6 Best Restaurants in Laguna Beach

A coastal community with beautiful beaches, coves, and bluffs, Laguna Beach is an idyllic place to visit or call home. In popular Orange County, California, Laguna Beach is conveniently located just 40 miles from Los Angeles and 70 miles from San Diego. Whether you’re in the area for a visit or you own (or plan to buy) a vacation property or home, you will want to know the best places to get a fantastic meal. Fortunately, there are plenty of delicious restaurants for those with every type of palate. Here are some of the best restaurants in Laguna Beach.

A traditional Italian restaurant, Oliver’s Osteria is the place to go for homemade pasta dishes, a unique Italian wine list, and traditional recipes from chef Erik de Marche’s hometown of Imola. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant has a large menu with selections like focaccia sandwiches, salmon piccata, and veal chop Milanese. The pasta portion of the menu is immense, with traditional choices like classic lasagna and tagliatelle with bolognese sauce as well as more unique dishes like bucatini with pork cheek and tonnarelli al crostacei (thick spaghetti with prawns, lobster, and cherry tomato sauce). Oliver’s Osteria also has a truffle menu, some delicious desserts, and a full selection of digestivi, grappa, and suggested wines for each course of your meal.

Owned by former NHL hockey player Teemu Selanne, Selanne Steak Tavern is your go-to place to impress guests or to enjoy a romantic date night. Located in a historic home built in the 1930s, the tavern offers five different dining options: in the more casual Wine Library, outdoors on the Sunset Terrace or Veranda, the upstairs Loft, or the elegant Tavern. No matter where you choose to dine, you’ll enjoy a choice of wine from their extensive 2,750-bottle list and delicious menu options like filet mignon with sweet corn, halibut with risotto, and Maine lobster with Selanne mac and cheese. Save room for dessert as well to experience their chocolate caramel tart, creme brulee, or Selanne’s monkey bread.

When it comes to discussions about the best restaurants in Laguna Beach, it’s tough to leave out Broadway. Headed up by Bravo TV’s Top Chef competitor Amar Santana, Broadway has a cool industrial vibe and a large menu of mouth-watering food options. Start with a blue crab salad, Japanese hamachi sashimi, or an artisan cheese plate before moving on to miso-glazed Japanese eggplant, lamb tagliatelle, or grilled petit filet mignon.

Finish off with chocolate praline crunch, lemon ricotta fritters, or bourbon vanilla bean panna cotta. To enhance your dining experience, choose a glass or bottle of wine from their extensive wine list or indulge in a craft cocktail like the Yes Sir, I Can Boogie (white rum, lime juice, Giffard Abricot, Bigallet China-China, agave, and smoked blueberry) or the Hoot and a Half (Old Forester 100 Bourbon, Pinenut Orgeat, Amaro Nonino, lemon juice, and apricot-pine nut jam).

The best restaurants in Laguna Beach don’t just serve dinner! A local favorite for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, Cafe Heidelberg serves their breakfast menu from 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on weekends. Enjoy a Mexi-Cali omelet, bagel scramble, or mushroom pepper steak and eggs. You can also order from the lunch menu and choose a salmon salad, chicken artichoke sandwich, or fish tacos, just to name a few. The cafe also has a nice selection of drinks, including a huge range of coffee drinks as well as mimosas, wine, and bottled beer.

If you’re looking for a casual meal with fantastic views, head to Las Brisas. This Mexican seafood restaurant has been in business for many years for a reason — they have delicious, fresh food and are one of the best places to enjoy a California sunset while sipping on a margarita.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the week, and lunch, brunch, and dinner on the weekends, Las Brisas serves everything from huevos rancheros to tuna poke to pork belly tacos. If you’re coming for dinner, you can step up your meal with one of their fantastic entrees like butter poached lobster, grilled lamb chops, or dry-aged prime rib-eye for two. Whether you’re in the mood for a more casual experience on the deck or an elegant dinner, you’ll find it at Las Brisas.

Planning a trip to Laguna Beach? Consider staying at the Montage, one of the nicest hotels in Southern California. And, whether you stay there or not, you should definitely make plans to eat at their popular restaurant Mosaic (you gain access to their restaurant and pool if you book a service at the spa).

The poolside restaurant serves lunch and dinner and features everything from gazpacho to calamari to Baja striped sea bass served with fried potatoes. Of course, if you’re dining poolside, you’ll also want to sip on a delicious drink. Mosaic has you covered here, too, with margaritas, craft cocktails, and a nice selection of beers. If you’re here on a scorching day, consider frozen Frose All Day or Mosaic Colada.

Laguna Beach is the perfect destination for an any-time-of-year warm-weather getaway. It’s also the ideal place to buy a vacation home or claim your permanent residence. With the many excellent restaurants in the area, you’ll never have to worry about getting a delicious meal whether you’re just here as a guest or you are a full-time Laguna Beach resident. Ready to take the next step and start looking for a house in this area? Reach out to experienced agent Mike Johnson for expert guidance.