Best Restaurants in Newport Beach, CA 2026 | Top Places to Eat

Javier's pairs its sophisticated seaside setting with the Mexican cuisine of the region featuring fresh fish, slowly braised meat, enchiladas, and a wide range of tequilas. The atmosphere of the Crystal Cove seems festive yet retains its local charm and thus is a good choice for those who are in search of upscale Mexican cuisine by the sea.

Located in the Lido Marina Village, Nobu provides its Japanese Peruvian cuisine in the form of exquisite sashimi, fresh fruits, rich sauces, and hot plates that you can share with your companions. The dining room has a cool and laid-back tempo, which allows dining there for a festive dinner as well as a long lunch by the sea.

Muldoon's is a unique pub combining the best of traditional Irish comfort food and California casual food. From Shepherd's pie and bangers to brunches on weekends and outdoor seating, the place offers more than just a simple bar experience for the visitors of the Fashion Island area.

RH Ocean Grill resides atop Fashion Island under the beautiful glass dome roof garden; however, in the kitchen, the emphasis is placed on caviar, shellfish, signature salads, and hearth-cooked items. It is a design-oriented option for rooftop dining, extended lunches, and other situations when the ambiance plays almost as important a role as the food.

A Restaurant is a modern restaurant with a hint of traditional seaside charm. The experience at this place is defined by the great steaks, fresh seafood, produce, and wines. Its intimate booths and dimly lit interiors make it perfect for romantic dinner dates and celebratory dinners.

The Winery combines the views over the marina and wine-based cooking that starts with cold shellfish and Ahi tuna and ends with steaks and venison and rich seasonal dishes. It has all the flair of a sophisticated marina destination without being too formal, plus the cellar-like interior makes a special occasion out of it.

Within the historic Balboa Pavilion, Harborside keeps things simple, focusing on harbor views, fresh fish, steaks, and the classics. The setting is what makes this spot so special, particularly for tourists visiting Balboa Village in search of casual coastal dining without the stuffiness of a fine dining restaurant.

The idea behind Gulfstream is that it caters to customers who enjoy gourmet cuisine with a seaside flair without the stuffiness of a steak house experience. The menu at Gulfstream includes a wide array of fresh fish, shrimp, salads, and grilled meats served in a patio or restaurant interior environment that would be great for business lunches and romantic dinners.

Five Crowns is designed to transport diners back in time through its English country inn style and table-side traditions involving prime rib along with its excellent steakhouse cuisine. This Newport Beach landmark is ideal for those looking for leisurely dinners, anniversary celebrations, and families who can appreciate good service along with great food.

Few beach destinations evoke the beach more than The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove. The day breaks early with breakfast, lunch comes with fresh fish, and dining in the traditional beach house is always relaxed even at dinnertime. It is most distinctive for guests who love beach views but don't want to sacrifice a full-service kitchen.

RED O adds some theatre to the Mexican offerings at Fashion Island with stylish interiors and contemporary twists on enchiladas, ceviche, tacos, and grilled meats. This bustling dining room will suit gatherings and get-togethers while offering something recognizable enough for those with less adventurous palates.

The Pelican Grill plays up its resort location without over-complicating the menu. Local California produce, grilled meats, fresh catch, and ocean views from the terrace create the menu experience in a cozy setting ideal for a golf day lunch and sunset dinner.

The restaurant at Tommy Bahama creates the island ambience with a cool, casual, and easy-going kitchen inspired by seafood, tropical tastes, salads, and sharing dishes. It is casual enough to have lunch there during your shopping day, yet the restaurant offers polished enough dining in the evenings when accompanied by live music and an open-air patio.

The Crab Cooker has remained faithful to its fame: fresh fish, simple cooking style, smoking, mesquite, and no-fuss beach-town ambience. This is one of the best places to visit for those who are interested in coastal cuisine rather than white tablecloth restaurants serving such dishes as clam chowder, crab, and grilled seafood.

Bayside unites the harbor ambience with New American cuisine and an artsy and musical environment. Steak, fish, and elaborate dishes are served in a polished space that still remains casual, while the brunch on Sundays and performances make Bayside more diversified than an occasional restaurant.

Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens centers around produce, seasonality, and the garden-like environment in which it is found. The Farmhouse menu begins with brightly colored salads and seasonal vegetables and evolves into fish and responsibly sourced meats, giving diners a distinctly Californian dining experience and one that is particularly suited for lazy lunches.

At The Cannery, there is an integration of San Francisco’s fishing tradition with the new style of waterfront cuisine that goes past traditional fish preparation to sushi and raw bars. With water views, boat access, and the second-floor lounge, The Cannery can accommodate anything from a lunch to a date night dinner featuring the catch of the day.

The Dock is intimate and quiet, with a waterfront dining room that serves carefully constructed contemporary American cuisine. French and Mediterranean elements feature in fish and meat courses, giving diners a dining venue that values technique and individual attention over lively crowds and bay views.

Rusty Pelican is reminiscent of an old-timey fish house, though their menu stretches to include steaks, pasta, brunch, and contemporary seaside cuisine. The large windows onto the harbor and the casual dining space are both welcoming to groups, tourists, and couples seeking a more laid-back waterfront dining scene.

Situated at the bottom of Newport Pier, 21 Oceanfront maintains the traditional concept of high-end steak and seafood dining. It offers the old-fashioned combination of white tablecloths, ocean views, an extensive wine list, and upscale cuisine that is most suitable for sunsets and anniversary dates.

The Islands Restaurant captures the relaxed Southern California surf culture at casual family dining around the Newport Back Bay area. The burgers continue to be the star attraction, but other menu offerings such as tacos, salads, chicken sandwiches, and appetizers round up the options. This is especially convenient for a relaxed lunch or dinner with children.

Bandera combines wood fire and rotisserie cooking, Southwestern influences, and a charming environment in Corona del Mar to become a popular spot that can offer both leisurely lunch and date night dinner, moving from cornbread and salads to prime beef and roasted chicken.

Fleming's offers a classical combination for the Fashion Island restaurant that is about prime beef, high service, and a wine list. At the same time, seafood is paid special attention to by chefs so that guests do not have to eat only steaks. Weekday lunch makes this place more flexible, and evening dinner offers a typical atmosphere of the steakhouse.

JOEY combines the buzz of a lively Fashion Island restaurant with a menu that makes bold moves with sushi, steak, tacos, burgers, and international cuisine. The wide-ranging menu is helpful for parties with varied preferences, while the open-air patio ensures that the atmosphere remains casual.

MOULIN captures the rhythm of a local French café with croissants, tartines, eggs, quiches, salads, and other classic bistro dishes. One of the easiest options in Newport Beach for a continental-style breakfast or relaxed lunch, MOULIN allows for just as much emphasis on pastries and coffee as savory items.

Great Maple takes traditional American comfort food and adds a whimsical twist without being pretentious. Classic brunch items, entrees, fresh produce, and Great Maple's signature maple bacon doughnuts can be found on the menu together. Great Maple at Fashion Island is ideal for meeting over breakfast, having lunch while shopping, or having a laid-back dinner.

Mama D's manages to retain its charm through its abundant Italian-American comfort food and family-like atmosphere. Pasta, ravioli, baked dishes, chicken specialties, and seafood provide this tiny Newport Boulevard restaurant with sufficient variety. For those who are looking for an Italian restaurant in Newport Beach, this place seems to be very personalized.

The Quiet Woman offers you dinner and music combined into one of the most unique evenings in Corona del Mar. Prime cuts of beef, fish, shellfish, pasta, and desserts of great variety allow the menu to offer something to everyone, while the party atmosphere is best for lively evenings rather than quiet dinners.

The Bungalow offers the comfort of classic steakhouse cuisine without becoming too pretentious. Its environment of a Craftsman house fits perfectly well for business dinners and celebrations, while its cooking includes such items as filet mignon, rib eye, lamb, pork, salmon, sea bass, and scallops. The bar is complemented by good cocktails.

Not far from Newport Pier, the Fly N Fish specializes in its fresh catch of the day, including oysters, chowder, and simple ocean-side dining. With a small room, the atmosphere here is relaxed, and the menu takes things beyond fish-and-chips, with scallops, halibut, mussels, ceviche, and other seasonally available dishes.

The Marché Moderne is an upscale French dining room that mixes classic preparation techniques with a fresher Southern California style. The scallops, duck, lamb, seafood, and elaborate sauces reveal the versatility of the kitchen without making the experience a performance. It's ideal for anniversaries, wine tasting nights, and diners that value precision in cooking.

SOL is a Baja-style Mexican restaurant located in the marina area with ceviche, grilled seafood, tacos, and salsa dishes featuring spicy chilies in abundance. Brunch on the weekends is an added feature, but the prime location is what SOL is all about. This restaurant can be recommended for gatherings looking for vibrant Mexican cuisine.

Basilic is a cozy dining room at Balboa Island that focuses on cooking in Swiss-French style and not on trendy meals. Raclette, braised burgundy-style meats, risotto, seafood, and desserts make this dining room the taste of Europe. The small size of the restaurant is what makes it appealing, especially for romantic dinners away from busy waterfronts.

Bluefin continues to concentrate on chef-inspired Japanese cuisine, merging the exact sushi bar technique with cooked seafood, tempura, and omakase. The atmosphere at Crystal Cove helps to savor the fish but not distract with views of the sea. This is a good choice for those looking among sushi restaurants in Newport Beach for something refined.

Shorebird offers a contemporary version of the classic American food featuring steak and seafood. With its wood-fired grill, raw bar, brunch menu, and appetizers, the restaurant offers a variety of choices, and the Balboa Peninsula location is also convenient for those coming from out of town.

Rothschild’s feels like the comforting dining room of a neighborhood restaurant that was never caught up trying to be fashionable. Pasta dishes, Italian mainstays, seafood, steaks, and a wine list focused on the cellar give the experience its character. This makes it comfortable for locals but sophisticated for that special night out at Corona del Mar.

CdM combines the artistically designed environment of Corona del Mar with chef-created American cuisine, which freely mixes influences from Italy, Japan, and steakhouses. This menu could easily change from spicy tuna and cioppino to pizza, lamb, and prime beef all in the same sitting.

Olea is a restaurant driven by chefs and based on the neighborhood concept, cooking meat dishes in wood-fired ovens, fresh fish, vegetables from the market, and their own sauces. The Westcliff location is elegant but not too sophisticated, which makes it a good place for romantic evenings, celebrations, and people searching for interesting Newport Beach cuisine outside the harbor area.

Cappy’s is a classic old-style restaurant where a person can enjoy a generous breakfast with traditional food offered to make you feel satisfied after waking up. Such dishes as omelets, French toasts, breakfast tacos, breakfast hash, and even some lunches are served in this cozy place.