The Purple Urchin is the most centrally located of the four major, open-air, beachfront restaurants, on Ocean Boulevard, directly across the street from, and overlooking the Seashell Stage bandshell, with half of its patrons enjoying mezzanine level seating for the nightly live performances and Wednesday-night fireworks in the summer months.

The open-air dining room is the Casino Ballroom’s second-level deck facing Ocean Boulevard with views of the beach and the ocean as well as a close-up view of the Seashell Stage events, and it is the closest of the Big Four to the fireworks, that burst almost directly overhead.  Patrons at many tables on its deck have more direct views of the performances (linked here) than the view from the south end of the restaurant depicted in the image above.

Get there early on Wednesdays, or for band concerts and talent shows that you would like to watch; a 2023 performance and event schedule will be posted on its website.

Editors’ Note:  The Purple Urchin is better known by our editors for its location proximate to the entertainment below and fireworks above than for its cuisine, but it is a very good choice on Wednesday night fireworks, and other evenings depending on the bands.

16 on a scale of one to twenty:

 5 of 5 for the view (especially during bandshell performances and the Wednesday night fireworks)

 3 of 5 for the food, and

 4 of 5 for ambiance.

 4 of 5 for cachet