Andrea - Newport Coast

22701 S. Pelican Hill Road

Newport Coast, CA 92657

Hours: 12:00pm to 11:00pm daily

I'm usually not a fan of overpriced "fancy schmancy" restaurants, but I recently got the chance to dine at Andrea for a friend's birthday dinner. Located in Newport's luxurious resort Pelican Hill, Andrea has a quiet, old school atmosphere. It lacks the modern look of typical high end restaurants, giving it a more casual feel. 

Bread Basket (3/5): I normally don't write about the bread baskets, but I loved the rosemary bread included in theirs. However, the bread was served cold which was off-putting.

Grilled Octopus (3/5): This was good, but a little burnt and lost the chewiness octopus should have.

Braised Short Rib Caramelle (3/5): Tasty, tender pieces of wagyu beef wrapped in a ravioli type pasta. Yummy, but nothing special.

Risotto (2.5/5): It was entertaining watching them bring out a big hunk of cheese and make the dish in front of the table, but was way too heavy.

Braised Veal Cheek (3.5/5): Decided to go with this as it seemed like one of the most popular items on the menu. Delicious for the first couple of bites, but quickly became overwhelming due to the fattiness of the meat. I also did not like having the mashed potatoes served under the meat as they got stuck to every bite of meat. 

Overall I would give Andrea a 2.5/5. It was just what I expected, your typical overpriced, small-portioned fancy restaurant. The waiter was a little pushy on recommending multiple dishes per person, which I didn't think was appropriate since I was more than full off of my dish. The decor felt outdated compared to their other restaurant, the Coliseum, which is beautiful and has more affordable entrees. Nothing really stood out to me here, and I wouldn't come back unless someone else was paying for it.