Treat your sweetheart to Valentine’s Day dining in O.C.
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This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday, which means getting a dinner reservation might be extra tough. If you don’t want to get your heart broken, reserve a table early at one of these Orange County restaurants offering prix fixe menus and other intimate dining experiences. You can also opt to celebrate on Saturday or Sunday with a romantic brunch or Izakaya feast.
Lōrea
21080 Pacific Coast Highway
Huntington Beach, (714) 698-6130
Why limit Valentine’s Day to Feb. 14? At Lōrea, diners can celebrate romance the whole month with a prix fixe dinner menu and “Love Potion” cocktails available from Feb. 14 to Feb. 23. Located within the renovated Paséa Hotel & Spa, Lōrea offers its regular land-to-sea-driven menu as well a special four-course dinner menu that starts with a Kusshi oyster served with Calabrian chili mignonette and a glass of Gambino Prosecco. A salad of Pinot Noir-poached figs and arugula follows, with Dover sole in lemon butter with artichokes, asparagus and Kaluga caviar for the fourth course and a chocolate heart filled with red velvet truffles and long-stemmed strawberries for dessert. The prix fixe menu is priced at $130 for two, with each additional guest priced at $65 and an optional wine pairing for $22. Cocktails on the beverage menu include a large drink designed for two called “Cupid’s Potion,” made with Absolut Elyx vodka, creme de cassis, hibiscus, lime and ginger beer for fizz. Reservations can be made at loreahb.com.
Ospi
234 East 17th St., Suite 100
Costa Mesa, (949) 200-9232
This Italian concept from “Top Chef” alumnus Jackson Kalb recently launched brunch service on weekends at its location at Paseo 17 in Costa Mesa. On Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. enjoy lemon ricotta pancakes and shakshuka pizza, a creative take on the Arabic breakfast dish of poached eggs in a spiced tomato sauce. There are Ospi favorites too, like spicy rigatoni alla vodka, spaghetti pomodoro with basil and parmigiano and salads and sandwiches. Also on the menu: spritzes, making Ospi the perfect place to toast to your love. Make reservations at ospi.com.
Rare Society
226 Avenida Del Mar
San Clemente, (949) 669-7273
The signature offering at this modern take on the classic steakhouse is perfect for intimate Valentine’s Day dining. Chef Brad Wise selects the premium cuts that go onto the shareable steak boards. The 30- to 40-day dry-aged steaks are paired with house-made sauces, like bearnaise, horseradish and Wise’s signature Santa Maria-style salsa, and served on a custom-made lazy Susan. Take your date for a spin of fresh grilled meat or a tour of the ocean with seafood towers made up of snow crab, cocktail shrimp and Rare Society Gold Oysters, a bespoke variety grown in Coos Bay, Ore., for the restaurant. The wine cellar features nearly 800 bottles, so there is sure to be a perfect pairing for each guest. Book a table at raresociety.com.
Sushi Roku
327 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, (949) 706-3622
Sushi Roku at Fashion Island specializes in what founding partner Lee Maen refers to as “new-school sushi.” For Valentine’s weekend the restaurant is offering a special Izakaya feast alongside the regular menu. The feast, priced at $125 per person, starts with Brussels sprouts chips in truffle oil, followed by bites like fluke kumquat in yuzu vinaigrette, hamachi serrano in garlic and yuzu ponzu, toro carpaccio, Hanabi, Sushi Roku’s signature crispy rice with spice tuna and A-5 Japanese wagyu ishiyaki. The sushi course includes nigiri of Chu-toro, sea bream, salmon and wagyu, white lotus roll and baked crab hand roll. Carnival cake is served for dessert. Other special dishes include uni blue crab with ossetra caviar and wasabi truffle soy and a surf-and-turf special of prime filet mignon and cold water lobster tail served with garlic butter, potatoes and togorashi-tossed vegetables. Reserve your table by visiting iloveidg.com or by calling the restaurant at (949) 706-3622.
Top of the V
1601 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, (657) 439-3289
Take Valentine’s Day to new heights at this rooftop restaurant at the Viv Hotel in Anaheim. The 12th-floor view makes this Basque-inspired restaurant a prime place to watch Orange County sunsets and Disneyland fireworks while enjoying Spanish tapas. For Feb. 14, diners can indulge in a five-course prix fixe menu of French brie with guava and raspberry, burrata on crostini followed by a roasted baby beet salad and a choice of lobster thermidor or filet mignon wellington. The dinner ends on a sweet note of chocolate truffle with strawberry. The menu will be offered for one night only, priced at $130 per person. As an extra treat, Top of the V is partnering with Moet + Chandon to offer Valentine’s sweets from a local chocolatier to any sweethearts who order a bottle of Imperial Brut. Reserve a table at topoftheviv.com.
Verde
2675 Irvine Ave., Suite D2
Costa Mesa, (949) 867-8011
Executive chef Paula Balderrama and bar director Anthony Laborin have created a few special drinks and dishes in honor of Valentine’s Day at this newly opened upper-level restaurant, where guests can enjoy shareable starters like Burrata with pickled strawberries and crispy Kafta meatballs served with hummus and green chutney and dessert like tiramisu, available from Feb. 13 to Feb. 16. At Bar Verde, the lower-level lounge, lovers can cozy up over a cheese and charcuterie plate for two, paired with a glass of wine from the curated wine list or handcrafted cocktails like the Overnight Celebrity made with strawberry-infused Campari. Make your reservations by visiting verderestaurantcom.com, but note Bar Verde is closed on Sundays.
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