Retail Therapy by the Beach: Newport’s Lido Marina Village

Your credit card certainly won’t need solar power to work at the first California location of Black Optical; the first Orange County outposts of Velvet, Sweaty Betty, Steven Alan and designer Clare Vivier’s Clare V.; as well as the first West Coast boutique of intimate apparel line Eberjey; and the third brick-and-mortar home of contemporary clothing line Faherty. Meanwhile, 16 years after establishing her renowned Pacific Palisades boutique, Elyse Walker has also opened a second store at the Village. Her 12,000 square foot flagship features beautiful designer shop-in-shops—from couture to contemporary, fine jewelry housed in the bank vault, a denim bar, beach shop and café. It also serves as an art gallery for established artists and photographers, as well as emerging talent. Fashionistas can soothe their souls with significant retail therapy here, including the likes of Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Balmain, Manolo Blahnik and Stella McCartney. Other boutiques include Cali-cool label Jenni Kayne and the San Francisco-based Marine Layer. There are also a plethora of lifestyle brands that now call this picturesque waterfront destination home—such as Australian skin, hair and body care company Aesop; the Arts District-based neighborhood gallery, lifestyle and retail gathering space Alchemy Works Harbor House, which features Orange County’s first Warby Parker showroom and acts as a dedicated outpost for Apolis, a socially motivated lifestyle brand; the first Orange County locations of Bixby & Ball, a home design store, and Broken English, a jewelry boutique that sells pieces by hot Los Angeles-based designers Anita Ko, Jennifer Meyer and Jacquie Aiche; luxury beauty destination Cos Bar; boutique gym Curl Fitness; New York-based designer fragrance brand Le Labo; the second home of Brentwood Country Mart-based paper company Sugar Paper and Yolk, a design gift store from Los Angeles with a vibrant selection of designer goods, local artisan wares and creative brands. But there’s so much more than shopping to be done here—a day at Marina Lido Village offers a full 360-degree experience.

The destination’s crowning jewel is Orange County’s first Nobu. The upscale sushi eatery, as designed by Studio PCH with the brand’s signature minimalistic aesthetic, offers more than 16,000 square feet set on a stunning, two-story waterfront space (including outdoor covered patio dining on both levels). That said, the Newport Beach location is positioned to be one of the most beautiful Nobu eateries in the world with a setting that mimics its top-selling Malibu digs. When you enter, expect to find a cruise- inspired space, with gorgeous fabric wall panels complemented by the elliptical skylight above a curved wooden staircase that evokes the interior of a luxurious liner. Exposed beams above the first- floor dining room recall the existing structure and teak furniture throughout. It’s the perfect perch to enjoy Nobu Matsuhisa’s world-famous sushi and Japanese cuisine, including new items like octopus carpaccio with a sprinkle of roasted red pepper powder, topped with dashi-soy marinated ikura and finished with micro pepper cress and gold flakes. A brick oven also lets executive chef Frank Gorriceta add flair to traditional meals, such as roasted Chilean seabass with Pomodoro sauce. Another unique quality to the O.C. location is its Grand Cordon Bar—an exclusive, intimate patio bar that serves a rotating menu of craft cocktails created by Nobu bartenders around the country as part of an inventive cocktail competition six times each year that invites them to use a specific set of ingredients. A hand-picked panel of influencers, regulars, cocktails experts and fans can judge the finalists, while the winner earns a spot on every Nobu cocktail menu in the country. The opening Grand Cordon menu included the Smokin’ Aces from Miami, the Sol Amigo from the brand’s downtown Manhattan location and the Cin n’ Cider from Las Vegas. Other eateries at this haute locale include the healthy Juice Served Here Marina Café; Lido Bottle Works, a craft beer and wine bottle shop and public house; and zinqué, a staple for the Abbot Kinney set thanks to a stellar wine list, charcuterie for days and a sublime dessert menu (the warm banana bread is a must). But regardless of how you prefer to spend your time, it’s a given that you should immediately set sail for Lido Marine Village.