230 Forest Avenue Restaurant & Bar
(949) 484-4718
230 Forest Ave
(at S Coast Highway)
Laguna Beach,
CA
92651
33.5424
-117.7831
Reviews & Ratings for 230 Forest Avenue Restaurant & Bar
11 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 11 reviews
230 is a must while in Laguna Beach! by Julia C. at InsiderPages
Contributor
July 21, 2008
230 has an amazing menu, all thanks to the world class chef. They have a full bar, with exceptional martinis. The food is amazing, especially the seafood selections. The scallops are to die for. 230 is a great place to enjoy a romantic dinner! A bit pricey, but worth the splurge. Its a small restaurant, and usually has a wait for seating. Just be patient, its worth the wait.
cutsie by Jaime V. at InsiderPages
Contributor
May 28, 2008
I love this little restarurant. The food and drinks were great and reasonably priced. The location is also fun to go walk around Laguna afterwards but in high season parking can be a bear.
Cute & Quaint by Jaymee J. at InsiderPages
Contributor
May 25, 2008
This restaurant is right on Broadway and is very cute and has a few patio seats available. Food is great and the drinks are good. The servers are courteous and know the menu well.
good food, wont make you bankrupt
by highhighhigh
May 28, 2007
the food was very good. i had the salmon salad .Made a reservation for later so i managed too find a parking pretty quickly. they offer steaks. my friend had a steak which was average. i would definetely stick with the fish which is their speciality i think. Liked the atmosphere. my salmon salad came with a fully cooked salmon which was very tasty. dont live too close to laguna but ill definetely be back sometime
230 Forest Sub par review
by cdfaires
March 10, 2007
We arrived at 7:45pm for an 8pm reservation and were seated promptly at a bit past 8pm. The wait staff was average at best. Our waiter was rushed and didn't seem to notice when our drinks were empty. I ordered the Filet which was ordered Medium Well and was served rare. The food was re-presented and a bit over-cooked, more like Well Done. About half-way through dinner their seemed to be an odor that would periodically waft through the restaurant which smelled distinctly of sewage. It really ruined any possibility of wanting desert or to finish our delayed meal while I watched my wife eat her dinner in abscence of mine. When time to depart the waiter was prompt to bring the bill then he stood by the hostess stand chatting while the bill sat on the table for 10 minutes waiting to be run. I would say all in all the atmosphere of the restaurant and the patrons are the best part. As for the restaurant itself, it seems to be that they are the only game in town and can get away the low quality of food preparation and service. The sewage smell is a real problem, I would think twice next time before going to this restaurant again.
Sleek and dynamic Cal cuisine draws sophisticates, not surfers, just a block from the beach.
by Contributor
December 15, 2006
In Short
A chatty crowd drinks cocktails and dines on Cal-Asian cuisine at street-side patio tables and an outdoor-indoor bar that disappears into the restaurant through floor-to-ceiling windows. The sleek setup offers patio patrons and passers-by views of the narrow dining area and long open kitchen. Popular menu picks include prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, a tomato-and-mozzarella stack drizzled with pesto, wild mushroom ravioli with sage butter and arugula and New York steak with toasted garlic haricots verts.
I loved it for the New York feel
by essc2006
September 26, 2006
Being from the East Coast I loved the New York feel- Elbow to Elbow you chatted with your fellow diners and low and behold they were from Upstate NY as well, we shared a few bottles and gushed over the delightful food and delish martinis -yes people we mixed and it was a WONDERFULL night- it was my b-day and my husband did awesome- he knows a good spot! if your uptight and prefer to be seen and not touched and the typical uppity OC type- skip this place and move on and save it for those of us that relish fine food, good drinks and the wonderful hospitality 230 offers- try making reservations and arriving on time, works wonders.
- Pros: Fantastic food and menu service superb
- Cons: parking is on the street so arrive early- please dont whine! it annoys people
Do Lunch
by wpeters
May 19, 2006
I went with a friend for lunch, midweek. Tip: we got to this popular joint early--say 11:45--and had our choice of seats. A half an hour later the place was jammed. Food as advertised, hip, Cal stuff, thoughtful and carefully done. I had the crabcakes (crisp and good, but get to Maryland before you die and taste the real stuff) and a good seafood salad. Service (if I can name names, Kim) was welcoming, skilled, and attentive.
- Pros: Service, Food
Awesome restaurant
by jostarusc
February 15, 2006
My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's Day (he knew I'd been dying to try it forever!) We both absolutely loved this restaurant. The staff was very friendly even though it was a little bit of a hectic night. Had one of their 230 Martinis, which was great, and we were sooo impressed with the food. The proscuitto wrapped shrimp was to die for, and we loved the swordfish and filet for entrees. We had a molten chocolate cake for dessert, which was a little bit uninventive, but still delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant!
- Pros: Food!, Atmosphere, Service
The Regular
by uclaboy
January 03, 2006
Ok, I've been to 230 many times, I don't consider my self a regular but I do go there enough times that I have become acquaintances with many of the servers...while I was there a couple of weeks ago right before Christmas I happened to arrive before they "Started Serving". I brought my own bottle of wine (which I usually do) and was ignored without any acknowledgement from the hostess or the bartender (an older gentleman) who looked over our way and never bothered to come over to me and my guest...I had no idea that you did not serve between curtain hoursI know that in this business we try and please our guest for them to return as often as possible, this was an awful display of professionalism and management not taking charge of a bad situation is shameful
- Pros: Atmospheare
- Cons: Communication, Acknowledgement
