Booked out weeks in advance, these are the hardest restaurants to score a reservation at in Orange County. Plan ahead!
The centerpiece bar at A Crystal Cove; PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
A Restaurant and A Crystal Cove
The original A Restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach and its sister restaurant in the Crystal Cove Shopping Center are regularly packed with well-dressed diners and imbibers. The social set fills these Orange County institutions to enjoy steak-driven dishes, housemade pasta and curated cocktails from the masterminds behind River Jetty Restaurant Group. Don’t miss the centerpiece bar at the A Crystal Cove location; it's the perfect spot for happy hour.
The open-air patio at JOEY Newport Beach at Fashion Island; PHOTO BY CHRISTINA GANDOLFO
Canada’s JOEY Restaurant Group debuted JOEY Newport Beach in late January 2023 in the former Roy’s space at Fashion Island. This buzzy restaurant features a sophisticated dining room, expansive wraparound bar and heated outdoor patio illuminated by a flickering fire pit. The see-and-be-seen set flocks to this hot spot for an eclectic dining experience, where JOEY executive director of culinary Matthew Stowe offers dishes that transport patrons from Greece to Asia to Italy through appetizers, entrees and desserts. And since JOEY aims to attract the late-night crowd—hours range from 11 a.m. to midnight on Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday—the beverage menu shines with a Reserve wine list and JOEY Super cocktails.
A peek inside Knife Pleat at South Coast Plaza; PHOTO BY ANNE WATSON
Boasting one Michelin star, Knife Pleat is the brainchild of chef Tony Esnault and restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi. Billed as a contemporary French restaurant, this hot spot is the culinary crown jewel of Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza, located on its third-floor penthouse level. Four- to six-course dinners are regularly available, while Esnault also offers weekly rotating tasting menus teeming with truffles, caviar and more. The lunch crowd also adores Knife Pleat for its three-course prix fixe menu. Commemorate the experience by purchasing Knife Pleat’s assorted box of macarons featuring six unique flavors.
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From the ingredients to the plating, Marché Moderne's tasting menus are works of art. PHOTO BY RON DE ANGELIS
It doesn’t get much better than Marché Moderne, a French favorite from chefs and power couple Florent and Amelia Marneau. Gourmands flock to this Crystal Cove restaurant for exquisitely executed dishes that are best experienced through one of Florent’s curated tasting menus. Don’t miss Amelia’s stunning desserts—think chocolate soufflé cake with toffee streusel and mango coconut gelato.
Since 2006, Mastro’s Ocean Club has been drawing locals and visitors to its Crystal Cove outpost for classic steakhouse and seafood favorites. Order a round of oysters on the half shell, a chopped iceberg wedge salad and one of its myriad steak options–from Japanese A5 wagyu to 100% Tajima cattle A5 kobe beef. Just save room for the butter cake—it’s the only thing better than the people-watching that goes down in the piano-clad bar.
Located at Lido Marina Village, this two-story waterfront outpost of the world-famous Nobu brand sees its prime dinnertime hours booked weeks in advance. Maybe it’s the beautiful views of the Newport Harbor or the crispy rice with spicy tuna and black cod with miso that founding chef Nobu Matsuhisa has become renowned for–either way, nobody does sushi and a scene like Nobu.
The San Clemente outpost of Rare Society is the only location to offer patrons a private dining room. PHOTO BY HALEY HILL
In 2019, chef Brad Wise of San Diego’s TRUST Restaurant Group revived the spirit of retro Las Vegas steakhouses with Rare Society. Joining locations in University Heights, Solana Beach, Santa Barbara and Mill Creek, Rare Society opened its first Orange County location in San Clemente in late summer 2023. Located on Avenida Del Mar, the flagship location is sprawled across two stories and 5,500 square feet, the brand’s largest restaurant to date. Enjoy the modern steakhouse’s cuts of dry-aged ribeye, Australian wagyu and classic filet mignon—plus wood-grilled lobster, a seafood tower and decadent desserts—in a sleek space that glitters with brass accents. “When I look to grow this brand, I look to places that are neighborhood-focused, places that people love to live and spend their time in,” says Wise. “San Clemente embodies this feeling we’re after.”
This Laguna Beach landmark from NHL Hall-of-Famer Teemu Selanne and operating partner Kevin Pratt is regularly recognized for its 2,750-bottle wine program and melt-in-your-mouth steaks. Located in a historic 1934 home on Pacific Coast Highway, the upscale steakhouse offers its patrons myriad spaces to indulge—from the bistro-style wine library to the upstairs loft. Inquire about its private dining spaces to enjoy a customized dining experience with expertly curated wine pairings with up to 12 of your closest pals. Don’t miss the signature mac and cheese featuring chef’s mornay sauce and brioche breadcrumbs—it’s the best in all of Orange County.
The Chef's Perfect Set at SET Steak & Sushi features a chef's selection of three cuts of the night. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
Tucked within the new Pendry Newport Beach near Fashion Island, the first Orange County dining concept for Clique Hospitality is a stunning steakhouse that teams its carnivorous dishes with hand-rolled sushi, sashimi and specialty rolls. Request a booth on the outdoor patio, where pendant lights hang from the trees above. Post-dinner, enjoy a nightcap at the buzzy Bar Pendry, Newport’s hottest new watering hole.
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