ALFRESCO LA
By Jenny Hontz
For dineLA.com
For dineLA.com
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With summer heating up, it’s a great time to check out LA’s outdoor dining scene. Whether you’re looking for a beach view, a gorgeous patio, a cool poolside cabana or rooftop deck, LA has it all.
Many Los Angeles hotels have spectacular outdoor dining spaces. The Viceroy’s Whist restaurant in Santa Monica and blue on blue at the Avalon in Beverly Hills are two of the hippest spots for poolside dining.
“For the longest time, people associated restaurants at hotels as something to stay away from,” said blue on blue Executive Chef Scott Garrett. “Now it’s completely the opposite. Independent restaurants are the ones cutting costs, while the hotels have these beautiful locations.”
Whist at the Viceroy is hosting taste of Tuesday weekdays from 6–9 p.m. all summer long. Chefs will be out by the pool with a charcoal grill serving tapas-style portions of lobster, beef and calamari to tunes spun by a DJ. “It is very much a party vibe,” says Gerhard Tratter, food and beverage director at the Viceroy. “It’s really a trend away from the traditional three-course structured meal. People are grazing, trying different things.”
Of course, you can still have a traditional meal and a romantic evening at Whist by reserving a private dining cabana. Another great spot for romance is the charming and secluded patio at Boe at the Crescent Hotel in Beverly Hills. With soft willow trees, couches and an indoor/outdoor fireplace, it manages to be both cozy and minimalist. The chef serves sophisticated comfort food and a nice selection of summery herbal cocktails made from basic, thyme and rosemary. “They’re nice, light and effervescent,” says General Manager Shaw McPherson.
But you don’t have to visit a hotel for spectacular outdoor dining. Wilshire in Santa Monica also has one of the most romantic patios in town. The key to its chic appeal is the “combination of fire and water,” says Lori Theis, general manager. “We have fireplaces and urns and other fire effects. We also have a little goldfish pond and a fountain designed into a wall.”
The Wilshire deck was also built around the many trees on the property, which are lit with twinkling lights, “adding a little magic,” Theis says. There’s even a tree house, which has a fireplace and couches.
For another magical, tree-filled spot up in the mountains, try the Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga Canyon. Il Cielo, Salt Creek Grille in El Segundo, Chez Mimi in Santa Monica, Dominick’s in West Hollywood and Beechwood Restaurant in Venice also have lovely outdoor patios.
And who can forget the beach? For some of the best views, try Geoffrey’s in Malibu, which has a terrace overlooking the ocean. The Malibu Pier also just reopened after 13 years of dormancy after storm damage. At the base of the pier, the Beachcomber restaurant opened at the end of June with terrace seating on two sides.
So whatever your mood for food and view, you can be sure find what you want under the sun and the stars in LA.
Beechwood Restaurant, 822 West Washington Blvd. Venice, 310.448.8444
blue on blue at the Avalon Hotel, 9400 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.277.5221
Boe at the Crescent Hotel, 403 N. Crescent Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.247.0505
Chez Mimi, 246 26th St., Santa Monica, 310.393.0558
Dominick’s, 8715 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, 310.652.2335
Geoffrey’s, 27400 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, 310.457.1519
Il Cielo, 9018 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, 310.276.9990
Inn of the Seventh Ray, 128 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga, 310.455.1311
Salt Creek Grille, 760 South Sepulveda Blvd., El Segundo; 310.335.9288
The Beachcomber at Malibu Pier, 23000 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, 310.456.9800
Whist at the Viceroy Hotel, 1819 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, 310.260.7500
Wilshire, 2454 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 310.586.1707
