My husband and I are visiting Newport from Beverly Hills for the weekend and had advanced reservations to this restaurant. I noticed that the water glass was dirty and kindly let my waiter know. (I have never complained about glassware or silverware at restaurants before!) To my surprise, he got angry! He didn't believe the glass was dirty and argued with me! When I asked that he replace it, he actually yelled back, "Why are you lying about this glass being dirty when it is NOT?!" He did this in front of everyone in my section of the restaurant and by the bar - and refused to replace it. When my husband and I stood up to walk out in shock, he continued saying that I was lying about the glass! For crying aloud, how hard could it be to just replace the glass! No managers came by to resolve the issue. Ridiculously poor service.

I was a bit apprehensive when I first walked into this restaurant. The young woman at the desk seemed disinclined to assist us, and when I told her that there would be only three in our party, not four, she acted like it was a huge problem. But she did come to grips with it and sat us at a very nice booth that looked directly out over the ocean. Way to recover. Roberto was our waiter and I don't think you can get better service. The food was excellent. I had the abalone appetizer which was pricey, but very delicate and delicious-- worth experiencing. I asked Roberto which entree he would have if he were drinking the Viognier we'd ordered and without hesitation he suggested the Chilean Sea Bass. His recommendation was right on the mark-- I don't think I've ever had better. It was light, full of flavor, unbelievably tender, served with a sublime sauce of je n'ai aucune idee.
My favorite part was when the manager came to ask us how we liked dinner. When I started to answer I found that he had already walked away. He should warn people that the question is rhetorical.
I definitely recommend this restaurant. And if anyone there asks you how you like the food, just smile vacuously and continue with your delightful meal.

21 Oceanfront is the nicest restaurant in all of Orange County... maybe the best in the world?
The Service is so professional & accommodating. The location & view is breathtaking! It's right on the Pacific Ocean! And the food is way too delicious! I had the crabcakes & a filet Mignon! ABSOLUTE PERFECTION! Chocolate Souffle.. Live music, Delcious wine.

We stayed upstairs at The Doryman's Inn. It's beautiful! Comfortable, clean, & VERY NICE!

Service was terrible. Do not expect anything spectacular if you are going to dine here. Lets just say, we had many mix ups and on top of it lies from the staff trying to cover it up. Decent food for the price and nice location but I wouldn't invest anything special in this restaurant.