RAYA

First of all, the hostess was amazing and got us in even though I did not have a reservation. Within a minute of us sitting down our server was there, and right after we had drinks (our server was great the entire time). Definitely get the prawns as an appetizer. Everything was really good, and the view was fantastic. We will definitely be back.

Amazing ambience and food. The view is spectacular. I would highly recommend coming here for lunch. Don't worry about the food, it is immaculate. Just bring your appetite. After your lunch take a walk by the beach, it is one that you must do.

Great place with great value! Very very friendly staff here, my wife and I came for our anniversary and god knows how every staff we ran into managed to stop by our table and say “happy anniversary” to us, really pleased with their service! Food is good enough in my opinion, not top tier Michelins 3 Star level of good but good enough, especially with their pricing, value definitely exceeds the price. I especially like their shrimp and lobster chowder, the shrimp is a must order, and the lobster chowder is really amazing with a unique take of tomato/butter base. Views are amazing ocean views. I been to the OC Nobu a couple of times and if I’m to recommend, Raya before Nobu. Oh yea they gave us a cake to congratulate our anniversary, again kudos to their service!

Jennifer Maghett

Visited Raya recently and had a lovely dining experience. The food was flavorful and beautifully presented, and the ocean view added a serene touch—though unfortunately, the weather wasn’t quite on our side that day. 🌧️ Special thanks to Dean, who was incredibly patient and gentle throughout the evening—his warm service made us feel truly welcomed. Also shout-out to Noe for his attentive and kind service! I’d love to return again—hopefully on a sunny day next time. ☀️

Lorin

Beautiful location overlooking the ocean. Staff were very nice and professional; waitress, Sam, was knowledgeable and personable. Food was really good with fresh ingredients and solid creativity. Some critical feedback: Iberico secreto steak was good, but firmer than expected like a pork chop; I cook these at home and they fall apart in your mouth. Some of the small dishes rely on a very tasty sauce and while good, that type of component is probably why they don't get a mention in the Michelin guide. The Branzino was good, but fileted skin down makes the skin not edible for me. All very good though and I appreciate the protein with complimenting vegetables (specific lack of a carb) and. I would return. The view and service were great: from the hostess wishing us Happy Anniversary, to the complimentary dessert-- really cool and appreciated.

RöN RPMJC

Great for special occasions. My family had a great time celebrating my daughter’s birthday. Food is excellent. View is breathtaking. Jennifer is so attentive and welcoming.

Kyle Thompson

The food and service at Raya were top notch. Started at the bar for a glass of wine and an appetizer, enjoyed the view...then moved to our table for a seafood sunset feast! We ordered a bit of everything and it was all good...Smoked Swordfish dip, Oysters de la Baja, Seafood Cocktail, Piloncillo Shrimp, Seafood Enchiladas, Chipotle Miso Black Cod...all delicious! Cudos to the staff, keep up the good work. If you enjoy seafood with a flair you won't be disappointed at Raya.

Jitesh Gurav

Immaculate vibes and the food was amazing! Special shoutout to our hostess, Ana, who took great care of us and made our dinner experience special. The Jidori Half Chicken is a must try. The Salvadoran Cheese Rolls were also a delight. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for great Pan-Latin coastal cuisine.

Bárbara F.

We weren’t staying at the hotel, but we decided to stop by for lunch after a whale and dolphin watching adventure. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our Dana Point getaway! This spot has officially earned a place on my list of all-time favorites. The views are absolutely breathtaking, and unlike many restaurants with gorgeous scenery, the food here is just as impressive. The hotel where it’s located is beautiful, and it was nice to take a peak. Even the restrooms are super pretty. Now, let’s talk about the food: the grilled octopus and the corn and hominy chowder were absolute standouts. The octopus was perfectly tender and bursting with flavor—one of the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve been enjoying octopus since I was a child. As for the chowder, it was easily one of the best soups of my life. As a seafood enthusiast who grew up on fresh catches, I was blown away by the rich combination of flavors. The soup was packed with generous chunks of crab, complemented by corn, bacon, roe, and a subtle kick from serrano. It was an unforgettable dish. To top it all off, the staff surprised me with a complimentary cake and candle to celebrate my birthday. I don’t even remember mentioning it in my Open Table reservation, but that thoughtful touch truly made my day. Overall, this was an exceptional experience from start to finish and can’t wait to return and relieve it all over again!

Lauren Horner

I loved the brussel sprouts and the pork/scallops entree, we also got the salmon and the pork pineapple bao buns, those were really good too, salmon was good, I have realized I really prefer raw salmon sushi but scallops were the best. Beautiful view & great service.

Bruce Clements

First of all, the hostess was amazing and got us in even though I did not have a reservation. Within a minute of us sitting down our server was there, and right after we had drinks (our server was great the entire time). Definitely get the prawns as an appetizer. Everything was really good, and the view was fantastic. We will definitely be back.

Taniyyus Syed

Amazing ambience and food. The view is spectacular. I would highly recommend coming here for lunch. Don't worry about the food, it is immaculate. Just bring your appetite. After your lunch take a walk by the beach, it is one that you must do.

Terrence Li

Great place with great value! Very very friendly staff here, my wife and I came for our anniversary and god knows how every staff we ran into managed to stop by our table and say “happy anniversary” to us, really pleased with their service! Food is good enough in my opinion, not top tier Michelins 3 Star level of good but good enough, especially with their pricing, value definitely exceeds the price. I especially like their shrimp and lobster chowder, the shrimp is a must order, and the lobster chowder is really amazing with a unique take of tomato/butter base. Views are amazing ocean views. I been to the OC Nobu a couple of times and if I’m to recommend, Raya before Nobu. Oh yea they gave us a cake to congratulate our anniversary, again kudos to their service!

Olha Kotova

The restaurant offers a fantastic view of the ocean. The service is super polite and attentive. Our breakfast was delicious, and the dishes were served promptly. Many thanks to the staff, especially Joel and Kody, who took care of us so well.

Excellent food, wonderful view of sunset, superb service. We started with the smoked swordfish dip. The dip was only surpassed by the charred crackers (hint: ask for more). She had the Market Salad and the Brussels sprouts, loved both. I had the chicken, which was great. The smokey broccolini was incredible!

The place was elegant and well-presented, we were even given a flower during our meal. The service was excellent, but I was a little disappointed that the dishes I ordered didn’t quite suit my taste. On the other hand, the setting was wonderful… like a beautiful sunset painting

Better than a four, but not quite a five either. I'd call it a 4.7. The view, of course, is staggering. That being said, the high ceilings, to better accommodate the view, makes the place the opposite of cozy. The menu is not expansive, but the food is done exceptionally well, as you'd expect. Seafood is cooked perfectly. The kitchen does a great job of blending flavors for a great culinary experience. The service is attentive and professional, again as would be expected inside of the Ritz.

The view is absolutely magnificent. The food has left me perplexed. We shared the swordfish dip, very nicely presented and I would rate it 7/10. Then we had a Brussels sprouts with small sausages, flavorful and different. Finally some grilled broccolini which arrived cold and undercooked. The service training should be improved. We asked whether the dip came with crackers or bread and we were told they had no crackers or bread, but when the dish arrived it had some very good thin accompaniment (it was not crackers nor bread) and the waiter could have told us. The busser couldn't wait to take our dishes away, even though I still had some few brussel sprouts in my dish I would have liked to enjoy, I told him he could take it plates because I did not want to be asked again. The waiter was very nice and when we told him about the broccolini he took them off the bill. However, the waiter could have passed by to check on us not just to tell us our dishes were being played but after we received our dishes (so we could have received the rightly cooked broccolini! The wine by the glass list could be improved.

Nhu kim Wuynh

The place was elegant and well-presented, we were even given a flower during our meal. The service was excellent, but I was a little disappointed that the dishes I ordered didn’t quite suit my taste. On the other hand, the setting was wonderful… like a beautiful sunset painting

Ray Hartjen

Better than a four, but not quite a five either. I'd call it a 4.7. The view, of course, is staggering. That being said, the high ceilings, to better accommodate the view, makes the place the opposite of cozy. The menu is not expansive, but the food is done exceptionally well, as you'd expect. Seafood is cooked perfectly. The kitchen does a great job of blending flavors for a great culinary experience. The service is attentive and professional, again as would be expected inside of the Ritz.

Donatella Polizzi

The view is absolutely magnificent. The food has left me perplexed. We shared the swordfish dip, very nicely presented and I would rate it 7/10. Then we had a Brussels sprouts with small sausages, flavorful and different. Finally some grilled broccolini which arrived cold and undercooked. The service training should be improved. We asked whether the dip came with crackers or bread and we were told they had no crackers or bread, but when the dish arrived it had some very good thin accompaniment (it was not crackers nor bread) and the waiter could have told us. The busser couldn't wait to take our dishes away, even though I still had some few brussel sprouts in my dish I would have liked to enjoy, I told him he could take it plates because I did not want to be asked again. The waiter was very nice and when we told him about the broccolini he took them off the bill. However, the waiter could have passed by to check on us not just to tell us our dishes were being played but after we received our dishes (so we could have received the rightly cooked broccolini! The wine by the glass list could be improved.

Sadashiv Bhatt

We landed up at Raya at that awkward timing of 3pm when lunch service is over between and dinner menu will start at 5pm. Being a Vegetarian the options offered on the intermittent menu were minimal and the 2 options we would have liked - Potato and leek soup; crispy Brussels sprouts were not available. Fortunately for us Michelle at the reception and Chris who took care of our order worked with the chef and made it happen. Wish there were more vegetarian friendly options on the menu. The views from the our table were mesmerizing and added amazing value to our meal. An experience worth every cent and minute spent at Raya. PS. They also serve an amazing almond biscotti with you post meal coffee.

Been’ there

The food could have been better considering the prices but the service is top notch and servers were polite and very good at their jobs. The food mainly was missing the taste for this high quality restaurant. I can say the oatmeal was good perhaps amazing but the omelette had no flavor, pretty close to a frozen meal. The atmosphere was very pretty. The views of the ocean are spectacular. It would be amazing if the food was matching the view. But for the most part you are paying for the view and there is no real plan to improve the food. Looking at the guest faces you could tell the food is mediocre.

Eric D

I have travelled the world extensively over 40 years. I ate at all restaurants ranging from pop & mom’s to Michelin three stars. This is my honest review of Raya restaurant inside the Ritz Carlton at Laguna beach. The venue is classy and the view should be fantastic day (our dinner was last sunset though). I was unimpressed by the food except the grilled octopus appetizer which was super good. This is not a good value for money as the dishes are super expensive.

First, the good: We actually started our evening at the bar, and I have to say, we received wonderful service there despite how busy it was. The bartenders were attentive, friendly, and made great drinks while managing a full crowd. The two hostesses working on Friday night when we visited were both super sweet. We brought a bouquet of flowers for a friend’s birthday dinner, and not only did they keep it safe for us; they even put the flowers in a vase while we waited for the birthday celebrant. That thoughtful touch really stood out and set a nice tone for the evening. The large windows overlooking the ocean are absolutely stunning and make for a beautiful ambiance. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The whole dining experience after that was honestly a disaster. Granted, we were waiting on one person to arrive, but the staff wasn’t attentive or consistent about checking on our table. Our server, Jessica, genuinely tried her best, but her efforts were overshadowed by everything else that went wrong. I wasn’t feeling well that night, so I kept it simple and ordered the Caesar Salad with shrimp and it turned out to be the saltiest salad I’ve ever had in my life. I ended up only eating a few pieces of shrimp because the rest was just inedible. Another guest at our table sent back her octopus because it was cold. The menu had only one vegan option, and everyone else in our group also complained about their food. To make matters worse, the entire dining experience dragged on for three hours. Multiple staff members would walk by and completely ignore tables calling out for help, not even a “let me grab your server.” It felt like no one wanted to deal with anything outside of their assigned section. Jessica could only do so much on her own. For a restaurant inside the Ritz-Carlton, the level of service and food quality were shockingly disappointing. Sadly, this will be a one-and-done experience for me.

Raya Restaurant at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel provided a mixed experience for me. The hostess was friendly and the waiter was excellent, providing great service throughout the meal. I ordered the eggs Benedict and found them to be outstanding, with a delicious hollandaise sauce and perfectly poached egg. The buttermilk pancakes were also a highlight, fluffy yet dense in texture. However, the French toast was a disappointment as it contained pecans and raisins that were not mentioned on the menu. The waiter kindly removed it from the bill when we sent it back. The pricing at Raya was reasonable considering the quality of the food. The ambiance was stunning, with amazing views of the ocean and vibrant fresh flowers on every table adding to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, my experience was marred by a bizarre incident involving a food server tripping and spilling ketchup on me, ruining my dress and hair. I was shocked by the lackluster resolution offered by the server, who only provided a hot wet towel for cleaning and a simple apology. This response was not up to the standard I would expect from a restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, especially considering the inconvenience and damage caused to my attire. Overall, my visit to Raya Laguna Niguel was a mixed bag, with exceptional food and service overshadowed by a disappointing incident and lackluster resolution.

KG

First, the good: We actually started our evening at the bar, and I have to say, we received wonderful service there despite how busy it was. The bartenders were attentive, friendly, and made great drinks while managing a full crowd. The two hostesses working on Friday night when we visited were both super sweet. We brought a bouquet of flowers for a friend’s birthday dinner, and not only did they keep it safe for us; they even put the flowers in a vase while we waited for the birthday celebrant. That thoughtful touch really stood out and set a nice tone for the evening. The large windows overlooking the ocean are absolutely stunning and make for a beautiful ambiance. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The whole dining experience after that was honestly a disaster. Granted, we were waiting on one person to arrive, but the staff wasn’t attentive or consistent about checking on our table. Our server, Jessica, genuinely tried her best, but her efforts were overshadowed by everything else that went wrong. I wasn’t feeling well that night, so I kept it simple and ordered the Caesar Salad with shrimp and it turned out to be the saltiest salad I’ve ever had in my life. I ended up only eating a few pieces of shrimp because the rest was just inedible. Another guest at our table sent back her octopus because it was cold. The menu had only one vegan option, and everyone else in our group also complained about their food. To make matters worse, the entire dining experience dragged on for three hours. Multiple staff members would walk by and completely ignore tables calling out for help, not even a “let me grab your server.” It felt like no one wanted to deal with anything outside of their assigned section. Jessica could only do so much on her own. For a restaurant inside the Ritz-Carlton, the level of service and food quality were shockingly disappointing. Sadly, this will be a one-and-done experience for me.

JM “Impossible Traveler”

Raya Restaurant at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel provided a mixed experience for me. The hostess was friendly and the waiter was excellent, providing great service throughout the meal. I ordered the eggs Benedict and found them to be outstanding, with a delicious hollandaise sauce and perfectly poached egg. The buttermilk pancakes were also a highlight, fluffy yet dense in texture. However, the French toast was a disappointment as it contained pecans and raisins that were not mentioned on the menu. The waiter kindly removed it from the bill when we sent it back. The pricing at Raya was reasonable considering the quality of the food. The ambiance was stunning, with amazing views of the ocean and vibrant fresh flowers on every table adding to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, my experience was marred by a bizarre incident involving a food server tripping and spilling ketchup on me, ruining my dress and hair. I was shocked by the lackluster resolution offered by the server, who only provided a hot wet towel for cleaning and a simple apology. This response was not up to the standard I would expect from a restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, especially considering the inconvenience and damage caused to my attire. Overall, my visit to Raya Laguna Niguel was a mixed bag, with exceptional food and service overshadowed by a disappointing incident and lackluster resolution.

great view, the seafood was decent, the rest was overcooked and underwhelming, service was terrible, especially for a Ritz-Carlton, we came on a weekday right when they open with a reservation and the staff could not even accomodate window seating due to bs reasons, they initially gave us a table in a dark corner (seriously?) and we even had to discuss back and forth on where to sit, absolutely terrible first impressions, only saving grace is the view

Khoa Pham

great view, the seafood was decent, the rest was overcooked and underwhelming, service was terrible, especially for a Ritz-Carlton, we came on a weekday right when they open with a reservation and the staff could not even accomodate window seating due to bs reasons, they initially gave us a table in a dark corner (seriously?) and we even had to discuss back and forth on where to sit, absolutely terrible first impressions, only saving grace is the view