Those relaxing at a Santa Monica beach hotel don’t need to travel far to eat well. We stayed for a week and I still had trouble narrowing the list of restaurants I wanted to try. Innovative chefs here take full advantage of its superlative farmers’ markets (especially the sprawling Wednesday edition), and they serve their creations in all manner of stylish dining rooms. Some of them, most notably the new Seline, will doubtless become Santa Monica attractions in their own right.

Citrin

Chef Josiah Citrin is a local culinary fixture, having opened his acclaimed restaurant Mélisse in 1999. But we hadn’t dined there since chef Citrin renovated the space in 2019 and divided it in two: Mélisse, now with just 14 seats, and the much larger Citrin. We opted for the latter, which has à la carte options and a four-course prix fixe that’s less than half the price of the 18-course tasting menu at Mélisse. It certainly didn’t feel second-class. I started with a luscious little course of a soft-poached egg and cauliflower mousseline topped with a briny dollop of Kaluga caviar. I couldn’t resist the hearty but classy signature pasta of lobster Bolognese, and my rich main of Liberty duck breast glazed in honey and drizzled with a verjus-pepper sauce paired perfectly with an aromatic Sonoma Syrah. And I succumbed to a pavlova of feather-light meringue with Earl Grey tea custard, ripe pear slices and the platonic ideal of vanilla ice cream. Next time I’m within striking distance, I’ll find some excuse to eat here, whether in the romantically dim dining room or at the inviting bar. Closed Sunday and Monday.
» Go for high-end, beautifully presented classics with a twist.

Citrin
1104 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica. Tel. (310) 395-0881