Your 1st choice is usually your best! After debating with my wife over other restaurants in the are we decided to go here. No reservations on a hope we get seated attitude. My wife was seated before I could park the car and we were given a wonderful experience from then on out. Our server was amazing with explaining the off menu items and very attentive with our orders. My martini was on point at her soup was gone before I knew it! The portions were sized to fill but not over indulge and the ambiance was very casual for a Covid Saturday. Everyone took precautions but it didn't seem like I was on a "watch list". The oysters were a highlight for me, the smooth and creamy taste was almost food perfection. I opted for the trout as my entree while my wife had the scampi. Both were good with very plump shrimp with her pasta and two dusted filets for me. All in all I will be coming back to try something else. read more

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Amazing food and service!! I especially enjoyed the Kobe Sliders!! Top of the line food.. you'll love it!!

Crazy delicious! My boyfriend took me here for our birthdays, we knew going in that it was gonna be "an experience ", but boy we were underselling it! They staff was super super friendly but not overwhelming! The owner was a treat to talk with! He checked up on us often and it was sooooo nice! Food was AMAZING! Alaskan king crab legs, get them. Surf and turf, get it. Homemade cookies, don't kid urself, you want it! JUST DO IT! DONT LET UR DREAMS BE DREAMS!!! read more

I am truly sad to write this but tonight was the last night I will EVER step foot inside that restaurant. The owner said multiple..extremely racist things regarding a performer that was on the t.v. in the bar area. Being a person is color I was very hurt and offended that I had to endure this..while spending my hard earned money. After YEARS of having amazing happy hours/ dinners with family and friends I am very disappointed that this has transpired. To add insult to injury I still do not believe any one who was involved in this situation is truly sorry. Very, very sad outcome! Please DO NOT allow them do this to any one else,please frequent any other of the amazing restaurants in Clayton instead. read more

Our first dine in experience since COVID started more than a year ago. WOW, we could not have made a better choice. We went for Sunday Brunch and it was everything we hoped for and more. The food was amazing, the staff was safe and also very attentive at the same time. I got the Baja Shrimp hash and my wife the Crab cake Benedict. We were both blown away with the food, it was so good, we left feeling so FULL. Thank you to all the people who work there, you did an amazing job. read more

This is a late review. We went to Oceano during the PGA Tournament. It was on a Friday night. We had a great dinning experience. Food was excellent. Service was great. I would go back. read more

Went here on a work trip in St. Louis and was craving seafood. Definitely a hidden gem! I sat at the bar and had great conversations with people around me, the bartender, owner and manager. Everyone was so nice - I loved the restaurant staff. They were so friendly and even hooked me up with free dessert and extra wine pours. Now for the food, it did not disappoint! I just got small plates to try as many things as possible. Great oysters on the half shell - fresh and big and the tuna appetizer was pretty good as well. I tried the peach cobbler dessert which changes regularly - it was huge and delicious; definitely recommend dessert! Despite being in a landlocked state, they get their seafood from a local market and is all fresh off the east coast. Loved learning about the restaurant and sourcing. I will definitely be back! read more

My wife an I stopped in for dinner last Saturday night and really enjoyed it. We ended up waiting a bit longer than projected for our table, but the manager went way above any beyond to make up for it. The ambience here is very nice and service was excellent. We had the calamari appetizer, okay, kind of boring but we wanted to see what a seafood restaurant could do with this dish we eat regularly. The calamari was cooked perfectly and we loved the accompanying aioli. It also came with a sweet sauce we weren't too crazy about, but that's a matter of personal taste. For entrees, I got the salmon and my bw ordered the prawns with pasta. The salmon was recommended by the waitress and it was excellent - the kind of dish I'd come back for. I'm not a big fan of prawns, but these were very good, and the pasta was tasty. Bottom line: This is a very nice upscale dining experience, great service and food. We'll be back. read more

Went for happy hour and it was amazing! Cocktails and wines are only $5, which is a total steal because they are high quality. My partner and I shared the crab cakes and kobe sliders--both were delectable. I was very impressed and will definitely be back! read more

Oceano is a treasure when you're from the coast. Excellent service, valued happy hour & oysters were delicious. Also, love the Shrimp scampi, crab cakes, fried calamari & Sea Bass. read more

I am a regular Oceano Happy Hour attendee. As a Clayton resident, I have lots of options for Happy Hours, but Oceano is the BEST and my FAVORITE!!!!! My experience last night was so superb I had to jump in and finally write the review they deserve. Let's start with the restaurant itself. It was a beautiful day, so they had their glass doors opened to the patio. The restaurant was filled with natural light and a breeze, which made everything even lovelier. I met some girlfriends for HH, and we had an absolute ball. We of course had to have some $5 cocktails, my new favorite is the Margarita Mojito Martini, but you truly cannot go wrong with any of them. And if you're a wine kind of gal (I am, but was in a cocktail mood), they have 8 OZ wine pours for $6!!! PARTAY!!! They have appetizers varying from $6 - $10, and they are all fantastic. The biggest standout, however, are their crab cakes. By far the best crab cakes I have ever had. Absolutely fabulous. We also got the roasted seasonal veggies, mini Kobe burgers, and the coconut shrimp. All of which had us ooo-ing and ahh-ing after every bite. Each of us got 2 apps, and it was perfect for our dinner!! I hadn't seen these girls since high school, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Our server, Michelle, was wonderful. She popped over every once in a while to make sure we didn't need anything, and just left us to ourselves. She had no problem with our very extended stay (4:30-8ish, OOPS), and continued to refill our waters even after we paid. I will definitely ask for her section the next time I'm there! As we were lingering, laughing, and catching up, we started to smell this delicious scent coming from the kitchen. It was SO good, I had to wave over Robert, who I believe is a manager. He told us the smell was their made-to-order homemade chocolate chip cookies. My friends and I sighed and planned to just have them next time because we had already paid, but Robert said that if we wanted to try them, he would bring some out on the house because he knew I was a regular customer. WOW. Not only did he give us one of the best desserts I've ever eaten, but when I joked that the recipe was probably top-secret, he brought out the dessert recipe binder and let me take a picture of the cookie recipe!!!! All of my experiences at Oceano are great, but this one was top-notch. Probably one of my favorite dining experiences ever. Thank you Oceano!!!! You're the best!!! read more

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Food poisoning anyone? Ate an early dinner on Jan. 3. So disappointing. Rolls were rock hard as though they had been in the steamer the day before. Had scallops that caused a trip to St. Mary's ER at midnight. Violently ill with food poisoning as confirmed by hospital visit. Since food safety trumps ambience and a competent wait staff, we DO NOT recommend this bistro. read more

I just had a great experience at Oceano. When we first came in, we were one of the few tables. However, the restaurant quickly flooded with people and the manager really stepped up. He was delivering food, bussing tables, and went out of his way to make our dining experience pleasurable. He covered our meal, though he didn't need to. The kindness is much appreciated, especially around the holidays! Thanks, Oceano--we will definitely be back for brunch & bottomless mimosas! read more

We had a lovely evening at The Oceano Bistro. The four of us shared some appetizers and each got an entree. It was delicious, the staff were great. The manager was so friendly. We had 2 birthday gals were were celebrating and the manager compted our dessert. read more

I saw that Oceano had sea bass on the Clayton restaurant week menu so I made sure to book a table for Thursday at 730pm. When we arrived, it was packed and our table wasn't ready. We were a party of 2 and seats opened at the bar, so we ate there. Our bartender was very pleasant and attentive. I had a Virtuoso which is martini made with vodka, amaretto and orange juice. I enjoyed it because I love sweet drinks. I had a cup of the seafood chowder and for my Restaurant Week 3 course meal, I ordered Crab Cakes as the appetizer, Sea Bass served on risotto w/corn and asparagus mixed in with it for my entree and for dessert I had the bread pudding w/ice cream. The seafood chowder was delicious! I wish I had a bowl instead of just a cup. The sea bass was very OVERcooked. I love sea bass, but this was a major disappointment. I had great expectations considering the reputation of Oceano. It had no flavor and seemed to have been either reheated or placed under a heat lamp. The risotto was like mush and also flavorless. The bread pudding was just OK. If it wasn't for the delicious chowder, and the service from my bartender, Oceano would have gotten 2 stars from me. read more

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Very nice ambiance at this seafood house in landlocked middle America. As a kid of the gulf south, with my very own "Shrimp Lady" to boot, I, a long term visitor of STL am happy to have discovered Oceano Bistro. The fare is fresh and aptly prepared. There just for happy hour and had the Seafood Chowder which was perfect in consistency and chock full of shrimp, noticeably fresh fish and a generous distribution of crabmeat throughout. My pal had the crab cakes. Very enjoyable. Generous servings of wine by the glass and service was welcoming, friendly and adept. Ill be back. read more

Met up with friends and family on a very very busy Friday evening. Service was great and so was food. We ordered from the happy hour menu-many items including crab cakes, sliders, flatbread pizza etc. All served quickly and hot. Very fun evening. The place was packed and I can see why. Good energy and great atmosphere. read more

Love the food, but far overpriced for what it is! Otherwise, I'd have given it four stars. I know, I know... it's in Clayton. I get it. Due to the prices, it is not going to get a good rating. read more

Absolutely love this place for dinner. Great atmosphere, wonderful wine selection. Solid combination of healthy & rich seafood dishes. Service is always awesome. Love sitting by the street when they have the windows open in the spring or fall. read more

This was our first visit, and would probably come back again, but would not order some of the items we did. The good news....lobster is very good, succulent and delicious. The steak was good, but lacked seasoning. But it was very tender and perfectly cooked. The veggies that came with the meal, potatoes horrible, and green beans way to crunchy. Sooo it was a bit disheartening. I ordered a Caesar salad, and it's not your authentic traditional Caesar. This had red peppers, capers and no fresh parm. Or Caesar dressing. Hubby had the house salad, garden greens, Gorgonzola cheese, potato strings, red onion, tomatoes in a vinegarette dressing, or so they say. Hubby said like there was no dressing on his . Dessert...I had bread pudding, and he had the peach cobbler. Don't order. It came with vanilla ice cream. That was it's savior. Coffee was cold. All of this fun and enjoyment for $200 tab. Wasn't quite the meal I was hoping to have. But you don't know until you try it. Server Ed was delightful and a pleasure. Soooo my grade for this evening would be a C- read more

Oceano Bistro - Just a cute little goat. Because we forgot to take pics of our meal. - Seafood Near Me - Clayton, Missouri

The $26 cost of the grilled salmon is not worth it. The salmon I received was literally smaller than the palm of my hand. I paid $26 for a meal I ate in about 10 seconds. I will not be ordering from here again. read more

Oceano Bistro - Grilled Salmon - Seafood Near Me - Clayton, Missouri

We moved to Clayton recently from The Netherlands and have been missing fish....so we thought we would give it a try . We started with the shrimp cocktail which was seriously one of the best we've ever had, it was fresh and melted in your mouth, and the cocktail sauce was delicious and had no added sugar ( I asked) . My husband had Lobster which was pricy compared to other items but he raves about it, I had Fennel Scallops which were equally impressive, I personally would use a touch less salt but that's normally my complaint. Service was knowledgeable, friendly and authentic. Wasn't expecting to have such a good experience but we will definitely go again! read more

I can't wait to dine here again. My husband and I gathered with a group for a birthday celebration last weekend and I'm still thinking about the salmon and beet salad. I can't think of a dish I enjoyed more, anywhere. Owner, Amer Abouwardah treated us like royalty. The service, the cuisine, the lovely environment-- I'd give ten stars if I could. Looking forward to dining at Oceano very soon. read more

Very fast and friendly service, with meh food that used quality ingredients. Ordered calamari as a starter, but probably should have gotten something a little more adventurous. The sauces were great, the squid itself was tender and delicious, but the batter was pretty tasteless and bogged down with oil. Even for a fried dish, this felt really heavy after the two of us got through half the plate. I also defied my own instincts when I ordered the Spiced Tuna with golden beets, green beans, and brie. This was NOT a harmonious dish. The spice clashed too harshly with the tuna, and the veggies were uninteresting, including some undercooked green beans. I could fit the brie easily on the tip of my pinky. The only saving grace on my plate was the balsamic sauce that was dabbed 4 small times along the periphery of my plate, which I rationed to get through the heavy spice on the tuna. While I wouldn't call the dish "disgusting", it was certainly not enjoyable, and the vegetables - as uninteresting as they were - rescued me from any particularly bad bites. My date definitely won this round with her choice of truffled scallops. They were big, fresh, and grilled evenly to near perfection. The dish was overall a little heavy and somewhat salty (maybe some of it was the residual calamari appetizer), but delivered on Oceano's promise of fresh seafood. Curiosity might take me back here one day to try their prawns and a more predictable main dish with obviously fantastic ingredients, but Oceano's was 2/5 in the taste department tonight. read more

Took my father and family there for their Father's Day brunch. The menu had a decent selection. However, my meal came out almost immediately while the rest of our party had to wait 10-15 minutes for their meals. The server was slow in refilling drinks and this wasn't due to being busy. The food was good. Finally when the bill came, we were charged for an entree we didn't even order. I was expecting more of an experience than what was received. I do not plan to ever go back. read more

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner!" Being from New England, I was excited to find a restaurant that touts itself for its fresh fish (it's called Oceano). We made a reservation and when we walked in thought perhaps it wasn't necessary. There seemed to be overstaffed with at least 3 different management-types swimming around. It was almost too much..."How is everything?" It's good, hence the 3 stars. We ordered some specials as well as some regular dishes. Appetizers: Baked Crab Cakes. They were fluffy and flavorful. Make sure you like celery as that is a prominent ingredient. Giant heirloom tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and goat cheese. Entrees consisted of homemade ravioli and sea bass. The type of sea bass was unknown aside from the fact that it was not Chilean. It was nestled on a bed of creamy lemon, asparagus, corn, pea risotto. The questionable part of these meals was that 3/4 of our dishes were surrounded by sauces. Caution: this could be a) a cover up b) overly ambitious or c) a clusterf$@@k of flavors. The crab cakes had a moat of clam chowder surrounding it. The sea bass and lemony risotto was surrounded by very salty buttery tomato sauce/bisque. The population was very Catskill-y with a geriatric feel to the clientele. They all seemed to know each other which was neat. When I went to the restroom I almost went for the mouthwash sample! Overall- pretty good. read more

Oceano Bistro - Seafood Near Me - Clayton, Missouri

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I came here based on a recommendation from a friend and it was everything. We ordered Apps( crab cake, prawns, shrimp cocktail, calamari) and entrees for 2 to share. The although we were concerned by the quantity of shrimps and prawns (4 each), by the time we were halfway through we were full. We asked if we can cancel the entree order and the request was granted :) Will definitely be back here for more seafood. Although they have land items on their menu as well. Service was amazing! read more

I was excited to try Oceano since so many of the reviews sound positive. What an incredible disappointment. I had an early lunch on a Monday. The staff was very friendly and attentive, and the space is nice and relaxed. The music was odd -- a playlist of what seemed to be 60's, 70's, 80's, etc. But the choices for those decades... all bad elevator tunes. A stark contrast to the cool and contemporary vibe of the restaurant. Fine to do those decades, but MANDY? TIN MAN? Both Barry Manilow and America had so many better tunes to represent the 70's. But on to more important things... I ordered half dozen of the raw Blue Point oysters to start. Now, here's the thing - I'd just returned from a trip to NYC where I had consumed at least four dozens Blue Point oysters over the course of a week. Real, authentic Blue Point oysters, at legit oyster bars where I had specific discussions with the chefs there about raw oysters. Blue Points in particular have a distinct size and weight, not to mention taste. The oysters Oceano gave me were in no way Blue Points. I'm not saying Oceano is lying - but I'd bet whoever they bought their oysters from told them there were BP's when they weren't. The oysters were also shucked terribly. I got bits of broken shell in the three I tried. And the taste was awful. Tasted like old fish - which is NOT the flavor you want from raw oysters. There was no brininess, no creaminess, nothing close to the flavor a good oyster, let alone a Blue Point should have. The waitress was awesome and kindly took them off my bill without me even asking. For my entree I chose the lemon crab risotto. And this was another disappointment. The flavors were there; the crab was tasty, the asparagus fresh and green, but the risotto was like paste. When risotto is right, it is creamy and consistent. This risotto was so thick you could've used it for bricklaying. I forked up a scoop of it and held it sideways - it was so thick it just sat there glued to my fork without falling. Really too bad because the flavors were there as I said. I almost went three stars on this review because the staff was so good, and the place is comfortable and attractive. But when you dine out, the food must be the star. And both the oysters and risotto missed the mark here tremendously. I will not return. read more

Ate here for restaurant week and it'd been quite a while since my previous visit. Inexcusable slow service, mediocre food at best and awful dessert. Don't waste your time or money. There are a million better places to eat in St. Louis and Clayton. read more

I don't get the other positive reviews. Very basic brunch menu focused on chicken, eggs, and smoked salmon. Server gave me a dirty glass with yellow crusty stuff on the rim. Food took a long time even though they weren't busy. Bathroom had weird pink watery soap in a clearly over re-used large container. Boring ambiance. Dry chicken in a dry basic bun. Had to guzzle water to get it down. Salty frittata. Basic burger. $50. I expected better in Clayton but I don't know why. read more

Our waiter was great; however, the food was bland, the chicken was dry and took longer than expected.

Excellence from service to atmosphere to cuisine! Whether it's Happy Hour, Sunday Brunch, Dinner, private celebration . . . you name it, Oceanos promises five stars! You couldn't possibly hope for a better dining experience. read more

Best seafood in St. Louis! The atmosphere is great, we went on a Sunday late afternoon with the kids. Everything we had to eat was beautifully presented, and so delicious! Everything is very fresh! The staff was wonderful as well, they definitely take care of you. Our girls had the Kobe burgers & Alfredo pasta from the kids menu, $5.00 each. What a great deal! And their food did not lack in flavor or presentation. We started with the Garde Manger Board & the Pan Roasted Freshwater Prawns. For dinner we had the Roma Tomato and Basil Angel Hair with Shrimp & the Pan Seared Rainbow Trout. Every single item we had, had incredible flavor and was cooked to perfection. This place definitely goes down as one of the best places to eat. read more

Oceano Bistro - Pan Roasted Freshwater Prawns $13.00. Just delicious! The sauce was incredible! - Seafood Near Me - Clayton, Missouri

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My husband and I enjoyed a great lunch yesterday. Fabulous food and great service by Vitto. Vitto brought us a huge cinnamon roll to split while we waited for our food. It was so good, we had to resist finishing it to have room for our food. We split a wonderful spinach salad, and I had the salmon while hubby had the crab risotto. No room for dessert, but I'd be surprised if they weren't as great as the meal. Definitely glad we found Oceano Bistro on our visit to St. Louis. We are looking forward to eating here again!! read more

I was profoundly disappointed with my first (and probably last) experience with Oceano. On the positive side, the location is great, and the restaurant is a vibrant scene, teeming with people and activity, while still not too noisy to carry on a conversation. My friends and I began the evening at the long, sweeping bar, and found the service at the bar friendly. A good selection of drinks, but the tonic in my G&T was so flat that even the lime couldn't rescue the flavor. Appetizers were good, but not spectacular. The salad was fresh, but a bit plain. It was with the entree, however, that Oceano lost me. I should preface this by saying that I am somewhat of a seafood connoisseur, and I am very familiar with the flavors and textures of pretty much all of the consumable sea creatures. As such, I naturally gravitated towards their risotto with scallops, mussels, and prawns. When the plate arrived, however, I was overcome by a very pungent odor emanating from the dish. It was so strong that even the table nearby could smell it. Something was not right with the dish. A little investigating revealed that the scallops were the culprit. I am not usually one to send food back, but this was so off that I was concerned that the food would make me ill. The server was very nice about it, and took the dish back. But, when she returned, I was given the same plate, same risotto, and instead of removing the scallops, they removed the mussels. The aroma was still there. This was a bit upsetting for a few reasons. For one, I had clearly identified the scallops as the bad item, and my companions agreed. And secondly, if one item in the dish is bad, then the entire thing should be replaced. As it stands, they just gave me the same plate, risotto still swimming in the broth of the bad seafood! The server was nice enough to check in and noticed I hadn't eaten anything. I pressed again that it was the scallops and not the mussels, and she trotted back into the kitchen. She returned 5 minutes later with a new plate of scallops! Seriously??? I know that Oceano prides itself on its scallops, but to have that pride get in the way of admitting that they had a bad batch is simply preposterous and unacceptable. That they wouldn't listen to the customer who is supposed to eat the food was very frustrating. As it stands, I left Oceano with a bad taste in my mouth... figuratively, of course... no way was I going to eat bad seafood. My recommendation is to avoid this establishment. read more

This by far is my most favorite seafood restaurant in Saint Louis. I have been here 4+ times and can say that the service and food are always superb. Here is a quick list of what I've had and what I think Bistro Mussels: I like these so much that I've tried replicating them at home. I've done no justice. Served in a large bowl, enough to comfortably satisfy 2 while waiting for the main entree. They are light, fresh, and the bruschetta adds a lovely saltiness to bring everything together. You'll want to save the white wine sauce the mussels are served in to dip your extra bread into. Blue Point Oysters: I always think that oysters are good if they are cleaned and served correctly. These blue points from the Northeast were cold when I got them and I didn't have to deal with any shell fragments. Great in my book. Use the cocktail sauce and cucumber mignonette sparingly because the blue points are already so perfect on their own Sauteed Warm Water Sea Bass: An overcooked fish will make any foodie sad. Oceano Bistro cooks the sea bass perfectly. The garnish and light sauce do not overpower, but rather complement the natural sweetness of the fish itself (corn). They give a generous portion and the risotto as a base is a nice touch too. One of the pricer dishes on the menu but well worth it! Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallops: I've gotten these twice. The first time was perfect, the second time was a little interesting. When the chefs make these perfectly, all 4 sea scallops (1/2 pound) cut like butter. At first it doesn't seem like 4 scallops will be satisfactory at all but they do in fact fill a stomach quite nicely. The scallops are served clean with a nice white truffle, butter emulsion that keeps you licking your lips all night. The second time I had these scallops they were cooked perfectly but the sear on them was bitter. I'd like to think that the grill wasn't cleaned perfectly. I was able to cut off the bitter parts and still enjoy my meal. Lobster Risotto: This is the only dish I've had here that I do not think is worth its price. The lobster was cooked wonderfully but there was not much of it. The flavors were great but I cannot justify ordering an almost seafood-less risotto at a seafood restaurant. Try this after you've tried everything else! Small dishes from the A la Carte menu: Nice little touches. Nothing to rave about but the sweet corn and asparagus risotto ($5) is worth a taste if you aren't already getting the sea bass. When a person says they love this place, they aren't trying to fit in- it really is that good! Lastly, the service as I said is wonderful. All the servers know the wine list by heart. They also know which wine will go best with the entree of your choice. read more

Oh, Oceano - I really wanted to like you. I wanted to like you so much, that I was willing to overlook my, "only eat seafood in states that border oceans" rule. I had been waiting for the right time to visit, and when I recently found a $40 for $18 offer on a local foodie website, I happily pulled the trigger. Wow, was I disappointed. For starters, my girlfriend and I shared our dinner with several fruit flies. It wasn't just our table either. I noticed another table swatting flies as well. I was willing to overlook this, because minus the flies, the atmosphere in Oceano really is quite nice. Let's move on to the drinks. Our server took our drink order professionally enough. My girlfriend ordered a cranberry and Absolut. When the drink arrived it was mostly Absolut. The server knew the drink didn't look right, because when she set it down she said she could add more cranberry if it were too strong. It definitely needed it. Rather than take the drink back and try again, the server brought a second glass with cranberry juice in it. So now, we have to play bartender and mix our own drink at the table. We began our meal with two appetizers - oysters on the half shell, and marinated tomatoes and halloumi. The oysters were fine. Not much control a restaurant has over raw shellfish, just buy good quality and put it on the tray with some ice. I had no complaints. The other appetizer was an interesting dish. In addition to the halloumi and tomatoes, it contained grilled watermelon, arugala, and some aged balsamic. The dish had a lot going on. I couldn't understand why the tomatoes got top billing, when there were two giant pieces of grilled watermelon on the plate. Anyway, if there are any would be BBQ chefs out there - don't grill watermelon, it doesn't taste good. For dinner, I ordered the Sauteed Herb Crusted Sea Bass. No complaints about the emulsion or risotto, it was quite good, but the fish is where things started to go wrong. If the name of your establishment contains the word Ocean, the fish had better be stellar. Sea Bass should be a touch on the firm side - this was not. The fish was almost soggy. The flavor was OK, but the texture was way off. My sea bass was also missing its Herb Crusted jacket. My girlfriend ordered the Rainbow Trout. First, the fish was bland. Second, it was lightly pan fried. Nowhere in the menu or in the server's description of the dish was it mentioned that the trout would be pan fried. Had she known, she would have ordered something different. The flavor of the fried batter overwhelmed the already bland fish. Given our experience with the meal, we decided to skip dessert. Our server brought the bill, and this is where things really went downhill. My coupon clearly stated that it could not be combined with other coupons or offers. I understand, and it makes perfect sense. The coupon, however, didn't say anything about method of payment. I chose to pay with a gift certificate. The server came over and said that it was not allowed. I asked to see the manager, who came over and explained that a "gift certificate" is technically an "offer" and that it was the rules of the coupon - his hands were tied. I felt like I was arguing the definition of "is" with Ken Starr. When it became obvious that the manager was not going to accept the gift certificate (something which Oceano had already collected the money on when it was purchased, mind you), we paid and left. If it had just been one of the previously mentioned grievances, I could have justified a second visit. But, after mediocre service, poorly prepared food, and an argument with management, I am content letting Oceano be the big fish that got away. read more

My girlfriend and I went for lunch yesterday. We went a little early on purpose, and were surprised at the number of open parking spots at the corner of Brentwood and Maryland. There are no meters in this particular area of Brentwood, so you have to find the "Pay Station," pay for parking by cash or plastic, then put your receipt on the driver's side of your dashboard. I've never done this before, but it worked beautifully, and we had a princely parking spot. This restaurant is divinely elegant, sparse, clean, great colors and fabulous angles. David was our server. Before we dove too far into the menus, he acquainted us with the off-menu offerings. This is a good thing in my book. I don't want to study a menu, make a selection and THEN be told about off-menu offerings which tempt me into indecision. As it turns out, we both got the same thing: the off-menu soup -- butternut squash soup ($5/cup) -- and crab cakes from the appetizer menu ($14). David asked if we wanted the soup first or everything to come out at the same time. We opted for soup first. He timed it beautifully. The butternut squash soup was spectacular, great flavor, wonderful texture, and smitten with candied pecans to give a crunch to this otherwise soft soup. The flavors blended so beautifully and were so autumn-ish. It was not long before the crab cakes (remember, this is listed as an appetizer) came out. Such a beautiful presentation. THREE crab cakes -- this size I've never seen before -- an inch tall and perhaps 1/2-inch diameter. A sauce drizzled over the crab cakes. A different sauce in the bottom of the plate. Dressed with an arugula/fennel/roasted red pepper salad. The two sauces were sherry butter and chipotle aioli. But there was nothing HOT about the chipotle aioli -- for those who are averse . . . including me. The crab cakes were mostly crab -- the way they should be. Tender, flavorful and so enticingly enhanced with the two sauces. Somebody in the kitchen knows their stuff. We both ate one crab cake. And it was time for to-go vessels. My girlfriend ordered (to take home) the pasta primavera off-menu offering. She ordered it before we had our food, so they could be firing it in time for our departure. And the timing was too close to perfect. I took home my two splendiferous crab cakes with both sauces for another meal. David was a spectacular server. read more

We visited Oceano for Clayton's restaurant week. The place was packed when we got there and we had to wait a bit for our reservation but that was ok. We really enjoyed the atmosphere, the place had an open, airy feel to it. Our server was very nice but not in your face every five minutes, which we like. We each had a chunk of bread served with a yummy olive oil swirled with a zesty blend of something, maybe roasted red peppers? Either way, it was good. We shared the seafood chowder and hamachi ceviche. Both were very good but the ceviche definitely won out. It was light and citrusy and the perfect taste to get us ready for the main event. Next came our entrees, and in my opinion, the best part of our meal. My husband had the shellfish sofrito and gobbled it up like no other. I'm not a huge fan of shellfish so I let him go for it while I enjoyed my delicious salmon. I am not even a huge seafood lover (trust me, I almost wussed out and went with the filet) but this was fantastic. It came perfectly charred with a small garnish of shaved fennel and granny smith apples that added a crunch to each bite. It was served atop a crispy bacon wrapped arugula cake that was awesome! I literally cleaned my plate, felt a bit piggish but we all know that time in the meal where getting a to go box is pointless. We ended our meal with the creme brulee and bread pudding. I would agree with another reviewer that this was probably the only not so awesome part of the meal. The vanilla creme brulee was tasty but not quite crackly enough. Part of the fun is busting through the top layer with your spoon! The chocolate didn't really do it for me, I may have even left a bite behind. Greg really enjoyed the bread pudding but I thought it would have been even tastier and a beautiful presentation if it were a bit thicker. Overall, we would definitely try this place again, especially when we are in the mood for some unique seafood flavors. Thank you Oceano! read more

A terrible marriage of great food and disgusting wine service. On the recommendation of a managing partner from a local CPA firm we decided to dine at this establishment. Food was great. Wine was beyond a joke - it would be called hilariously bad if it improves. The server rated a z minus The sommelier a c- First of all we ordered a chateau montelena 2010 cab. They presented a European white we sent that back. They then presented a 2011 and argued it was just as good. We challenged the sommelier and he relented that we were correct ( we do at least 5 visits to Napa annually). we ordered the chimney rock 2009. It was too warm I asked them to cool it. She ignored the request and poured it anyway. I complained 3 times and was ignored until the sommelier came. His solution. Put my glass in refrigerator. Really. They brought it back later. Cold glass and all. Not bothering to pour into new one. When emptying the decanter she poured the wine all over the table and my glass and despite requests did not even change the glass. The 2010 we poured ourselves. I chastised the sommelier. He apologized profusely and said we would get substantial discount on the problem wine. .... Anyone else would have written it off. I told that staff needed training as this was an embarrassment. We got the bill. A whole 25 taken off each bottle. Truly sad The sommelier was nowhere to be found. Truly a Mickey Mouse wine operation. Not to be taken seriously. I would recommend that money be spent elsewhere rather than wasted here. Unless you just want a coke with your meal. read more