Splashes Restaurant

We came here for a Father’s Day lunch and the beach views were spectacular. The quantity of food was disproportionate to the price. They only gave me 3 scallops for my $ 29 entrée, even though I’ve seen 5 scallops in photos on Unilocal.I was still hungry at the end of my meal so I found myself taking bites off of my fiancé’s burger. Service was good, but parking was a nightmare. They had valet but it was full because they had to accommodate hotel guests first. If I ever feel like paying $ 20 for a burger, I’d come back here. The view is a plus! Otherwise, not so much.

The good news is that this place has an amazing view, the bad news is that this is where the good news end!
I won’t go into details as they are not that good, bottom line is the food here is horrible, not just not good, but horrible. Food smells like old smelly refrigerator. It is not fresh at all and most of it is waaaay over salted.
Save yourself some time and drive down to downtown and find something decent on Unilocal!
Only reason I gave this place 2 stars is because of the view/​location, otherwise for food they get zero stars.

Came for a birthday brunch around noon on Sunday. Requested a window seating but was told its first come first serve.
Not going to lie — brunch food was a little disappointing for its price.
I asked our server for her recommendations beforehand and she said that brunch menu was a combination of the top selling breakfast and lunch items combined into one comprehensive menu. Her answer left me with pretty high expectations!
Ordered the calamari as an appetizer. For entrees — I ordered the spinach eggs benedict and the rest of my party ordered the ‘breadless’ Benedict, red velvet pancakes, and seared scallops.
The calamari was great. Super tender and seasoned well. For $ 9 though — very small portion. They provided bread and house made sauce and though I would have liked some butter on the side as well, the sauce was quite interesting, lots of flavor!
My spinach eggs Benedict was the most disappointing for me. The egg was poached well but the spinach and bread were both a little too tough. The sauce was also too heavy for my taste — I ended up eating only half of plate. I’ve had much better elsewhere and cheaper prices. Not worth the $ 19 in my opinion.
My mom wasn’t the biggest fan of her ‘bread less’ Benedict either and said it was too heavy for her as well.
The red velvet pancakes were surprisingly, quite good, although a little more red velvet cake-​like and thus, more dense than I would have liked. I expect pancakes to be more fluffy and airy — my 10 year old sister could only finish ¹⁄₃ of her stack of pancakes. Way too sweet for me!
My dad had the seared scallops and though I didn’t try any, he seemed quite happy with the dish.
Consensus — lunch items are more expensive but possibly worth the marginal extra cost (+~$ 10)for the better quality and taste. Don’t think the eggs Benedict were worth it at all and pancakes weren’t bad although unless you have a major sweet tooth, you can get tired of them pretty quickly. All the dishes were very filling though!
Honestly — I had made the reservation 2 weeks prior in hopes of getting 1 of the 3 really nice window seats. The view (more so than the food) was what drew me to pick this venue out of many along the coast. Can’t lie — was a little disappointed we weren’t able to get one of the nice window seats but was hoping the food would be good enough for me to want to come back.
Overall — great ambience and accommodating staff. However, wouldn’t likely come back for the food. I REALLY wanted to love this place but unfortunately my experience with my family for my 20^th birthday didn’t live up to my expectations. Tip — get there as soon as it opens for brunch (~11:30) if you want to get one of those window seatings!

Laguna Beach is one of my favorite places to visit, so I was really excited about trying this restaurant. First I will start off with the view. We were seated outside in a little patio area which had a nice view, however I would have enjoyed being inside next to an open window view much better. Also, the constant traffic from the people staying at the hotel was a little annoying and noisy, and the smoking was also not appreciated. The food was good, and we enjoyed the bread and olive/​sun dried tomato spread they give you. The wine selection was also very nice. Overall it was a nice dinner.

Dining right on the beach per se is a very pleasant experience. The location s wonderful. You get to see the clean water of Laguna beach.
The food s not very impressive but decently made. The waiter at our table was very sweet and considerate. I m glad that I picked the right place to start my weekend.

We came here for my sisters birthday thinking that it would be amazing. We were wrong. The cauliflower steak was basically raw, the portions are ridiculously small for the price. Drinks were good. Basically, you pay for the view. Will not be returning not giving my recommendation to dine here. It’s just not worth it.

The view and restaurant were wonderful. Where you are seated makes the experience so we did ask to move to a direct ocean view on the lower level. Pepe was a phenomenal waiter. We ordered:
Champagne
Fried Octopus (unique)
Fillet and Potatoes (Excellent)
Short Rib (A tad bland)
Crime Brûlée (Divine)
Would highly recommend for a nice dinner.

The view is killer!
Here for a birthday brunch. Mimosas were delicious and big!
Appetizers were very yummy:
Nachos were A+
Cinnamon Roll
Shishito peppers were not my fav
Fruit and feta was just alright, had simple presentation — could have been prettier
didn’t get a chance to try the truffle fries but they looked good
Delicious bread, butter, and tempenade served with appetizers– but I wish this came out with or right after our drinks. And because they waited, maybe we wouldn’t have ordered so many apps if we had known about the yummy free bread!
Entrees:
I had the eggs benedict with spinach and side of avocado, hollandaise on the side. Generous half portion of avocado. I think my overall dish needed more flavor… something was lacking, so I added a little Cholula hot sauce. Even the hollandaise was not that flavorful. I’ve had better. But the poached eggs were cooked to PERFECTION.
My fellow diners had the strawberry french toast, smoked salmon, short rib quesadilla, and egg white fritatta and everyone enjoyed their food!
Overall, very filling, generous portions and great service. A little pricey, but hey– with a view like this I feel that it is worth it!

Love this place! Great place to enjoy great food and drinks. The view is stunning! After your done with your food, you can walk down to the water and enjoy the beach.
Today I order the sausage flatbread. Delicious! Highly recommend this place!

We came here to celebrate our son’s 16^th birthday for Sunday brunch. Absolutely beautiful spot. The atmosphere is casually elegant and inviting. The menu is set with lots of delicious options. We started with the truffle tator tots which were sprinkled with fresh rosemary and cheese. Very nice way to begin. My son and I had the grass feed burgers which were delicious and very filling. His lovely girlfriend had the breadless Eggs Benedict which were laced with prosciutto and lots of asparagus on the side. She loved it and it looked amazing. Hubble had the short rib quesadilla which he enjoyed tremendously. Service was very good. Will definitely come back!

My friends and I had such a great time at this restaurant. Friendly staff and they put us right next to the window… which I must say… we were way too excited! For the first 15 minutes, we kept taking pictures because of the beautiful view! My food was delicious. My friend is a vegetarian, so she only had one option to choose from and if you don’t like seafood, this is probably not the best place to go eat.
I love how they personalize your stay there… I made a reservation online and I wrote a note letting them know we were celebrating an occasion, and the staff made sure they got that note ;) During our dinner, we witnessed a proposal right outside the window! Because we were seated near the window, we saw everything and it was so romantic.
I highly recommend you trying this place out if you have not already.

Beautiful view! Extremely peaceful, it’s not everyday you can have lunch & cocktails while smelling and viewing the beach. Drinks and food were also tasty. I loved the fire pits upon entrance as well, again beach view which is a plus. Highly recommend dining here.

Sexy place to wine and dine in Orange County .
Service began slow for our group which thankfully got back up to par upon our first drink orders .
WARNING The bread and olive oil/​anchovy spread is awesome and can easily fill you up if your not careful since it’s so damn addicting !
For mains We tried the Brussels sprouts, hamchi crudo, gnocchi, branzino, pork chop, and filet .
Some standouts included the Brussels sprouts and gnocchi. The Brussels sprouts were pan fried and topped with enoki mushroom, a vinegarette and a touch of a mayo based sauce which blended itself very well to the dish .
The gnocchi was rich without being overly decadent in cheese. Very tasty indeed!
Also the branzino could have been really yummy if it had been sautéed With less butter. The butter seemed far to prominent in the dish which is a pet peeve of mine especially in seafood
The remaining dishes were good, but nothing was especially delicious besides the two mentioned above .
Overall a good dining experience and a very pretty spot indeed !!

Splashes for Wedding dinner reception…
Manager: Heather and Sever: Sammy — The absolute best! They came through and made this night spectacular.
We had a party of 20 to celebrate a wedding. The table was set right next to the ocean/​outside. We brought in our own flower arranges and decorations, and they gracefully allowed us to set up to our liking. They were all very accommodating with everything we needed or requested.
Food — We had a preset menu in place, Filet, Salmon or RICOTTA GNOCCHI. Starters were crisp octopus or ceasar salad. The octopus was SO delicious. Gently flashed fried and crispy. The filet seemed to be a huge hit as well. Desserts were apple tart or hot chocolate (which was actually a molten cake with marshmallow ice cream). This place is full of class. The lower bar was just outstanding with beach views and big beautiful windows that allowed the breeze to come in. This seaside dining made the night so memorable.
Parking is valet only.
We will make many more trips to Splashes, can’t wait to visit again!

Restaurant week– lunch
What $ 20 got us
Appetizer: crisp octopus
— not too bad, a bit dried with the larger pieces but still tasty.
Entrée: seared scallops
— delicious, very tasteful and moist. I loved it. Only had 3 scallops but it’s restaurant week menu, so can’t complain about that.
We also bought oysters $ 9
Came with 3 oysters. It was tasteful, oyster taste wasn’t too strong.
Bloody Mary $ 16
Not the best Bloody Mary but still a decent one.
Service was great! Especially for how busy they were.
Location was great! The view was just breath taking.
No parking lots, valet only. But if you get lucky, you can find street parking and walk to the restaurant.
Overall, it was a great experience and we’ll definitely be coming back here.

This was my second time coming to this restaurant. I had made brunch reservations for my sisters birthday and the staff was very accommodating. I had requested a window seat and they gave us what I think was the best table they had. My dad was totally impressed and my sister was extremely surprised. Our server was so nice and accommodating.
Their brunch menu is pretty good, they offer just a few sweet items and many savory items. We had ordered the stuffed French toast and unfortunately didn’t enjoy it one bit. Our server was kind enough to take it away for us and remove it from our bill. The price was extremely reasonable for the amount of food they give us as well as the amazing atmosphere. I will definitely come back here again for other special events and occasions.

I had a beautiful birthday celebration lunch for a very good friend and SPLASHES did not disappoint. The food was good and the cocktails were amazing. Service was great; Amanda was attentive as was Ruben. Atmosphere and scenery relaxing.

My date took me out here for Valentine’s. Halibut was delicious! I mainly enjoyed the view.

They sat us at a great table, nearest the glass fronting the ocean. But it went downhill from there. It took 20 minutes for anyone to come to our table. Our server was clearly super rushed, trying to be nice but out of sorts. Tried to get our order before we had seen a drink menu. There was no somelier or a server who knew wine. Our server had no idea about wine recommendations. He was almost running away before our words were out of our mouths for our orders. Poor guy was slammed. Throughout dinner there was almost no follow up with drinks or checking how we were doing. Most of the food runners didn’t know what food went to what person. The food was not bad, but not great. I would let most of these things slide but for $ 125 per person I expect more. This was a classic example of a busy holiday at a resort restaurant where service suffered and food was less than stellar.

So I called Splashes the day before Valentine’s Day for a last minute lunch reservation. They were the only place accepting reservations in the area. At first I was a little reserved seeing they were the only ones available for Valentine’s lunch. But, after finding out this secret gem I was very impressed!
The service and food was great. Although I did request a window seat, our meal was very good. At first when I read the menu a saw that it was very small and did not have a great selection but, we found some great calamari and my steak and eggs was delicious. They really fixed up a classic dish!
Tips:
Head into the Surf & Sand resort lobby, walk past the front desk and head to the right down the short mirrored hallway. Turn left right away and you’ll see the elevators. Take them down to the bottom floor, make a right and you’ll see the host desk.
Calamari was great! I forgot to take a pic I was so hungry! The Steak and Eggs was delicious and my bf said his Salmon was perfect, and he is a Salmon fanatic!

Beautiful place to get brunch and lunch. It is right on the beach so the view is gorgeous and relaxing. Food is good, I had the seared scallops and thought it was decent. Overall, I enjoy the view more than the food. I would recommend.

I am a huge fan of the hotel and bar. I love that it’s right on the beach and you can simply walk downstairs to the sand. My date and I had to celebrate Valentine’s Day one day early and decided to take advantage of their valentines four course special that included wine pairing.
Unfortunately, the food was not anything to brag about and I had higher expectations with the service. For two people, our bill was $ 425.00. I don’t feel that our experience was worth the cost. I do like the bar atmosphere. I would strongly recommend doing Valentine’s Day at A’s restaurant. That experience was beyond compare.

Great place to celebrate a special occasion. We came here for our anniversary and it was wonderful. Beautiful ambience, beautiful views, good service, and good food. We started our meal off with the lobster bisque and grilled octopus. Both were delicious but the octopus was too salty after a while. For our entrees we had the filet with sweet potatoes and short ribs with carrot purée. And for dessert, we were given a complimentary pumpkin cheesecake with pecans. We enjoyed our dinner here and will be back again.

My family and I have been coming into Splashes for Christmas, and a few birthdays peppered in throughout the year. This was our third annual Christmas dinner, and it was as perfect as it could have been. We’ve had Kyle as our server for all three years we’ve been in attendance. This year he gave us a Christmas card, which brought tears to my wife’s eyes. It was the first time a waiter has felt like family. Truly amazing touch, and the reason for this review. The food was great and so was the view. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone dining in Laguna.
Marcus in valet kept my Range Rover, which I had purchased the day before, in the front of the valet which made me feel cool for some reason. Everything this restaurant does warrants the price we pay to eat there.

Came here for my Wife’s bday. The bay windows looking over the beautiful laguna water is the only reason to come here. It is as if you’re dining on a boat.
The food was very underwhelming. We started with scallops which were okay — the mushroom with accompanied them were pretty good. I had the salmon — which was very blah. The food was uninspired, but edible enough.
Likely won’t rush back.

I’ve been here a number of times and each time I have a good or great experience.
The first time I split brussel sprouts and had the olive oil poached halibut and that was AMAZING. Recently I went for lunch with my parents when they were in town. I had the seared ahi sandwich (really good) and a cup of lobster bisque. The lobster bisque only tasted faintly of lobster and there was definitely no lobster in it. Oh well, it’s lunch. I’m glad my cape cod family didn’t try it though, they are lobster spoiled. My dad tried the chicken sandwich and butternut squash soup and loved both. My mom felt the watermelon and feta salad was just ok. She wanted larger bits of watermelon and a bit more seasoning on the chicken. My mom loved the glass of sangria she tried.
The waiter was lovely, I think his name was Hill. He was warm, attentive and friendly. It’s so nice when someone helps you have a great experience. He chatted with my parents about the trip and we talked about what the experience was like to move here. He was kind enough to bring my mom a dessert to celebrate her birthday. The view is stunning and so for that it is always worth it. A sunny day looking at the ocean never gets old.

My first time and my family loves it. We’ve been to places like The Ritz Carlton and Montage resorts nearby the Surf & Sand Resort and thought Splashes would not be all that. But we heard good things from friends so tried it. Didn’t realize the resort was a very nice, cozy, modern boutique resort right on the water. The Splashes restaurant is right on the beach and the view is gorgeous and the vibe amazing.
Then I thought the food might just be ok but it started great from the start with the bread and spread. Then tater tots. Then huevos and papas dish atop beef shortrib.
Our server Mel was great. Very attentive, articulate and professional.
Definitely adding Splashes to our dining starting rotation.

Stayed at the Surf and Sand Resort and had breakfast on a Friday morning here at Splashes. It wasn’t too busy at all, so I was able to request an outdoor table right next to the view of the ocean waves washing right up against the restaurant. Gorgeous blue waters to look at and nothing beats breathing in the fresh, salty ocean air first thing in the morning.
The hostess, with the long, straight brown hair, was pleasant and accommodating with the perfect table that I wanted. Once I was seated, it took quite a while until someone asked me if my server had come over yet. I don’t think he was my server, but he still took my drink order anyway. Finally, a server came to my table and took my order.
I ordered the Amazon Acai Berry juice ($ 9) and the OC Breakfast which included 2 turkey sausage patties, scrambled egg whites with spinach, spinach salad with delightful cherry tomatoes, and kamut grains. It was quite a handsome serving of food for $ 18 and I was trying to stick to a healthy breakfast plan. Upon receiving my food, the server, was very attentive and kept checking up on me.
Overall, the atmosphere and the restaurant itself is beyond gorgeous. The staff is all very attentive and I can tell they all work together well when checking up on tables that may not even be in their section. The food is good, not great, but would like to see more variety for the menu item choices though. I would definitely plan on coming back again to try more food items and to enjoy that ocean view. Maybe try lunch and dinner next time and see if my experience improves.

Splashes restaurant in the Surf and Sand resort always delivers. Their brunch is fantastic. I had the Anaheim breakfast quesadilla and shared the red velvet pancakes. Both were incredible. Best pancakes I’ve ever had. They also serve a mimosa with sorbet in it. I mean champs and ice cream together? Could you ask for anything more?
Also great, the black truffle tater tots!
The location cannot be beat anywhere in OC. In my opinion Orange County is lacking in true ocean front dining and this is the ultimate solution.
Valet parking is a plus as well as Laguna is definitely a hard place to find parking at busy times.

This place is awesome!
My buddy invited me here on a Saturday afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is on the ground floor of the surf and sand hotel. The clientele is chic and very good looking.
The restaurant is tight so space is limited. This is great for a party of 2 or 4. A perfect place to bring a chick for a date. You can also scam for hot chicks as they saunter past you on the sand past the bar. Some good looking talent.
Food here is not cheap. For brussel sprouts and salmon, it cost me $ 30. That does not count tax and tip. But you pay for the atmosphere and the experience. The food was good, but most healthy food will all taste fairly similar.
I typically work the weekends doing open houses and was fortunate to get out early. It was a quintessential highend California Beach experience; beautiful people walking along the boulevard, packed beaches with tons of people showing skin, fresh air, waves crashing and a beautiful sunset. Just wish I was not here alone :)
I will definitely return. You should as well ;)

This place has great décor as well as sunset and beach views. But once you go past the façade and read the menu you are possibly thinking this is a fine dining restaurant. However, mediocre food along with hotel goers scurrying back and forth to the pool make the vibe cold. The service is great but the food itself is limited. Complicated statements of ingredients make the food sound greater than expected. I had the swordfish which was thoroughly tough and bathed in chicken stock. I expected a lot more for the price tag but I was left wanting more.
Make a reservation elsewhere for your romantic evening.

Went for brunch on a Sunday (selective breakfast/​lunch menu)…
The view is great, waiters are nice and attentive but the food is definitely not worth the price. You would expect more from such a «nice» place.
My food came out cold and wasn’t anything special (when I mentioned my salmon (asparagus & brussel sprout) dish was cold it was taken away and must have been heated in the microwave; the sauce was absorbed by the vegetables rendering it soggy. It was not worth the price.
The only notable dish (according to my friend) was the chicken sandwich (as it was «different» since there was a brussel sprout sauce in the sandwich)
Pass on the calamari, ahi was fresh but not the best I’ve had (try it if you wish) eggs Benedict was ok.
Overall not worth the price; I don’t think I’d return.

Very disappointed in the food service level.
The restaurant is beautiful, don’t’ get me wrong, however next time, i’ll stick to all the starter dishes. Mussels, Brussels Sprouts, Hearts of Palm & the Grilled Octopus were perfectly done! The main dishes felll VERY short. Prime Rib was WAY over done, Duck Oss Bucco was Blah, Shorts Ribs were ok.
For the prices they charge, they need to kick it up notch!

My partner and I had a beautiful trip in California where we drove up the coast from San Diego to Los Angeles. We stopped in different areas along the way and landed in Laguna, my absolutely favorite town we saw.
I will admit, the food is good but not something that is super memorable compared to other things I’ve had. It’s the view that is worth coming for.
I had the chicken, which had a crispy skin and came with potatoes and bok choy. My partner had some sort of fish, not a fan of seafood so didn’t try it. We finished with crème brûlée, which was very creamy!
I would suggest making an earlier dining time to watch the sunset. We were there in January and sat at one of the tables closest to the beach — practically on the sand! We drank and dined with the sun going down along the ocean with the most beautiful breeze. Coming from –20 in Chicago to this, nothing will compare

Finally!!! I have always wanted to come here but never got the chance to when I was living in OC since it was so far south after I married the Mr I moved even farther away so this restaurant became just a distance dream! There was no way my husband would be willing to drive 1.5 hours just to dine here. So yesterday a girlfriend of mine and I decided to come here for lunch! It’s located inside the Surf & Sand Hotel for those not familiar with the area.
The hotel has a very nice lobby, very tastefully decorated. It’s beachy but very posh. The rates go for $ 500 per night, as the hotel sits on the water.
The restaurant has a beautiful view of the ocean, and we were seated next to a window. Love. :) See photo!
To start we both had Arnold palmers as that’s my choice of beverage if I am not having wine or cocktail. And it’s the Arnold Palmer was perfect!
We started with the Brussels Sprouts! These were my favorite!!! OMG there’s just one other place that I like Brussel sprouts and it’s by my house and Splashes Brussels Sprouts totally rocks!!! You should DEFINITELY get these when dining here.
I had their scallops which were divine! The scallops were lightly seasoned and sat over a bed of carrot purée and risotto.
My friend got their lobster toast and though she would have preferred if they had put the lobster salad separate from the toast– she still enjoyed it very much.
We ended the lunch with an apple cobbler (they call it apple crisps) however it’s baked like an apple cobbler topped with yummy delicious ice cream!
We came before the lunch rush and no joke we hung out till way later the lunch crowd. Lol I think we stayed there for about 2.5−3 hours. Our waiter, Hill, was wonderful!
Cheers!

Beautiful ambiance and incredible view. It’s technically indoors but they have windows (no screens) that let you hear the waves crashing and see the sun setting. The building is right on the sand, which is perfect!
TO GET THERE:
Walk into the lobby and head to the elevators. You start off on the 5^th floor, so you’ll want to click 1 to get to the bar (there’s a sign on the elevator for each floor). Once you get there, walk all the way through the hallway, passed the smaller inside restaurant, and you’ll find a small staircase on your left. Head down those and you’ll be facing the water with the bar to your right.
DRINKS:
The drinks are around $ 14/​$ 15 for cocktails, but they are delicious. I had the passion punch cocktail ($ 14) and it was the perfect amount of all flavors.
We also ordered two cheese plates and their nachos with a side of guacamole, and everything tasted delicious.
When we left we walked through the indoor dining area and it smelled absolutely delicious… I can’t wait to come back for dinner!