GOOD OLD DAYS:Five Crowns retains its charm, quality after updates

The Five Crowns in Corona del Mar has seen many changes in the last six months, but the English country-style restaurant continues to retain the charm and quality that has attracted generations of guests for the past 42 years.

Elegant server uniforms replaced the more revealing chambermaid costumes. Items like Stilton macaroni and cheese and king oyster mushrooms were added to the menu. A disabled access ramp was installed. Reservations can now be made online. The kitchen’s pantry has been extended to include two new ovens exclusively for making dessert soufflés, which are now available in three flavors. Next month, the restaurant will complete a garden renewal project, making the plot even more “event friendly” for the 50 or more weddings hosted there each year.

“We have had so many changes in the last few months, but we will always have that same hospitality feel, that at-home feel that brings people back year after year,” restaurant manager Rose Stone said.

The restaurant has also served as a home of sorts for longtime employee Tommy Martin, who will commemorate his 40th year as wine captain next year. Born in Liverpool, England, Martin came to Southern California in the winter of 1968 — when a prime rib dinner at the restaurant cost $8 — and landed a job at Five Crowns just four days after he arrived.

“I saw the telephone outside the restaurant and I thought, ‘They’ve got to have something for me,’ ” he said. “It’s been wonderful ever since.”

At 65, Martin has no plans to retire and still enjoys coming to work each day.

Some of his favorite memories include visits from celebrities like Jimmy Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor and, his all-time favorite, Looney Tunes creator Chuck Jones.

“We’ve had a lot of celebrities, but for me, he was the biggest one,” said Martin, whose favorite dish continues to be the Beefsteak Neptune. “My apartment is like a shrine to him.”

Today, local celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Mark McGrath pop in for an occasional meal, but above all, it is co-workers and restaurant regulars who make the experience great for Martin.

“The guests are more like friends than customers,” he said. “Some of them have been coming as long as I’ve been there.”