Eat & Drink

Avila Beach is small, but you can eat well here. Most restaurants line Front Street, facing the sand, so you can go from a beach towel to a patio table in a few steps. Custom House and Mr. Rick's have been on the promenade for years. Newer spots like Shuck Shack and Blue Moon Over Avila add oysters, natural wine and French bistro plates.

A short drive up Avila Beach Drive, Harford Pier has seafood over the water at Mersea's, breakfast at Fat Cats Cafe, and fresh fish to take home from Harford Seafood Company. While the Avila Beach Pier is mostly closed for repairs, Harford Pier is the one to walk.

Inland, the Avila Valley has a different feel. Woodstone Marketplace and the Secret Garden sit along the Bob Jones Trail, Gardens of Avila serves farm-to-table dinners at Sycamore Mineral Springs, and the Avila Valley Barn has barbecue, pie and fresh cider. Keep going up See Canyon Road for the apple farms and Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards.

You can also taste wine without moving the car. Four tasting rooms are within a block or two of the beach, and Locals Taproom pours local craft beer on San Miguel Street.

Each page below lists only places that are open now, with addresses and links. Hours change with the seasons, so check before you go.