The sun sparkling on the sea, cliffside dining and a mild climate are a few characteristics that can make enjoying a meal in Southern California feel like eating dinner on a Greek island. The recently reopened Studio Mediterranean at Montage Laguna Beach has been re-imagined as an especially spot-on stand-in for Santorini.
The oceanfront flagship of Montage Hotels & Resorts has renovated its signature restaurant, Studio, as Studio Mediterranean with a new design and gastronomic identity. A grand opening party last week invited guests in their best neutrals and white linen to match the space’s coastal vibe, after a summer of being open solely to resort guests.
“The transformation of our signature restaurant into Studio Mediterranean marks a defining moment for Montage Laguna Beach and adds a vibrant new destination to the heart of Orange County’s culinary scene,” Victorio Gonzalez, managing director at Montage Laguna Beach, said in a prepared statement.
Studio Mediterranean’s revamp coincides with other improvements made to the property in the last year, including new cabanas, enhanced pool decks and an update of Montage Laguna Beach’s Mosaic Bar & Grille.
The dining room at sunset at the recently reopened cliffside Studio Mediterranean in Laguna Beach.
(Christian Horan)
The redesigned dining room features coastal and neutral hues with modern furnishings that honor Studio’s original residential-style architecture, while floor-to-ceiling windows allow for unobstructed views of the ocean.
Executive Chef Dennis Efthymiou, a native of Greece, is directing the menu. His heritage and experience in Michelin-starred kitchens inform his cooking.
“This has been a very heartwarming project for me,” Efthymiou said at the grand opening party, where different food stations featured signature dishes, including grilled lamb chops in pistachio-mint salsa verde, charred octopus in saganaki sauce and caviar service.
Many of the ingredients are flown in from Greece while others are sourced from Spain and Italy. The menu is an homage to Mediterranean ingredients while still considering the flavors of the light California cuisine on which Studio built its reputation.
“I tend to keep things more on the Mediterranean side, and Studio Mediterranean is like a twist on traditional Greek food,” Efthymiou said. “But all the ingredients, the quality, it is all very much resembling what you would find in Greece.”
Guests can choose from meze, including garlic tahini or edamame bean hummus served with house baked yogurt pita, grilled dates in walnut oil or zucchini fritters packed with fresh herbs and spiced with cumin in the style of falafel.
A tableside horiatiki is a take on traditional greek salad served in a large format to feed two to four diners with fresh heirloom tomato, Persian cucumber, red onion, feta, olive oregano, green bell pepper and capers mixed at the table. The selection of whole, line-caught fish flown in daily from around the world is priced per pound and ranges from branzino and dorado from Greece to dover sole from Spain.
A tableside Horiatiki Salad at Studio Mediterranean at the Montage Laguna Beach.
(Courtesy of Studio Mediterranean)
The menu is complimented by a beverage program with Greek, European and California wines, plus cocktails that utilize local ingredients and Greek spirits.
Efthymiou said he isn’t just bringing the flavors of the Mediterranean to Studio, but the hospitality too.
“Our mission is to make people feel very comfortable and have an experience reminiscent of the hospitality in the Mediterranean,” Efthymiou said. “We want people to feel free, to smile and enjoy. We do everything possible to make them feel at home.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by the rest of the staff.
“Studio Mediterranean is more than a restaurant,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a destination where locals and travelers alike can gather, celebrate and connect through exceptional food, thoughtful hospitality and the breathtaking natural beauty that surrounds us.”
Studio Mediterranean at Montage Laguna Beach is located at 30801 South Coast Hwy. For reservation for visit montage.com.
Dining and Cooking