Newport Beach Restaurant Week returned last month after a four-year absence, with more than 50 restaurants offering special menus.
Next month comes another restaurant week: Orange County Restaurant Week March 8 through 14, with more than 200 restaurants throughout the county offering special menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
More than 30 of those restaurants are in Newport Beach, so locals don’t have to stray far from home.
Participating restaurants are showcasing their creativity with specially curated menus and creative cocktails, offering diners the perfect opportunity to discover new flavors and revisit their favorite local eateries.
Guests can savor a variety of Prix-Fixe menus at a range of price points. The OC Restaurant Week website offers links to all of the participating restaurants and their menus. You can look up restaurants by name or city, plus various categories including Date Night, Girls’ Night Out, Breakfast/Brunch, Luxe Menus and several others.
OC Restaurant Week is now the largest and most celebrated culinary event in Orange County. More than 200,000 people dine out during OC Restaurant Week, according to the Orange County Restaurant Association which coordinates Restaurant Week. The average OC Restaurant Week enthusiast dines out at least three times during the week-long event, with Date Night one of the most searched dining guide categories.
This year’s event kicks off with an exclusive Restaurant Week VIP Launch Party at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum on Saturday, March 7 from 2 to 5 p.m. This upgraded celebration offers a more intimate and exclusive experience, featuring fewer attendees than in years past to ensure a premium experience for all. But don’t worry, there will still be plenty of food and adult beverages. More than two dozen restaurants will be serving signature bites, while Paso Robles wineries will be pouring tastes. Cocktails and mocktails will also be available.
This event usually sells out but check the Restaurant Week website in case tickets are still available.
Newport Beach Restaurants and Menus
These local eateries are participating in OC Restaurant Week:
- 21 Oceanfront Restaurant
- A&O Restaurant
- Billys at the Beach
- Bluefin Restaurant
- Bluewater Grill
- Cappy’s Cafe
- Champagnes Kitchen
- City Cruises
- CUCINA enoteca Newport Beach
- Flemings Steakhouse
- Great Maple
- Harborside Restaurant
- Lido Bottle Works
- Lighthouse Cafe
- Malarky’s Irish Pub
- Mayor’s Table at Lido House Hotel
- Muldoon’s Irish Pub
- Mutt’s Eastbluff
- Olea, Cellar. Craft. Cook.
- Pacific Breeze Cafe
- Pacific Kitchen
- Red O Restaurant
- Scratch Bakery
- Shorebird
- Starfish Newport
- Sushi Roku
- Taco Rosa
- The Beachcomber Cafe
- The Winery Restaurant
- Woody’s Wharf Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
- Zabb Thai Cuisine
- ZENTRL Kitchen + Bar
- Five Crowns & Sidedoor
- Gelato Paradiso
- The Bungalow Restaurant
With more than 30 Newport Beach restaurants from which to choose, how do you know where to dine?
That’s where I come in. I perused the menus and I have a few suggestions on where to dine, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the menus.
Champagnes Kitchen: I have breakfast here once a week, but Champagnes Kitchen is offering a $45 dinner menu that includes a choice of two starters, a choice of four entrees including their tri tip, chicken piccata, salmon with bourbon maple glaze, and a veggie pizza (my favorite). Dessert is a lemon tart.
Great Maple: This longtime Fashion Island favorite has two different options for restaurants.
Their $35 brunch features a first course choice of French Toast Logs (and they are so good), modern American breakfast, chilaquiles, or ‘It’s A Date’ Salad. Dessert is a choice of flourless chocolate torte, salted caramel pretzel sundae, or my favorite: One maple bacon or seasonal doughnut.
They also have a Date Night Dinner for two for $110. Start with a glass of draft beer or wine, then select one of three starters and one of four entrees including a fried chicken plate and lemon shrimp pasta (both delicious). End with a choice of three desserts.
The Winery Newport: Full disclosure—this is one of my favorite restaurants in Newport Beach. From the ambiance to the service to the cuisine, The Winery is a class act in the culinary world of Newport Beach.
Their $65 Restaurant Week menu starts with an amuse bouche followed by a choice of four starters. The four choices of main courses include one of my favorites: zinfandel braised short ribs with prosciutto wrapped asparagus. Dessert is a choice of crème brulee or sticky toffee pudding.
Lido Bottle Works: They have two different Restaurant Week menus. First is a Bistro Board Lunch for $25 thagt includes a nbeverage plus a starfter, main course of grilled cheese, street tacos or half crispy jidori chicken sandwich. Dessert is a choice of housemade sorbet or ice cream.
And then there’s a Date Night dinner for $75 per person ($150 per couple). This is a four-course feast that includes a spring pea salad, asparagus, braised beef cheeks and a vanilla tart. It includes a glass of house wine, draft beer or cocktail.
Bluefin Restaurant: This fabulous seafood/sushi restaurant has a $35 lunch menu that includes a mixed green salad, miso soup, a small sweet treat, and a choice of six entrees including their famous sushi.
Their $60 dinner menu has six courses that starts with an appetizer basket plus a variety of sushi, seafood and dessert.
The Bungalow Restaurant: Another local favorite, the Bungalow has an impressive $60 menu that includes a choice of four starters including their famous lobster bisque, and a choice of six entrees (two of them have a supplement charge but worth it).
Participating restaurants, menus, themed lists, cocktails, and more can be found at https://ocrestaurantweek.com.
The Orange County Restaurant Association works to strengthen, support, and promote the Orange County restaurant landscape. With a mission to market and celebrate the OC restaurant industry, the association highlights the region’s incredible culinary talent and fosters a community that supports local restaurants as premier dining destinations. For more information, including sponsorship opportunities or membership in the Orange County Restaurant Association, please visit http://www.ocrestaurantassociation.org
