Have Your Cake and Buy it Too

If you think about it, dining and shopping go together like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, which is to say, they’re a perfect union. That’s why, when we come across a restaurant that doubles as a shopping destination, we make a note of it. We’re talking about the kind of effortless pieces that prompt your guests to ask: Hey, where did you get that?

1. Cucina Enoteca

Have you ever ventured into a restaurant, looked around and thought; that table would look good in my dining room? Well, at this California-inspired Italian eatery, most of the furniture on the floor—including the floral chairs and orange counter stools—is up for grabs. Also worth perusing is the restaurant’s well-stocked wine shop. (“Enoteca,” after all, means wine repository in Italian). Stop by for one of Cucina Enoteca’s homemade pastas or pizzas, and don’t forget to scoop up a knickknack from the marketplace on your way out.

2. Tommy Bahama

You might know Tommy Bahama as a purveyor of beachwear and Hawaiian shirts that celebrate coastal living, but the brand’s Newport Beach outposts bring so much more to the table—quite literally. Nestled in Corona Del Mar, the Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar serves up fresh seafood and inspired dishes. Bonus: an extensive drink menu—martinis, margaritas, mocktails and more!

3. Malibu Farm

Situated in Lido Marina Village, Malibu Farm is one of those quintessential foodie destinations you can’t miss when you’re in town. Here, you’ll find an inspired cuisine that taps into the very best of the season’s bounty. You’ll also find—if you wander in next door—Malibu Farm’s home goods store stocked with linen aprons, cutting boards, totes and unique tableware. So, if you’re in the market for a mudcloth pillow or a pink-grapefruit candle, you know where to go (and grab a bite afterwards).

4. Farmhouse at Roger’s Garden

This Corona Del Mar destination is one of the finest restaurants that embody the farm-to-fork ethic. Boasting offerings that run the gamut from cauliflower steak to grilled hoisin-glazed pork tenderloin, the food at Farmhouse alone is reason enough to warrant a visit. But then there’s the location—an al fresco dining situation set in a lush garden center, where you can shop for an assortment of pottery, plants and even take a gardening workshop or two. In other words, here, you eat your greens and learn to plant them too.

5. Zinc Café

Zinc Café is the place you go to when you’re in the mood for something delicious and fresh in a laid-back, no-frills sort of place. Zinc’s atmosphere is cozy, but chic, and the menu is a definite clean-eating-crowd-pleaser. (That’s not to say you can’t find astonishingly good, freshly baked desserts and breads here). But meander into the adjacent market, and you’ll find goodies like cookbooks, handcrafted totes, soaps and even Zinc’s own granola, condiments and dressings you’ll want to take home. Stat.

Written By: Mariam Makatsaria