Tavern House Kitchen + Bar — Restaurant in Newport Beach

My sister and cousin and I were coming from a day at the beach and were looking for a restaurant that had a different selection than what the beachfront venues were offering. Found this place via Google search and was surprised, firstly, that valet was only $6! The overall pricing is compatible with their excellent service and food selection on offer and worth every penny.

The atmosphere was cozy, yet high-end in the way that you might expect a members-only club to feel. We had a booth by the window - amazing view of the waterway, sailboats, and sunset! - but we wished we had more overhead light to see our food. It was a bit too dim for our preference.

The staff here are impeccable in their service, hands down. From the valet, to the hosts, to Tatiana (our SP), to Nicki (our server), and to Paco (Le Grande Chef), everyone made this place and our experience a wonderful event. Paco even acquiesced to a request my cousin had to separate some ingredients (pepper) from her calamari starter because of her dental surgery. That was very kind of him, since we know it's a bit of faux pas to ask a chef to change their preparation of a dish.

The food - the flavors, the textures, the presentation - was AMAZING! We actually cried in wonder when we first tasted one of our other starters (Terrine of Duck Liver Mousse - this alone was worth the trip!), and again for our own individual entrées. I had the French Onion Filet Mignon with glazed/fried Brussels sprouts (read that again) and I cut it with the blunt side of my fork! It was so soft, my cousin, who had recently had her wisdom teeth removed, could just let it melt in her mouth when I let her sample it. She cried too. (We do this crying thing only in extreme happiness - rare with food outings).

Other honorable mentions: Buttered scallops with prosciutto chips, creamy polenta, and asparagus; perfectly seasoned, creamy clam chowder; tequila oyster shots; and a dessert of dark chocolate mousse torte with Cointreau (rum) cream! The aftermath of it all was that plates were scraped clean and any leftovers were put in containers with deliberate care. By the way, the Daou Cabernet Sauvignon was surprisingly not as dry as a usual cab, and had the aromatic hints of a merlot.

Safe to say I have been gushing (and humble bragging) about this place to everyone I know. Love it and would highly recommend a visit...

Maybe I went on an ‘off-night.’ My family and I were ecstatic to find a restaurant that could seat 9 (including 3 toddlers and 1 baby) last minute in peak season in Newport; however, we were quickly disappointed. We sat down and our waitress seemed to disappear and then reappear some time later. Clearly when you have 4 kids with you, you are looking for things not to drag on unnecessarily—can only keep them entertained for so long. It took forever to take our orders. I mean, I understand if a restaurant is busy but we were one of three occupied tables in a large room! The side of the restaurant was virtually empty.

Anyway, we ordered which was also a chore. One member of our party had to correct the waitress on what came on the salad and then when said member asked for a different cheese on it, the waitress said she didn’t think they carried it. Said member had to then point out that it was listed for another salad to which the waitress was surprised and said okay.

After some time, my Caesar salad came along with a ‘mystery salad’ no one seemed to order. The caeser was placed in front of me. I got my fork out, placed napkin in my lap, and was about to dig in when it was swooped up without explanation. I asked what was up and was told mine was on its way. Apparently we had been given the wrong food! Again, we were 1 of 3 occupied tables! I hope they didn’t give that salad to someone else as it technically had already been served. Then after some time, mine arrive and it was good. Finally, our food arrived. It was okay. Nothing I would want again or recommend. The salad was the highlight of my meal. Most people didn’t even finish their meals. We were in a rush to go at this point given the 4 children and the lengthy amount of time spent there so we left. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this place. The service was awful and the food was meh. We even ordered their recommended fried chicken. What I will give the restaurant credit for is their great views of the canals and boats. That is why I am not giving only 1 Star. Again, maybe we went on an ‘off-night’ because many of the other reviews seem to be positive. And if the waitress was new, at least have someone helping her for such a...

Wonderful view and delicious menu, however the service was abysmal. There was also a strong odor of cleaning supply wafting from the bathroom area (we were seated against the wall in the booth).

Ordered the calamari app, and rib eye and scallops mains- the mains were both cooked perfectly and the sides such as the jalapeño cheddar potatoes and creamy polenta complemented the dishes well and accordingly. Solid gin martini with stuffed olives.

The service, however, did not match the quality of the food nor vibe of the restaurant in any way. Would like to note that it wasn’t even a busy night. Waited a good 10 min to be acknowledged (other than waters the bus boy graciously brought)- and only after I flagged someone down. Strange how a party of 6 that came in 10 minutes later and seated beside us was tended to right away, prior to us. Also strange that the server covering the section we were in completely disregarded us and went straight to the party seated much later (after locking eyes she did not even say anyone would be with us shortly, or that she would send someone over). It was only until I signaled someone that we were helped by a different server.

Now what really left a bad taste was when we asked for sauce to accompany the starter when it was delivered. One lady who must be the manager possibly, replied, “sure, right after I take this order,” instead of telling someone or inputting it in the terminal that was right in front of her, and proceeded to go all the way across the restaurant, take another order, and socialized with her friends/regulars a few tables away from us, completely disregarding and forgetting.

What was supposed to be a memorable dinner and a special evening left me disappointed and annoyed. A horrible first impression and rude,...