Santa Monica’s dining scene is super hot: Herringbone is the latest upscale and brilliantly designed restaurant to open on the once laid-back corridor.

Chef Brian Malarkey brings his ocean-to-table concept and a lively oyster and raw bar to Santa Monica’s Ocean Avenue (close to Le Merigot and Loews Hotels). Backed by the Hakkasan Group (of London’s Hakkasan and Yauatcha City), the menu spotlights fresh seafood like local halibut and imported treats like Maine lobster and Alaskan king crabs plus a daily selection of briny oysters. And since it’s Santa Monica, seasonal produce comes from the famed nearby farmers market.

The posh seaside look is by designer Thomas Shoos; there are wide-plank hardwood floors, custom made light fixtures of overturned dinghies and a brick-walled bar with fanciful fish art. It’s a serious restaurant but not without whimsy. Sit outside on the shaded patio for a glimpse of the ocean two blocks away. To catch the sunset, arrive for the daily oyster hour at the bar. Weekend brunch service will begin at the end of September.

Ideal For

Afternoon cocktails, client meetings, checking out the crowd

Favourite Table

On the patio

Favorite Room

Patio out front

Signature Dishes

Grilled Local Halibut, House-Made cavatelli, Stone-fired Little Neck clam flat-bread

Signature Drinks

The Peter Rabbit (with Pimm’s #1), Blackberry Smash