By Costanza Genoese Zerbi | Long Beach Real Estate Agent

Long Beach has always had a great food scene. But lately? It's on another level. Over the past couple of years, the city has seen an explosion of exciting new openings — from intimate neighborhood bistros to chef-driven concepts that are drawing attention from across LA and Orange County. As someone who lives and works in this city every day, I love seeing this happen. A thriving dining scene doesn't just make life more enjoyable — it's one of the clearest signs of a neighborhood on the rise.

Here's my curated list of the hottest new restaurants in Long Beach right now, organized by the neighborhoods where they live. And if any of these spots make you curious about what it's actually like to live nearby — I've got you covered with links to each community.

Belmont Shore — Second Street's Best New Table

The Second Owl (Owl Owl Thai)

If you know Owl Owl Thai from its original Signal Hill location, the new Belmont Shore outpost — affectionately dubbed The Second Owl — is a completely different experience. Where the original leaned fast-casual, this Second Street iteration is a full creative evolution: beautifully plated Thai dishes, a refined atmosphere, and the kind of cooking that makes you slow down and pay attention. It's exactly the type of restaurant Belmont Shore deserves.

This is the Shore at its best — walkable, lively, and full of character. If you're curious about living steps from spots like this, take a look at the Belmont Shore neighborhood guide.

Naples Island — Waterfront Dining Done Right

Marlena

Marlena has quietly become one of Long Beach's most beloved dining destinations, and the Naples area setting couldn't be more fitting. This California cuisine restaurant offers an elegant indoor-outdoor dining experience, with pastries from Paper Moon Bakehouse available during the day and a seasonally driven dinner menu at night. It's the kind of place that makes Naples Island feel even more like a world of its own.

Naples Island is one of Long Beach's most unique and sought-after communities — a network of canals, bridges, and waterfront homes unlike anything else in Southern California. Explore Naples Island real estate here.

Downtown Long Beach — A Food Scene Coming Into Its Own

HOMAREYA

Tucked at 145 E. 4th Street, HOMAREYA is the new izakaya from chef Yoya, who brings over 25 years of culinary experience from Kyoto, Japan. The concept centers on yakitori — skewered, grilled chicken — alongside sake and Japanese pub fare in a warm, welcoming space. It's the kind of restaurant that elevates a neighborhood, and Downtown Long Beach is better for having it.

Downtown Long Beach has transformed dramatically over the past decade, and the dining scene reflects that energy. Discover what Downtown Long Beach living is really like here.

Seoulicious KBBQ

Directly across from the Long Beach Courthouse, Seoulicious brings fast-casual Korean barbecue to the West Gateway neighborhood — without the tabletop grills. Meats are cooked to order in the kitchen, and the menu draws on family recipes refined over decades, with Hawaiian influences woven in. It's casual, flavorful, and exactly what a growing downtown neighborhood needs.

East Long Beach — The Neighborhood's Culinary Moment

Bar Becky

Bar Becky emerged in early 2024 in East Long Beach and has quickly developed a cult following. The cooking is elegant and farmers-market-driven, with a genuine commitment to seasonal ingredients that wins over even the most dedicated carnivores. The space hosted a "Hell's Kitchen" alumni dinner that became the talk of the city's food scene. If you haven't been, go soon — before everyone else figures it out.

Learn more about the East Long Beach neighborhood here.

Bixby Knolls — Long Beach's Most Exciting Dining Neighborhood

Heritage (Long Beach's First Michelin Star Restaurant)

Heritage made history as the first restaurant in Long Beach to earn a Michelin Star — and it also holds a Michelin Green Star for its environmental stewardship. The cooking is refined but deeply approachable, and this is destination dining in the truest sense, right here in Long Beach.

Bixby Knolls has been one of Long Beach's most creatively vibrant neighborhoods for years — a walkable stretch of independent restaurants, boutiques, and genuine community energy. Explore Bixby Knolls real estate here.

Why the Food Scene Matters for Real Estate

A thriving local dining scene is consistently one of the strongest signals of neighborhood appreciation. When independent, chef-driven restaurants choose to open somewhere, they're making a bet on that community's future — and they're usually right.

The neighborhoods on this list — Belmont Shore, Naples Island, Downtown, East Long Beach, Bixby Knolls — are all places where I'm seeing real, sustained buyer demand. People want to live somewhere that feels alive. These restaurants are proof that Long Beach is exactly that kind of city.

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Costanza Genoese Zerbi is a Long Beach-based Broker Associate with over 11 years of experience and $485M+ in closed transactions. RealTrends Verified #1 Long Beach agent by sales volume, 2024. (562) 221-4527 | costanza@costanzagz.com