Splashes Restaurant — Restaurant in Laguna Beach

I rarely write negative reviews, but the unprofessional and dismissive treatment we received at Splashes Restaurant was so frustrating that I feel the need to warn others—especially those who value fair and respectful service.

We had a 5:30 PM reservation but arrived at 5:00 PM. The restaurant was nearly empty, with plenty of available tables, but the front desk told us we could not be seated until exactly 5:30 PM. We understood and waited patiently outside in the cold.

However, over the next 20 minutes, we saw at least five other groups arrive and get seated immediately. We assumed they also had reservations, but it was still confusing why we were the only ones being strictly held to an exact time.

Feeling puzzled, my boyfriend politely asked how much longer we would need to wait. Instead of being helpful, the receptionist impatiently repeated that we had to wait until exactly 5:30 PM—despite the fact that other guests were being seated right away.

Inconsistent Rules & Dismissive Attitude

While waiting, we kindly requested a window seat with an ocean view, since the restaurant was still mostly empty, and the front desk told us these seats were first come, first serve. We accepted that and assumed that when we were finally seated, we would still have a good chance at one.

Yet, when 5:30 PM finally came, and there were still plenty of open window seats, they deliberately placed us in a cold, uncomfortable corner without a heater.

When we politely asked if we could move to a table with heating due to the strong wind, the receptionist became visibly annoyed and snapped: “We’ve already accommodated you once; we cannot move you again because all other tables are reserved.”

Wait…wasn’t it “first come, first serve” just a moment ago? Why were there still empty ocean-view tables if they were all supposedly “reserved”? This was an obvious contradiction, and it became clear that we were not being treated the same way as other guests.

Instead of addressing our concerns, the receptionist just walked away and left us standing there while she “went to get the manager.”

Manager Tried to Fix It, But the Damage Was Done

To his credit, the manager was professional and accommodating, immediately apologizing and moving us to a table with a heater, even offering us two complimentary drinks. However, the damage was already done—no upscale restaurant inside a five-star hotel should have front desk staff this untrained, dismissive, and inconsistent.

Bottom Line: Poor Hospitality, Poor Training

This review isn’t just about one bad experience—it’s about how customers are treated. The front desk should be the most welcoming part of a restaurant, not the most frustrating.

If you’re planning to dine here, be aware that the front desk staff may not treat you with the same courtesy as other guests. If you’ve had a similar experience, I encourage you to share your story—hospitality should be fair...

I am sure this is a wonderful restaurant. My only recommendation would be to not come during a "pre-fixed menu day" like Mother's Day.

I took my wife and five-year-old daughter there for Mother's Day and it was disappointing.

Here is what happen:

The waiter forgot about us. 15+ minutes after being handed the menu he happened to walk by, looked surprised we were there, and finally asked if we were ready to order;

After taking our order and waiting about 45 minutes, I had to ask the waiter where our food was because we literally watched the table next to us get all three courses of the pre-fixed meal when they ordered maybe 5 minutes before us;

Never had a refill of water and it was hot out there since there was a heat wave;

After an hour, yes one hour, (12:30 to 1:28) we finally got the first course, which was "okay." I mean, I am not going to hold them to having excellent quality food on a pre-fixed menu day but having to wait an hour? Come on. Isn’t that why you do pre-fixed menus, to move the food along?

The dessert was the star of the show and was delicious; and

They tried to charge us an additional $125.00 for a made up 4th person when there were only three of us - my daughter ordered from the adult menu. When I told the waiter of the mistake, the waiter just shrugged and said, "oh, the system is doing that today for some reason" and fixed it. Had I been a guest in the hotel and charged it to my room or something, then I would have never noticed the overcharge. Seriously, this was really odd. My wife told me that she noticed the table next to us, the lucky ones that got their food, had the same problem and also complained.

Anyways, few people at my office say this is a great place. So, maybe ill give them another chance.

My recommendation, maybe go on a normal day, stay away from the holiday time, and double-check your receipts to ensure they fixed the...

We made a reservation for 7pm, but it was requested that day, so I'm not sure if it was guaranteed. We checked in about 5 minutes before and arrived just at sunset, but we weren't seated until after dark. We had to wait for at least 40 minutes because the party would not vacate the table after paying the bill, lol, so we were cold, hungry and growing impatient. The manager informed the table we were waiting on, but fortunately, another table opened up that could accommodate our party of 5, so it was promptly cleaned and set up for us.

For enduring the long wait, we received an Artisan Cheese Board on the house. There are no labels on the specific cheeses, but I think we had manchego, brie, parmesan and a bleu cheese with a variety of fruits and nuts. We also got additional starters: citrus-cured kanpachi, crisp octopus, honey chili glazed pork belly and a half dozen oysters. Table favorite was the pork belly and I found the kanpachi really disappointing. The kanpachi was paired with fresh strawberries and a berry sorbet, so it overpowered any citrus essence.

Moving on to entrees, I was debating between the lamb or duck, but our server highly recommended the roasted duck breast. They ask how you like it cooked and I went with Medium. The duck was so tender and perfectly done that I happily cleared the plate.

The table had the Prime NY Steak Pave, Branzino (special of the day) and the Grilled Swordfish. For the steak, you can opt to substitute the bone marrow for mashed potatoes too. We also got additional sides to share - wild mushrooms, whipped potatoes and blackened corn. What a feast!

And to finish the evening, there were desserts! We came here to celebrate two birthdays, so we received two creme brulees. Sweet way to end the evening even though it was a rough start. However, I can see why people are not quick to leave when there's...