looking to enjoy a nice drink for a little bite to eat and a little boat watching on top of that. This is your place. read more

Circle Hook Fish - Great view. - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I went here with my family. Here is my observations and suggestions: 1) #1 reason to go here is for the view. A few steps from the water. 2) Friendly staff 3) There is a parking structure that gives free parking for 2 hours with validation. So make sure to get validate here. 4) The poke bowl was really good. Highly recommend. It tasted like a ginger sesame salad topped with raw tuna. 5) the fried shrimp was good. They a soft batter as opposed to a crispy, tempura batter WHAT I WOULD DO NEXT TIME: I ordered 2 kids meals (chicken tender and shrimp) for $24, but it woulda been better to get the ultimate sampler for $25. I would get the poke bowl again. There are a lot of other restaurants next door that look really good, I would probably try one of those sometime too. read more

We came here cuz the gf loves bear flag and it's the same ownership according to her. You order at the register and then they bring the food out to you. It's a tiny spot, so finding seating is difficult and you'll be lucky if you can get a table to face one another. Most seats all face outward to the harbor and you all sit in a line. Drink-wise, I tried a Mexican mule, which I enjoyed. We tried the crab cake banh mi and the lobster roll for our food. Both come with a side. We chose fries for one and roasted veggies for the other. Flavor was bursting and everything hit the spot. However, they serve with plastic utensils, which didn't work well at all (especially with the veggies). Also, each utensil pairing is wrapped with one napkin. You need a lot more napkins than that. I asked two different guys for more napkins and they never came. read more

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This is a great little spot that feels like exactly the type of restaurant you want in a beach town. We arrived on a Thursday night and grabbed seats at the bar. We were immediate greeted with friendly Service and this continued with every interaction. We ordered two different types of oysters. The oysters were small/medium sized and perfectly shucked. They come with lemon and cocktail sauce and we also requested hot sauce. The woman shucking oysters apologized for the delay and while it to take a little longer than expected, we are enjoying our Chardonnay and in no rush. Next we order the specials which are the fresh-cut choices. Both were great but the blackened tuna was excellent and the sea bass was perfectly cooked. They Have a choice of sides, Which includes a variety of types of coleslaw, rice or fries. The coconut slaw was a stand out. In talking to the people who work there, we were told the fish and chips are by far the bestseller and so I hope to return and try them. Beach decor, fresh seafood, harbor views and good service here, don't miss out. read more

A friend of mine dragged some friends and I here ....claiming she loved it and it was amazing! My friends and I agreed to go, to come check out the hype. The staff is super fun and friendly, we enjoyed the drinks and the bar setting. The food here is just ok but everything was definitely overpriced. read more

Circle Hook Fish - Shrimp and chips, Fish and chips and Poké bowl. - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Very fun place to people watch. Great vibe. Best onion rings. Fun fun fun. Would definitely go back. Classy looking people at Lido Marina Village. read more

Some of the best freshest fish I've ever had. Same company owns Bear Flag and Hook Fish in the Bay Ar

came here with a few people so we got to try a lot of stuff (nothing grilled though, that'll have to be next time). left pretty happy and satisfied crab cakes -- very good; i feel like i order crab cakes all the time and they're never really that great because other, less casual establishments are overburdened with having to do something special with it to justify having it on their menu. i really liked this one because of its simplicity + would definitely order this again in the future (baby also loved it, which helps) seafood chowder -- also great; creamy but not too thick -- medium rich, downed this right away. makes me wonder what their lobster bisque tastes like. will likely always get one (or the other) to share any time i visit curry mussels/clams -- good but can't really see myself getting this over and over; a little bit spicy, otherwise bold and comes with bread for dipping. probably better to share than eat the whole thing by yourself because the flavors of each element are strong fish and chips, good. lobster roll, maybe not next time. it came out on a large bread roll but no sauce so each bite was quite dry; we asked for extra crab cake sauce to dip it in which helped some, so that might be a good option for you everyone working here is super nice + if i were looking for something quick and easy in lido, this would be it. thanks for the great meal! looking forward to the next one :) read more

Service is nice, everyone is welcoming, but the food was not good. Some of the dishes were very salty and others were missing the flavor and salt . The location is great with a beautiful view of the waterfront. read more

Great food with beautiful view plus wonderful quick service. Though parking was kinda hard to find.. highly recommended if you wanna grab a quick bite. read more

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Delicious lobster rolls. Excellent to-go option if you're taking a ride on a Duffy boat in Balboa harbor.

LOVE this spot. DELICIOUS food, great views all around, very friendly staff! Such a perfect hidden gem, highly recommend!

I give this one star for the people that take the orders. For foodies: you KNOW whenever you consider reviews- always be wary of high amounts of stars in popular areas likely to attract tourists (near water, downtown and "islands." The food here is AWFUL. I came to try the lobster roll and it was by far- the worst I've ever had. Not fresh, dry, reheated and minced. I ordered from the house specials menu and each one was poorly done, including the drink. How do you make ceviche flavorless?? This place has all the makings of the potential for a nice experience- but it starts with getting quality food, a kitchen staff that can cook, and then a mixologist who doesn't deliver a drink before putting the final ingredients in it. this place is a no. So Sorry! read more

closing early? with over 20 minites before they close... the guy or girl (not sure) carried all of the extra chairs in and then proceeded to jump and grab the windows to pull them shut while we're still eating. They turned away customers before you closed, picked up our empty plates abruptly without being polite. I was surprised to see the place relatively empty when we got here, now I see why. Food is great but not when you feel rushed to eat it. If they say we closed early because they were slow, that's not true because they turned away customers before you closed. If I see this same staff working next time I come, I'll just eat next door. read more

Kyle was amazing, I forgot the girl's name up front but she recommended the salmon Caesar Salad and it was perfectly grilled and some of the best Caesar dressing I've had in a long time. paired it with a bottle of Pinot Grigio and sat by the water with the heat lamps. Made a great date night, would thoroughly recommend! read more

Circle Hook Fish - Pinot and waterside dining! - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Cute little bar on the water with great seafood. We loved the aquachile - perfect little snacks after an afternoon of shopping. Only drawback is they don't do cocktails and they don't have a drink menu. read more

Circle Hook has all of the puzzle pieces to be a big hit for me (seafood, badass marina viewz and beer), but it seems like they are still experiencing some possible growing pains. I popped in on a Sunday afternoon for some lunch and a view and it was busy. I overheard them warning other patrons that the wait time was a little longer than usual, so I braced myself for a wait, but in all honesty I was real, real hangry already (I'm not docking them any stars for my own poor meal planning). After about 45 min we finally decided to say something. The place had cleared out and it seemed like the staff was starting to relax after the lunch rush... but we were still there waiting. The manager was super nice about it and got our Po-Boys whipped up really quickly and apologized + took care of the bill. Couldn't have asked for it to be taken care of any better given the situation. This review isn't to punish the staff at Circle Hook, rather it's to help them hire more/reliable staff because those that are there are helpful, but seem overwhelmed. The Po-Boys were delicious and the place is adorable... just get those guys some help! read more

Circle Hook Fish - Shrimp and Cod Po-boys! - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

As you can read I ordered a Lobster Roll admittedly against my better judgment because I had previously read reviews that said not to get the Lobster Roll because it doesn't have any Lobster in it. I thought to myself that couldn't be true Because surely they would expect people to know what Lobster looks like being that they are ordering it. I was wrong. What they gave me was not Lobster, Crawfish maybe but definitely not Lobster plus it was dry and lacked any kind of flavor. The fries were good hence the 2 stars but The Lobster Roll was a complete waist of money and calories. read more

Circle Hook Fish - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Service is okay with the kids running business , but attention to details is missing . Food was not consistent . Small portions . Bear flag much better ! read more

Circle Hook Fish - Dirty salt - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Absolutely atrocious service rude staff that will lie to you about the ingredients in the food until you pull put your phone and record them lying and then they will suddenly switch up. Will never eat here again. read more

Great lobster bisque and seafood chowder, impressive poke bowls, tasty shrimp tacos in a terrific dockside setting (with heaters). In future would pass on the calamari. read more

Casual place with outside dining. View of the marina and good people watching. We had white wine, the clam chowder, fish tacos and shrimp platter. The chowder and coleslaw were very good; other items were so-so. Service was great. Prices were a bit high with having to get up and stand in line to order, plastic silverware and metal chairs and tables. Next time will go to neighboring full service restaurants for the same value. read more

Don't get me wrong, I'm not crazy about giving this place only three stars because the food was really good but you've got to go up to a counter to order and it's a little cramped & packed in with customers. The staff was super helpful. Even let me watch the Dodgers game even though several people had hockey on. You can't beat the location and the view. However parking is very difficult for all of the restaurants nearby this place and a few of our other favorite places along this harborfront area. Lido village. We would come back, but never on a weekend. We came during the Newport film festival and every place was packed after the movies got out. Again, the food was excellent. I had a soft shell crab poorboy sandwich and my wife had a fish of the day - grilled. All good read more

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AMAZING! It's my fist time here and I absolutely love it. Jeff had the best attitude and provided the best service. He informed me about the brunch deals and I am definitely coming back! read more

Circle Hook Fish - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Wonderful food here. You can grab a table in the water and have a wonderful meal!! One of my favorites!!

The perfect place to wrap up your day. Beautiful view of the back bay. Great staff willing to chat about food and libation options. Fairly quick food turn-around. Have a lobster roll, enjoy a beer, and watch the people walk by. We had the fish and chips, lobster roll, and lobster bisque. Everything was delicious. Nice variety of about six craft brews on tap with plenty more canned. Decent wine selections as well. Only complaint was the portions are fairly small... even by European standards. read more

Excellent service. Fish choices superb. Must try when in lido. Can't wait to visit again.