LUNA Bistro & Cafe — Restaurant in Long Beach

I saw an Instagram reel about this trendy restaurant and immediately ran to Google to check the reviews. My bf called to see if they took reservations (they don’t), so we decided to head in early to secure a table for our party of 5.

It’s tucked into an unassuming shopping complex, the plaza itself isn’t exactly charming lol but the second we stepped inside, we were greeted with a beautiful, modern space. Bright, stylish, and definitely giving Tulum vibes. I loooove Tulum, so I was instantly in the mood. The atmosphere is laid-back but still upscale enough for a night out. They also have two back patios that are perfect for private events. In fact, there was a party going on while we were there.

We arrived before 5pm (starving because we skipped lunch), so my bf and I sat at the bar while waiting for the rest of our group. Cocktails + Naughty Fries (bacon on the side) were the move. Think Animal Style fries but better—crispy, cheesy, savory, and perfect for sharing. I ordered the Lychee Garden and… wow. Fell so in love I ended up having three of them (don’t judge me lol). Refreshing, not too sweet, just perfect. My bf had the Oaxacan Moon, also excellent (pineapple in it though, so not my thing).

Once the rest of our group arrived, we were seated in a booth. Our server Cynthia was great, she was busy but super helpful, offering solid recommendations.

What we ordered:

Spanish Shrimp & Mussels – My friend loved it and cleaned the plate (she skipped the bread, but only because she’s not a bread person). Carnitas Tradicionales – The twins ordered this. Flavor-packed and wrapped in a banana leaf for extra presentation points. Smash Burger – Tasty but massive! My friend was glad to share it so nothing went to waste. If you love a huge burger, this is for you. Filete Los Cabos Con Camaron – My dish! Grilled bass topped with shrimp, served with jalapeño garlic butter. I also ordered extra flash-fried serranos (love my food super spicy). At first glance, the plating looked plain, but one bite changed my mind. Absolute perfection, flavors blended beautifully.

Cocktails we tried:

Lychee Garden – My fave. Had 3. Refreshing, not sweet. New go-to. Oaxacan Moon – Not spicy but so delicious. Bf had 2. Lemon Drop Perfection w/ Guava – Good but super light, almost no alcohol kick. Lemon Drop Perfection (regular) – I asked for an extra shot. Much better lol. Mirame– Pretty weak, gave more mocktail vibes.

Worth to note that all portions are huge and the prices are really reasonable, a great value. Cynthia mentioned a live band at 7pm, so we stuck around. Loved the music, and by then the place was packed and buzzing.

This place checks all the boxes — fun atmosphere, killer portions, strong flavors, fun cocktails, and live music. A total vibe and easily a new favorite. Can’t wait to come back, especially to try...

never in my entire life have I experienced this.. we walked in 745 and put our food in at 805. At 850 pm after not seeing our server since we put our food in we asked a girl to get us bread or anything as we were asked 45 whole min after putting our food in what dressing we want for she salad, she then said we’d be charged even though they hadn’t started our food 45 whole min in. Then the manager came over and told us we had to pay for the bread because we ate 2 pieces of white toast between 6 people, and that they shouldn’t comp us for anything because the kitchen was backed up because people called out. I said to the manager that we were starving as we drove 6 hours and haven’t eaten in 9 hours and just wanted anything and shouldn’t have to pay for bread and he replies “you’d die if you didn’t have bread for 8 hours”? Absolutely insane. Our food came out one by one over the course of an hour and a half since we ordered for all 6 people and the manager outright fought with us when we said that they should do anything to accommodate what happened. He replied “what am I supposed to comp your whole bill?” We simply expected maybe a dessert or anything. The way the manager immediately started off nasty, called us “hostile” because we told the server we shouldn’t have to pay for the bread when our food has been an hour… never in my life have I experienced such bad customer service. We are all servers & are understanding but for a manager to straight up berate and talk to a table like that is absolutely not okay. Also to add, the servers behind us were out loud complaining about being tipped 26 cents by another table and being tipped badly all night… I wonder why because the manager was nasty. Our server also didn’t come to the table from 805 until time to pay the bill until 945… and we still tipped. ON TOP there was a piece of metal in our dish in which the manager just goes “I’ll take it off the bill” WHAT? There’s metal in your food… anyways,...

Dividing this review into service, food, and ambiance

Service Great service, we were seated down quickly and the staff circled back after we asked for more time to review the menu. It took