Newport Beach, Balboa Peninsula nightlife, nightclubs and bars
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OC EXTRAS: Cities Within the City: 
L.A.
CITY GUIDE: NO LAST
CALL! Text and photos detailing locals' bars, nightlife and activities in Newport Beach and the Balboa Peninsula.
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Newport Beach Nightclubs, Bars & Nightlife
It is the dreamy California coastal lifestyle, a land of waterways and yachts, big bars and dive bars, beautiful beaches with a raging surf spot known as The Wedge, fast Ferraris and models in Mercedes,, high fashion and high style. And enough money to enjoy it. This is Newport Beach, one of elegant Orange County's most prized possessions. And while rolling down PCH requires driving past yacht yards, and dealerships selling Rolls Royces and Bentles, it's also invitingto those looking for some fun pubclubbing, be it upscale, downscale or both. To find out specifically what's happening in Newport and throughout
Orange County on a weekly basis, sign up for "OC Al's" comprehensive
events newsletter; this is invitation only and PubClub is your invitation.
PubClubbing (Balboa Peninsula Beach Crowd) MAP
A casual beach atmosphere can be found in kicked-back Balboa Peninsula (not to be confused with adjacent Balboa Island). There are several establishments a short walk from one another and on Fridays and Saturdays people cruise from bar to bar. Many live close enough to stagger home, so they have no qualms about holding back on their beverage consumption. The king of this beach is Sharkeez. It's a down-to-earth cantina with sawdust on the floor and potent drinks served in giant 64-ounce buckets. It's a hot spot in both Hermosa and Manhattan beaches to the north and has also found success in OC. It's a place to hang, a place to party and a place to watch sporting events. Along the water are a series of dive bars. The Beach Ball seems to attract the most uninhibited crowd, although there's also Blackie's By The Sea, Mutt Lynch's with it's schooner-sized beer and dozens of TV screens showing sporting events and, around the corner, the Blue Beet featuring live jazz.
On the other side of the peninsula but still within walking distance is Woody's Wharf. This used to be THE pick-up place in Orange County and now it's showing strong signs of picking up again (so to speak). Plus, it's right on the water and has a large patio for drinking and dancing under the stars. In the afternoons, boats tie up to Woody's dock and waitresses deliver food and drinks right to the deck – a partier's paradise!
More refined drinking can be conducted next door a new multi-level restaurant/bar called Kantina. The second-level bar is great for people-watching and conversations with several people drinking the signature Latin Lust Mojito, while a patio provides a top-tier view of the channel . Kantina is classier than its next-door neighbor, so if you're included to wear shorts and sandals, match it with a collared shirt. It's really best as a starter bar, but Woody's has become so popular a line forms by 9:30 on weekends and the spillover lines up here, as well. There's also a line at Sharkeez by this time, so Balboa barhoppers are best to belly up to a bar and toss out the anchor. Another choice is rather elegant – elegant for what is primarily a sports bar, anyway – Rudy's. It's an indoor-outdoor hangout and is quite popular during college and pro football season, as well as sunny summer daze and nights. Locals like to hang at the other end of the Peninsula by a second pier, closer to the Balboa Island bridge. Balboa Inn is a cool hangout bar with tables before the band and a side open-air garden patio while Baja Cantina is a Sharkeez look-alike cantina. Balboa Inn has a rocking band on Sundays, well worth checking out for you rockers. After the bars close, Charlie's Chili, at the end of the pier, is full of those on late-night food runs. And a Manhattan Beach favorite, El Tarasco, sits poised on the corner just waiting for the late-night burrito runs. While on the subject of food, the Crab Cooker's fresh seafood is a favorite stop of former President Clinton and other top dawgs (or former top dawgs) whenever they are in the town. Over on Balboa Island – a ferry travels until 11 in the evenings and it's often a far better place to find parking when going to the Peninsula – is The Village Inn. This is where seasoned sailors go looking for seasoned crewmates over burgers and beers. Newport Beach is also highly recognized for its Taco Tuesdays at various locations. This is the big weeknight out with specials on tacos and drinks; the crowds pack into places. It's has been an Orange County ritual since almost the last orange grove was replaced by an upscale shopping mall. A mingler's delight, Taco Tuesdays are packed from dinner time until 9 or 10 every Tuesday with people far more interested in talking than eating tacos. The hottest spot now is Avila's El Ranchito (28th & Newport Blvd). The original hotspot,, though it's cooled a bit lately, is El Torito restaurant in Fashion Island. The Clubs
The latter is Hollywood club in Orange County with not one but two velvet ropes to pass. While this can be a challenge, once inside it's evident the place sweats with sexiness. The large deck outside is a popular gathering/meeting/mingling spot, the best in the club, in fact.. While it's in Costa Mesa, neighboring community to Newport,
Vegas is close enought to call Newport home. Though it seeks to
bring something farther down the road to OC, Sin City! it's two DJs play
a mix of tunes– top 40 80s and 90s on Saturdays – ($20
cover). And while it's not a dance club, the elegant, 3-Thirty-3 is an upscale waterfront lounge and restaurant on Bayside Drive in Newport. Sit at the bar or in the bar for dinner at sunset and prepare to mingle with the eclectic gathering that casually and consistently strolls in for the same..
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Those
looking for more dancing and club life head to Buzz or the swanky
Sultra.