Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in Orange County

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in Orange County? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Bricco Cucina and Wine Bar

4.8

4.8 (64)

$30 and under

Italian

Aliso Viejo / Laguna Niguel

About the restaurant

Owners Jordan and Creig Mullikin love to eat delicious food, drink great wine and be treated like family. They want every bite, every sip, every visit to be delicious and a treat. Our goal is to serve you fresh, homemade, and thoughtful dishes focused on our family's heritage and our customers' needs to make everyone feel like family at our neighborhood spot which sports a modern yet vintage vibe. We have a large outdoor patio that is both heated and covered. One of the more popular things here at Bricco is our live music Friday's and Saturday's with very talented singers and performers.

Top review

Javier

Dined 7 days ago

Good food. Good service. Live music Friday and Saturday nights.

Nirvana by Chef Lindsay

4.9

4.9 (1728)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Laguna Beach

About the restaurant

We are an independent neighborhood restaurant in the heart of Downtown Laguna Beach, between Main Beach & the Historic Festival of Arts, owned by Laguna Beach native, Executive Chef Lindsay Smith. Inspired by Wine Country and California Coastal cuisine, our focus is on serving guests the way Chef Lindsay would feed her own family, in a warm, inviting atmosphere. We source the freshest ingredients, including free-range, organic poultry, sustainable seafood, antibiotic- and hormone-free meats, and seasonal, local produce. We strive to minimize our environmental impact and support the local community. Chef Lindsay, named one of the Top 10 chefs in Orange County and Top 5 in Laguna Beach, is dedicated to quality food, friendly service, and a memorable dining experience.

LUNCH: Casual table service, Counter service for Grab & Go (reservations not required)
DINNER: Table service (reservations recommended)

Top review

StevenVIP

Dined on Dec 11, 2024

We had our usual delicious meal and come back every time we visit Laguna Beach

Miki Sushi & Sake

5.0

5 (48)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Laguna Beach

About the restaurant

Honoring Chef Miki Izumisawa, the female, award-winning sushi artist, originally trained by the one and only Nobu Matsuhisa. Miki was inspired by nature to create unique nigiri, cut rolls and hand rolls that blur the line between art and fusion sushi. Miki's recipes transform elements of the natural world with names such as Lava Flow, Moon and Sun, Feather in the Sky, and Prairie. Before her passing, Miki carefully coached outstanding female-only sushi chefs to execute her masterpieces. Her legacy continues in this romantic styled coastal, intimate sushi bar and cozy 18 window seats with views of Laguna's main beach. Owners Chris Olsen and Greg Washer are longtime locals who appreciate what Miki did for this community with an outstanding Japanese experience pushing the boundaries of tradition. Reservations recommended!

Top review

Chad

Dined on Dec 13, 2024

Our old favorite sushi spot is now our new favorite! The new owners have done exactly what they needed to, same menu but upgraded decor, ambiance etc. great job!!

Rebel Omakase

4.9

4.9 (226)

$50 and over

Sushi

Laguna Beach

About the restaurant

PLEASE READ BEFORE BOOKING
We put all our heart and soul into a creative and unique experience. Our Omakase is a pre-fixed menu based on raw fish and shellfish. All ingredients come from Japan, prepared with Japanese techniques and elements. Our Omakase is a fine dining, intimate experience, prepared in front of our guests to highlight the integrity of our dishes.
CANCELLATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS are allowed 72 hours in advance. Less than 72 hours will be charged for the full price of Omakase per guest plus tax
TEXT MESSAGE with full information (949) 664-3186
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS must be informed in advance, we CANNOT accommodate no shellfish, no gluten, no dairy, or no meat requests
NO outside food or wine
THE SUSHI BAR AND TABLE SERVICE are the same menu; our servers will explain the intricacy of every dish
BE ON TIME Service starts in unison at the time of reservation if you are late, you will miss some courses
CHILDREN age 5+ are welcome, but they must order the full menu

Top review

Helena

Dined on Dec 6, 2024

Really fantastic experience with new fish and delicate sauces. Delicious and fun!

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Experience

12:30pm - Sunday Nigiri Omakase

Experience

5:00pm & 7:30pm Omakase Experience

Experience

12:30pm - Lunch Omakase

Il Dolce

4.9

4.9 (443)

$31 to $50

Italian

Costa Mesa

About the restaurant

Known for using only natural, fresh ingredients, Il Dolce specializes in Italian cuisine. Along with a variety of pastas, salads, patrons can select from a number of pizza menu options. Inspired by authentic pies made in Naples, each pizza at Il Dolce is prepared in a wood-fire oven, giving it an authentic, smoky flavor.Family owned and operated, this award-winning restaurant provides a cozy, comfortable environment where pizza enthusiasts can watch their pies being prepared. Guests dining at Il Dolce can also enjoy a glass of wine, beer or a cocktail. Dessert items along with a special gluten-free menu are also available.

Top review

Kelly

Dined 3 days ago

Outstanding food and wonderful service! The staff were attentive and friendly. The food was excellent.and

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Popular dish

Spaghetti Carbonara

The Dock

5.0

5 (2039)

$50 and over

Seafood

Newport Beach

About the restaurant

THE DOCK located in NEWPORT BEACH CALIFORNIA requires a valid credit card to book reservations online via OpenTable or call 949-673-3625 to provide your credit card. 24 hr cancellation fee policy. The Dock reserves the right to cancel your reservation if reservation is not CC guaranteed. VOTED TOP 10 RESTAURANTS IN ORANGE COUNTY 2022 and TOP 100 in the US in 2019 and 2023 BY OPENTABLE. Our waterfront covered patio dining and every seat has a bay view, with an infused contemporary American menu. Outstanding wine list and custom craft cocktails.
Reservations are recommended.

Top review

Tom

Dined on Dec 5, 2024

My wife took me there for dinner for my 50th birthday. The service was outstanding. The staff were very interactive, chatty and friendly. The food was amazing, I had the lamb, best I've ever had, and my wife had the lobster, it was also delicious. We will definitely be going back.

Latte Da Ristorante

4.9

4.9 (200)

$30 and under

Italian

Anaheim Hills

About the restaurant

Homemade Pastas Imported Italian Delicatessens Fresh fish & meats daily Beautiful Ambiance

Top review

MaryAnnVIP

Dined on Dec 11, 2024

Food was excellent. Had the fettuccine Alfredo. Sauce was creamy and delicious. I’ll be back

Royal Khyber

4.8

4.8 (572)

$30 and under

Indian

Santa Ana

About the restaurant

Royal Khyber ............ A Journey for your palate and mind. The art of Indian cookery lies NOT in high spicing but in the delicacy of spicing. Indian cuisine is universally known for its distinctive flavorings. It was in fact the lure of these spices which first brought the British and the French, the Dutch and the Portuguese to the Indian coast. It is the use of selected spices in a particular manner (whole spices, ground and or spice blends) to bring out the dormant flavors of a dish, which is the real art, practiced by the experienced chefs in the Royal Khyber kitchen.

Royal Khyber is a Fine Indian Cuisine Restaurant, located in South Coast Plaza Village (across from Nordstrom).

Top review

Nicole

Dined 1 day ago

Great food, really comfortable beautiful atmosphere, and great service. Had a wonderful anniversary dinner and felt really pampered

Da Bianca Trattoria

4.9

4.9 (1849)

$30 and under

Italian

Orange

About the restaurant

For over 35 years, Da Bianca Trattoria has earned a reputation as a beloved local restaurant serving authentic Italian cuisine. Founded by Bianca Cangelosi Bavand, Da Bianca was a dream come true for the Sicilian native. Her inspiration and the secret to the restaurant's continued success is serving simple food using only the freshest ingredients-- just like the food she served her family. Daughter Marjan Bavand Dunn continues the family legacy of welcoming our neighbors, as they celebrate milestones, meet friends and share family dinners.

Top review

Krassimir

Dined 3 days ago

Our yearly company dinner at Da Bianca Trattoria was again a pleasant experience! The food and wine selection is top nothch!

Hannas Prime Steak

4.9

4.9 (3499)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Mission Viejo / Rancho Santa Margarita

About the restaurant

Hanna’s Restaurant & Bar was established in 2005 and has quickly become one of Orange County’s premiere dining establishments. Named one of the U.S. top 100 restaurants, Hanna's Restaurant & Bar offers modern American Steakhouse cuisine prepared with classic, traditional flair. Our appetite for an exceptional dining experience is rooted deep in our passion for extraordinary culinary creations and exemplified in our award-wining service and ambiance. From our friendly bartenders, vibrant ambiance, outgoing wait staff, and incredible menu, our guests are always embraced in a comforting fashion. And on any given night you can always find owner David Hanna mingling among guests and ensuring that every detail of their experience at Hanna’s is nothing short of extraordinary.

Top review

JoannaVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Enjoyed celebrating a special milestone birthday at lunch today. The edamame and asparagus fries are both exceptional appetizers. Mondays are martini Mondays and a great price but had to pass since it was lunchtime. The arugula salad is so fresh and always a fan favorite. One of our all time favorite places for celebrations.

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