Sip Cocktails and Down Seafood at Santa Monica’s New Poolside Hangout | Eater LA

"Set in the Viceroy Santa Monica after the hotel's $21 million makeover, I found Sugar Palm to be a new ground-floor dining option that functions as a restaurant, lounge, and bar with strong indoor-outdoor appeal and a breezy coastal California attitude. Open for cafe service, brunch, and dinner (daily from 6:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and again 3:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.), the evening menu (3–10 p.m.) is overseen by Chef Jason Francisco, who previously worked at the Raymond in Pasadena, Cut, and Eataly, and places a particular focus on seafood—sourced mostly from Glendale’s Fish King—like Peruvian scallops served ceviche-style and charred Spanish octopus, alongside Jidori roasted chicken, hanger steak, and daytime items such as a lunch burger, avocado toast, and duck confit chilaquiles. The redesigned space, previously home to Cast, still features prominent lounge seating near the pool, cabanas, an outdoor bar, group seating around evening fire pits, and light blonde wood tables with tan and cream-accented indoor seating." - Farley Elliott