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Where to Indulge Yourself on Valentine’s Day

The Resort at Pelican Hill

No date? No problem. Valentine’s Day is not just for coupled-up love birds. The thing to remember about the day is that the best relationship you can have is with yourself. So, this weekend, plan to set aside some “you time” and—because the next few days are all about love—resolve to find ways to love spending time solo. Like, with a bottle of bubbly and a complete, head-to-toe pamper sesh. Here are the many places you can go to treat yourself in Newport Beach.

The Spa at Pelican Hill + lunch at the Spa cuisine

Your at-home avocado face mask is good enough for a regular evening spent binging The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but since you’re your own amour, you deserve a better gift from yourself. So here’s what to do: schedule a treatment—face, body, hair, anything that makes you feel like your best self—at The Spa at Pelican Hill, and you’ll earn access to the spa’s plethora of offerings for the whole day including. (The caveat: you have to book a session that’s 50 minutes or more). Like, the fitness center, the large saltwater tub and the eucalyptus steam room, to name a few. The best part? You don’t even have to leave the place to tend to the munchies. The spa boasts a menu of seasonally sourced grub, tonics, smoothies and of course, vino to enjoy while your stress melts away.

Shopping at Fashion Island + Valentine’s Day menu at Fig & Olive

If it’s been eons since you’ve spoiled yourself with something special, the time to do that is now. Head over to Fashion Island, where you’ll find a vast array of over 140 shops and salons. Think: upscale home-furnishing haven like Restoration Hardware, nail bars and hair salons and of course, department store giants Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, where you can not only upgrade your wardrobe staples but splurge on the statement pieces you know you deserve. (It’s not an impulse buy if you plan ahead for it!) Another thing you really need? A totally indulgent dinner at Fig & Olive. Go a la carte, or opt for the $75 Valentine’s Day prix fixe dinner menu. (We’ll say this: the four-course experience ends with a tasting of chocolate obsession cake and a brûléed cheesecake with amarena cherry, cookie crumble and cherry syrup. If that’s not amore, we don’t know what is).

Quiet time at Crystal Cove Beach + Marché Moderne’s Ocean Tasting Menu

That book you’ve been itching to read? Crack it open against the soundtrack of crashing waves at Crystal Cove Beach—until it’s time to eat. Turn up alone or with a friend at Marché Moderne, a local French gem which has plenty of awards under its belt for whipping up the kind of food you’ll be raving about for months. On the place’s $135 six-course Ocean Tasting menu, you’ll find Santa Barbara sea urchin served with grapefruit gelée, fresh oregano, watermelon radish and avocado, as well as Maine lobster ushered in with roasted cap of ribeye, au poivre and duck fat fries. All to prove, you don’t have to have an S.O. to enjoy a well-curated, perfectly choreographed tasting menu, especially if it tastes anything like Marché Moderne’s. Food is love, no matter how you slice it or who you slice it with. End of story.

An afternoon at Lido Marina Village + Cocktail Omakase at Nobu

Shopping, working out and noshing on delicious grub—there’s so much to do in this little picturesque nook of town. Give your skincare routine a facelift by scooping up essentials at Aesop or Cos Bar. Break a sweat at Curl Fitness, a boutique gym that plays host to yoga, spin, pilates, zumba, and bootcamp classes. Whatever you do, make sure to bookend your day at Nobu. Take advantage of the restaurant’s $85 cocktail omakase menu, which features superb drinks-and-food pairings like the very fitting “Golden Hour” cocktail, which is served with a scrumptious lobster tempura. Or the mezcal-forward “Vida Violetta” (boosted by maraschino liqueur, blueberries, serrano pepper) and paired with grilled wagyu, rosemary egg sauce and roasted vegetables. (You can thank us later).

Written By: Mariam Makatsaria

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