Solstice

A gastronomic star. A culinary delight. My husband and I came here for a Sunday evening late Valentine's date, and wow. Everything was so delicious. We split a couple of starters: the white bean hummus, and Parker House rolls with apple butter are perfect to share. The hummus had really lovely juicy confit tomatoes, and sumac was sprinkled throughout. The Parker house rolls were fluffy and warm and slightly sweet. For my entrée, I ordered the roasted beet salad and added avocado and chicken. He got the braised short rib pappardelle. I'm not a drinker, so I just opted for hot water with lemon. The food was delightful. I felt very full after finishing my salad, despite the lightness and brightness of ingredients-- the depth of flavor and quantity of protein was enhanced by adding the avocado and chicken. The zaa'tar lebneh made the whole dish, in my opinion. Husband devoured his pasta, he said it was perfectly cooked al dente. we thought we would take some of the food home. We were wrong. We devoured every bite. We wanted to lick the plate. Specifically, I wanted to lick my plate clean. He had a special seasonal cocktail, something with beets and whiskey, it was pretty. For dessert, we split the flourless chocolate fudge cake. Oh my God, that was amazing. We were not expecting tiny bits of raspberry coulis. The sprinkling of cocoa nibs were crunchy and delightful. The gelato was so, so good--creamy and cold. I love seeing little vanilla bits studded throughout. It was decadent, it was delightful, it was the perfect size for two. I'm extremely full, and I'm going on a very long run. But everything was worth it.We were so pleasantly surprised-- the restaurant is huge, bright and airy, and the tables are comfortable. They certainly thought long and hard about placement. The tables are different sizes, so as to accommodate dates, or large groups. The clientele were of a variety of backgrounds, and seated next to us was a super cute family with their high school aged kids. On the other side, we saw couples on first dates. I don't think this is a good place to bring newborns or toddlers. I would definitely go back. Our server, Cameron, was a sweetheart. He was very polite, attentive, and answered all our questions. I love that they validate parking. This is such a delightful find, and I bet their brunch is amazing.

Interesting location tucked away in a plaza made of corporate-glass-buildings, with a bright, airy, glam interior to match -- soaring ceilings, drop pendant lighting, floor-to-ceiling windows with views into the kitchen -- yet the tables themselves still feel intimate. We had a birthday brunch reservation and our party of 6 was seated immediately. Our server, Giancarlo, was knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly. The hostess also helped us take a group photo outside afterwards.The donuts were surprisingly good. Both sauces were lovely, but the caramel in particular was almost divine. We were told that the donuts came in sets of five, however, Giancarlo was able to throw in an extra one for the six of us. It's the little things.The salmon in the crudo was fatty and buttery which was nicely offset by the tartness of the jalapeño vinegar. I am seeing photos of the salads and am now realizing I did not eat a single vegetable this meal. (Oops.) Both salads joined the clean plate club.PBLT -- it was there one minute and gone the next, like before I could even try it, so I assume it was good.Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Benedict was good. The crab cakes were slightly on the salty side, but the spinach and egg balanced it out nicely.And as other reviewers mentioned, the butter cake was fantastic. Not too sweet, plenty of cinnamon and the candied dehydrated apple (peel?) leather number was a hit for the table as well.

Is this place fancy or not fancy?This was the debate my wife and I had as we dined. I lean fancy. She was undecided.The short rib croquettes as an appetizer were a great choice. Really flavorful - but I could do without the onions.I had the salmon and my wife had the scallops. We both enjoyed our seafood. Light and tasty. With a great veggie mix alongside the salmon and a risotto to accompany the scallops.We had a bottle of wine with dinner. Chilled and set off to the side in a freestanding ice bucket--which I referred to as fancy.We finished with a brown butter mocha flourless cake. Divine! Perfect to share with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.My verdict: fancy.They are popular at lunch. Local businesses bust down their doors from 11:30 to 1:00. They close a bit early for dinner. 8pm on a Sunday. But this cute spot is worth a trek. Don't forget to get your parking validated.

This restaurant's menu is seasonal so, it changes 4 times a year which is pretty cool! We came during the Winter season.We started with the Short Rib croquettes. It came with 3 croquettes. It was ok. The short rib thy it was topped with was tender and soft. I order the pan seared salmon which was very moist, but unfortunately it literally had no taste. It was so bad that I had to ask for salt and extra cider emulsion. The skin was nice and crunchy tho. My husband got the Seared Sea Scallops (in the premium selection box on the menu). It came with 4 good sized scallops. This was actually pretty good. The lemon risotto was really good too! My kids got a filet mignon which was soft and tender. The short ribs which was also soft and tender. And the Solstice burger which was juicy. It didn't taste like a fast food burger. But it was all just ok. It wasn't like, "oooh! That's super tasty and flavorful!". Lastly for dessert, we got the Apple Butter cake which was warm and just enough sweet. This is a must-try.All-in-all, I'm not very impressed with this place. The food was cooked very good, but the flavor was not quite there. Unfortunately, I don't have plans to be returning in the foreseeable future.

Love love love this place - can't believe it existed for almost 4 years! Came with my girlfriends today and it happened to be their anniversary, so they honored their happy hour menu for a tad later! We pretty much ordered everything off the HH MENU and added a couple of salads, skipping mains altogether (+drinks). My girlfriends loved their cocktails! Food was amazing! Flavorful, good combinations, I could tell that ingredients were high quality, ambiance reminded me of a cool place in SoHo (in the best way possible). Service was attentive and they even validate parking! Highly recommend this place & will definitely be coming back!

Wow this place is really good! We came for lunch and couldn't believe how busy it was in matter of minutes. Set among office buildings in Irvine, it's a beautiful oasis inside.The Brussel sprouts were so good paired with the Parker house rolls. We choice the beat salad with salmon and a lemon vinaigrette and it was just delicious. We finished our meal with the mini donuts served piping hot with caramel and chocolate sauce. Our server was so sweet. She was working super hard as both hostess and server and didn't miss a beat.

We went here to celebrate NYE this year as it was one of the places that did not have a prefix menu. They did have a special menu for NYE that you could order. Plenty of parking in the structure that the restaurant will validate. The restaurant is in a business plaza but easy to find. Inside is very open with a bar separating two different dining areas. Service throughout the night was excellent even though it was pretty busy. The menu changes one a season and we just got there when they had a new menu. Some popular items carry over though depending on how it does. Drinks were excellent. They had bottle water already on the table, but if requested they will switch to tap water. For appetizer, we started with the Parker House Rolls and wow they were delicious. They were nice and fluffy and pulled apart easily. The butter that came with it also tasted wonderful. This one carries over most menus. For entrees, I got the filet with chimichurri sauce and mash potatoes. The steak was cooked perfectly (rare) and the chinichurri sauce was nice. Mash potatoes was nice and creamy. My wife got the short ribs which came in a nice presentation with a cover removed when served to release the smoke. Flavors on the dish was also good. For dessert we had the apple butter cake and honestly that is the one item we thought was ok. Taste fine but not the best butter cake we've had. Overall we would definitely come again to try the other seasonal menus.

Beautiful and elevated venue. Great for events and office get togethers. Food was mediocre; cocktails were good. Here's what we tried. Btw they close for parking.1. Paper Airplane-Bourbon and aperol with lemon juice. Was ok.2. French 75- Gin and Prosecco with pear and lemon juice. Good3. Parker house rolls-freshly baked soft and buttery rolls with herbs. Delicious. Must order 4. Spicy tun tartare-Spicy tuna with cucumber avocado served on tortillas. Nothing special5. Braised short ribs Papperdelle- dry tender beef strips served in a rich sauce and papperdelle pasta. Was averaged. Little salty for my taste. 6. Malbec Braised short ribs: stunning presentation served in bell jar that gave it Smokey flavor. Meat was tender short rib served with side of buttery soft whipped potatoes and spinach/kale. Was good7. Branzino-whole fish grilled with walnut cream)tasted my friends and it was good). 8. Filet mignon-medium steak with side of whipped potatoes. Good9. Pistachio tres Leches-milky and good.

If you enjoy new tastes and ordering items that are off menu, Tyler and Arian. Most of the dishes on the menu feel like they were specially curated as off-menu items. The flavor profiles complement each other very well. The beet and goat cheese appetizer, along with the short rib, pappardelle are among the best options available. The seats are comfortable and cozy. Ambience is fantastic in the evening with the full wall windows that overlook the boardwalk. Especially nice are the heavy dinnerware that they use.We loved how the white staff came to check on us and provided suggestions on cocktails as well as menu items.

This restaurant is walking distance from my home. It truly is a hidden gem that I found when taking a walk in the area. I have been there about five times in last two months. I have tried several dishes and found chicken, salmon, and branzino very delicious and flavorful. The burger was little too sweet for my taste. I will ask for less jam if I try it next time. Mushroom risotto was good but I have tasted better ones. Apple butter cake was very yummy but again little too sweet for my taste. I love their donuts. They are so so good. My favorite things are their beet salad and shrimp spring rolls. I order them every time I'm there. The ambiance and service is great and I always find a spot there without any reservation. I can't say enough good things about this place. In future, I can see myself going there again and again.