Five Crowns Restaurant 3801 East Coast Highway • Corona del Mar • California 92625

If you're familiar with Orange County's fine dining scene, chances are you've heard of Five Crowns. Established in 1965 in upscale Corona del Mar—one of Southern California's most idyllic coastal villages—the Tudor-style culinary landmark is a recreation of England's oldest country inn, Ye Olde Bell (est. 1135 A.D.). In this pocket of seaside affluence, it's also an icon of patrician respectability, award-winning cuisine, and premier vintages, owned by the Frank and Van De Kamp families of Lawry's Restaurants fame.

Known for serving up some of the best prime rib in town, as well as contemporary renditions of fresh seafood, roasted fowl, and succulent lamb, Five Crowns has hosted legions of discriminating local diners and such illustrious guests as Elizabeth Taylor and past President Richard Nixon.

What you may not know is that this revered dining establishment is also a classic setting for weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners and other singular celebrations. With its rich wood paneling, ceiling beams, antique maritime memorabilia and cozy nooks, the venue exudes an Old World ambiance.

The most popular area for saying your vows in this historic site is the patio and garden, off the restaurant's sunlit greenhouse. A traditional trellis, adorned with flowers and herbs, lends just the right amount of formality to the intimate setting.

Depending on the size of your party, guests will enjoy pre- and post-ceremony hospitality in the greenhouse and brick-lined patio, the main Crown Nelson Room, or The Brighton Room, named for the pleasure palace George IV of England built in 1782. In all of these areas, service is provided by a friendly and very professional staff. Many couples opt to capture memories of the day at the front entrance of the restaurant, where an antique red British telephone booth is a recognizable landmark on the East Coast Highway.

Before and after the merrymaking, out-of-town guests can enjoy accommodations in many four- and five-star hotels along the coast, or at the newly restored Crystal Cove Cottages, just a mile down the road in the Crystal Cove State Park Historic District. You might consider a post-celebration treat of your own: a romantic moonlit walk with your new spouse along this stretch of pristine coastline.