Happy Hour Escape at Monarch Beach Resort’s AVEO Table + Bar

Escape to the vacation of your dreams, if only for a few hours, at Monarch Beach Resort’s ocean view restaurant, AVEO Table + Bar. Revel in a glorious SoCal sunset al fresco while sipping one of AVEO’s winter craft cocktails and savoring from among the Mediterranean-inspired share plates, all specially priced during Happy Hour, Sunday through Thursday from 2:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Did you catch the Sunday part! Sunday Funday here we come! With the Pacific Ocean as their sparkling backdrop Executive Chef Collin Thornton and Chef de Cuisine Donald Lockhart have created an exciting menu of Happy Hour offerings which focus on Mediterranean-inspired bites and cool-weather cocktails.

Before digging into the oysters and other scrumptious share plates, get comfortable on the patio, enjoy a cocktail, and breathe — let the sheer beauty of your surroundings send your heart soaring.

Black Cherry Whiskey Sour – Knob Creek, Fresh Lemon, Sugar, Cherry Bitters

To warm patrons in the chill of winter, cocktails on the new Happy Hour menu focus on dark, aged spirits including añejo tequila, small batch bourbon, and black barrel spiced rum, brought to life with seasonal ingredients like California citrus, honey harvested from Monarch Beach Resort’s beehives, and housemade infusions including black cherry bitters and cider syrup.

During Happy Hour, AVEO Table + Bar’s craft cocktails, regularly priced at $17, are just $12. Happy Hour also includes specially priced tapas and share plates; beers, wines, & champagne by the glass; and red & white sangrias.

Having a preference for whiskey, I heartily recommend the expertly prepared Black Cherry Old Fashioned (shown above) and the spirit-forward Paloma Negroni made with Casa Noble Reposado Tequila, Campari, fresh grapefruit, house spices and Sweet Vermouth (below).

Paloma Negroni

Other must try cocktails include the Toddy Cider, Barrel Aged (house barrel aged Mount Gay Rum or Angel’s Envy Bourbon) and the Añejo Honey Margarita with MBR honey from beehives on the property.

Tapas and Share Plates include a Chef’s Selection Trio of Daily Oysters (pictured above) with all the accoutrements.

Mediterranean Dips include three: tapenade, tzatziki sauce, and candy cane hummus, served with pita bread.

The Chicken Chorizo Loaded Fries feature a mound of thick fries smothered in mustard-parmesan gravy, melted cheese and garlic aioli with chicken chorizo sausage, resembling a poutine and every bit as soul satisfying.

Margherita Flatbread is a lighter option with heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil on an ultra thin crust.

The Red Snapper Ceviche brings summer to the table with bright California citrus-cured snapper, tomato, jalapeño, bell peppers, in a sunny pool of citrus/chile oil and addictive vegan, gluten free, house made lentil crisps to scoop with.

Always popular Calamari comes in a cute fry basket with Meyer lemon aioli, zesty cocktail sauce and a charred lemon for squeezing on top of the crispy rings.

Turkey Meatball Sliders are a meal in themselves. Turkey meatballs are wrapped in fried mortadella, served on a mini brioche bun slathered with burrata and peppery arugula with a crown of onion rings. Oh my!

Bypass the meat bomb and order the Petite Buttermilk Onion Rings with homemade peppercorn ranch on their own.

Chef de Cuisine, Donald Lockhart

“In Dana Point, our climate presents a year-round opportunity to enjoy the sunset al fresco,” comments AVEO Table + Bar’s Chef de Cuisine Donald Lockhart, an Orange County native. “Our new Happy Hour gives locals the opportunity to escape to the vacation of their dreams, if only for a few hours.”