Not to be mistaken for Hollywood and Vine, Ocean and Vine is a great dining spot at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica to meet for lunch or dinner. You enter through the back of the jaw dropping (it was a big “Wow!” to me) Loews Hotel lobby and that is just the beginning. The restaurant has a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, the busy Santa Monica Beach and the Santa Monica Pier.

 At 1pm on a weekday it was easy to get a table on the patio so I could relax and chat and enjoy the fresh ocean air and watch people walking along the beach and the pier. My grilled shrimp salad was terrific with a very tasty and interesting blend of spices. Ocean and Vine’s coastal cuisine comes fresh from the local Farmer’s Market, the fish is caught locally and the beef is naturally farmed. It was all refreshing as was the lemonade and tea (Arnold Palmer) combination virgin drink I had. Yum! Yum! Plus the service was impeccable and very friendly.

And for an upscale hotel such as this the atmosphere was very relaxed and the prices were super reasonable and surprising, plus only $6.00 for valet parking. So you can take some time to experience that lobby and all it has to offer fully.