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In the summer, Stonehill Tavern is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 5:30 to 10 p.m. In the winter, the restaurant is open from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and on Saturdays. We know — a 10 p.m. closing time isn’t that late for a tavern. But during its hours of operation, you can still get some strong and satisfying cocktails, from classics like Manhattans, old fashions and dry martinis, to champagne mojitos and a tequila blood orange sunset. There’s also a fluctuating daily market cocktail featuring local ingredients, be sure to check out what’s in season while you’re sidled up to the bar.

Business casual is the suggested style for Stonehill Tavern (think skirts, trousers and a dress shirt), but there’s nothing businesslike about the food (it’s all fun and playful). Small bites include homemade pretzels and lobster fritters, plus chilled shellfish and caviar. Among the appetizers are ahi tuna and steak tartar, plus a foie gras with pickled bing cherries and pistachio streusel. The tavern offers four kinds of steak, three fish entrees (including a Maine lobster pot pie), plus a fried chicken for two and a burger with black truffle cheese. Then there’s the chef’s tasting menu — for $79 you can have salmon tartar, scallop risotto, free range chicken, New York strip streak and mascarpone cheesecake.

If you cancel a dinner reservation at Stonehill Tavern, your best bet is to call the tavern directly. Be sure you have to cancel before you do, and know that you will miss out on a top-notch dessert menu. The restaurant’s exceptional offerings include a chocolate soufflé with salted chocolate ice cream and caramel; caramelized French toast with vanilla custard and roasted fig; warm praline profiteroles with lemon, roasted white chocolate and huckleberry; a pumpkin sponge cake with maple and smoke ice cream, brown butter and mascarpone. There’s also a root beer float with chocolate chip cookie.

To get a table, call the restaurant directly or book online. Once you reach the tavern treat yourself to a glass of wine (you have a whopping 400 to 500 bottles to choose from), or perhaps a pint of one of the 15 beers the restaurant has on tap (it is a tavern after all). And we’d be remiss to mention you can of course get an unspiked drink like cucumber-mint lemonade; west Indian limeade with ginger syrup; a pomegranate sour with pomegranate juice, lemon and lime; or a spiced citrus soda with fresh grapefruit and lemon and cinnamon syrup.

With its upscale take on classic tavern fare, artisanal cocktails and cozy ambience, it’s no wonder Michael Mina’s Stonehill Tavern is a popular establishment flooded with guests of The St. Regis Monarch Beach and resident Southern Californians. Before you make your reservation at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant, here are five things you should know:

1. Celebrity chef Michael Mina made a name for himself in San Francisco — four of his 19 restaurants are in the city — but Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point is his only Southern California outpost.

2. Mina loves turning out tableside preparations to make diners feel extra special. To get the at-your-table service, try the signature lobster pot pie with brandied cream sauce or the tuna tartare.

3. Speaking of tuna tartare, it’s one of the only dishes the chef keeps on the menu at all of his restaurants (though each eatery offers its own take on the raw dish). Here, the ahi tuna tartare comes with Bosc pear, pine nuts and habañero-infused sesame oil. The spicy-sweet blend is a classic example of Mina’s penchant for pairing flavors from opposite sides of the spectrum.

4. If you’re looking for a romantic dinner, impress your date by requesting one of the high-backed booths near the bar. Sectioned off by glass, the booths offer added privacy and are very cozy. Plop down on brown leather seats with fluffy pillows and converse under the low-hanging glass orb lit by a single lightbulb.

5. If you want to have wine with dinner, ask for the sommelier. He is available during dinner service to suggest proper pairings. Of course you could always get the sommelier’s nightly wine pairing with the five-course chef’s tasting menu.

Stonehill Tavern is a great place for group dining with many tables that seat four or more, plus a private dining area that seats up to 26. The private dining area at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant features a long mahogany table, fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows that peek into the lounge. You and your friends can spend the night there enjoying great food, wine and conversation as a dedicated server waits on your every need.

The private dining room at Stonehill Tavern has the same cozy tavern feel of the main dining area but with added features like an electric fireplace, slate walls, a long mahogany custom-built table and chairs upholstered in cream-colored textured fabric. The dining room has three floor-to-ceiling windows that peer into the lounge, so you’ll get that intimate vibe without feeling like you’re boxed in. You’ll also get a great view of the restaurant’s interior, minus the ambient sound. A striking teal wall and floor-to-ceiling doors upholstered in leather set the room apart.

The table seats up to 26 and is refinished two to four times a year to keep it looking pristine. Four white hydrangea arrangements refreshed weekly top the table. The private dining room can usually be reserved for the night, so you don’t have to worry about taking your group elsewhere when the second seating arrives. A dedicated server and server’s assistant will cater to your needs until closing time at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant.

The menu changes seasonally at Stonehill Tavern, and so do the prices. The cost of a meal at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant can fluctuate depending on the ingredients featured and the time of year, but you can expect to pay about $28 to $42 for an entrée or about $160 for the five-course tasting menu with wine pairings. Small bites (lobster fritters) range from $9 to $18, while appetizers (foie gras and scallops) range from $14 to $29. Seafood and Kobe beef prices vary according to market price, and steaks run from $47 to $58. Desserts are a modest $6 to $12 a piece, and wines by the glass are available from $10 to $55.

Stonehill Tavern offers views of the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star St. Regis Monarch Beach’s Grand Lawn, which has two beautiful pools — a shallow lagoon and a main pool with a fountain. You can also see the lawn’s trellised colonnades that sit among palm trees on the perfectly manicured lawn. And just beyond the grounds, you’ll get a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, reminding you that you’re actually in Southern California and not a quaint English village.

Although it’s located amid beachy eateries in Orange County’s Dana Point, Stonehill Tavern manages to create a cozy ambience without relying on the sand and surf. Instead, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant goes for a tavern look with an upscale bent.

Celebrity chef Michael Mina has reportedly said Stonehill Tavern is among his favorite restaurant designs within his empire. The mastermind behind the contemporary, warm interior design is Tony Chi, a well-known designer who also did the décor for hot spots like the popular Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Asiate in New York and the sleek Park Hyatt in Shanghai.

When you first enter the restaurant, you’ll find floor-to-ceiling glass-walled cases filled with wine bottles. To the right, a wood-topped bar and short-backed brown bar seats offer a place to settle in with a glass (or two) of wine. The mosaic floor is a nod to the Mediterranean décor of The St. Regis Monarch Beach, where Stonehill Tavern is located. Lightbulbs encased in oval glasses are clustered above the bar, and the lounge features four sectioned-off booths with brown leather seats and fluffy pillows where couples can enjoy a more private, intimate dinner. A brown leather couch next to a few wooden tables sits between the bar and the main dining room.

The main dining room has standalone tables near windows that overlook The St. Regis Monarch Beach’s pristine Grand Lawn, where two pools and trellised colonnades are situated among lush palm trees. Just beyond the grounds, you can catch a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. Gorgeous light wood panels line the walls and frame the windows. Tables are matched with white cloths and tan chairs. Low-hanging lantern-like sconces and short votive candles on each table give the main dining room a romantic air come nighttime. A dark banquette lines one wall, and oversize cushy gray pillows make the seats homey. The main dining area seats 80, while the bar and lounge seat 30 — feel free to bring along your friends when you dine.

Our favorite tables at Stonehill Tavern are the four booths sectioned off by glass in the bar area. It’s an especially nice spot for couples that are looking for some extra privacy at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant. The high-backed booths feature brown leather seats and fluffy pillows for added coziness. Single bulbs encased in glass orbs that dangle low over the table and easy access to the wine make these booths the ultimate romantic spot.

The table settings at Stonehill Tavern are crisp and elegant — befitting the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant’s romantic tavern-chic décor. Each table is covered with a white textured tablecloth and set with white napkins and fine Riedel and Spiegelau glassware. The water glasses are an opaque forest green and the silverware is a tad large — all the better for digging into your lobster pot pie or your red wine-braised beef short rib. Tables are placed a comfortable distance apart so as to create a cozy vibe, but you won’t have to worry about the neighbors eavesdropping on your conversation. Small votive candles add extra romance to your intimate dinner.

The service at Stonehill Tavern is impeccable. Your servers will anticipate your every need, from making sure your water glass is always full to escorting you to the restroom. Accidentally drop some food on your lap? Your server will discreetly provide some club soda to help coax the stain right out. Servers do everything in their power to send you home happy from the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant. In fact, when we couldn’t decide between two appetizers, we were brought a sample of each to help us make up our mind.

With its cozy atmosphere and dimmed lighting, Stonehill Tavern can be quite romantic and is a great spot for a date night. Head to the bar area with your sweetie and snuggle up in one of the four sectioned-off booths — the best and most intimate seating in the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant. The high-backed booths offer privacy, and the brown leather seats topped with fluffy pillows add extra comfort. In lieu of candlelight, a single bulb encased in a glass orb dangles low over the table, providing flattering lighting. If you want to impress your date, ask the sommelier for a recommendation from the restaurant’s wine list, which offers a nice array from the wine regions of California and France. He’ll help you choose the perfect glass to start off your night or a bottle to pair with your meal.

Stonehill Tavern serves upscale takes on classic tavern fare — and there are plenty of delicious offerings on the menu. You might have a hard time choosing, so we’ve narrowed down the options for you. Here are the five best things to order at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant helmed by Michael Mina:

1. Lobster pot pie. Sorry, chicken: You’ve been replaced. This signature Mina dish is made with a rich brandied lobster cream sauce and served tableside.

2. Red wine-braised beef short rib. The tender meat literally falls apart on your fork. Served with creamed spinach and Yukon gold potato purée, this dish is a beautiful color combination on your white plate.

3. Lobster fritters. A superior version of the corn dog, these fritters are stuffed with juicy chunks of lobster and bits of bacon and topped with a dollop of yuzu crème fraîche. No need to feel guilty about ordering this revamped childhood favorite at a fine dining establishment.

4. Tavern burger. Whether it’s piled high with black truffle cheese, watercress and oven-dried tomatoes or topped with white cheddar, shallot confit and a secret sauce, we don’t care. This burger is well done.

5. Chocolate soufflé. This rich and gooey dessert is one of the few mainstays on the ever-changing menu. Made with stout caramel and topped with salted chocolate ice cream, it’s the perfect way to end your meal at Stonehill Tavern.

Celebrity chef Michael Mina is the mastermind behind Stonehill Tavern. The Egypt-born chef started his career as a teenage fry cook and later attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he spent his weekends working in Charlie Palmer’s New York restaurant Aureole. He moved to San Francisco in 1989 to develop Aqua, which opened two years later to widespread acclaim, securing Mina’s place as a culinary superstar.

Mina served as Aqua’s executive chef for almost a decade and then formed the Mina Group with tennis star Andre Agassi. The group has opened 18 concept restaurants across the country, including Seablue, Michael Mina and Nobhill Tavern in Las Vegas, Bourbon Steak in Miami, Saltwater in Detroit and, of course, Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Stonehill Tavern.

Stonehill Tavern’s executive chef is Craig Polignano, who has worked in fine dining establishments such as The Bernards Inn in New Jersey. Like Mina, he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America.

Chef Michael Mina’s food philosophy at Stonehill Tavern revolves around balance in cooking. For him, balancing flavors, colors and textures in every dish is key. Mina also likes to surprise guests of the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant with unexpected flavor combinations, giving a contemporary, upscale twist to down-home favorites. Boneless pork ribs are seasoned with a hoisin glaze and kimchi, fritters are stuffed with lobster and bacon and the ahi tuna tartare is paired with Bosc pear, pine nuts and habañero-infused sesame oil. Mina carefully pairs acidity and sweetness, spice and richness, so as not to overwhelm your palate. Even his Brussels sprouts get a revamp with flavors like bacon and apple.

Maren Henderson is the pastry chef at Stonehill Tavern. She is responsible for the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant’s mainstay dessert: a rich and gooey chocolate soufflé, which is made with stout caramel and topped with salted chocolate ice cream. The dessert menu changes seasonally, so you can experience a different Henderson delight every time you dine at Stonehill Tavern.

Selections could include a caramelized French toast made with vanilla custard, roasted fig and chai ice cream or warm praline profiteroles stuffed with Meyer lemon, roasted white chocolate and huckleberry. The ice cream and sorbet flavors change regularly, so you might find flavors like a cider yogurt sorbet atop a spice cake with hazelnuts and Medjool dates, sassafras ice cream in the root beer float or maple and smoke ice cream atop a pumpkin sponge cake with brown butter and mascarpone.

Stonehill Tavern puts an upscale, contemporary twist on comforting tavern fare with a menu that features lots of seasonal seafood, meat and produce. Case in point: The lobster fritters are a big step up from their corn dog brethren, featuring chunks of juicy lobster, bacon bits and a dollop of yuzu crème fraîche. Sliders are made with Kobe beef, the mac and cheese is made with truffle oil and lobster replaces chicken in the pot pie. The root beer float is filled with scoops of icy sassafras ice cream and paired with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies. Even the burger gets a makeover — it’s piled with black truffle cheese, watercress and oven-dried tomatoes.

Stonehill Tavern doesn’t have special menus for food allergies, but the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant can work with your dietary restrictions and accommodate most requests. Just let the restaurant know about your allergies when booking your reservation and remind your server when you arrive. The chefs in the kitchen are quite flexible and can whip up alternatives to dishes that contain meat, nuts, fruits and gluten.

At first glance, the menu at Stonehill Tavern doesn’t look vegetarian friendly — it’s filled with seafood and meat options. But the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant will whip up a meatless dish upon request. When reserving your table, let the staff know that you are vegetarian or vegan, and then remind your server once you arrive at the restaurant. With its location in Southern California, Stonehill Tavern has no problem getting access to fresh fruits and veggies throughout the year (think broccolini, baby beets and heirloom tomatoes), so the kitchen has plenty to work with.

Stonehill Tavern offers a selection of artisanal cheeses on the dessert menu that changes seasonally. You’ll likely find high-quality soft and hard cheeses from countries like Spain, France, Switzerland and Italy. Try a semi-soft goat cheese from Spain like Patacabra, which has a lemony, fresh, earthy taste, or go for the sweet, fruity Epoisses la Tradition, a soft and pungent French cheese made with cow’s milk. Other selections on the menu have included cheeses such as the Comte St. Antoine, a hard and savory French cheese with a nutty flavor, and the Blaues Wunder, a lightly spicy and salty raw cow cheese from Switzerland with a buttery paste-like texture. Order just one, try a combination of three or go for a share-worthy tasting for the whole table.

The desserts at Stonehill Tavern are homey comfort classics made with the same upscale twist that’s found on the dinner menu. The Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant is known for its rich and gooey chocolate soufflé, which is made with stout caramel and topped with salted chocolate ice cream. The root beer float will call back memories of an old-school soda shop with its scoops of sassafras ice cream swimming in root beer and a side of warm chocolate chip cookies. The Mission fig beignets get an added flavor with Macallan 18-year butterscotch, citrus and ras el hanout, a yummy blend of Moroccan spices.

The desserts change seasonally at Stonehill Tavern, but the chocolate soufflé is a mainstay on the menu — and one of the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant’s most popular sweets. Like the rest of the menu, this rich, gooey dessert puts an upscale twist on a comfort food classic. The chocolate soufflé is made with stout caramel,and topped with salted chocolate ice cream and dusted with a neat ring of confectioners’ sugar. Share the sweet with your table or keep it all to yourself — it’s so good that you could probably finish it solo.

Every meal at Stonehill Tavern comes with several special gifts from the chef. First, you’ll get an amuse-bouche. On our recent visit to the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant, we were given a tiny teacup filled with tasty artichoke cream soup and a petite crustless triangle of white cheddar grilled cheese. Next up, the bread. Don’t be afraid to spoil your appetite with it — the comforting potato focaccia bread made fresh daily in-house is a must. After your dessert, you’ll get another sweet from the chef. We enjoyed small, square homemade ice cream sandwiches filled with a thick slab of peanut butter ice cream and a thin layer of chocolate ice cream. They were held together with clear skewers, making the treat both delicious and mess-free. 

Like the menu itself, the food presentation at Stonehill Tavern strikes a nice balance between upscale and comforting, showcasing what chef Michael Mina calls “complex simplicity.” Mina’s penchant for unexpected flavor combinations is on full display at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant, where ingredients are artfully arranged on the plate using a careful balance of colors and textures.

For example, your crispy lobster fritters could be laid on a fresh leaf of Bibb lettuce, served with a lime wedge and a dollop of yuzu crème fraîche. Mushroom-topped braised short rib is drizzled in a delicious red-wine sauce that contrasts nicely with the heap of green creamed spinach and Yukon gold potato purée. The mignardises are elegant but still accessible, and might include sweet treats like square housemade ice cream sandwiches filled with a thick slab of peanut butter ice cream and presented with clear skewers for mess-free eating. The mainstay dessert, a chocolate soufflé, is puffed up to the perfect height above the soufflé dish, and is rich and gooey inside. Topped with a melting scoop of salted chocolate ice cream and dusted with a neat ring of confectioners’ sugar, it’s comfort food with an upscale twist.

Stonehill Tavern changes its menu seasonally, though its location in Southern California allows the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant access to fresh seafood and produce all year long. Seafood like oysters, Alaskan king crab, scallops and Pacific salmon turn up regularly on the menu, as does a rotating cast of fresh fruits and veggies. The standout Maine lobster pot pie is accompanied by a range of vegetables, while seasonal ingredients like pomegranate, parsnip, turnips, broccolini, squash and baby beets also make appearances on the menu.

Stonehill Tavern has an elegant wood and marble bar, which you’ll pass on your way to the main dining room. The wood-topped bar offers a row of short-backed brown bar seats — a nice spot to sit down and enjoy a glass (or two) of California wine. Lightbulbs encased in oval glass are clustered above the bar, giving the room a soft glow. The best seating in the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant is in the bar area. That’s where you’ll find four semi-private sectioned-off booths with high-backed brown leather seating, fluffy pillows and low-hanging bulbs encased in a glass orb that create romantic lighting.

In addition to wine and upscale spirits (like cognacs from Hardy Perfection and Louis XIII de Rémy Martin), you’ll find a selection of classic tavern cocktails (and some modern ones, too). The timeless Cloverleaf is made with Nolet’s Silver gin, housemade raspberry syrup, egg white, fresh lemon juice and mint, while the modern-day Stonehill Moscow Mule is made with Ketel One vodka, fresh lime juice, muddled cucumber, ginger beer and candied ginger.

You can order anything off the menu at Stonehill Tavern at its bar, but we love sharing small bites with a lovely glass of Napa Valley red. You can’t go wrong with the lobster fritters, an upscale take on the corn dog with chunks of lobster, bits of bacon and a dollop of yuzu crème fraîche. There are also selections like barbecue pork belly sliders, warm homemade pretzels and cheese fondue. If you’re in the mood for seafood, order up some oysters, shrimp cocktail or osetra caviar at the elegant wood-topped bar.

Stonehill Tavern offers wine pairings with the five-course chef’s tasting menu, but if you order à la carte, the sommelier is available nightly to help you find the perfect pour. The sommelier is very familiar with the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant’s extensive offerings from California and France. The wine list even contains a page with “secrets of the sommelier” that features his favorite selections of sparkling wine, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, Syrah, chardonnay and rosé.

Daniel Grajewski is the sommelier at Stonehill Tavern. He is available during dinner service to help you navigate the extensive wine list and suggest proper pairings at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant. Whether you want a burgundy grand cru or a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, Grajewski can recommend an excellent bottle to complement your meal. Stonehill Tavern even has a section on its wine list where you can explore hand-picked selections from the sommelier. He has recommendations from both boutique and well-known producers and sorts his list from light to full-bodied options. Whether you choose a chardonnay, a merlot or a Syrah, you can’t go wrong.

Stonehill Tavern is known for its artisanal, specialty cocktails, which are made with house-infused syrups, fresh juices and high-quality liquor. In true tavern style, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant splits its cocktails into two categories: classic and modern. On the former, you’ll find cocktails like the fruity, smooth Cloverleaf, made with Nolet’s Silver gin, housemade raspberry syrup, egg white and lemon juice and garnished with a mint leaf and a raspberry. If you’re a purist, go for the Old Fashioned on the rocks, made with Bulleit bourbon, sugar, bitters and a twist of lemon. If you like to experiment, try one of the contemporary concoctions like the Stonehill Moscow Mule that’s mixed with Ketel One vodka, fresh lime juice, muddled cucumber, ginger beer and candied ginger. Or go for When the Leaves Fall, a blend of Sailor Jerry spiced rum, fresh orange juice, maple-walnut syrup and egg white with an orange twist garnish.

Stonehill Tavern boasts a wine list that features several special and rare bottles, along with a sommelier who can help you choose just the right one. The wine list is generously sourced from the best wine regions of California and France, with plenty of grand cru selections. If you want a special occasion bottle of bubbly, you can’t beat the 1966 Moët et Chandon Dom Pérignon Oenotheque (a cool $2,500 a bottle). There are chardonnay grand crus from Burgundy wineries like Bouchard ($1,055 a bottle), Joseph Drouhin ($1,115 a bottle) and a few pinot noir grand crus from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti ($1,420 to $2,900 a bottle).

For those who prefer California reds, there’s some upscale Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons and blended selections from the Bryant Family ($1,190 to $1,595 a bottle), Colgin ($1,195 to $1,375 a bottle), Hartwell ($1,325 a bottle) and the noteworthy Screaming Eagle ($4,995 a bottle). Heading back to France, there’s also prized cabernet sauvignons from Bordeaux like the 1990 Château Latour that’s $2,200 a bottle, a 1959 Château Mouton-Rothschild that’s $3,485 a bottle, a 1959 Château Palmer that’s $2,500 a bottle and a 1982 Château Cheval Blanc that’s $2,900 a bottle.

Of course, the menu also has a few noteworthy selections from other parts of the world, such as a red Gaja from the Piedmont region of Italy ($1,225 a bottle) and a red Tenuta dell’Ornellaia ($1,490) from Tuscany. For something sweet, there’s also a Sauternes from Château d’Yquem, a French dessert wine, for $1,900. If you’re looking for something that packs a bigger punch, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant also offers premium cognacs like Hardy’s Perfection, calvados from Adrien Camut, vintage armagnac from 1946 and 1970 by Labor D’Olive, and Nolet’s reserve gin.

The talented bartenders at Stonehill Tavern can shake up not only fancy adult beverages but mocktails as well. There are four specialty non-alcoholic drinks on the cocktail menu, including a West Indian limeade (fresh lime, ginger syrup, Angostura bitters and seltzer) and a refreshing cucumber lemonade (mint, fresh lemons, sugar, seltzer and Sprite). For something a bit more tart, try the spiced citrus soda, a blend of fresh grapefruit and lemon, cinnamon syrup and soda. Or, for a fruity concoction, try the pomegranate sour that’s made with pomegranate juice plus fresh lemon and lime. If you’re dining with kids, these mocktails ensure that they don’t have to miss out on the tavern fare with a twist.