The Best Places to Eat and Stay in Dana Point
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The best places to eat and stay in Dana Point, according to the experts: AAA, the Forbes Travel Guide, and 50 Top Pizza have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Raya comes out on top.
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The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel and Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach hold the next two places. The Forbes Travel Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with 50 Top Pizza next.
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Rank 1. Raya
Pan-Latin Latin American
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Recommended
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Perched on a 150-foot bluff above the Pacific, this Forbes Four Star resort has been the Southern California coastal fantasy since forever, and a recent head-to-toe renovation leaned hard into the setting. Rooms run sage, sky blue, and petal pink; the spa goes jewel-toned and misty. The lobby on a weekend holds a cheerful cross-section of the country, united by saltwater taffy at check-in and strong opinions about which pool to claim.
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Four Star
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Perched on a cliff above the Pacific in Dana Point, this Waldorf Astoria resort fans out across lush gardens that step down through pools, a sculpture garden, and a Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course before hitting a private beach club. Six ocean-view restaurants, a full spa, and enough on-property activity to make nearby attractions feel like homework. A Forbes Four Star property where "casual elegance" is less a cliche than an actual operating philosophy.
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Four Star
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Rank 4. Truly Pizza
American Artisan Pizzeria
An all-outdoor pizza shop spread across terraced levels in Dana Point, with citrus trees close enough to brush your shoulder and a window cut into the kitchen so you can watch the wood-fired ovens do their thing. Two styles of pizza, round and square, both with serious crust credentials, plus salads and sandwiches for anyone dragged here involuntarily. It landed at number four on 50 Top Pizza USA, which is a fairly loud argument made quietly.
The awards
- 50 Top Pizza 50 Top Pizza: #48 · 50 Top Pizza World
- 50 Top Pizza 50 Top Pizza: #4 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- 50 Top Pizza 50 Top Pizza: 2026 · Pizza of the Year · 50 Top Pizza USA Special Awards
- 50 Top Pizza #48 · 50 Top Pizza World
- 50 Top Pizza #4 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- 50 Top Pizza 2026 · Pizza of the Year · 50 Top Pizza USA Special Awards
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Rank 5. Bourbon Steak
Californian Steakhouse
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Recommended
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Rank 6. Kahani
Modern Indian
The awards