The Best New Restaurants in Orange County
Cynthia Rebolledo • January 28, 2026
Orange County’s robust dining scene has been on a steady rise with big-name newcomers, very familiar chefs, and buzzy strip mall finds alike. The county, some 3.5 million people strong, was already known for its taquerias, Vietnamese food , and coastal dining enclaves. Still, the region is growing in seemingly a dozen new directions at once. Here are the hottest new restaurants to try in Orange County.
New this update: Ilya Restaurant , Dookki, and Tacos Los Cholos join the list, while Darkroom, Ospi Costa Mesa, and Verde rotate off.
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