Scarlet Kitchen and Lounge: A Culinary Gem in Mission Viejo

Jewel in a rather ordinary shopping mall, with nice outdoor patio area, and very popular including with families, though the service could easily keep up. Despite popular appeal, the food and drinks are exceptionally creative, with even the calamari elevated with very light batter, sishito peppers, salad and sauces. Cocktails creative too, though pricy. And, along with the food, very seasonally appropriate. Only complaint is the pricing of the wine, no red under $15.

We were looking for a new place for dinner and found Scarlet Kitchen. Reading the reviews, we were going in with possibly a little lower expectations on service; however, we experienced wonderful and attentive service. The entire experience was great, and we will be going back. We had wonderful cocktails, tasty food, and very good service from all the staff. Give them a try, they are a hidden gem.

Once we were able to place our order the food came out relatively quick and was very delicious. The helpers were quick to refill water and clear dishes, but the downside was most of the servers seem to be more into talking with each other than taking our orders or following up.

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and simply just wanted to try out every item on the menu? That was our experience at this restaurant. The ingredients described for each dish looked incredibly interesting and the taste exceeded expectations. The service was warm and hospitable from the hostess who greeted us and escorted us to our table, to Marla who was our server and gave great suggestions and another server who checked in with us to ask about the new deserts on the menu. I want to come back and try more entrees!!

The bacon wrapped dates and bruschetta was delicious. The Scarlet burger and lobster grilled cheese sandwich melted in your mouth. So good! Service very attentive.

Get the Mermaid cocktail! Adorbs and refreshing! We came in a little late on a Monday night and was served by Amanda. The service, food, and atmosphere were perfect for a date night. I'm looking forward to going back!

My wife and I were looking for a new local restaurant and this looked promising. Nice quaint restaurant with great customer service. Loved the Lobster Roll. Definitely will be coming back.

10/1/2023 Had reservations for dinner at 5:30 pm at Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge. We checked in to the hostess, who must have forgotten. we checked in as Yelp contacted me about a no-show. This was corrected. We saw Madison and Lorilie, who were amazing at our previous visit. Lorilie is amazing at checking on guests and providing answers to questions, etc. Ava was our server this evening and took our drink and appetizer orders. We started with clam chowder and tomato bisque soups...so good, especially on a cooler day. My wife was craving their halibut, but they ran out, so she ordered the grilled fish tacos, which she enjoyed. I had my go-to Filet Mignon and eggplant parmesean, which was outstanding. It was nice to see the restaurant busy and the crowd happy and conversing. We had a nice experience and will call next time to check on the fresh catch prior to arrival. Ambiance is positive and uplifting, and the staff is quite attentive and professional. Recommended Previous visit Tonight, we found a truly hidden gem right next door in Ladera Ranch. We made reservations for 6 pm and were greeted by the lovely and professional hostess. My wife chose to sit outside in their very nice patio. Once seated, we were greeted by Madison, aka "Madie," and she was beyond fantastic. Madison was a professional, kind, and amazing listener with stellar customer service skills. My wife and I both had a bowl of their tomatoe soup, which was so good and tasty. We also ordered drinks as they have a full bar, and the drinks are made to perfection. Lorilie also stopped by to see how we were doing and asked if we needed any refills or anything else. Lorilie was so kind and very professional. The establishment is very clean and well managed and the staff are quite efficient and pleasant. For our entrees, Madison stopped by and took our order, and my wife ordered the Halibut entree . The presentation, taste, and overall experience left her very happy and smiling. I had asked for a custom dish as I was craving the filet mignon and also the eggplant, so I ordered the filet mignon without potatoes or veggies and a serving of eggplant with marinara. All I can say is WOW. The filet was tender and cooked just as I had requested, medium rare, and so tasty. Great presentation as well on this dish, and the eggplant was cooked quite similar to the way I make it. The meal was fantastic. Overall, the wonderful restaurant, Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge, is a new favorite and our compliments to the chefs, staff, and management! Highly recommended!