6 Places Where Locals Love to Eat in Long Beach

Downtown Long Beach is home to more than 100 restaurants. Here, you can find familiar chains along with speciality Latin and Greek eateries as well as steakhouses with unbeatable views. Options run the gamut from Greek and French to barbecue and pizza, so there's something to tempt any palate.

You can enjoy a prime steak dinner, complete with sides like scalloped potatoes, at 555 East Steakhouse. If you're in town on a Friday, don't miss the downtown Long Beach Farmers Market on W. 3rd Street, where you can stroll the stands and sample tamales, Korean barbecue, and fresh local fruit.

Café Sevilla offers traditional Spanish food and live entertainment for an up-tempo evening of dining and dancing. This restaurant and bar has a traditional dining room, as well as a tapas bar and a nightclub. There's salsa dancing on select evenings, rumba-style guitar on the weekends, and renowned flamenco dance shows, complete with a full meal, on Saturday evenings.

One of 3 Café Sevilla restaurants found in California, this Long Beach outlet is walking distance from the waterfront, close to Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Centre.

Sir Winston's Restaurant & Lounge is the flagship restaurant on the Queen Mary, a historic retired ocean liner. This elegant restaurant has stunning views over the Long Beach promenade and a menu of luxury seafood. This restaurant ranks highly for romantic dates, birthdays and anniversaries. A highlight of the restaurant takes place every Sunday, when you can treat yourself to a luxury brunch complete with lobster, oysters, roast meats and all the Champagne you can handle.

Launched in 1936, the Queen Mary was the instant vessel of choice for Hollywood stars and British royalty alike. During World War II, she was converted to a troopship. There are rumours she’s still haunted. And yes, there’s a tour for that.

Long Beach is nicknamed "the Cambodian capital of the United States", and if you're looking for authentic Asian-style dining, this is the place to find it. Along this stretch of Anaheim Street, you'll find numerous restaurants serving traditional dishes like nom banh chok, a breakfast dish made of rice noodles, green curry, lemongrass, and kaffir lime.

Standout restaurants in Cambodia Town include Monorom Cambodian Restaurant and Phnom Penh Noodle Shack. This dining hotspot in Long Beach is not only budget-friendly, it’s a fascinating cultural adventure into this Asian enclave a few miles inland from Downtown.

The dining scene in Belmont Shore, like the rest of Long Beach, is home to an eclectic assortment of restaurants. The main thoroughfare of 2^nd Street runs straight through Belmont Shore and is lined on both sides with esteemed dining spots. Options here include Greek food at George's Greek Café and Italian fare at La Strada and Michael's on Naples Ristorante.

For a fusion dining experience, you can try Mediterranean dishes with a California twist at Boubouffe Mediterranean Grille, where menu items include fried sticky sesame salmon and Algerian chicken tajine.

The 4th Street Retro Row runs between Cherry and Junipero Avenues. You'll find a host of unique shops and the 1920s Art Theatre, plus an assortment of locally-owned restaurants here. This is the best area in Long Beach to find breakfast and brunch. You can grab a cup of coffee and a pastry at cafés like the charming Wide Eyes Open Palms, or enjoy a touch of nostalgia at Jerry’s Place, an old-school diner with incredible pancakes and waffles.

If a full meal is in order, try modern takes on American classics at Restauration or gourmet sausages and small plates at The Social List, a European-style tavern.