The Hobbit — Restaurant in Orange

A delightful summer evening of delicious courses, enchanting atmosphere, and first class service. The Hobbit has been on our bucket list for years and the stars aligned to knock out two birthdays and an anniversary with an evening to remember.

The reservation process began with a visit to the website to determine which menu we wanted to try. A follow-up call with an extremely helpful (and patient) Hobbit hostess landed us a midweek reservation and details about our upcoming evening. We counted down the days with anticipation and we were not disappointed!

We were soon called down to the wine cellar for champagne and appetizers but to call them that is really doing the chefs an injustice. The selection of bites both big and small were bountiful and offered a wide array of tastes and textures (it would be nice to have a name next to each dish but maybe those who are frequent diners know a dish by sight) and we enjoyed everything we tried and even had time to go back and snag seconds of our favorites. The champagne was lovely but I do wish they had waited until I descended the stairs to hand me a glass (heels + purse + steep staircase + a glass = what could go wrong?) but the descent was truly worth it. To say The Hobbit has a wine cellar is like saying a cat has a tail but do not mistake the obvious for the ordinary. The large wine cellar is divided into sections, well organized, labeled clearly, and a delight to stroll and admire as you sip your champagne and savor the goodies. The staff was knowledgeable on the courses for the evening and very helpful with either individual selections for the evening or to go over the wine pairings offered to match the menu. After some deliberation, we went with the wine pairings, a single wine selection, and the cocktail menu choices amongst the four of us.

We made our way to the dining areas where there were two rooms set up for dinner - we were seated in the larger room but we had time to see the other dining area and either would be a fine choice in our opinion. For a midweek summer evening we were surprised to see that every table was occupied but we would soon discover why.

The menu varies each week so I won’t detail our meal but suffice it to say that every course was beautifully prepared, attractively plated, and perfectly paired with the evening’s wine offerings. The wine steward served the wines with an origin story of the wine, its region, and why it was the best choice for the course. He was attentive and very knowledgeable as was the entire staff.

The intermission gave us time to visit the kitchen where the magic happens and to meet the chefs who created the evening’s delightful creations. We had time to stroll through the wine center once last time and take in the garden before our dining adventure continued. We ended our evening with special birthday desserts and after-dinner anniversary drinks which were a sweet surprise and a lovely end to the evening.

The Hobbit is a dining ‘event’ so be prepared to spend 3-4 hours during your outing. There is only one sitting per evening so you can linger, enjoy your dining companions, and never feel rushed. My friend leaned over during dessert and said that this was the best restaurant in Orange County and I must agree - it is quite a memorable place! I don’t know when we will return but we are going to add ‘return to The Hobbit’ on our bucket list and hope for an encore...

Dinner starts at 7pm but you can come at 6pm to go to the wine cellar area and drink before the meal.

$150/person for dinner

Private parking lot

Dress code: Men wear dress slacks and a collared shirt that buttons down the front. Most men will wear a jacket and/or a tie. Ladies, dress up, like a fancy Holiday Cocktail party. Not allowed for anyone: Denim jeans, polo shirts, shorts, tennis shoes or flip flops.

We came around 6:40pm. We don’t drink but wanted to see the cellar. There was no small h'odorves like before. I saw people pictures of small h'odorves being served when you go before 7pm. I guess new management changed and wanted to cut cost.

The wine cellar has a lot of different wines.

*FYI: when they serve champagne, it’s free *

The seating area is depending on how much is in your group. I liked ours since it was the brightest. We had 4 people in our table and our room is the brightest. The 2 people seats is in another room and is the darkest. There is also seating upstairs and in the wine cellar for bigger groups.

We asked why it’s called The Hobbit but is loosely translated to The Hobbit from Lord of the Rings. She said it’s because hobbits eat 6 times a day and that’s why there are 6 servings for dinner. And the closest Easter egg of The Hobbit is the tea box that has the design of Lord of the Rings.

There is intermission before the main course. You can get up and see the building and rooms. You can talk to the chef/cook, you can take pictures, walk around, etc. You can go upstairs and see the small upstairs patio. They’ll let you know when the main course is about to start.

I liked everything they served. Between the main course—beef or halibut…. My boyfriend and I got 1 of each to try it out. I liked both, but the halibut is very unique. It’s super buttery. I suggest to try the halibut. The beef is super tender too. So you can’t go wrong with either or.

The dessert, for me, is way to sweet. The hazelnut praline was too sweet for me. I couldn’t even finish it. I got it to go.

Service was superb, they would describe all the dishes when it’s served to you. They kept refilling our...

We were excited to return to The Hobbit after they recently reopened (under new management). Unfortunately, we left extremely disappointed. As we walked back to our car, one word came to mind about our experience: Dishonest. Dishonest, because we had this feeling like they had just sold us a $150 dining experience for $600. It was that feeling like we were just scammed.

The Good: The Brie cheesecake was tasty. They could leave off the flavorless store bought strawberries, and it would've been even better. The wine pairings were interesting, boutique choices that were great discoveries. Someone put a lot of effort into finding some small producers with very good wines. The wine was working hard to elevate (cover for?) the food but at $75 a person, the pours were meager.

The Bad: The food lacked soul and any depth of flavor. Nothing from the kitchen tasted like it was made with love. The appetizers looked as though they had been sitting out for a while, the lamb was tough, chewy and appeared undercooked. The beef course tasted cheap and was lukewarm (the butter didn't even melt on top) and the fish dish that we paid extra for was salty. The presentation was uninspiring, basic, and underwhelming. At this level, wouldn’t you expect the food to be memorable or even notable?

The 45 minute intermission between the later courses was the lowest point of the night. Weird. The first two courses started the night with positive momentum and was building interest for the next dish. Then the lamb dish arrived. It was so bad, we didn’t finish it. The staff then announced a brief intermission. Sorbet was served as they prepared the main course. After waiting 45 minutes, any momentum they had was lost.

Special mention to the service staff. They were engaging, knowledgeable, and tried very hard to make the best of what they presented from the kitchen.

The Hobbit has been part of this community for a very long time. It’s sad to see a local establishment that we know, and have had great experiences, fail...