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Oceana Hotel Gets a Good 'Eater' Review

Where: 849 Ocean Avenue [map], Santa Monica, CA, United States, 90403

Last month, we checked out the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica and pretty much liked what we saw, except for crazy expensive room rates.

But Eater LA managed to snag a one night stay at the place (thanks to an NPR-KCRW pledge) over Labor Day Weekend and has the inside scoop on the guests-only restaurant.

We held court at the The Ocean Lounge, a guest-only restaurant conceived by New York City's Jonathan Morr, that recently opened. (Morr will bring his BOND ST. to the Thompson Beverly Hills hotel soon.)

The restaurant offers a pretty lavish breakfast buffet in the morning with an array of Bread Bar baked goods, fruits, smoked salmon, yogurts, plus an a la carte menu. Scrambled eggs studded with ham and Emmenthaler cheese on rustic bread did us quite well.

Dinner is simple (steaks, seafood, a few pastas, sandwiches), but decent. Poolside cocktails are served all day, but it's not like the Backyard at the W or the Standard hotel pools. Here, it's quiet, laid-back, not crazy at all. And there's something to be said for a Grey Goose lemonade with watermelon ice cubes...sweet, cool watermelon ice cubes...

Related Stories:
· Inside the Oceana Santa Monica Hotel [HotelChatter]