If summer was a town, it would be Newport Beach. With its white sand beaches, friendly boardwalks, outdoor dining, and plethora of Duffy boats, Newport Beach just beckons visitors to have fun in the sun – all year round. As the gem of Orange County, Newport Beach attracts visitors from all over the globe, but luckily – we only live 45 minutes away from this idyllic SoCal beach town. We wanted a little Los Angeles staycation so we headed down for an overnight trip to Newport Beach to indulge in its decadent dining scene.

Where to Stay in Newport Beach

Check into the waterfront Balboa Bay Resort, a nautical themes Forbes four-star hotel. With its bay front access, it’s the perfectly placed hotel for all of your culinary adventures.

Healthy Eating in Newport Beach

Start your trip off right with a superfood latte and superfood bowl from JuiceMi, located on the Balboa Peninsula. All of the foods, drinks, and bowls at JuiceMi are plant-based and use non-GMO and organic fruits and vegetables. We highly recommend ordering the Santorini bowl and the activated charcoal latte.

Healthy and Beautiful Bowls

at JuiceMi

Dock & Dine in Newport Beach

There are not many places on earth where you can restaurant and bar hop around in a boat, but Newport Beach makes dining a delightful adventure. Hands down, our favorite date night (or day) in Southern California is dock & dine in Newport Beach. First, we picked up a delectable charcuterie board and a bottle of wine from A Market. Next up, we rented a private Duffy boat (available all over the harbor) with a driver. Even though these Duffy boats only go 5 mph, we highly recommend getting one with a driver so you can indulge. Cruise around the bay, marvel at sea lions playing in the water, covet the magnificent houses that sprinkle the coastline, and enjoy the magnificent Southern California sun from your own private boat.

In My Element

On a Duffy Boat

There are dozens of restaurants that are accessible by boat in the area including A&O Kitchen + Bar at the Balboa Bay Resort, The Dock, and Nobu Newport Beach. However, our favorite dining establishment to stop at is the brand new Malibu Farm at Lido Marina Village. All of the food is organic, farm to table, and absolutely delicious. Once you’re done with dinner, hop back on your Duffy boat and cruise on over to Sugar ‘n Spice on Balboa Island for some tasty ice cream.

The yuzu sour at Malibu Farm

is the perfect sundowner!

Beach Picnic in Newport Beach

There are dozens of delicious restaurants to choose from in Newport Beach, but there’s only one place that the locals go for sandwiches: Sessions West Coast Deli. While they have the best breakfast burrito in the world (yes, Scott has tried them all), we highly recommend ordering a few sandwiches to go for a beach picnic at Balboa Park.