COSTA MESA.
Serious food. Serious shopping. Contemporary art. Live theater. Independent coffee. Local boutiques. Creative neighborhoods and just enough edge to keep things interesting. Welcome to Costa Mesa.
OC'S
CREATIVE SIDE.
Costa Mesa doesn't need an ocean view to get your attention. This is where Orange County comes for food, fashion, art, theater and design. One side of town gives you luxury labels and world-class performing arts. Another gives you independent shops, coffee, restaurants and creative spaces that feel completely different.
THE COSTA MESA
ESSENTIALS.
First visit? These places give you the fastest introduction to what makes Costa Mesa different.
SOUTH COAST PLAZA
A major luxury shopping destination packed with designer houses, restaurants and enough retail to turn a quick stop into an entire day.
EXPLORE SOUTH COAST PLAZA →OCMA
Orange County Museum of Art brings contemporary art and striking architecture into the heart of Costa Mesa's arts district.
VISIT OCMA →SEGERSTROM CENTER
Broadway productions, concerts, dance and major performances give Costa Mesa one of OC's strongest performing arts scenes.
SEE WHAT'S ON →THE CAMP
A laid-back collection of restaurants, shops and wellness-focused businesses with a distinctly Costa Mesa personality.
EXPLORE THE CAMP →THE LAB
Independent shops, restaurants and creative spaces give this Costa Mesa hangout an intentionally different feel from traditional retail.
EXPLORE THE LAB →JUST WANDER
Costa Mesa rewards people who leave room in the schedule for a restaurant, shop or coffee spot they weren't planning on finding.
EXPLORE COSTA MESA →
COSTA MESA
CAN EAT.
This is one of the cities where The OC Juice food guide can get dangerously long.
VACA
Spanish-inspired cooking, tapas and a lively atmosphere near Costa Mesa's arts district.
VISIT VACA →KNIFE PLEAT
A refined dining experience tucked inside South Coast Plaza for nights when dinner is the entire event.
VISIT KNIFE PLEAT →FOLKS PIZZERIA
A destination for pizza that proves some of Costa Mesa's best meals don't require white tablecloths.
VISIT FOLKS →PORTOLA COFFEE
A homegrown specialty coffee name that's become part of Orange County's modern coffee culture.
GET COFFEE →EAT AROUND THE CAMP
Grab lunch, coffee or dinner without leaving one of Costa Mesa's most recognizable lifestyle hubs.
EXPLORE THE CAMP →DATE NIGHT
Good restaurants, cocktails and entertainment make Costa Mesa one of OC's easiest cities to build a night around.
EXPLORE DINING →COME HUNGRY. LEAVE INSPIRED.
CULTURE
LIVES HERE.
Museums, theater, public art and live performance give Costa Mesa a cultural footprint bigger than its physical size.
CONTEMPORARY ART
Spend an afternoon exploring contemporary work and one of Orange County's standout cultural spaces.
EXPLORE OCMA →LIVE PERFORMANCE
Check the calendar before you visit. A great show can turn dinner in Costa Mesa into an entire night out.
VIEW PERFORMANCES →SOUTH COAST REPERTORY
A major regional theater company adding another layer to Costa Mesa's performing arts identity.
EXPLORE SCR →
PICK YOUR
VERSION OF RETAIL.
Designer flagship or independent boutique? Costa Mesa doesn't make you choose.
GO LUXURY
Browse some of the biggest names in fashion and luxury without leaving Costa Mesa.
EXPLORE SHOPPING →GO INDEPENDENT
Trade polished luxury for smaller shops, independent businesses and a more alternative scene.
EXPLORE THE LAB →SOCO + THE OC MIX
A destination built around design, food, independent businesses and creative retail.
EXPLORE SOCO →
SKIP THE
GENERIC STUFF.
The city gets more interesting when you move away from the obvious stops and into its creative pockets.
COFFEE FIRST
Start with a proper coffee before deciding how much of the city you're going to attempt in one day.
FIND COFFEE →HANG AT THE CAMP
One of those places where grabbing lunch can easily become hanging around for a couple of hours.
EXPLORE →DESIGN + FOOD
Explore another side of Costa Mesa where interiors, food and independent businesses overlap.
EXPLORE SOCO →
MAKE A
NIGHT OF IT.
Dinner. Cocktails. Theater. Live entertainment. Costa Mesa is one of those cities where the night doesn't need much logistical planning.
DINNER + A SHOW
Book dinner nearby and make Segerstrom Center the centerpiece of the night.
SEE WHAT'S PLAYING →COCKTAILS + DINNER
Skip the complicated itinerary. Pick a great restaurant, find a cocktail afterward and stay local.
EXPLORE COSTA MESA →SHOP LATE. EAT LATER.
Turn an afternoon of shopping into dinner and a full evening around South Coast Metro.
EXPLORE THE AREA →
ONE PERFECT
COSTA MESA DAY.
Costa Mesa works best when you mix the polished with the independent. Coffee and local shops in the morning. Art and fashion in the afternoon. Dinner and a show at night.
FOOD. ART. STYLE. VERY COSTA MESA.
Come hungry. See some art. Buy something you probably didn't need. Find a new coffee spot. Stay for dinner and catch a show. That's a pretty good Costa Mesa day.