They do not require silk cushions and crystal stemware, but comfort andprofessionalism are taken into account. Youll need a bath afterward. The menu draws inspiration from ceremonial kaiseki, which marries centuries-old techniques with natures ever-evolving micro seasons. Must order: Tomato and onion salad, chefs cut Delmonico steak. Ill wait. Feast on delicious flavors while you marvel at the restaurants huge stylish chandelier. Reviews on Trendy New Restaurants in Orange County, CA - ROL Hand Roll Bar, BluSky Restaurant & Bar, Oak Laguna Beach, CdM Restaurant, INI Ristorante, Twenty Eight, Detention, Bicyclette, Bosscat Kitchen and Libations, A Restaurant Located in San Clemente, this is one of the coolest places in Orange County, with its bustling atmosphere perfect for social gatherings and exquisite Californian-Mediterranean bites. Both locations offer an island escape surrounded by greenery and pops of color. Filleted tableside, the presentation of the sole is starkly minimal but the pure enjoyment that comes from such a regal fish is hard to quantify. Its a playground with everything from scoops to slurps and sips. 230 Forest Avenue Restaurant & Bar 726 reviews Closed Now American, Seafood $$ - $$$ 6.3 mi Laguna Beach The pandemic has simply reinforced Salgados status as one of Americas most consequential chefs of Mexican cuisine. 211 W. 2nd St., Santa Ana, 714-972-1172, lolagaspar.com , After cooking on the line at this dimly lit, red-booth steakhouse for more than 15 years, chef Robert Gomez is now running the kitchen and hes killing it. Must order: Oysters. Hey Ya'll, She shares a name with Meryl Streep's iconic character from It's Complicated and is presently trying to manifest that life (particularly that Santa Barbara house) for herself. A post shared by LOCALE Magazine (@localemagazine). If theres anything that excites LA people, its an open-air shopping center. Trader Sam's Anyone booked in to a vacation at Disneyland shouldn't write it off as a kids' holiday. This is a high-end Mexican spot in Laguna Niguel, reservations recommended and a bit pricey. Meanwhile, Saturday afternoons are an event all their own. My friend loved his enchiladas. To eat, choose between chef Craig Bradys chorizo hash with eggs or duck confit chilaquiles. The egg dishes included the freshest eggs you have seen, so much that we inquired where they get their farm fresh eggs. Expect starters like hummus and tzatziki with crispy pita, plus shareable mains like steak and ravioli bianco with barely-cooked shrimp. Bendel, who is also involved with Sapphire in Laguna Beach, Olea, and Ironwood, moved with his family to San Juan Capistrano recently, so he was eager to bring the same kind of neighborhood watering hole to his new hometown. Three-star restaurants, meanwhile, domake you forget about that 40-mile drive. There's plenty of 21+ fun to be had at Trader Sam's, a tiki bar - scratch that: an enchanted tiki bar - in the Disneyland Hotel area. I'm open to sushi,. The bar is always packed on game days, and its always date night in the dining room. Carlos Perez and Luke Bramm built their audience by serving naturally leavened bagel sandwiches as part of a roving pop-up, selling at spots like Newport Beachs Daydream Surf Shop and Neat Coffee. Jane Adler is a marketing and branding consultant by trade, but a writer by preference. Must order: Clams with chorizo, any whole fish. Shell know exactly what you should drink with bucatini and clams or glazed rabbit with morel mushrooms or a hearty slab of beef from chef David Shofners wood-fired grill. 4884 Main St., Yorba Linda, 714-463-4424, terrawoodfiredkitchen.com , Chef Jeoffrey Offer has created the quintessential laid-back French bistro with an emphasis on high-quality steaks, gooey onion soup and salade frise au lardons, plus affordable French wines, great background music and zero pretense. And while this is easily the best seafood restaurant in OC, do not underestimate the steaks. Their outdoor seating is well done and their menu is varied. Listen to amazing live piano and violin music from talented artists for the win. 22195 El Paseo, Rancho Santa Margarita 949-709-2300, hannasprimesteak.com , Chef Fernando Franco makes some of the most fascinating tacos in the area, including vegetarian tacos layered with sauteed hibiscus flowers, charred jicama, fresh pea puree and sliced avocado. Nestled in Costa Mesa's hipster anti-mall, Habana is a trendy taste of Cuba in the heart of Orange County. The food plating is beautiful, too, worthy of Instagram posts. with longganisa sausage, soft scrambled eggs, and aji cilantro crema double. Chef Justin Werner and Bar Manager Andrew Parish have created a culinary oasis that celebrates Southern cuisine by sourcing the best ingredients possible for a high-brow menu inspired by the lowcountry. The Fifth, Anaheim. Do I want a 2-pound, 50-day-dry-aged ribeye steak cooked over the wood-burning grill? Their cooking and hospitality are alwaysexceptional, often the best of their genre inthe region, worthy of the trek. Must order: Tonkotsu ramen. 34320 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, 949-218-8431, maisondanapoint.com , At this serene sushi parlor in downtown Laguna, chef Jordan Nakasone focuses exclusively on omakase. March Moderne. Hip & Trendy Restaurants in Orange County (CA) Looking for a new restaurant near you? newsletter, 16185 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, 16600 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92649, 7862 Warner Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, 15771 Red Hill Ave Suite 110, Tustin, CA 92780, 3321 Hyland Ave Ste D, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, 1534 Adams Ave Ste D, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, 270 Bristol St #114, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, 453 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660, 31760 Camino Capistrano Suite A, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675, 31761 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675, 19 Dinner Spots to Try for DineLA Restaurant Week, Spring 2023, 13 Incredible Lunch Deals to Check Out During DineLA, Spring 2023, The Ultimate Guide to Boba in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Star ratings continue to be based on multiple visits except on the very rare occasion when a single visit allows me to eat everything on the menu. The menu still reads exactly the same: massive bone-in ribeyes, fried quail and roasted prime rib. Recommended Hotel Nearby: Renaissance Newport Beach HotelOpens in new window, Related: Fun Things to Do in Orange County at Night, 3333 S Bristol StOrange County, CA 92626(714) 617-4630. Youll want to dress up, and dont worry: You wont leave smelling like smoke. Cal Kitchen + Tequila - Laguna Niguel 852 Mexican $$ Live wait time: 0 mins "The interior is hip with a center bar, patio seating and fire pits." more Outdoor seating Delivery Takeout Find a Table 2. Do yourself a favor don't go there to eatseems that this place just to drink and hangout. Check the list. Every day brings something new, whether its smoked crawfish for Mardi Gras or glazed pork belly musubi to celebrate the smokehouses first anniversary. Made with traditional American smoking techniques, the meat is so tender your palate wont get enough of it. Youll want to order wine, and youll need her guidance because most of the labels on her list ring unfamiliar to even the most prolific wine drinkers. And make no mistake: Restaurants with the Registers two-star rating are very good places to eat, and OC has far more of those than I can squeeze onto this list. 3333 Bear St., 3rd floor, 657-231-6447, terracebymixmix.com , This wood-fired Argentine steakhouse used to be one of the smallest restaurants in the county, with room indoors for only about eight seats, plus another 20 on the covered porch. But its the rest of the menu the wood-fired meatballs and bone marrow, the caprese salad, the ribeye, the butterscotch budino, plus incredible Italian wines that keeps pushing this artisanal pizza parlor to the top of the pack. Best hip restaurant near me in Orange County, California Sort:Recommended Offers Delivery Offers Takeout Reservations Cocktail Bars 1. With live music seven nights a week, youll never miss a beat at this bar. The kitchen excels at noodles like pad Thai, pad kee mao, khao soi and Thai boat noodles. This Laguna Beach bistro kicks off the countdown to the Top 10 most popular restaurants in Orange County, according to the recently released 2011 Zagat guide. Youll feel like a stowaway aboard an extra salty ship where there is no telling what time it is or how many drinks youve had. There are some very small little puckets of culture, nightlife,. The slow-braised and tender meat soaked in hollandaise sauce will stimulate your palate. James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic Brad A. Johnson has been writing about food for more than 20 years. VEG'D in Costa Mesa is a recently opened 100% plant-based restaurant that offers the coveted convenience of a drive-thru window! 3313 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Must order: Pan-fried dumplings. 1- ambiance Very trendy but loud!more, The interior design of the place is trendy and upscale with a fancy rabbit theme.more, Rancho Cap is a beautiful, dependable spot to have date night, girls night or family night. Copyright 20042023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp. It was $20 for just 3 enchiladas. Must order: Laksa risotto and sticky toffee pudding. The Smoked Shortrib is a crowd favorite so make sure you get a taste when you visit this place. Must order: Dry-aged sea bass, Hokkaido milk bread. The same can be said for his green papaya salad. Orange Countys robust dining scene has been on a massive roll of late, adding big-name newcomers, very familiar chefs, and buzzy strip mall finds alike. Or maybe just a tableful of tapas: rustic toast slathered with tomato and garlic, lamb meatballs with lemon yogurt, insanely supple cannelloni stuffed with smoked chicken, paprika-crusted prawns served with drawn butter and grilled lime Chef Amar Santana and restaurateur Ahmed Labbate have created a unique wonderland of Spanish cuisine that also happens to be the best steakhouse in Orange County. Recommended Hotel Nearby: Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, 15 Crystal CoveOrange County, CA 92657(949) 376-6900. For breakfast and lunch, this address identifies as Np Caf, a French-Vietnamese coffee shop and diner serving crab toast and beef tongue fried rice, plus egg coffees and strawberry matcha lattes. Sadly, though, that massively expanded space ruins the charm. Its hard to imagine better pancakes than the ones served here at Sunday brunch, drizzled with burnt piloncillo syrup. Start with the Nattukkoli rasam, a country-style chicken soup, but dont leave your spoon submerged for long because it might dissolve. This is where to eat in Orange County if youre looking for exquisite diverse menu options ranging from burgers to Vietnamese pho or noodles. 215 El Camino Real, Tustin, 657-699-3019, chaakkitchen.com, You know how when you dont see someones kids for a year, then you finally see them again and theyre all grown up? Recommended Hotel Nearby: Courtyard by Marriott Cypress Anaheim / Orange County, Also See:Restaurants in MontereyBest Restaurants in Marina del Rey, CAPlaces to Eat: Oceanside, CARestaurants: Pasadena, 802 E Washington AveOrange County, CA 92701(714) 852-3947. Must order: Rigatoni cacio e pepe. Add the Utah-inspired bourbon fry sauce and the dish is just divine. That means you can expect fresh flavors to satisfy your palate on every plate. An easier way to begin would be the chicken 65, terrific nuggets of yogurt-marinated fried chicken. The county, some 3.5 million people strong, was already known for its taquerias, Vietnamese food, and coastal dining enclaves, but these days the region is growing in seemingly a million new directions at once. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Must order: Bistec encebollado (grilled flap steak with onions). Nestled at the base of The Boardwalk in Irvine, Solstice bowed in March and has emerged as one of Orange County's best new dining concepts. I am gluten free andmore, American (Traditional)Music VenuesBeer Bar, We had been DYING to come to this place, I would have given this place a 5 star review if it weren't for the people at the front taking our names down for a table, they weren'tmore, The vibe is super hipster, trendy, exclusive, inviting and prohibitiony, all at the same time.more, This trendy French restaurant on Pine Street is proof that Long Beach is much more than just clubsmore, Definitely a trendy restaurant with tall glass windows throughout.