Hot days, warm nights, and time well spent with friends and family over quality cocktails and fresh seasonal snacks — that’s summer in Newport Beach, and it’s exactly where you would want to be. There are an incredible amount of bars, lounges, and restaurants all around Newport Beach that offer beautiful outdoor seating options for people looking to fully experience all that summer by the beach has to offer. Kick the season off right and check out this top five round-up of al fresco places to hangout and cool down:

1. Bootlegger Bar at Beachcomber Cafe

A quaint cottage-style restaurant and bar nestled into the Crystal Cove cliffs, where the dining patio spills right onto the sun-kissed sandy beach. The Bootlegger Bar at Beachcomber offers fun, tropical cocktails as well as all those favored classics. This is the perfect place for everyone, from families after a long day at the beach to romantic couples hoping to sneak in a cozy beach getaway. The Bootlegger Bar at Beachcomber is Newport Beach’s little paradise by the sea, and the Crystal Cove beach that it sits on has been used as an exotic filming location in a number of films. If the stunning scenery and sand at your feet doesn’t do the trick, the exciting atmosphere and a star-lit walk on the beach certainly will.

2. Gulfstream

This is the place to be in Newport Beach. A consistently popular place for both locals and visitors alike. Gulfstream is conveniently located right off one of the most beautiful highways we are lucky enough to have run along the Orange County coast. The outdoor patio is undoubtedly the preferred spot to dine or meet for a drink; complete with a sandy beach-like floor, with trees draping over cute dainty lights strung from above, that help to take diners away from the busy street and keeps the atmosphere intimate and relaxing. Enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine in the summer breeze, complimented perfectly by the comforting crackling rock pile bonfire.

3. Anchors & Oceans at Balboa Bay Resort

This fresh new restaurant and bar at the Balboa Bay Resort is quickly going to become a local favorite, with a menu full of exciting items such as an 18oz moonshine and apple cider marinaded prime rib eye and a Blue Moon and mango sorbet beer float, which can all be enjoyed while watching the sunset behind Newport Beach’s finest yachts. Their brand new selection of specialty cocktails is very unique, with names like “El Diablo” and “I’ll Have Another”, and of course they offer their take on those old school classics like a Sazerac or Olde Fashion.A&O is a pleasurable and relaxing place to go whether you enjoy it at the bar top overlooking the harbor, or along their beautiful glass fireplaces that sit amongst the patio seating outside.

4. Aqua Lounge at Island Hotel

This hot new spot at the Island Hotel provides a whole new take on nightlife in Newport Beach. The Aqua Lounge offers brilliant craft cocktails made with freshly juiced fruit, such as the Cucumber Cooler, alongside delicious shareable bites. Located only a short walk from an incredible outdoor mall, Fashion Island, this is the absolute perfect place for a post-shopping cocktail or a late night out accompanied by energetic live entertainment and DJ mixes. The lounge itself is refreshingly stylish, but the real party flows over onto the wooden deck overlooking the pool. Don’t miss out on this vibrant new way to play in Newport Beach this Summer, and be one of the first to boldly recommend the Aqua Lounge at the Island Hotel.

5. Blue Beet

Head out straight towards the beach on the Newport Beach Peninsula to find this old blues, jazz, and rock ’n’ roll club that goes all the way back to 1912. Blue Beet is the bar to go to if you’re looking for a good time.The three story set-up is noteworthy, complete with a dance floor, cozy booths to lounge in, and a roof top patio with an ocean view. Sticking to their musical roots, Blue Beet offers great live music every night of the week that can be heard all the way up to the breezy roof top lounge under the stars. So grab a top-notch cocktail and some friends, and enjoy the high spirited atmosphere of this perfectly al fresco beach side bar.

Summer in Newport Beach should be experienced outside, and with the wildly diverse amount of spirited al fresco offerings such as these, there is truly something for everyone. Get out there and try them all during this lively season and experience a fun-filled and delicious summer you will never forget.

Photo Credit: Aqua Lounge at Island Hotel