Orange County Date Ideas by Category (2026)

Looking to impress on a first date? Or planning a special outing for your significant other?

Fortunately, Orange County is a great setting for every type of date under the sun.

Below you’ll find our recommendations for date ideas—each section addresses a specific area of interest:

• Food/Drink Date Ideas

• Music Date Ideas

• Date Ideas that Involve Walking

• Activity Date Ideas

• Seasonal Date Ideas

• Dog-Lover Date Ideas

• Location-Specific Date Ideas

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Food/Drink Date Ideas

For foodies looking to impress...

• Food halls - Food halls are a great place to stroll around and try different types of food and drink.

• Michelin-star restaurants - Feeling fancy? Check out our list of OC Michelin-star restaurants.

• Romantic restaurants - These restaurants are guaranteed to help you set the mood.

• Bars - Check out the standout bars in Orange County below.

  • Tiki Bars

  • Gay Bars

  • Unique Bars

  • Wine Bars

  • Speakeasies

• Breweries - Orange County has a great craft brewery scene if you’re looking for a casual drinking atmosphere.

• Coffee Shops

Music Date Ideas

Want to form a connection over a shared love of music?

• The Drake in Laguna Beach offers live jazz and fine dining

• OC Parks hosts a summer concert series, and it’s completely free

• Grab cocktails and listen to a hi-fi vinyl set at Sonder in downtown Santa Ana

• Check out a show at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa or any of the other OC concert venues:

  • The Observatory in Santa Ana

  • Honda Center in Anaheim

  • House of Blues in Anaheim

  • Garden AMP

“Walk Around” Date Ideas

Want to avoid awkward stares across the table? These date ideas require you to keep it moving…

If you want to skip the dinner date and do some exploring, there are plenty of walkable places in Orange County to do that.

• Los Rios Historic District - This is a charming, walkable historic neighborhood in San Juan Capistrano.

• Downtown Disney - This is a free shopping/dining/entertainment venue outside of the theme park. (Parking fees apply.)

• Orange County Beaches - Orange County has some of the best beaches for a date. You can walk on one of the piers, check out local shops, and find great eats at most OC beaches.

  • Lido Marina Village - Small outdoor boutique shopping center by the Newport Marina.

  • Balboa Fun Zone - Play arcade games and ride the ferris wheel in this charming boardwalk setting.

  • Balboa Island - Explore this charming island on the Newport Coast.

• Orange County Botanical Gardens

  • Fullerton Arboretum - This is a free botanical garden on the Cal State Fullerton campus.

  • Niguel Botanical Garden - This is a free botanical garden in Laguna Niguel

  • Sherman Library & Gardens - A botanical garden with an on-site restaurant in Newport Beach

• Orange County Museums

  • Bowers Museum

  • Mission San Juan Capistrano

  • Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA)

• Orange County Downtowns - Most OC downtowns are very walkable.

• College Campus Self-Guided Tour

  • Chapman University

  • Cal State Fullerton

Activity Date Ideas

For active folks who want a little adventure…

• Hikes

  • Popular hikes:

    • Top of the World (Laguna Beach)

    • Carbon Canyon Redwood Grove (Brea)

    • Red Rock Canyon in Whiting Ranch (Lake Forest)

    • Oak Canyon Nature Center (Anaheim)

    • Dana Point Sea Caves (Dana Point)

    • Weir Canyon Trail (Orange)

    • Best hikes in Orange County

• Golf

  • List of Orange County golf courses

  • Camelot Golfland (miniature golf)

Seasonal Date Ideas

Capture the spirit of the season with these date ideas…

• OC Fair - The OC Fair in Costa Mesa runs during the summertime and has plenty of food, games, rides, shopping, and entertainment.

• OC Night Market - This is held on select summer weekends.

• Sawdust Art Festival - The Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach has two major events: the summer festival and Winter Fantasy.

• Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach

Dog-Lover Date Ideas

Want to see if your furry friends are compatible?

• Dog Beaches

• Dog Parks

Location-Specific Date Ideas

For those who want to keep it local…

If you’re looking to meet up in a specific city, check out our guide on Orange County cities. You can click on a city and view all of the attractions/things to do in that area.

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