As exciting as first dates are, planning them can be a bit stressful, to say the least. Check out these diverse restaurants and bars in Orange County to help develop the perfect romantic outing. Whether you and your date love music, wine, gourmet food, sports or beer, the establishments below are sure to be appealing.

The Rooftop Lounge
1289 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 497-2446
www.rooftoplagunabeach.com

The Rooftop Lounge atop the La Casa del Camino hotel offers gorgeous, picturesque views of Laguna Beach. Whether dining during sunset or for breakfast or lunch, the breathtaking scenery from The Rooftop Lounge is sure to impress. In addition to the stunning views, The Rooftop Lounge hosts a happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. Mojitos, wine, beer and well drinks are half off of the original menu price. For date night, after toasting to some of the lounge’s specialty cocktails, all made with fresh, tropical fruit, head downstairs to K’ya Bistro. Here you can enjoy a light meal of small plates and after dinner drinks.

Villa Nova Restaurant
3131 W. Coast Hwy
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 642-7880
www.villanovarestaurant.com

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This restaurant, formerly located on the Sunset Strip, was one of the area’s most popular, celebrity-laden joints between the 1930s and 1960s. If you really want to impress your date, just drop the fact that Joe DiMaggio once took the iconic Marilyn Monroe here and you’ll be a shoe-in. Since its move to Newport Beach, the Villa Nova Restaurant provides waterfront dining and is one of the few restaurants in Orange County to host live musicians playing every night of the week. Depending on your date’s musical tastes, you can enjoy piano on Sunday and Monday, a mix of rock, gospel and blues on Tuesday and Friday, classic rock on Wednesday, Sinatra-like hits on Thursday and “one man band” Rick Sherman on Saturdays for a little bit of everything, from country to Billy Joel. The Villa Nova Restaurant not only provides a variety of entertainers for each night of the week, but also has an extensive wine list and food menu. If you’re going for romance, check out Tuesday wine nights.

The Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen
122 E Commonwealth Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 871-7469
www.slidebarfullerton.com

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If you are looking for a fun, upbeat atmosphere to take your date, check out The Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen, a venue that celebrates artists from Orange County. Not only is The Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen a restaurant with a variety of tasty food and drink selections, but it also serves as a live concert venue for several artists. If you’re looking to kick it retro-style, Totally Eighties Tuesdays runs from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. when Sonic DJ from 106.7 KROQ stops by to keep the party going.

The Winery Restaurant
2647 Park Ave.
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 258-7600
www.thewineryrestaurant.net

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For an elegant, fine dining experience, try The Winery Restaurant in Tustin. In addition to a generous wine selection (the restaurant has an 800-square-foot wine cellar with the capacity to hold 5,000 bottles of wine that is visible from three separate viewing windows), the food menu is composed of an impressive list of appetizers, main entrees and desserts. The Winery Restaurant also has two separate patios to enjoy during your visit, including The Vineyard and The Havana. The Vineyard offers a clean air, non-smoking environment, where as The Havana provides a significant cigar selection that guests can enjoy while on the patio.

Newport Beach Brewing Company
2920 Newport Blvd.
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 675-8449
newportbeachbrewingcompany.com

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Newport Beach Brewing Company is the perfect spot for beer lovers and sports fans. This Newport Brewery competed in the Great American Beer Festival and received several medals there, including a gold, two silvers and two bronzes, while competing against more than 2,500 other breweries. With a track record like that, you know the beer is going to be good. In addition to excellent suds, the Newport Beach Brewing Company has a diverse menu of tasty food options and a decent wine list. There is a large patio and overnight parking passes are available, should you and your date imbibe in a bit too much beer and need to take a cab home.

Stacy Brecht is a professional writer, dancer, marketer and model in the Los Angeles area. Brecht also enjoys traveling, wine, fitness training, volunteering, movies and trying new restaurants. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.