I was planning a good friend?s birthday celebration and was having a really hard time finding a suitable restaurant in Orange County. We were doing a sunset Newport boat tour and wanted somewhere relatively close to enjoy an equally fun and special dinner. With all of us in our early to mid-thirties, we wanted an upscale, fresh, fun, and contemporary place to eat in the OC. In my experience, most OC 'hot' places are simply the latest 'prowl' location for the local fresh-out-of-college or freshly-divorced crowd. Good for people watching, not so good for an LA-like night out with friends. A friend suggested the Landmark, and it didn't disappoint. At all. What we got was a cozy booth, a super-friendly wait staff, and a fabulous club manager. With a menu that has something for both light and heavy eaters(crab cakes were amazing),decor that is simultaneously stylish and comfortable (think a moody Viceroy hotel ? love the yellow chandeliers), the Landmark does a brilliant job of transforming the restaurant into a cozy dance club. Complete with themed music nights (Saturday happened to be 80's night. Perfect!), and daily specials, it's an ideal place to bring out-of-town business guests and celebrate your best friend's birthday.
Pros: Fantastic food, friendly wait staff, fun DJ's, and inexpensive Valet that will let you park overnight.
Cons: Aloof bartenders and greeter. Tiny bathrooms.
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