The Penthouse

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1111 2nd St (at California Boulevard)
Santa Monica, CA 90403

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(310) 394-5454
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The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
The Penthouse - Santa Monica, CA
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Reviews
( 34 )
( 5 )
( 12 )
( 9 )
( 9 )

Best

Fun place to go. Also, lovely in the afternoon when it is not that crowded and has a great view. The food is also quite good.

Worst

Located on the top floor of the Huntley hotel, the Penthouse hosts the best ocean and city views in a Santa Monica restaurant. Period. I've been bringing friends and family visit...

beautiful space 1/28/2008

older crowd, beautiful space, great flatbread and some decent wines by the glass. The women's bathroom is really great - one has an AMAZING view (odd, I know, but it is true) more

Even your cat won't be fed by the food amount on a plate. 10/3/2007

The beautiful view from the 18th floor is handicapped with huge curtains between the tables, and the big tables that sit 6-8 people stay empty since there rarely are so many people in a party,. And don't you dare try to sit there if you are 2 or 3 ! So the best to do is go early before 6pm, that is before the crowds, and sit at the huge bar and have your drink, you may eat there too but try to order bread because that is what will fill your stomach, since the food amounts are enough for your ..cat. Food amounts are ridiculously small many plates just for one bite and it is gone ! Prices ridiculously high. -, service relatively good, and atmosphere good, you see and be seen. No shorts and any beach attire after 6 pm and I respect and appreciate that. Noisy? Yes , that is some indeterminate beat on the speakers, that type that you only hear the beat and nothing else, just enough to make you yell your conversation. Pocketwise: Well you better be prepared for it ! Pick up joint ? Looks like it. Most of the women there their nose is so high it can reach the clouds ! But with a Frank Miller watch, you may reach somewhere. Fridays, Saturdays you better have comfortable standing shoes. The exterior view elevator is a nice feature if it is not broken the day that you are there. The big huge sofas and chairs are a waste of space but that is their problem not ours. more

Dessert to Die For! 9/18/2007

I LOVE the Penthouse...for its beauty (Thomas Schoos is truly a design genius), the views, the service and the food (especially the desserts)! I don't know if previous reviewers who complained about the food actually tasted any of it. If they had, they would have used words like adventurous, well-executed and inspired (not bland or mediocre...far from it). The calamari with guaca-tartar sauce was perfectly cooked, and the crispy rice with smoked shrimp salad on top was a delicate and herbaceous surprise. My entree (the special of the evening) - a grilled yellow tail atop a buttery cabbage/lentil stew, was hearty yet light. My husband's filet mignon was cooked to perfection while the side order of roasted asparagus was a crisp and refreshing counter. Pros: Delicious food, beautiful environment Cons: Steaks are a bit expensive with sides costing extra more

Stuck-up, Snobby, and Rude Service 7/20/2007

For a place with such potential, it is sad to see it wasted by having staff incompetent of simple tasks such as smiling. This is not a Hollywood nightclub! Walk in the door and after being treated like you need to have the looks of a supermodel to get in, you finally get upstairs and greeted (or should I say not greeted) by a hostess who seemed more involved in her conversation with a co-worker than seating you. While waiting for our table to be ready (15 minutes after our reservation was for) we watched several cocktail servers walk right past us at least 3 times. We finally flagged one down and we were given attitude like asking them to do their job is an unreasonable request!? They are obviously there to show a little (or a lot) of skin and not to actually make the place money by serving drinks. Once seated for dinner, the food was ok, nothing special, but ok. At least we had a male server that paid attention to us and was the bright part of the night. As we left, the same rude hostess looked directly at us with no such ""thank you for coming"" or ""please come again"". In summary, if this place hired on skill instead of on looks and let friendly people willing to pay for drinks IN the restaurant without waiting for an hour and being treated badly, it might have a chance of be taken seriously as a restaurant instead of a wanna be Hollywood hot-spot! Pros: View, Dinner Server Cons: Extremely rude hostess and cocktail staff...trying too hard to be LA trendy not hospitable. more

Nice view and space, bad food and service 6/15/2007

This place is great for a drink, but the dining was really disappointing. First of all, our food came out 10 min after we placed the order. One of the people at our table hadn't even finished his appetizer! Also, since it came out so quickly, it was obvious the food had be reheated. My sea bass was dry. Not acceptable for a $40 entree. The waitstaff was slow and unattentive. Also, this place is so loud you can barely hear yourself speak. In short, come here for a drink (if you can wait in line for an hour) and forget the food. Pros: Nice decor, good crowd Cons: Overpriced food, unattentive service more

HIGHS and LOWS!!!! 6/11/2007

This place has the VERY BEST views of the city and is a wonderful dining setting. Pros: The views!!!!!! Cons: THE NOISE, THE NOISE, THE NOISE!!!!! more

Doesn't Quite Fit the Bill 5/30/2007

We were overall disappointed. We regularly dine at Hollywood and Beverly Hills Restaurants but thought we would take in a change of scenery. The Penthouse tries to be chic and have the whole red rope thing going. Come on guys, this location is by the beach how hollywood can you get? When you first walk in all you hear is loud noice. The room is extremely noisy. We were not seated on time for our reservation. The menu is pretty basic, pricey and the dishes have no presentation. I had the short ribs and they were bland. We tried four desserts and all left something to be desired. Basically, the Penthouse has an amazing view and is okay to grab an early drink. Pros: View Cons: Too Loud; Food; $600 cabanas more

Visit the bar - skip the restaurant 5/25/2007

Beautiful space. Great bar scene for those in 20s. Food definitely a let down. High aspiration but mediocre execution for the price. Unimaginative wine list. VERY noisy (not just a sceney buzz). Worst though is overagressive busboys (my friends had the same complaint on another night) removing plates too quickly - attempting to turn tables to get the next check seated (and I'm a fast eater). Not a pleasant dinner but a great bar scene. Pros: Great views, nice bar scene, well decorated Cons: Service and food not up to the prices, loud for dinner more

Great view, good drinks, okay food 5/7/2007

My boyfriend and I went to The Penthouse Sunday night for dinner and overall it was a good experience. The view is amazing. We didn't get a table by the window with ocean view as requested in our reservations but we still enjoyed the view while lounging at the bar. The place had great decor, and the views again are probably the best I ever seen. The drinks were pretty good, and the food was okay but not excellent. We both order fish; my boyfriend had salmon and it was on the dry side and I had scolar. The taste was good but BEWARE!!! I've never had scolar fish before and thought I would try it. It would have been nice to know that scolar has possible ""side effects"" or ""reactions"". I understand this is not the restaurant's fault but maybe the menu should have a note explaning the possible effects since 50% of people eating this fish is affected. Anyhow, read about the fish before you go to the restaurant in case you decide to order it. Pros: View, drinks, ambience Cons: Food more

Hot & chic - The Penthouse is a place to see & be seen!! 4/3/2007

I am a big fan of The Penthouse! Not only is the crowd hip, happening, and full of good-looking people, the 360 degree view of Los Angeles combined with the stylish decor of the restaurant make this a place I want to hang out at all of the time. In reading all of the below reviews, I think people need to give the place a break - it's brand new after all! The food is so delicious and absolutely delectable. I had the Green Crunch Salad - very fresh, crispy, and tasty with the Pomegranate vinigrette as well as the Celery root soup with duck roll which always leaves me wanting seconds and thirds of. The desserts are absolutely to die for - I can't pick my favorite between the Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes or the ?Black & Tan? which is a chocolate-peanut butter tart with peanut butter mousse - best to opt for the Dessert Plate which gives you samplings of all the desserts on the menu. This place is sure to be the new hotspot on the LA scene - better check it out now before all of the celebs take over & make this a spot you will be waiting in line to get in to!!! Pros: Amazing food, great presentation, good-looking crowd, beautiful views, chic decor more

Terrible service and bland food! 4/1/2007

The Huntley looks good but get upstairs to The Penthouse and be ready to wait and wait. We were seated quite quickly but then it took forever to order drinks and when we did my 2 friends were served flat champagne. They returned it and were told that they had to order something else, they did and that wasn't available either. We had to ask for a bread basket after everyone around us had one and had to flag down a busboy to bring us water. Ordered our food and the Surf &Turf I had was BLAND, my friends' salmon overcooked but my other 2 friends were safe with their steak orders. The manager asked us how dinner was and so we let him know. He sent over a complimentary dessert which was appreciated but we will not go back and he agreed that the place has to work on it's service. Disappointing... Pros: Nice view during the day Cons: BAD SERVICE! more

Typical LA place 3/28/2007

New space clean, chic and, well designed, requisite dark brown server uniforms. Complete with service worthy of Chili's or islands and decidedly bland and over priced food. We at there for lunch with in the group of 6, not one soda refilled, chicken sandwiches were reported by the two who had them as flat bad; the burger came out with the wrong cheese on it- if i wanted no choice in my burger I'd go to Fathers Office where at least their excellent food is worth of the over crowding and marginal service. Pros: View, cool space Cons: food, service, price, having to get validated to park at the hotel for lunch more

great foor-great design-amazing views 3/16/2007

The Penthouse Restaurant is one of the best restaurants I have been to. When I walked into the place all I couls say is WOW...The food was absolutely amazing. I started the flatbread with checken which is their version of pizza. I also had the green crunch salad which i higly reccomned. The salmon was also incredible. The service was excellent. I go there regurarly after work on Fridays. Great place to meet up with friends on meet new people. Pros: food-service-view-decor more

Penthouse- Over the Top 3/13/2007

We have been coming here since the 80's and I have to really say that this is very very chic, elegant and the food is to die for. My favorite experuience for a brand new restaurant , with incredible views of the sunset and located in an equally beautiful hotel. more

Carte Blanche 3/13/2007

One word, Can I jus have my private Cabana? This is totally awesome. I love it, my girlfriends and I had so much fun , and the wait was defin itely worth it. Very hip, trendy, classy and who knows, you might just spot Paris Hilton!! more

Execellent food, ambiance and just a great venue 3/13/2007

This is by far the best of the best in Santa Monica, Nothing beats the view, the cuisine or the service.My husband and I celebrated our Valentine's day there and everything was exceptional. I would highly recommend it it to all of my friends and family. more

TERRIBLE SERVICE - MEAN BARTENDERS - OVERPRICED 3/12/2007

I always loved going to Topper (place that was before ""The Penthouse"") and always received a good service. Food was great too and their margaritas were just amazing but this new Penthouse place is not worth it. Pros: View, Interior, Location Cons: Service, Loud Music, Overpriced more

Cheesy. 3/11/2007

It's really too bad when a cheesy vibe takes hold of one of the best views in the city. I sort of felt bad for the waitstaff -- short low cut uniforms straight outta 1987 that seemingly only served to make the rest of the women in the bar feel attractive and stylish (no easy feat). Minus 5 points. more

Almost Fabulous 3/3/2007

Despite the slow service and lackluster entrees, the Penthouse is still a must see. I met up with some friends for dinner on a Thursday. Upon entering the restaurant, we stepped into an ambiance of beach chic: white hot leather, lacquer and chandeliers punctuated by sweeping sea to city views. This stunning atmosphere draws a crowd, so be forewarned that the boisterous bar crowd which overflows into the dining area forces you and your dining crew to kick your conversation up a few decibels. Pros: Decor, Views, Cucumber Cocktails, Dessert Cons: Service, Entrees, Noise more

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY GOING HERE 3/3/2007

This place looks nice, but that's where the niceties end. I have never seen worse service in my life and that all should be attributed to the lack of skilled management. Sad to say but in rder for this place to be even worth visiting again, they will have to rehire the waitstaff, the bartenders, the management and the chef. Not impressed with the service, the prices, the drink pours, etc. Good luck folks, this place is a waste of money and a waste of time. Nice view but that's all this place has going for it. Pros: The View Cons: The SERVICE, The MANAGEMENT, The Drink Pours more
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Menu for The Penthouse


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Owner Message
  • At The Penthouse, LA dining and nightlife soars to breathtaking new heights. Venture into a Santa Monica restaurant and ultra lounge that pulses with excitement 18 stories above the California shore. Contemporary cuisine and creative cocktails blend with a surge of style and celebrity, sweeping through the intimate cabanas and fireside hangouts. And while many will come to witness the scene, it's the stunning 360? views through a sweeping wall of windows that of?fers this destination's greatest spectacle. From the Pacific Ocean to the Malibu beach and cliffs to the bright lights of Hollywood, you are truly above it all. This is The Penthouse, a Huntley Hotel treasure that satisfies your taste for fine American dining while indulging your sense of adventure in an exhilarating ultra lounge atmosphere. Come rise into The Penthouse for a signature LA experience.

Editorial
  • Situated on the top floor of the Huntley Hotel, this all-day destination treats guests to panoramic views of the Pacific and beyond--on a clear day you can see as far south as LAX and as far east...

  • 10/8/2008 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Daily Breakfast 7am-11am; Daily Lunch 11am-3pm; Sun-Thu Dinner 6pm-10pm; Fri-Sat Dinner 6pm-11pm, Late Night Menu until 2am; Sun Brunch 11am-2:30pm; Mon-Fri Happy Hour 4pm-7pm
  • Payments: American Express
  • Neighborhoods: West LA, Wilshire Montana
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