The Dock

This place is so cute! it’s very small but the food is delicious the view is great and the service is excellent. Though it’s kind of hard to find but definitely a gem

We came for Sunday brunch. Didn’t realize it was a 2 course prefix menu but enjoyed it and watching the boats go by. Will be back.

A wonderful, intimate bayside restaurant on the water. Sometimes difficult to get a reservation but worth it. Start with a chef-​inspired amuse bouche. Dishes are beautifully plated and the best, most beautiful, perfectly-​prepared, bone-​in veal atop wild mushroom rice and savory glaze. 16 oz!!! Service was extraordinary and personable. They even brought us two complimentary, sensational desserts (Valrhona flourless cake). Wine list very reasonably priced, especially for Newport Beach… DuMol Pinot Noir $ 105 + 2010 Beaune Latour Cru burgundy for only $ 70. Great for romantic dates and intimate gatherings. Can call in advance to use dock.

In street parking is difficult to find for Sunday brunch but we managed. Metered parking is quite affordable at just a few dollars for 2-​hours (the max).
The pre-​fix menu for brunch has delicious options. A bit overpriced because there’s an extra charge for drinks like coffee, juice, Bloody Mary drinks…
The yogurt is good but sugary. The French toast was soggy but otherwise beautiful presentation. The compressed melon course is refreshing even though the carpaccio was too dry. The omelette was good, nothing special — just egg with some sausage topping.
The seating area was well decorated and with comfortable rattan chairs. We asked if the restaurant could turn off the heater but was told that the dining area (exposed to outdoors) is just warm due to the covering on the patio. A slight breeze made it bearable. Cannot imagine how hot it must be when it’s warmer than 71° outside.
The service was friendly and efficient. Very much appreciated. Lots of dining options in the area. Nice to check out The Dock.

Went here for a lovely Sunday brunch. Ambience is gorgeous. Table settings and décor are lovely. Could see the boats sail past as we dined. Really a very relaxing, calm and quiet experience. The only rub was the waiter. He looked as though he got called in to work on his day off. Very unhappy looking and not at all jovial. This place definitely lost a star based on the grumpy server. Food was delicious as should be expected for the $$$.

Lovely atmosphere, very romantic interior. Perfect spot if you want to impress a date or celebrating an occasion. We went there for dinner on Friday night. Staff was attentive, food was great. Can get pricy, but worth it. They have heaters but if you are sitting by the water you may want to bring something to keep you warm if you are dining late. I would definitely go back.

We love The Dock and dine there often. The food, service and atmosphere is usually always great however on our most recent evening there we were a little less impressed than we normally are.
The appetizers were good, in particular the crab and avocado dish. The beet salad was just OK, nothing great unfortunately. They used to have a really good smoked salmon, beet and goat cheese appetizer that we loved! They’ve taken this off the menu now which is a shame.
I ordered the salmon entrée without the ‘wasabi mash’ as I’d had it on a prior evening there and it wasn’t to my liking. My dish came out with the mash still on it which wasn’t a big deal, I just ate around it. The other entrees were enjoyed by all, especially the scallop dish.
All six of us noted that the music was not good. They had a playlist (or albums on shuffle) and some of the songs were loud and really abrasive and definitely not what you’d expect at such a classy restaurant or what you’d call relaxing. I hope they edit these songs as it really took away from the ambiance.
All in all a really lovely spot that I’d highly recommend.

Great service, fabulous brunch venue with the open air and water view. Nice food and bev options. Fabulous desserts. Food good, not great.

Decent food and lovely views, but ridiculously slow service. The terrible service really put a damper on our experience.
Our party of 4 had a 12:30pm reservation and didn’t get out of the restaurant until 3:00pm (not by choice)! The service started out fine, and our orders were taken in a timely manner and the first course of our two course Sunday brunch came out fairly quickly. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. Our main entrees didn’t arrive until after 2:00pm, after we’d been there for about an hour and a half! Then, after we requested the bill and put down our credit cards, no one came by to process the payment. When the clock struck 3:00pm, we got up, took our bill and credit cards with us, and walked to the front of the restaurant to pay. Remarkably, no one apologized to us for the inordinate wait for both the entrees as well as the bill. Outrageous!
The food was decent. I liked my albacore tartare, and loved my burger! My husband enjoyed his lobster ravioli, but found his chicken and waffles a bit dry.
The nautical-​themed décor and waterfront setting make The Dock a lovely venue.
It’s a real shame the service was so absurdly slow — I was truly shocked.

I have to echo the thoughts from my original review after coming back for brunch this past Sunday with my fiancé. Everything was so great, the food selection for the brunch menu is fantastic. The albacore tartare was an amazing appetizer as were the omelette du jour and eggs benedict with salmon. After looking back at all the food ordered, it was such a great deal for the $ 30 per person prix fixe.
Fantastic brunch spot right on the water. I wish we had a place like this in Chicago. Very romantic, very quiet. I will be back!

My husband and I got in right away with just a little bit of notice beforehand. The atmosphere is romantic and beautiful. We ordered the pork belly and romain salad as appetizers and they were both superb. We also ordered the scallops with beef ribs and halibut as our entrees. Both were amazing. Even my picky foody husband was impressed with the flavor and presentation of his dish.
The wine selection was great and I ordered a bottle of the perfect wine that is exactly what my palate wanted. The service was top of the line throughout our entire dining experience.
I will definitely come to The Dock anytime I am in Newport Beach.

My husband and I were looking for a nice place to have a Fancy, romantic brunch on the harbor to celebrate our anniversary and the dock did not disappoint!
Though the dock is a very small establishment this adds to its charm as a quiet, quaint little place to enjoy an upscale, amazing meal!
The sign is very subtle and parking can be a bit difficult so give yourself time to find it… Or arrive by boat of course (my preference of course — must call ahead to reserve the dock space though!)
We were lucky to have a waterside table and it was just so nice and relaxing. The restaurant is on an interior waterway so there is little to no boat traffic but we did see a few kayaks and SUPers. Even if you don’t get a harborside table the entire waterfront is open to the restaurant so there are views from every table.
As for the food, I got the eggs bene w/​salmon (of course) and my husband got fruit and yogurt and regular sausage and eggs (go figure). Both were tasty and so perfectly prepared but the most lovely part was that they let us use our toasting flutes from our wedding for a bit of brunch mimosa bubbly to celebrate.
It was relaxing and delicious and a beautiful setting for a chilled out brunch with the one I love.
Flawless service and beautiful location best suited for small parties — I Would definitely come back for another special occasion — a very special spot!

Came here for Sunday brunch. Nice views and friendly staff.
The menu was Prix fixe.
We ordered:
Albacore tartar
Roasted Baby beets
Omelette du jour
Shrimp and grits
Brioche French toast
Albacore tartare was great. I really don’t like raw fish but it was great to me. I loved the beets and would definitely order them again.
The omelette had chorizo which was delicious. Now my shrimp and grits, if you’ve never had shrimp and grits, it’s passable but being that I lived in the South for good amount, it pales in comparison to anything you could get over there. So for first timers, you’ll really like it. It’s a good blend of flavors. Not so good when you love shrimp and grits.
The brioche French toast was ok to me. Too eggy, soggy. I’m only ok with some French toasts anyway, very very picky, like with my shrimp and grits.
Other than that, I like coming here for dinner :)

Absolutely delicious brunch. Bring a date here for a more quiet, intimate meal. Their Sunday brunch is a two course prix fixe, $ 30/​person. Their presentation was beautiful and the food was great too. Tasty coffee as well (must for me) and the service was outstanding. Great spot, will be back.

Came here because we made a mistake going somewhere else… somewhere that was absolutely horrible… and this place, was our saving grace!
Amazing food
Great wine list
Friendly and knowledgeable staff
What else could anyone ask for?
Plus the view is pretty here… just a cute, boutique, and laid back place that is worth spending money at.
To the owners, thank you!

Such a lovely place! Located among some houses and stores, the dining area is a patio with an open side for a view of the dock. If you had a boat you could leave it outside and just walk into the restaurant. They have small heaters but it does get a bit chilly, and even though everyone is seated close together there is still a sense of privacy. The chairs are equipped with the comfiest pillows and the curtains give it a cozy feel. Ambiance is on point.
For food you are started with some bread and salted butter, followed by a small appetizer/​taster that changes frequently. I ordered the Alaskan halibut which was a bit flavorless after the first few bites, but the risotto was cooked perfectly. My dad ordered the salmon which had an amazingly crispy skin and small potatoes which kind of exploded in your mouth.
I have a peanut allergy but all of the desserts had nuts in it, so they adjusted the crème brûlée for me and gave it to us on the house. A+ customer service and A+ desserts. I think it’s definitely worth the splurge and a great place for an anniversary or birthday.

This was my second time at the dock and the location was just as good as I had remembered. The hostess was very accommodating and nice and the owner came up to us to make sure everything was tasting good. However– we had the same waiter as last time who was unfortunately not very friendly at all. I was also looking forward to eating the appetizer muffins served before brunch but he forgot to bring these out for us.
We came for Mother’s Day so it was a fixed three course meal for 75 a person which is too expensive for any meal, in my opinion. But you really are paying for the ambiance and the location and setting cannot be beat.
When we left, the owner gave us Mother’s Day cookies which was an added bonus :) love the owner!

My boyfriend took me here last weekend as payment for a bet he recently lost. I didn’t look up the restaurant going into it since he made the plans and was pleasantly surprised.
The place is quaint, but elegant. When we first got dropped off by our über I thought it looked really quiet, only to be led to a buzzing, open air back patio right on the harbor. The seating is intimate and they have heaters and portable fire pits if you get cold.
We chose a great bottle of wine, the only red under $ 100, and were pleased with our choice. Jonata Todos 2009. I’d recommend it and will look to buy it for home for sure.
After ordering they even brought out an amuse-​bouche on a spoon. It was some sort of cold fish with a jelly and was very tasty. I definitely appreciate the extra touches when you’re paying so much for a meal. Elevates the experience.
APPETIZERS:
We are really into fois gras right now so we jumped on the chef special. It was served cold which we weren’t used to but it was really like butter paired with a slice of bread and some fruits. Definitely recommend if you can handle the richness. Our waitress also brought out a sample of sweet wine for us to pair with it. Again, a really nice added touch.
We also got the heirloom tomato salad, which I loved because the focus wasn’t on the to stop at all. It was mostly burrata, watermelon, pesto, toasted croûton and some fresh tomatoes. Big win.
ENTREES:
I got the short rib. It was delicious and flavorful and melted in my mouth with every bite. It was a large portion (as it should be for the price) and came with risotto and mushrooms.
My boyfriend got the duck two ways. He really enjoyed it but we agreed that my short rib took the cake.
DESSERT:
We almost passed this up but couldn’t do it after we saw the table next to ours enjoying theirs. We got the crème brûlée with cinnamon beignets and it was to die for. I wonder if I can go back and just make a reservation for dessert.
SERVICE:
Excellent. Attentive but not annoying. Knowledgable but not pushy. Top notch.
Overall, this was a pleasantly elegant dinner with delicious flavors and fantastic service. We definitely can’t afford to dine this way every weekend (our check before tip was well over $ 200) but I’ll be back for sure. Maybe after I win my next bet.

I was lucky to attend a LOVELY bridal shower this past Saturday at The Dock. The venue looked so gorgeous! The food was as delish as possible. Service was on point. What a special place to hold a special event.

Wow, The Dock is definitely a pleasant surprise: the nondescript front entrance is quite misleading as to how nice the interior is. It’s decorated a bit like a cabana but instead of overlooking a pool, it overlooks the water. You get to enjoy your meal right on the dock while watching the boats and the occasional paddle boarder drifting on by. Sunday Brunch is a quiet affair, the restaurant was nearly empty, which was fine as there was plenty of people watching available on the water, but i can see how some people may find the emptiness a turn off. On the plus side, the waitress was very attentive. (I would hope so given that there was not a lot of people to serve).
They offer a pre-​fixe two course brunch with an appetizer and main course. I feel like the portions were a bit small, but the quality is good. The ahi was delicious, drizzled in a creamy soy ginger sauce and came with a stuffed shishito pepper. We share the main course, so I was able to try the Eggs Benedict with gravlax and French Toast. Both were decent, but I definitely preferred the Eggs Benedict. Mostly because I love my salmon, and two… well…I’ve had pretty great French Toast with bigger portions. The french toast came with two slices of bacon though, so there’s a plus for you bacon lovers.
In all, it’s a nice restaurant. It’s a cute venue for a date, or a low-​key brunch with the girls. I don’t think I would come here with a large group unless you plan to consciously keep the conversational volume down.