Studio Mediterranean

Stunning Oceanfront Greek Restaurant Studio Opens This Fall at the Montage Laguna Beach | Eater LA

"Returning after a multi-year hiatus inside the Montage Laguna Beach resort, this striking coastal restaurant space is led by Chef Dennis Efthymiou, a Greek native who trained in Athens as well as at the U.K.’s three-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck, Central in Lima, and Luce in San Francisco. The high-end, staunchly Greek seafood menu features spreads such as house-baked pita, keftedes (beef and pork meatballs) with smoked tzatziki, charred octopus with saganaki sauce, and a tableside-tossed Greek salad; whole seafood like Greek branzino, Spanish Dover sole, Maine lobster, dorade, and rainbow trout is deboned, grilled, and dressed simply with lemon, olive oil, and sea salt (priced between $52 and $88 per pound). Signature luxury items include a salt-baked branzino in a coffee-salt crust for $165 and rarefied Spanish carabinero prawns at $95 apiece, while more inventive fish dishes include black cod with turmeric butter and grilled steelhead with dill-butter sauce. Other proteins include roasted chicken, a bone-in rib-eye for two, and grilled lamb chops, with sides such as lemon-roasted potatoes, charred broccoli, and Rancho Gordo gigante beans; desserts include a baklava ice cream sundae laced with honey served in a copper pan and a medjool date tart drizzled with chocolate, olive oil, caramel, and crème fraîche. Sommelier Gary Sullivan continues the lauded wine program praised in earlier reviews, and cocktails such as the Odyssey feature Ouzo 12 with kumquat-cello and elderflower ice. The interior has been sleekly upgraded from its previous look, replacing patterned carpets with ecru stone tiling, off-white seating, and dainty potted olive trees, while wide windows afford Pacific views, long sunsets, and crashing waves—evoking a White Lotus–style Mykonos or Santorini vibe; the room previously hosted a well-regarded iteration under chef Craig Strong, who received a sparkling review from Los Angeles Times critic S. Irene Virbila in 2009 that praised his cooking and the unfettered ocean views. The reopening taps into a broader Greek-seafood trend seen with spots such as Kassi in Venice Beach, José Andrés’s Zaytinya in Culver City, Deme at Hotel Figueroa in Downtown LA, and the forthcoming Estiatorio Milos in Century City. The restaurant was made available to hotel guests on June 26 and will open to the public on October 10, 2025; it is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m." - Matthew Kang