Sugar Palm Offers California Coastal Cuisine in Santa Monica

The Viceroy Santa Monica recently underwent an extensive $21 million redesign including the creation of Sugar Palm, their new outdoor/indoor restaurant space.

The restaurant renovation includes an outdoor patio, café, indoor lounge, restaurant and poolside area. Chef Jason Francisco, formerly of The Raymond, Eataly and Comme Ca) delivers a variety of delicious dishes.

The indoor dining space features wood walls, beige comfy booths, modern rounded chairs and abstract art by artist Monica Perez. The indoor lounge flows easily into a huge outdoor eating area with a wraparound bar, patio, elegant cabanas and outdoor fireplaces with many seating options for dinner or cocktail sipping.

We started the evening off with some of Viceroy Food & Beverage Area Director Mario Leal-Cruz Jr’s innovative cocktail creations. We loved the pretty purple color of the Botanist with Empress 1908 gin, Rayu Mezcal, lemon, aquafaba and chamomile and the Day Trip to Oaxaca with Rayu Mexcal, Ancho Reyes, blood orange, lime, agave and Topo Chico.

Appetizers include an impressive cheese board with California cheeses, jam, olives, berries, honeycomb and nuts; a beautiful beets and burrata dish with crushed pistachios, citrus and aged balsamic; heirloom quinoa and grape salad; charred Spanish octopus with squid ink sabayon and a bell pepper puree; tiger prawns with champagne beurre blanc and asparagus and roasted Brussels sprouts with a honey Dijon dressing. The raw bar offers tuna sashimi, Hamachi crudo, Peruvian scallops and oysters.

Vegetarians will appreciate the plant based dishes included a plate of market vegetables, sundried hummus and pita; crispy garlic potatoes; cauliflower with tikka masala and pineapple chutney; wild mushrooms in a Thai curry risotto and a Beyond Meat burger.

Large sharable plates include the roasted chicken with gochujand and orange honey with roasted root vegetables; hanger steak with aged balsamic and roasted vegetables; Sugar Palm burger and the catch of the day.

Desserts include a deconstructed cheesecake which is exceptionally good, a coconut flan and tiramisu bread pudding.

All of Chef Francisco’s dishes are delicious and the new expansive outdoor area make Sugar Palm a great spot for catching up with friends, celebrating a birthday, anniversary or special event or just sipping cocktails under the stars.

Sugar Palm is located at The Viceroy Santa Monica, 1819 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. Open for daily for brunch 6:30 am to 2:30pm and dinner 3 to 10pm. Reservations at 310.260.7511.