Sugar Palm — the indoor/outdoor coastal dining concept by Viceroy Santa Monica — is now open for daily brunch and dinner. The restaurant, which includes an indoor lounge, outdoor patio, café, restaurant, and poolside bar scene, comes on the cusp of a sweeping $21 million redesign of the iconic Los Angeles beachside hotel by award-winning San Francisco design firm EDG, recently named one of the 15 best city hotels in the continental U.S.
As the “vibrant social hub” of Viceroy, Sugar Palm features a California coastal menu crafted by Chef Jason Francisco who takes inspiration from his diverse background living in Singapore, Italy, Germany, Holland, Turkey, and Hawaii.
“After a year of social and emotional distancing, my hope is that Sugar Palm will be a place to come together and break bread,” said Chef Francisco in a statement this week. “Given our location in Santa Monica, I wanted to create a menu and dining experience that was laid back and fun but also sophisticated and luxurious. It’s a very personal menu to me since it’s influenced by the many places around the world that I’ve had the opportunity to live in and experience.”
Rooted in utilizing the freshest ingredients possible with an emphasis on local produce, Chef Francisco and his team use California purveyors like Niman Ranch in Northern California for meat, Fish King in Glendale that sources almost all seafood from Long Beach and Santa Barbara, and Scarborough Farms in Oxnard for produce.
The design of Sugar Palm mirrors, the laid-back elegance of Santa Monica from the lounge to the wraparound bar, patio, and seven cabanas including one dedicated dining cabana that can seat up to eight guests. Outdoor fireplaces and a colorful mural — “IJEOMA” by local artist Evelyn Leigh — immediately draw guests to dine under the palm trees on the patio. The wood accents of the indoor lounge are reminiscent of the nearby Santa Monica Pier, while colorful abstracts by artist Monica Perez reinforce Sugar Palm, Ocean Avenue’s place as the social hub of Viceroy Santa Monica.
