Local, authentic and one of the hippest spots in Orange County. This is how we would describe The CAMP, one of the very first alterna-malls that opened in SoCal a few years ago.

The CAMP is located on Bristol St, Costa Mesa, across the street from The LAB. In it you will find a carefully selected group of restaurants and shops with an earthy vintage aesthetic.

This mall doesn’t have any big retail stores nor restaurant chains. Instead, it promotes local businesses and fair trade. Every now and then The Camp also hosts art walks, film screenings and special events like the Folk festival which takes place in April.

Our favorite spots here are Vitaly, an unconventional Italian cafe with delicious piadinas and ice cream, and Milk and Honey, a coffee, tea and shaved ice house. We’ll be featuring them on the blog very soon!

Another favorite of ours is the lavender lemonade served at Native Foods, a vegan restaurant also located in this mall. If lavender is one of your favorites too, you definitely need to try this drink.

The best place for Happy Hour is the Wine Lab. Ask for their sampler served in test tubes. It's really cool!

And if you are looking to buy unique one-of-a-kind items from local and international artisans, SEED People's Market is your place. We're in love with their stationery section.