Want to watch the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade December 17 through 21 and have dinner at the same time? A handful of restaurants along the parade route offer prime viewing opportunities and some even have special Boat Parade menus but make reservations soon because they will sell out on parade nights. I have dined at all of these restaurants and can vouch for the quality of their cuisine.
Restaurants include:
- The Lighthouse Bayview Café, 1600 W Balboa Blvd. lighthousenb.com. You can view the parade from the restaurant, or from the shore after dinner. Make sure you order the beignets for dessert, they come with cinnamon sugar and cream cheese icing.
- Newport Landing Restaurant, 503 East Edgewater. Newport-Landing.com. View from the restaurant, or watch from the Fun Zone after dinner.
- Harborside Restaurant, 400 Main Street in Balboa, Harborside-Pavilion.com. Good viewing from the restaurant, or from the Fun Zone after diner.
- A+O Restaurant | Bar at Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 W. Coast Hwy. balboabayresort.com. A good spot to view the parade if the yachts docked at the resort are not in your way, otherwise move over to the resort’s beach.
- Rusty Pelican Restaurant, 2735 W. Coast Highway. rustypelican.com. Good viewing from the restaurant.
- GuacAmigos, 2607 W. Coast Hwy, guacamigos.com. Another good viewing spot, plus killer tacos.
- Billy’s at the Beach 2751 West Coast Hwy. billysatthebeach.net. Who doesn’t like Billy’s? Prime view of the parade and great food.
- Louie’s by the Bay, 2801 W. Coast Hwy., louiesnewport.com. A nice place for Italian food and parade viewing, with valet parking.
- The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar, 3131 W. Coast Hwy. thewineryrestaurant.net. A special Boat Parade menu plus prime viewing and valet parking.
- Nobu, 3450 Via Oporto #101, noburestaurants.com/newportbeach/home/. Great sushi, great views.
- Lido Bottle Works, 3408 Via Oporto, Suite 103, http://lidobottleworks.com/. Views of the parade.
There are also a handful of restaurants near the parade route that are perfect for dining and then walking to a viewing area. Those include:
- Tavern House Kitchen + Bar, 333 Bayside Dr., tavernhousekb.com/. A short walk to the new public docks to view the parade.
- SOL Mexican Cocina, 251 E. Coast Hwy., solcocina.com. Same as Tavern House: a two-minute walk to viewing.
- Sapori Ristorante, 1080 Bayside Dr., saporinb.com. Short walk to Balboa island for parade viewing.
- Bayside Restaurant, 900 Bayside Dr., baysiderestaurant.com. Bayside is an ideal location. They have valet parking and are a five-minute walk to Balboa Island, where you can watch the boat parade from several viewing spots, and also view winners of the Ring of Lights Home Decorating Contest. If you make reservations, come early–Bayside Drive is congested on Boat Parade nights with the uninitiated trying to access Balboa Island.
And of course, Balboa Island has many terrific restaurants on Marine Avenue, but parking is nearly impossible on parade nights, so park on Bayside Avenue and walk to Balboa island. It’s worth the hike.
Special Menus
Many restaurants on the parade route have special menus and pricing.
For example, The Winery Restaurant has Boat Parade tables beginning at 6:45 p.m. Tables will be offered based on minimum per-guest food and beverage spend, which varies by date and table location. Guests who do not participate in parade viewing are welcome to dine until 6:30 p.m. without a set per-guest minimum. Bar seating will be available all evening on a first-come, first-served basis with no minimum spend requirement.
The Winery Restaurant Boat Parade menu features six starters including The Winery Clam Chowder, Seared Hawaiian Ahi Tuna with Mango & Cucumber Tower, Sauteed Wild White Shrimp with Asparagus Risotto, and Vine Ripe Tomatoes & Fresh Burrata.
The seven main course dishes include King Salmon “a la Plancha” with Olive Oil Mashed Purple Potatoes and Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Black Pepper Crusted New York Steak, New Zealand Venison Loin with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Beef Tenderloin & Jumbo Shrimp with Grilled Asparagus and Black Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Porcini Crusted Chilean Seabass with Butternut Squash and Sage-Parmesan Risotto, and Grilled Australian Lobster Tail with Lemon Tarragon Lobster Cream Fettuccini and Asparagus Tips.
Among the five desserts are Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, Warm Vanilla Beignets with Chocolate & Strawberry Sauce, and a Seasonal Cheesecake with Fresh Berries.
Billy’s at the Beach also has a special Boat Parade menu, with a choice of nine starters including seared ahi and tuna tacos, 11 entrees including filet mignon and shrimp scampi, and desserts (the key lime pie is fantastic!). Make sure you order one of their famous Mai Tai cocktails.
Whichever restaurant you choose, make reservations and plan to arrive early.
