Castaway Restaurant, Bar & Special Events

The Castaway is truly one of the finest dining experiences I’ve had in Los Angeles. First, the view is absolutely breathtaking. Without question, it’s one of the best restaurant views in all of LA. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply enjoying a night out, the scenery alone makes this place worth visiting.The food was top-notch and worth every penny. My steak was cooked perfectly—exactly as ordered—and paired beautifully with a fresh salad and the 50/50 mash, which was absolutely exquisite. Every bite reflected the quality and attention to detail that you expect from a high-end restaurant.As incredible as the food and atmosphere were, the true highlight of the evening was the service. Our server, Jonah, was genuinely one of the best servers I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining with. His recommendations were spot-on from start to finish. The cocktails were excellent and surprisingly reasonably priced, and his wine pairing recommendation for my steak elevated the entire meal.What started as a dinner outing ended feeling like an evening spent with a friend—dare I say, family. Jonah’s professionalism, personality, and attention to detail made the experience unforgettable. Thank you, Jonah, for making an already fantastic evening exceptional. We’ll absolutely be back, and a big reason for that is the outstanding service you provided.

I chose Castaway to celebrate my 21st birthday, and it was an unforgettable experience! It was also me and my girlfriend’s first time here, and she was absolutely blown away by everything from the service to the scenery. The food was spectacular and truly added to the occasion. We highly recommend the Seafood Platter—it was incredibly fresh and a real showstopper. The Lobster Mashed Potatoes were rich and flavorful, and the steak was cooked to perfection. Dining with that breathtaking view of Burbank at night made the milestone feel so much more special. I truly feel like this is a place that will continue to witness the most important milestones of my life. We’ll definitely be back for many more celebrations!

Absolutely loved my experience at Castaway Burbank. The views overlooking the city are breathtaking, especially around sunset, and the atmosphere feels both upscale and relaxing. The food was delicious from start to finish — everything was beautifully presented and full of flavor. The cocktails were creative, the service was attentive, and the entire staff made us feel welcomed the whole night. This is definitely one of those places that feels perfect for a special occasion, date night, or even just a nice dinner with friends. Between the ambiance, amazing scenery, and quality of the food, Castaway really delivers a memorable dining experience. Can’t wait to come back!

The first time I went to this restaurant was around 2004 for a birthday party of 30 people. Honestly, I'm from Los Angeles and until that party, didn't know there were parts that had views of the entire city like this! The bartender told me there have been a few renovations since that time. The view from the patio dining and front reception area are the only areas that look familiar from before the recent fires--but still open and beautiful. There were fires in the canyon (again) the day I went back for a drink and Ceasar salad. It's nice that they hung the remaining large tree trunks from the area on the ceiling. It draws your eyes to the high ceiling with a treehouse feeling. The 2 bartenders were excellent, friendly and super happy to be there. That was a pleasant experience after a long day ending up at this restaurant after over 20 years. The menu item names were an entire theme, like you were going to a play. Really, I was recording video with my dog in my car, ended up driving up to the restaurant, where the valet was so nice. The attendant said I could go in wearing my tennis sneakers and leave the dog in the car at valet. I returned after recording and was able to grab a beer and salad before the kitchen closed. Thank you for providing an amazing experience after returning after years. The menu, presentation and atmosphere are even better than before. The view reminds me of Palos Verdes from the other side of the city. Even just getting a drink was an amazing adventure here.

I’m giving this place 2 stars only because the view is stunning and the service was excellent. Our server, John, was friendly, attentive, and genuinely great. The ginger beer mocktail was delicious and the only thing I’d actually recommend. Unfortunately, every single dish we ordered was awful. We came starving, and left hungry.It’s honestly hard to believe that not one dish was even decent. We wanted to send every plate back. The Caesar salad was drowning in dressing. The chicken entrée was a big plate of absolutely flavorless, rubbery chicken. The fries were barely warm and had no garlic flavor at all. The popcorn chicken was old, rubbery, and so overcooked it looked and tasted like leftover scraps. Beautiful location, great service—but the kitchen seriously needs help.

We had a reservation for our 5 year anniversary and they seated us right away. They told us our server was one of the best they have but our experience was a bit different. She barely checked up on us and forgot our side order of asparagus. When I got my steak I asked for medium well. Now this might have been a mistake on my part but whenever I order medium well it is still a bit pink but I got a straight up hard well done burnt steak. & I only order medium well because restaurants typically tend to make it too rare if I ask for medium. It was also served cold. Anyway our server never came back to check up on us so we had to call the attention to one of the people who bring out the food about my steak. He honestly seemed a bit angry that we pointed out it was too well done and told me this is actually a PERFECT medium well steak but I can bring another one. Once they brought out a new one they brought me a smaller cut than the previous one I had but at least it was made to order rather than the previous one I was given. I understand they have to throw away the steak but doesn't mean I should get a smaller cut especially when I am paying over 200 dollars to dine here. Finally I brought up we were missing one of our sides and they brought it out when we were already done eating. Our cornbread was so dry and had a bunch of lint on it we had to pluck off. The only good thing about this restaurant was the view and the sides we received....They also have mandatory valet parking that you need to pay extra for.

I had a solid overall experience at Castaway. We had to be placed in a few different seating options before getting fully settled, but the staff was accommodating and handled it professionally. Once we were seated, our server, Naomi, was very patient and very helpful, which I appreciated. The food was good and enjoyable, but for me, the drinks and the view were definitely the highlight of the visit. The atmosphere is beautiful and makes the experience feel a little more special, especially if you are going for the scenery and overall vibe. It is the kind of place where the setting adds a lot to the meal. I would not say everything was perfect, but it was still a nice experience overall. The service helped make up for the small seating inconvenience, and the view alone makes it worth visiting at least once. Overall, I would recommend Castaway for the drinks, the scenery, and a solid dining experience.

Atmosphere is phenomenal, and I highly recommend this place for that alone. I just wish the service had been better. A server brought my steak without a knife or fork, said they would bring them, and never did. After waiting quite a while, I had to wave down another waitress just to get utensils so I could eat. Oyster was fantastic. Short rib was somewhat dry and rough. Especially Matilda dessert was quite disappointing. Unlike the menu description there was nothing particularly chocolatey about it. The steak itself was somewhat dry and overly seasoned with black pepper. On the other hand, the lobster mashed potatoes were absolutely top notch, easily the best dish of the night.