Aegean Café

Food is great and the music is great. Love this place. One of the few Greek restaurants with such nice combination. I highly recommend if you want to have a fun night.

I heard a horrible rumour that this place closed down! I will be a very, very sad customer if that’s true. The only place I’ve had better Greek Food than the Aegean Café was in Greece itself. Their flaming feta appetizer was AWESOME; their food is always delicious. In fact, their entire appetizer menu is just phenomenal, from the hummus to the dolmades to the tzatziki. Their Gyro meat is excellent and the restaurant itself is a very lively place at night with Greek music and dancing and lots of «Opah!» I love it here and really hope it is still open!

Amazing view.
We came here for lunch around 1pm on a Sunday and it was empty.
I think people don’t really know about this place because it is kind of hidden. From street level it is hard to notice since it’s upstairs. Food was great. Surprised it was that good. Gyros were super fresh, hot, and really tasty. The side salad that came with the gyros was also good. John Dory plate was fresh and good. I highly recommend this place if you like good food and want to enjoy a great view. I can’t wait to come back for dinner.

Went in early on a Sunday morning and we were one of the first ones in the business.
3 of us ordered the gyro and 1 of us ordered a fish dish.
We were all happy with our meals and the waiter was awesome as he had to take our salad back two times. Not cause it was bad but cause my wife is pregnant and cannot eat feta cheese and then I realized to tell him no Cesar dressing.
They did it with a smile and we were very very happy.
The views are great and I am sure it is very beautiful at night.
The gyro’s are very good. very…

Love this place! Not only is the food delicious, they have a beautiful view of the beach/​shops of Laguna and live entertainment!
Really great date spot… in fact, my boyfriend took me here on our first date and we celebrate every year here. This was the first authentic Greek restaurant I had gone to (my previous experience was Daphne’s — definitely no comparison) and I was really excited since he had raved about it.
We also order the hummus with their incredible pita bread (always served warm). We usually switch between the dolmades and spanakopita, but sometimes we get all 3!!! The tzatziki is really good too!
We tried the lamb and it was really good, but I prefer the chicken souvlaki with rice and veggies. The Greek salad is good too. For lunch, on a lighter fare, the gyro sandwich was just right.
Service is usually good and they’re also very friendly!

Best Greek food in Orange County.

I love this place! View is great, it over looks the ocean, so kudos for that as well. I got the combo plate, it’s has Dolmades, Spanakopita, chicken souvlaki, rice and veggies, so good! They also have Hillas a great Greek beer, very difficult to find too. Will I be back, oh yeah!

I had a business meeting in Laguna, and this was the suggested spot. I got there early, and was amazed by the view and a lot of the dishes I saw being served.
I followed the lead of the people who took me there and got the Gyros, another person for the Greek Salad with the Gyro meat added. We also ordered the Eggplant hummus as an appetizer.
The hummus was fantastic, and the Pita bread was served warm and buttered. The combination was fantastic.
Then our entrees came, and the gyros was extremely full of some of the best meat I have ever tasted in a Greek restaurant. It was so full, I ate a good portion of the meat with a fork, then the last ¹⁄₃ as a sandwich. The salad with it was fantastic as well.

If I was a 19 year old male fulfilling my mandatory Greek military service and I got fed the food here I would be A-​OK with it. I would gobble it down like the Tasmanian devil then wash everything down with a Mythos beer. And that would be that — my belly would be full till the next meal and there would be no Unilocaling about how the food tastes like it was made for the masses. This is the military after all, what did you expect?
Wait it’s not, you’re being lied to.
This is Laguna Beach; land of magic, romance, old rich homosexuals, and spoiled teenagers. In that case, I’m gonna have to put my foot down and demand something better from Aegean Café. You gotta stand for something, right?
I last came with my Greek school class (YES Greek school — the advanced class — mind you) and we basically had everything on the menu. The spanakopita, pasticcio, and moussaka all tasted like it came from an institutionalized size casserole dish made several days ago and just reheated to order. The meats were all fatty, sub par pieces shoveled on plates with slop fulls of pilaf and some limp green beans. The soup and salad was not memorable either.
During this time, a middle aged Filipino lady comes out in a belly dancing outfit and starts shaking her ass in everyone’s faces. If this is still the Greek military scenario mentioned above, I would have every right to believe this woman to be a desperate prostitute. They simply do not have belly dancers in Greece unless you go to an «Arabic» restaurant. Especially this particular belly dancer who looked like she got her outfit at the Halloween store’s blowout sale.
The one perk is the view of the ocean and the location. It’s high above everything else and you can look out to the Pacific Ocean. But everything else is just not that good. I would throw up a 2.5 Stars for this place, just because it’s Laguna Beach, but the food is more 1 Star.

Seems like I end up here nearly once a month, though I swear I don’t plan it that way. I’m Greek and I guess I’m starved for a slice of the motherland from time to time. Hell, my bachelorette party even stopped here at one part of the night so I could shimmy with the bellydancer!
The food is fine, not spectacular, not particularly authentic, but it is good. A lot of Greeks frequent the place, so that goes to show that it’s doing something right. It has a great bar and wine list, and is a fantastic place to bring a large group. The wait staff are super accomodating, and if you’re there on the weekends there’s dancing and live Greek music. It is a really fun place at a great location.

Went here late on a Thursday night. Laguna Beach was practically a ghost town and there were only a few tables occupied in the restaurant. It’s never fun to dine in an empty restaurant but we decided to give it a go because Aegean Café has been on out «To Try» list for years.
We started with the hummus. It was good but then again when has hummus ever been bad? The freshly grilled pita bread was wonderful.
The girlfriend, J, ordered the gyro plate. I always smirk when she orders a gyro plate because up until she met me she always pronounced the «G». She was so convinced she was right that she asked the servers at her favorite Greek restaurant about the proper pronunciation and was mortified to learn she had been saying it wrong her entire life. I know I might seem like a jerk for getting so much joy out of her little faux pas but that’s what makes our relationship work. We love each others faults as much as we love each others strengths. Anyway, the gyro plate was very good. Oh, and they mix dill into their tzatziki which was a nice little twist.
I ordered the Greek Combo plate. This one of everything option sounded like a good idea at the time but I clearly should have ordered the gyro plate too. The spanakopita was great, the Moussaka and dolmas were good, but the chicken souvlaki was dry and flavorless. The combo also came with rice and the standard way overcooked green beans and carrots. I should probably research the story behind the green beans and carrots because they are the same at every Greek restaurant and I can’t imagine any restaurant would keep them on the menu unless there was a good story behind it.
We were stuffed by the end of the meal and didn’t even bother to look at the dessert menu. I think Aegean would probably have greater appeal during the spring and summer months when you can appreciate the view and the weather.

This is a very energetic place for a fun dinner! I loved the spirit of the place, with them singing spirited happy birthdays and doing some dance/​music performances. I missed the belly dancer, but ah well. The only complaint was that it was sooooooo LOUD… I mean I don’t at all mind noisiness, but this was a bit over the top. Instead of speaking at just a raised voice to talk to my boyfriend, I was literally shouting so that he could hear me over the ruckus.
I really enjoyed the food here also. I had some sort of a combo plate that had a bit of a few things like baba ghanoush, dolmas, kebab, and like 2 other things i think (sorry for my horrible spellling). I do enjoy eating Greek/​Mediterranean food and have done so on a number of occasions in the past, but that does not mean I am an expert on it… but I did really enjoy the food I had there. Yummy :). Their pita is really good!!!
I did get the flaming cheese but it was a bit bitter for me ~_​~.
And the service is a bit spotty because there are a lot of people there in the restaurant with limited waitstaff.
Nonetheless, despite a few random complaints, I think this is a great «something new/​different» place to go for dinner, though this probably isn’t somewhere I would come every night/​week. Maybe a once a month thing. But it is a wonderful once a month thing.
Anyway I will stop rambling… go try it! :)

GREAT ambiance. we got there at 8 pm for the belly dancing. the décor is gorgeous too.
the food was pretty good, but then i realized that i don’t really like greek food so yeah.
it’s a nice place regardless though!

PROS:
— Good ambiance, great view of the ocean…
— Great service, very attentive and helpful.
— Live music
CONS:
— Chicken & beef skewers were both overcooked.
— Food is overpriced.
— Don’t come here looking for quietness. It’s LOUD.
Overall, it was a good experience. Food is decent but compared to other Greek places (aka Christakis) this wouldn’t be on the top of my list for Greek food.

The best greek food in the OC is CHRISTAKIS in Tustin — I’ve been spoiled. Aegean’s food cannot compare.
The ambiance here is nice, with large windows that allow you to see out into the Pacific Ocean. The atmosphere in this upstairs restaurant makes you feel like you’re actually in Greece, with its whitewashed walls and blue awnings. However, I found the tables inside the restaurant really cramped (making it difficult to walk between aisles without saying excuse me a million times). It was also really loud, so there’s definitely no privacy here.
As for the food, it’s nothing mindblowing or memorable. It is pricey for what you get, but you’re paying in part for location and ambiance.
Hummus appetizer ($ 8.95) — it was a good sized portion and comes with a big basket of warm pitas. It’s homemade, but the taste was just okay — it doesn’t have any kick to it — nothing special about it. Tastes just like Trader Joes’ Original Hummus flavor.
Gyros Plate ($ 18.95) — Beef & lamb served with sides of tzatziki, tomato, red onion, and pita bread. This was a pretty good dish, I’d recommend it, but they only give you a couple slices of gyro. Their tzatziki is very creamy and delish! I thoroughly enjoyed dipping my gyro in that.
Souvlaki Combo ($ 23.95) — a filet mignon skewer and a chicken skewer. Comes with a side of rice and veggies (broccoli and carrots). I wasn’t a fan of this. It sounded good on paper, but the meat was overcooked (I asked for rare and it was cooked medium well) and the chicken was super dry. The portion was also a LOT smaller than I expected. I had no idea this was just going to be two measly skewers with 4 chunks of meat. They load up the plate with rice so you’re likely to fill up on that. So not worth it.
They offer live music at night. This place is just too crowded and loud for me though. Expensive prices, small portions, average food. I probably wouldn’t come back since there’s so many other options on PCH.

Great location with excellent service, superb energy and out of the ordinary entertainment (Greek singing and Belly Dancing no less…)
…and oh by the way, the Greek food is quite tasty. From the hummis and tzatziki to the moussaka and souvlaki, it’s all quite good. Throw in a belly dance or two and cap the evening off with a coffee and baklava.
Nuf said — you should go!

When you’re driving through Laguna Beach on Pacific Coast Highway, there is so much for your senses to register, that the Aegean Café is easily overlooked. If you’re like me, under 5’2″, you’ll surely miss this lovely restaurant, because you never notice anything above your head.
While waiting for the rest of the party to arrive, my bf and I tried several Greek beers, Mythos and Hillas. When our group’s headcount was complete, we made our way over to the dining area. It was packed with a variety of couples, birthday parties and even a bachelorette party. Rounds of Ouzo were ordered and soon after our Aegean Feast arrived. Generous heapings of hummus, calamari, tzatziki, eggplant, tarama, dolmades, saganaki, Greek salad, spanakopita, succulent lamb chops, shrimp, souvlaki and seared swordfish were served with mounds of potatoes, vege’s and rice. For dessert (and to sober up), endless coffee and WONDERFUL baklava!
We had no shame and waived dollar bills over our friend’s head. The exotic belly-​dancer made her way over to our friend from Hong Kong (the main reason why we paid a visit to Aegean Café). As his wife and the rest of our party, laughed and cheered with delight, the beautiful, supple belly-​dancer swayed and contorted to the music. I thought I was going to pee in my knickers and our friend about to die from the embarrassment.
The Aegean Café’s view from the 2^nd floor was breath taking at sunset, the food exquisite and extremely generous portions, the staff hearty and friendly and the entertainment, mezmerizing. In all, our experience was good fun and we can’t wait to embarrass another out-​of-​towner friend! We highly recommend this restaurant!

Best Greek I’ve had.
Live entertainment, bomb hummus, fresh breads and olives.
What’s good:
–Taramosalata — caviar dip
–Saganaki — flaming cheese
What’s bad:
–outside seating is in front on a tiny walkway
What’s OK:
–view of the Pacific — for some reason I wish it was up on a hill by itself
Took my girlfriend on a food tour of Laguna for our 2^nd anniversary, and the Aegean Café was probably the best place we ate. That’s pretty complementary considering we had fois gras, lobster and Johnny Rocket’s the same day.
If you’ve never had Saganaki (not to be confused with Nagasaki) you absolutely must try when you go. They take a big slice of cheese, cover it in brandy, walk to your table and light that mofo on fire.
9 times out of 10 someone will say, «Watch your eyebrows» or something while it melts, then the server extinguishes the lights show, usually with a clap. Opa!
If you’ve already had it, you can go for an Aegean specialty because it’s really similar at most, even non-​Greek, restaurants.
I recommend the Taramosalata as others here have. It’s not specifically an Aegean Café recipe but, it’s fairly rare in SoCal.
It’s a dip for your pita bread wedges and combines red caviar, potato purée, and olive oil. Exquisite.
I’m with Amy K, the appetizers are the shizzle. It’s what I go there for.
Aegean’s espresso taste’s European, and is very good. I don’t care where it’s from though, it ends up in my mouth for sure.
Go to the Aegean Café on a second date if you live in the OC, or a 3^rd if you live in Diego. You’ll totally get some pants points. ;-)

Aegean is a great place to come with a group of people for a leisurely dinner with entertainment included. I love the location, upstairs in a plaza in Laguna Beach.
I really enjoy the appetizers, especially the Greek caviar (Taramosalata). I also like their eggplant dip (Melitzanosalata). I could probably just eat appetizers all night and be happy. Let your server recommend a Greek wine. I don’t remember the name of it (some long, hard-​to-​pronounce, Greek name), but they have a really good dry white wine.
For dinner, my favorite entrée is the Grilled Salmon. I don’t think they actually have salmon in Greece, but the preparation is Greek. You can’t go wrong with the Chicken Souvlaki either. I really like the roasted potatoes that come with the meal.
During dinner they bring out the belly dancers, but my favorite is when they play Greek music and all the waiters come out and dance.

A perfect location for a Greek restaurant in Laguna. The open windows, view of the ocean and down town is so beautiful and really makes you feel like you are in Greece (I wish). This place has been in Laguna for years. I actually celebrated my 16^th birthday here with all my girlfriends. Expect to have the real Greek experience here, meaning you need to slow everything down, it’s the Mediterranean. The waiters take care of you while dancing with the other staff in between serving your dishes. My favorite dish is the saganaki, spanakopita and the Village salad. Simple clean refreshing food. It is a little loud «Opa» and so much fun!