Make sure you have reservations. With the spring/summer months coming up, those tables, inside and outside will fill up fast. The Opium hours were great, but so were the regular price entrees. Everything was delicious. Ambiance is fabulous, service was fantastic and food was sooooooooo delicious.
Valerie Van de Zilver
Small, but spacious enough. Excellent food & service. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Skirt Steak, California Roll
Devan Rouse
We had a reservation on Saturday at 5. The service was terrible. The drinks took forever to come out, our table wasn't fully set, and our server was nowhere to be found for the entire meal. He did not come check on us at all from the time we placed our order to the time we finished eating. The one time we tried to get his attention he didn't acknowledge us. We had to flag other people down for the place settings and soy sauce we were missing.We tasted the spicy tuna roll, lobster macadamia roll, chicken satay, Korean tacos, and edamame. The edamame was surprisingly delicious but the rest was pretty mediocre. The lychee martini did not taste anything like lychee. The lemon drop was good. Happy hour pricing is decent for food and drinks.Atmosphere was fine but it was pretty loud and cramped. Our reservation was for inside but we were sitting right by the double doors that were wide open so it was basically outside.Not likely to come again or recommend.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Edamame
Magali Gutierrez
Starfish was good!! The shrimp lettuce wraps could have used more shrimp, it was mainly veggies in a sauce, the tuna roll was good! For the entrees we had the candy dragon prawns & miso black cod. The prawnswith the side of coconut rice was good & miso black cod was perfect but I feel like the bed of vegetables didn’t really go with the black cod… lastly the flourless cake with ice cream were good but too full to eat!
Recommended dishes: Coconut Rice, Candy Dragon Prawns, Spicy Tuna Roll
Nicholas Van Der Sluys
Dined at Starfish on the recommendation of a Newport local. It absolutely did not disappoint. The spicy margaritas were the best we found in California, and the dishes we cherrypicked from all sections of the menu were each fantastic. We'll be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Crissy E.
So so so good!! From the salads to the sushi to the fabulous cocktails! Highly recommend
TCY123
We invited our friends to try Starfish today. And Starfish hit it out of the ballpark today. From the hostess' greeting when we first walked in until the end of our delicious lunch, everything we ordered was pure PERFECTION. So so glad we gave them another try.
Valeria C.
Starfish is such a great spot for lunch, happy hour, or dinner. So happy for find a great spot for Opium Hour!!!!!! The food is so good, the ambiance is comfortable and the staff is so friendly. Thank you for a great experience.
I really loved the place. Thought the food was really good and the service is great. My Chinese girlfriend just thought it was OK but her taste may be more Asian than mine. I would definitely go back. 
Lexi S.
New restaurant in Newport Beach! It's in the same parking lot as Whaler, and across the street from Louie's and Billy's. The competition is steep. I tried getting a reservation on open table but it was OC restaurant week and there weren't any to be had! I called and the host told me I could come in at 2:15 for my friend and I (to celebrate her birthday) We arrived at 2:20 and were told our table had another reservation at 4 and we needed to leave by then.. a little odd to start out the lunch with the remarks. The restaurant is very pretty and has island tropical vibes, but it is super small! There aren't many tables inside or outside, so I suggest coming with a group of 4 and under. They take the seat time limit seriously. My friend ordered one of their speciality martinis and said it was fragrant and she enjoyed it but didn't want another. I had the butterfly samba cocktail, light and delicious with a foamy top. The drink was tiny and honestly I could have drank a few (didn't taste any alcohol in it) we opted for the Orange County restaurant week menu- Phenomenal deal! Tons of food, good sized portions.($50 for 2 people) We had the pork dumplings and they were chewy on the outside, a nice crisp from being pan fried to finish and the inside was tender and flavorful. The sauce served on the side gave it a nice little zing too. The Korean tacos (OMG) I had the sauce all of my face, these are a must order. So different from any other Asian inspired taco I've had. Entrees we ordered the Mongolian beef which melted in your mouth, the sauce it was served in we were scooping up with a spoon. Served with white rice on the side. We ordered the pad Thai (gluten free) as well and it was delicious, we really enjoyed the combination of flavors and the little spice in it was great to round out the dishes. Dessert we had the flourless chocolate cake (gluten free) with ice cream, it was a small piece of cake but it was the perfect amount for the both of us. My friend was really rubbed the wrong way when our server came over to drop off the check (immediately following our food being dropped off) We paid it - but they didn't sent over another server. We had to ask the host for to go boxes for the food and if we could have another server to order drinks. 3-6 is happy hour (insanely good deal on food on drinks!) We were told our time was up in 30 minutes- we didn't want to feel rushed so we decided to walk across the street to Louie's also having happy hour. We were told by a parking attendant (he had a badge on, so maybe security?) we had to move our cars and couldn't stay parked there. I loved the decor, ambiance of the restaurant and the food. I wouldn't go back based on feeling rushed by the servers unless it was a week day and more quiet. Great for vegans, vegetarians and they have options for gluten free and dairy free. There were plenty of open tables (but the host was only seating reservations) otherwise people were filling up the bar. Be sure to make a reservation before coming or you won't be getting in!
We enjoyed our experience at Starfish for OC Restaurant Week. From the initial call to make the reservation, through the check drop, everything was flawless. The service, and all whom we interacted with were polite, professional and very helpful. The food was delicious and we will definitely come back. The Seabass is a must, everything was flavorful and none of the plates disappointed. Our server, Lauren was 5/5, very helpful, attentive and gave great recommendations. The ambiance is beautiful and made for a great double date. Highly recommend.
Loo Henny Machado
Don’t lose your time coming here! The service is really bad!
Service: 1
Karen Blakely
Ordered takeout on Saturday afternoon and the four items were Night Market Lobster Fried RicePeking Duck BaoMoo Shu PorkCambodian Black Pepper Filet MignonThe best items were the Peking Duck Bao and the Moo Shu Pork. The Night Market Lobster Fried Rice missed the mark and the lobster was dry and tough. The Cambodian Black Pepper Filet had great flavors but the meat was kind of sinewy and should not be for a "filet". We've been here several times for takeout for the restaurant is small and intimate and too tight so takeout is appreciated. We'll certainly try other items the next time.
marks stys
Visting from Florida with my dear friend Irene, we had excellent mixed herb calamari , also Black bean sauce prawns and Hong Kong lemon chicken both tasty and nicely served. Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Nancy N.
Omg! I'm so bummed out that I don't live in OC anymore because I seriously would come here weekly! I met up with a girlfriend here for lunch and it was the perfect lunch spot to catch up with a friend! Service was attentive but non intrusive , decor was lively but tasteful, and the food....were scrumptious and so creative! I'm adding this restaurant to my go to lunch spot moving forward when I meet with my girlfriends in OC for lunch. We started with the frozen rose (so pretty and not too strong). We got the following: Shrimp lettuce wraps - 5/5 Korean tacos - 4/5 Shrimp with walnut and dragon fruit 4/5 Crab and mango salad 5/5 Chocolate take for dessert 5/5 Why was everything so damn good?!? Why?! Why!! I don't know , just go and enjoy! Cheers!
Make sure you have reservations. With the spring/summer months coming up, those tables, inside and outside will fill up fast. The Opium hours were great, but so were the regular price entrees. Everything was delicious. Ambiance is fabulous, service was fantastic and food was sooooooooo delicious.
Small, but spacious enough. Excellent food & service. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Skirt Steak, California Roll
We had a reservation on Saturday at 5. The service was terrible. The drinks took forever to come out, our table wasn't fully set, and our server was nowhere to be found for the entire meal. He did not come check on us at all from the time we placed our order to the time we finished eating. The one time we tried to get his attention he didn't acknowledge us. We had to flag other people down for the place settings and soy sauce we were missing.We tasted the spicy tuna roll, lobster macadamia roll, chicken satay, Korean tacos, and edamame. The edamame was surprisingly delicious but the rest was pretty mediocre. The lychee martini did not taste anything like lychee. The lemon drop was good. Happy hour pricing is decent for food and drinks.Atmosphere was fine but it was pretty loud and cramped. Our reservation was for inside but we were sitting right by the double doors that were wide open so it was basically outside.Not likely to come again or recommend.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Edamame
Starfish was good!! The shrimp lettuce wraps could have used more shrimp, it was mainly veggies in a sauce, the tuna roll was good! For the entrees we had the candy dragon prawns & miso black cod. The prawnswith the side of coconut rice was good & miso black cod was perfect but I feel like the bed of vegetables didn’t really go with the black cod… lastly the flourless cake with ice cream were good but too full to eat!
Recommended dishes: Coconut Rice, Candy Dragon Prawns, Spicy Tuna Roll
Dined at Starfish on the recommendation of a Newport local. It absolutely did not disappoint. The spicy margaritas were the best we found in California, and the dishes we cherrypicked from all sections of the menu were each fantastic. We'll be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So so so good!! From the salads to the sushi to the fabulous cocktails! Highly recommend
We invited our friends to try Starfish today. And Starfish hit it out of the ballpark today. From the hostess' greeting when we first walked in until the end of our delicious lunch, everything we ordered was pure PERFECTION. So so glad we gave them another try.
Starfish is such a great spot for lunch, happy hour, or dinner. So happy for find a great spot for Opium Hour!!!!!! The food is so good, the ambiance is comfortable and the staff is so friendly. Thank you for a great experience.
I really loved the place. Thought the food was really good and the service is great. My Chinese girlfriend just thought it was OK but her taste may be more Asian than mine. I would definitely go back. 
New restaurant in Newport Beach! It's in the same parking lot as Whaler, and across the street from Louie's and Billy's. The competition is steep. I tried getting a reservation on open table but it was OC restaurant week and there weren't any to be had! I called and the host told me I could come in at 2:15 for my friend and I (to celebrate her birthday) We arrived at 2:20 and were told our table had another reservation at 4 and we needed to leave by then.. a little odd to start out the lunch with the remarks. The restaurant is very pretty and has island tropical vibes, but it is super small! There aren't many tables inside or outside, so I suggest coming with a group of 4 and under. They take the seat time limit seriously. My friend ordered one of their speciality martinis and said it was fragrant and she enjoyed it but didn't want another. I had the butterfly samba cocktail, light and delicious with a foamy top. The drink was tiny and honestly I could have drank a few (didn't taste any alcohol in it) we opted for the Orange County restaurant week menu- Phenomenal deal! Tons of food, good sized portions.($50 for 2 people) We had the pork dumplings and they were chewy on the outside, a nice crisp from being pan fried to finish and the inside was tender and flavorful. The sauce served on the side gave it a nice little zing too. The Korean tacos (OMG) I had the sauce all of my face, these are a must order. So different from any other Asian inspired taco I've had. Entrees we ordered the Mongolian beef which melted in your mouth, the sauce it was served in we were scooping up with a spoon. Served with white rice on the side. We ordered the pad Thai (gluten free) as well and it was delicious, we really enjoyed the combination of flavors and the little spice in it was great to round out the dishes. Dessert we had the flourless chocolate cake (gluten free) with ice cream, it was a small piece of cake but it was the perfect amount for the both of us. My friend was really rubbed the wrong way when our server came over to drop off the check (immediately following our food being dropped off) We paid it - but they didn't sent over another server. We had to ask the host for to go boxes for the food and if we could have another server to order drinks. 3-6 is happy hour (insanely good deal on food on drinks!) We were told our time was up in 30 minutes- we didn't want to feel rushed so we decided to walk across the street to Louie's also having happy hour. We were told by a parking attendant (he had a badge on, so maybe security?) we had to move our cars and couldn't stay parked there. I loved the decor, ambiance of the restaurant and the food. I wouldn't go back based on feeling rushed by the servers unless it was a week day and more quiet. Great for vegans, vegetarians and they have options for gluten free and dairy free. There were plenty of open tables (but the host was only seating reservations) otherwise people were filling up the bar. Be sure to make a reservation before coming or you won't be getting in!
Restaurantji Recommends
We enjoyed our experience at Starfish for OC Restaurant Week. From the initial call to make the reservation, through the check drop, everything was flawless. The service, and all whom we interacted with were polite, professional and very helpful. The food was delicious and we will definitely come back. The Seabass is a must, everything was flavorful and none of the plates disappointed. Our server, Lauren was 5/5, very helpful, attentive and gave great recommendations. The ambiance is beautiful and made for a great double date. Highly recommend.
Don’t lose your time coming here! The service is really bad!
Service: 1
Ordered takeout on Saturday afternoon and the four items were Night Market Lobster Fried RicePeking Duck BaoMoo Shu PorkCambodian Black Pepper Filet MignonThe best items were the Peking Duck Bao and the Moo Shu Pork. The Night Market Lobster Fried Rice missed the mark and the lobster was dry and tough. The Cambodian Black Pepper Filet had great flavors but the meat was kind of sinewy and should not be for a "filet". We've been here several times for takeout for the restaurant is small and intimate and too tight so takeout is appreciated. We'll certainly try other items the next time.
Visting from Florida with my dear friend Irene, we had excellent mixed herb calamari , also Black bean sauce prawns and Hong Kong lemon chicken both tasty and nicely served. Thank you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Omg! I'm so bummed out that I don't live in OC anymore because I seriously would come here weekly! I met up with a girlfriend here for lunch and it was the perfect lunch spot to catch up with a friend! Service was attentive but non intrusive , decor was lively but tasteful, and the food....were scrumptious and so creative! I'm adding this restaurant to my go to lunch spot moving forward when I meet with my girlfriends in OC for lunch. We started with the frozen rose (so pretty and not too strong). We got the following: Shrimp lettuce wraps - 5/5 Korean tacos - 4/5 Shrimp with walnut and dragon fruit 4/5 Crab and mango salad 5/5 Chocolate take for dessert 5/5 Why was everything so damn good?!? Why?! Why!! I don't know , just go and enjoy! Cheers!