Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Dana Point / Monarch Beach

This is our go-to for a quiet dinner where we can spend quality time with our friends and family. The food is excellent and the service exceptional. Jack is always there to greet you. I cannot say enough good things about this place.

Wow! What a lovely restaurant. The prices kind of blew me away. I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the price point was. Everything that the table ordered was expertly crafted and so tasty. We shared a bottle of wine that was recommended by the sommelier and it paired so well with the entire meal. Don’t skip out on dessert! The special that day was the pineapple cheesecake, so different but so yummy. We also enjoyed the espresso and affogato. The espresso was delicious and super strong. There was live music the evening that we went. A woman was playing Christmas classics on the accordion. We loved it. The staff was helpful, attentive, and swift. 10/10 will be there again.

Wow, what an incredible lunch experience at RAYA! First off, I have to rave about the service - everyone from the host to our servers made our first day at the Ritz Laguna so special. The staff was incredibly attentive and friendly, taking time to walk us through the menu and make great recommendations. You can tell they really care about making sure you have the best experience possible. The food was absolutely outstanding! We started with their guacamole with spicy crab which is a must-try - trust me, it's not your regular guac! The skirt steak was cooked perfectly and so flavorful, and those truffle fries on the side were addictively good. I went for the seafood enchiladas which were incredible, packed with fresh seafood. Even the kids' menu impressed us - my daughter loved her mac and cheese (and she's pretty picky!). The passion fruit mojitos were fantastic too - super refreshing and not too sweet. Perfect for a lunch with that amazing ocean view! The menu has tons of variety, and based on everything we tried, you really can't go wrong with whatever you choose. The staff's knowledge of every dish really helped us make great choices. We loved our lunch experience so much that we already booked dinner reservations for later this week! If you're staying at the Ritz or just in the area, definitely make RAYA a priority. The combination of incredible food, amazing service, and beautiful setting made it a highlight of our first day here. Worth every penny for such a special dining experience!

Absolutely amazing food, we were a group of 5 and we shared meals, everything we ordered was fantastic, especially the house made lobster ravioli !! My only suggestion would be to have a more extensive wine list, the live music was fabulous, really added to the ambiance

Once again an outstanding experience at this restaurant. The ambience, the food, and the service were all exemplary… this place has a together approach on what a restaurant should be. Look forward to more great meals and experiences here.