Raya

Stopped in for dinner after our arrival. We were promptly seated by a kind host and received excellent service from our waitress. It was dark, but the waves rolling onto the sand was nice. Why did we only provide two stars? The seafood risoto was undercooked and our salad was just so so. Dishes that are not prepared well is unacceptable at a restaurant which charges a premium and even more disheartening when that lack of preparation leads to intestinal distress.

Our server, Jordan, took great care of us all night. She made some excellent recommendations from the menu, and we took her up on most of them. The King Salmon was, indeed, phenomenal. The Seabass Ceviche and the Swordfish Dip were both out of this world. Thank you for a wonderful experience. We left fully satisfied.

Came here for a family dinner. Good food but not the greatest. Overpriced for what it is and nothing out of the ordinary. Great service but I wouldn’t go back.

I love this place, the view is AMAZING. We didn’t know where to go for my birthday and we randomly came here. The food was good but I feel like it could have been better for being so pricey. Also, I wish we would have gone earlier because once it got dark we couldn’t enjoy the view anymore. Overall, it was great!

Since we were staying at the accompanying hotel, we ate here for breakfast 4 times and dinner once.
Each breakfast was outstanding but our dinner food not so much
Raya Breakfast:
Dungeness crab Benedict ⁵⁄₅ — husband ate this twice during our stay since it was so good
Blueberry blue corn pancakes ⁵⁄₅ — love pancakes with texture
Axiote fried rice ³⁄₅ — rice was a bit dry and undercooked; flavors were good though
Manchata burrito ⁵⁄₅ — a HUGE burrito that can be shared between 2 people: my favorite breakfast dish
Huevos Rancheros ⁵⁄₅ — delicious!
Raya Dinner:
Garlic Chili squid ink Noodles with Seafood — ¹⁄₅ — waaaay too rich and salty. Unfortunately, the noodles and seafood were drenched in overly salty sauce that I couldn’t appreciate the food and kept having to drink water. If they put in ¼ the amount, it would have been great.
Seafood Risotto — ³⁄₅ — husband said it was a bit dry and not as tender as he had hoped
Service — ⁵⁄₅
View — ⁵⁄₅: outstanding! It really doesn’t get any better than sitting at a cliff side restaurant with giant windows overlooking the Pacific. Prime spot for surfers catching waves in the morning or amazing sunsets along the coast. Very romantic!!!

We only had breakfast here for two mornings, not lunch or dinner, but were blown away by the chilaquiles and the huevos rancheros! Can’t wait to return on our next visit to enjoy more of the same!
Of course, the lovely views of the ocean add much to the overall dining experience. The service was quite good too.

Perfect view!
Perfectly prepared and presented food!
Perfect service!
Thank you Miguel and Jose!

The best thing about this restaurant are the breathtaking views from the tables next to windows. We were lucky enough to get one. The service was excellent and food great. I ordered their traditional sirloin burger. It was perfectly cooked and very flavorful. The fries however, were similar to something you would get at those fast-​food joints that «season» their frozen fries. I didn’t like them.
All in all, a great place and highly recommended, especially if you can get a window table!

Beautiful property! I haven’t really visited too many Ritz. But it was a holiday and we needed food badly. So, of course the hotels are open for lunch.
First, the views are gorgeous.
Our ETA was 30 minutes prior to closing. We were seated and ordered 2 appetizers (ahi tuna salad & ceviche sample, which were 2 fishes, sea bass and tuna) and each ordered a fish entrée. They were all delicious (we were super hungry!) We didn’t get a table with a view, but you an walk down to the beach afterwards and many spots in the hotel have views.
The service was very good. All the kids (waiters and staff) were very cordial, polite, and attentive. Checked on us a few times. Would def return.

This is a review for the bar area adjacent to Raja. Went there recently for drinks, wine and appetizers.
So disappointed in the service and the quality of the food.
Our experience started great with the valet parking boys and the door man. So welcoming and professional. We walked to the Raja bar and literally sat there waiting to be asked to order a drink for 20 minutes. We changed location and finally I flagged a waiter trying to sprint by me. Turns out he wasn’t our server but could still take out order. Our cocktails took another 15. I could have walked to the bar and been on round 3 by now. Just slow.
We ordered some appetizers, the tuna tataki salad and the nachos. Note the had a trimmed down menu due to holiday. The order took forever but the tuna was decent. The nachos very mediocre, especially for the price the charge.
Pass on the «smore» desert. Cold dry chocolate cake with some ice cream. No wonder the waitress tried to talk me out of it.
It then took another 30 minutes to get me the check. I was over charged for my appetizers because «it was punched in wrong «. Waitress made me feel like a dirt bag that I would even question the 12 $ over charge.
Finally I had to walk up to server station and hand her my credit card.
Service was so ordinary, especially considering what you pay for it.
Left the hotel feeling ripped off and disappointed.

Raya has an incredible ocean view, no one can take that away from The Ritz!
Food — I was expecting a better meal. I ordered the Jidori chicken, which was accompanied by roasted/​seasonal vegetables. It was good, but if I compared it to the nearby St. Regis’ Stonehill Tavern, I’d recommend Stonehill (hands down). The short ribs were blackened to a point they were burnt. Unimpressed.
Wine List — Nice variety, but I think needs much improvement (especially the Chardonnays).
If you like your aged whiskey, they won’t disappoint!
Service — Very good.
Hours — Raya closes extremely early! This past Saturday they closed at 9:00pm. Strange. However, there weren’t enough patrons that could justify staying open any later.
The ambiance is outstanding. The outside deck overlooks the ocean, as does Raya. You can see the Long Beach Penninsula from here and most window /​outside locations.
This property is located on one of Southern California’s most beautiful stretches of coastline.
Christmastime is especially a great time to visit any of their restaurants. It’s decorated elegantly and has interesting sculptures from local artist. Great photo opp for Christmas cards!

My husband and I stayed at the ritz Carlton for four nights and ate here everyday. One day we did breakfast, another lunch and of course another dinner. Dinner was the most mind blowing but we were not disappointed to the least with breakfast or lunch. Dinner reservations were after sunset and it was dark so we enjoyed the gorgeous window seating with breakfast. Even if you don’t get a window table the restaurant is so open you can enjoy the views from any seat in the place. Dinner corking fee for wine is $ 25 a bottle. I didn’t understand the one bottle per couple limit which I think is ridiculous when your spending he prices at the ritz kinda tacky to put a limit, Especially when we brought very special wine. In the end they allow us two bottles. We had great service with each meal but Lindsay really stood out. She was sweet kind and always smiling. She was such a pleasure. Peek through my pictures to see what we ordered but honestly everything was delicious. My very favorite was the seafood risotto. Craving it right now! Whether your staying at the hotel or live near by this place is a must!

Once again, Raya is providing a memorable experience.
The sunsets are breathtaking. The ambiance is cool and casual for a Ritz property.
Amber has been our server for the second time.
She is the best. Big smile and friendly, attentive service.
Samantha is the wine director. She has been spot on with her recommendations.

Maybe the three sounds a bit harsh, but I’m going with it. Come at me, Ritz Carlton.
I planned this for my wife as her ‘nice’ restaurant for her birthday. The pictures didn’t really help with giving a good impression of the restaurant, and let’s just say I expected… a bit more.
I first want to state that the view really only works in the daytime. I was trying to work it so that we would be eating here during the sunset… but due to timing issues with the rest of the day we couldn’t make it until after sunset. And yes, basically after sunset you get a great view of kind-​of-​the-​ocean but you can’t really tell all that well.
The restaurant itself isn’t the best in terms of atmosphere anyway. It’s sort of separated with a partition wall, but it’s basically just alongside a walkway used by hotel guests. It’s more like a lounge than an actual restaurant (did they bill it as such? Perhaps). Still, not a shabby looking place by any means.
Service was good and okay. Our main waiter wasn’t the best at speaking up, so there were times that he would say something and smile and we just sort of had to smile back. He also really gave off the impression that he knew we weren’t millionaires, which stings a little bit. But the rest of the service staff were great, and would promptly refill our water glasses once they reached… oh about 75% full. I felt a little bad because I was drinking heavily that night (the water, you judgmental eyes), so they were almost constantly at our table.
Food:
–Crab mashed potatoes (without crab): At first this was a nice surprise. The menu offers crab mashed potatoes, but unlike a lot of other places with fancy sides they also offer a reduced price option without crab if you so desired. Neither of us felt very crabby so we went for that. It tasted like nothing, which admittedly my wife likes plain potatoes but it really didn’t do anything for me.
–Seafood risotto: A good mix of fresh seafood. I wouldn’t say it’s an amazing meal, but it’s not often one gets to eat little baby calamari without them being fried to hell and back.
–Scallops: Not as good as Napa Rose, but good scallops nonetheless. The pork that accompanied it (no idea) was also good. But… stop it with the inedible stuff. My plate was littered with tiny flowers and little… gooseberries? I don’t even know what was on it but it did not mesh at all with the scallops and amounted to just a bunch of junk on my plate that I wasn’t going to eat. And yes, I’m not just being picky, no one eats flowers, don’t put them on the plate.
It’s a pricey meal that doesn’t stack up to other high end places. You can find better, no question.

We had a reservation for a party of five. They seated us at the table closest to the hostess. We asked for a window table and they said one wasn’t available. I would think any reservation would not be seated closest to the exit, leave that for people without reservations. The person helping our waitress was not familiar with the menu. She deferred all food and drink questions to the waitress.
For an appetizer we had the mahi fish tacos and mushroom flatbread. The mahi in the fish tacos was basically like fish salad, would have been better as actual pieces of fish. For dinner I had the seafood risotto. It was good but not $ 42 good. My fiancé had the scallops, of which there were three of them and no side dish. I get this is a fancy restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, but come on… For these prices the food should be to-​die-​for and it was just fine. My brother had the quesadilla and literally took up half the plate.
We ordered desserts. I had the chocolate churros which were very good. I asked the waitress helper what the pudding-​like concoction was on my plate and she said she would check and let me know. She never came back with an answer. For these prices there are many other restaurants in the area I would rather go to.

We were seated quickly right next to the window which boasts a fantastic ocean view. For breakfast you can feel the combination of eloquent and relaxed.
There were four of and lucky for me everybody let me try some of their meal. I asked the waitress what their most popular meal and she responded with the Crab Chalupa so of course I ordered that. Great choice. Instead of a think English muffin beneath the poached eggs, there was a light corn cake that meshed perfectly with the crab. I would’ve liked some more crab on the plate but for what I had it was very good.
The other entrès I tried were:
Steel Cut Oatmeal– Thick oatmeal with a caramelized brown sugar coating that made the dish.
Cali Omelette– Lacking some flavor. Needed some extra salt and pepper to complete the dish. The breakfast potatoes on the side were delicious.
Plantain Foster Waffles– Thick waffles topped with pecans and sweet plantains. Very good but nothing too special.
Little too pricy for the quality of food but when you combine the food and scenery it’s worth it.

The Raya romaine salad with cheesy bread croutons is what I order all the time along with their (kids) chicken noodle soup which is often off the menu. I had the NY strip recently and it was solid. The views of the beaches and coastline are unbeatable in SoCal. And the cheesy bread is always great comfort food. What’s not to like about this place.
I also had a new dessert for which I forget name but it was the berry empanadas. Like jelly filled donut. Delicious!

If you want to feel rich and special for a couple hours, come here. The restaurant is amazing. It sits right on the cliffs so if you look out the window, you see only ocean. It’s like you’re on a cruise ship.
Prices are high, so this is definitely a «special occasion» place. We came for our anniversary. We probably would have dropped $ 200 if we came for dinner. We came for brunch and spent about half that.
The breakfast dishes are really good, with decent portions. I always worry about high-​end places having those tiny, «gourmet» portions. I got the Cali omelette (which came with toast and a mound of hash browns) and my husband got the huevos rancheros. We both loved our food. The cheapest drinks are about $ 15 but, like I said, this is for special occasions.
The service was excellent. It’s the type of place where they ask you for your last name so they can say, «Is everything to your liking Mrs. Last Name?» I’m not used to such niceties.
They have valet parking and they waved our fee since we were just coming to eat. Another nicety.
We will definitely come back here for our next big celebration. It’s a treat.

What a truly splendid place. You can’t beat the wide expanse of window view of the ocean, the impeccable service of the staff and the unique artistry that goes into the food.
Yes, you pay a pretty penny. So I highly recommend this for your more special occasions. The set champagne brunch menu is such a treat. At $ 65, you really do get more than you paid for.

Breathtaking view…
My boyfriend brought me here for an anniversary brunch and we requested a seat by the window. It is a wide open view of the beach and they really do a good job of keeping their windows clean, there wasn’t a single spot. They have a brunch special of unlimited mimosas, sparkling wine, bloody mary, screwdriver along with an appetizer, entrée, and dessert for $ 65.
For the appetizer we ordered the trio sushi and shrimp cocktail, both excellent! Especially the shrimp cocktail, it was super fresh
As for the entrée we ordered the chimichurri steak and dungeness crab chalupa. My boyfriend enjoyed his steak and I enjoyed my dungeness crab chalupa but he wasn’t a fan of my dish. It was a little heavy but the next time I definitely want to try their scallops or pancakes
The desserts we got were the churros and banana pudding cake. The churros were definitely the winner
I can’t wait to come back! The service was amazing and our waiter even offered to take a few pictures for us. The view was beautiful and after lunch you can literally walk down to the beach in 5 minutes by taking the stairs.