Restaurants in Laguna

[Mandy]

We are heading to Laguna this weekend and would love some suggestions on where to eat, both kid-friendly and not. Would love to find casual Mexican and/or seafood as well as a nicer grown-up place, any type of food is fine. Thanks.

[janeyoc]

If the weather is nice, take a walk in park in front of the Montage. You didn't mention the ages of your kids but there is a nice big grassy area great for running around/frisbee/tossing a football. If you can't make dinner at the Montage, have a drink in the lobby (bring ipods/DS for the kids).

Also a good walking trail is at Crystal Cove. The Beachcomer is right on the sand and is good for breakfast (call before since it might have a really long wait). Also ice cream at Ruby's Shake Shack is great too. Try the date shake.

Rooftop Bar is another good one for a nice day. They only serve lunch and have a kids menu.

Coyote is good but call before you go. There is a small patio and there is always a long wait if it is a nice day.

For a night out without the kids, I would recommend drinks during sunset at the patio at the Ritz Carlton (if the weather permits). If is a rainy evening, try Mastro's Ocean. They have a great singer in the lounge on Fri & Sat nights.

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Ruby's Shake Shack
7703 E Coast Hwy, Newport Coast, CA 92657

Mastros Restaurant
2087 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

[josephnl]

janeyoc and I are obviously on the same page...except for Mastro's Ocean Club which has great food ad service, but which I absolutely HATE becaus it is so noisy. Unless you are willing to totally forego conversation and wear earplugs, do not even think of going there. Mastro's Steakhouse by South Coast Plaza is a much better choice. Even if you do not eat at the Montage, you must go there just to see it...and the Beachcomber and Coyote are also terrific, as long as you either go a bit off-hours, or don't mind a little wait.

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Mastro's Steakhouse
246 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Mastro's Ocean Club
8112 E Coast Hwy, Newport Coast, CA 92657

[outshined]

I keep having better and better experiences at K'ya. The only problem is ordering too much food. All 5 plates we got last week were great. The bbq meatballs are usually nice but a little overcooked this time. Even something as simple as chicken and brown rice was excellent.

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K'ya Bistro - Laguna Beach
1287 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

[ocshooter]

House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer. The kids can get all sort of battered fish and the adults can have a nice preparation as well.
Taco Loco is a taco stand on PCH which serves California-style fish tacos, blackened, various types of fish...
I second Coyote Grill, especially for breakfast
Sundried Tomato Cafe is a little cheaper than places like 230 Forrest.

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Taco Loco
640 S Coast Hwy Ste 1, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Sundried Tomato Cafe - Laguna Beach
361 Forest Avenue Ste 103, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

[Servorg]

Mandy, you might just peruse the first 10 threads on this list and skim through them looking for the cream. If you see any specific places mentioned that you are considering strongly then post again and I'm sure some of the more "OC Centric" hounds will come back with more detailed information (hopefully): http://www.chow.com/search?query=lagu...

[josephnl]

Casual Mexican...go to the Coyote Grill in South Laguna. We especially love it for breakfast or brunch on their outdoor deck. Definitely kid friendly.

Beachcomber Cafe in Crystal Cove. Right on the beach. Great location. Kids and adults will love it, mainly for the setting, but food is pretty good. Best for breakfast or lunch.

Cafe Zinc in Laguna Beach is also great for breakfast or lunch, especially if weather is nice.

For grownups, for dinner, consider:
Bluefin for sushi in Crystal Cove
Cafe Zoolu for wonderful everything
Montage for amazing view and range of restaurants from casual spa for lunch, or very upscale Studio for dinner
Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis for very upscale dinner

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Cafe Zoolu
860 Glenneyre St, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Stonehill Tavern
St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA 92629

Coyote Grill
31621 Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Bluefin
2917 W Pendleton Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92704

[Gail]

Seafood, Bluewater Grill, Newport Beach
Casual on-the-sand, Crystal Cove, between Laguna and Newport
Downtown Laguna, 230 Forrest, great food and people watching
Beach House on the sand, Laguna. I haven't been recently, but hear good things

These are some of our favs. You might get more info on the LA board.

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Beach House
619 Sleepy Hollow Ln, Laguna Beach, CA 92651