Splashes

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where the Pacific Sets the Table

Perched directly on the shoreline at Surf & Sand Resort on South Coast Highway, Splashes is about as close to the ocean as a dining room can get. The recently renovated space is designed in sync with its backdrop — panoramic views of the horizon, palm-shaded patios, and the constant rhythm of lapping waves framing every meal from breakfast through dinner.

The restaurant earns its place among recognized American dining destinations in part through its wine program, which holds a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — a distinction that reflects genuine depth and curation rather than a perfunctory list. Sommelier-selected pairings are woven into the experience at every turn, from casual lunch to the more structured evening offerings.

A Kitchen Rooted in Local Ingredients

Executive Chef Ron Fougeray anchors the menu in fresh, local produce and seafood. The breakfast menu alone signals the kitchen's intentions: a Heritage Grain Bowl with quinoa, barley, wild rice, Tuscan kale, and poached egg; California Avocado Toast built on artisan sourdough with Girl & Dug heirloom tomatoes and chili crunch; Meyer Lemon Huckleberry Pancakes finished with honey-whipped ricotta and yuzu maple. These are not afterthoughts — they read as carefully considered plates in their own right.

Weekend brunch runs Saturdays and Sundays in the newly renovated dining room, while weekday lunches and daily dinners extend the range of contemporary coastal American cooking. On Friday and Saturday evenings, The Cut & The Catch spotlights dry-aged specialty meats, line-caught fish, and pristine shellfish — each selection prepared with precision and paired with wines chosen for the Pacific light outside. Tuesday through Sunday, a five-course Chef's Tasting Menu moves from delicate crudo and starters through expertly prepared seafood and fine cuts to a sweet finale, with every course built around seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

Gather, Share, Savor

The atmosphere at Splashes is unhurried without being sleepy. Whether you arrive for a pressed juice and eggs at sunrise or settle in for the tasting menu as the sun drops over the water, the setting does real work — the kind that no amount of interior design fully replicates. For private events, the resort's dining infrastructure supports intimate gatherings and larger celebrations alike.

Nominated for the 2026 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice awards, Splashes continues to draw attention well beyond Laguna Beach — a testament to what happens when serious American cooking meets one of Southern California's most compelling natural backdrops.