K'ya is back in Laguna Beach -- and the food is just as good as I remember…read more I used to be a regular at K'ya Bistro years ago before the space changed concepts, so I was really excited to see it return to the same location. Walking back into the space brought back a lot of great memories. I was actually surprised it wasn't busier on a Thursday night just a week after their grand opening, because this place used to always be packed. The food was great across the board. We ordered a mix of happy hour items and entrées and everything was well done. Highlights: Happy Hour / Starters * Bacon-wrapped dates - Incredible. Perfectly crispy bacon, creamy blue cheese inside, and the sweetness of the date. Easily one of the best bites of the night. * Coconut shrimp - I'm not a seafood eater, but my friend devoured them and said they were excellent. * Hummus platter - Generous portion with cucumbers, carrots, plenty of pita, and a large serving of hummus. * Wine - Very generous pours for happy hour. Entrées * Steak tips - Cooked perfectly and well seasoned. * Sausage with polenta - Really flavorful and comforting. * Salmon bites - I didn't try these, but my friends loved them. There were four of us and we ordered quite a bit -- and still couldn't finish everything. Portions were generous and the pricing felt very reasonable, especially for being right on PCH in Laguna Beach. One note for the owners: I'd love to see this place succeed long term. The food and location are great, but I think a stronger marketing push could really help bring people back in -- things like inviting local food reviewers, boosting social media, and making sure the website clearly shows the current menu and happy hour specials. Overall it's a great space with solid food and good value for Laguna Beach. I'm really excited to have K'ya back and look forward to coming again.

We went to K'ya on a Thursday night. It was pretty empty so I was a little skeptical. The drinks…read morewere yummy and they had live music. She was pretty good! It's a really fun menu and all sharing plates. We ordered the hummus, deviled eggs, olives, bacon wrapped dates, beef, and meatballs and it was all really delicious. We need to keep our local eateries going! Try it, the food was great!

I hope and pray Talay makes another debut in June 2026. It far surpasses Studio which is overpriced…read moreand extremely disappointing. Talay is the best thing that ever happened at the Montage hotel in Laguna Beach. Please invite then bacckkkk.

Laguna Beach, Ca. This will be my second time to be able to…read moreget a table here at this wonderful pop up located on the grounds of the Montage. I try to make it once a year; I had to skip a year because I was a bit late trying to secure reservations last year. I've nothing but good things to report about this dining experience, it is indeed special. I came here with my wife for her birthday this year, accompanied by our two young sons. The setting is outside as well as a mini kitchen and bar. A cool breeze was blowing off the ocean and the ad airplanes were passing over trying to sell stuff to the throngs of beach goers below. It was peaceful and a bit romantic. There is an unspoken ( For the Most Part) camaraderie amongst the patrons, we all know this is a treat not often offered. My suggestions are few but perhaps helpful: Get a first sitting reservation. It's easier and you get a lot of attention from the wonderful waitstaff prior to them getting really busy. Be a party of at least four people, you will be able to sample many more dishes that way. Bring a light jacket just in case the ocean breeze becomes chilly. The cushions on the bench seats are really comfortable, a great feature. The food, as I have implied, is delicious. Some variations on traditional Thai, but all were exquisite. Here is what we tried: Watermelon Temptation, a thirst quenching, not too sweet delight. Pretty too. Thai Iced Tea, a wonderful version Virgin Ma ka Ri ta, a superb creation Lobster Satay Toast, excellent. Crispy Pork/ Moo Tod Kluk Fhun, amazing, this one we had to order a second. Papaya Salad/ Som Tam Thai, great spices, fresh greens. Thai Dumplings, we are not typically fans of dumplings but these were awesome. Tom Kha Hed, most likely the best I've ever had. Be sure to order this no matter what. Yellow Chicken Curry/ Gaeng Ka-Ti, oh this is so good... Pad Thai Shrimp, wow, I loved this dish. Spicy Beef Pad Ka-Prow, this was a real winner, the short ribs are cooked perfectly. Thai Tea Popsicle, very nice. Coconut Ice Cream, perfectly tempered artisan treat. Mango Sticky Rice, I loved the ample mango slices that had been soaking in a very flavorful light syrup of some sort. Fried Bananas w/ Sesame Ice Cream , flavor infusion! Birthday Surprice, a white chocolate covered cake, applause all around. We attended the last weekend before the chef returns to his restaurant in Mexico. I am looking forward to being here next year!

One of the best gems in Orange County; Maro Wood Grill is an incredible spot serving up delicious…read moreArgentinian meats and seafood dishes. The flavors of all their offerings are always fresh and vibrant and it's always cool to check out the Argentinian grill (I believe it's called an Asado?) they have rockin' in the kitchen! The place itself has such a warm and intimate vibe and staff are very personable. One of my favorite spots in Orange County for sure, so CHECK THIS PLACE OUT !

I would much rather come in here and sit at the bar then order on Uber Eats but I had cravings plus…read morethey had a two for one special so I ordered pasta with shrimp for the BF. I just had a. $17 completely undercooked almost inedible artichoke and grilled edamame. I love the staff here I can't wait to come back and have them cook my artichoke to perfection!

Bobby and Jules set the tone the moment we walked in warm, genuine, and welcoming with great…read moreenergy. We ordered the special tacos of the day, the arugula salad, and the hot honey pizza... and everything was absolutely on point. The flavors, the freshness, the consistency just incredible, as always. This spot has become our go-to every time we're down in South County OC. It never misses. My girlfriend and I both had the hazy (highly recommend), and I went for a flight to sample a few more perfect way to kick off the weekend. Amazing food, great atmosphere, and even better service. Big thank you to Laguna Beach Brewery and a special shoutout to Jules and Bobby for making the experience next level. Definitely a must if you're in Laguna Beach. - Ian Lantz

Very lovely ambiance (right next door to the sawdust festival). Parking can be so difficult if…read morethere are events going on around. Got the carne asada burrito and it was really good! there was pickled carrots in the burrito which was surprising/unique and tasted delicious.

my younger brother needed to use the bathroom, the waitress at the front told him to go down to the…read moreleft (allowed him in). what im guessing is the owner of this place literally stopped him and said there were public bathrooms next door. he went next door and that led directly into their restroom so he used it! as he exited the door she stopped him and said "it was really disrespectful for you guys to use the restaurants restroom after i told you to go next door". she got into my face and was extremely disrespectful, i expressed how it was extremely rude for her to speak to us this way. she kept being extremely hostile with us and told me "go back to where you came from" i understand that i wasn't a paying customer but the way she treated my family and i was disgusting. she said this with a smile on her face!! think twice about supporting someone so disgusting

I never, ever leave a review for a business I have not actually been to, but this is the exception…read more I made a reservation via Open Table for Nirvana months ago, at least three; I was excited to finally dine here because I have heard so many good things about Nirvana. We are going to POM on opening night. Everything was planned to the minute (see my other review for tailoring!). Personally, I needed this night and was looking forward to it, it has been a rough couple of years. My reservation was finally confirmed on June 25. Imagine my surprise tonight as I got a message saying that my reservation would be cancelled due to a party reserving the entire restaurant. Well, then..... It is six days before the show. I have gone every year for almost a decade, it is an event to beat all events. I am so disappointed. I know it is first world problems, but it is still rude and inconsiderate. The message I received tonight, July 3, at 7:31PM follows: "Hi Angelena, this is Hillary from Nirvana by Chef Lindsay. I'm so sorry to reach out with disappointing news, but due to a private event that has reserved our entire restaurant and rooftop on Thursday, July 9, we unfortunately have to cancel your reservation. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, especially on such short notice, and we understand this may disrupt your plans. We truly appreciate that you chose to dine with us and hope you'll give us the opportunity to welcome you on another evening. If you'd like, we'd be happy to help you find another reservation that works for you." I cannot tell a lie. I am peeved.

we really enjoyed our dinner at romeo cucina! we sat in the outdoor patio which was a nice ambiance…read moreon a warm summer night, and our server was very attentive and friendly. we started off with the cesarina salad and the romeo salad-- the romeo salad was a hit, the caesar salad was different than what you'd expect for a caesar salad but still good! also, the bread and fresh pesto they brought us was amazing! for mains, we got the margerita pizza, rigatoni giulietta, and bolognese with meatballs. the rigatoni was beautiful & flavorful; no notes 10/10! the pizza was enjoyable as well, and the bolognese was great. the meatballs were a tad dry. overall, we really enjoyed our experience here and would definitely come back!

I wanted to treat my girlfriend to a nice Italian dinner on a Saturday night, so we booked Romeo…read moreCucina through OpenTable. The fact that they still had plenty of 8pm openings in Laguna should've been my first warning sign -- every other decent spot was fully booked. Still, it had been a while, and I figured it couldn't be that bad. After paying $20 for parking, we walked in to find the restaurant fairly empty. A nice gentleman seated us all the way in the back -- never a good start. It took quite a while before anyone came by to offer water and bread, and even then we had to ask three separate times before it finally arrived. My girlfriend ordered the salmon, and I went with the eggplant parm, a side of penne with arrabbiata, and a glass of Pinot. The salmon arrived undercooked, and by the time we flagged someone down to send it back, it still didn't come out right. She ended up eating a small portion and some potatoes. My eggplant tasted like something you'd get at Olive Garden, and the penne had no flavor at all -- clearly boxed pasta. I sent it back. For dessert, we ordered a cannoli and decaf coffee. The cannoli shell was extremely hard, and to top it off, the restaurant started playing salsa music -- great for a Mexican restaurant, not an Italian one. I apologized to my girlfriend for such an uninspiring dinner. We paid, walked next door for gelato, and that ended up being the best part of the night. To many in Orange County, this place might seem fine. But I've spent time in Italy and grew up eating authentic Southern Italian food made by people who cared at a restaurant in Indiana-- fresh eggplant, handmade pasta, real ingredients. Most Italian restaurants in OC simply don't measure up, and unfortunately Romeo Cucina proved that again. My first choice was Nick's for their excellent salmon and mashed potatoes, but they were fully booked until 10pm -- which tells you everything. If anyone knows of a truly authentic Southern Italian spot where the owners care about quality and service, I'm all ears. Otherwise, I'll keep searching. We had a fantastic Italian meal in Pasadena recently, so I know it's still possible.

Very good, get the tacos! And the salsas are very good…read more Great to have another great restaurant in town.

This was a fun experience. We live in town and really wanted to see what this place has been turned…read moreinto. The new ownership really did a lot of work inside and on the patio. It looks fantastic! The inside is dimly lit and perfect for a date night. The outside is a covered patio and it is warm and gets the western sunset. It's perfect for date or a larger group. Our server was Nico. He was very thorough and helpful. We ordered a couple wines that were out of stock, so he brought us a few alternatives, which we loved. The food is very eclectic. If you are an adventurous eater, this is a great place to come. Lots of small plates. Items like sweetbreads, oysters, crudo, halloumi, etc. If you want the standard fare, there are a few things here like the ribeye, but it is really all the interesting small plates that make it. The portion sizes were good. Two small plates is enough for a meal. There is a full bar. Everyone on staff was very attentive and helpful. Like others have noted, there are some new opening kinks that the restaurant has to iron out. I hope this place can last. It's a great addition to town.

Finally made it here last weekend after wanting to check this place out for so long and it…read morecompletely lived up to the hype! The vibe is super cool and energetic. The skull heads art with the fog effect were such a fun touch for our kids. Everything we ordered was delicious, the portions are huge (definitely come hungry), and the Lapu Lapu drink is incredible. Even though the restaurant was completely packed, our server Alex was super attentive, and brought such a fun, awesome energy to our table. We had the best time and highly recommend (make sure to make reservations)!

As one of the oldest tiki bars in both the country and the state, Royal Hawaiian thankfully lives…read moreup to its historic status. Opened in 1947, the place has closed and re-opened intermittently under different owners, and most recently underwent a historic renovation process that more-or-less returns it to its origins. What you'll find here is a tiki bar that feels less like a time warp into another dimension, but rather, one that returns you to a time when tiki bars were full of things that evoke both Hawaii and the rest of Polynesia. This environment pretty much demands a rum-based cocktail and several patrons (including the band) appeared to have gotten well into the spirits. From a seat at the bar I enjoyed not just the music of the 3-person band, a good view of the surroundings, and a Nui Nui (cocktail, $19) but also a shared Spam Musubi ($7.95, excellent) and extravagantly lengthy Lumpia ($19.95). The Musubi, as indicated, was delicious and though I hadn't the appetite, a watched another bar patron sharing a fabulous looking order of poke nachos. So the drinks aren't the only reason to come here. Probably for good cause, the Royal Hawaiian isn't a late-night place. On Friday and Saturday they close at 10pm and on other days at 9pm. With a fun and lively atmosphere, great cocktails, and some really interesting food options, the reborn Royal Hawaiian is a fun and worthy spot to at which to spend an evening.