daughter and I came to Balboa Island for dinner and a walk. first of all...WOW this is the most amazing town I have ever visited ...ever.. USA all the way!!! the decor is over the top AMAZING we walked around and perused menu's and Yelp to figure out where we were going to eat (this was an impulse trip so new pre planning) I have no intel and any restaurants in this area and I'm pretty happy with our choice. I imagine there are better places and places that are not as good. we did not have a reservation (obviously) and it was a slight issue....if we had come any later we would not have gotten a seat. I think we arrived around 6. daughter and I ordered a salad and pasta to share and they split both entree's for us. that's quite nice. salad: romaine, arugula, shaved Brussels done Caesar style. this was so darn amazing !!! I will try to replicate it Pasta: Short Rib Fettuccine. explanation is in the name + topped with fried basil leaves which added a nice touch service was friendly ..but I did have to get up to ask to pay my bill. there seemed to be regulars at the bar area ...so it may be a local fav. I liked it.. food was good atmosphere was nice 1 single unisex bathroom you would be lucky to find parking nearby. read more

Decent food, perfect vibe. This neighborhood joint feels like they transported a cute and quaint pub directly out of the English countryside. They're a bit light on the seasoning but their fish and chips were still delicious. I also love the rustic cut of their fries. Caesar salad is definitely a skip. Burger is just fine. We loved their wine and beer selection though. Tell me another place you can find a grapefruit Radler in OC!?! Their hostess also needs to be a bit more self awareness. She was chatting with a friend nonstop and had us waiting with no acknowledgement while we were waiting to check in for a reservation. It was a bit annoying but respect and quick service goes a long way. read more

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This restaurant delivers exactly what a neighborhood favorite should: thoughtful and simple but well done food, excellent wine and an atmosphere that makes you want to linger. Nothing was over the top and that's part of its charm. I gladly recommend it! read more

Royal Hen - Salmon - American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Super solid spot. Very surprised I had never really heard about it. Seems like it's been a local stable with a lot of history over in the oh so adorable balboa island hood. My first experience as a royal hen virgin was immaculate. Everyone from the clientele, to the runners, expo, server and management welcomed us like they were hosting us for a dinner party at their homes or something. The menu all looked great so I had trouble deciding We ended up getting the fish and chips, short rib pasta, and the famous chicken pot pie. We enjoyed everything. Will definitely be coming back Once dry freakin January is finally over, done with and in the history books. Stay classy Newport Beaxh read more

Came in not expecting much (given the "pub" branding) but pleasantly surprised by my meal here The warm miche bread at the beginning was delightful - nice and warm, with a bit of a toasted exterior (but not too rough). I think more than one of us would have been happy to just eat the bread. The squash blossoms were yummy, but just tasted like a battered fried thing, I couldn't really taste the squash blossoms. The fish and chips were excellent - a light but very crunchy batter paired with a great tartar sauce. Highly recommend. The burger my partner said was solid. read more

Loved the Royal Hen! Service was great and the food exceptional! We will be back for certain!

The food was so fantastic, and service was great! My husband and I came here with our 2 kiddos and they were having such a great time interacting with everyone who worked here. It's quite small but they totally make it work without feeling cramped and with reservations we were able to get a nice booth. read more

Cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. About a month or two ago my friends got engaged in Laguna Beach. In the haste of planning the proposal, the groom to be forgot to plan for dinner afterwards. The proposal was a big surprise with around 14 people total, and she said yes! Everyone was very hungry afterwards and wanted to celebrate. I started making some calls to restaurants that were local and unfortunately, because it was a Saturday evening, nobody was able to accommodate. When I called Royal Hen, they let me know that they would do everything they could to accommodate us. When we got there, they had set up an entire back room for our party, it was perfect. The staff was so friendly and I'm pretty sure I met the owners who were absolutely delightful. The food was great and the drink menu was solid. You cannot go wrong here! Highly recommended. read more

Such a cute spot! I loved the decorations that were up for Halloween. The candle lighting was a nice touch. Small intimate feeling. Service was fast & friendly. The shisto peppers were spicy & perfectly cooked. I got the fish & chips which were tasty as well! Definitely recommend for anyone coming to Balboa read more

This is a gem of a place. This is a quaint restaurant and bar. The food is delicious! Highly recommend the asparagus appetizer and for main meal I love the short ribs, hamburger and their fish and chips! Oh the Pot Pie is off the hook amazing! Date night place a must! read more

Such an amazing place for date night and girls night!! Family owned and super attentive. They do get busy but their food is delicious.

This place is pretty cool cause it's in Balboa Island, but the food is kind of average. I got the short rib fettuccine, which was very bland and had no flavor and needed salt. Also we ordered the burger and the fries which is pretty good the bacon and the cheese and the sauce that was on the burger was pretty good. The fries reminded me of double fried fries where they been sitting and then they get refried and there's lots of oil service was average when I come back again probably not but the area is quite nice so I'd probably visit the area again. read more

Royal Hen - American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Quaint little place on balboa island. Atmosphere was dark, but romantic. The server was a bit brusque, but not overly rude. The food was actually delicious. read more

Always a special evening!!! The food, service and ambiance were outstanding! The sourdough bread is a must order item!!

I recently visited Royal Hen with my husband during the holiday season, and the inside was beautifully decorated with Christmas trees and lighting. It added such a cozy, Hallmark holiday movie ambiance. The place is small, dark, and intimate, which made our dining experience even more special. Our food was great. We started with the tiger prawns and zucchini blossoms. I ordered the mussels with coconut sauce, and my husband went for the scallops with risotto. The mussels were delicious but could've been better quality, as several remained closed after being cooked--more than a quarter of the bowl was like this. Surprisingly, my husband's risotto was cooked to perfection! It's a dish that can easily be messed up, but it was phenomenal! For dessert, we shared the pistachio tartufo, one of our favorite desserts. Even though they were very busy, the service was great, and overall, it was a wonderful restaurant experience. read more

Popped in during Christmastime with my toddler and were greeted very warmly like we were regulars. Had the burger and a glass of wine. Burger was very good! Loved the cozy vibe of the place. Owners were friendly. Would return!! read more

Food was spot on. Loved everything. If you look at the menu on Yelp look for a recent date as the menu changes a bit with the season (including the tap menu). We ordered: Sour Dough Bread Wrapped Asparagus Side of Fries Chicken Pot Pie Short Rib Pasta Brussel Sprout Salad There was four of us and it was enough food without over doing it. It was a bit quiet the night we went (summer crowds are thinning out) and the Boss Hen took care of us personally. Very nice night, looking forward to coming back. read more

Balboa island gem. Very nice space with indoor/outdoor feel towards street. Nice size dishes with a British vibe. Staff and management friendly and professional. Try it! read more

Great local spot for date night or dinner with friends. Cynthia, the owner, is always so sweet and welcoming. The food is fresh and innovative! Highly recommend!! read more

A group of girlfriends and I ate dinner at the Royal Hen last night and to start, the food was absolutely amazing. We ended up ordering almost everything off the menu and they were so accommodating. And a huge shout out to the owner Cynthia, who was the sweetest and most down for earth. She made our night so fun. As did all staff. We will be going back regularly now! Highly recommend! read more

We had a lovely evening at Royal Hen! Food was delicious- we split the evening special surf and turf, enjoyed cocktails and the lively, friendly, cozy ambiance. read more

Royal Hen - dinner - American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

My friends and I had the best time celebrating our annual white elephant gift exchange here! Incredible food (the short rib pasta is a must!!), extremely amazing and welcoming staff, and decorated so cute for Christmas! 1000% will be back!! read more

The food was pretty good but Cynthia made this the worst experience. She was extremely rude and shows a completely different side when it's her own friends walking in. We made a reservation prior but had to wait 30 minutes so she could sit her friends at a table before us. What was the point of making the reservation? read more

Been here 15+ Times and I will NEVER return. There is something wrong with the manager, Cynthia. In the past I was willing to overlook the fact that she is short-tempered, snide, and tries to move quicker than her brain can process.... yet it's an extremely small 12-top restaurant. I used to manage a local restaurant with over 150 tables and would look like a complete fool if I acted as she does. Recently.... I joined my family at the bar and was enjoying my time with other locals. A man came to the bar to join some people... so we shifted down a bar seat to make room for him which was a complete disaster for Cynthia. Apparently Cynthia regularly reserves bar seats for her friends who don't even pay for their meals LOL. When shifting down seats I apparently entered the SPECIAL CYNTHIA GUEST ZONE and was trying to sit in their assigned seats!!! Even though there's 4 barstools open............. Instead of taking the obvious approach and grabbing another stool after I shifted down......... she ran over to stop me from sitting down..... and wanted to get me a different stool to sit in the exact same place...................... LOL. I called her out on how strange it was and that it's a little rude and she says "Okay well you can leave" .... 2 seconds later her 5 foot 2 inch tall boyfriend is trying to yell at me and ask if I'm on drugs as I stood there laughing at the absurdity of these people while everyone else at the bar is sat there confused beyond belief. She pretends to be the owner of the restaurant and makes Mickey do all the work. I pity the owner who doesn't know how she acts and am done supporting this woman's livelihood. Good riddance. read more

We ordered the squash blossoms (super crunchy and golden), and the chicken pot pie was delicious. Great service!

Nothing bad to say here. Been a few times and will go again. Nice people, friendly service, solid food, and reasonable prices for the area. The Royal Hen is a really solid addition to Balboa. read more

Love the atmosphere here and the food is a real bonus. So the combination is what I always look for. Cynthia is a hospitality queen and I love the open air feel. The night I went there was music and entertainment. In such a busy world it is worth the time. I will definitely be going back and taking friends. read more

Beautiful place The host was extremely rude she even told us...yes? Reservation? No? Ok Let me help the person behind you BECAUSE WE ARE REAAAALLY BUSSY... turns out it was not that bussy but she still treat us really bad ... we tried to let it slide, because we were hungry and the place looks beautiful...we sit immediately which it was good, we wait for our server which took only 15" to get notice ...it is reasonable, we waited for more than an hour our food after ordering , the drinks show up almost in 15" after ordering so ...it looks fine right? Well ... The food after a little more than an hour arrived and it was super bland, lack of salt,,, the lack of seasoning was insane! we requested at least salt the salt we requested ...the shaker was empty ....extra 20 minutes... the other salt container they gave was broken ...so we had to eat a very bland expensive food, rude experience...the server was nice, and he is the ONLY reason I give a 2 stars review...and because someone there cares about it the deco, BUT the food bland. The host TERRIBLE really we couldn't feel more unwelcome ever...maybe she is the owner but she should put someone friendlier in the front door as the host! Its really bad so never coming back and also never recommend this place read more

got the sourdough and peppers to start! so yum. husband got the burger and i got the chicken pot pie. we loved both. thanks for a nice dinner:)! read more

Royal Hen - menu - American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Loved everything about this place. Food was delicious and the service was exceptional. One of our favorite date night spots

Love this place the workers were so nice we also were there later in the day so the fire was very pretty! The bread with the butter was the best ever the food was great overall. The whole atmosphere of the place was good vibes and very clean the owner(Cynthia) was especially nice as she was there that day. read more

Great local spot that was really happening on a Wednesday evening. The curry risotto had nice complex flavors and the scallops and shrimp were cooked well. The lemonade was too tart, I'm not sure there was any sugar in it. The chicken pot pie was a disappointment. It needed salt and had an odd sour taste to it. The burger was nice and juicy. All in all, a solid restaurant. read more

Royal Hen - Burger - American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Ambiance was nice. Good place for a date. Food was very good. Service was about a B. Our server was busy and we were fortunate that he had to walk by our table to serve those behind us or it would have need worse. All in all, we would go back! read more

It's a nice walk to the island from Corona Del Mar when the days start getting a little longer. We like sharing an appetizer and their outstanding burgers, one of the best in Orange County. They always have reasonably priced interesting wines to explore. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. read more

There food is good and good quality u can tell and it is prety good ide say it's mediocer but its good quality and thats what matters

romantic dinner! Food was amazing! Wine was perfect! Dog enjoyed it ! ambience was great sat outside! staff was attentive! Try this restaurant you won't be disappointed! read more

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I wish zero stars was an option. I saw not one not two but three cockroaches, actively roaming around on the wall that I was sitting directly next to. We notified two staff members who seemed to care very little and did not even apologize... I was sitting right next to the cockroaches so I picked up my food drinks, etc., and move them to a different table myself because the staff didn't think it was a big deal. None of our food was comped, even though I mentioned it to two servers and barely had a bite because I was so grossed out. No apologies the staff just kind of said oh. We asked to speak to the manager who we were told was out of town, although there was a older gentleman there who seemed like he was in charge, so I'm not sure why he didn't talk to us ? In addition to the multiple cockroaches, the service was also poor. We were kind of forgotten about and had to walk up and ask for our check after about 30 minutes of waiting. I don't leave reviews often, but this is definitely deserved. I just wish I had taken a photo of the multiple cockroaches so I could post it. read more

This is more like a 3.5 star review. Always wanted to visit and finally we did. Easy to make a reso on Resy. Arrived on time to a full restaurant. Service overall was a little slow. The server mentioned it. We let it slide multiple times but at some point we just felt disconnected and ignored. Opted for the miche bread, Brussels caesar, and fish and chips and two drinks. Kinda crazy we paid $12 for bread IMO. I would've enjoyed less of a portion for free. Caesar salad was just ok. Overdressed. Grilled chicken added on was tasteless and dry. Salad was wilted overall. A mix of arugula, romaine and Brussels, and yes, spicy from the arugula. The star of the meal was the fish and chips. Crisp batter with flaky fish. The fries were also outstanding. Loved that all three dipping sauces came alongside the fish. Had to ask multiple times for share plates, boxes and the check. Did not get offered refills. Cozy ambiance. More of a bar with a restaurant. Might return. Parking can be challenging since it's on the Island. read more

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Amazing food, attentive service and a relaxing ambiance. It's always packed at primetime hours so reservations are a must. read more

Royal Hen - Chicken pot pie - American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Celebrated an early birthday dinner here tonight. Beautiful peaceful pleasant ambiance with excellent service. We had the bread app which was fresh , crisp and flavorful. I had the risotto with scallops which had a bit of spice perfect portions nicely buttered scallops . I had a Cabernet and ended up the meal with the pistachio gelato and the chocolate dessert I forgot the name of: Everything was top notch full of flavor in a pleasant environment. Will be back. read more

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