Solstice Seasonal Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Irvine

Parking was to easy to find, and the walk to the restaurant was stunning. Staff was nice and friendly. Our server Brandon made us feel welcomed and was attentive, although once it got around 7pm, he was no longer coming to our table. I understand the rush though, and I'm just glad that the restaurant not once made us feel rushed to leave. We ended up calling for this guy who served us our food to help us since Brandon wasn't there. We never got his name, but he was extremely nice. Definitely recommend, and I'd love to bring my friends here the next time I go. I'd go when their menu changes for the next season, since they have seasonal menus. I want to try everything on their menu, it all sounds so scrumptious. Funny to say, I enjoyed their water the most. This has made the list of one of my favorite restaurants, and I only have a couple.

Butternut Squash Amuse-Bouche. 8/10 Great flavor with a delightful blend of textures

Butternut Squash Hummus 8/10 Creamy and packed with flavor. I liked dipping the fresh vegetables, very refreshing.

Parker Rolls 7/10 Very warm, fluffy, and sweet.

Un-Gin Cocktail 8/10

Solstice Salad 10/10 Flavors were very balanced, I love how it complemented the entree I had coming. Had to choose between this and the Pear Caprese. My whole family enjoyed this, and when we come back, I'd love to try the Pear Caprese.

Mushroom Risotto 6/10 A 6/10 only because it wasn't what I was craving at the time. I wanted their Carrot Spaghetti, but I was told the dish wasn't made with real pasta, just spiralized carrots. I got the risotto instead. I'm not disappointed, I quite like it, if I was craving it, it'd be an 8/10. Red Wine Syrup was extremely sweet, but paired beautifully with the richness of the mushrooms.

Malbec-Braised Wagyu Short Rib 8/10 It was smoked. The smell was a little off-putting to me, but my brother said it tasted fabulous, so I'll take his word for it. It was so tender, melted right in your mouth. He initially thought it was a small portion, but with everything else we got, it was rather very filling.

Halibut Bouillabaisse 8/10 Creamy, zesty, flavorful. Very nice.

Meyer Lemon Tart 7/10 Tastes like a lemon tart. I enjoyed the crust and fresh fruits. My brother thought it was delicious.

Coffee-Spiced Ricotta Doughnuts 9/10 The whole reason why I came to this place. The picture of these looked so unresistable I had to go. When I had a bite, it confirmed my reasoning of coming here. I loved the Chocolate and Caramel Sauce. However, I was so full, I decided to take it to-go, and unfortumately, they didn't give us the...

Solstice is located at the Boardwalk office building. Park in the structure on Teller Ave. as you'll get validation from the restaurant. You'll probably see the restaurant as you enter the parking structure since the place is super close. As you walk by, you'll see a gorgeous patio area and a fire pit. Coming into the restaurant is gorgeous as well. Marble, modern, and sleek with hanging plants around the bar area. The presentation is fantastic as well with the menus made of leather and an extensive bar menu as well as a great dinner and dessert menu. I was also told that the menu was seasonal, changing every solstice, so this menu is for summer 2022. And the food was jaw-some.

+Whiskey Cocktail 2: Yes - the cocktail names are a bit on the nose (I'm happy to help name stuff Solstice!). I would call this - the Golden Goose. In the sun, it gorgeously mixes around with golden waves. Taste-wise, it's smooth, a little sweet, and really, really good.

+Amuse-bouche: I completely forgot what was in this. But it was a fantastic way to start the meal. It hits you hard with the flavor with a fascinating blend of textures. Fantastic.

+Devil egg mason jar: I love this deconstructed devil egg to start the meal. It really was a full mason jar that had each of the layered ingredients of a devil egg and focaccia to dip it into. I found the spoon was a bit chaotic though to spread the devil egg onto the bread and ended up using the bread instead!

+Pan-Roasted Salmon: The onion soubise was so surprising. The waiter comes and pours it onto the salmon beautifully. And it really makes the salmon stand out as more unique than the usual with a mishmash of sour flavoring from the plum mostrada to the saltier soubise. Fantastic. And even the vegetable succotash stands out with its unique pairing of veggies.

+Watermelon panna cotta: The rest of the food was terrific, so I pushed thru to dessert. I opted for the watermelon panna cotta. Although the presentation is perhaps the least gorgeous from all the other food items, the flavor and cleverness behind this vegan interpretation of a panna cotta was fascinating. The watermelon is fresh and sweet. The panna cotta itself had this thicker texture that almost tasted like a sweet grits and all poured over with a slightly sweet sauce that I missed the name of. Lovely!

Thanks so much to the bartender, Tyler, for making my first...

A gastronomic star. A culinary delight. My husband and I came here for a Sunday evening late Valentine’s date, and wow. Everything was so delicious. We split a couple of starters: the white bean hummus, and Parker House rolls with apple butter are perfect to share. The hummus had really lovely juicy confit tomatoes, and sumac was sprinkled throughout. The Parker house rolls were fluffy and warm and slightly sweet. For my entrée, I ordered the roasted beet salad and added avocado and chicken. He got the braised short rib pappardelle. I’m not a drinker, so I just opted for hot water with lemon. The food was delightful. I felt very full after finishing my salad, despite the lightness and brightness of ingredients— the depth of flavor and quantity of protein was enhanced by adding the avocado and chicken. The zaa’tar lebneh made the whole dish, in my opinion. Husband devoured his pasta, he said it was perfectly cooked al dente. we thought we would take some of the food home. We were wrong. We devoured every bite. We wanted to lick the plate. Specifically, I wanted to lick my plate clean.

He had a special seasonal cocktail, something with beets and whiskey, it was pretty. For dessert, we split the flourless chocolate fudge cake. Oh my God, that was amazing. We were not expecting tiny bits of raspberry coulis. The sprinkling of cocoa nibs were crunchy and delightful. The gelato was so, so good—creamy and cold. I love seeing little vanilla bits studded throughout. It was decadent, it was delightful, it was the perfect size for two. I’m extremely full, and I’m going on a very long run. But everything was worth it.

We were so pleasantly surprised— the restaurant is huge, bright and airy, and the tables are comfortable. They certainly thought long and hard about placement. The tables are different sizes, so as to accommodate dates, or large groups. The clientele were of a variety of backgrounds, and seated next to us was a super cute family with their high school aged kids. On the other side, we saw couples on first dates. I don’t think this is a good place to bring newborns or toddlers. I would definitely go back. Our server, Cameron, was a sweetheart. He was very polite, attentive, and answered all our questions. I love that they validate parking. This is such a delightful find, and I bet their...