180blu

Michael at 180 Blu is my inspiration for taking the time to write this review. We love the view and the swordfish tacos are a must try, but the service can really make or break the experience and Michael was funny, professional and attentive throughout our meal. We love 180Blu and will be back soon!

Amazing sunset view. They added many more chairs and tables to maximize the seating. It takes away your privacy. The menu is very limited and over priced for the taste. Not going there any more.

The views, the food, the drinks — all excellent! The service, slow and understaffed. All in all, an awesome oceanview bar!

This place is incredible for watching sunset. Will not disappoint. Our waitress Caroline was great. Made a special evening even more memorable. Great place to celebrate my husbands 55^th.

Terrible service. Ordered the chicken and then I bit into a raw piece of chicken. I told the waitress, Anna and she couldn’t even apologize for the raw chicken. Prior to finishing my main meal, she’s asking if I wanted dessert. Then she brings the bill as I am still eating and says, she took the chicken off, like she was doing me a favor. My husband signed the bill and she came back to get the bill as I am still trying to finish my meal. Asked for water and had to wait several times to get it refilled. One time she filled everyone’s water glass and left mine half empty. I having been staying at the hotel now for over 15 days and I can honestly say, for the Ritz, this type of service was inexcusable.

Breathtaking ocean views! True Ritz Carlton service from most everyone we encounter. Bar food is a bit limited but they have let me order off menu so thumbs up!

My boyfriend and I are huge fans of the lobby bar inside the Ritz. This outside bar, however, not so much.
Now this is just based on my own experiences & I may be wrong, but every time I come here, I feel like the waiters/​waitresses don’t tend to us because A) we’re younger than their regular customer crowd and B) because we’re not white.
I’ve tried this place about 3x now (I really wanted to love it), and every. single. time, a waiter/​waitress has ignored us to rather help older and/​or white customers. And I mean IGNORED, as in they didn’t even give us a menu…
I mean, what sort of assumption am I supposed to make after that?
I let it slide the first time, but a second and third time? Inexcusable. I was only able to get decent service the last time I was there because I gave the waitress an attitude about it. I don’t like being nasty… so why make me?
We were very disappointed. Thank god for that amazing bar in the lobby.

Part of the Ritz hotel so you’ll see tourists here, but surprisingly to me there were mostly locals. It’s like everyone knows everyone here and their family and they invite anyone else in their conversations, so you’ll make friends quick. But come here for a great time and good vibes, to enjoy a sunset, great live music and a few drinks, or when you have a bad time and need to cheer up, change your karma and lift yourself up! Service is a little sketchy but zoom out and be patient, focus on the positives. Also, don’t stare too long at that bill either, it’s expensive but cheaper than therapy.

First come, first serve and it’s very small BUT — the view was out of this world. You definitely get what you pay for. We ordered a few drinks, the nachos with two sushi rolls and it was about $ 80 + tip. If you can arrive at a good time and find a seat that’s available, the wait is worth it. The food wasn’t amazing but it was better than I expected. Perfect for a special date night. I would come back just for the amazing view.

The place has one of the best views in OC. Good drinks, good food! Service was… ok? But for the location, it’s worth it.

Come here for lunch, and you’ll never want to leave. If you’re on vacation, it is a great place to stop by and relax. If you’re not on vacation, the time you spend here will make you feel like you’re on a hiatus from the real world.
I came here for lunch last Tuesday afternoon with my work to celebrate our sales accomplishments; the scenic beach view from the balcony was a real treat. Absolutely beautiful.
On to the food. I enjoyed the Maine Lobster Salad. Delicious lobster on top of a bed of fresh spinach and a thin layer of pureed sweet potato lining the bottom of the plate. The salad was completed with a delicious vinaigrette dressing.
Our table shared a bowl of giant corn nuts before our food came out and a nice hot side of sweet potato fries. Something about these sweet potato fries was so irresistible that we had to order another side of it.
Will definitely have to come by another time to enjoy the breathtaking view and delicious food.

Easily the best view in all of Dana Point/​Laguna Beach. However, FORGET IT on a Summer weekend! The deck is SO crowded, and is on a first come, first serve basis. On a recent trip two weekends ago, a group of 3 of us had to wait 45 minutes to sit down. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to pay to $ 18 for a drink and have to stand awkwardy to the side! Also, the clientele seems to have changed over the last several years. Not your typical Ritz crowd… that’s all I will say.
If you are going during a quieter time during the week or in the Fall/​Winter months, I definitely recommend, but if it’s prime time… you’d be better off at a rooftop bar in Laguna Beach.

Absolutely fantastic view for lunch in a gorgeous hotel. Unfortunately for the price we paid for a lunch for two adults ($ 90) no alcoholic drinks or appetizers we had pretty poor service. We arrived about 11:45 & there were 2 – 3 other couples already here. It took 10 – 15 minutes to get our sodas which seemed a little long for them not being very busy.
The food was good, my wife really enjoyed the salad she got. I had a burger that was ok. But for nearly $ 30 I wasn’t that impressed to be honest.
After they cleared our table when we were done eating we waiting another 15 minutes for them to just bring us our check. It’s not that I was in a hurry, I just like to get it handled so once we are ready to leave we don’t have to wait.
Overall it was an okay experience. The view was fantastic, the food was ok & the service was slow. For the price, I wouldn’t go back for lunch. Maybe just some appetizers to enjoy the view.

Favorite spot for drinks! Sunset is unreal and live music is solid.

Wow. Looking for somewhere breathtaking? I mean the epitome of all that is beautiful about California? Here is your spot. This seat yourself area is truly spectacular. The view of the city, shore, and of course the ocean just can’t be beat. You’re surrounded with long heaters encasing giant flames and usually someone singing some light hearted music playing guitar. Who wouldn’t want a nice cocktail when you’re sitting on top of the world… oh and they make a delicious passion fruit mojito.
We tried a variety of tacos (It was a tuesday and they made them fresh at a little area towards the back), drinks, appetizers, desserts and salads.
Everything was tasty although the portions as expected are on the small side and pretty expensive.
I wouldn’t call this place a regular spot for me at all, but if I have a special occasion or someone I want to impress with a view, I’d definitely take them here to enjoy a swig of a good cocktail and realize how small we are compared to the big beautiful ocean us Californians are lucky enough to have as our backdrops :)

Fantastic spot in Dana point. Great wine by the glass list — recommend Cloudy Bay for Sauvignon blanc.
View is amazing and one looses sense of time when sitting here. Find a corner, forget the rest, and bask in the sun.
Ahi tuna salad was really solid. Has a bit of Mexican kick to it.
Come for the view and the ambience

Pricey but worth it en toto for the view, service, food and drinks.
Giving it 4 stars because as I’m growing older I want to save 5 star reviews for bucket-​list type of experiences (that awesome little taverna in Koufonissia islands in the Cyclades).
Go on off-​peak hours so that it’s easy to grab a good table to take in the Pacific and indulge in food and drink as is your wont.
Nouvelle cuisine and Mex fusion interpretations of classics: truffle fries with chipotle aioli, swordfish dip, spicy potato-​leek soup, all very, very good.
They offer «small plates» (in addition to regular-​sized dishes): a fun way to sample several tastes.
One of the few places you can order the superb Cakebread Chardonnay by the glass. Fun-​if expensive-​cocktails with the fresh ingredients as well as the twist (Violet?!) you’d expect from the Ritz.
If on a budget, it’s still an amazing spot to live: order a beer and the truffle fries and watch the seagulls frolic on a whim: 100% magic sans throwing caution to the wind :-)

Absolutely spectacular experience here. To me, this Ritz Carlton and it’s restaurant truly define what a Ritz Carlton should be. Upmost luxury and unparalleled level of service. This place is not a well known gem in Orange County, but a must for a romantic evening. You will be astonished as you see waves breaking below under the moonshine. Treat yourselves to a nice bottle of wine and sit by the firepit. I mean, how much more romantic can t get?
Oh wait, it does. On the evening when I was here, the waiter even brought a rose to give to my date while she stepped out to the bathroom. At that point I was really wowed.
If you feel a bit hungry, food does not disappoint either. The ceviche was spectacular and I still remember it’s taste in my mouth. I hope to visit Orange County again soon, and this place will undoubtedly be on top of the list.

Amazing view, good drinks, good food. However hard to find shade. It was a hot day, at about 4 pm, so we didn’t find a spot under an umbrella and it was quite crowded. I suggest coming during sunset as I’m sure it’ll be even more beautiful.
–Passion Fruit Mojito — LOVED this and highly recommend it. it was tangy and masked any alcohol.
–White Wine Sangria was filled to the brim and very pleasing to look at.
–Tamarind Margarita: good drink but not worth the price
–Ultimate Margarita: again, good but not worth the price
–Sweet Potato Fries: Pretty large basket and we asked for ranch as well, which was addicting. We didn’t like the two dipping sauces that came with the fries
–Bruschetta: Very delicious and the tomotoes were fresh and tart. Came with 4 pieces.

This place is pure bliss. You have to go at the right times though so that you can get a table with an amazing view. During the busy hours service can be slow. But you are sitting in front of an beautiful ocean so waiting cannot be a bad things. Especially when you are sitting with an delicious drink in you hand.
The food is amazing as well, they have this delicious burger with crispy fries that are not too salty. My favorite drink is the Bloody Mary, it doesn’t have the over whelming tomato taste. But it’s a perfect combination of all the spices and booz.
This place is a little pricey but it’s worth every penny. The view is unbeatable, the food is fresh and tastes amazing. The drinks are made on the strong size which is great. We will definitely go back to this place over and over again. I totally recommend it to anyone that’s is passing through. It’s even better than the Deck. I promise.