Santa Monica’s Reborn Georgian Hotel Is a Glittering Ode to Coastal Living

A glittering piece of coastal history has found new light in Santa Monica, with the long-awaited reopening of the Georgian hotel at 1415 Ocean Avenue. The property, which dates to 1933, has been an Art Deco relic along the shoreline for nearly 100 years, but it has never had as much culinary talent and creativity inside as it does right now.

The Georgian, now under the purview of BLVD Hospitality hoteliers Jon Blanchard and Nicolo Rusconi (Soho Warehouse, Ace Hotel, Hoxton, Chicas Tacos), has once again opened its doors to overnight stays and on-site dining, meaning both hotel customers and passersby can stop into the aqua and gold jewel box for a bite.

Douglas Friedman

Chef David Almany, who previously worked under Nancy Silverton and has overseen hotel projects on the Westside for years, is on to oversee the culinary side of things, working a few different menus in adjacent lobby-level spaces. There’s the Sunset Bar, a horseshoe arrangement wrapped in jade tones and blue velvet, turning out cocktails like a Red Griffin with sloe gin, amaro Montenegro, and vermouth, as well as classic and non-alcoholic drinks. Jerom Morris (Auburn, Gwen) is on as the hotel’s bar manager.

Just across the tiled lobby entryway is the primary indoor dining room, a compact space that’s framed by house plants, tall windows, and flowing gold drapes. The upscale-casual dining area is outfitted with several light blue banquettes and offers all-day dining with a pan-regional focus. That means everything from challah French toast and a green-on-green arugula and avocado omelet for breakfast, moving into California staples like salads, a dry-aged burger, and a few housemade pastas for lunch. Because of the luxury evident in the property, Almany will also be offering 15-gram tins of caviar with any dish as a supplement. Dinner is even more robust, with additional pastas as well as a starter crudo section and mains like filet mignon, a grilled pork chop, and roasted cauliflower with an heirloom pepper stew for those who eschew meat. Almany’s opening menus are below.

The best spot for a lunchtime burger or evening plate of pasta and glass of wine is likely to be out on the Sunset Terrace, elevated above street level for even better views of the Pacific Ocean just across the street. Expect bright pinks and yellows on the tufted furniture, with hanging plants and coastal breezes. After sunset, in-the-know diners may even be able to flit off to an invite-only speakeasy-style bar downstairs as well, complete with low lights, red tones, and live music.

It all combines to create a compact but complete dining experience at the Georgian, one of Santa Monica’s true hotel jewels, now open and available for a new generation of diners. The Sunset bar and on-site restaurant spaces open to the public today, April 12, with breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (extending to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday).

Douglas Friedman

Joseph Duarte

Joseph Duarte

Douglas Friedman

Joseph Duarte

Douglas Friedman