RAYA — Restaurant in Dana Point

Disappointing Experience Not Befitting a 5-Star Establishment

My recent visit to the RAYA Restaurant at the Ritz Laguna Niguel was a glaring disappointment.

Let’s start with the positives: the view. Overlooking the serene beach and bay, the panorama is nothing short of breathtaking. The food, though well-prepared and flavorful, came with a hefty price tag and portions that left much to be desired.

Now, onto the numerous shortcomings. Despite having a window table reserved for 7 PM and arriving punctually, we were left standing for an agonizing 30 minutes before being seated. This was particularly disappointing given that my wife had made this reservation to celebrate my birthday. Astonishingly, the restaurant made no effort to acknowledge this special occasion – no complimentary dessert, no birthday greeting, nothing.

Once seated at 7:30 PM, it took another 30 minutes before we could place our order. In the interim, no bread or complimentary appetizers were offered – a standard in many fine dining establishments, let alone a 5-star hotel.

Service continued to falter as we were served incorrect dishes twice, and the adjacent table experienced a similar mishap with missing fries. These errors are unacceptable at any restaurant, but particularly egregious in an establishment of this supposed caliber.

Additionally, the lack of music created an unpleasant, almost train station-like atmosphere, detracting from the overall dining experience.

In conclusion, while RAYA’s scenic views and culinary potential are commendable, the overall service quality was profoundly disappointing. For the high prices commanded, patrons rightfully expect a seamless and celebratory dining experience, which RAYA unfortunately failed to deliver. This visit was a stark reminder that exceptional views cannot compensate for...

This was unquestionably the worst “high end” meal that I’ve ever experienced.

Our misadventure began with the absolutely awful service. Our table placement was poor, despite a reservation requesting a window table (there were at least 2 available window tables when we were seated). Our server was completely inattentive and mostly absent (I had to leave our table and search for him on multiple occasions so that our table could be provided with the “little things” like napkins). We actually wondered if his shift had ended and he went home during our meal. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Unfortunately things only worsened once our “food” arrived.

My wife cut into her steak and was immediately motivated to ask, “Is this thing still mooing?” Apparently “medium” means “a heartbeat might still be detectable” at establishments such as this one.

The good news is that her steak featured copious sections of useless fat and offered lower “steak” quality than a fast food hamburger.

The additional good news is that our entrees were served so quickly that questions about them being undercooked immediately surfaced.

Those hypotheses gained momentum before the meal ended because I found myself in the restroom ridding my body of the overpriced (and deeply disappointing) meal I was in the process of consuming.

The only photo I’ve included in this review is of the napkin that contains the chunk of gristle from my wife’s steak that I was simply unable to swallow. 🤢

Although I’ve enjoyed many wonderful meals here in the past, this has become a place to strictly avoid when seeking to share a special meal.

And that’s…Henry’s...

My wife and I love to try all the hot spots in the OC. This was on our list so we made reservations on a Saturday night at 7:45pm. We arrive at the Ritz at maybe 7:15. The valet line was ridiculous and we sat in our car in a line for probably at least 20 min. We finally make our way to valet and park the car. We walk inside and check in at Raya. We waited for a few min and we were seated. Everyone was very polite. We meet our waitress who was very professional and had everything memorized. My wife ordered an old fashioned and I had their passion mojito (which was amazing). I ordered the filet and my wife ordered the sea bass. Everything was ordered just before 8pm. This is where everything took a turn. We waited, waited, and waited and no food. Our waitress apologized for the wait and promised it was coming. Finally 1.5 hours later, our food arrives. My wife’s sea bass was really good but my steak was pretty cold. The table next to me also ordered the same steak and his was cold. I was mad but at this point, I was starving so I ate. There’s no excuse for being so slow. There was one table of maybe 15 people and that’s it. It was not completely booked out either. This is a ridiculous wait time for any restaurant not to mention a more expensive one. We finished our meal and I just wanted to leave. We paid our bill and the waitress offered a free desert for the long wait. We said no thank you and just left. I feel bad because it wasn’t her fault the food took forever. We will not go here again. We will stick with Mastro’s as you can’t go...