Retail: Best Shopping/Dining Destination

1. Irvine Spectrum Center

670 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine; 949-790-4871; irvinespectrumcenter.com

The Irvine Company is preparing for a big bounceback year at its two premier open-air shopping and entertainment properties, the Irvine Spectrum Center and Fashion Island, according to Butch Knerr, president of Irvine Retail Properties.

“The number of visitors at our centers is approaching 2019 levels and is increasing each month,” Knerr said. “Our guests are elated to be back, and our merchants are thrilled to welcome them.”

With its giant 108-foot, 52,000-light adorned Ferris wheel and more than 220 retailers, restaurants and entertainment options beckoning visitors, the Irvine Spectrum Center annually tops the list with our readers and the 18 million that visit annually.

“We have curated a special collection of merchants, including 81 new stores that have opened across our centers during the past 12 months — with additional major retailers lined up to announce in Q3 and Q4,” Knerr said in a statement.

Retailers range from Nordstrom to Target to boutique shops. Food choices span the globe from fine dining to street treats.

For those who may not want to go 108 feet high, closer to the ground there is the Carousel and the Spectrum Climber, a structure with 75 platforms for kids to scamper across.

Among the changes has been an expansion and upgrade of the outdoor patio at Javier’s Cantina Grill, a remodel of the Regal Cinema and The Escape Room, where groups work collectively to uncover clues, crack codes and solve puzzles to escape devilish locked rooms.

MINDY SCHAUER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER With its 108-foot, Ferris wheel and more than 220 retailers, restaurants and entertainment options, the Irvine Spectrum Center annually tops the list with readers.

– Greg Mellen

2. South Coast Plaza

3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa; 800-782-8888; southcoastplaza.com

Billing itself as “the leading international shopping and dining destination on the West Coast,” South Coast Plaza features more than 250 stores and boutiques and 30 restaurants.

And, unlike outdoor venues on the list, you don’t have to duck and cover when the weather turns.

Opened in 1967 in one of the lima bean fields owned by the Segerstrom family, the plaza grew into the largest shopping center on the West Coast with sales of more than $1.5 billion annually before the pandemic.

The mall is anchored by Nordstrom, Bloomingdale and Saks Fifth Avenue. But there is also a vast collection of high-end and specialty boutiques. In 2019, Italian luxury designer Furla opened its first store in California, moving into an 1,151-square foot space where it sells women’s and men’s bags, shoes and leather goods.

Located a few blocks away from the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, South Coast Plaza is a popular destination for pre-show dining.

With offerings including Orange County’s only Neiman Marcus, among more than 150 retailers, and more than 20 restaurants and five entertainment options, there is a lot that keeps the crowds flocking to the popular Newport Beach outdoor mall.

Add in free outdoor entertainment and the large Koi pond and there is plenty for everyone.

Recently the mall unveiled a Personal Shopping Style Suite, where customers can make appointments with personal shoppers who select curated items from more than 100 boutiques and coveted brands all in one place.

According to Fashion Island literature, “our savvy shoppers are always up to date on the season’s hottest trends and musthave items, making them a fabulous resource for your styling service and gift buying needs.”

Dining selections range from items you can choose at the mall’s Whole Foods Market, to a food court with choices from gelato to burgers, to fine dining.

3. Fashion Island

401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach; 949-721-2000; fashionisland.com