Layla Restaurant

"Jordanian restaurant that closed due to the 2025 Los Angeles fires, looking for a new location." - Rebecca Roland

"A restaurant offering Jordanian cuisine featuring mezze, kebabs, and other Middle Eastern dishes." - Matthew Kang

"Layla has waterfront views and pretty spectacular food—a rare combination in Santa Monica. The Jordanian grill sits just off the lobby of a historic Art Deco hotel, right along that touristy stretch of Ocean Avenue. Between the glam, candlelit room and easy-to-share charcoal-grilled meats, smoky dips, and baklava mille-feuille, it's a great date spot. So book a table before word gets out. After dinner, you can ride the old-school elevator up to The Coco Club, a new rooftop bar with panoramic views of the California coastline. " - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, nikko duren

"Chef Chris Sayegh’s Jordanian and Levantine-inspired restaurant on the ground floor of the new Sonder Beacon in Santa Monica, which was previously the iconic Shangri-La, has already drawn the flash photography of clout-seeking influencers. Behind the early adopters, Layla’s food is grounded in Sayegh’s grandmother’s kitchen (her name was Layla), where stuffed grape leaves, mezze platters, and blistered Meditteranean sea bass display strong flavors and top-notch ingredients. Just be prepared to deal with some folks recording the entirety of their meals. — Matthew Kang, lead editor" - Eater Staff

"Layla has waterfront views and pretty spectacular food—a rare combination in Santa Monica. The Jordanian grill sits just off the lobby of a historic Art Deco hotel, right along that touristy stretch of Ocean Avenue. Between the glam, candlelit room and easy-to-share charcoal-grilled meats, smoky dips, and baklava mille-feuille, it's a great date spot. After dinner, you can ride the old-school elevator up to The Coco Club, a calm new rooftop bar (from the same team) with panoramic views of the California coastline." - Nikko Duren