Back for its seventh year, Dine Out Long Beach, Restaurant & Cocktail week will be kicking off Friday, Feb. 18, enticing locals to indulge in (and support) Long Beach’s gastronomical landscape with restaurants all over the city offering special menus, pairings and promotions.

The 10-day event, which ends Feb. 28, boasts 45 participating restaurants (and counting) including newcomers El Barrio Cantina on the 4th Street Corridor, Rosemallows in Downtown, Saltwater Deck in Junipero Beach and Liv’s on 2nd. Zaferia District’s forthcoming Colombian fire grill restaurant, Selva, slated to open Feb. 2, will also be participating.

Some familiar staples this year include The Ordinarie, Michael’s on Naples, Lola’s, La Tarantella Osteria Italiana, Bamboo Club and more.

“It’s been another challenging year for our culinary community,” said Elizabeth Borsting, founder and organizer of Dine Out Long Beach, in a release. “But we are confident that foodies, oenophiles, and friends, in general, will come out to support our restaurant owners, chefs, bartenders and sommeliers during Restaurant & Cocktail Week.”

The promotions vary from restaurant to restaurant. Some offer prix fixe menus, meals for two, chef’s tasting menus or multi-course options for breakfast, lunch or dinner—often highlighting some of their best offerings at a discount or new meals entirely. Others offer small plates, wine, beer and cocktail pairings. Click here to check out the specialty menus and promotions per restaurant.

There are no registration fees, all you need to do is visit the participating restaurant and request the Dine Out Long Beach menu or promotions. For diners preferring to eat at home, there are participating restaurants with options for take-out as well as beer, wine and cocktails to-go.

Seafood Paella from Cafe Sevilla, who is participating in the Dine Out Long Beach campaign this year. Image courtesy Dine Out Long Beach.

Returning again this year is Dine Out Long Beach’s “Imaginary Menu” a campaign created last year in response to the hardships dining and drinking establishments experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests are invited to donate $3 or more toward their bill for imaginary food items such as “imaginary breadsticks” or “imaginary nachos” that will directly benefit Restaurants Care, a non-profit organization of the California Restaurants Association that provides financial relief to restaurant owners and/or workers in need.

So far, the non-profit has helped Long Beach restaurants The Reef, Rasselbock Beer Garden, Panxa Cocina, Ola Mexican Kitchen and Jade on the Water.

Dine Out Long Beach, Restaurant & Cocktail week is Feb. 18-28. Click here to visit the Dine Out Long Beach website.