NEWPORT – Adaa, Aialik and Hunter, the three resident sea otters at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, have way more toys than my cat Tilly. Like felines, sea otters are playful social animals says aquarium official Hugh Dolly, and they enjoy puttering around with toys as well as interacting with humans, particularly their feeders.

During a three-day visit to Newport, my friend Christiana and I got a behind-the-scenes tour of the aquarium from Dolly, including a peek at the sea otter’s toy bin, a commercial-sized fish box overflowing with floats, plastic tubing and sundry doodads. Dolly also showed us the walk-through aviary, said to be the largest facility of its type in North America, and we got to say hi to a couple volunteer scuba divers who brave the aquarium’s rays, skates, wolf eels and numerous sharks while cleaning the Plexiglas holding tanks.

Newport’s natural beauty, a quintessential Oregon coast combination of ocean, bay, headlands and beaches, is this area’s biggest draw. But other attractions await: the aquarium, of course, a first-rate performing arts center, unusual lodgings, top-flight galleries and restaurants and the vibrant Yaquina Bay waterfront and Nye Beach neighborhood, both ideal for browsing shops and soaking up the local vibe.

Like Astoria, this seaport town sandwiched between bay and ocean is experiencing a restaurant renaissance – a time when new eateries open, competition increases and quality goes way up. One of the establishments that has raised the bar is April’s, a gem of a dinner house with windows pressed up against pedestrian-friendly Cliff Street, a narrow avenue frequented by a curious mix of tourists, aging hippies, young hipsters and the Nye Beach intelligentsia.

On Saturday evening, four of us took seats in April’s diminutive dining room, where strong Mediterranean flavors with an Italian accent are showcased. Butternut squash soup, delicate pasta pomodoro flecked with chili flakes and bread crumbs, polenta crested with apple-turkey sausage, thyme- and lemon-infused chicken and always-popular seafood cannelloni are a few possibilities. Even in the off-season, reservations are a necessity.

Bookstores thrive in Nye Beach, yet Chris and I saw only a couple volumes for sale at Tea & Tomes Ltd., where owners Tuppence and Bert Aldridge have recreated the ritual and elegance of English afternoon tea. Classic tea includes sorbet, dainty finger sandwiches, scones, fresh fruits, savories, sweets and your pick of a 44-tea assortment (or coffee, if you prefer). A gift shop is overflowing with music boxes, English “gurgling jugs,” tea accoutrements and Victoriana items. A couple blocks away, treats of another sort – artisan breads, old world pastries and small pizzas – are the attention getters at Panini Bakery.

The town’s choicest browse is inside Canyon Way Restaurant and Bookstore, a rambling operation featuring a well-stocked bookstore and good eats. Oregon bouillabaisse and ginger-garlic chicken with pasta are some of dishes served in the restaurant. For takeout, consider a humongous Sidewalk Sub sandwich from the deli.

For ale aficionados, the toast of Newport is Rogue Ales Public House, offering quaffs such as Shakespeare Stout, Honey Cream Ale and Hazelnut Nectar. Brewer’s On The Bay, where the beers are concocted, has a cozy upstairs pub situated underneath the Yaquina Bay Bridge. Both places purvey fine grub, including beer-battered halibut ‘n’ chips.

Perched on pilings overlooking the Yaquina Bay is Saffron Salmon, Newport’s newest “rave” eatery painted in soft earth tones and adorned with eye-catching art. It’s worth a visit just to sample the fabulous crispy frittes, twice-fried shoestring potatoes that taste like candy. Chris and I paired a portion apiece with messy-good salmon and albacore sandwiches served on crusty craft bread, then savored a four-berry cobbler a la mode for dessert.

Motels aplenty, many of them sprawling oceanfront affairs, dot Newport, but two lodgings stand out. Sylvia Beach Hotel is renowned as a haven for book lovers; every room is dedicated to an author. Outside of overnighting in the library, this is the preferred sleepover for voracious readers. Meals are served family style in the downstairs Table of Contents restaurant, where simply prepared seafood gets top billing come dinner.

Nearby Nye Beach Hotel (where we stayed) is funkier, less spendy and also oceanfront. An in-house bistro built on pilings above the beach is a must for morning coffee or tea. Also notable is The Vikings, a collection of rustic cottages a few blocks to the north situated on a bluff above the beach, and a better bet than the condos under the same ownership.

Monday was our final day in Newport, darn it. Following our aquarium tour, Chris and I headed to the other side of Yaquina Bay for lunch at The Whale’s Tale, a cavernous eatery and a Newport mainstay for more than a quarter century (don’t miss the hippy-dippy photos depicting the restaurant’s beginnings hanging in the pint-sized unisex restroom). We were too late for breakfast and the restaurant’s renowned poppy seed pancakes, so I chose a stalwart oyster sandwich on sourdough, featuring Yaquina Bay’s finest; Chris opted for a garden sandwich.

Still on our minds were the aquarium’s incredibly cute sea otters. Because they live most of their lives in cold ocean water, these furry critters must eat prodigious amounts of food to maintain body heat, as much as 25 percent of their body weight each day. Aialik, Adaa and Hunter tip the scales at between 40 and 69 pounds each.

Chris and I did the math. Just imagine how many Dungeness crab omelets, burgers, pizzas, Greek salads, bowls of clam chowder, surf ‘n’ turf dinners and a la mode fruit crisps we could devour with a virtually unlimited license to eat, she mused.

Contact the Mouth at The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 or phone (503) 325-3211 or e-mail mouth@dailyastorian.com

Stepping out in NewportMust-see attractions: Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 S.E. Ferry Slip Road, Newport, (541) 867-3474, www.aquarium.org; Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (along Ocean Drive, just north of Newport), (541) 574-3100, an excellent whale-watching venue featuring towering Yaquina Head Lighthouse, an interpretive center, hiking trails and tide pools rife with sea life and safe for children.

Eats: April’s, 749 N.W. Third St., (541) 265-6855, moderate-expensive; Canyon Way Restaurant and Bookstore, 1216 S.W. Canyon Way, (541) 265-8319, moderate-expensive; Panini Bakery, 232 N.W. Coast St., (541) 265-5033, inexpensive; Rogue Ales Public House, 748 S.W. Bay Blvd., (541) 265-3188 and Brewer’s On The Bay, 2320 O.S.U. Drive, (541) 867-3664, both inexpensive; Saffron Salmon, 859 S.W. Bay Blvd., (541) 265-8921, moderate-expensive; Tea & Tomes Ltd., 716 N.W. Beach Drive, (888) 868-6637, inexpensive; Whale’s Tale, 452 S.W. Bay Blvd., (541) 265-8660, moderate-expensive

Lodging: Nye Beach Hotel, 219 N.W. Cliff St., (541) 265-3334, www.nyebeach.com, moderate; Sylvia Beach Hotel, 267 N.W. Cliff St., (541) 265-5428, www.sylviabeachhotel.com, moderate-expensive; The Vikings, 729 N.W. Coast St., (800) 480-2477, www.vikingsoregoncoast.com, inexpensive-moderate

Arts: Newport Performing Arts Center, 777 S. Olive St., (541) 265-ARTS; Oceanic Arts Center, 444 S.W. Bay Blvd., (541) 265-5963; Pyromania, 342 S.W. Bay Blvd., (888) 743-4116;

Information: Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, 555 S.W. Coast Highway, (800) 262-7844, www.newportchamber.org

CorrectionAstoria’s Tokyo Teriyaki Japanese Restaurant (225 14th St., (503) 338-5151) does not serve alcoholic beverages – Japanese beer, hot saki and plum wine were mentioned in the Nov. 13 “Mouth” column – even though they are listed on the restaurant’s current menu.