Oceana Santa Monica unveiled La Monique, a French brasserie designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, on Oct. 11. The restaurant represents a partnership between hotel owner JRK Property Holdings and 34th Floor, Schulte Hospitality Group's food and beverage division.
"La Monique reflects our vision for Oceana as a gathering place that is as relevant to the Santa Monica community as it is to our guests," said Alex Landy, executive vice president of JRK. "This new restaurant marks a transformative moment for the hotel, a fresh chapter that elevates the property while offering guests and locals a truly immersive and memorable dining experience."
The restaurant features Hollywood Regency-inspired design with emerald, rust and sapphire jewel tones, plush velvets, hand-crafted straw marquetry, reflective ceilings and curated artwork. Design elements include a backlit bar, sculptural cast glass wall borders and intricate marquetry.
Chef David Fricaud, a Top Chef France semi-finalist with two decades of experience in Michelin-starred kitchens, leads the kitchen. The menu emphasizes French brasserie traditions with a dedicated steak program featuring A5 wagyu and dry-aged cuts, seafood towers and signature dishes like Le Grand Poulet with truffle jus.
Menu highlights include Linguine Vongole with little neck clams, A5 Wagyu Ichibo Cut from Yamaguchi, Japan, and Le Plateau Royal featuring New Orleans shrimp, raw oysters, clams, lobster, shrimp cocktail, crab cocktail and caviar. Lighter options include Tuna Carpaccio, Escargot Poppers and Mini French Onion Grilled Cheese.
The cocktail program features signatures like Miss Monique, a coconut oil-washed clarified Tito's Cosmopolitan with house-made cherry-nutmeg foam and rose water mist, and Message in The Bottle, made with coffee-infused Zacapa 23 Rum and Averna Amaro. The wine list emphasizes French producers alongside selections from Italy, Portugal and California.
La Monique is open nightly for dinner Sunday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations can be made on OpenTable or by calling (310) 656-6000. Private dining and curated tasting menus are available. More information is available at www.lamoniquerestaurant.com.
Edited by SMDP Staff