Ocean & Vine

02/03/11

Santa Monica's Ocean & Vine dives into mouth-watering flavor

by Meat Me in the Middle

With a new chef, menu and look, I decided to check out Ocean & Vine for myself. Since it has been surprisingly warm in Santa Monica, I decided to take my dinner to the outdoor patio Ocean & Vine offers, which has six fireplace-seating areas and an amazing view of the Santa Monica Pier. My husband and I treated ourselves to both dishes from the ocean and the garden. I started with the Carlsbad Agua Hedionda Lagoon Oysters, which came with chipotle cocktail, horseradish and cilantro pesto sauces. The oysters were fresh and tasty, and also scored in presentation as mist rose up from the oysters as they sat before me. My husband, who is a lifetime vegetarian, chose sushi to start from the "Sushi at Sunset" sushi bar that opened last fall as part of the restaurant. He got a tasty Farmers' Market roll that was wrapped in cucumber and had carrot-infused rice, avocado, asparagus, and roasted peppers inside. Gaut also mentioned to us not to miss out on the "6 at the Beach" happy hour where you can try out certain sushi rolls, wines, cocktails and sake for $6 each from 5 to 8pm every day.

Next, we indulged on our main courses. I went with my ocean theme of Caramelized Mano de Leon Sea Scallops with Yukon gold whipped potatoes, poached asparagus and browned-butter caper sauce. The scallops were cooked perfectly with a quick sear on top, so that the outside had a crisp, golden brown crust and the inside was succulent and tender. My husband got a vegetarian option of Gold Coast Portobello and Ravioli, which had grilled-garlic and rosemary-marinated mushrooms on top of broccolini goat cheese raviolis. He made a lot of "Mmm" noises, so I'm assuming he liked them. We were also pleasantly surprised to see a vegan dish on the menu - Vegan Tomato Fettuccini in a parsnip roast garlic sauce. My husband is already planning a next time since he found out they also serve lunch and breakfast too. We glanced at the breakfast menu, which had favorites like omelettes, buttermilk and blueberry pancakes, French toast and waffles. But, they also showcase a unique twist on breakfast with items like the breakfast pannini, Farmers' Market quiche, huevos rancheros and machaca, which is shredded beef, scrambled eggs, onions, peppers, breakfast potatoes and warm flour tortillas.

As our forks hit the plates, one of us decided we weren't yet full enough and decided I wanted to try the Makin’ Whoopie dessert. Some might know it as a moon pie or a whoopie pie, but I now know it as "yummy chocolate goodness." They bring out three red velvet cakes for you to dress up with marshmallow, chocolate mousse or Dulce de Leche - or you can spread on all three at once as I did. It was a great way to end a great meal. Both my husband and I enjoyed not only the food, but also the service and atmosphere. Ocean & Vine isn't just for the weary travelers who need a place to eat, but instead a great local spot to unwind and have some amazing food. My husband and I will definitely be back for brunch, dinner, happy hour, or even just a glass of wine as we sit by the fire on those comfy couches while we look out at the sunset.

07/01/09

Don't expect too much...

by sushitank

This is no 4 or 5 star restaurant. This is not a chef-inspired menu. Atmosphere did not work. Staff was nice, but not true professionals. Space had potential, but not pulled together by a real designer. I'm too tired to be funny right now, but I know I need to get famous for my reviews. This is a fair and honest review with no grudges. One Pico was a fabulous restaurant with fantastic views and phenomenal food. Boa was a great restaurant with a well-informed server. Ocean & Vine did not live up to either of those.

• Pros: Nice view
• Cons: Olive Garden (or slightly better) quality, uninformed staff

05/11/09

A Fall from Grace

by crey01

Where does one begin? This restaurant was one of my favorite date places in all of Los Angeles. The service was personal and attentive, the food was elegant and worth the price tag, and the cocktails were inventive and note-worthy. Somehow in the past few years, the place fell flat on its face like a drunk chick on 5-inch heels. On the return visit, Ocean and Vine managed to drop from my top 5 down to "oh sweet Jesus never again." The service is better at Denny's at 3AM while "Marge" still has the fragrance of cheap whiskey and a cigarette that is dangerously close to your grand slam. The food tasted like the leftovers from an overpriced wedding with its familiar equation of rubbery protein plus vegetable medley equals matrimonial meal. The only redeeming quality to Ocean and Vine is the view of the Santa Monica Pier. However, there are plenty of cheap Douchey restaurants with spectacular views.

• Pros: The decor, the beach
• Cons: Everything else

05/22/07

totally misleading, total disappointment

by kylis79

Living and hanging out primarily on the east side of LA (ie: los feliz) I decided I wanted to try something different. I wanted to find a really nice restaurant with an ocean view... somewhere either in Santa Monica or Malibu. When I came across the very good reviews for Ocean & Vine - and after checking out their beautiful website - I thought I had found the perfect place...... boy was I surprised!

Here's the thing: Although Ocean & Vine is by no means a terrible place to spend a couple of hours, I felt soooo mislead by all of the reviews and pictures. What I thought was going to be a dark & cozy yet clean & modern setting on the ocean - full of romantic candlelit tables and nooks and a huge selection of great wine - turned out to be a rather cold, poorly designed and almost sterile environment! YES, there is that big lovely fire pit in the middle of the room.... but it is so bright in there it really seems like a complete waste.

When you walk into the restaurant from the hotel, you barely notice the difference. It really feels as though you are dining IN the hotel lobby. The gorgeous location/ space is completely wasted. The glaring lights prevent you from even seeing the ocean, despite the huge windows. The bar was not set up well to display any of the wines they claim to have and the service was quite slow (albeit friendly). None of the tables were really set up to be in any way comfy or romantic. It felt much more like eating in a cafeteria than a lovely ocean hideaway. The service was alright, but in no way as professional as I was expecting.

And just so you know where I am coming from, I am in my late 20's and have worked in the service industry for about a decade. I am a PT bartender and have been for the past 3 years. I am not quick to judge harshly or throw a fit when it comes to dining out. BUT, I was SO DISAPPOINTED that i felt compelled to write this review to prevent others from expecting too much.

I chose this place for a 2nd date, BIG MISTAKE!

• Pros: ocean, fire pits
• Cons: CAN'T SEE OCEAN from inside, overpriced wine, too bright & sterile

03/02/07

Great atmosphere, very good service, the food has good days and bad days

by hapgoodnew

I've eaten at Ocean and Vine several times now as it is a convenient walk from work. Lunch has always been excellent. Sit on the patio and enjoy the beachy view. The sandwiches are delicious and you can enjoy a nice meal for $15 a person. The restaurant is also a great spot for drinks. The bartenders mix a good cocktail, though my favorite thing is to sit outside in a comfy chair by the fire pits while drinking one of their many red wines by the glass. My first dinner at Ocean and Vine was fabulous. Unfortunately, others have varied. One meal, the entire table ended up with overcooked fish. However, their poultry and steaks seem to be reliable enough. When everything goes right in the kitchen, it is truly a wonderful dining experience. I've had a couple longer waits for a hostess but never a complaint about a server. They have all been exceptionally friendly and helpful. I would not hesitate to recommend Ocean and Vine for a nice time out for drinks and desserts with friends or for a nice lunch. I hate to have to hesitate about recommending dinner but sometimes dishes aren't up to par while on other occasions everything is fabulous. Pricing is what it is. It's not cheap, but also not any more overpriced than comparable places. There are some more reasonably priced wines by the glass and menu items, which is always nice to see and especially with lunch, you?re getting what you paid for.

• Pros: great atmosphere, wines by the glass, friendly service
• Cons: When it's good, it's really good. Too bad the dinner menu isn't reliable.