This is review is long overdue but sometimes things take a little bit longer ... Recently, I had the opportunity to experience Raya, the newest edition to the ever-evolving Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, twice during my recent stay at there and everything from service, quality of food, ambience and experience was 5 Star! The most notable was the flawless service which was provided by all Ladies & Gentlemen of Raya. From the friendly and warm greeting by the hostess to the server and server attendant, all were extremely engaging and very proud and enthusiastic of their new dining adventure. For lunch I was able to get a table right at the windows and no matter how often I am at the Ritz, the view is breathtaking! Let's talk about food... According to their press release, Raya is a restaurant concept by acclaimed Chef Richard Sandoval featuring Pan Latin Coastal cuisine. Not really sure what to expect I was not ready at all for this exceptional culinary experience! I already had a hard time deciding what appetizer I wanted but I finally chose the Ceviche tasting and very much enjoyed the rock shrimp and ahi tuna ceviche with a crispy serving of plantain and yuca chips. My second choice would have been the Hamachi Tiraditos but luckily I had them the next night for dinner! Taking into consideration that this restaurant serves sustainable seafood, I chose the Miso-Marinated Black Cod and was not at all disappointed. This Alaskan cod relative is served with daikon radish and asparagus with a dusting of lemon togarashi (for non-foodies like me this is a seven-spice chile-based seasoning from Japan). The fish was perfectly prepared and the serving size was just the right size for a light "spa-ish" lunch and left enough space for a deliciously creamy yet light Lemongrass Panna Cotta served with a tequila gelée ...If you think this sounds awesome - wait for my dinner experience the next evening. Foolishly enough I did not make a dinner reservation for Saturday night but thanks to my wonderful concierge I was able to get a table. It's amazing how the atmosphere in this restaurant changes from a busy and casual lunch place to a very trendy and stylish restaurant. The very interesting and contemporary design of this restaurant creates the right ambience for a casual dinner or a celebration. Once again the service was absolutely flawless and the energy of all the ladies & gentlemen working in this restaurant was contagious. As I already somewhat knew the menu I quickly settled for the Hamachi Tiraditos (non foodies here we go again: Hamachi = yellowtail tuna; Tiraditos = Sashimi Peruvian-style) and once again I was not disappointed. The combination of light and delicate hamachi with apples, fresh mint and ponzu set the stage for the entrée. To stay with the sustainable seafood theme I decided to try the seared Hawaiian tuna with pistachio and ancho chile crust, served on a bed of sweet carrots and apples, flavored with sriracha (spicy hot sauce from Thailand) and mole verde. Needless to say that I cleaned my plate which unfortunately prevented me from having a dessert that evening even though the Churros where highly recommended and looked (almost) impossible to resist. Not to worry - I am sure there will be another time... Look out for my report on Eno and 180blu which I also tried during my stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. read more

We walked up to a clearly empty restaurant. Hostess refused to seat us citing "full restaurant" and the earliest seat she had available was over an hour in the future. We went onto yelp, booked a table 5m into the future and walked back. Got seated within minutes. WTF? Food was good, but hostess kind of turned us off. read more

My wife and I had high expectations from this place due to the brand (The Ritz Carlton...). Little did we know their service is way below fast food standards. The place is ran by Millennials which is the first red flag. The front girl was very awkward, our waitress was annoying at best forgetting our drinks, making unnecessary comments, and trying to do too much. We also requested a window table as one became available after other guests were leaving, instead it was given to a group of old farts that were sitting behind us. They finally brought our drinks and my drink fell off the table. The waitress got anxious and apparently went and told her millennial manager that we had dropped it on the floor on purpose. The millennial manager brought in a tiny security millennial with her (with an ear piece and everything, not a gun, but an ear piece) and started arguing with us instead of trying to fix the issue at hand they created more conflict (Typical millennial unaware of how to fix this sort of issue). In other establishments we would have been taken care of by the owner or manager. I asked for the bill, left a big fat zero on the tip line and we left. We are locals, and we probably would have been back. Never again. Nice view from window sitting, dull selection on food, bimbo millennials running the place F-. read more

There are very few places that have excellent views and amazing food, usually you get one or the other but this has both, and great service. If you want a window table, you'll have to wait - obviously everyone wants one but it's definitely worth waiting for if you have the time. (Keep in mind that they only seat 4.) As far as the price goes, you're at the Ritz-Carlton.... read more

We came here last night for my birthday and this has been by far, the classiest and most well worth it restaurant I've been to. First of all, the service was phenomenal! We were greeted warmly by Madison at the hostess table. We came just a few minutes early so they were still setting up our table. So, we decided to head over to Bar Raya to sit and wait it out for a few. There, the bartender (I unfortunately forgot his name but he was tall with sandy colored hair) was amazingly pleasant. He got us our drinks and chatted with us a bit to make us feel extremely welcomed. As we were summoned to our window front table, he told us our drinks were comped because it was my birthday! What an amazing start! Awesome service! (But Damn! We forgot to tip him since we didn't have to pay for the drinks!) anyway, once seated at our table, our waitress Elizabeth came over and greeted us warmly. (Her assistant-forgot his name-looked like Peeta from the Hunger Games and he was amazingly professional and wonderful to us as well). We asked for suggestions and she gave us plenty of awesome sounding items. We had a dozen of raw oysters, ceviche tasting, lobster tacos, halibut and NY steak paired with a number of drinks. All were, once again, phenomenal! My fave were the oysters (and believe me, I was not a fan of oysters before this) and the NY steak was seasoned so well. Tasted amazing in its own. My halibut was sooooooooo amazingly sweet and light and paired so well with the corn salsa. It was just absolutely amazing. They gave me a comped bday chocolate cake dessert and we also ordered the coconut tres leches cake which was very good and light (not dense or too rich). The bill came out to over $250 for 2 ppl but well worth it (although I obviously wasn't the one paying). My B also thot the place was extremely high class and worth it tho - so, I'm definitely giving this place a top rating. Just the view and service alone makes you feel amazing to be there! Don't wait and start making reservations! :) read more

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Very good food, over the top amazing service. Has to be the best coastal view of any restaurant in Orange County.

Reservations required but good tip !!!! Ask for an anniversary card if it's your anniversary or birthday and receive 15% off your purchase as well as free valet read more

65 brunch, 3 course hmmm, not really worth it but it is fresh tuna ceviche, solid good pan seared scallop was fresh but it lacked a bit in taste fried churros was not authentic or even close, skip this one read more

Raya has magnificent views of the ocean. This place is busy so if you want a window seat make sure and make a reservation. We celebrated our anniversary here and had a wonderful time. The food was delicious and the service is impeccable. This is a must go to destination. read more

When I heard that this was a resort restaurant, I was a little skeptical to say the least at the possiblity of this place being a genuinely "good" restuarant. Came here for dinner and was seated next to one of the windows that overlook the ocean. It was dark so we weren't able to take full advantage of the view, but I can imagine that it would be amazing. Definitely must come here another time for either lunch or an early dinner to watch the sunset. The food was fantastic and everything was cooked perfectly. But the thing that really stood out to me was the service. Aside from our waiter being very attentive, it made it all that much better that he looks and behaves exactly like Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) in his role in Love Actually. Seriously cracked me up everytime he'd come by. All in all, good times. read more

We would actually give this place a 3.75. View & service were great. I'm not sure why a few others said they got poor service. We had a few servers helping us out. We were just there for the Valentine's Prix Fix Menu ($110pp which included a glass of champange) , so I don't think it was as great as it would be on a normal day. Table setting was romantic with rose petals. They even gave each lady a long stem red rose. We'd like to go back and try the regular menu, since everyone's pictures look so yummy! Corkage was $25 and valet was $5. Not to bad. read more

Our server, Jordan, took great care of us all night. She made some excellent recommendations from the menu, and we took her up on most of them. The King Salmon was, indeed, phenomenal. The Seabass Ceviche and the Swordfish Dip were both out of this world. Thank you for a wonderful experience. We left fully satisfied. read more

Terrible service. Each day during our one week stay we had to have breakfast there as it was included in our package and we had to wait 40 minutes to get a table. Once we got a table we had to wait another 30-40 minutes to get our food. The food quality was mediocre at best. the only good thing about Raya is the amazing view. Unfortunately if you are a family of five they won't sit you by the water and your only choice is to sit on the second level! The staff had little to no knowledge of vegan food and having them bring something vegan for breakfast was a huge task. read more

I went here awhile back due to a rendezvous on HWY 1. My bf and I saw the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Beach and found this restaurant inside. We only came here for dessert and all I have to say is that it was one of the best desserts I've had! We got the cheesecake in a cup thing, if I can recall, and the fondue. It was a super good and cleaver creation. The place also overlooks the Pacific, great location, and pricey. read more

I spent my birthday here. Very nice view. Great food and service. Although food was little pricey, it was expected since it was at Ritz Carlton. Great place for me time. Will come back. read more

This is how it should be when you're dining at the ritz. The food and service matched the spectacular views and ambience. Can't wait to come back again soon. Try the arroz negro. It's the best. read more

I came for dinner, but this is really a lunch or brunch place. You are paying for the ocean view, which for dinner is complete darkness. $50 steaks and $30 fish/chicken entrees just don't feel worth it. Don't expect innovation, as everything is routine. Pan seared scallops, petite filet, sorbets, flour-less cakes, and so on. You see it at every high end upscale restaurant. There is pretty good execution in the dishes, but nothing edgy, no passion. It's the same old, same old. And it doesn't feel like a restaurant, more like tables in the hotel lobby. Best dish - wild mushrooms as a side order. read more

Dana Point California, home to fancy cars and beautiful costal views, and where one of the nicest hotels in the world is located. The Ritz Carlton is one of the most expensive and fancy hotels in the country. The Ritz Carlton also has locations around the world. The Ritz Carlton is for wealthy and very successful families and movie stars. It is suggested for a business client or a very fancy date. You should start off by giving your keys to the valet parking. Then you would walk down the fancy art filled halls to your restaurant. The Ritz-Carlton restaurant Raya has an amazing view 150ft above sea level overlooking the ocean. You can see surfers and seals from the huge windows. Everything is put together with lots of exactness and thought. It has a fancy quiet dining environment. Each table has its own fancy fresh flowers. The hand cloths are nicely folded and the chairs are fancy velvet. The Raya burger- at first glance it looked like a well made burger it was a decent size and nice big chunks of lettuce. After taking your first bite you will instantly notice how dry and overly cooked the meat is. The bread was burnt and hard as a hockey puck. You can also order some other dishes. Some of the most ordered dishes are lobster salad and salmon but I almost didn't bother ordering that considering how long the burger took. I couldn't imagine waiting any longer for a worse burger. It was almost inedible. Some other items they will serve you would be beef huarache and chicken salad. For sides you can get sweet potato fries with habanero honey mustard or truffle. You can order some of their seafood sampler, with oysters, shrimp and tuna. The oysters are a great starting dish. The sweet potato fries are properly salted with little grease and are nicely displayed. They have a nice selection of deserts to round up you fancy dinner. One helpful tip is do not order the hamburger. You will want to dress formally. If you want a burger then go to In 'N' Out and get the Double-Double with fries, I prefer without onions. In 'N' Out has the nice fresh burger that I was originally hoping for and without the extensive wait. The "It's our pleasure" slogan of Ritz Carlton must mean that they are happy they are taking your well-earned money and giving you a terrible burger. The location and scenery makes this restaurant very unique. The vibe of the restaurant will give you the feeling of success. My recommendation is go to this restaurant but just don't order the hamburger. read more

Amazing views of the beach, Impeccable service, and delicious food. Came with my family and we all enjoyed every minute of our buffet dining experience @ Raya at Ritz Carlton. Be sure to ask for a next-to-window sitting. Highly recommended for dates and other formal events! read more

A group of friends got together on a beautiful Sunday to celebrate dual birthdays. Since there were 13 of us, the best bet is to go with the fix price brunch menu which includes all you can drink sparking wine. I didn't like the Brut sparkling wine by itself. It was better suited for mimosa. The ambience was very nice. We didn't feel out of place even though we were the less noisier group. The service was good, but not excellent. The food was less than spectacular. It was an agreed concensus with a few of my friends that the food could be better. read more

Why do I have to give this 1 star? By far the worst food and service! And totally embarrassing to take out of town friends Food was not good! Especially the ceviche sampler which Tasted horrid... The shrimp one was like shrimp served on baby formula Disgusting The only thing descent was the lobster tacos which the waiter tried to steal until one of yelled at him to bring back since we hadn't finished it and we're all so hungry It took 45 minutes just to get our drinks and no one had bothered coming to get our order till we asked for manager Their drinks menu was also misleading so be careful! Also menu has small and large plates The waiter said large plates are to be shared We ordered 3 large plates and 3 small plates and it seemed ridiculous how small the large plates were... Can not be shared barely enough for 1 person Horrible service ... The waiters are not what you should expect at the ritz Instead they should be working at a local pizzeria or Italian restaurant Very disappointing experience ... Won't ever come back here to eat ... Yuck waste of money and worse waste of our time read more

Amazing view of The Pacific Ocean, wonderful food, and very courteous service. Being inside a Ritz Carlton is awesome. Like other reviewers have mentioned, if you like lobster, the lobster tacos are to die for. Everything we tried was fantastic. We celebrated my wife's birthday and they made her a very cool dessert. Definitely going back next time we are in town. read more

Valet is great. Fully staffed, professional and on top of things. they're ready when you pull up and there are plenty of them to direct to you, help you, and open the doors for you. It makes the experience good from the moment you arrive. The restaurant itself is all about the view. The elevation of the restaurant on the cliff edge is perfect and along with the floor-to-ceiling windows, it looks like you're on a cruise ship looking out on the ocean. It's amazing to say the least. I had thought that it would be nice to see the sunset so I got a window seat and booked an early 6PM dinner so that we had enough time to eat during the daylight and enjoy the view and then see the sunset around dessert. However the glare of the sun's reflection on the water is so strong that the solar window shades had to be brought down to reduce the glare. The shades were down until after the sunset. So that pretty much defeated the purpose of getting a window table at that specific time. I don't think I would recommend coming here for dinner because of that reason. And a window table is probably not necessary. I think a brunch or lunch might be better. As far as the food is concerned, it was okay. Not horrible, but definitely not great. Absolutely nothing to write home about. Really tiny portions but it was okay because the food was meh. I got the black cod, which any ol' Japanese restaurant could make better than Raya. Husband got the ceviche tasting, the lobster tacos and the pork huarache. None of which even mildly produced a "mmmmm" or "yum". Had a nice time because how can you not enjoy the Ritz Carlton? :). But the mediocre food makes it difficult to think about going back to Raya again for dinner. read more

for brunch, expect a long wait even *with* reservation ask for a window table with stunning view convenient valet service cute brunch menu selection read more

Review for 5 consecutive resort breakfasts here during our stay. First they renovated the whole place and it looks great. They screened it off some to make a separation from the lobby/hallways. The view is amazing, like floating over the water. The food is resort food all the way - overpriced, very predictable, never changing. The service was very hit or miss which is surprising for the Ritz. It's convenient if you are staying here o/w go elsewhere. read more

Amazing service, sweet people, beautiful views. Went for Sunday brunch with reservations for 1:45 however ran late and decided to wait for a table by the ocean. Got seated at 2:10 and found out their brunch had actually ended. But our waitress was so nice she brought out the brunch menu and let us order off of both menus. Normally it's $65 for their multiple course Sunday brunch and free flowing mimosas, but I told the waitress I don't drink but I was dying to have their muffin/scone basket. She immediately told me it was not worth it and she would bring me out the muffin basket anyway which was Delish. Their lunch bread basket had these phenomenal cheese bread puffs to die for! Salmon was on point Truffle fries so good. Valet $5 with validation. More than anything the views of Dana Point are spectacular. Will be returning to bring visitors! read more

The view is amazing and the hotel is beautiful. The food is average and very expensive. I had the filet which was tasty but very undercooked. My husband had the shrimp quesadilla which he said was very average and my dad had the Korean chicken which also was very average. The staff were courteous and nice but we will not return for the food. read more

Had New Years brunch here. The selection was limited but the quality of the food was excellent! I love the mushrooms they served and the steak was very tender and juicy! Not to mention that you get a great view and the service was as great as you could expect in any ritz carlton. Love it! read more

Saturday night date and while the view & staff were fine, the food was not. No creativity and too much truffle oil on the list. Really? Aren't we at a Ritz? Oh yeah we are, look at the price tag. Honestly, the mixed mushrooms and yu choy/bacon side dishes were good as were the lobster tacos but were quite buttery/oily. I ordered a fish dish and it was actually cooked well but was ruined with way too much aioli which was squirted all over the top. Gross! My girl had the seafood risotto which she said was average and told me that she had expected something better at an R.C. No dessert. Add a couple of beers and presto: a $200 bill. An updated menu and décor are in order here. read more

Love this Place; we try to come here at least once a month. Reservations are highly recommended for a window seat! Great Views of the beach, coastline and the surfers. Fantastic sunsets for Lovers and those who want to be. Service- The service is usually excellent, and when a mistake occurs, they go out of their way to make the customer happy. Just Let them Know!!! (I don't believe the people who had problems let the management know!) This IS The Ritz-Carlton!!! Excellent Overall Service on Every Visit! (Or Maybe we get better service because we are frequent visiters.) Soups and Salads- Best Lobster Bisque I've ever had. (You have to call a day in advance to get it because it's not always on the menu.) They have many wonderful salads including an organic baby green salad that is very flavorful. Entrees- Fantastic red meat and lamb and their fish is first rate! Everything is cooked perfectly, and on the rare occasions it's not, The managment and staff take excellent care of you. :-) I have never left 162' without a smile on my face and a happy tummy. I would mention the Excellent Deserts but just typing them here would probably increase my weight 2-3 lbs. Everyone of them I've sampled is 1st Class and very yummy! Restaurant 162' at the Ritz is great for special occasions, relaxing after a difficult day or just when you feel like it. I Rate this restaurant with the bests of SoCal. But after all, just sayin' you've just eaten' at the Ritz, kind of says it all. Especially with the big smile you probably have on your face as you say it. read more

this is for the inside bar next to restaurant, great,service & bar food!! relaxing!! love this place!!! read more

I wonder how many people are seduced by the beautiful view and terrific service. The food is inexcusable. The "salmon lollipops" appetizer would have been embarrassing at Schrafft's in 1962. My 19-year old daughter said, "what the heck was that?" I told her it was an old-fashioned "salmon croquette" with extra-heavy, overfried breading. The Seafood Cobb Salad (28 bucks) consisted of a pile of lettuce, half a sliced avocado, and a big pile of those tiny, tasteless shrimp they sell in glass jars at Ralph's. "Smoked scallops," listed on the menu, did not make an appearance -- probably a good thing. Other complaints are common enough at the average coffee shop: burger ordered medium rare arrived very well done, toast on Reuben sandwich burned, etc. Final insult was a strawberry-with-chocolate-dipping-sauce dessert we ordered in the bar while we opened my mother's birthday gifts. Two very pretty ripe berries, (on top!, with gee whiz, toothpicks in 'em!) and eight other yellow losers scattered around. C'mon folks, even at home, we pick through the fruit if it's going to be on display. The kitchen, I think, displays a level of carelessness that amounts to an insult. "View" restaurants are notoriously lousy, but we thought the Ritz name guaranteed at least a passable meal for $350. (5 people, with beer, wine and Cokes.) The two stars are for the view and the lovely service -- by all means stop by for a drink. But dear lord, don't eat there. read more

Topped of by a magnificent view, this was out best meal in the area. The dishes represent a grouping of favors we would expect to find in some of New Yorks finer establishments. The halibut was one of the best fish dishes I've had in a while. The way the chef blends in the truffle without overpowering the flavor of the fish is simply genius. The staff is attentive and friendly. Cant wait to go back. read more

I ate here with my wife last month. The food was incredible! Great presentation and customer service!

Excellent dinner!!! Elizabeth was great. Made my wife's birthday dinner very special. The view is amazing. Great Sunset view during dinner. Ohhh and the food was absolutely delicious. Try the Steak and the Risotto, can't be beat. The place is classy but still casual. We kinda had a unusually loud group behind us but it's all good. Everybody was having a great time. Enjoying the moment and life. That's what it's all about. Everyone did a great job and I never felt in need of anything during dinner. Beautiful job and Delicious. read more

What a beautiful experience! The food was seriously delicious and the view was amazing. I actually liked the casual vibe in this white collar location. On busy nights the service maybe slow but still top notch. The food will never disappoint. read more

I can say the view here is gorgeous. The wait staff was nice. The food... Huge disappointment. We came for my birthday. We sat next to one of the giant windows over looking the ocean. It was a breath taking view. We ordered the sashimi appetizer and Hawaiin ahi appetizer. Both came out in tiny portions and were sub par for flavor. To top it off, there was a little green worm crawling around the salad under the ahi. I got the lobster salad, which was decent, but nothing spectacular. My husband got the chicken and said it was boring. We ended up getting desert, carrot cake, which had a beautiful presentation, but didn't taste that great. A dinner for 4 of us ended up running $400 and that was with a worm in our food... I wouldn't come here for a meal again. Maybe just a drink and a quick appetizer to enjoy the view. read more

Beautiful property! I haven't really visited too many Ritz. But it was a holiday and we needed food badly. So, of course the hotels are open for lunch. First, the views are gorgeous. Our ETA was 30 minutes prior to closing. We were seated and ordered 2 appetizers (ahi tuna salad & ceviche sample, which were 2 fishes, sea bass and tuna) and each ordered a fish entree. They were all delicious (we were super hungry!) We didn't get a table with a view, but you an walk down to the beach afterwards and many spots in the hotel have views. The service was very good. All the kids (waiters and staff) were very cordial, polite, and attentive. Checked on us a few times. Would def return. read more

Amazing food, great service, and spectacular view. Had breakfast with friends and the family. Couldn't have been a better experience. It was even better because Keith paid. Again. Thanks Keith! read more

Decided to choose this place to fine dine during our visit to OC based on good reviews and more importantly the mention of the spectacular ocean view . I will first say the service was A+ but I found that to be true every restaurant we visited during our visit to OC. I made a reservation a week before we arrived thinking that would land us a table by the window ... I was wrong so 1st off if you choose this restaurant for the view don't count on it , people dine for hours watching the sunset I think reservations should take priority to better seating than walk ins . Besides that being a bummer all in all the food was too. The octopus appetizer my husband ordered was mushy it so over cooked , the black miso cod was over cooked as well it should be somewhat firm and it too was soft and flaked all over the plate , I ordered the filet mignon it was cooked to perfection and tasted delicious. I highly recommend saving your money our dinner was 250.00 which we don't mind paying if it's worth it but there are so many other excellent restaurants in OC don't waste it here . read more