Orange County is a lively foodie destination with a wide range of restaurants for all tastes and events. If you’re looking for a great place for a romantic dinner, a family get-together, or a casual brunch with friends, this guide has the 5 best restaurants for you.
Splashes
Excellent Brunch Spot
Splashes, located in Laguna Beach’s Surf and Sand Resort, features sand that is nearly at eye level. Lobster bisque, Caesar salad, Maine lobster, and seared scallops are just a few of the seafood options available for a terrace dinner while you take in the ocean views. Sweet treats like spicy pumpkin cheesecake and apple cobbler are available.
Enjoy a Sunrise Sangria—Splashes’ specialty cocktail—made with vodka, mango rum, peach schnapps, white wine, and orange juice—first thing in the morning. This morning’s main course is a fan favorite: red velvet pancakes topped with raspberries and whipped mascarpone. From 11:30 am until 3 pm, you can enjoy brunch on weekends. Savor a variety of fruit-based beverages while indulging in a variety of sweet and savory foods.
North Italia
Perfect Place for a Date Night
North Italia is an Italian restaurant in Irvine that serves up stuffed mushrooms, spaghetti, and seafood with a Mediterranean spin. The antipasto is a medley of veggies, almonds, truffle cheese, and toasted bread; the cioppino is a seafood soup with a robust tomato sauce; and both are great starters.
Italian classics like cheese tortelloni, roasted chicken, and Mediterranean sea bass are staples in traditional dishes from back home. Tiramisu, with its velvety mascarpone mousse and Kahlua-soaked ladyfingers, is the most irresistible dessert imaginable.
Raya
Best Spot for Seafood with a View
With its 150-foot perch above the water, Raya’s glass walls provide an ideal vantage point from which to observe surfers in action and, who knows, maybe even sight a whale or two. Situated at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, this posh restaurant boasts an unexpectedly laid-back vibe. When it comes to seafood in particular, freshness is of the utmost importance.
The menu features specialties such as grilled octopus, lobster tacos, and Miso Alaskan Black Cod served with Japanese vegetables as garnishes. Prime rib, marinated chicken breast, and Maine lobster salad are some of the other choices. Try something new for breakfast, like a breakfast taco or the classic eggs Benedict. Just think of Orange County as a beach with seafood.
The Studio Restaurant
Expensive But Amazing
The Montage Resort’s Studio Restaurant in Laguna Beach is the place to go for a special occasion dinner. The Studio is a picture-perfect romantic spot, with its wall-to-wall glass dining area overlooking the Pacific Ocean and its French-inspired cuisine.
You can try butter-poached lobster, sautéed foie gras, and purple potato salad on special tasting menus. Alternatively, choose from the menu items such as roasted lamb, parmesan risotto, or chilled oysters. Dessert options include a variety of high-quality cheeses or hazelnut crème brulee.
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The Ranch Restaurant
For Steak Lovers
Located in the heart of Anaheim’s downtown is the Ranch Restaurant. The Cowboy Ribeye, a fine cut of beef weighing about 40 ounces, will seem like a reasonable challenge in the western-style setting. Everyone can fit in it.
Braised short ribs of beef, small filet mignon, and grass-fed lamb chops from Colorado are among the other options. Also on the menu are steaks from New York, free-range chicken smoked in maple wood, and salmon caught off the coast of Alaska.
Conclusion
For people who love food, Orange County is a great trove of delicious treats. Our list of the 5 best restaurants shows you the best places to eat, whether you’re celebrating a big event, having a casual meal, or trying new foods. These top-rated restaurants offer the best in taste, atmosphere, and service, making sure that every meal is a memorable one.