If you ever watched The OC you’ll be familiar with Newport Beach – this is where Seth, Marissa, Summer and Ryan lived out the worst stages of their teenage angst and held raucous parties in their beachside villas. Newport Beach is Orange County’s smartest enclave, having once been home to the likes of Shirley Temple, Cyndi Lauper and John Wayne, who lived in a spectacular house on the harbour. Just an hour-and-a-half drive from LA, several of the city’s most glamorous shops and restaurants have opened outposts here, creating a mini Beverly Hills-on-sea and attracting well-heeled locals and visitors alike. Here’s our guide to the best that Newport has to offer.
Where to stay
Lido House Hotel
The recently opened Lido House hotel is the smartest new kid on the block and the only hotel to be built on the famous Lido Marina Village peninsula in the last 50 years. Book into one of their private cottages to see what it would be like to have your very own luxe beach house – each of the five, three-floor cottages was designed by a different local designer and come with rooftop decks complete with fireplaces and barbeques. Back in the main hotel building there’s a lovely pool with candy-striped cabanas, a top-notch restaurant, Mayor’s Table, and an excellent spa.
Where to eat
Fig & Olive
The Newport Beach outpost of this swanky Melrose Place favourite is just as stylish, with a spacious dining room centred around an olive tree and a beautiful covered garden complete with twinkling lanterns and roaring fireplaces. Start with their signature crostini selection (the forest mushroom, truffle and artichoke was our favourite) before moving on to their organic lemon chicken with purple potato purée.
figandolive.com
Lido Bottle Works
Overlooking the water at the Lido Marina Village, this is the perfect spot for a leisurely lunch before browsing the shops. Specialising in local and sustainable ingredients, they serve the freshest salads and sandwiches as well as tacos and bao buns. They’ve also got a great craft beer menu, which they’ll happily pair with your food choices.
lidobottleworks.com
Babette’s
This East Hampton-born restaurant focuses on ‘clean food’, meaning organic, local and seasonal produce. Their pretty garden is one of the loveliest places in Newport Beach for breakfast, which they serve until 4pm every day. Try one of their famous omelettes or order their gluten-free whole grain pancakes with seasonal fruit and maple syrup, a firm favourite at their Hamptons branch.
babettesnewportbeach.com
What to see
Crystal Cove State Park
Crystal Cove is one of Orange County’s largest remaining examples of open space and natural seashore, encompassing 3.2 miles of beach and 2,400 acres of wilderness. It’s also home to 46 cute vintage beachside cottages that were originally built as a seaside colony in the Thirties and Forties, some of which are even available for overnight rentals (though they always book out months in advance).
Take a tour of Newport harbour
Hop onto one of the nippy electric Duffy boats (invented by Newport local Marshall ‘Duffy’ Duffield) at Balboa Boat Rentals and take a tour of the charming Newport harbour, discovering its numerous picturesque islands along the way. This is the best way to get a close-up view of the incredible villas and mansions that line the water, including John Wayne and Shirley Temple’s former homes. Keep a lookout for sea lions – they love to jump onto the docks and snooze in the sun.
Go paddle-boarding in the harbour
Book in for a stand-up paddle-boarding lesson with Bliss Paddle for a different way to explore the harbour. Once you get the hang of it you can drift peacefully around the boats and islands and paddle over to Lido Marina Village, where you can dock your board and grab a pressed juice before heading back to Marina Park.
Catalina Island
For a fun day trip, jump on the Catalina Flyer (or the Catalina Express from Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point) for the hour-long journey to Catalina Island. This beautiful island feels like a little slice of the Med, with its pretty yacht-filled harbour and its higgledy-piggledy villas built into the hills. Take a boat over to Two Harbours, round the other side of the island – with its secluded bay and calm, crystal-clear waters it’s one of the loveliest beaches in California.
Where to drink
The Lido House hotel boasts Newport Beach’s only rooftop bar, Topside, which is always buzzing with local bright young things who come for their extensive champagne list and the spectacular views.
Where to shop
Lido Marina Village
The waterfront Lido Marina Village is one of the most charming shopping destinations we’ve come across, with its wooden boardwalk and harbour views. It’s home to Newport Beach’s smartest shops and plenty of LA staples, including Aesop, Warby Parker and Cynthia Rowley. For refuelling, stop off at the Newport Beach outpost of Malibu Farm for an acai bowl and an agave lemonade.
For more information, visit visitnewportbeach.com
