Tavern House, Orange County’s newest waterfront eatery serving fresh New American dishes, is now open in Newport Beach. Nestled on the scenic Balboa Bay (333 Bayside Dr), the restaurant serves a combination of all-time favorites and new offerings from a Southern California’s veteran restaurateur, David Wilhelm.
“This restaurant has been an exciting project and, as I’ve told others, I feel like it’s my most fun and exciting restaurant yet,” said David Wilhelm, founder of Tavern House. “Returning to Newport Beach has been something I’ve wanted to do for years and Tavern House was the perfect opportunity to do so. Although the area is booming with new restaurant concepts, I’m confident that Tavern House can provide an enjoyable experience that’s unlike any other. The comfortable, yet trendsetting atmosphere draws people in and naturally encourages guests to stay longer. I’m eager to serve the neighborhood and provide a dining experience for all occasions.”
The menu offers a combination of Wilhelm’s ‘greatest hits’ such as the Honey Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Prime Mishima Ranch Burger, Maple and Bacon Charred Brussels Sprouts, Snapper Veracruzana, Salmon Carpaccio, and others, alongside a variety of classic New American dishes with a creative spin by Tavern House’s Executive Chef, Mike Payne.
All menu items are prepared with the highest quality ingredients featuring sustainable and properly harvested seafood, humanely-raised poultry and livestock, and produce from small, local farmers. Many of the dishes are prepared simply, staying true to their original recipes, with an emphasis on proper cooking techniques. In other cases, Wilhelm enlists his creative flair certain to tweak and deliver bold, out-of-the-box, cravable dishes. The menu adheres to the principles of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s ‘Seafood Watch’ program, which is a commitment to sell only environmentally responsible seafood and help transform the marketplace in favor of more responsible fisheries and aquaculture operations.
Within the main dining room, the horseshoe-shaped bar takes center stage at overlooking the harbor and featuring a solid line-up of handcrafted classic cocktails utilizing premium alcohols, freshly squeezed juices, and local herbs and veggies. Guests also enjoy an intentionally curated wine menu highlighting boutique wineries, and easy-to-drink varietals which complement the food. Additionally, Tavern House boasts many micro-brews and imports both on tap and by the bottle.
In April 2019, Wilhelm and his partner, Gregg Solomon, acquired 3Thirty3 to reinvent the space to become Tavern House. Collectively and separately, the two restaurant pioneers are best known for developing many Orange County and Los Angeles restaurants over the past three decades.
Partnering with Lana Helda, a local interior designer from Newport Beach, the team renovated the interior space from top to bottom. To reflect a lighter, more relaxed ambiance, the restaurant’s interior shifted colors from golds, browns, and greens, to shades of blue, gray and cream and features newly installed flooring, decorative lighting, chairs, and booths.
Tavern House is open for dinner nightly from 5 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., guests can enjoy brunch featuring Wilhelm’s over-the-top Bloody Marys and ever-popular Fried Chicken and Waffles. The centrally located bar features a weekday happy hour serving up icy margaritas, craft beer, and wine, alongside savory and spicy bites from 3 – 6 p.m. Additionally, Tavern House plans to introduce a lunch menu and four slips of dockside dining at a later date. For more information please visit www.tavernhousekb.com or call 949.673.8464. Follow along for updates on Instagram (@tavernhousekb) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/
