Laguna Beach a la Carte : Dining in the Neighborhood

A selection of the better restaurants in Laguna Beach, by Charles Perry, a Times restaurant critic. Prices listed are for food only; tax, tip and beverages are not included. NC = no credit cards accepted; AE = American Express; CB = Carte Blanche; DC = Diner’s Club; MC = MasterCard; V = Visa.

Bennie the Bums Diner, 238 Laguna Ave., (714) 497-4786. A faintly self-conscious throwback to the old-time American diner, Bennie’s is not only the most interesting but also the best of downtown Laguna’s American food places. The visuals are Diner Deco (neon, jukebox, Coke posters), and the food is classic short-order fare: raucous chili, crusty chicken-fried steak, a BLT with lots of smoky bacon. Good freshly made soups and pies; decent Java. Open 24 hours daily. Lunch for two about $10. NC.

Dizz’s as Is, 2794 Coast Highway, (714) 494-5250. Never call Lagunans fickle. They’ve been coming to this cluttered, raffishly decorated hangout (it has the air of a battered down-and-out artist’s beach shack) since the Flood, even though the food is by no means on the gastronomic cutting edge: semi-French, semi-Italian. Open for dinner daily, through August. Dinner for two about $35. MC, V.

Five Feet, 328 Glenneyre St., (714) 497-4955. Its mystifying name makes Five Feet sound like an art gallery, and it actually does look a little like one. The small, changing menu offers one definition of Franco-Chinese--Chinese food served as if it were French. The dishes sometimes even seem to be simultaneously French and Chinese--fish with grapefruit and mustard, for example. Open for lunch Monday through Saturday, for dinner daily. Dinner for two about $40. AE, MC, V.

Ivy House, 384 Forest Ave., (714) 752-8558. Covered with immemorial ivy, this establishment prides itself on never changing: a comfortable old-style Continental restaurant where you can find the fancy dishes of 30 years ago--rack of lamb bouquetiere and chicken livers chasseur . It may be the spiritual home of the Pageant of the Masters, just a short walk away. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Dinner for two about $35. AE, CB, DC, MC, V.

Monique, 31727 Coast Highway, (714) 499-5359. Monique is a pretty place, a provincial French home with additional dining outside on a surprisingly large patio (with booths). The blackboard menu lists nothing avant-garde, but the food is affectionately prepared and by far the most genuinely French in the area: pork loin normande , entrecote marchand du vin . Open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Dinner for two about $30. AE, MC, V.

Savories Cafe, 31796 Coast Highway, (714) 499-2100. “American Food,” this place subtitles itself; that translates to high-powered, California-style American food from Michael Watren, one of Orange County’s superstar chefs. It ranges from pecan-breaded turkey breasts with mustard meat glaze to honey-sesame pork and fanciful salads with jicama. The gastronomic fast track of Laguna. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Dinner for two about $25. AE, MC, V.

Tortilla Flats, 1740 S. Coast Highway, (714) 494-6588. Having been in Laguna going on 40 years, Tortilla Flats has evolved into a grand, multi-roomed palace with upscale dishes like crab enchiladas on the menu. The center of the action is still a sharp table salsa, good browned machaca in the tacos and a very luscious chile relleno. A nice, garden atmosphere for Mexican food on the rich and cheesy side. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Lunch for two about $18. AE, MC, V.

Towers Restaurant, Surf and Sand Hotel, 1555 S. Coast Highway, (714) 497-4477. The Towers has possibly the best view of Laguna’s many restaurants with views, and certainly the best for catching sunsets (it’s on the ninth floor), and the mirrored walls and ceilings fill the room with visual echoes of breaking waves. The food is Cream Sauce Continental: One or another kind of cream sauce comes on nearly everything. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Dinner for two about $40. AE, CB, DC, MC, V.