The Drake in Laguna Beach

Food was horrible. Music was ok. Service was subpar. ~$400 for 4 people (1 person had a salad).

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 3

Excellent service, food, and atmosphere. The live music is always on point. Your choice for a romantic jaunt.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We came for dinner for our wedding anniversary. The place has very classy vibes. Our server, Emily was fantastic. My wife is vegetarian and they made her a dish with veggies and mashed potatoes that she loves. I ordered the venison and it was perfect. The music from Roderick Chambers was wonderful and fit the mood well. We can't wait to come back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Seven of us were in town from Chicago and made reservations at The Drake Laguna Beach to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from start to finish.

We were blindsided upon arrival when each guest was charged a $10 cover fee for the live jazz band. This was never disclosed at the time of reservation. While the band was talented, the music was extremely loud, making conversation at the table difficult—something that has been echoed in other reviews.

We each ordered our own entrée, except for the birthday guest and his wife, who chose to share a ribeye. When the bill arrived, they were charged a $5 split fee, which again was never mentioned by our server at the time of ordering and only noticed afterward on the check.

Before our entrées arrived, a plate of fries was placed on the table. By the time we realized that none of us ordered fries, we brought this to our server’s attention, his response was, “You ate it, right?”—a dismissive and rude comment that set the tone for the rest of the service.

One guest—who happens to be a restaurant owner himself—did not receive his Chicken Yucatán entrée until the rest of the table had either finished or was nearly finished eating. Our server assured us the issue had been addressed, that the bill would be taken care of, and that dessert would be provided. The chef did come out to apologize, which was appreciated and professional.

However, when the bill arrived, the $40 chicken entrée was still listed. When questioned, the server responded that while the entrée was charged, desserts worth $40 were provided instead and asked if that was “okay.” Even our guest, a restaurant owner, found this handling inappropriate. In our experience, when an entrée arrives after the table has finished eating—especially after assurances it would be resolved—it is typically voided.

As for the food: my filet mignon was tender, though I would request the sauce on the side next time. Another guest ordered the Wagyu beef pappardelle, which was dry, lacked flavor, and the “wagyu” itself was tough.

Overall, this may not have been our lucky night, but the biggest issue was the server’s demeanor and lack of accountability. Between undisclosed fees, service delays, and dismissive responses, the experience fell far short of expectations—especially for a birthday celebration.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

We always enjoy the Drake, but this time we were with locals who had never experienced it and it missed the mark on a few levels. While the music was great, as it always is, the drummer/piano duo was just bit too loud. Playlist and vibe were on point, but drums made it tough to talk. Waitress was seasoned, but made a few mistakes with regard to order accuracy (small changes made to dishes due to food allergies and celiac). When questioned, she took offense, despite our working it out at the table and not "sending anything back". After the issue, she seemed to forget the situation when it came to desserts, as both very specific food allergies were seemingly forgotten, and we did need to ask for diner appropriate servings. Food was solid, as it always is, but while I expected that these first timers would walk out excited for their next visit, they left with uncertainty that would occur. Hard to say if it was the volume or the food issue that would prevent them from returning...

While we love music, we dined in the bar so we could have a conversation. Ted was wonderful, thfood was amazing and our out of town guest was very happy.

We had a fantastic time at the Drake. Fantastic service. Amazing food. And great music. The location is the perfect size and the design is like an older speakeasy. Very romantic and we enjoyed our date night very much. We will certainly return for another amazing evening out.

Love The Drake! Great vibe, low key and fun. Great music (thank you Jake Tompkins Quartet!) great service (thank you Taylor!) and great food. What more can you ask? Highly recommend. Pricey for sure but worth it and how often can you say that?

Everything started off wonderfully — the food was delicious, the drinks were excellent, and the ambiance, enhanced by live jazz, was exactly what we were hoping for. My boyfriend and I had chosen this spot for a relaxing evening out, and based on online reviews, we were aware that the restaurant had a strict five-minute grace period for reservations. Running slightly behind, we hurried from the car to avoid losing our table, and in the rush, I accidentally left my purse behind. Typically, I handle the tip while my boyfriend pays for the meal.

After we finished dining, we decided to linger and enjoy the music a bit longer. I excused myself to use the restroom and planned to retrieve my purse from the car immediately afterward so I could leave a proper tip. While I was away, however, our server, Heather, approached my boyfriend and abruptly demanded a tip. Unaware of my intentions, she made assumptions about our plans. When I returned, my boyfriend, visibly upset, told me to forget about tipping altogether. I was confused until he explained what had happened.

To make matters worse, Heather raised her voice and told him that if we didn’t have money to spend, we should have stayed home. Her behavior was not only uncalled for but also deeply unprofessional and disrespectful. What began as a lovely evening was unfortunately overshadowed by this disappointing and inappropriate interaction.

I've been to The Drake a couple times now, and it doesn't disappoint! The cozy atmosphere, the music, the drinks, the food — I loved it all! My party and I wanted to hear the music, but still wanted to chit chat, so we chose the enclosed patio (don't worry, it's not cold!). If you sit in the dining room, be prepared to mostly listen to the music as you won't be able to talk much given the volume inside - which is love to try next time! The patio seating still has great views of the band so you can see and hear them. I sat on the patio tables closest to the band, so we had a great view. The drinks are top notch, and loved the jumbo jumbo appetizer! Only went for drinks and a small app, and then had the pumpkin spice tiramisu which was lovely! I called ahead to ask for a specific table, and they couldn't guarantee it, but they put a note down for my preference, and were able to seat us at that table, and even held it for 20 minutes as I was late! Loved the experience, and eager to return!

The drinks were well crafted, fresh ingredients for a whiskey sour. The beet salad was amazing, it needed a few extra walnuts for texture. The Chilean Seabass was cooked to perfection and the cauliflower mashed potatoes were delicious. Did not miss regular potatoes at all.  I would definitely come back to try something new. And enjoy some jazz, of course!

The Drake Laguna Beach is an absolute standout—sophisticated, intimate, and full of soul. The live jazz creates an incredible atmosphere that instantly sets the tone, making the experience feel special from the moment you walk in. The cocktails are expertly crafted, the vibe is effortlessly cool, and the service is attentive without ever interrupting the flow of the evening. It’s the kind of place where you want to linger, listen, and soak it all in. Excited to hear they’re opening a new Drake in Los Angeles with that same live jazz feel—if it’s anything like the Laguna location, it’s going to be exceptional.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Dinner was great, service was great, and the music was great. Taylor our server did a great job recommending delicious options.

The drake is by far one of our favorites!! Food was amazing! The drinks were so good. They had live music and we loved every minute of it. We will definitely return!

Im giving this place 3 stars because in my opinion thats what it deserves. The atmosphere was great with live music & the lighting was nice. We had a reservation at 8:30pm & got seated at 8pm. We waited about 15 mins while servers walked past us after looking at us more than a handful of times. Other tables who got seated after us had gotten their food already meanwhile we haven't even got to order an appetizer after already been seated for 10 mins. No one checked on us to see if we were ready to order until my husband got one of the servers attention. I do feel this was all about our race because we were literally the only Hispanics there besides one of the bus boys while everyone else including staff are Caucasian. The people that all go there clearly are wealthy. Me & my husband felt the energy from everyone there & it was judgemental. The food was good but we wont ever be returning to this place. Its true when they say money makes people feel entitled & obviously they have forgotten how to treat people with respect & kindness. After all we also paid the same amount everyone else pays for food there but got treated as if we were invisible or as if we just didn't matter. Some advice to The Drake & staff especially..treat EVERYONE the same. They are also there so spend their money on your overpriced okay food. They dont also need to feel judged & out of place. Thats not right.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 1