Located midway between Laguna and Dana Point along Aliso Creek, Studio Restaurant is the signature eatery of the Montage Laguna Beach. A freestanding restaurant, the property is contained within a craftsman style cottage at the edge of the property. Tall rafter ceilings and picture windows overlooking the sea allow the outdoor Pacific to humbly define a minimalist esthetic of well-space tables in a setting that manages to be both casual and elegant. Music plays at all hours of the dinner service as well bred citizens feast on delicacies from the kitchen and bar.
The Food
Chef Craig Strong joined Montage Laguna Beach as Executive Chef of Studio in June 2009 overseeing its destination eatery as well as expanding its on-site garden that supplies much of the restaurants produce like pole beans, fingerling potatoes and seascape strawberries. The menu is formal and quite a showstopper with appetizers like spicy tuna poke with crispy rice paper, steak tartare with ciabatta croutons and handcut Hamachi with caviar. Second course offers larger portions of Oxtail risotto with parmesan foam, seared diver scallops and smoked squab with wheat berries. Main course finalizes a superlative epicurean narrative with Hudson Balley duck breast with sunchoke puree, butter-poached main lobster with agnolotti or lamb chops with pee wee potatoes.
Last Word
Signature Montage eatery offer top hotel dining room in region with garden-fresh menu and chef that wows.
