Was debating between the popular spot, lobster traps, and this place. Ended up deciding to support the smaller lesser known place. Food was not good at all. The lobster benedict was so dry, and the potatoes were not good at all. French toast was not crispy on the outside at all, all mushy, and even though we asked for no whipped cream, the waiter prob didnt even input that in the order since it came out with it. If you're in a hurry then this is definitely not the place to check out. Took 20' from order to get our food even though the restaurant was very empty. Originally wanted to give this 1 star, but the bartender guy was very nice so I changed to 2 instead. When we got in, no one was avai to greet us or to collect our order. After waiting for 5', the bartender saw that and came to check on us himself. Go to one of the more popular spots like bluewater or lobster traps if you want consistency or quality service as this place seems to be definitely a hit and miss. read more

Topside by NDMK - Lobster benedict - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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The food was good. The service was excellent, and the view is to die for, we had the fried pickles, chicken sandwich and the fish tacos. There was nothing spectacular about the food, but it was good... The view however, was spectacular and the service was excellent. read more

Topside by NDMK - Grilled chicken sandwich with Barata and arugula - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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We had an amazing brunch with wonderful service from Borna. Huevos Rancheros was amazing, kids rocked the banana pancakes and the Chilaquilas were awesome. The burger was superb also. We stumbled in here staring and had a fabulous experience with a gorgeous view! read more

We had a so-so experience here and I wouldn't recommend it to friends. First, the service was very slow despite the restaurant being not that busy. We even saw two people get up and leave after sitting at their table and not having been visited by a waiter. It took a while for us to get our food. I got the grilled fish and was totally underwhelmed with my dish. The fish tasted good, but my plate looked like a microwave dinner; just a plain piece of fish and steamed broccoli and steamed carrots. No sauces, spice or anything interesting. Would've loved for the carrots to have been oven roasted or have some sort of sauce on something. I actually left hungry because there wasn't any sort of starch either (would've been nice to have rice or something). My husband liked his dish but for the price, it was just a disappointing experience. Also, I know it's not the restaurants fault but there were some very very drunk people sitting behind us. I'm surprised the restaurant allowed them to come in and eat in their state. It was like 6:30 (a little early to be slurring your words) and they really ruined the dining experience for me with how loud they were. read more

Waitstaff was super friendly, food was cooked to perfection & the dining view of Avalon is unbeatable!

This was one of my favorite meals in Avalon, the food was delicious, the view was gorgeous, and the service friendly and attentive. The menu here was on the smaller side, though they still had a nice variety of handhelds, meat, and seafood. I went with the catch of the day, which happened to be Swordfish, and was absolutely perfect. I swapped out the truffle risotto for the saffron risotto that was with many other dishes on the menu and I am so happy I did because it was fantastic! The bok choy was a little fishy, but when paired with the risotto it wasn't as noticeable. They had bar, indoor, and outdoor seating, even though the outdoor seating was the best because of the view, the inside had a lot of natural light so the space felt bright and lively. read more

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Brought my in-laws in from the UK when they came to visit and we took a day trip to Catalina. The service was pretty slow, at lunch time they were already out of the fish for the fish sandwich my wife and mother-in-law were hoping to order...The burger I had was fine, the overall experience just wasn't the greatest and I wouldn't recommmend. read more

The good: I had the honey salmon and risotto, chicken tenders from the kids menu, and a fish sandwich with truffle fries. The salmon was nicely cooked and had a beautiful sticky and shiny texture and color. The risotto was soft and complimented the fish. The location is nice because it's probably the first restaurant you'll pass when you get off the Catalina Express. It's above the tour center. The bad: The chicken tenders were dry. It came on a giant. Ed of fries. The food was overall okay but not outstanding or memorable. The prices were high. The interesting: Their bathroom is slightly outside the building behind the restaurant. The interior has a bar area and a large open space with an art gallery wall. There's a balcony outdoor eating area. The ambience didn't feel warm and cozy in a restaurant way. It felt like it wasn't supposed to be a restaurant for some reason with the entrance, gallery wall, and open space. read more

Topside by NDMK - Chicken tenders - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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Beautiful venue! Great view! Excellent food! After my man and I had our fun submarine adventure, we walked to this restaurant and tried it out. We wanted to avoid being on the balcony since it was too sunny, but we sat by the door to enjoy Catalina Island's awesome panoramic view. Out of the appetizers we shared, I liked the Lobster Sliders the most! I love how they loaded them up with tender lobster meat! It's a plus that they used some kind of sweet bread. It's not Hawaiian bread, but maybe brioche? It's too bad they have a different menu now, and I didn't see it listed on the menu anymore when I looked it up online. We were lucky! They should bring it back again! I also enjoyed the empanadas. I forgot whether they were chicken or beef. It was perfectly crispy on the outside, and the filling was tasty! I was skeptical about the green sauce on top, but it was a good addition. We were so full that we felt we shouldn't have ordered the waffle fries. It looked appealing, but it wasn't all great. It was loaded with tomatoes, onions, and other things, but we were not impressed. As I said, it wasn't appealing because the sliders and empanadas were already filling. The service was excellent. We didn't wait too long for our server to take our order. We also didn't wait too long for our food to be served. Or I'm not sure. It was easy to lose track of time when there was a gorgeous view outside! read more

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Food is good and drinks are good. But be prepared to wait. Very slow unmotivated workers. We tried it twice and unfortunately it was the same both times. So disappointed as the view from their place is amazing. Sadly this place might now make it. To many other amazing restaurants on the island. read more

Topside by NDMK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Perfect view of the harbor from the patio. This was the best place we ate and we enjoyed breakfast and hair of the dog after the ferry ride. The service was good. read more

Topside by NDMK - View from patio of Avalon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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Oh man, the service here is very slow. Will talk more about this later. When you enter, there is a sign that says wait to be seated. There was no host or waiter for 10 min. There were 3 parties and we were all confused. When the waiter showed up, he did not help any of us at the host stand. We had to grab him to ask where we can sit. The rooftop: cute and sunny. Limited umbrellas so if you don't want to suntan, probably not the best. For the roof, they do not serve you. You order food and drinks at the bar. The food will be delivered to you and you bring your own drinks up. However, a bartender was rarely at the bar. The waiter said we could sit anywhere and he'll bring us menus. The patio gets great views however, you'll be visited by a seagull if you sit on the ledge. Sidenote: a customer had his shoes and socks on the ledge next to his table. Just gross and poor manners. Service: They were so hard to find and when we did grab a hold of them, they forgot so many things. It looked like 1 server was working for the first hour we were there and then 2 more people showed up. That didn't change anything. Friends asked for water in the middle of their meal and it was never brought until we asked for it again. Burger was brought with cheese when specifically asked for no cheese. The new burger was brought but it didn't have the bacon or avocado that was added on. They did remove it from the check. When I went to the bathroom, it looked like there was a full on team meeting happening down the hallway which made me wonder if that's why service has been so slow. It also seemed like maybe a bunch of people called out. Food & Drinks Avalon Spritz was ok. Would rather get a regular aperol spritz Carajillo was good Tuna tartare could use more chips. Good to share with 2 people. If more than two, you'll only get around 1 - 2 bites each. Friends enjoyed their omelette and the burger despite it being incorrect. Spot has super great potential but our experience was mediocre. They list prices on everything except for their cocktails which is annoying. The bill showed our cocktails were $15 each. They add 20% tip for our party of 6. It was not worth 20% tip and we typically tip 20% default for everything. If we come back to Catalina, we'll come here if we need to wait for a golf cart since it's right next door. read more

Topside by NDMK - Tuna Tartare - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Amazing breakfast. No line. Good service. Great views. We also came for a drink in the evening and that was also a nice experience. read more

Topside by NDMK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Amazing restaurant!!!!! Not kidding when I say it's like Michelin star food and I have had some their chicken bites on happy hour were amazing so were their empanadas. The sliders weren't the best just because they felt a bit dry but honestly staff was absolutely amazing and food was amazing. Genuinely recommend it and want to know the best part it was cheap!!!!! 100% must go I almost didn't wanna leave a review because I'm scared that next time I go it will be filled to the top. Hahaha read more

This new-ish spot opened in July 2023, replacing Toyon Grill in the space above the Catalina Island Conservancy Trailhead Visitor Center (where their Eco Tours start), pretty close to the ferry dock. Toyon was a fast-casual place where you place your order at the bar, find a table and your order is brought to you. Topside has table service indoors and out, and probably serves food on the rooftop observation deck in-season. The original NDMK Fish House is around the corner on Clarissa. The menu at Topside is different and the view is better, plus it had a full bar (versus beer and wine). By the way, NDMK means, (and is pronounced) "endemic"; i.e. locally-sourced. I enjoyed a very nice dinner here on their outdoor deck. I recognized the server (and bartender) Omar from a meal last year at Naughty Fox. Topside is open daily for lunch, 6 days for dinner and for breakfast Sat. and Sun. Before my visit, the online menu at the time listed a multi-course prix fixe menu option I would have ordered, but this was only offered in-season. I instead ordered a la carte: Fig and Honey Mule cocktail, shrimp empanadas and Dark Seas pasta (squid ink pasta with lobster, scallops and shrimp in a cream sauce). Everything was quite tasty, with a great view to boot. This was the only restaurant I ate at in Avalon that offered free water (vs. paying for bottled water). Toyon Grill was good, but Topside is a notch above in terms of variety and quality. I plan to return on my next Catalina trip. read more

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The view was great! Hubs enjoyed his piping good food but I was sorely disappointed with mine. I feel like they were understaffed. And we came right before they had a large party of people come and we were just...forgotten. We ordered broiled scallops and they were out but somehow it was still charged on our tab. My Catalina lobster came tepid. They offered to warm it up and it came back again, tepid. Also, maybe it's me, fresh tomatoes just does not mesh well into fresh cream sauce with the shrimp in the tepid lobster. read more

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Had an amazing time here. Perla was our server on the top deck and she was absolutely amazing. Knowledge, recommendations, service, attitude all a 10! Would come back just for her section. Food and drinks were also great. Breakfast was awesome. They are on point with their bottomless service too. Big plus on that. Would definitely recommend!! read more

Nice light lunch on the balcony overlooking the bay. Fish was perfectly cooked - buttery, flaky, and well seasoned. The accompanying vegetables were fresh and also delicious. read more

We recently had our wedding reception dinner on the rooftop at Topside and it was the perfect place to celebrate with our friends and family. The service was amazing, including our waitress Kayla, the bartender Omar and manager Jenn. All of our guests loved their food and the atmosphere is a 10! Views of the harbor, lights, boats, and the Casino create the perfect backdrop for any occasion. Highly recommended. read more

Topside by NDMK - Rooftop - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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Ignored at the front, took an hour to take our order. And another hour to get our food.. won't be returning.

We decided to dine here for a quick lunch and were told there would be a 10-minute wait due to understaffing. We understood and decided to sit anyway. Unfortunately, the actual wait was far longer than stated. It took about an hour just to receive our drinks, and nearly two hours total to get our food. Many ingredients were unavailable, so we could not order what we originally wanted. To make matters worse, the food we eventually received was not good and not worth the long wait. While we were understanding of the staffing situation, I wish the wait time, limited menu availability, and overall quality had been communicated honestly from the start. That level of transparency would have helped manage expectations and avoid a very frustrating experience. read more

For walk around Avalon at primetime breakfast on Saturday there were massive lines everywhere and top sides. Surprisingly had no weight. The venue as you can see from the video has plenty of room and was not packed. The service was nice timely and the food was good. Nothing exceptional, but for the price and not having to, wait for 45 minutes and other places I would definitely come here again. It's on the second and third floor, which has nice view of the harbor which you don't get a lot of the other restaurants in Avalon. Don't recommend getting coffee, which was terrible, but there are lots of other drinks there that I did not, try this time. Pay with cash at this restaurant to avoid the surcharge, one of the joys of eating in California. read more

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A decent restaurant in Avalon, actually it will do pretty well anywhere in SoCal. Fresh seafood, cocktail, typical american food, but good execution. Beautiful view, attentive server. read more

We had a really good time here! We came for happy hour which was a great deal. The drinks were really good and the apps we got were great too. It was pretty dead in there, which is weird because the view is really great. We ordered at the bar since we were on a time crunch with the ferry, but the server brought our drinks out pretty quick. Overall we had a great time and would come back. read more

Topside by NDMK - Happy hour specialty cocktails - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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So glad I picked this place in Avalon!! It's super close to the ferries, and you get quite a nice view of Avalon. The top deck was closed during lunch, but their patio had nice views too. Dark Seas Seafood Pasta $34 - Definitely get this!! No wonder it's super popular. The sauce is very creamy and the SEAFOOD, there's a lot of lobster, crab, and shrimp here. Spotted a few scallops too. Delicious. Summer Salad $16 - refreshing salad! Liked the watermelons, but croutons felt a bit out of place. It just needed a few more ingredients to make it more interesting. read more

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Today we had the pleasure of dinning for a quick bite at Topside! The views are amazing and the service even better. Can we say the crispy chicken in honey Sriracha sauce is simply the best thing I've had in a long time with regard to any type of saucy chicken . That spicy prickly pear margaritas is simply delicious! My only complaint was that darn bird/pelican that was hawking our food.he was walking along the top of the wall where we were sitting. Other than that, this will be our go to spot when visiting Catalina Island! read more

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The food is amazing...when you finally get it. The servers are friendly but the restaurant is severely understaffed for dinner. We were with a group of 6; 3 meals came out after about 25 minutes, then 10 minutes later another meal, then as everyone is just about finished we were able to flag the server down for ketchup and find out where the appetizer and last two meals were. He came back and said they were having to make the sauce and it would be up shortly...we ordered 3 of the same pasta dishes so why would one come out and the other two not? He was very apologetic and comped the kids meal and gave us 2 desserts for free. We ended up talking to a couple on the ferry and they said the restaurant is know for poor service. It is unfortunate because the view, location and food is amazing. The food was great and definitely worth it but patience is a virtue. read more

Location is great. We came in around 1pm on a Thursday. It was hard to find anyone who works here. Once employees came out, we were told there was not service on the roof top deck and we needed to order drinks and food at the bar and then the food would be delivered to us. Bartender was nice and my margarita was good. Food started coming out and that's where it went downhill. Burger was listed on the menu that it comes with caramelized onion, but there wasn't any on it. The food runner seemed irritated but said he would check on it. He brought out a plate of grilled onion about 15 minutes later. Salmon on the menu said it comes with risotto. It was delivered with rice. I asked the food runner and he said they don't have risotto anymore. Caprese salad didn't have basil it was listed on the menu to have. Took 10 minutes to get it. Asked for more balsamic glaze. It's never came. My daughter had to run downstairs to get it. We needed salt and asked for it. It never came. A friend ran downstairs and got some. It was a solid lump in the shaker. We ran down to get another salt. Even though the food was wrong and service wasn't great, my salmon tasted good. Overall the food was an 8 out of 10. Around the corner, NDMK has a sushi place that was packed. Maybe they need to move the sushi concept to this location. Topside is a large space and it was pretty empty. read more

Topside by NDMK - View from the rooftop deck. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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I arrived around opening time for a decent breakfast with a nice view and this place did not disappoint. It was the first good restaurant I've gone to the entire day and a half. The service was solid, the entire staff made sure we were taken care of and our meals were satisfactory. I completely recommend this place to anyone visiting the portions are great and the food is tasty. I can't quite remember my server/bartender name but it was either James or Jacob., and also shoutout to the table runners they were great too. I will for sure be back next time I visit Avalon. 4 stars because service was a bit rocky in the beginning when I first entered- not a lot of communication at first. But once I asked where I could sit and found a spot to be seated, things started flowing better read more

Subtle, but very different, is their name: Topside by NDMK. We've been here before but recently there has been a change in ownership. This restaurant was purchased by the owner of NDMK during the last year. Check out my pic of their view. While they are a block south of the boardwalk and out of the fray, they can see straight down the boardwalk, the entire harbor and yet NOT be in the tourist hustle and bustle. It's a nice refuge, in plain sight. Our waitress, Kate, was very professional and quick. We started with their Fig & Honey Mule. We aren't really signature drink people, and found this drink to be just okay. While we noted the subtly of the ginger beer, the flavor of the mottled figs didn't make it through (BTW we have a fig tree and really enjoy the fruit). Our starter was, a gamble, their Local Catch Tartare, see my pic. And we won the bet: it was quite good. The locally caught tuna was very fresh, the flesh was firm and the flavor was deep without being fishy. The avocado added a small bit of creaminess with pops of flavor and crunch from the seeds. We finished with the Dark Seas Pasta. The seafood (lobster, scallops and shrimp) were all fair sized, and each flavorful in and of themselves. You can see the seafood in my pic. The black ink pasta was cooked al dente. The cream was creamier and richer than it looks in the pic. It held to the pasta quite well. We look forward to trying more of their dishes. read more

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*CHOOSE TOPSIDE! You won't be disappointed!* TOPSIDE by NDMK is the TOP restaurant in Avalon/Catalina. This place has everything. Gorg views, delicious bites, affordable pricing, kind staff, and unique cocktails that really make you solidify that vacation feeling! We started with an expresso martini and I dream about his martini ever since visiting Avalon. Next, we had the Avalon Spritz (diff take on the Aperol Spritz)... okay this cocktail was delectable!!! I am so glad we chose it... (we had a hard time choosing since so many delights!) and it was refreshing, boozy and went well with every bite we ordered. We sat outside and admired the woodpeckers, people watching, and perfect breeze. Avalon is a gorgeous town and you can really soak it up when you're chillin at Topside by NDMK. My friend Sonny ordered the salad and realized he was way hungrier than that. Their staff member overheard this and offered to take the salad back and bring out the burger (this kinda service is unheard of!) and the burger was so juicy and the balanced amount of toppings/burg/bread. I had the shrimp empanadas and will probably have them over and over again. The crunch was delightful. The sauce balance was remarkable - it's an art to get a good ratio here... and truly the whole experience was perfect. The restaurant was very clean, felt very new and seemed like they took the time to think about who they want working here because everyone was happy and chill just like Catalina vibes. Next time we plan to sit on the Topside deck. Just FYI: It was September... there were a lot of bees here but it's freakin' nature and they controlled them really well. But if you're allergic, maybe steer clear until bee season is over. read more

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Great service with Omar. Food was great. Service was wonderful. Great views and great location near the ferry port. My mojito mocktail was excellent and I felt included with everyone else who was drinking with my pretty drink read more

My niece and I had the best experience at this restaurant. The breakfast was delicious and the ambiance terrific. We met (Barone) who served us and treated us like queens! A definite place I will come back to. read more

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Good food, friendly service, awesome view from the patio!!! It was hot on the patio since we went just before sunset in June, but it was still worth it. Would go back for sure. read more

Topside by NDMK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

nice alcohol & food selection at reasonable prices. servers were nice & even held my jacket for me that i left at the bar. cool little spot w stunning views from our outdoor seats. also nice art decor. would recommend to anyone vacationing in catalina! read more

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Came here for a couple of drinks to hang out and enjoy the view before our boat ride. It was a great place to hang out, and their drinks were good. Service was prompt as well. read more

Topside by NDMK - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

This was a great find in the city of Avalon. A group of us stopped in for lunch on a day visit from our cruise ship. I had the Cuban sandwich, excellent. 2 others had the smashburgers and one of the other party member had the fish tacos. All the food was excellent. Our server James was very friendly and talked about his time growing up on the island and the local lifestyle during tour season and off season. Great experience would highly recommend and we will eat there the next time we visit the island. read more

The good: Beautiful views of Avalon, great music, and a friendly server. We split a delicious bottle of wine. The bad: My seafood risotto was quite firm and more of a porridge-like consistency. The lobster was chewy, and the scallops were rubbery. My partner's chicken parm was watery and lacking in flavor as well. read more

Topside by NDMK - View - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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I got there on a Saturday morning around 11 in the morning. It was not busy at all and there was a very nice attentive bartender/host that greeted me and offered me to sit where I'm comfortable. With the reviews that you see from Catalina it is concerning to see good quality food. I ordered steak and eggs and I cannot say enough good things about it. It was delicious. It was fresh and they delivered the food fast enough even though I was starving I am very, very satisfied with everything and I definitely recommend this place. read more

Topside by NDMK - Steak fried and eggs. Delicious and fresh. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Paid a visit to Topside upon the recommendation of our Eco Tour guide Lindsey, and had a very tasty lunch with some beautiful views! Omar the bartender is super personable and knows his stuff! He gave us great drink suggestions and even demo'd how he makes one of his fav drinks at home! Cheers to his doggo named Cat! read more

Topside by NDMK - Buffalo milk - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Avalon, California