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    Nirvana by Chef Lindsay

    3.9 (462 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Nirvana by Chef Lindsay Takeout or Delivery

    Nirvana by Chef Lindsay Photos

    Business Info

    NIRVANA BY CHEF LINDSAY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Barbara S.

    Our first time experience was outstanding!!! It was a fairly quiet Saturday evening because we came in early (5:30). Our waitress Nicole was the best, helpful, kind, and knowledgeable. I would always ask for her. To begin the review I need to say that one of our diners of the three of us is vegan. She had never seen vegan soup high-end restaurant before. She was very excited and had the vegan creamy zucchini soup. It had parsley, zucchini and spinach. I had the dairy free French onion soup which was so flavorful. For dinner, one had the grilled filet mignon, the vegan had tofu, coconut curry, and I Chilean blue lip, muscles, and frites. We each like our meals very much and would order them again, which always says a lot about a restaurant. We were too full for dessert, but we will try to save room for next time. It is sometimes difficult to go to a high class restaurant and find vegan options not just a salad or plate of vegetables. We appreciated this restaurant so much and will definitely return.

    Filet Mignon and Lavender French 75
    Victoria M.

    We celebrated Valentine's Day here, and it was absolutely amazing! Kim was our server, and she was so wonderful. Everything was delicious. It was our first time, and we're definitely coming back!

    Chocolate Banana bread pudding
    Jade M.

    Such delicious meal. The restaurant was so accommodating, we arrived for our reservation a tad early and couldn't wait to eat so they were courteous enough to seat us right away. The restaurant is well laid out a quaint spot on the corner near main beach, makes for great people watching. The service was a little disorganized but nothing outrageous. We ordered the grilled artichokes, mussel frites, wedge salad, followed by the stroganoff and the blackened seafood di mare. All were fantastic we ended the night with a little mud pie and chocolate banana bread pudding. Couldn't have asked for a better evening.

    Nirvana Kitchen
    Kathleen T.

    Amazing restaurant in the heart of Laguna Beach! This is a must on your trip! We had the wild-mushroom ravioli and it was amazing! And the cheese toast was the perfect side dish! Oxcana was our fabulous server! What a treat with a capital T!

    Cheers!
    Barbara G.

    What an incredible find! We enjoyed amazing lunch here on a Thursday. The soups just warmed us up and the fresh farm to table entrées were incredible. DEFINITELY coming back! Chef Lindsey's menu has something for everyone!! Hillary was so friendly and accommodating and the food was spectacular. Highly recommend Nirvana

    Kyelime pie
    Mg B.

    This is our 2nd time and so far so good.... Great place, very good food, amazing taste. Will go bk again.

    Roasted Squash Ravioli

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    Wow. First time dining here and it was excellent. Love the farm fresh food and organic wine. Service was great. Will come again.

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - Nirvana by Chef Lindsay

    Are trendy jeans acceptable here?

    absolutely!!

    What time specifically is happy hour? I see it is nightly but there is no time frame.

    Every night till close during off season

    View All 6 Questions

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    The deck is a great place to have a meal and look out over the vast Pacific Ocean. The views from…read morethe outdoor seating area are absolutely stunning. The service is great and the food is really good. This is the second or third time we've been to the deck while visiting Laguna Beach and it does not disappoint. We shared several different items between the four of us and enjoyed delicious cocktails. Definitely recommend this restaurant if you are in Laguna Beach during the day & really take in those view!

    Was really looking forward to a great mid afternoon 'Linner- lunch / dinner' after a day of…read moreapartment hunting down in Laguna and my significant other came across this place on social media. Wait time was probably about 30 minutes which wasn't too bad because we ended up getting a great corner table right on the beach. Our waiter was super nice and friendly. Recommended the mahi mahi as I asked help in choosing between three things and my boyfriend chose the beach burger. The food was well cooked with no complaints but really disappointing that they only come with chips. Really could have used French fries which would have landed this a better review. When you pay $21/$24 for sandwiches would just be a better side than chips to satisfy your hunger. Wouldn't you agree? My boyfriend liked the drinks too. Great view though, can't beat it. Too bad they couldn't have a private beach setting so you didn't have beach goers in photos and view. But that's not a big deal. Recommend for view and beach ambience. The mahi mahi and burger were good but would have wanted more with fries.

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    Nick's Laguna Beach - Warm Butter Cake

    Nick's Laguna Beach

    4.5(4.3k reviews)
    0.2 mi
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    I can't believe it took me this long to experience Nick's, especially as someone who's deeply…read morefamiliar with the Laguna dining scene. To put it simply: this is the kind of place Laguna has been missing. From the moment we walked in, the energy felt dialed-in in a way that immediately reminded me of a Hillstone experience -- polished but not pretentious, lively but still intimate. That balance is incredibly hard to execute, and Nix nails it. For context, I'm part owner of 230 Forest Avenue, so I don't say this lightly: Nix easily lands in my top five in Laguna Beach. We started with Aperol spritzes (perfectly balanced, not overly sweet), along with a couple of appetizers -- including a fried asparagus dish that was addictive in the best way. Crisp, flavorful, and gone way too quickly. For mains, I ordered the veggie burger, which was genuinely one of the best I've had -- hearty, well-seasoned, and thoughtfully constructed (not an afterthought, which vegetarian options so often are). My boyfriend had the noodle salad, which was fresh, vibrant, and layered with flavor. But beyond the food, what really stood out was the overall experience. The atmosphere feels intentional , great music, beautiful crowd, and a buzz that makes you want to linger. It's the kind of place where dinner effortlessly turns into drinks, and drinks turn into "should we just stay a little longer?" Laguna Beach doesn't have a ton of restaurants that hit this level across the board -- food, service, ambiance, and energy, but Nix absolutely does. We'll be back, and soon.

    Can you say delicious x10?! The food here is dangerously good…read more We kicked things off with drinks, an old fashioned and a skinny margarita, both doing exactly what they needed to do! Then came the artichoke appetizer and the soup of the day... and honestly, I could've stopped there and been happy. But we powered through like professionals and went for a late lunch entrée, the Chilean sea bass- and WOW. Worth every bite. And shoutout to our server and the entire staff, total pros. Super polished, attentive, and clearly know what they're doing without being over the top. If you're looking for amazing food with a cool, laid-back vibe, Nick's is your spot. Just come hungry... and maybe wear stretchy pants.

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    Nick's Laguna Beach - Inside

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    Nick's Laguna Beach - Chicken piccata

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    Seasurf Fish Co - Laguna Niguel  - Mexican corn

    Seasurf Fish Co - Laguna Niguel

    4.2(375 reviews)
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    M-F happy hour IS so bomb!…read more We got pretty much got everything on the happy hour menu. Edamame, fish tacos, burgers, poke nachos, ceviche, and wings. Reasonable price for all of this for just under $45 dollars. We sat outside, so inside we did not get to look all that well. But seemed cozy inside to eat too. The decor was pretty nice too. We had this spot saved on my list from 2 years ago and very happy we came when we did.

    Back again and everything was excellent! Tried some happy hour bites along with some main menu…read moreitems:) The clam chowder was perfect this time, potatoes cooked perfectly and a great overall taste to the chowder. Perfect for a cold winter day and we both really enjoyed it. Poke is excellent, the fish is very fresh and I loved the sauce it's served with! We also got some oysters which were a great deal for only $1.50 each, and they were so good! I'm always hesitant with oysters but these were very tasty and fresh! Would definitely get them again. Our favorite item was the tempura shrimp, literally would get an order for each person next time it was that good!! The garlic wings were good too, on our next visit we need to try more of the small bites for happy hour because everything we got was great! For our mains we got the clam steamers and a seafood cioppino. The clam steamers were good and served alongside fries and some tasty bread for dipping. The cioppino wasn't our favorite but we were full from so many tasty things we didn't even mind. Service was fairly quick for how packed they were, literally every table both inside and outside the store were full because everyone was coming for the happy hour. We got a bit of pushback when we asked for a takeout container for the cioppino we didn't eat because staff assumed we wanted to get our happy hour food to go which is not allowed. Once we explained that the 3 happy hour items we ordered were all consumed and cleared from the table and that we wanted the takeout contained for our cioppino, they gave us the box. They also appear to be dog friendly as there were several pups in the outdoor dining area:) We will definitely be back and can't wait to try some new yummy items!

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    Seasurf Fish Co - Laguna Niguel  - Outside

    Outside

    Seasurf Fish Co - Laguna Niguel  - Chowder Fries

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    Sapphire - Patio with ocean view

    Sapphire

    4.4(735 reviews)
    0.9 mi
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    Romantic vibe
    Outdoor seating

    I've been wanting to try this place so we decided to give this one pace a try during OCRW! We made…read morereservations and got a seat on their generous size patio! The water guys were great! We never had an empty glass of water during our meal! That's impressive, haha. We both got the OCRW meal. We got 1 of each appetizer- gem salad & tomato bisque. It took a little bit for the food to come out when it wasn't that crowded but we enjoyed the view. Both were good. Then we waited a bit for our food but we got the lamb shanks which was huge!! The server said it was about 12oz! My friend said it was good! I got the seabass with veggies which I really enjoyed! Light fish and loved the veggies! We both got the crème brûlée which was a good way to end the deal! Everything was delicious! You also get an amazing view of the sunset which we didn't even plan. Definitely worth a try!! SYOY!

    Sapphire is such an amazing restaurant. Its located just a block from the beach so the dining…read moreexperience comes with a beautiful view. The patio area is very spacious so there is plenty of room for people to enjoy the ocean breeze. I dined here on a Friday evening and it was pretty busy. Despite how lively it was, our server was extremely attentive to all of our needs. The manager, Sal, was extremely friendly and I noticed him engaging with tables throughout the night. The food was all so delicious. For appetizers we ordered the White Mexican Shrimp & Chilean Sea Bass Ceviche, the Rosemary Focaccia Bread, and a cup of their Seafood Chowder. The Ceviche was fresh and packed with flavor. The Focaccia was so fluffy and was served with a delicious whipped honey butter. For my entree I ordered the Short Rib Pappardelle. The chunk of short rib was massive and the creme fraise really tied all the elements of the dish together. My friends ordered the Wild Caught Chilean Sea Bass and American Wagyu Beef Burger. Both were yummy. Overall the food, service, and ambiance were top notch. Will definitely be back.

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    Sapphire - Sapphire's ocean view patio

    Sapphire's ocean view patio

    Sapphire - Wide shot.

    Wide shot.

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    I love starfish. I live in NorCal and every time I come down, this is the one and only spot I make…read morea date to go. It's just me and I don't need much, so HH is perfect. The libation of choice: lychee martini. Though this last visit, I finally tried another at the rec of Alexis - enlightenment. It's very refreshing- now I've got two favs. The wontons are fire! I normally go for shrimp chive, but also tried the pork Saigon ones this last visit, pan fried. Also super delicious. Crab Philly sushi was quite yum, I had a few left over and ate on my drive home. The roll is big!! Alexis is phenomenal- I only wish I could be as natural and on point as she. Fantastic server... I mean, fantastic person really. A++ Two drinks, an app or sometimes two and my evening instantly livens up. Gd I wish I lived in Laguna. One day! This is a local must. Love what the owners do, all the responses are genuine, the staff are great, and the vibes/drinks/food will keep you coming back. Till next time starfish!

    As a vegan with life-threatening allergies to gluten and animal products, I'm always very scared to…read moreeat out at non-fully-vegan kitchens. However, I was pleasantly surprised by having two options safe to eat! The tofu lettuce wraps were amazing, though I'd probably pass on the Naked Buddha roll the next time. Pricing for the entrées were pretty fair! The drink menu was a bit outlandish though with pricing. I do really wish they would denote on the menu what is gluten free or GFO for peace of mind. I'm ultimately super grateful to have been able to go out with my business partner & friends. I'd love to revisit the spot again.

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    Nirvana by Chef Lindsay - comfortfood - Updated May 2026

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