The Best Places to Eat and Do in Laguna Beach
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The best places to eat and do in Laguna Beach, according to the experts: Forbes Travel Guide, Michelin Guide, and AAA have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Spa Montage Laguna Beach comes out on top.
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R|O-Rebel Omakase and Marché Moderne hold the next two places. Michelin Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with AAA next.
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The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Five Star
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Rank 2. R|O-Rebel Omakase
Creative Sushi
A Michelin-starred omakase counter tucked into a Laguna Beach strip mall, which is either a joke or a lesson in not judging by the parking lot. Chef Jordan Nakasone runs two seatings a night, and the menu moves between precise, traditional nigiri and kitchen courses with a looser, more playful hand. Service is the kind that's present without being felt. The room is quiet, the pacing deliberate, and the whole thing lands closer to ceremony than dinner.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
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Rank 3. Marché Moderne
Modern French
A fire engine-red Berkel slicer sits in open view of the dining room, which tells you something about how seriously this fine dining French restaurant takes its charcuterie. Husband-and-wife team Florent and Amelia Marneau run a kitchen that moves between classical and modern French without making a fuss about it. The glassed-in kitchen and soft globe lighting keep things elegant without going stiff. The cocktail list tracks the seasons, and the wine pairings are unusually fairly priced.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Eater Eater: The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
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Rank 4. Selanne Steak Tavern
Steakhouse
A converted house on Pacific Coast Highway that now does serious work as a steakhouse, with enough rooms and terraces that you could visit four times and sit somewhere different each time. The kitchen leans into butter the way a steakhouse should, and the bar draws regulars who look comfortable enough to have their own tabs. The Michelin Guide lists it among its selected restaurants for the region.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Eater Eater: The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
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The awards
- US Coffee Championships US Coffee Championships: #3 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · Glen Ackerman
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Rank 6. 230 Forest Avenue
Californian
The awards
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The awards
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Rank 8. Oliver's Osteria
Italian
Sleek banquettes and artwork-lined walls give this upscale osteria more warmth than you'd expect from a canyon-road address near the PCH. The menu reads like a tour of Italian classics, from stuffed zucchini blossoms to a proper bucatini all'amatriciana, with house-made desserts closing things out. The bar works nicely for solo diners who'd rather eat well than wait for a table.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
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The awards
- Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times: Fifty Under $50