We decided to try The Cliff Restaurant & Bar while spending the day in Laguna Beach, and we're so glad we did! We stopped in for lunch and had such a great experience from start to finish. My husband ordered the Surfin' Cowboy with fries and pepper jack cheese, while my son and I shared the mahi-mahi fish tacos with sweet potato fries. I also had a cup of the clam chowder, and everything was excellent! The food was fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. My husband also enjoyed a Laguna IPA. Of course, the views are what really make this place special. The restaurant sits right above the Pacific Ocean, and the views were absolutely spectacular. It was the perfect setting for a relaxing lunch while enjoying the beauty of Laguna Beach. Our server, Peter, was also wonderful. He was welcoming, very nice, and informative with suggesting menu items and he made us feel right at home. Great food, beautiful views, and excellent service...what more could you ask for! We would definitely come back the next time we're in Laguna Beach! read more

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Roast beef dips were very dry and chewy Supposed To be an hour wait so we ordered a cocktail and after about 20 minutes they had our table ready but seated it right where a yucca plant is located that totally blocked the sunset Service was fast read more

The Cliff Restaurant - Yucca plant blocks the sunset view - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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The food was good, but not great. I would certainly go back however because of the incredible view and the relatively good prices. I was expecting that the prices would be crazy, simply because of the location of the restaurant, but it was entirely reasonable (relatively). Our server was lovely and the service overall was exactly as expected. Like I said, I'll be back because the sunset view is unbeatable read more

This is a beautiful restaurant overlooking the beach. I would recommend going around sunset to enjoy it. Staff is friendly and helpful. We got the cliffhanger to drinks, bruschetta to start, and the fish, shrimp, and fries for our entree. Cliffhanger- This has a cruzan mango rum base with mango puree, blue curacao, and lime. The mango flavor is dominant with a fresh, citrus undertone. Sweet and refreshing! Bruschetta- Juicy tomato with chopped fresh basil layered with mozzarella cheese. Drizzled with balsamic reduction and served on crispy crostini. Fresh and light. Fish, Shrimp and Chips- The seafood was fresh. Batter was tasty and everything is fried to perfection. Served with crispy fries. Perfect dish for a seafood craving. Great experience overall! read more

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I came today and got the poke appetizer and it was nasty! SO fishy and it grossed me out, I only had a few bites. How old is the fish that is served here? It was really not good. The view is nice here but the food is really gross. Luckily the service is good along with the view which is why I come back for a drink every now and again. But SKIP the food, honestly there is much better food in Laguna. read more

I came here for dinner and got the carbonara($34) and it came out in about 25 mins. The pasta was cooked good and served with an Alfredo sauce. It had some lump crab meat and shrimp. A good view with pretty solid food! Staff were friendly. Overall, a good view with solid food to support it! Food(50%): 8.0 Staff/service(25%): 7.0 Value(25%): 6.5 Overall: 7.4/10 read more

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I can't believe I never knew about this beachside restaurant in Laguna until now. It's a great spot to take in the beautiful ocean views while you eat. It's Laguna so parking can be difficult but it's possible to find metered parking on the nearby cross streets if you don't mind walking a little. We opted to use their valet parking but it's $6 per hour. The restaurant is surrounded by cute shops and there's an area where they have live music on certain nights. There are a decent amount of tables outside with umbrellas for shade. If you come for happy hour on a weekday, it's only available in the upper area by the bar. We came on a Tuesday for happy hour (3- 6pm), so cocktails were $2 off and starters were half priced. They don't have that many cocktails to choose from, so I just got their red Seasonal Sangria ($16). It didn't come in a wine glass which was a little odd but it was fine. We shared their Shrimp Ceviche ($23) and Bruschetta ($19). The ceviche was okay but the bruschetta was excellent. They also had taco specials (I assume because it was Tuesday) so they were $4- 5 à la carte. I tried the Mahi Mahi and Shrimp tacos and surprisingly really liked them. The Mahi Mahi tasted fresh and so did the corn tortillas. I would definitely come back for Taco Tuesday and anytime I'm looking to dine with an ocean view. read more

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Went to Cliff House for Happy Hour after going to Sawdust Festival. Had cheese nachos and coconut shrimp, and beer. I've had better coconut shrimp. It was kind of tough and the sauce that accompanied it was not very good. I'm used to a type of marmalade sauce. I liked the half price appetizers and two dollars off drinks. It wasn't that busy. Had to get up twice and find server to make request and to get our bill to pay) It was very hot and humid day, but they had plenty of umbrellas, so it worked out (although umbrellas blocked view of ocean) but it was better than sitting the hot sun. read more

The view is lovely. The service is friendly, and it's a dog friendly restaurant. Win win. My burger was delicious... how can you go wrong with that. The French dip was horrible. No flavor, no presentation. Absolutely not worth it. I wanted to complain, but my husband didn't have the energy. So he suffered through it. Total cost: Total was $89.40 including tip. A cliff burger cost $27.00 and the French Dip was $33.00. Soft drinks were $4.95. Note to self...Next time, share a meal, and share a dessert. Then it will be worth it. read more

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You are paying for the view which is fabulous. Our waiter was very nice but we would have appreciated being told that the crab on the Louie was $10 on top of $28 for the lettuce and various veggies such as tomatoes and olives. Prices are outrageous. read more

Great location & great service! The food was really good. We just had the burgers, but they were good I definitely want to come back & try more of the menu. read more

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The waitress was super friendly and the food was great! Maybe a little on the pricy side for what you get - I laughed a little at the $14 hot dog on the menu. I got the bruschetta to share and the pear Gorgonzola salad. The former was fine and the latter was really excellent. I shared some of the bread pudding bites and those were also really delicious, crunchy on the outside and custardy in the middle, a really interesting take on bread pudding that I loved. The view is amazing and it was the perfect spot for dinner while watching the sunset! read more

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If it's a restaurant: * by the ocean * with a view * in Laguna Beach * with seafood on the menu * with table service ...then I LOVE it! I'm an ocean gal, and seriously it's all I need to make me happy. read more

We ordered the Surfin Cowboy $26.00 A 1/2 lb wagyu patty topped with melty pepper jack cheese, crispy bacon, onion rings, and tangy BBQ sauce on a brioche bun. And Macadamia Chicken $33.00 Succulent chicken breast crusted with macadamia, with a delicate champagne cream sauce and garnished with fresh mango and papaya. The views are great at this restaurant. It was super sunny which made it hot but, the server accommodated us and put up the umbrellas which made it comfortable. Another person in our party dinner was not satisfactory so the server took it off our bill. This was really appreciated and unexpected. Great place to enjoy if you want to eat outside. read more

The Cliff Restaurant - Surfin Cowboy - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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The views were incredible, no doubt, but the trick is you can't enjoy those views and the happy hour at the same time :-/ I tried the Mahi fish tacos and they were pretty bland, the ceviche does come in a big serving size, but the prices seem a bit steep for food quality. We were sat quickly and the staff was super kind and made sure we were taken care of. I'd go back for happy hour, but not sure I'd order a meal read more

Great place To come with awesome views. Relaxing and causal. Pet friendly & the shop people are really nice. read more

The Cliff Restaurant - Hanging out with family & friends - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Have only come here for brunch before on weekends but tried weekday lunch this time and it was wonderful! Still can't best the coastal view-the pina colada was delicious! As was the ahi tuna poke and hearty sandwich. Very satisfying meal and experience! read more

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Great view, and the staff is friendly enough. The food however is really bad unfortunately. The drinks were acceptable at best. It's very disappointing how bad the food is especially for the price. This spot leans so incredibly hard on their location. This property deserves better from the management and the patrons deserve better as well. The chicken and rice we ordered for my dog tasted better than any of the food my wife and I were served. Next time I'll bring some teriyaki from home and order from the pets menu. read more

The Cliff is a special place in Laguna Beach. The restaurant and bar have the most spectacular ocean views you can find in SoCal. If grabbing a great meal and cocktail while watching a glorious sunset is what you're looking for you should run to the Cliff when you're in Laguna Beach. Sorry I didn't get shots of the actual restaurant but the sunset distracted me. We had a delicious shrimp cocktail with our top shelf margarita. It was perfect. They added a float of Grand Marnier and Mezcal on our Cliff Margarita and it was amazing. The service was some of the best I've had in a long time. Jose our server was a blast and provided great recommendations for us. They were very open to some of our custom cocktail requests. They're all about creating a great experience while enjoying incredible views. Go to the Cliff if you're in Laguna or Newport. It will be memorable. Salute @thejohnnycocktail read more

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This place is really nice, i love the view, the area, the prices, everything was really great around here, but definitely the food is very delicious, the calamari is really great in here i had never tried as a fillet but it was awesome, also they are very fast in they're service, the restaurant has little shops also that you can enjoy and the restrooms area is also big enough for how big is this place. read more

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The Cliff is one of those spots you bring friends and family to when you want to show off what Laguna has to offer. With breathtaking ocean views, it's the perfect setting for an amazing dinner date or a casual lunch with friends. The food is just as impressive as the scenery, and the staff is incredibly kind and they graciously offered plenty of recommendations which everything they suggested was phenomenal. There's onsite parking (valet for $6) or street parking right in front. Plus, there are plenty of shops and bars nearby if you want to hang out before or after your meal, and the beach is just a few blocks away. Ps. Make sure to check them out for breakfast as they have an amazing menu to pick from. read more

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My wife and I had a nice mid-week sunset dinner here during a freak heatwave in February! You can park on the street, but PCH was so busy, we happily paid the $6/hr for valet. The menu is simple but has a variety of options, including a menu for pets. I had a spicy chicken sandwich with fries and it was pretty good (but not amazing). My wife had a 1/2 turkey sandwich and small clam chowder (both good). We saw lots of people here just for drinks and appetizers. Considering the view and location, prices were very fair. Service was friendly and quick, but not memorable. But let's be honest, you're not coming here for an elevated dining experience -- you're coming here for the stellar vista! Perched on a cliff between Main Beach and Thalia St., you have clear views of Laguna Beach and out to Catalina Island. If you're visiting from out of town, this is the quintessential SoCal experience you shouldn't miss. read more

The Cliff Restaurant - Spicy chicken sandwich - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

If Laguna Beach had a front row seat, this would be it. The Cliff Restaurant delivers one of the best oceanfront dining experiences in Southern California. Perched above the Pacific, the views alone are worth the visit, especially at sunset when the coastline lights up and the waves roll in below you. The food more than holds its own. The poke bowls are incredibly fresh, clean, and well balanced. High quality fish, perfectly seasoned rice, and thoughtful toppings that let the ingredients shine without trying too hard. It feels coastal, intentional, and exactly what you want by the ocean. Service was friendly, relaxed, and on point. No rush, no attitude, just good energy and great pacing. Whether you are a local or visiting Laguna, this is the kind of place you remember and come back to. Great food, unbeatable views, and a true Laguna vibe. read more

The Cliff Restaurant - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

The Cliff restaurant has one of the most beautiful ocean views in the area. The food and drinks are decent and some dishes are actually very good. We have had Pasta, Ahi Poke and Fish N Chips. The service was quick and friendly and there is often live music on the weekends. The seating is all outside; covered and uncovered, except for the bar area that is inside. I highly recommend visiting the Cliff restaurant for the best views, good food and good times. I rate the Cliff 4.7 all things considered. read more

Great view of the beach. Fast service and we only ordered tacos and beer for a little afternoon snacks.

I was so excited to come to this place and waited over a hour for a table. I was so surprised that this place has horrible service and the food was not what you expect. To start, out waitress got my sons order wrong and when she passed out tablet she walked by and said everything looks great walked away and never saw her again. Not once did she stop by to check up on us or give us a refill on our drink. I ordered the guacamole with chips and I was shocked that we spent 20 dollars on this when they brought up chips that were in a bad from Albertsons. I will provide the picture below. My sons grill cheese was cold and the nachos we ordered was also cold My last straw was when the couple behind us spilled their coke across the table and it got over my son's new hoodie jacket. The waitress never offered us extra napkins or anything. The couple that did it never even said I'm sorry. read more

The Cliff Restaurant - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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We went here to celebrate a birthday on a Saturday night. There are no reservations but you are able to join an online waitlist. Joined the waitlist at 4pm and received a notification three hours later that we were next up. Once we checked in we had to wait another 30 minutes. Our waitress was amazing and the food was delicious. Place can use some updating but the view can never get old. read more

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What a special restaurant with amazing food and views! We came on a Sunday late morning and didn't have to wait! We ordered the Ahi Poke, Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos, and the Cliff Burger! The Ahi Poke portion size was decent and the poke was so fresh; the house-made taro chips were such a good pairing! The portion size for the Mahi Mahi tacos were also great, though the texture of the fish was a bit harder than I expected. The Cliff Burger patty was well cooked and came with a large portion of fries! Service was quick and can't forget the beautiful view around! FYI, the breakfast/ brunch menu is only available on the weekends! read more

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A fun lil place to escape from the beach, without feeling like you left the beach. You have to zig zag your way through the little shop but eventually you will find the host station and they will find hit a great seat. I came with some family on a Friday afternoon. The weather was great! We sat outside and they open an umbrella for us. I had the crab salad and Bloody Mary. Both soooo good!!! Another in my party had the club sandwich and loved it. It's pricy just like the rest of Laguna is but worth it everyone once in a while. The only meh is the bathroom is shared with all the outside shops this is an outside bathroom for the public as well. Not the best. read more

The Cliff Restaurant - Crab and shrimp salad - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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The views here are amazing, and the staff was great! However, the food was horrible. My french toast wasn't fully cooked. You could still see and taste the egg yolk. My eggs were dry as if they'd been reheated a few times. And the meal itself was bland! The only thing with flavor was the orange juice. read more

This place is perched on a cliff on Laguna Beach. There's lots of seating in the main area and in the bar patio. Juliet was my server and was so friendly and helpful. I had shrimp ceviche and mahi mahi tacos and it was delicious . Parking is definitely a challenge in this area but I drove around and finally found a spot in one of the small public parking lots (meter). read more

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This is a great chill outdoor patio restaurant with an amazing Laguna beach ocean view!! Furry babies are welcome and staff are super friendly. Super fast service and very attentive. Food was wonderful and very fresh. We ordered the duo half turkey bacon sandwich and the cliff burger. The burger came with a brioche bun and the burger was cooked perfectly. This is a must go if you're visiting. The place has local beach jewelry stores around it where you can buy souvenirs. I highly recommend it. read more

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The view was great and the service was good, but the food was definitely the weak spot for us. We got the poke, the coconut shrimp and the fish tacos. I thought the tacos were ok, but the poke had a sauce that was super thick and the coconut shrimp was a little lacking in the seasoning dept. read more

The Cliff Restaurant - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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The food is delicious although I do wish they had oysters. The service is good considering how busy they can get and the view, of course, is spectacular, even at night with the moonlight and the waves crashing below. This place is definitely one to visit! read more

I think very hard before posting a negative review of a local restaurant or small business. I know how hard things are for them these days and I tend to cut them some slack. However, my wife and I had a horrendous experience with the Cliff that I believe should be made known. First, the background: The Cliff does not take reservations. Rather, they have a system to enable customers to join a waiting list online. The system gives you an estimated waiting time and it sends you a text with a link that enables you to check periodically to watch your progress on the list, with an updated waiting time. I have done that process with other restaurants and it has always worked well. LI joined the Cliff's waiting list very early since the Cliff is so popular and it was a Saturday night. The system initially gave me a waiting time of 85-105 minutes. That was not a problem for us because we anticipated a very long wait, so my wife and I went for a long walk in Laguna Beach. I checked the text link periodically to watch our progress. I had initially estimated that we would be seated at around 7:30, based on the waiting time given in the link. The updated waiting list eventually told us the table would be ready at 8pm. We walked to the restaurant at about 7:45, thinking that there might have been the possibility that a table would come up earlier. That's the background. Here's the problem: I gave my name to the host upon arrival. He could not find my name in the list. He asked to see the confirming text. As I pulled it up for him, I saw a subsequent text from the Cliff for the first time, saying that I had been dropped from the list. No reason or explanation was given. The host told me that their "system" automatically kicks you off the waiting list after 60 minutes. I pointed out that the system initially gave me a minimum waiting time of 85 minutes and several subsequent check-ins also gave times greater than 60 minutes. I told him that meant that the restaurant confirmed my 60+ min waiting time several times in writing. He blamed that on the "system" and never took responsibility. Instead, he offered to put us back on the list based on the then-current time, which would mean additional 30-45 minute wait. I checked the page on their website where you click to join the waiting list. There was not even a hint of a time limit and getting dropped. Nor did I find any mention in any other part of their materials. They made literally no effort to inform potential customers. Contrary to this unannounced policy, they accepted and confirmed waiting times longer than 60 minutes several times. That is what happens when a business is run by an algorithm that leaves no room for flexibility or judgement of the humans who are in charge (ostensibly). I would expect that the host of a professionally-run restaurant would apologize sincerely and profusely, offer us the next table, and perhaps a free dessert. Restaurants are in the hospitality business. In this case, the host did not care in the slightest or offer to make it up to us. Needless to say, we left. Laguna Beach gets a lot of tourists, it was a lovely night in mid-Summer, and the Cliff is a very popular restaurant. Maybe they don't care how they treat one-time customers. However, we are locals. They have lost our business and their treatment of us will be made known to our circle of friends and others. I find this inexcusable. I am having a hard time finding the right words for this. Something involving ridiculous, insulting, dishonest, dishonorable, unprofessional, and contemptuous of potential customers. I am also incredulous that a restaurant could chase away customers and their business with contempt, particularly in this day and age when the restaurant business is so challenged. I would leave zero stars if possible. Be warned. read more

We come here at LEAST twice a year for date day. Love this place. Today was so beautiful, the food was DELICIOUS as always and Adam at the bar serves up the best drinks! Our waitress was so sweet and we waited only 15 mins for a table today read more

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Had a group of 17 for a celebration. The table and set up was done quickly and had a great view with the umbrellas up. We couldn't have asked for a better server. Peter L., thank you for making this afternoon such a special day. Your service was impeccable. The food was all delivered pretty much all at the same time. It was nice and hot and everyone enjoyed it. If you need a great place for a celebration, I would highly recommend. read more

First things first the service was outstanding our waitress was very kind and knowledgeable on the food, we inquired about food items and she was able to easily answer our questions. The ambiance is amazing you have a view of the ocean and the beach it is out of this world and on a clear day you can see out to sea. The burger was legit one of the best burgers I've had in a while. With the burger hype going on with smashed burgers it's good to sometimes just have a good old fashioned burger, the flavor was locked into the juicy patty I got it medium. The sweet potato fries were bomb dot com. Everything was just perfect, my fiancée normally does not eat her whole meal but she destroyed her fried chicken sandwich and spoke highly of it. They even had buffalo sauce to go with it , she was unsure they would have it and they did so that was extra points from us for sure. I highly recommended anyone visiting Laguna Beach area or living there to try this place, it is a whole vibe and the service was great. Definitely will be returning here on my next visit to Laguna Beach. Also the beer the thousand steps IPA was pretty delicious I am a beer enthusiast, and that was refreshing and smooth. read more

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Parking is valet only & it's not validated (you get $1 off if it's cash and you validate) so I would reccomend parking on the street if you can. Ambiance is old style nothing fancy but unbeatable views of Laguna. Service was fast & friendly. I got the fish & chips which were tasty. Slightly expensive but to be expected with location & view. read more

The Cliff Restaurant - Fish and chips - American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Celebrated a large number anniversary a couple of weeks ago, and sunsets were a big deal to us. They were so accommodating, making sure we had a great sunset view. The food was terrific. The service couldn't be better. Highly recommend. A quick stop by the Wyland Gallery before hand and the overlook between the two was also great. read more