The Loft: Elegant bistro with a breathtaking view

The Orange County coast offers a multitude of oceanfront luxury hotels and resorts. One of these sumptuous palaces is the Montage Laguna Beach. Open in February 2003, the Montage Laguna Beach has been designed to capture the charm and artistic heritage of its quaint seaside village. The overall ambiance conveyed by the professional staff as well as the architecture, is definitely one if relaxed elegance. Different dining options are available on the resort’s ground: from a gastronomical restaurant to a poolside grill. Today, we are writing a review about The Loft, the casual fine dining bistro favored by hotel guests as well as many local residents.

Located on the fourth floor of the resort, The Loft restaurant offers an amazing open view on the ocean as well as on the impressive resort’s mosaic pool. Lunch time is definitely the best time to enjoy the scenery. The restaurant carries a simple menu composed of simple dishes filled with seasonal ingredients, many of them being local and organic.

On dinner time, the atmosphere changes, and the menu becomes more complex with many new interpretation of American classics such as "Vintage beef braised short rib" or "Coffee-crusted New York strip". On evening, The Loft represent a nice alternative to Studio, the gastronomical table of the resort.

The terrace from where guests have an incredible view on the mosaic pool and the Pacific ocean.


The majestical mosaic pool.


An elegant and intimate dining room also welcomes guests to a more refined setting, certainly more appropriate for dinner time.

The Loft is a pure reflection of the Orange County lifestyle, stylish but comfortable. Any visitor spending some time on the restaurant patio can capture the essence of what makes Orange County such a great place to live. Indeed, enjoying the panoramic view with a glass of champagne is for sure a delicious way to set aside any mental worries. The vast horizon line and the constant dance of all kind of pelicans and seagulls will put your mind in a quasi-meditative state. Lunching at The Loft is a wonderful experience for all the senses.

The Montage being one of our favorite spots in Orange County, we are lucky (or should we say spoiled?) to visit The Loft restaurant quite often. We are pleased to present you the most delectable pictures of our recent visits. To enjoy without moderation...

The lunch menu may be limited in term of items, but certainly not in term of flavors.


A warm basket of bread, freshly made by the kitchen crew. If you don't finish it, ask your waiter to pack it for you, and you will enjoy these little delights at home.


The Loft as well as Studio, the gastronomical restaurant of the resort, has an impressive wine list, including a large selection of excellent wines by the glass. On one of our lunches, our dedicated French waiter, Claude, recommended a 2007 Pinot Noir from "Domaine Serene", located in Willamette Valley, OR. - $84



With start with a classic dish from the "To Share" menu: the sea salt, garlic, and vinegar fries. Make sure everybody tries them, they are fabulous. You can ask to have the vinegar on the side. They come with mayonnaise and home-made ketchup - $12

We also tried the charcuterie plate made of artisanal cured meats, house-made terrine, marinated olives and grilled baguette, also from the "To Share" menu - $20


Dry-aged burger prepared with braised applewood bacon and gruyere cheese, and arugula. It comes with french fries or a garden salad - $25. We enjoyed this meal with a bottle of "Les Domaines Ott" Rosé, one of the best and well-known rosé from the Provence region - $80.


Pan-seared Scottish Salmon served with watercress, olive oil crushed potatoes, and Gribiche - $32


Mary's Farm rotisserie chicken served and an orzo salad and aged balsamic vinegar - $32


Locale Halibut Brandade gratiné served with red frill mustard and garlic rubbed baguette, a typical Provencal dish - $28


Sautéed Halibut on Parmesan flatbread served with a cabbage salad, Hass avocado and spiced cream - $26


Veal Schnitzel served with Bibb lettuce, fried hen egg and caper brown butter - $27


Divine Lemon pie called "Lemon Passion", really big enough to share with your loved one - $13


Creme brulée - $13

Fabulous chocolate cake composed of a coconut base and chocolate ganache, and served with a praline ice cream - $13

After such an enjoyable meal, you may want venture into The Lobby lounge. With its country club appearance, the Lobby Lounge is the perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee or one of the many cocktails proposed on the menu. Floor-to-ceiling windows framing the panoramic ocean view and live entertainment performed by a talented pianist certainly set the mood of this cozy and luxurious lounge. What a perfect way to finish a beautiful lunch...

A good cup of espresso @ The Lobby Lounge


The Lobby Lounge has a country club appearance

For more information

The Loft
Open 7 days a week
Breakfast: 6 – 11am
Lunch: 11am - 3pm
Intermezzo: 3 - 5pm
Dinner: 5 - 10pm
Tel: +1 (949) 715 6420

Our review: Every single lunch we had at The Loft were all amazing. We have never been disappointed by the quality of the food nor the service. When you take into account the five star setting as well as the breathtaking scenery, The loft is almost a "Bargain" on lunch time. A lunch for 4 persons including appetizer, entree, dessert, and a $80 bottle of wine will cost you around $375 (or $90 per person) including taxes & tips.

The Lobby Lounge
Open 7 days a week
Cocktails: 10H30 am – 1 am

Montage Laguna Beach
Tel: +1 (949) 715 6000
Website 

Interactive map

Check out our interactive map of California to see where we took all the pictures featured in this article.

Two vases arch design, garden style

Spring is already here and depending on where you live, you may already enjoy some beautiful blooms in your garden. If you are planning a spring wedding or a spring event, we have an original design that will for sure dazzle your guests: a two vases arch design. This beautiful arrangement will look stunning on a buffet table as you can really appreciate its beauty from a distance. You can also use it as a centerpiece by making sure both sides are equally designed. So let's start the Spring season with a garden chic attitude!

The entire architecture of this design rests on a rather simple element: chicken wire. For the featured design, I have cut a 4 feet-long piece that I have gently folded into a tube. (Depending on the size of your table, you can play with the length while adjusting the recipe.) The arch-shaped tube is then inserted into 2 containers filled with water. To secure this structure, I'm inserting the curly willow inside the tube, knowing it will get even more stable as more stems will be added to the composition.

I am using the almost ethereal plumosa to hide the mechanic, although it would be ok to see some chicken wire in this garden design. Once the structure is in place and genuinely greened, you can start placing the blooms, always trying to play with their natural curves. To make your design easier, I would greatly recommend to leave the stems out of water for a couple of hours before starting the arrangement. The stems will become more "manageable" and will stay in the desired position once rehydrated*. You can also wire the carnations and tulips to achieve a better control.
*Make sure you make a clean cut before placing the stem in the container filled with water.


Two vases arch design
4" container
5 ½" container
4 feet - chicken wire
3 stems Plumosa
5 stems Larkspur
3 Carnations
2 Tulips
3 Bells of Ireland
4 Scabiosas
2 stems spray roses
3 stems Viburnum
3 short Curly willow

Note: The recipe provided is for a one-sided design. If you are planning on a two-sided design, you would have to double the number of blooms.

A special thanks to Miriam Somoano, AIFD that demonstrated this design in the certificate program she teaches at Golden West College.


Larkspur stems add a soft garden touch to this design.


Viburnum creates a nice contrast in color and texture when combined with darker blooms.


Scabiosa flowers come in shades of lavender, burgandy, pink and white.