The Ocean Room

Summary: Food: A Service: A+ Atmosphere: A Cost: $$$$ We celebrated my father-in-law’s milestone birthday with dinner here. We had a wonderful meal experience from start to finish. We were fortunate enough to have Delia as our server. She coordinated the meal from start to finish and added a level of personal engagement and enthusiasm that we would rate as one of the best restaurant service experiences we have ever had. If we could give her 6 stars, we would. The rest of the staff was also great, including some fun instances of dining theatre. The food itself was very good. Could my wedge salad have used a little more dressing and some pepper? Sure. Were the twice-baked potatoes a little bit of false advertising in that they were more like very, very good baked potatoes? Yes. But we are nitpicking here. Our steaks were all cooked correctly and delicious. And coffee with dessert was top-notch. Is the Ocean Room very expensive? Absolutely. Was it worth the cost in terms of having a first-class experience to celebrate an important family event that would leave a great memory for all involved? A resounding “Yes.” The Ocean Room gets a five-star review from our entire family.

Amazing, curated fine dining experience with Alex as waiter- superb generous service and suggestions! Lesly rocked out custom Manhattan drinks ! Outstanding filet w perfect temperature and black cod with well thought out sides. Excellent wine list as well- bravo Ocean Room!!

This is in my top five best dinner experiences I ever had. We started with the seafood tower. This included the best lobster and oysters I ever ate. Then I had a ribeye which was very flavorful. The desert was walnut brownie with ice cream which was amazing. The service was also excellent! I will definitely be back!

Our server, JT, was absolutely fabulous, with a personable and charming presence that created a warm atmosphere. His insightful suggestions for appetizers, wine and entrées truly enhanced our experience. It was one of the best customer service experiences we've ever had at a fine dining restaurant. We left feeling very satisfied because everything was delicious, and the service was top-notch!

Always incredible! The service was perfect and the food delicious. Brian made excellent recommendations and everyone treated us so special. We ordered the roasted oysters and the oysters on the half shell, bison carpaccio, scallops and striped bass. We loved it all!

This place is exquisite! More than just great food but The Ocean Room provides a wonderful dinner experience. We visited for my husband's birthday and I'm so glad we did. The view of the ocean was amazing. We started with a cocktail named the swallow-tailed kite that I absolutely loved. Our steaks were cooked perfectly and the creamed spinach was some of the best I have had honestly. This is definitely worth the money and trip to Kiawah. The service was also unmatched. Ten stars!

We loved it, amazing experience all around. We went to celebrate our anniversary and were impressed with the service and attention to detail. The food was delightful! We had a beautiful evening, and were invited to the balcony for some pictures with the sunset. Incredible!

Terrific ambience with highly attentive and well trained, pleasant staff. The food was beyond delicious. I got the iceberg wedge and split the tomahawk ribeye with my son. He got the creamed onion soup to start and said it was delicious. I highly recommend and will return to this restaurant…it’s a special place!

Really nice and polite service (waitstaff is excellent and professional, creating a very upscale dining experience). Super, super overpriced with food that (when considering the price) is too high. They also do not service wine by the glass, only by the bottle, and the cheapest is about $200. Beautiful atmosphere and wonderful service, but not for upwards of $500 for two people ordering not much food and one bottle of very average wine.

Third and last time I will eat here. Ok, we both had the black cod. We both thought it was excellent. My son got oysters - he said they were very good. I got the onion soup - I finished half. Not impressed. The bread was like a loaf of Hawaiian King rolls - butter was horrible. We each had a small slice of bread - didn't finish it. The $16 baked potato was dried out and tasteless - did not eat it. No dessert. The server was horrible. Extremely stiff, not engaging with us. Not helpful in the least. After not eating the small portions served, do you think he would care and ask us about it? Nope. David (our water Waitor) was tremendous. Friendly, smiling, helpful - the antithesis of Miles, our Waitor. $250 later (no drinks, no dessert) we left - won't go back, and, neither will our friends on future visits to Kiawah. This place is an absolute embarrassment.

One usually can't go wrong when dining at a Forbes "Five Star" rated restaurant and the Ocean Room at Kiawah Island Golf Resort is no exception if you are so inclined to try a highly rated restaurant. The menu ~ consisting mainly of beef, poultry, oysters and produce ~ change seasonally so you are guaranteed the freshest ingredients will be served to you on carefully crafted plates. The staff is gracious and professional and the servers are very adept at illustrating different menu items and making suggestions to you. The environment is accented with dark woods and has a "clubby" like sophisticated atmosphere to it. There is a dress code here, so note ~ collared shirt and tailored slacks for gentlemen. Country Club casual for women. Beachwear is not permitted. We had a small table in the Ocean Room Lounge area this time but there is a Main Dining Room with wonderful views of the Atlantic. The lounge area is cozy and has a fireplace. It's a nice place to gather with family and friends for drinks or light appetizers before you move into the Main Dining Room for dinner. Ccn

Food was outstanding! Service was good without being overbearing , also nice atmosphere. We enjoyed a filet and scallops . Desserts were amazing especially the strawberry creme brûlée ! JT did a nice job on service .

Came for a family reunion with a prix fixe menu. The service was top notch. Our servers had great recommendations and we're at our beck and call. The food was great. We had the option of the salad, or burrata for our first. Both were a little lack luster. The burrata was what I ordered and the amount of cheese was not in ratio to the rest of the dish. The second was the risotto or lobster bisque. The mushroom risotto was great and so was the bisque. I would not be able to choose between the two. Lastly we had a mushroom dish, fish dish, rib eye and tomahawk steak. I had the tomahawk steak, it was to die for and one of the meltiest pieces of meat I've had. The desserts were cheesecake and pot de creme. The pot de creme was the way to go the cheesecake was a little too airy and not as dense as I would've liked. I would definitely take a friend or date here

Located inside The Sanctuary, the Ocean Room is touted as the premier steakhouse on Kiawah . Reservations are required but if you can't get one, you can ask to dine in the first come, first serve lounge . Having sat in both the main dining room and the lounge , I prefer the lounge . It's offers cozy booth nooks and a little more privacy. It has a romantic ambiance especially when the fireplace is lit . The bar is a nice option as well . This is the kinda place you want to get dressed up for so save the jeans and casual wear for the Jasmine Porch . If you are a carnivore , definitely order a steak . I like the rib eye . If you like to support local , order the Mepkin Abbey mushrooms. It's a blend of shiitake and oyster mushrooms grown in Berkeley County (outside of Moncks Corner) by monks. It's a big source of financial support for the non profit monastery. If seafood is your preference , I always enjoy the salmon and lobster bisque . Most important, relax , soak in the beautiful ambiance and enjoy the experience at the Ocean Room !

Such a lovely dining room with beautiful ocean views. Our server was friendly, informative and allowed us to dine at a relaxing slow pace. Our evening began with classic cocktails, a Manhattan and Maple Old Fashioned. The Maple Old Fashion had a seasonal twist with a touch of Bourbon Barrel aged maple syrup, rounded out with Augostura and orange bitters, and garnished with a star of anise. Wonderful! The Prince Edward Island raw oysters were small but fantastic. The fresh grated horseradish was a perfect accompaniment! Our 8 oz Black Angus steaks were correctly prepared medium. My addition of Horseradish crème fraiche was yummy, but hubs Blue Cheese crust filet stole the show. It was melt in your mouth good! The sides are shareable and plentiful. Our server recommended a half order for the two of us and a full order of sides would have been too much. The truffled pommes frites, creamed spinach and Brussels sprouts were delish! Hope to return sooner than later!

Service and food were five star! Ordered the sweet potato gnocchi and Brussels w pomegranate and both were excellent as sides. Filet steak was perfectly cooked and delicious. White asparagus soup was outrageously good. The Cesar salad was very good and included some caviar with it. Chef sent a terrific cold scallop appetizer as well and some asparagus w the most delicious pickled deviled egg topping. White chocolate cheesecake crust less dessert w some hint of cookie crumble and berries was also terrific. Large wine menu available. Ambiance was also great. Been here several times and never disappoints.

This place is consistently good with food and service. The restaurant itself is what you would expect. There is nothing negative you could say, at least for us.

This is the absolute BEST restaurant in South Carolina!! (and we've been to a lot of the restaurants) We had a reservation for 7 people for 5:30pm and got in right away. We had a fantastic table with an ocean view! It was phenomenal!! At one point, we got up and took pictures on the balcony outside while it was still light outside. Our server, Gregg, was so quick and had the best recommendations! He refilled my tea faster than I could drink them (and I drank at least 5). We started with a number of appetizers. I ordered the lobster bisque which was smooth and flavorful with perfect pieces of lobster in it! My husband ordered the oysters which he really enjoyed as well. For the main course, I ordered the 8 oz Filet Mignon with roasted garlic on top. The roasted garlic cloves really complemented the filet. My husband ordered the Dry Aged Tomahawk Ribeye which he shared because it was 32 ounces of Black Angus, USDA Prime. It was huge!! We also ordered a number of appetizers for the table including the Creamed Spinach, Lobster Mac n cheese, Seasonal Beets, and Shishito peppers. The Lobster Mac n cheese was the best one, in my opinion, and the first to be finished at our table. Everyone loved it and it had HUGE pieces of lobster! For dessert, I ordered the Sorbet trio which included a scoop of coconut sorbet, passion fruit sorbet, and raspberry sorbet. All flavors were so tasty and was the perfect size portion as well!! My husband ordered the brownie with ice cream. It was presented so pretty on the plate that you barely wanted to eat it! (Looked like art) I must say Chef Robert Rando really knows how to make a GREAT meal with a great presentation!! We had so much fun and everything we ate was better than we ever imagined! We can't wait to come back on the next vacation!

liked the food and the service but we were not admitted in the main dining room due to it's rigid dress code. however, we have seen people coming in and out of the dining room who were not wearing the dress code.

A little annoyed to be asked at check in if I was wearing a collared shirt. Give me a break. It's off season, I clearly had a collared shirt on, and I'm going to spend 1000 on dinner but you're still going to make me show you my polo under my pull over which also had a collar?

We dined at The Ocean Room last night, WOW what a culinary delight!! We actually chose to dine in the Bar /Lounge area instead of the main dining room. Great atmosphere and awesome seating. The Service was beyond expectations and the food was excellent! For appetizers we both had the Lobster Bisque oh so good! For the entrees we both had the 8oz Filet but mine had a Blue cheese crust and my wife had the Peppercorn crust and Bearnaise sauce both preparations were excellent!! We chose for our sides Creamed spinach and Benton's bacon tots outstanding sides. We rounded out the night with dessert a prepared Panna Cotta with Caramel Popcorn that was incredible!! Overall this was a delicious and delightful dinner experience! The Ocean Room easily gets 5 Stars !!

Great menu for breakfast. We ordered from menu and enjoyed the hospitality of our waiter.

We had a great experience at the Ocean Room during the PGA. Everything was perfect. Service was amazing and what was even over the top was that Sterling who works at the Ocean Room - found out that I make candles out of wine bottles so he personally sent me the empty wine bottle from our dinner and this lovely note that I attached. He also sent wine bottle lights- this is literally over the top and I cannot thank him enough. I live in the Manhattan Beach, CA area and cannot wait to make it back to Kiawah Island soon! Thank you to the staff - especially Sterling. You made my trip!

Couldn't ask for a better view Wait staff on there game Food was edible but not excellent Bloody Mary was horrible but the view made it worth the wait But to be honest I have never really had excellent food at a golf course

2021 update: I think may just be post Covid survival pains that many restaurants are going through but there were too few staff this year to maintain the same level of service. The steaks were good. The mashed potatoes were soupy and the carrot side dish was tiny. Not really the same "family style size" sides as previous. I'm disappointed the sushi and poke were gone and the desserts were pretty pedestrian. It didn't feel as worth the price tag this year as it has in the past. We will likely try again in the future since past meals were amazing. OP:We have been staying at the Sanctuary for conference ( and beyond) for a few years now. Every year our favorite place to eat is The Ocean Room lounge area. The wait staff are wonderful, the food is amazing. Especially lovely for our family with food allergies ( wheat) because staff and the chefs have excellent knowledge regarding food allergy and contamination issues. Nearly everything can be made gluten free. We ate there every night without a hint of reaction. The staff have ALL been great, but I want to mention that Brian and Brett were exceptional. Brian took car of us every night, and Brett the last couple. So so very personable. Waiters often treat kids as a difficulty to over come. These 2 made my kids feel special. I found myself wishing they could sit and have dinner with us by the last night. My son was even tickled by the attention from the hostess saying " welcome back little guy" when he'd come back from the restroom. Excellent balance of being attentive but not always hovering. We look forward to next year!

My wife and I went for our anniversary. It was a bit disappointing to say the least. From the old fashioned (presentation and taste); to the bisque; to the steaks: all average and completely overshadowed by the Jasmine Porch (JP) across the way. The rice pudding looked like Rice Krispies covered with oatmeal and tasted like that as well. Our anniversary was mentioned once, which is fine; but in direct comparison across the hotel, JP made us feel at home. Save your money and stick to the Porch.

The food here is delicious! I've never had she-crab soup before - it was decadent and delicious. For an appetizer I had the fried green tomatoes (yum!) - another thing I do not typically eat but was really good and had a subtly different flavor with pimento cheese and pickled okra relish. I had filet mignon as my main course- with cipollini onions, garlic mashed potatoes, broccolini with a crispy shallot and red wine reduction - it was cooked perfectly and was a delicious blend of flavors. Dessert was the sanctuary signature milk chocolate and caramel cake with a salted caramel ganache, milk chocolate mousse and hazelnut crunch. This is one of the best deserts I have had. Definitely will return to this restaurant next time I'm on the island!

While the menu is pretty pricy;, the food, location and service was outstanding. We actually ate in "the lounge" which was as beautiful and classy as the main dining room yet no reservation needed. The oyster roast appetizer was a delicious nod to low country roasts. The shrimp cocktail was fresh and classy. A beautiful classy delicious dinner

Amazing always a great place. Suggest you seat in the lounge it has the same menu and more casual. Love everything about the Ocean Room!

What an experience! My mother and I dined at the Ocean Room for Thanksgiving this year. I have eaten at several dine dining establishments and this one ranks right up there with the best. The servers were so kind and personable and the food was just absolutely delicious. We had enough for leftovers. It was truly a whole experience from the time you entered the restaurant until you walked out. The price of the meal was actually very reasonable given the all around experience. Thank you and I look forward to returning when I'm back at The Sanctuary!

Service is top notch!! Food was delicious and paced out perfectly. We thoroughly enjoyed our anniversary dinner. Would return and recommend to anyone looking for a romantic special dinner.

The ocean room was beautiful the food was amazing and the service was great. They tried to impress upon the guest about the attire however I felt over dressed clearly basic is what works. Love the views enjoyed the evening. It's expensive and everything was prepared perfectly

The best. Great food, greater service, spectacular view....fine dining in an elegant, well appointed environment with great attention to every detail. Worth every penny!

Potato purée should be served with a spoon-runny and tasteless. Wait staff should NOT recommend it, ever. Ours did. Desserts are insulting. Ridiculously tiny. Steaks good. Oysters small. Average experience at best.

Shocked to find they no longer serve sushi at the ocean room bar. Apparently they are moving more towards a true steakhouse menu, which, if it's what you were expecting, is great. Started with the burrata salad and finished with the tuna, which was prepared with a pumpkin Thai curry sauce. Both were great. The bar and restaurant were both very quiet tonight, not much of a surprise given the time of year. Wish I could give 4.5 stars...not much to complain about except the surprise menu change.

Love this place! The decor is exactly what a SC fine dining establishment should be. James was our waiter and had excellent reviews from wine all the way through dessert. Definitely start with the Kiawah Oysters :). Can't wait to come back!

The food was delicious, service was outstanding and views are great. We loved everything we ordered. My wife had venison with a blueberry sauce and I had the tenderloin--both were tender and delicious. The creamy onion soup was so good we wanted to lick our bowls. Don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu.

Incredible food and attentive service. We were priveledged to have the private dining room for our event. The black paneled walls set the tone before we even received our first glass of wine. Our mirrored service was inspired and the interaction between the attendants ememsely to the delicious perfectly plated food.

My ATF restaurant in SC! Oysters on fleek. Great wine selection, service and ambiance. The views from inside the dining room are stunning and the caviar was perfect. We will be back!

We just had an amazing evening at The Ocean Room! The food was delicious ( salmon & rib eye ) with all the extra's! Thank you to Miles who was our server as well as all of the staff. We were able to enjoy a leisurely meal and a great view from our table. Most importantly we had fun celebrating milestones...70th birthday and 50th wedding anniversary! Again, thanks to Miles who has a great service demeanor. We're not "all that" by any means, but totally appreciated an elevated experience!

Had an amazing birthday dinner here. The customer service was phenomenal and customer service was beyond spectacular. I would definitely dine here on a separate occasion.

Wow! This place is fantastic. We had great service and phenomenal food. Filet, oysters, lobster Mac, truffle fries, Everything! All first class.

I don't usually get filet mignon, and I am so glad I did at the Ocean Room! Texture, cookery, color, flavor, perfect. It is a beautiful dining area with gorgeous endless ocean views, quiet, and truly peaceful. They pay attention to every detail on the dish, had the burrata appetizer and caesar salad - I loved the anchovies too! Burrata had perfect texture and temperature, all in all a wonderful experience and meal!

Solid fine dining experience. Delicious food, traditional basics with interesting details that elevate the dishes (vanilla with the lobster bisque, pickled fennel with the salmon). The wine list is a bit intimidating and has a smaller by the glass offering - they do have a lot of half bottles however. Our server guided us to some nice selections. Fresh Wellfleet oysters were served with grated horseradish, mignonette, and cocktail sauce. The Caesar had a nice addition of trout roe. Caviar is also on the menu - wish i was wish someone who would have shared with me. The lobster bisque was excellent - the vanilla flavoring gave it a departure from New England style but was still delicious. My salmon was perfectly cooked and had a buttery texture. The accompanying veggies were so good - very McCrady-Esque and I'm betting would make Sean Brock happy. Service was perfect - atmosphere is very formal and the dress code is serious - but it makes for a special night. Add in all the Christmas decorations and you've got a holiday to remember.

Not impressed. Staying at The Sanctuary Hotel and it is anything but a "sanctuary". Everything is booked for dinner as well as wait list. Zero options for dining. I would not suggest booking at this resort if unless you book dinner reservations far in advance. Checking the box to not come back and will warn others. The resort is expensive enough that any guest should not have to be concerned with where/if they can get dinner. Thumbs down and disappointed....

Excellent. It's pricy but you get what you pay for! My go-to for steak is the 45 day dry aged bone-in ribeye. It is *excellent*. It is seasoned so well that every time I have gotten a housemade sauce to go with it, I end up not using the sauce. As far as first plates, the burrata is really good as is the kiawah oyster roast. The side dishes are very large and you can order half portions, which isn't advertised. We tend to get half portions so we try more sides. There's also an amazing dessert that I'm forgetting the name of but I think it's called the Chocolate Dome. It's amazing!!!! Finally, service has always been terrific with everyone very knowledgeable about the food. Always enjoy eating here.

OMG! A MUST for and a foodie visiting Kiawah Island. Make sure you ask for Bret! He completely made our night. Probably one of the best servers I have ever encountered! He was engaging, informative and just overall fantastic. We started with lots of different appetizers for the table. The smoked trout caviar was delicious! The burrata was fantastic and the bison carpaccio was DIVINE! Oh!!! And the main lobster bisque is gluten-free! My husband was in heaven! Next! Onto the main courses. I had the salmon (Yum!) and my husband had the... wait for it... the 16 oz bone-in, dry aged Kansas City strip (da bomb!) My youngest had the 8 oz. petite fillet topped with Crab Oscar and my oldest had the local chicken. Every dish had beautiful presentation and was delectable. To finish, of course we had desserts. Chocolate brownie was covered in gooey caramel. The gluten-free crème brûlée comes with a smoked clove glass cover! TO DIE FOR! Words do not give it justice! GO! You will NOT be disappointed! Enjoy!

Terrible Embarrass me in front of my wife and friends by telling me that my $200 pair of jeans (dark, non ripped, and acceptable in any Manhattan restaurant) are not acceptable in yours but yet you let guest after guest enter with crappy $20 shoes? You should have seen some of Walmart specials that walked in. Never again

In town for the Earl Klaugh weekend of Jazz for third year. This is our second time at this highly rated restaurant and again we were disappointed. Invited guests from out town joined us for dinner and we were embarrassed by the Chef's execution of the food -- Luke warm lobster bisque, a cold main fish entree which was rewarmed in lieu of being re-cooked, very slow service to get the food to the table. The M'd never came to the table to apologize, after I got up to speak to him. Jason the waiter did his best to make a bad dining experience better by bringing free deserts and other sweets but you don't spend this kind of $ just for deserts. The steaks were cooked correctly and hot, hence the two stars. If you at the resort, consider the Atlantic Room, Jasmine Porch, Newton Farms Hot Bar or the Fat Hen. Signed, New Orleans Jazz and Food Geek

Everything is amazing! The view and the food!! I wish I lived here and could eat here everyday.

This is maybe a three on food but a little better on the service. The server really talked up the steaks, so I was expecting one of the best I've ever had. Unfortunately that was not the case. Mine was cooked appropriately, but it was a bit tough. The wine list and sommelier were amazing. Our server was a little too present for my wife and I, but he catered to the kids, so they loved him. Price-wise, it was one of the most expensive meals ever, but unfortunately not one of the best, so this is probably not an experience I would seek again.

My wife and I came to Seabrook Island with our best friends for my wife's birthday. The walk up to the restaurant is amazing. It has a bug staircase that reminds you of something that is Gone with the Wind. Once entering the restaurant, the wonderful night began. Clint was our waiter and dude was Allworld! He was a true professional who knew his stuff inside and out. Without going on and on and boring you to death with what each of us had, let me just say everything, and I do mean Every thing was amazing. The service is what separates this place apart from most. Clint and his staff made the 4 of us feel like we were the most important people in the place. He explained where all the food came from and how the chef prepared it. We all wanted the lobster bisque, but ordered something else, so Clint served us all a sample of the bisque on a very small plate. The surprises just kept coming. They even served sorbet to cleanse your palette. This was by far and away the most expensive meal I've ever paid for, but it was well worth it. The food was amazing, the service unbelievable and the atmosphere to die for. I'll be back and you should go if you're on the fence.

This review pertains to the sushi lounge dining only. One of the nicest dining options in the Sanctuary hotel is the lounge at the Ocean Room. They serve fresh fish and have a wonderful selection of cocktails and wines. Perhaps the best part is that you can opt for the a la carte menu also served in the main dining room so the flexibility here really makes for a perfect vacation meal. The decor makes you feel like you're in a traditional library/bar in a home...rich colors, comfy leather chairs, banquettes and tables placed all around. We sat by the window and had a limited view of the ocean at night. Starting with a selection of sashimi and sushi from the chef, we were not disappointed. The selection and preparation was not what we are used to in NYC, but the cuts were perfection and the pieces handsomely portioned and very fresh. We then split the tuna entree which was seared and prepared in an Asian style-delicious. The sautéed spinach served in a small cast iron skillet was also very good. But the stars of this meal were actually the desserts! I had fresh made blueberry sorbet served on a plate with three canneles of fruit sorbet and these elegant rice Krispy style crunchies. Seriously who would think sorbet would be this wonderful? My husband's two selection cheese course was perfection-the Parmesan was out of this world and the soft locally sourced cow's milk cheese very good. The accompaniments are spectacular...raisin rosemary crisps, mini breadsticks etc and the presentation is very nice. Our two servers-one was more of a sommelier/drink server and the other handled the food-made this a wonderful, relaxed and fun dining experience. You might want to dress up just a little since the lounge is not all that casual, but really an extension of the adjacent formal Ocean Room steakhouse next door. And be prepared for a hefty check since all of this does not come cheap-but it really is worth it for a nice evening out.

Had the filet and it was great! Cooked to my specifications, also had the lobster Mac and cheese. The service was outstanding and super friendly. Had sushi for apps and it was delicious. Would defiantly go back

First, if your a resort and you have a dress code say so. We had nice shirts and shorts and we couldn't eat in the dining room. Food was OK nothing spectacular the service was very good but you felt like they were doing you a favor by letting us spend $600 for eating in the bar. Don't rush here

So beautiful! The staff was so attentive...the space itself was beautiful and the food was amazing. They even brought out a cute little cake for the birthday person

The food and service were five star but I was very disappointed that young children were permitted in such an exclusive restaurant. At the table adjacent a 3 year old was wearing a napkin and being overly loud. We got a sitter for our 8 year old and expected to enjoy an adult experience.