Laguna Beach's Montage Resort & Spa offers world-class cuisine at six different restaurants. RELATED LINKS Return to Best Beaches

Accommodations

The 262-room Montage Resort & Spa (www.montage-lagunabeach.com), Laguna's newest and most upscale hotel, opened in February 2003 at a spectacular 30-acre site overlooking the Pacific, with eye-catching architecture inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20^th century. Other good options with more affordable price tags include the Surf & Sand Resort (www.surfandsandresort.com), the lovely little Casa Laguna Inn (www.casalaguna.com), and Manzanita Cottages (www.nvo.com/thecottages), a set of four historic cottages built in 1927 for film producer Harry Greene.

Dining Options

Laguna Beach has a lively and eclectic restaurant scene ranging from basic American and Mexican fare (including one of the original locations of the popular Wahoo's Fish Taco chain, www.wahoos.com) to the kind of fashionable and expensive restaurants you'd expect in a town where the median home price falls just shy of $1.5 million. Studio (www.montagelagunabeach.com), signature restaurant at the new Montage Resort, has quickly become one of the most acclaimed fine dining venues in Orange County. Dizz's As Is (949-494-5250) presents splendid prix fixe meals with two seatings every evening (except Mondays) in an intimate Art Deco-style dining room. Other good choices include Woody's at the Beach (www.woodysatthebeach.com), a convivial gay-friendly fusion restaurant with ocean views; Ti Amo Ristorante (949-499-5350), a seaside Italian/Mediterranean restaurant with romantic candlelit nooks and a pleasant patio; and the diminutive Zinc Café & Market (www.zinccafe.com), a popular local hangout for breakfast or lunch.

Insider Tip

At Crystal Cove State Park, which extends several miles up the coast north of town, 46 rustic seaside cottages built in the 1920s and '30s are currently being restored and should soon be open to overnight guests. Plans for the 12.3-acre enclave include a new visitor center and public restrooms, with cottages rented out on a weekly basis at a cost of $80 to $150 a night. Watch for progress updates on the park service Web site at www.crystalcovestatepark.com and you could be among the first guests to bed down in this unique historic site.