Where to Eat in Laguna Beach: Clay's Top Picks

Truly Pizza is the work of a team assembled from the upper echelon of American pizza culture: co-founder John Arena is a Las Vegas pizza veteran who built his career around a family pizzeria tradition tracing back to New York; founding pizzaiolo Chris Decker took home the Best Pizza Chef Award and worked alongside Arena for nearly 30 years at Metro Pizza; and pizzaiolo Michael Vakneen rounds out the kitchen. Co-founder Donna Baldwin, a Laguna Beach resident of 20 years, has been steering the hospitality side.

The resulting concept is a 2,000-square-foot open-air space on North Coast Highway with patio seating for about 100 guests, designed to channel an Amalfi-meets-California energy overlooking the shoreline. The restaurant was ranked in the top 50 pizzerias in America and won the international title of best cheese pizza before the Laguna location even opened. The credibility predates the coastal address.

What makes the Laguna location feel different from the original Dana Point spot is the open-air room: it genuinely connects the act of eating to the California coast in a way that most restaurants only claim to do.

AhbA is a charming restaurant located in an old beachside cottage in South Laguna. The casual setting attracts a young beach crowd who gather to enjoy natural wine and groove to 70s funk playing in the background. The menu features Mediterranean-inspired dishes with an Israeli angle. Owner Nick Bennett named it after the Hebrew word for "father," because a close childhood friend always called his dad by that name, and when it came time to build a space that felt warm and communal, the word fit.

The restaurant includes a bar that looks into the open kitchen, long community table seating, a few patio tables, and an adjacent speakeasy called Helen's that operates as one of South Laguna's best-kept secrets.

The Drake is Orange County's premier intimate dining and live music experience, built around a New York-style supper club setting and the contemporary American cuisine of award-winning Chef Paul Gstrein and his son Nick, who serves as sous chef. Founder Alec Glasser, a longtime Laguna local, drew inspiration from the storied Drake Hotel in New York, where jazz and dining were inseparable, and built a Laguna version of that idea in South Laguna.

Chef Paul Gstrein arrived in the U.S. from Austria in the 1980s after culinary schooling and a quick rise through the European kitchen world, with a family hotel in the Alps as part of his background. Nick, who grew up in restaurants with his father as a single dad, took a detour through UNLV on a football scholarship before returning to the kitchen full time. Their working relationship is visible from the chef's counter: two people who trust each other completely, moving in a small kitchen at speed, producing food that doesn't feel small.

The Drake offers seating across three distinct spaces: the bar and lounge, the dining room with its chef's counter, and a glass fire-wall enclosed patio. Live entertainment runs nightly, with jazz, R&B, soul, and contemporary artists performing up close and unplugged. The lamb lollipops have become a signature.

"Sitting at the chef's counter while Nick works the line is one of the genuinely great dining experiences in this part of California."

Reservations are required and book quickly, especially Friday and Saturday. They run two seatings: 5:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. The later seating on weekends is electric. Plan accordingly.

Yuzu is the quieter alternative when you want the intimate dinner without the scene. The room is restrained and the focus is entirely on what's on the plate. Japanese-inspired flavors handled with precision, a short but well-considered drink list, and a kitchen that does not overreach.

Selanne Steak Tavern is housed in a historic 1934 landmark home on South Coast Highway, the same building that formerly housed the long-famed French 75 restaurant for 15 years before NHL Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne and businessman Kevin Pratt bought it and opened the steakhouse in November 2013. Selanne, a six-time Olympian and 2007 Stanley Cup winner with the Anaheim Ducks, is a frequent presence at the restaurant, though no one can predict exactly when he'll appear.

The building offers a variety of settings: the upstairs Loft for a more formal atmosphere, the bistro-style Wine Library for intimate dinners, the handsome Tavern with its buzzy bar, and the outdoor Veranda and Sunset Terrace for alfresco dining. The kitchen grows herbs on-site, and the restaurant has held the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for multiple consecutive years.

Executive Chef Vincent Terusa runs a chef-driven steakhouse menu built around premium cuts, with signatures like the Wagyu fillet, the 45-day dry-aged bone-in ribeye, and the pan-seared scallops that have been on the menu since day one. The space also has a Michelin recommendation, which lands it in the company of very few restaurants in this part of Orange County.

Amar Santana is one of the most accomplished chefs in Orange County, with a James Beard recognition and a backstory that runs from the Dominican Republic to Charlie Palmer's kitchen at Aureole in New York. Broadway reflects that range. The menu is creative without being precious, the room is warm without being loud, and the wine program is serious. It belongs on any list of Laguna's best. If Selanne is booked, you're not settling here. You're making a good decision.

The story behind Miki is one of the best in Laguna dining. Chef Miki Izumisawa was trained by the renowned Nobu Matsuhisa in Las Vegas, despite the fact that Japanese customs have traditionally deemed women unsuitable for sushi-making. She moved to Laguna Beach, opened her own restaurant in January 2000, and proceeded to hire and train an all-female sushi team. She built something singular here, and when she passed from cancer, the restaurant closed. The story could have ended there.

In September 2023, longtime locals Chris Olsen (who also owns Wine Gallery) and Greg Washer bought the corporation from the trust, which came with all of Miki's recipes, the menu, and the lease. They renovated the space, brought back Miki's entire original staff, and reopened in July 2024 as Miki Sushi and Sake, with the same menu and the same team, in honor of what Miki built. A portrait of Miki hangs by the door.

The restaurant sits on a gentle hill along North Coast Highway with window seats that catch views of Laguna's Main Beach. The space holds 32 seats. Reservations are recommended and worth booking at least a few days out. Signature rolls include the Laguna Canyon (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, white fish, crab, masago, cucumber, and avocado topped with Sriracha, ponzu, and greens) and fusion creations like Feather in the Sky, Sweet Butterfly, and Cherry Blossoms. The sake list is thoughtfully curated and priced fairly.

This is the kind of place you bring people when you want them to understand that Laguna Beach has layers.

Wine Gallery is owned by the same Chris Olsen who brought Miki Sushi and Sake back to life, and the two spots share a sensibility: carefully chosen, honestly presented, and built for people who care about what's in the glass. Wine Gallery is a locals' anchor. It's where the conversation starts and often where the night ends. If you're not sure where to start your night in Laguna, start here.