Lighthouse Cafe

My husband and I had a great time at Lighthouse Cafe. The place feels so cozy and welcoming like you're right at home.
The Coconut Shrimp was delicious. The shrimp were juicy, and the coconut outside was crispy and sweet. The Caesar Salad was fresh and tasty. The lettuce was crisp, and the dressing was just right, not too heavy. It was a simple salad, but it was made well. The best part of the meal was the Scampi Primavera. The pasta was just how my husband liked it, and there were lots of colorful veggies mixed in. The shrimp in this dish were also cooked perfectly. The sauce was light and garlicky, which made everything taste so good together.
We also tried their Strawberry Mojito, and it was refreshing, with just the right mix of sweet strawberries and mint, making it the perfect complement to the flavors of our meal.
We're definitely going back to Lighthouse Cafe. The food is amazing, the place is comfortable, and the people are friendly. If you're looking for a great meal, you should check it out!

Dined here with family for a Saturday brunch, and it was wonderful.
We were seated outside, and the view was beautiful.
The staff, service, and our server were very nice, attentive, and great with kids!

All of the food we ordered was delicious.

The wait to be seated was slightly longer while some tables were visibly empty. However, I stayed on top of it and made sure to get the table in a timely manner. There might be a reason behind it, I'm not sure. Just make sure you stay close to the restaurant after checking into the waitlist.

Amazing place, zero complaints! Carlo was such a great and personable server. He made us feel so welcome as soon as we arrived. Location is perfect, we sat on the second floor outside so we could look out at the water. It was rainy but they had heaters to accommodate us. The drinks were amazing, and holy cow the food was delicious. If we are ever back we will definitely be back to this restaurant.

i’ve been here three times now and I must say, it’s the absolute best view for a semi-casual brunch or dinner! i recommend getting seated outside for the best view but just dress warm in case the breeze hits you.

they have their own parking lot so just make sure you pay for your spot at the booth and you’re good to go! if you uber, they can come into the lot and drop you off at the front.

now onto to the food! SO MUCH GOOD STUFF!!! The lobster mac is where it’s attttt. it’s so good here half of my table ordered it lol. the clam chowder is also quite delicious! we also ordered the bread, scallops, and crispy calamari and those were all bomb! i had the salmon and it was absolute perfection. for brunch, if they still have it, get the lemon ricotta pancakes!!

a big shoutout to Wendy! she’s such a great server and we’re a group of 10 so she did her best with us! most definitely will be back again!!

Spectacular view of the ocean, interesting menu and delicious food. Dutch apple kobbler was so good, highly recommended. Coconut shrimp was perfect for the appetizer.

Delicious and Fresh! Everything we had was amazing!

Not pictured was the Filet Crostinis, which were tenderly cooked slices of filet with tons of flavor!

I had the "3 Course Coastal Catch" with macadamia nut crusted Salmon (not listed on the menu) and the citrus sauce. This is my go to combination for salmon since I don't dare try cooking it like this at home! The citrus is flavorful and not overbearing, making it the perfect combination with the rest of the seasonings. I will order this dish again!

My dad, who has a picky palet, had the mahi mahi and thoroughly enjoyed his meal, which was "not fishy" like some others he had at other restaurants.

Others ordered the lobster roll, fish and chips and lobster Mac (which I didn't try).

For those with picky kids, please note the mac and cheese is creamy and more like homemade (not like boxed kraft Mac).

Great food with a breathe-taking panorama view. Best seating is at the back where it faces the water.

I almost don’t want to review this place so it stays a hidden gem. One of my favorite breakfast places in Newport Beach with an upper deck and lower patio both having great ocean views of the Newport Bay Harbor. The beignets are so good to start. I like their eggs, avocado toast, breakfast potatoes, and especially sipping their coffee. Pricing is surprisingly reasonable for such a beautiful new in a pricey town. Good nice servers too. 5 stars!

It’s our first time to try this restaurant for an early breakfast and we ordered the Salmon eggs Benedict with Mimosas and coffee. Food is good 👍 with a fantastic view of the bay. We were seated by Carlo at the second floor outdoor seats. He also happens to be our server and he was awesome 👏 . Great service I might add. He also fluent in Italian. We sure be back soon.

The Saturday / Sunday brunch was off the charts awesome. I had the seafood omelette and shared the blueberry pancakes (a bit sweet). The coffee was fantastic and the service was super friendly.

Good looking crowd, and a decent view of the marina from the ground level. I recommend sitting on the 2nd level.

Parking could be tight if there is an event there but there is plenty of street parking outside of the parking lot.

A small group of us visited here for lunch and the wait for a table was too long so we thought let’s order take out and sit and eat looking out at the beautiful harbor (the weather was great). A server spotted us and he was so very helpful and went out of his way to take our orders and get us something to drink while we waited. The wait for our order was very short and server brought everything out to us where we were seated (he didn’t have to do that considering we were take out). Needless to say our service experience was outstanding. The food was on par with the service, it was all great. We each got something different and we all thought it was very tasty. Our take away was Great Service, Food and Sights. Definitely be back to try something new.

I always debate about 5 stars on restaurants, ive watched my favs become so popular I can no longer get in! Recommend reservations!
This is a unique little place overlooking the bay in Newport. Everything was good, appetizers yes!
but Im still choking on prices for mid range restaurant. Instead of getting my 1st choice for the $42 scallops i opted for a bite of my sons fish and a $20 veg pasta...which was fine, but not as flavorful or saucy as Id like. Veggies were delicious, but too sparse. So for that part of meal its a 2-3 star.

Beautiful location right on Newport Harbor. Outside seating next to a sandy beach. Food was excellent as well as the service.

Between the amazing servers with bright and cheerful smiles, a Cali aesthetic, and some of the most BRILLIANTLY flavored food I've had, I'm not sure which to rave about more. I literally was beaming my whole meal, and as the waitresses came to serve others I'd get excited thinking maybe, just MAYBE, I'd get my meal next!
PLEASE do yourself a favor and eat here, especially up on the top floor!

I went in June of 2022. The food was phenomenal. We had the berry salad and the lobster Mac and two drinks. I still dream about it all. The ambiance and views inside of the restaurant were breathtaking. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. On the pricier side but definitely worth the dollar spent.

The service was excellent. Shout out to the female hostess. My wife and i were asking questions to her and a rude customer tried to move us out of the way and the hostess told her to wait her turn (in a very professional way).

The Chilaquiles and the french toast was delicious!! We ate everything. The servers did a great job and were very kind and professional too!!

My aunt, mom and I decided to visit Newport Beach for the first time. We were looking for brunch places on a Sunday afternoon and decided to eat at The Lighthouse Cafe. Located along the Balboa Peninsula, the ambiance offers breathtaking views of Newport Bay.

We were seated within 5 minutes and granted our request for a patio table on the 2nd floor. (We wanted an overlooking view of Newport Bay while dining). Wendy was our waitress and she is very amusing, caring and attentive!

We ordered Steak Chilaquilles, Nachos, Fish & Chips and Romaine Caesar salad. The steak chilaquiles had the perfect balance of the crunchy homemade tortilla chips with the grilled tender carne asada and opted for scrambled eggs. Thankfully I was able to omit the salsa choices and their avocado sauce was tasty. The nachos were also tasty and was the "sibling" of the chilaquilles. Their fish and chips were fresh, crispy and not greasy at all. The coleslaw served as a perfect match, along with their special tangy tartar sauce. The caesar salad was delicious with fresh pieces of anchovies and shredded parmesan cheese. We could've ordered it with less dressing, but we will opt for that next time.

Thank you to all the owners, managers, cooks and waiters of The Lighthouse Cafe for the phenomenal food and service, especially to Wendy!

A very relaxing place to have the perfect brunch. Service was amazing. Free beignets! And the place is wonderful. I would definitely come back again

Service was extremely slow but the views and location were really good. The clam chowder was rich and nice, but the portion size was too small for the price. The Breakfast Burrito, Bayside Omelette, and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich were all really good. Don’t forget to check in at Yelp for free Beignets!

Came here for brunch before our Duffy Boat rental. Easy metered lot parking right outside. We had the beignets, French toast both from the adult menu and the kids menu. The calamari was eeh. The fish tacos looked good. The steak and eggs were cook rare as I ordered it. Kids were able to spot the lighthouse from the water later that afternoon. Bathrooms were outside the restaurant in the adjacent building. All in all, a good experience.