Tavern House

Tavern House Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Veteran Orange County restaurateur David Wilhelm’s latest dining project takes full advantage of Newport Beach’s legendary harborside. Expansive windows line the second-story dining space, providing an elevated view of the waterfront that adds an extra dash of tranquility to a comfortable setting festooned with earth tones, stone columns, and an approachable bar slinging cocktails.

Likes: Elevated view of Newport Harbor.
Dislikes: Cocktails don’t match the quality of the food.

Food & Drinks: Executive chef Mike Payne extends this easygoing vibe through intriguing yet unfussy takes on New American cuisine. Seafood dishes like the BBQ chipotle bourbon oysters with garlic butter and bacon dominate the starter section of the menu, but there’s enough room to include solid land-based fare such as the “buffalo style” sirloin meatballs. Followers of Wilhelm’s restaurant trail already know the buttermilk fried chicken is delightful, but other mains like the red snapper “Veracruzana” with heirloom tomatoes and Castelvetrano olives offer sufficiently tempting diversions. Save plenty of room for the “bananarama” sundae, which is enormous for two to polish off. The compact, Napa-centric wine list features several heavyweights. On weekends, the morning crowd congregates for brunch classics, among them steak & eggs and huevos rancheros.