Fig & Olive to Open Orange County Flagship at Fashion Island

Fig & Olive will open their first official Orange County outpost this December at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

This will be the second West Coast location for the brand, which also has a restaurant in West Hollywood as well as in New York City.

The menu will be crafted by Executive Chef Pascal Lorange and, like its other locations, will be inspired by the flavors of the French Riviera.

There will be a crostini station where guests can enjoy sharable plates like zucchini carpaccio with fresh lemon juice, pine nut, Picholine olive oil and parmesan and tuna crudo with cucumber, chive, cilantro, lemon sesame dressing and Picual olive oil. Dinner options include Chilean sea bass marinated in lemon thyme with carrot, asparagus, celery root puree, fingerling potato confit, charmoula and marscapone Harissa olive oil emulsion and Provence rosemary grilled lamb chops marinated with rosemary, garlic smoked with a bouquet of herbes de Provence, finished with a rosemary garlic olive oil, and served with goat cheese gnocchi and eggplant roasted with thyme and honey. There is also a decadent dessert list and diverse wine list available.

The 12,000 square-foot space will accommodate up to 330 guests both indoors and outdoors. Patrons can choose to sit in the comfortable wood and iron-decorated lounge or in one of three dining rooms: the Wine Room, the White Room and the Orchard Room. With two skylights and five floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of an olive tree forest, the Wine Room beams with natural light. The space can accommodate up to 40 people around wood tables with leather dining chairs. The 48-foot illuminated wine display shows off the large selection of French, Italian, Spanish, and Californian wines. Café curtains and wood flooring complete the room.

Like the Wine Room, the White Room which can seat up to 70 people, is illuminated by three skylights and five large windows, offering views of the olive trees. A three-pendant iron-work chandelier provides additional soft lighting for the white banquettes around the room, with white chairs for seating and throw pillows. Rosemary planters and arches separate the travertine-tiled White Room from the Orchard Room. This space can also serve as a private dining room for special events.

Accommodating up to 80 people, the Orchard Room is the central dining area and offers leather dining chair seating at orange linen banquettes and six booths. Guests can dine beneath two olive trees in the center of the room. Six hanging rattan lamps cast light against the glowing wall of 400 olive oil bottles adjacent to the open kitchen. A prominent wall display features framed pressed flowers and herbs from the south of France.

Guests can also dine al fresco in the Garden Lounge where 43 olive trees provide a romantic backdrop.

Says owner and founder Laurent Halsz of the new venture: “Fig & Olive Newport Beach is very reminiscent of the South of France where I grew up: located on a beautiful coast with olive trees all around and refined cuisine and décor.

“Our new restaurant aims to transport guests to the French Riviera and it is with great thanks to the shared vision of the Irvine Company that we are able to create this true French Riviera ‘oasis’ in the heart of Orange County.”

The eatery will open on Dec. 20 and will begin taking reservations Dec. 6.