Long Beach Restaurants for Celebrations

Long Beach restaurants make excellent venues for celebrations; weddings, retirements, birthdays, graduations, reunions, or any excuse to get together for a great time. If you’re looking to party large, Long Beach has a wide array of restaurants uniquely capable of welcoming big parties with Big Fun.

CREDIT: District Wine

A MEXICAN FIESTA

Create your own fiesta at Acapulco Long Beach (6270 Pacific Coast Hwy), which offers three private spaces, ranging from Rosie’s Room, seating up to 40 guests and featuring a TV and a fireplace, to the Marina Room, which seats up to 150 guests with a full bar and a sound system with microphone, projector and screen. Fuego (700 Queensway Dr) at Hotel Maya offers some of the best views of the Long Beach skyline from its indoor/outdoor dining space. Host an intimate dinner for 10 to 25 or throw a larger party with a menu of Latin inspired dishes.

CELEBRATE ITALIAN STYLE

L’Opera Ristorante (101 Pine Ave), in the heart of Downtown Long Beach, offers four private event spaces accommodating up to 90. Menus of traditional gourmet Italian dishes and linens can be customized, and you can add valet service for your guests’ convenience. The elegant Banquet Room at La Traviata (301 Cedar Ave) seats up to 115 and comes with a multi-screen audio visual system as well as grand piano. Michael’s on Naples (5620 E 2nd St) offers a rooftop deck for up to 30, the private Chef’s Gallery room for up to 35 seated guests, its rooftop dining area for up to 65, or a full buy-out for up to 150 guests.

GO OLD SCHOOL

A private dining room decked out with upholstered furniture and white tablecloths makes for a swanky setting for your event. Check out the Ocean Room or Marina Room at Long Beach’s Ruth’s Chris Steak House (180 E Ocean Blvd), where you can treat your guests to the restaurant’s classic steaks and sides. King’s Fish House (100 W Broadway) offers private event spaces that can accommodate parties or corporate events, including presentations. The rooms receive ample natural light through French doors, and details like wood paneling hint at a classic board room while retaining an inviting feeling.

FLIGHTS OF FANCY

District Wine (144 Linden Ave) is a cozy wine bar and lounge in the historic Lafayette Building in the East Village Arts District. Its dark interior with a mix of tables, booths, and upholstered leather armchairs makes for an atmospheric space where groups of up to 120 people can comfortably mingle and enjoy boutique wines and tapas. BO-Beau kitchen + rooftap (144 Pine Ave) offers a full bar on both its ground floor and open air rooftop dining area, plus 50 craft brews on tap. The restaurant can accommodate up to 250 for a reception. Altar Society Brewing and Coffee Co. (230 Pine Ave) specializes in lagers and IPAs and offers a hearty menu of pub food. Their second story–originally a 1903 Masonic Temple with a lofty arched ceiling and exposed brick walls–is a venue for private events that allows the architecture of Downtown’s oldest surviving building to shine.

UNIQUE SPACES

Ammatoli (285 E 3rd St), one of the city’s most noteworthy restaurants, recently expanded to make room for more private events. Picture sitting under decorative hanging globe lamps and vines surrounded by pottery and artwork on the limestone walls for your next party as you eat the dishes of Chef Dima, a James Beard Award nominee in 2024 for her authentic Levantine cuisine. Part community gathering space, part elevated art gallery, and part bar and restaurant, Compound (1395 Coronado Ave) offers indoor and outdoor spaces for private parties. Whether you are hosting a group of friends or a larger gathering, Compound’s spaces spark creativity. The Breakfast Bar is now offering catering and event space for private celebrations at both its 4th Street and Downtown locations. On 4th Street, enjoy a cozy atmosphere with sparkling chandeliers hanging over the bar. And Downtown, make use of the newly expanded patio under the palm trees.

VIEWS FOR DAYS

Parkers’ Lighthouse (435 Shoreline Village Dr) with its Queensview Steakhouse upstairs offers one of the best across-the-water views of the Queen Mary. Tantalum (6272 E Pacific Coast Hwy), located in the Marina Pacifica shopping center, has three rooms for private events. Its Harbor Room features a wall of large windows overlooking the water and is a great spot to watch boats sailing out of the marina into Alamitos Bay. Seafood staple Gladstone’s (330 S Pine Ave) is on the Rainbow Harbor boardwalk where you can look across to the Lions Lighthouse in Shoreline Aquatic Park and watch the sunset. Boathouse on the Bay (190 N Marina Dr) is designed to optimize its waterfront location on Alamitos Bay. Each of their banquet rooms faces the water, with seating to accommodate up to 160 on their outdoor patio.

About the Author

Steve Lowery

Steve Lowery is a longtime local. Over the years he has written for the Los Angeles Times, ESPN, and others. If you're looking for the hidden gems of Long Beach, Steve is your go-to.