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    CdM Restaurant

    4.4 (543 reviews)
    Closed 4:30 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    CdM Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    CDM RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Classy
    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - CdM Restaurant

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    Cheesecake
    Andrew R.

    Have been to this place twice now and definitely plan on coming back. The food is delicious, the vibes are great. Very moody vibes and perfect for a date. The service is also amazing. And they have a downstairs speakeasy. That's really cute. Excited to come back and try more of their food menu options.

    Salad and lemon drop martini
    Rikki S.

    Everything was just okay, nothing we had wowed us but the ambiance and service was great!

    Caesar salad with grilled chicken
    Harper F.

    Love this place. The drinks are amazing and the food is next level. So many good options to choose from. Perfect for a dinner date.

    Old Fashioned
    Eric J.

    CDM Restaurant is a vibe. The decor and lighting immediately set the tone. Dim, moody, stylish, and fun without feeling overdone. It's the kind of place that feels great for a date night or a group dinner where you want good energy. They also have a fantastic bar where you can sit and watch the game with a touch of elegance vs your favorite sports bar. Their old fashioned is top notch and the logo stamped ice they use is so cool! (see photos) The food is very good across the board. The spicy tuna on tempura eggplant is a standout. Huge portion, super flavorful, and delicious. Since it's run by the same team as A Restaurant, they also serve the legendary blue cheese burger, which is an absolute must for burger fans. The fries are excellent too: crispy, well-seasoned, and addictive. We also tried the blackened salmon, but swapped in the halibut sides and sauces at our server's suggestion--great call. It was outstanding, and the presentation was beautiful. Everything that hit the table looked thoughtfully plated. One heads-up: valet parking is pretty much required unless you luck out with street parking. Worth it though. CDM nails the combo of atmosphere, food, and execution, and I'll definitely be back.

    Cocktails
    Tyler N.

    We had reservations for Under CdM which is the speakeasy downstairs. Everything we tried was amazing and the vibes were perfect. The bartender dedicated to the speakeasy is named Brandon, and he for sure knows his stuff and you can tell he is passionate about the craft. We ended up buying 6 cocktails between the 2 of us because they were that good. We could've kept going to be honest if they weren't closing. We also tried the CdM Fancy Pizza and it was one of the best pizzas we've had in recent memory. There's a free photo booth which is a cool perk of drinking and dining down here, and being able to talk with your bartender in a more intimate setting is always a huge plus for us. This was our first time here, but it will not be our last. I would say the only con I can think of is that there isn't parking close by unless you get lucky with a street parking spot, and valet is $10.

    Tommy N.

    This restaurant has a dark lounge speakeasy vibe which I enjoyed. It is quite small and doesn't have the most ideal location. Valet parking is in a tight alleyway, and it's also hard to find parking on the streets. Food was overall a hit and miss. We ordered pizza, charred octopus, and fig arugula salad for starters. The pizza was delicious while the salad was just decent. The octopus tasted fresh but the portion was small and masked by mostly sliced potatoes and burned chorizo. The dish also had a spicy kick which isn't ideal for people who have acid reflux. For entrees, we had filet mignon and salmon. Both dishes were delicious, tender and well-seasoned. And for dessert, we had apple tart and chocolate silk pie. The apple tart was too sweet with a lot of caramel sauce while the chocolate pie was scrumptious. Cocktail drinks were refreshing. Service was unfortunately lackluster. Our waiter wasn't friendly and barely said two words to us. And while we were still working on our starters, the staff started taking plates away multiple times. I had to tell them we weren't done yet. They were just so rushy. The restaurant wasn't packed, so I didn't understand why. Maybe we just had a bad waiter that night and it's not normally like this? Nonetheless, I do hope the staff could work on their timing better.

    Charred octopus and New Zealand half rack of lamb
    sophie d.

    We love CDM!! Our server Ruby was great! Very kind, helpful and attentive. Wasn't our first time here, but we did try a couple new things this time. We started off with the parker house rolls and the spicy yellowfin tuna, which were both great starters. The star of the show was the lamb rack. This dish is cooked perfectly and pairs well with the pesto gnocchi that came with it. Our second favorite is the delicious charred octopus that comes with chorizo and potatoes. The service was great, the food is flavorful & tasty and the restaurant itself is very classy and perfect for a night out!

    chicken picatta with cacio e pepe
    Darin G.

    Father Son dinner while visiting the area and we were treated very nicely. It was a crowded night and so our reservations were in an outdoor area without much traffic which was fine by us. The waitress recommended a few things and we stuck with most of them, having the Parker House Rolls, the grilled carrots, and the chicken piccata with the unlock of a serving of cacio e pepe instead of potatoes. For the two of us, it was a LOT (six rolls and a carrot plate the size of a mountain) but delicious. Everything was truly enjoyable and I wish that we had more people with us so we could have sampled more but with those three things, we didn't have room for dessert!

    Hector M.

    If you have not been to CDM speakeasy basement AND are a fan of food cocktails and good service you are missing out. There is no place in Orange County that you will have the cocktails and service that you get from Brandon. It is a privilege to drink his creations and passion for hospitality. I do not say this lightly. It is why the phrase "a hidden gem" was forged. In my case not to use lightly. The food is great and overshadowed by the ambiance and comfort and complexity of his creative drinks. Manager always coming in to check also a plus on the restaurant overalll service.

    Seabass
    Vanessa O.

    Beautiful decor delicious food the Chilean sea bass was absolutely delicious the staff was amazing very romantic atmosphere

    Avocado hummus with freshly made pita bread.  Ahi tuna on crispy eggplant #1 and a chilled martini
    Nikki H.

    This restaurant is such a wonderful place, it's small and beautiful. The staff is friendly, professional and joyful! The drinks are perfect! Spicy Margarita, Martini or any of the special drinks are fantastic. The wines are varied and well priced, especially on half price Wednesdays! I LoVe the menu and have a difficult time deciding what to select because you can't go wrong! Close your eyes and point!

    Brussels sprouts
    Brian K.

    Let me start with the waiter who really made the experience. Super nice guy that gave us great recommendations and was just amazingly cool. He recommended the chicken piccata and it was on point. So good. Just really crispy with a great sauce. I got mine without capers because I hate them, but this chicken was cooked perfectly. Also ordered the Brussels sprouts and broccolini which were both great. We had the octopus and ahi appetizers and both were really tasty. Highly recommend this place.

    Bar area
    Heather D.

    I came here with a friend for a weeknight dinner. The outdoor patio was lit up for the holidays and looking so pretty. Inside, the bar area was pretty busy so glad we had a reservation. The bar dos have TVs and had the football game playing. For food, we started with the artichoke dip, which had a really good, unique flavor to it. It was served with bread, and had some type of onion topping on the dip. We both loved this. For food, the burger was very good as was the Chicken Piccata. The serving sizes were very generous, you could definitely share a few things. The Espresso Martini was also good and tasted like it has real espresso in it. Our waitress was attentive and helpful with suggestions. I'd love to come back for a weekday special or happy hour.

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    1 month ago

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    27 days ago

    Excellent service and food was delicious! We sat outside, but the inside looked extremely inviting!

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    CdM Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - CdM Restaurant

    How do I make a reservation for the speakeasy?

    Phone them & request reservations for the Under CDM/Speakeasy.

    Is there open seating at the bar?

    Yes, there is. But it does usually fill up. It is open seating.

    Is Under CDM still closed to the public? If Not, how does one make a reservation for Under CDM?

    Yes they are open to the public, no secret password, for reservations call them & specifically request the Under CDM Speakeasy. Hope this helps!

    Do you take reservations?

    yes!

    What's the corkage fee?

    $30

    Is there self parking or street parking?

    VALET AND SELF PARKING IS AVAILABLE BUT SELF PARKING IS A PAIN IN THE BUTT. YOU HAVE TO PARK IN THE RESIDENTIAL

    Can you order their cocktails at dinner, or do you have to go to Under CDM to have the cocktails? On the dinner menu, I see alcohol listed, but nothing about cocktails in particular, so I'm a little confused!

    What I was told was that the dining room is strictly for dinner with cocktails, the bar or downstairs is for cocktails.

    With parking lot?

    They did have valet when I was there on a Tuesday

    For outdoor seating are dogs allowed? Thanks!

    Thank you for your inquiry. We are allowing service animals to accompany guests in need at this time.… 

    Does the speakeasy offer a food menu as well, or solely drinks? Waited too long to book a reservation, so trying to determine if we can just pop into the speakeasy instead!

    As of recently, they offer the full food menu downstairs as well!!

    I was advised by the hostess that guests have a maximum of two hours to enjoy dinner, is this true?

    Yes, typically, they advise to a 2 hour max for dining but if you go towards the end of the evening, they don't normally mention it because you're probably the last seating

    When are you going to post the menu?

    Yes a the new, self branded, hot spot they will notify you of the 2 hour limit so they can have a second or 3rd table turn. This will fade in 5 to 6 months when people… 

    View All 18 Questions

    Playa Mesa - Plato del Patron. Roasted Jidori chicken, confit spare ribs, cesina, chile toreados, pico de gallo, ceboilltas, papas bravas & refried beans

    Playa Mesa

    4.4(3.5k reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Late review but I felt like I should leave this here just in case people are wondering cause if…read morethey closed down cause of the food quality. -- Came back to Playa Mesa for my friend's birthday. The chips and salsa were really good. The aguachile had a nice spicy flavor that made it stand out. The queso fundido was SO good super cheesy, and paired with the handmade tortillas it was one of my favorites. We also ordered the calamari and I was surprised by how good it was. Everyone ordered different rounds of cocktails throughout the night and honestly, not one missed. Service was a little slow, but it was a busy Friday night, so that's somewhat expected. I've been here before and the grilled octopus tacos and carne asada burrito were just as good as I remembered them. They also made the birthday celebration really cute. They sang happy birthday, brought out a small ice cream, and gave my friend a big mariachi hat. Good food, great drinks, and still consistent as I remembered it. So long Playa Mesa. 9.5/10

    Playa Mesa has a great atmosphere with beautiful aesthetics. In the evening, the open windows…read morecreate a nice breeze, though they do let a few flies in. The hostess was friendly, and our server was funny and kind. He was a little less attentive as it got busier, but the staff worked well as a team, so we never had to wait for refills or anything we needed. Parking in the back can be a little tight. The birria tacos were packed with flavor, and I loved the inside-out cheese crust. My husband's fajitas were flavorful, although the chicken was a little overdone. The guacamole was excellent, especially with the pepita seeds adding great texture. Overall, we enjoyed the flavorful food, service, and atmosphere. We'd definitely come back!

    Photos
    Playa Mesa - East Side Sunset

    East Side Sunset

    Playa Mesa - The eastside cocktail - all the drinks here are delish!

    The eastside cocktail - all the drinks here are delish!

    Playa Mesa - Lovely interior...

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    Lovely interior...

    Pioneer - Transfusion...sooo good!

    Pioneer

    4.6(212 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    We made a reservation at Pioneer and really enjoyed this little spot! It's tucked inside a diner,…read moreso it can be a little hard to find at first, but it's just inside the back patio area with a cute wooden saloon-door entrance. The space is small, cozy, and intimate with just a few tables. Our waitress was super friendly and took the time to explain the menu and different options to us. - Guava Y Queso (4.5/5): I loved this! It was really unique with the cream cheese topping, but the combination worked so well. Definitely a fun spot for cocktails and something a little different!

    Lets try this again since my original review was removed…read more The night was going great. We just had dinner near by and decided get drinks here. We've been here a few times before and always thought it was decent. So, we made the last minute reservation online and got here 15 minutes early. When we arrived, there was a short line, but per the reservation instructions, one of my friends went in to check in while we waited outside. Friend: Hi, I'm checking in for a reservation. Bartender: What time is your reservation. Friend: 10 Bartender: What time is it now? Friend: 9:45 Bartender: Then I'll see you at 10pm. Friend came back annoyed and explained what happened. The bartender didn't say it in a joking way, but with attitude and annoyance. Most staff would respond "Thank you for checking in, we will let you know when your table is available." We weren't going to let this ruin our night, so we waited and were seated by the hostess. The bar itself is dimly lit and very tight. The music was loud enough that we had to almost yell to hear each other. The waiter came by soon after and was extremely friendly. We said we'd been here a few times before, but it's been a while. He refreshes our memory by saying they specialize making variations of classics. They want customers to focus on the flavors and that's why the menu doesn't list the spirit in their drinks. Also, they only make drinks on the menu because their drinks are prebatched/premade. We ask for recommendations which he was happy to give. We each order a drink and a snack for the table. As we're talking (very loudly so we can hear each other), we lose track of time before we realize that it's been 20 minutes and we haven't gotten our drinks yet. For something that's prebatched, it shouldn't take long. Before we can flag down the waiter, he comes by and apologizes that they lost our order and had to put it back in. We appreciate the honesty and say it's no problem. 5 minutes later, our drinks and food arrives. He again apologizes for the wait and has a second order of our food that he's including for free. Honestly we were ok with just the apology, but extra food too? Hell yea. Sounds like it was turning around. The drinks were okay. Not amazing, but definitely above average 3.8 / 5. The snack, bread and butter, were surprisingly good. 4.5 / 5 When we asked for the check, the waiter brought the credit card reader and told us we can swipe our card any time and left it on our table. We look at the bill and realize the waiter not only gave us the 2nd snack for free, but comp'd 2 of the drinks also. We all agree this waiter is GREAT. So why the 2 stars? Well first let me say, I would leave it at 1 star, but the waiter definitely earned them another. We wanted to pay cash, so we waited for him to come back. Instead, the original rude bartender comes by and realizes we haven't paid yet. We ask if we can pay with cash. He explains that they don't accept cash. Friend: Are you sure? *Proceeds to try to insert cash into the chip reader slot* Bartender: You're pretty stupid, aren't you? Friend: Maybe if I swipe it instead *Doubles down and proceeds to swipe the cash through the magnetic strip reader* Bartender: Wow, you really are stupid. My friend is a 100% a goofball and having fun with the bartender. It was OBVIOUS that he was joking. Was it funny? A little. Was it stupid? 100%. But for the bartender or ANY customer service staff to call a paying customer "stupid", that's simply unacceptable. We're all pretty pissed at this point and simply swipe the card and the bartender leaves. As I said earlier, we've come here a few times. We don't live especially close, but when we're in the area, we would always consider coming here. Now, there's no chance. For any business, even if your drinks and food are great, customer service can easily DESTROY your experience and that's exactly what the bartender did. Note to the male bartender with no hair: You really shouldn't be interacting with customers. You were rude from the start and have no sense of humor. Could you be having a bad day? Sure, but that's not an excuse to be rude to customers. I know management saw my original post because it was removed, probably because I referred to the bartender by his hairstyle (or lack thereof) multiple times. If they rather remove my post than deal with their bartender, that's another sign to avoid this place.

    Photos
    Pioneer - EL CAPITAN Grape Leaf * Soft Herbs * Pomegranate Summer 2026

    EL CAPITAN Grape Leaf * Soft Herbs * Pomegranate Summer 2026

    Pioneer - Sourdough bread

    Sourdough bread

    Pioneer - New york sour, in the fall menu

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