What used to be one of the nicer restaurants in northern Orange County has turned into a low-class dive. I was meeting a friend for dinner, we had 7:30 reservations. I was met by two valets at the bottom of the hill who said I...could not drive to the parking lot. If you know anything about this restaurant, there is no street parking anywhere close and it is about a 1/2 mile hike up a very steep hill. The only thing I could do was drive to a grocery store parking lot about a mile away and wait for a bus to pick me up. According to the valet, "don't worry, you won't have to pay for it." I live right around the corner and used to frequent this place often, my husband and I loved sitting on the patio in the evenings drinking wine and having several hors d'oeuvres. NEVER, EVER will I set foot in this place again, nor will anyone that I have any influence with!More

I went with my family to the restaurant, they have good food, very delicious desserts, and very friendly staff, recommended.

We visited Orange Hill for lunch after touring historic houses in nearby Santa Ana. I had seen this restaurant repeatedly recommended for a romantic meal with a great view. I made a reservation but it didn't seem to be needed for Saturday brunch in September....Parking is valet only. The entry is beautifully landscaped with koi ponds and a huge fireplace. We were quickly seated on the patio as we requested. Tables were spaced far apart, so not noisy at all. We had omelets and French toast so I can't comment on more complicated dishes. We ordered mimosas, which they switched to bottomless when we asked for another round. The service was attentive, but not intrusive, and we were not rushed at all. The view is 180 and even with a bit of haze you can see Irvine and Anaheim in the distance. It's a bit cooler on the hill than down below, so bring a jacket or sweater. All in all, we had a lovely meal.More

This restaurant has a really great view from its patio seating. It’s summer in Southern California and the sun is setting and there is just enough breeze to cool you down at your table overlooking central Orange County and beyond. As the sun dipped beyond...the horizon, a band of pink and orange and grey spanned the sky and you take in the whole scenery. You can see yourself sit there with a smile every night having dinner. Noticeably, there were quite a few dating couples dining there. We ordered the miso Chilean sea bass, the cheese and salami plate, a strawberry lemonade, and a virgin pinada colada. They also brought a complimentary corn bread with butter and sea salt. The sea bass should be a bigger portion because if I didn’t have a snack earlier, I would not be full. It’s $48 for that portion, but there should be an option for a “regular” or “large” size. If I had to order two portions, it would be too much food. I felt that the miso should be more prominent but I figure this is catered to a lot of white folks who come here and so that explains the milder and almost absent miso taste. The fish was cooked perfectly. The broccolini that sits underneath the fish is either overcooked or it is too mature of a branch. It’s too chewy. There’s too much rice for the fish portion. Also, instead of the black rice, maybe long grain white basmati rice (that is colored golden yellow with a bit of turmeric cooked in) maybe a better choice. And the sweet sauce that forms the moat around the fish should only be a dash on the side of the plate. There’s just not enough fish for the sauce. For the cheese plate, I wished they had Port Salut as one of the choices. The sliced Granny Smith offers a nice contrast for the salami. We liked the spicy salami over the non spicy one. I don’t know what to make of the buttered bread that came with it. Each one was a large piece, but each piece was hard like a crostini and so it was hard to eat. Hot, fresh baked bread would have been nice. Or just warmed up black Cheese Cake Factory bread that you can get at different places would have been better also. For the strawberry lemonade, my daughter said it was too sweet. My virgin pinada colada was more like a fruity drink of some kind. Please go to Benihana and order a virgin pinada colada there and then replicate that. Basically, pineapple juice swirled in with a lot of coconut ice cream. Little details can make a lot of difference and elevate the restaurant to another level. If the French Laundry was located here, then you would have great food and a view to match.More

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID…I went to Orange HIll Restaurant for my wife's birthday on July 4, 2021. I paid $200 dollars to reserve a patio table for a party of 7, including my 4-year old daughter and in-laws. Long story short, we waited nearly 2 hours...and never received our dinner order. After an hour and a half a manager (Brandon) came to apologize and indicated the dinner food we ordered and had not received would be "on the house". We waited another 40 minutes after speaking with Brandon, and still never received our dinner order (not even the sides dishes). At this point my family and I decided to leave and requested a full refund for all charges (appetizers and drinks). I spoke with a manager named Rudy who refused to honor this request, even though I explained to him how terrible this experience was for my wife and her family. Not only that, I incurred an additional hour charge by the limo company we used for my wife's birthday, because of the food delay for the food we never received. This experience ruined my wife's birthday and was a complete embarrassment. Terrible customer service. Randy, the general manager, ensured me in writing I would be fully refunded for all charges related to this night, but yet no refund request was sent to my credit card company, causing me to file a dispute claim. Would not recommend this spot and would encourage people to avoid it.More

This restaurant deserves less than one star , The staff are not friendly at all , the service was HORRIBLE ,the drinks took at least 50 minutes to come out with no apology, in fact our server who is named KIMBERLEE intentionally charged us with...an extra drink on our bill that we did not ask for nor did we receive. To make matters worse KIMBERLEE was upselling us the whole night and it was to a point were it was overbearing and annoying this is easily the worst experience I have had at a restaurant and I will definitely not be going there again. I reported my experience with their manager but she disappointed me even more instead of apologizing and compensating us for the drink that our waiter scammed us with , she kept on defending the horrible service that KIMBERLEE had performed. The service and treatment we received at this establishment outweighed the beautiful views that the restaurant had to offer, If you want to witness a beautiful scenery while being mistreated and ripped off go to Orange Hill restaurant they will do a great job. I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT TO ANYBODY , IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY YOUR TIME GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!More

Since it was my bf's birthday, I made a reservation at Orange Hill. It was mostly for the view as I've seen mixed reviews on the food and we had never been there before. He was pleasantly surprised and excited. The entrance is located at...the intersection of Chapman and Cliffway. It's easy to miss if you're not paying attention. Believe me, I missed it. Once you're past the entrance, you have to drive up the hill and valet your car. Per previous posted reviews, I knew that there was a charge for Valet as there is no self parking. It went up to $7 and is no longer "suggested". Personally, I don't like to valet my car if I can help it but if there is no self parking, then there isn't much of a choice. Our reservation was at 6:30 and we arrived early. Luckily, the hostess was able to seat us on the patio as requested. We weren't next to the railing but we still had an amazing view. I suppose we could have asked to wait for a table next to the railing if we really wanted to since the happy hour crowd was leaving. They have QR codes on the table for the menus due to COVID protocols. Alex was our server. He asked us if we were celebrating anything and we informed him we were celebrating a birthday. We ordered two Smoke & Honey cocktails ($14 ea.) and the coconut shrimp to start ($19). The drinks came out first, along with a complimentary cornbread, and the appetizer shortly after. The coconut shrimp was definitely a good choice. We loved it. The cocktail is your basic old fashioned. We ordered the braised short rib ($37), 6 oz. filet medium-rare ($38), mac & cheese ($10), mushroom fricassee ($10), and grilled broccoli & broccolini ($10). Our food arrived about the same time and my bf cut into his filet. It was medium well. Not good. He would have kept it because he didn't want to bother the staff but I figured it was still something we should let our server know. After a few minutes of debating it, we let Alex know. He was super apologetic and said he'd let the chef know. Actually my bf was also apologetic because he doesn't usually complain about food. Alex took it back and brought us a new steak. He also brought us the same sides out (complimentary) at the same time. So we received double the sides and a new steak on the house. My short rib was definitely braised tender but the flavor was lacking. Since the filet had to be re-fired, we shared the short ribs and sides. The whipped truffle potatoes were rich but there was a lack of truffle flavor. The other sides were good too. We definitely enjoyed the views. A server who brought out our second round of sides took a photo for us with the sunset in the background. For dessert, I opted for the sticky toffee pudding and they brought us a complimentary birthday brownie as well. While the dinner had a bit of a snafu, the staff of Orange Hill definitely made it right. We had a wonderful evening. My bf definitely felt especially spoiled. I can see why people come for the views. On a clear day like the evening we were there, the views were breathtaking.More

My girlfriend and I had a date night at Orange Hill restaurant and it was a great experience. Everyone was friendly and provided a good service. We sat outside and we could see the city from the hill top. Our server Jacob was very friendly....The food was very good as well. I would recommend the restaurant to anyone who wants to have good food on a special night.More

Overall amazing food, and the views are just beautiful. At night you can see all the lights in the city. It was so fun to have a such an amazing dinner with my family watching from above the city.

I have been coming here with my family for many years, and have always had an absolutely phenomenal time. The view here is absolutely amazing, not only can you see a giant swath of Orange County with a beautiful skyline, but the island of Catalina...is even visible with the right weather. It is situated at the top of the side of a hill, facing the direction of the city. There is a fun little drive up a narrow, winding road to get to the top, which is a neat touch. Taking it all in while next to the fire-pits on the balcony is a memorable experience, a true opportunity to take some amazing pictures. The vibe here is really suitable for the 'smart casual' dress attire that is encouraged, I really enjoyed it. One thing you'll notice is the alluring Koi pond and stunning landscape out front, it is very pleasant. Valet parking is complimentary and the people assisting with it were very helpful, but any decent person knows to tip them for their help and efforts. I was very impressed by the competence and friendliness of Jasmine, who provided my family with astounding service. After the meal, everyone was pleased with the recommendations she provided us, all the food and drinks were fantastic. For me, she recommended the Herb Roasted Prime Rib, which was cooked to perfection and tender and juicy. The French onion soup and Au Jus that came with it was terrific as well. Their chefs really know what they are doing and should keep up the outstanding work. Jasmine made the experience many times better just by having such a great attitude and being so polite and helpful the entire time. The music playlist they have is also really laid back and enhances the ambiance of the experience. One thing I recommend is checking out their sunset menu, which is really an amazing value, and as you can imagine, you're there at the right time to watch the beautiful sunset view. Orange Hill is definitely ideal if you're planning a work event or want to make a special occasion of some kind be truly memorable. The O Bar is also really fun, a great place to chill out and make sure to get set up with their Loyalty Club to get even more value from this terrific restaurant. In summary, after all these years, Orange Hill has never disappointed and I plan on coming back for many years to come. Everything from the view to the chef's amazing job with the food to Jasmine's flawless service makes Orange Hill possibly the best restaurant in all of Orange County, I can't think of a single complaint or negative aspect to include here whatsoever.More

I really miss going to Orange Hill Restaurant! ☹️Everyone is always so wonderful! We did a take out for Easter. What a treat!! We had the Roasted,citrus- brined turkey dinner w delicious garlic potatoes,green bean casserole and thyme baby carrots! Thank you so much everyone...for making this dinner possible! It was fabulous 😋It was so nice to have a wonderful dinner during the Quarantine. We can't wait to have a dinner at Orange Hill in person! 😁Especially miss the fantastic people ,beautifull view and great food! Oh! we loved the cobbler dessert too! We will get through this together!!❤️🙏Thank you so much for making our Easter a Happy one!❤️More

The service was very good and the steaks were tender and tasty. I have heard opinions from our friends that the food quality has gone downhill in the past years/months but that is NOT the case. Food was very good. I was actually impressed. I...ate during restaurant week so alot of people were literally coming out of the woodwork to dine here. I am sure on a regular day that is not the case. I recommend this restaurant based on the quality of food and service we received.More