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    Ilya Restaurant

    4.3 (196 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Services - Ilya Restaurant

    Venue rental

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    ILYA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Ilya Restaurant

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    Steak Frites
    Heather D.

    Came here for dinner with a friend and had a great experience! We started with the baked feta which was good! It came out in a cast iron with a tomato stew. We shared the Truffle Tagliatelle and the Steak Frites. Both were very good! The noodles were so soft, you can tell they are made fresh in house. The medium rare steak could have been a little bit more rare, but the flavor was good. For dessert, we did the Tiramisu which is served table side. This was super fresh and shareable for the table. The ambiance here is so chic, and worth stopping by even for just a cocktail.

    Tiramisu
    Julie T.

    Been really into Mediterranean food lately so I came and gave this place a try as it's been in my list for a few months. It just opened 6 months ago apparently and it's pretty busy. The ambiance is really cute inside. I love the decor and the patio seating is very aesthetic. The service is a little slow, but im sure they're trying their best. The food is pretty decent. I really liked the homemade pita bread and the lamb was surprisingly very good! Would definitely give this place another try if I'm in the area

    Victoria P.

    The hosts were disengaged with greeting us and still took awhile to seat us, even with a reservation. Once seated the server was great, helpful with provided recommendations. I would go to this spot more for ambience and drinks vs food. Tried the duck special. Duck was a bit too chewy, compared to other duck at fine dining restaurants. The octopus was the best app but overall nothing too special. I think the spot is worth a try, but was a little overhyped in my honest opinion.

    Skewers
    katrina b.

    Wow so good! Lucked out and made it to happy hour lots of amazing options. Not your typical happy hour menu! Would definitely come back!

    rigatoni bolognese
    Dung N.

    This restaurant is so pretty! I love the decor! We had reservations and were promptly seated. The Clean Sheet and False Promise mocktails were colorful and not too sweet. I liked the False Promise more- it had Sencha Tea extract with coconut water, lime juice, ginger beer, and Thai basil. So refreshing! We chose the grilled tiger prawns and white fish carpaccio for our starters. Both appetizers were very tasty! For our entrees, we shared the rigatoni bolognese and branzino. They offered to take out the head and tail off, but we were experts at eating this fish. I loved how light the fish was. We chose the tres leches for our dessert! It was pretty dense, if you like that texture. The staff was very nice and friendly! It's a perfect spot for date nights or if you want to celebrate something special!

    Aaron V.

    Another solid addition to the San Clemente lineup for restaurants. This place packs a straight punch. Great drinks. The food was delicious and the inside of it is very modern. Giving it a trendy vibe. Our service was solid. Hope this place gets the recognition it deserves locally. Cheers!

    Prawns
    Lisa W.

    I came here with a group of friends for a birthday celebration. We had a fairly large group of 11 people. We waited about five minutes or so and were seated. The space itself is very beautiful with open-air dining and lots of natural light. There are four dollar signs on the Yelp profile for a reason. Mocktails are $15, entrees start at $36. I ordered seared salmon and Clean Sheet (mocktail). The salmon was pretty well cooked so it was more than well done than seared. The entrees do not come with any sides so you'll have to order anything extra that you want. One of the friends I was dining with asked the server and another person who I assume was in management about the lack of sides to go along the entree and he comped her a spinach and mushrooms and carrots side dishes which was very kind of him. Service was good and our waters were refilled frequently. The food itself was good but not great. My boyfriend and I shared the salmon and the truffle tagliatelle. The pasta was very flavorful and delicious. No complaints there. The salmon was average. For the price, I was hoping for more as far as flavor and presentation. I had some of the escargot and some of the mezze platter, both were decent.

    Michelle L.

    Absolute perfection from check in to leaving. What an absolute gem of a restaurant with the most easy going service that was also so incredibly attentive. There is a small parking lot with valet which made parking incredibly easy. Every single dish that was ordered was of the most top notch quality and can't wait to be back sooner than later hopefully!

    Aalia S.

    We sat in the patio, which was very cute, but can get cold. Our service was great. The restaurant was beautiful. We started with the dips and they were all good. I wish they provided more pita bread with the dish though. We also tried the prawn appetizer. It was fine. For our mains, we got the truffle pasta and the steak with the pepper sauce. The truffle pasta was tasty but a little bit overcooked. The steak had a great sauce to it, but it wasn't the best cut of meat as there were some chewy and fatty parts, it also came out cold. They were really kind and provided free dessert for a birthday at our table. We got the tiramisu and it was delicious.

    Lynzee H.

    I came here on a date night and it didn't disappoint. It's a beautiful space with lots of indoor and outdoor seating options. Service was excellent and our server had great recommendations for drinks and food. Food was great, I recommend the papas. The only thing that could have been improved was it was a little chilly when we went and the outdoor set up with heaters was not sufficient. Overall good experience

    Bolognese & Seared Salmon
    Crystal K.

    Ilya is a celebration of flavor, and brings Chef Charbel Hayek's vision for peace, abundance, and connection through food to life. They really make you feel welcome, like part of the family, when you dine here. We shared: Cheating Vegan Casablanca Ilya Mezze White Fish Carpaccio Seared Salmon Rigatoni Bolognese Lemon Tarte The ambiance is such a nice, open-air Mediterranean courtyard kind of vibe that makes you want to linger over cocktails and conversation for hours. We really loved the mezze - the fluffy bread and hummus are pure heaven. The cocktails have such unique flavor combinations, like masala chai infused vermouth and butterfly pea tea. Even the lemon tarte dessert had a base of basil cream on the bottom that really put a unique twist on a classic dessert.

    Mezza Platter
    Jen W.

    Came here for my birthday dinner and had such an amazing experience from start to finish. The staff welcomed me with birthday wishes the moment we arrived, which immediately made the night feel special and personal. The atmosphere was beautiful -- elegant but still cozy and inviting. It felt upscale without being pretentious, which I really loved. Every dish we ordered was incredible. You can tell a lot of care goes into both the flavors and presentation. One thing that really stood out was how they paced the meal and fired the food in stages, so everything arrived fresh and at exactly the right time. It made the entire dining experience feel thoughtful and elevated instead of rushed. The service was absolutely top-notch. The staff was attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely seemed to care that we were having a great experience. This was honestly one of the best birthday dinners I've had in a long time. Can't wait to come back!

    Branzino -- cooked well, but not a huge fan of sauce
    Tiffany B.

    We tried Ilya for the first time and the atmosphere is so charming the moment you walk in--such a cozy indoor + outdoor space that feels perfect for a date night. Service was also super attentive throughout. As for the food, it was a bit of a mix for us--we enjoyed 3 out of the 5 dishes we ordered. Our favorites were the tiger prawn appetizer, truffle pasta, and the tiramisu (definitely a highlight), while the branzino and hummus didn't quite stand out to us. If we're ever back in the area, we'd love to try the steak next!

    Roasted carrots

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    2 days ago

    Decent interior but the service was a bit slow for the number of guests to servers. A bit overpriced for the location and quality.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Ilya Restaurant

    Aside from several of the pastas, are there any vegetarian entrees? Couldn't see any on the menu online.

    Is there gluten free options ? My granddaughter has Celiac?

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Mayfield

    4.2(676 reviews)
    6.6 mi
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    This was the perfect place for our girl dinner!…read more Mayfield whips up the most inventive, delicious, and beautiful looking plates! Their food is rooted in Levantine cuisine which comes from the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Everything was too too good! We got the Baba Ganoush with Bread, Batata Harra Thousand Layered Potatoes, and Grilled Cabbage. The Baba Ganoush is a an eggplant puree with crushed pistachios. Such a gorgeous savory dip. Their house-made bread is a must-get to pair! Super fluffy and toasted to perfection. The Batata Harra Thousand Layered Potatoes were my personal favorite. The potatoes were sooo crispy and the sauce (made of labneh yogurt, chili, and lemon) that it came with had me licking up very last bit. Lastly, don't sleep on their Grilled Cabbage! It was served as a wedge and featured XO sauce, dried sausage, peanuts and tahini labneh sauce. This would probably get any kid to eat their veggies. Will most definitely be returning!

    Ok went here because my wife took me. I was pleasantly surprised. Ambiance is a modern cool vibe…read moreand the outdoor area is beautiful in the summer early evening. Service was great, food is family style which is great for me. Food was good, except for the hangar steak. Like wtf is that, cut up cubes in brown sauce with capers and 3 slices of onion, it was gross and looked like a child made it. Fried chicken and hummus on point. Other than that monstrosity drinks were good. I had the drs. Choice and 2 of them made my night spectacularly great. I would go back yes. 4 stars cause that hangar steak literally was garbage.

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    Luna Grill Dana Point - Gyro Plate

    Luna Grill Dana Point

    4.0(727 reviews)
    7.3 mi
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    Ordered online to pick up for lunch. The online ordering interface was very user friendly and easy…read moreto navigate options/make substitutions. Food was ready when it said it would be! I had to wait in line behind people ordering in order to pick up (food was behind the counter waiting for me in a bag) which sort of defeats the purpose of ordering from home. I would've liked to be able to pick up instead of waiting in line but I also understand the issues of people walking out with your food! The food itself was a good sized portion. I'd relate the taste to how chipotle is in comparison to true authentic Mexican food. It's good but it's not truly authentic Greek cuisine. I'd go here again for lunch! [this review was made in connection with a Toast promotion]

    We've been customers since you opened, and last year we noticed this location was starting to go…read moredownhill in terms of customer service and food quality. We made a complaint, and for a while we slowly saw some improvement. However, we visited twice again--once last month and again this month--and the customer service was not friendly or accommodating whatsoever. The rice was horrible, tasteless, and overcooked. We asked to pay for additional chipotle and yogurt sauce, and they failed to include it with our meal. Last month we also had a to-go order, and the chicken was overcooked. As I mentioned before, we have patronized the San Diego Luna Grill location, where the food is always outstanding and the service is amazing. The owner of this franchise should be aware of how this location is being run.

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    Bahar Restaurant - Entrance

    Bahar Restaurant

    4.1(591 reviews)
    10.1 mi
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    Family-owned & operated
    Private events

    Still such a yummy spot! I got the appetizer with the crispy rice and the three toppings. The three…read moretoppings happened to be my favorite three dishes! So I love that they have that on here I don't remember it being here about 10 years ago. I also got the stew with celery artichoke and beef. It was really nice! I love that it's lightweight. I'll probably get a fuss in June to go just because it's my favorite. I absolutely love the Persian tea! I do order it with my food which always throws people off but that's how I do it lol I've had the creepy day etc. here before so I know that's good but I'll definitely order that next time to go.

    This review is for Bahar Catering: We had Bahar catering for…read morea 51st birthday at an event venue. I highly recommend Bahar catering. From the planning to the actual event, they handled everything professionally and stayed in constant contact with me prior to the event. The food quality was exceptional. They provided a beautiful set up with the coffee, tea and cookies. The food was set up beautifully and the food temperature was perfect. The server adapted and problem-solved. I really couldn't have asked for a better caterer. I was able to enjoy the party because there was nothing that was missing--everything was provided exactly as was agreed and they went above and beyond. Thank you for making our event memorable.

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    Ilya Restaurant - mediterranean - Updated June 2026

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