Nigel’s in Long Beach is ready to take passengers aboard in late June, when its water-facing façade debuts to its first array of public patrons. Plenty of pink, palms, gold, and champagne will follow.
Of course, many may know it as Anchors Away, Nigel Ohrberg’s duffy rental service. But as he did with his platoon of duffys back in 2021, where eight new 12-seat Duffy boats were fully furnished and modernized, Nigel looked at his space on the water and thought the space was mightily underused. For as great as the places we do have on the water—Hartland’s, Tantulūm, Boathouse on the Bay, Ballast Point, and Fuego at Hotel Maya all come immediately to mind—we still have plenty of unused spaces that could be easily activated.
And that is exactly where Nigel’s in Long Beach comes in. In the words of Nigel: “Eat. Drink. Duffy.”
So what, exactly, is Nigel’s in Long Beach?
For those that know Anchors Away, Nigel’s is the same place—its full name is technically Nigel’s at Anchors Away—which sits on the water-facing side of Marina Pacifica. (For those that park under Ralph’s? That is where you park to access Nigel’s. Or you can use the pedestrian on the northwest side of the space, directly by the southern end of Nordstrom Rack.)
Surely, you can still rent duffys from Anchors Away, from just being out on the water to duffy scavenger hunts. But Nigel had different plans as he realized the prime real estate Anchors Away holds.
“We were originally going for a vibe close to that of Marlena,” Nigel said. “That’s why we have so much green as well. The green velvet booths were one of the first things we purchased with this renovation. But then my wife and I returned from Miami, and we thought, ‘Why not go all out?'”
Go all out indeed: The hyper-excessive decoration is miles away from Marlena’s minimalism. And in a good way: Pink and gold lamps sit next to white-and-green motifs, wallpaper, and plants, in a food world where experiential elements have become essential in maintaining a patronage. It is not uncommon to find restaurants and breweries, like ISM Brewing or Altar Society in DTLB, stacked with events that act as experiences. Trivia. Dance nights. Niche game or collectors’ groups.
“A diverse activation of the space will be essential,” Nigel said. “Whether its something as simple as a brunch party or a rental of the duffy with dinner attached or a buy-out of the space for a private party. We want it to be both a destination for people in general and a venue.”
What to expect from Nigel’s when it opens in late June.
Nigel’s team is already assembled. Fred Allen will head as General Manager, Salvador Peralta will serve as Executive Chef, and Jaime Ornelas will act as Beverage Director. All three have experience in corporate restaurant groups, but Fred has expressed the need to become “more community-centric.”
“I love the experience my previous jobs provided me,” Fred said. “But at heart, we are hospitality people—and I feel like Nigel’s is more on the level we and the entire team want to be on.”
Wednesday through Friday will be offering lunch—beginning at 11AM—and dinner until 10PM, while Saturdays and Sundays will be brunch from 10AM to 10PM. Style? Californian-intercontinental to the T: Tuna tartare. Charcuterie. Deviled eggs. Risotto. Steak and seafood. And for brunch? Everything from chilaquiles and chicken’n’waffles to breakfast burritos and steak’n’eggs. (And for those—somehwat rightfully, I might add—freaking out in my group about the $34 Ceasar salad: That menu was not correctly priced and was a mock-up. And the salad will be for two and made tableside.)
Look for the full feature on its debut menu in the coming weeks.
Nigel’s at Anchors Away is located at 6276 E. Pacific Coast Hwy. and is expected to open in late June.
When can you book a table?