21 Oceanfront Review

Feels like for locals only, didn't feel welcomed. Nice inside, would have enjoyed listening to the piano player, like old school style place, elegant

Such a pleasurable experience. Great food, great setting, and even better service. The staff was great and our server, Lisandro was exceptional. I would definitely recommend for a romantic dinner, which is what my husband and I went for. They had a live musician playing, making it the perfect ambience for a night out. Nice selection of wines and cocktails. The NY steak and lobster were cooked to perfection and had amazing flavor. We paired them with the brussel sprouts, delicious. Try the best calamari EVER! Finished with creme brulee dessert, also perfect.

That I can not serve this place because everything of very good quality very good service very friendly All the staff that we prepare both in front and behind is a family atmosphere that lives there I like to work in this place the atmosphere is very pleasant says he lives so much with the waiters the cooks all over the world

Was an excellent experience. The service was very good and the food good.

While on Business in California we decided to stop in and have a dinner at 21 Oceanfront. This place is no disappointment! The food was some of the best in the world! The views are absolutely phenomenal while eating dinner. Make sure to call ahead and get a reservation because this place is packed! Will be back soon!

Exceptional spot to have something when in a rush. The customer service is prompt, pricing is reasonable, good atmosphere. Will come visit again

terrible service, and so-so food! our food took over 50 minutes to arrive at our table, and the fish arrived cold, and then took 15 more minutes for a replacement, which was equally cold! the floor manager was arrogant and the waiter did his best to avoid coming to our table (there were 4 adult diners). even mcdonald's is better than 21 oceanfront!!!!

We had an excellant dinner. For appetizer we and Cavior and crabcakes, dinner Ribeye and Seabass. Social distance was all there

My plate was delicious, but others in our group had complaints about the chicken.

Incredible service, fantastic food! The seafood was all delicious - and the kids meal (chicken fingers!) were so tasty too!!

We were visiting from Canada, looking for a Newport Beach restaurant with an ocean view. We found the perfect one - 21 Oceanfront.

We could not believe how wonderful and accommodating all of the staff were - waiters, hostesses, everyone! We had our 1.5 year old with us, and they did all they could to make our dining experience easy and enjoyable. Karen was fabulous throughout, constantly checking on our baby. Our waiter was so patient, organized, and anticipated all of our needs. At the end of the meal, we accidentally left a pair of sunglasses at the table, and our waiter raced to find us blocks away to return them to us - and would not accept a gratuity!

We would recommend this restaurant in a second, and hope to come back one day!

My wife and I had the best night ever in our lives at 21 oceanfront. It was our 8 year anniversary and were orderd the lobster we lived it. I highly recommend it for a Fancy night out.

They need handicapped access. But great customer service

Always a great meal, especially with their wine tasting dinners!

Very quiet and intimate setting. Kind of pricey but the ocean front views are absolutely breath taking!

Food was wonderful and our server, Julia was even better!

Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! Second time there, and it was better than the first. Service is better than the food, and the food is some of the best seafood in Newport.

A fantastic evening and meal. A required dinner spot whenever I travel out to CA

Outstanding service! Keri is amazing! Food was beyond excellent! Love music as well!

My wife and I loved it. We had the ahi tuna appetizer (awsome) and filet oscar (cooked perfectly)
View of ocean & sunset was great! Decor and atmospere were classic and classy!
Service from "Travis" was outstanding.

Great place for a date with the wife while visiting from Colorado. Watched the sun set from our booth. Courteous hostess and wait staff. Good wine list, got a bottle of Stags Leap Cab for what I'd consider a low price relative to other restaurants. Bar seemed lively, but we didn't go in there. We'll probably return on our next visit to the area.

I would give 0 stars if I could. My husband and I sat at the bar for happy hour, and the bartender was the worst employee I have ever encountered. He was attentive to the locals he knew, but seemed annoyed that he had to deal with my husband and I. We felt so unwelcome the entire time we were there, we couldn't wait to leave. He complained about the lack of a tip from another patron and mocked us for eating the entire appetizer plates we ordered - a total of 2 scallops and 2 crab cakes - "Jeez, did you guys skip lunch?!" as if we had eaten a 20 oz ribeye. I can't think of a time I have had worse service.

Every time we're in Newport we visit 21 Oceanfront. This time we sampled the yummy appetizers as well as the wine. Denise and Tony helped us have a great time!

I ordered the 22oz bone in rib eye: rare plus. I had explained to the server beforehand that I would prefer it to be more on the rare side or things than medium rare, (with just enough tempature to render the fats) he acknowledged my More

Too pricey for what you get. Bigger fan of Fly 'n Fish a block a way.

My $51 dollar lobster
Was horrible and tuff.
The clam chowder hardly had clams. And their bowl is really a cup. If you want the best chowder go to The Fish Co. In los alamitos.

What a phenomenal dining experience. We went in to celebrate our year Anniversary. The service was impeccable. Our server Luke went above and beyond for us. We ate the lobster bisque and both ordered the Chilean Sea Bass. Everything was More

Absolutely fell in love with this place. With the service, the atmosphere and my three great Waiters. Roberto, Jordan, and Luke. I do prefer male servers dressed in black tuxedos. (Just like them) So formal and classy. These 3 employees really took care of us the entire night. From the moment we walked into the door, I knew I was in a very classy upscale restaurant. I enjoyed the privacy and soft piano music in the background. Our food was excellent. Biggest lobster I ever had on my plate. Great place to go and celebrate after one of my singing or dancing shows or simply for a great romantic dinner. Nice variety of hard liquor, wines and Cocktails. Highly recommended and definitely coming back soon. Great view of Newport Beach.

Excellent way to enjoy a Sunday night! Very good food, sea food is fresh and tasty.

Happy hour fun! Julia more than amazingly professional & personable! Cliff upped the atmosphere with sweet notes & a sweeter voice. Loved the lamb chops! Watching the sunset from the table a plus! Friendly, while upscale.

Great food...excellent service!!! Wish I could dine there more often.

Very nice place. Excellent service, location, and ambiance. The food is traditional prepared well and tastes wonderful.

Exceptional service, food, and drinks! Loved the cozy booth with view of the pier.

This place is super awesome, best to time to go is during sunset as you'll be able to tell from the pics. Food is great, I had a ribeye which they cooked to perfection, the seafood plater was amazing as well. On the upscale side so dress nice, service was excellent.

Great atmosphere great bar that looks over Newport Beach with a sunset view

Yummy upscale restaurant! Service was awesome! View is nice but little far from water.

We met with friends at this spot for a meeting. we heard about this place from many people. Well, it was a winning. The staff welcomed us with a smile and we felt good. The food was just great. We enjoyed every moment and we shall absolutely come back again. We recommend this place to all.

Everything was over salty. Friendly staff but not attentive. Cleanliness is 2 out of 5.

Mediocre food, but great ocean views. Honestly, my husband left hungry after paying 125.00 dinner bill. 1 glass of wine and I had coffee. No dessert. Location was awesome.

The images on their site give you the impression that you're a few feet away from the ocean. However, when you arrive... you're far from it. There's a parking lot that sits between the restaurant and ocean. Give yourself additional time since it gets pretty crowded and traffic moves slow. We were the first to arrive and waited at the bar until the servers were ready. They said they'd come and get us immediately but they began to serve on all others except us. After being seated things ran smooth. Then we noticed the manager greeted every single table except us (it's probably because we were the only mexicans). Oh well... we can take our business elsewhere.

Outstanding service and great menu selection right on boardwalk infront of Newport pier. Servers still were tuxs and live music was just perfect. Definitely worth the price!

Exceptional: the ambiance, the service, the food. Everything I ordered was beautiful to look at and oh, so good to eat. I had their filet mignon. It was cooked perfectly and ate like butter. I have food allergies, so eating out can be dangerous for me, but our waiter went out of his way to keep me safe. I highly recommend 21 Oceanfront, and hope you enjoy your meal as much as I did mine.

Great service and food. View was very nice as well. There was a man playing some jazz on the piano as well

Great SERVICE BAD TASTE IN FOOD VEGETABLES HAD A WEIRD ODD TASTE POTATOES WERE ALSO LIKE A CHEMICAL TASTE SALMON WAS OVER COOKED .NEVER WILL WE GO AGAIN. WENT HOME AFTER WAS SICK FROM FOOD BAD FOOD WAS GIVEN TO US.

I enjoy frequent fine dining and regularly eat at restaurants such as Mastro s, Eddie V s, Morton s, and Dominick s. The food here was good, but at the same time, mostly nothing to write home about. The one notable item was the lobster More

nice quaint restaurant all food is good, the waiters friendly. the bar is a peaceful environment. the friendly bartender helps you in choosing cocktels. I had a great time and will return again.

Definitely a classy place. Old school high end service, highly knowledgeable staff, the swordfish was bigger than my fist, and cooked to perfection, and the vegetarian cauliflower "steak" was amazingly well prepared. No beach attire allowed, but if you are looking for some old school upscale dining (or a great bar menu), this place is worth every penny.

A++++ Service. The entire staff was incredibly kind and helpful. The food was to die for. I will be returning here for sure.

This place is AWESOME. I was so happy here! The food is great! It is my favorite! The owner is sooooo nice! They treated me so well. The seafood is so good.

21 Oceanfront is a classic seafood establishment in CA. I have always gotten excellent service & great food. Tonight I ordered a lobster tail & crab cake. The crab cakes are the best in the city. The lobster tail was excellent. Skip the mac & cheese , the potato was great. Will come again!

Amazing food, impeccable service, wonderful live music while enjoying a beautiful ocean sunset.

Always an amazing dinner! Food is fabulous! Highly recommend sea bass as and swordfish!

Absolutely marvelous! Your taste buds will applaud you!
Plus live musician, view and great service.

Ate at a table in the bar w/a beautiful ocean view. Food was really good and the server and bartender that waited on us were friendly and talkative.

My wife and I treat ourselves here a few times a year and it is worth every penny or dollars. Try their Maryland Crab Cakes a d the Mussels are always excellent. Do you like a fine Caesar Salad, this is one of the best I've eaten. Although I don't eat steak often, I can't resist their Steak Diane and you shouldn't either. If fish is your thing, their Baseball Cut Swordfish will win you over. The service is the best. If you've eaten this far, get some dessert and some Cognac and then drift home savoring the evening.

Amazing! From the ambience and decor to food and top notch service! I highly recommend the brussel sprouts...

Amazing! My boyfriend and I were looking for a romantic and memorable place for our 2-year anniversary. This worked well!
The ambiance made me feel like I was onboard the Titanic. Decor very classy and tasteful, timeless even.
The choices for entrees and appetizers suited our needs. The waiter and back waiters were extremely friendly and attentive. Looking forward to our return! Thanks so much team

We had the most fun eating at the bar. The cocktails and appetizers were great. The Colossal Prawn Cocktail is amazing. The shrimp really are collosal!

The service is awful.
We reserved a table next to the window with ocean view.
It take 5 min to some one come over to our table to welcome us.
Then it took 20 min to come and the take the order, with no talk or any explanation.
The food did come relatively quick to the table
My husband finished his and my glasses of water four times, and each time after finishing the water we waited 5 - 10 min to someone tocome and refill the water.
Two times they came by and they didn't fill my glass of water.

The food was good but very over priced based on the amount you get also the taste was not the greatest to compensate the price.

They also were slow to take away the dirty dishes and did not come so I could order more food.

A very plesent experience. Came here on new years last year.

Delicious, hell of a view, atmosphere is that of a cool little old school restaurant, has leather booths, a bit pricey but not too bad.

Great place. Fernando, our server made the date that much more enjoyable. If Swordfish is on the menu, order it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Great ambience, impressive interior. Live music would be a great addition.

Service mediocre. Nothing to write home about with regards to good. Cheap wine by the glass

Are you looking for romance, ambiance, good food, live music, a cozy booth, and a view? Then look no more. 21 Oceanfront has it all plus a beautiful bar too! The attention by staff is first class making you feel special the moment you sit. The menu is elegant, so we enjoyed dining on lobster tails and sea bass. All served to perfection. But before the main event, we tried one of the best Marguerita's ever alongside a decadent bowl of Lobster Bisque Soup, followed by tender but crisp, Fried Calamari and refreshing Pear Asian Salad. To finish the night, we shared an aptly named dessert, Chocolate Decadence Cake. Just a productive evening for all your senses. And if you indulge in too many of those fantastic Margaritas, you may find yourself strolling the Newport Beach senseless. Perhaps that is why the Lifeguard Station is right there!

Ocean view, ambiance, escargot, wine, steak, and grand morneau souffle. Need I say anything more?

Good food. Would of given 5 but they ran out of lobster. ..clean, great service. OK went 1-2- 2018
..lobster, lamb..shrimp and scallops were incredible. Mixed grill for 2! Waiters bartender were wonderful. I Gave them a 5 rating tonight because they did have everything and more. It's a little peicey....but worth it!!!!

Witnessed the bartender (said his name was Richard?) Attempt to rip off another customer by adding an additional $21 drink to tab. She caught him asked him to take it off the bill. She finished paying then he became so upset that he literally came from behind the bar and grabbed the drink right from her friends hand and said bar is closed now get out. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Now this is a nice upscale place that my wife and I liked to come to as a treat. I wouldn't expect this anywhere but maybe at a dive bar. We will file a formal complaint to manager because I own a business and if I had an employee like that representing my business I would appreciate knowing what's going on. So even though it doesn't involve me it really does because he did this in front of the whole crowd and pretty much everybody around the area looked confused.

In closing I wonder because "Richard" ripped the glass out of this petite woman's hand if it's just his personality toward women, reason being I'm pretty certain he would not have ripped it out of the hand of a man. So I no longer can recommend this place to anybody. It's a shame.

Even just writing this review gets me so upset seeing what I saw that I just feel like I need to keep going on and on but that's all folks hope this helps. I will update the review once I've talked to management and find out what their thoughts are on this incident.

Update: just called and talked to them and found out his real name was Tony and that he's been there for 20 years so don't expect a lot of changes but I am supposed to talk to Pete the general manager / owner on Monday I will update you then.

Excellent menu very varied. Fantastic place and the attention is unbeatable.

Waiter attentive and professional. The steaks pretty good. Enjoyed live music after a large group of annoying and cursing drunk guys left. Staff had to tell them to keep it down. It ruins a nice atmosphere. Couldn't even hear my date.

Extremely good food with the best view of the pier out of any restaurant in the area. The hotel is upstairs and they have combo deals with the restaurant. Pete the main person in charge runs it very well and cares a lot about the restaurant. They also have really good valets