"Orla is a hotel restaurant, a flashy Middle Eastern spot with 24k gold baklava sundaes, and (our preferred description) a pleasant place to snack on mezze near the ocean. Located inside the Regent Santa Monica, this beachfront spot has five-star service and beautifully plated mezze that you should enjoy on their breezy outdoor patio. The lighter-than-air hummus comes dusted with pistachios, and a classic Greek salad is drenched in high-quality olive oil. We like the sharable grilled entrees, too, including the juicy lamb chops with bessara, which tastes like hummus and green goddess dressing had a love child. Just make sure dinner takes place in the outdoor area—Orla’s main dining space is in the ground-floor lobby, so otherwise you’ll trade ocean views for a close-up of the elevators." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, cathy park
