we went to lemon & thyme for a friday night dinner. it was all around an amazing meal, highly recommend going if you're looking for a good restaurant in costa mesa. we made a reservation, but it looked like it would've been easy enough to get a table if you walked in. the decor was really cute, fitting to a lemon themed restaurant. the service was great! the wait staff was really friendly and attentive. we never had a water glass unfilled. we started with 2 glasses of wine. the served us some bread that was delicious - salt, lemon, and thyme! we followed that with a beet salad which was a refreshing and flavorful start to the meal. the spicy rigatoni had a good kick and was also delicious. the airline chicken was a very impressive meal - chicken was perfectly cooked and flavored, mashed potatoes were perfectly seasoned, and some fresh veggies to balance it out. we ended the night with the baklava cheesecake, a great combo of 2 classics. read more

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Another phenomenal meal with probably one of the greatest servers we've ever experienced. Gabriel deserves a raise. He could tell me a rock tasted good and I would order it!! He truly elevates our experience every time Cheers read more

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Ambiance is pretty sad at this place especially for dinner, they kept the lights super bright and the interior looks like grandmas kitchen, maybe a better fit for lunch. Service was meh kinda rude and dishes were boring. We ordered cauliflower with zaatar and it was literally steamed cauliflower soaked in olive oil, no taste whatsoever. My favorite were the mushrooms which would be the only item I'd ever consider going back to this place for but still not worth it. I don't understand 4.8 rating... read more

What a great spot! We started with their bread, which is usually just a starter. I would've had it as an entree if it were on the menu. I'll be returning for more bread for sure!! I love broccolini and it was chargrilled to perfection. We also tried the octopus Al pastor. The server promised it would melt in your mouth- oh was he right! The textures and flavors of that dish were amazing. We finished the evening with a flight of their handmade sorbets. I've never had more flavorful sorbets. read more

Excellent service. Great food! I had the mushroom risotto and it was rich and decadent. read more

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Inspired food, environment , and service. Grilled peach, burrata, and arugula: one of the best salads I've had. Duck with lovely creamy mole and intricately balanced octopus dish were hits. The lamb croquettes will pop to mind regularly when I have returned to seattle. Lamb and carrots with delicate warm flavors (maybe cinnamon?) encased in a cornmeal crust. Warm hospitality enhanced all the good flavors. Southern Cal: you are so lucky to have such a special place. read more

THEIR BRANZINO!! If you haven't been to Lemon & Thyme yet, you're in for a treat. This place is a brand-new hidden gem that won't stay hidden for long! Everything here is handmade and bursting with flavor. From the homemade potato chips to the divine baklava cheesecake... come on! Chefs here know what they're doing. The branzino was perfectly cooked, and the al pastor grilled octopus was absolutely delicious. Don't miss out on their charcuterie board and beef tartare either. Seriously, everything on the menu is a win!! read more

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The food was delicious! Creative and well presented. We had a hard time choosing our entrees. And the baklava cheesecake was wonderful - it was unique with just the right amount of sweetness. I would go back for that dessert alone (but of course I couldn't go back with trying another entree). read more

First time dining here and looking forward to coming back! Came here for dinner with a couple friends on a Friday evening around 5:00. We had a reservation , so we were seated right away and given fresh garlic bread with butter. Our server was really nice and gave us a rundown of basically the whole menu, and gave us a few recommendations. We ordered the grilled artichoke that came with a couple sauces that were soo good; and then I ordered their octopus dish. The octopus had a really nice avocado sauce and had a nice grilled flavor to it. It was not too tough and was cooked really well and came with some baby potatoes as well. Overall a really cute little place with nice ambiance. Would probably be quite nice for a date night as well. read more

Lemon & Thyme - Octopus dish - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Although Restaurant Highlights: 1. Amazing Food 2. Personable with above and beyond service from Gabriel! Although the food was good, I'm a bit torn about a 4 or 5 star rating due the juxtaposition of flavors between the appetizer and main courses. The appetizer which were: the octopus carpaccio and hiramasa crudo, 2 amazingly stellar dishes, and out of this world even. Comparing this to our mains: Octopus Al Pastor and truffle tag-something pasta, these 2 pale in comparison. It was a let down really because the al pastor was flavor has a lot more tang/tartness than what I'm used to from an al pastor anything. The dish itself was honestly a 3 star compared to the 2 apps. Than the truffle tag pasta was really but with the first 3 bites but it got really heavy after that. By comparison, the 2 apps were light, refreshing, had amazing complimentary flavors while the 2 mains did nothing for else. Hence the 4 stars on the food. What really averaged this place up to 5 stars was due to Gabriel. That man was the jack of all trades serving us, serving other tables, than also being a sommelier?? I would kind of go back just for that guy! Also worth mentioning was that it was our birthdays so Gabriel hooked us up with 2 desserts! One was a chocolate cake and the other was a cheese cake baklava. Although they tasted great, it wasn't really for us since it was on the more decadent and sweeter side than what we prefer. Overall, good place and I would go back if the main dishes got rotated out to something interesting. read more

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This place is a hidden gem. The service is wonderful, and they are very accommodating to children as well! The food is delicious, fun and fresh - we even got takeout from here and it was still delicious when we got home. The octopus carpaccio and beef tartare are my favorites. read more

Lemon & Thyme - Octopus carpaccio - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Don't sleep on this place! This is one of the best meals I've eaten in my life. Our waiter was so nice and helpful. He explained the menu and helped us pick our dishes. We had the artichokes, the wedge salad, the risotto with steak, and the baklava cheesecake. It was all incredible. I've thought about that risotto and steak every day since we've eaten there. The space is nice -- soft lighting, and the interior feels upscale. At the end of our meal, the chef/owner came out to say hi. She was a lovely person who obviously cares deeply for her craft. read more

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Great service! Great food! I recommend the ribeye (medium rare), burger, mushrooms, broccolini, and baklava cheesecake. We had a group of 7, and we all shared a variety of plates. The server was super attentive and kind. Highly recommend! read more

Such a cute restaurant. This place is amazing! Everything we ordered was delicious! 10/10 the Baklava Cheescake was one of kind. I'm not the biggest baklava fan but this made me rethink everything. Can't forget our AMAZING server Gabriel! He made the experience 1000 times better. We will be back! read more

Lemon & Thyme - Baklava Cheescake - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Coming here you would never expect the food to be so good. It is a modest storefront place with a pretty plain look, but the food! We had roasted cauliflour (YUM!), shrimp ceviche, and mushroom risotto (double YUM!!) and they were all fantastic. Different flavor profiles on every dish. Overall Mediterranean but the chef is Mexican and you can taste that in food too. But honestly the place is really great. We had the baklava cheesecake for dessert and it really rocked. We were talking about it the next day. So do give this great little place a try. It's really good!!! read more

Amazing service and food. It was our first time here and wanted to try so many dishes so we share 6 plates. We ordered the grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes, cheese and fruit board, grilled peach burrata arugula salad, asada with corn, pork belly with string beans and mash potatoes, and short rib ravioli. For dessert, we shared the coffee creme brulee. We ordered red sangrias all the around to enjoy it with our meal. Everything was prepared and cooked perfectly. The servers were attentive, kind, polite, and prompt. We will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. read more

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This is a new restaurant and dining at a new restaurant comes with some frustrations which are to be expected and I will not scrutinize the restaurant that much for. There were a few hiccups with some of our table's orders where wrong food was given and the right food order took awhile to come out. With a few more staffing and getting used to the hang of things, things will be sorted out. When it comes to food, from the different dishes I tried...from the complimentary bread to the house salad to the grilled artichoke, I was impressed and thoroughly enjoyed the food. Food really lives up to the name of the restaurant. You can taste a touch of lemon and thyme in the bread as well as the salad dressing. The restaurant itself is very intimate and cozy, and clean. read more

The food was amazing! The service was excellent.. definitely look forward to going back again!

Ambience is good. Food was amazing! Had beef tartare, octopus and spicy rigatoni, every dish was beautifully presented and tastes delicious. Our server Juan was very attentive and made sure we were taking care of from the minute we sat down, Service was very responsive. Price is not bad either. Would def come back! read more

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Food was pretty, I got the steak frites. The fries weren't the best (tasted freezer burnt) but the steak was good. Server called me papas multiple times so I left him a hefty tip. The music was good as well and the restaurant was very hospitable. read more

The french toast was amazing! Service was excellent - cozy space would highly recommend!

This place has really good food and services. All their ingredients are high quality and fresh ! We are very happy with our dinner tonight . Everything we ordered came out delicious! Definitely will be coming back . read more

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This is a brand new restaurant we just heard about and it was worth the visit. Excellent service friendly staff amazing tapas style dishes. Love the flavors of every dish. Definitely returning to try the rest of the menu items we did not try today read more

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Thank you Costa Mesa for sleeping on this hidden gem. I have the entire restaurant to myself. Ambience is low-key and chill. The service is impeccable. But the food is the star of the show. I had the steak and eggs I'm limiting my carbs so they offered me a side salad which is perfectly dressed. The steak was cooked perfectly. This should be the brunch spot in Costa Mesa. They have a $20 bottomless mimosa. Check this place out for Sunday brunch. It's fantastic. read more

Incredible food. Great ambience and our waiter Rob was knowledgeable on the food and wine. Best time celebrating my wife birthday. Definitely make a reservation their food is extremely good. read more

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My family and I came here tonight for the first time in honor of Father's Day. I was hesitant at first because of the unassuming entrance and location. However, as soon as we were seated, I was floored by the unparalleled hospitality and service. For appetizers, we enjoyed the Shrimp Ceviche, Grilled Artichoke, and Beet Salad. For main, we shared the Grilled Octopus Al Pastor, Short Rib Ravioli, and the Prime Rib with sides of French Fries and Mushrooms. Finally, for dessert, we had the House Ice Cream and the Baklava Cheesecake. Everything from beginning to end was exceptional, but my husband and I are still talking about the beet salad, ravioli, and Mexican chocolate ice cream! I mentioned earlier that this was a Father's Day dinner for my husband. We had our six year old, two year old (who had taken only a half hour nap in the afternoon before dinner), and six month old. Our two year old was fussy. Gabriel and the waiters went out of their way to encourage me, cheer up my two year old with an extra order of fries and pink lemonade on the house, and joke around with the rest of our party. We are so grateful for the patience, kindness, and thoughtfulness they showed us throughout dinner. All in all, we could not have imagined a better place we could have celebrated Father's Day! Thank you, Gabriel and team for making it such a memorable evening. We hope to see you again! read more

We came back to try the short rib ravioli, salmon & pomme, charcuterie board, and of course the baklava cheesecake. The service is as always extremely attentive and welcoming. We love the quaint feel inside - the perfect place for an intimate date or for a small party. read more

Lemon & Thyme - Charcuterie board - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Excellent food, really cute place with friendly, professional service! We tried a few of the specials - all soo delicious! the pistachio soup, peach and burrata salad, and the truffle pasta. We were too full for dessert but the baklava cheesecake looked so good too! We'll be back to try other dishes! read more

I came here with a group of four girlfriends and had a fantastic dinner. We had the mushroom risotto, caesar salad, spicy rigatoni, and salmon. All were delicious. And who can forget the baklava cheesecake! That's a must try. It was very sweet, but great shared between four. In addition, I loved how ice cold my glass of rose was. Service was excellent. read more

Everything about Lemon & Thyme is amazing! Great music, ambiance and excellent service. The food is absolutely delicious. We had the short rib ravioli and the salmon which were both very good. The baklava cheesecake is an absolute MUST! I would go back for the cheesecake alone. We will definitely be returning. read more

This place is impeccable staff were amazing and very nice food was delicious the spicy rigatoni pasta was delicious and I've came here for brunch before L&T French toast and chilaquiles was so worth it and definitely coming back very soon and it's such as small place but worth every dish! read more

Lemon & Thyme - Spicy rigatoni pasta - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Absolutely first class in every regard! I have been impressed with every dish and the service is top tier! A must try, if you have not been you are missing out. And it is is such a cute space as well, very romantic. read more

Lemon & Thyme - Picanha that was cooked to perfection with an amazing sauce on top. - New American Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Lemon & Thyme exceeded all our expectations for a special anniversary evening. The owners have transformed this location, which we remember being a vegan Japanese restaurant (LoCal), into an intimate restaurant which amazing service. The moment we walked in our server, Robert, made the experience truly exceptional. He was attentive, welcoming, and went above and beyond to make sure every detail was perfect. The food was truly amazing. The Grilled October Al Pastor was cooked to perfection--tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The Truffle Tagliatelle was a masterpiece in its simplicity--creamy, rich, and delicious. The staff surprised us with complimentary sparkling wine with our meals and followed that up with a complimentary panna cotta for dessert. As good as the Baklava cheesecake was the panna cotta, which is an off-menu item, was our favorite. It was a thoughtful touch that made the evening even more memorable. We can't wait to return for the incredible food and outstanding service. Thank you, Lemon & Thyme, for an unforgettable night! read more

My family and I have been here 4+ times and gotten takeout as well. The food is amazing, the prices are below market, and the service is great. It's a smaller place so be sure to get reservations. Highlights include the branzino, tartare, and steak. Just don't fill up on the bread. read more

Came for their weekend brunch and bottomless mimosas! Our server Rebecca was amazing! Very helpful and accommodating, and was more than happy dealing with us when we started getting rowdy from all the bottomless mimosas. They kept the champagne filled and brought out the food quickly. We had a 2 hour limit on mimosas which was more than enough time. Everything was delicious! I highly recommend the French toast and the breakfast potatoes! Also ordered the Biscuits and gravy, which was also delicious. The Biscuits were cooked to perfection with a delicious crisp. The place was quiet, and it was only us, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I know the place will become more reputable as time goes on, so that'll not be the case in the future, but we'll enjoy the silence while we can, hahaha read more

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The food was delicious! Had a birthday celebration at Lemon and Thyme and it was fabulous. Service was exceptional. I will definitely go again. ---Jan read more

Where do I start? We had the artichoke to start and the flavor was amazing! Octopus Al pastor a unique flavorful dish well everything was delicious. We had James as our server, he made sure we had a great dinner and a good time. If you are looking for a quite intimate place Lemon & Thyme is the spot. Will definitely be back! read more

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The food is amazing, service is excellent and the restaurant and decor relaxing and comfortable.

This is a small gem tucked in a small space on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa. As you enter you feel a welcoming atmosphere. It is a small restaurant with very charming design with white linen tablecloths. The service is impeccable. The food is excellent and imaginative. I enjoyed every minute I spent there. I highly recommend it. read more

A friend and I met here on a Sunday afternoon. Hardly anyone was in the restaurant. The service was good, but the food was mediocre at best. My scrambled eggs, bacon and toast were cold and my friend's eggs Benedict was made with pulled pork. Pretty much awful to be honest. We won't be back. read more