The manager, Sal, and our server, Mariah, went above and beyond to make sure we had an incredible…read moredining experience. Their hospitality made us feel truly welcomed, and it's rare to find a team that cares so much about their guests, Sal really took initiative to make it a rememberable dinning experience, I never interacted with a more professional and well manned manager ever in my life. They even were able seated us at a beautiful table overlooking the ocean, where we got to enjoy an unforgettable sunset during dinner. The food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the Caesar salad with steak, and it was hands down one of the best Caesar salads I've ever had. The dressing was rich and flavorful, and the steak was cooked perfectly and seasoned beautifully. We also started with the focaccia appetizer, which was outstanding. The bread was warm, soft, and fresh, and the honey butter spread completely exceeded my expectations. I could have eaten it by itself all night! For my drink, I had the chef's special cocktail made with limoncello vodka and (I believe) lemon boba. It was not only beautiful to look at but also one of the most unique and delicious cocktails I've ever had. Between the incredible food, the breathtaking ocean view, and the outstanding service, this was a dining experience I'll remember for a long time. Thank you, Sal and Mariah, for making us feel so welcome and taking such great care of us. We left feeling appreciated, happy, and already looking forward to coming back. Highly recommend!

Ciana was great! Service was speedy, the food came out great, and Ciana was so kind as to walk me…read morethrough the menu when it came to accommodating my allergies :) I got the Mariposa drink and the chicken Caesar salad, and my dad got the halibut special. In his words "incredible, to die for," and "the wine section was amazing". Ambiance was great, and made even better by the kind service we received! Thank you Ciana for making our evening so special.

Came to Newport for a family vacay and was looking for nearby options for the wife and I to escape…read morefor dinner. We showed up at 9:30, and the owner and servers were so nice and understanding. We never felt rushed or pressured to order quickly. I got the spicy chicken sandwich after seeing previous reviews, and my wife got the Lagunaian wedge and Mac & cheese. Everything was exceptional. I love blue cheese, but am not the biggest fan of fried chicken with cheese on it. This combo flipped me on my head, so delicious with the blue cheese slaw. The Mac & cheese was almost like a hybrid of a baked Mac and a gooier stovetop style Mac, and the six cheese blend added a lot of depth of flavor. We have already agreed that we will be back at least once more while we're down here for the chicken sandwich again.

The interior was very classy and good for a date setting. It's in the second floor with some street…read moreviews. There's a dining section and a bar section. The service was average speed. We got our food in about 10 min or so. I got the mushroom burger which was great. The patty was medium done and very juicy. The salmon dish was not bad, but the vegetables didn't taste as good. There's parking below the restaurant and you can validate. Big plus!

Great food and fantastic service. I would reccomend this restaurant to anybody Top of the line food.read more

There was a long wait when we got there but somehow the hostess accommodated us and we were sat…read morewithin 10 minutes. I asked the server what was good and she said "everything" and she wasn't lying. Everything we ordered was amazing. I LOVED the yuzu spritzer - it was soooooo refreshing and tasty. The tuna tartare was fresh and delicious. I ordered the petite filet mignon meal with the salad and toast and everything on the plate was DIVINE. So good. I ordered a banana cream pie to go and it's amazing - has a chocolate ganache over the delicious graham cracker crust with caramel over it, some fresh bananas and served with ice cream. I didn't need the ice cream with it honestly. Service was attentive and accurate!! For such a busy day, we felt well attended to. It's a nice restaurant. You can come dressed down or up. Most people in there look casual cute.

Food, Service & ambience all top notch…read more You could eat elsewhere But why would you. On a scale of 1-10 I give it a solid 10

Best kept secret (and serene dining setting) in Laguna Beach! We have been here a couple of times…read moreand this place doesn't disappoint. The service is impeccable. On this day, our server Edgar went out of his way to deliver outstanding service. My husband asked for something only on the weekday menu and Edgar made it happen - Bravo! He also suggested one of the juices (the carrot and tumeric) and offered a sample so we could try it first (it was delicious). Awesome! That cinnamon roll is the size of a dinner plate, so we split it 3 ways (could have easily served four). The cream cheese frosting isn't overly sweet, so when paired with the candied bacon and maple syrup, it balances out nicely. Yum! Edgar kept my coffee cup full and made sure we didn't need anything. The ceviche is OUTSTANDING. Light chips, fresh fish, expertly seasoned. The addition of the pickled mustard seeds on top add something unique to the flavor profile, so much so that we were googling how to pickle mustard seeds ourselves. Some of the best ceviche we've ever had (and we've had a lot). Could be spicier, but delicious. So the food and service are great - did I mention the view? Sitting on the patio, you overlook a serene canyon and their golf course, and feel like you're in a completely different space. It's so beautiful, peaceful, open, and lush. I could sit on that patio and eat cinnamon rolls and drink my neverending coffee all day long. The ocean-facing restaurants get all the attention in this town. This hidden gem deserves more attention, for sure.

Lots to say about this place!…read more From the moment we walked in every single person on staff was so friendly and ready to answer questions and recommend amazing food to us. Our server, Josiah, was especially helpful! The food was amazing. There was so much variety on the menu and everything we ordered was delicious. No matter what you're in the mood for, Finneys has you covered! Highly recommend.

Finney's was such a special experience!…read more Josiah, our server, was perfect in every way. He would check on us and remember every detail about our order and preferences, demonstrating the sharpness of his mind. We were surprised when he said he had worked there less than a year because he knew the menu like the back of his hand. Atmosphere was good. Food was good.

Fabulous food. Fun vibe. Live music. Sharp dressed guests. Although not required, people dress up a…read morelittle more here. I went with 2 friends. We shared all our orders kind of family style. Started with the Summer Buratta salad with grilled peaches. Excellent! We ordered the Halibut, Salmon and Filet Mignon entrees. Each was delicious! Nice selection of cocktails & wine. Pricey but worth it.

I came to The Drake after my friends from Orange County booked a Friday night reservation for a…read morejazz performance. Beforehand, we specifically discussed whether there was a dress code, and I was told there was not. We also discussed pricing, so I arrived with a general idea of what to expect. When we arrived, our party of four was seated by the host at the bar/kitchen area, where we actually had a nice view of the performance. The host did not mention anything about a dress code or a food minimum. Because we had made a reservation and were seated without issue, we had no reason to believe there was anything unusual about our table. Our waiter introduced himself and gave us menus. We ordered a few drinks and one or two appetizers. A few minutes later, he brought our drinks and asked why we weren't ordering entrées. I explained that we were planning on having drinks and appetizers. He frowned and told us that the section where we were seated was an entrée-recommended area. I asked why nobody had told us this when we were seated, and he said he wasn't sure but strongly encouraged us to order entrées. Shortly afterward, a person named Glenn, who appeared to be a manager, approached me. He told me that we would have to move away from the main seating area because we were not following the dress code. This was the FIRST time anyone had mentioned a dress code. We were four young adults dressed casually for what we understood to be a relaxed jazz and dining venue. We had specifically asked beforehand whether there was a dress code and were told there was not. We had also been seated by the host, given menus, and allowed to order drinks without anyone raising an issue. Glenn told us he was going to "have to move us because of our clothes" and that we would be moved to a back section away from the main event and the tables where other guests were dining. I found this incredibly surprising and, frankly, disrespectful. The situation was particularly uncomfortable because we were four young adults in a room that, from our perspective, was overwhelmingly older, affluent-looking, and white, while three of the four of us were minorities. Being singled out and told we had to move because of how we were dressed--after nobody had mentioned a dress code when we arrived--made us feel extremely unwelcome. Glenn and the waiter left and returned a minute or two later to escort us to the other section. By then, however, we had decided that we no longer wanted to stay. We explained to Glenn that our biggest frustration wasn't necessarily the existence of a dress code or dining expectation; it was the way the situation had been handled. Why weren't we told when we made the reservation? Why weren't we told when we were seated? Why weren't we told before we ordered anything? We were already 15-20 minutes into the event before anyone informed us that we supposedly did not meet the restaurant's expectations. Glenn ultimately acknowledged this himself, telling us, "This is entirely my fault." After some back-and-forth, he thankfully allowed us to leave without paying for the drinks and appetizers. I appreciated that gesture and got the impression that he recognized how poorly the situation had been handled. Unfortunately, that did not undo the experience. If The Drake has a dress code or expects guests in certain sections to order entrées, those expectations need to be communicated clearly and consistently. A reservation, a host seating us, and a waiter taking our order should not all happen before someone suddenly tells us that we are violating a policy we were never informed about. There were plenty of ways this could have been handled better. The host could have explained the expectations when seating us. The waiter could have explained the entrée requirement before taking our order. Glenn could have treated this as a misunderstanding rather than telling us we had to move because of our clothing. Instead, we left feeling embarrassed and unwelcome because of expectations that were never communicated to us. I would not recommend The Drake based on this experience. The jazz performance itself was enjoyable, but the way we were treated overshadowed the evening. Glenn, I hope you take this experience as an opportunity to reconsider how situations like this are handled. Four young people should not leave a restaurant feeling unwelcome because of policies they were never told about.

The Deck is one of those places we have to come to every time we're in Laguna, which is usually at…read moreleast once a year :) And once again, it did not disappoint! Grilled Cheese - Seriously a MUST order. My picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice. So so good! Shrimp & Chorizo Tacos - We've loved these for years! They took them off the menu for a while and we're so glad they're back because they're sooo good. Burger - 10/10. Juicy, cooked perfectly, and really flavorful lots of fresh ingredients. Ceviche - A little on the small side, but super fresh and flavor is You can't beat the location, it's right on the beach with ocean views and that makes everything better :) We had a group of 7 and our server was awesome. She was really sweet, kept checking in on us, and made everything easy even with a bigger group. If you're in Laguna and looking for a spot with good food, great views, and a chill vibe, The Deck is always a great choice. There's so many options and haven't had a bad dish here ever. I didn't order them this Time but we normally get the dozen oysters and they are delicious

What has happened to this restaurant? Oh I know; they are closing for good (sold) Sept 8th and have…read moregiven up on serving good food. May as well close now. We've been going there for ten years, and the food sucked today. I ordered the clam chowder; looked and seemed like a bowl of paste. I spooned in threes times and not one clam or potato or bacon. Returned that. Tasteless. We ordered the shrimp tacos; usually good. Ugh tasteless weird food. Should have returned that. Our food order went in at 2:14; did not get it until 3:10 or so. I think the staff has given up as well. We will miss what we used to enjoy.

Great location right by the water. Place is shaded and dog friendly. Food came out promptly and…read morestaff are very friendly. Bonus: they have a dog menu and bring a bowl of water for doggies.

I came here for dinner and got the carbonara($34) and it came out in about 25 mins. The pasta was…read morecooked good and served with an Alfredo sauce. It had some lump crab meat and shrimp. A good view with pretty solid food! Staff were friendly. Overall, a good view with solid food to support it! Food(50%): 8.0 Staff/service(25%): 7.0 Value(25%): 6.5 Overall: 7.4/10