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Ilya Restaurant

4.4 (177 reviews)
Closed • 10:30 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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ILYA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Ilya Restaurant

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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.

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!

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!

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

My favorite of the night truffle tagliatelle ..  spend the money and add fresh truffles to the top
Barbara S.

Went last night with two girlfriends. The Building is absolutely beautiful and welcoming. Our Server Matt was nice, but the mail manager of the night was extremely helpful, kind, and really helped make our night special. He is extremely personable. Now I'm for the best part... The food was fabulous. We made the night of sharing we started with baked feta. It was so yummy and the homemade pizza was incredible.. We then shared steak Frites and truffle tagiatelle. The steak was cooked to perfection and had the most incredible seasoning and taste. It was served with chimichurri, which one of the girls could not stop raving about. The frites were nice and cooked well. But I have to admit my favorite thing was the truffle tagliatelle. The creamy Parmesan and truffle sauce was extremely perfectly balanced and delicious. We added shaved truffles to the top, which just made it even more special. For dessert we ordered tiramisu which came out and a huge bowl and they dished it out for you at your table. I would recommend this place. I'm not gonna tell you that it's inexpensive because it's not... But it was worth every penny. I'm attaching some pictures of the food and also of how beautiful the building is because that always makes an experience special. The only thing I have to admit it is very loud and difficult to hear the people at your table.

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!

patio
Brittney A.

I dined at ILYA recently and had such an incredible experience! The space is stunning and truly feels like you've been transported somewhere in the Mediterranean. The indoor dining area is moody and romantic, while the outdoor patio is perfect for sunset. It's a great spot for date nights, celebrations, or catching up with friends. Food and drinks were just as impressive. The grilled tiger prawns had amazing flavor. The white fish carpaccio was a standout. I don't usually gravitate toward white fish, but I would absolutely order this again. The truffle tagliatelle was rich, well-balanced, and perfect for sharing. The grilled bavette was cooked beautifully, and the chimichurri was so unique and addictive. I genuinely wish I could buy a bottle. All of the sauces here are incredibly well done and elevate each dish. The tiramisu is a must-order. It's served tableside, light, creamy, and the perfect way to end the meal. Cocktails were all unique and well executed. Service truly stood out. Everyone was warm, attentive, and welcoming. Our server mentioned it was her first night out of training, and you would never have known. She was knowledgeable, thoughtful, and made great recommendations throughout the meal. Parking is valet, and even the team outside was just as kind and hospitable as the staff inside. Every touchpoint felt like 5-star service. Overall, a 10/10 experience. I can't wait to come back and bring more people here!

Roasted carrots
Erika N.

This is a new restaurant in San Clemente and the decor / ambiance is on point. Beautiful patio and lots of heaters to be enjoyable in colder temperatures. Highly recommend coming with at least a party of 3 people to share multiple plates. The roasted carrots were delicious, flavorful and perfectly roasted. The tiger prawn were somehow creamy tasting and full of flavor. Goat cheese salad was hands down the favorite to the night, fresh, crunchy and goat cheese everywhere. I'm typically not a huge meatball fan but here they are so packed with flavor and sauce was perfect pairing. The spicy rigatoni could have been spicier but we still enjoyed it. We ordered our steak medium rare, it was more on the medium side but still tasted good. Overall, I would recommend llya and make sure to order a good spread from meat to veggies.

Grilled Octopus
Lisa B.

Went back for my second visit and it was just as good as my first! Tonight, my husband and I were seated in the bar area, which has tables surrounding an olive tree. I know I said this in my first review, but everything about this restaurant is spectacular! The bar is beautiful, the restaurant beautiful, the wine and meat displays are really nice and service tonight was just as good as the first time! Since I had the Bavette steak the first visit and it was so delicious I had it again. We added a side of spinach with mushrooms and a share plate of the Truffle Tagliatelle. My husband had the lamb chops which he has been craving since his first visit. All of these flavors together were beyond delicious! Another thing I love about this restaurant is the portion sizes. I think they're absolutely the perfect portion size, you get enough food, but you're not stuffed! Kind of convenient for the restaurant since it saves just enough room for dessert! Haha, which, of course we did.... last time we had the tiramisu tonight we tried the lemon tart, which was not only beautiful, but tasty! I cannot wait to bring everyone I know to this restaurant!

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16 days ago

Great taste and quality food service was good and the mood was very mellow relatively relaxed for a Sunday brunch.

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Ask the Community - Ilya Restaurant

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The Fish Tank Capo - Another shot, this one from the balcony, showing the dancefloor being DJ'd by Magicali Entertainment.

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4.8(18 reviews)
6.0 mi

We started working with Simone/Aventura Ocean Club/Orange County Beach Weddings in…read moreSeptember/October 2018. I (the bride) was working in the area when I stopped by Aventura Ocean Club by myself at first to check the venue out. I loved it so much I had to bring my now husband back as soon as we got back from a mini vacation and on that day, we secured the location. Just imagine an amazing view of the harbor and sailboats while feeling relaxed in a room that is modern, intimate and designed well. This venue is NOT old school like some weddings that we have all been to, its updated and amazing. Besides the view, another huge selling point is the largest wrap around balcony I have seen at a wedding. Aventura Ocean Club sets up couches, chairs, and a firepit outside for the guests to enjoy while they are not inside. We had our wedding on 8/10/2019 and we have nothing but great things to say about the venue. We got married at Heritage Park in Dana Point (Simone coordinated all of this) and had our reception at Aventura Ocean Club. I am still getting compliments to this day about the venue, the view, the decorations, the food, the grand entrance that we did (think sail boat entrance) and even the florals, DJ and photographer we used (all who came recommended from Simone). We could not have asked for a better wedding and we are truly pleased. It is obvious Simone cares about her clients and truly believes in marriage and happiness, she was wonderful to work with. A few helpful hints about this venue: 1. It is intimate but fit 100 people on the inside with no issue. 2. Your guests will rave about the sail boat grand entrance if you choose this option. 3. If you use their wedding package/coordinating services (which you should in a heartbeat) your event will look even better than you imagined but with your style through and through. 4. Simone/Aventura Ocean Club/Orange County Beach Weddings and all her recommended vendors will give you the wedding of your dreams. 5. This was in our price range where a lot of other beach/beachy/coastal venues were significantly more money and you had to do everything yourselves.

I've been to the harbor a few times and never had the chance to visit this venue. I met Jeff who…read moreworks here who was amazing and welcoming. The drinks were good and let's talk about the view! Wow! There's a TON of parking so that's always good too. I would highly recommend this venue. Service, food, drinks and the view. Can't beat that!

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Aventura Ocean Club
Aventura Ocean Club
Aventura Ocean Club - Reception at the Harbor Room

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Reception at the Harbor Room

Ilya Restaurant - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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