The Penthouse — Restaurant in Santa Monica

The Huntly Hotel at Santa Monica is a really good hotel. I HIGHLY recommend this hotel.

BUT there is a restaurant called Penthouse right above the hotel is what left a bad taste to the experience. I wouldn’t want to go there again on my next visit to LA. We decided to head over to have lunch at this penthouse restaurant at the top of the hotel and also to enjoy the view of the beach while having our lunch. As soon as we entered ,it seemed all good and pleasant. We placed our orders and it was all good. The first weirdness happened when the same server came again to clarify if we ordered salmon taco and crispy chicken sandwich. We just ordered two items and a bottle of water , I don’t see what’s so hard to remember and it appears the server implied we need to order more. Anyway, we ignored that thought and waited for the food.

The food was ok. Salmon taco wasn’t that good in taste but the crispy chicken sandwich was crispy and tender even though it was thin. I was personally impressed how they made it tender and crispy even though it was a thinner slice. I liked the chicken burger. Food is ok and nothing great .

Another discomforting situation happened when we started taking selfie at the restaurant and there is spot where people can take selfie against this blue background . After we took 5-6 selfies this other staff said “oh you guys are all set up right ? Have a good day .” At that moment , I felt like they want us to leave. The restaurant wasn’t even busy and we weren’t disturbing anyone.

The third awkward and disappointing situation was when we went to washroom. First I went to the washroom and then followed by my partner. After I left the toilet , my partner went in . During that time , the manager was walking around the area and told the cleaning lady to go to the toilet to do some cleaning . The cleaner lady didn’t even knock the door to check if any guy is inside. So this seemed like they looking down on us and checking everything. This is a high end restaurant, I don’t understand why there isn’t a courtesy to knock .

We ordered two main course at the restaurant and don’t understand why they were so condescending. The manager doesn’t seem to smile and greet at all.

My first time visit to LA and encountering such thing in a high end restaurant is very shocking .

The experience at the hotel was very nice but penthouse restaurant appears to be very condescending atmosphere. The restaurant is the bad experience of the trip .I read through the reviews to see if this is a regular occurrence . Other reviews do mention rude manager and average food.

After reading a couple of reviews about this restaurant , I do see that they look down on customers...

This is classy Santa Monica dining. Don't mistake it. Your wallet won't atleast. There aren't many restaurants with this top floor ocean view. Couple that with bottomless mimosas and bloody marys for an unparalleled brunch experience.

The Huntley Hotel, which houses the Penthouse is a gleaming example of luxury built atop luxury. There are 3 elevators to get to the top, one which has a scenic oceanview window. Might as well cuz well, you're paying for it. Elevator doors open to a gleaming white room, 2nd in blinding illuminance to the Botega Louie in DTLA (another awkwardly white decor). Fellow neighboring diners weren't of the pretentious type at all. To one side we had 2 nice older ladies having a brunch date, and on the other we had a party of 4 that were awestruck at the amount of desserts that my partner and I were ordering. Sometimes I don't know what to wear to fancy places like this, but you'll feel right at home with jeans and a collared shirt.

-=-For the Nooner Drinky Types-=- Mimosas were standard fare. I really don't think there's any way to mess those up anyway. I asked to try it with cranberry juice for a whirl and they were happy to accommodate me. Bloody Marys were potently spicy. Not my cup of tea, but it could certainly be yours.

-=-Filet (rare)-=- A highlight on the menu and words that are songs to my ears. Great on paper, but not so much for execution. A rare order came out more medium. Peppercorn dressing did not provide a sufficient zing that meat sauces usually need. Frites were lightly seasoned wedges and nothing to write home about. Pass on this or prepare to be disappointed.

-=-Black Truffle Omelette-=- A bit more of a unique plate that I'm glad we tried. This was more of a mushroom omelette than anything else. Ricotta was on the light side as well as the truffle cream. The higher price tag on this certain omelette was probably not worth the premium over the other omelettes though.

-=-Dessert: Profiteroles-=- Fancy name for a creme puff. Didn't make my day. If my favorite part was the vanilla bean ice cream, then I'd be happy getting just ice cream over this.

-=-Dessert: Butter Truffle-=- This was good. Not to die for, but I'm not a dessert person by any means. The toasted marshmallow ice cream was the highlight here. The fudge stick was also a good richness and would satisfy a sweet tooth. This was worth the Dessert Round 2.

Service was friendly and with a smile, but could have been better. Most of the people that were around us were crying for attention at times. We did get checked up on here and there, but customer service shouldn't be this questionable at a...

Very pretty place and a lovely luxury for those of us who live in the area. But now I have learned the perils of being polite to employees whom one does not actually know but who are merely familiar friendly faces at an establishment. I have been a customer since 2008 when the Penthouse first reopened. I have happily spent holidays there, eagerly planned birthdays and date nights, hit the dance floor in my younger days and treated myself to meditatively peaceful visits to watch the sunset and savor a spend glass of wine. I have never had an issue and always try my best to be a pleasant client and tip 20%. I have learned the names of many current employees who are wonderful to me; Jessica, Kam, Eddie, Peter, Rod, Conrad, Juan and others. I am friendly in the way that many of us enjoy being friendly with others who are employed as servers in establishments we frequent. Last week, 3 unnamed employees wearing their Huntley attire saw me at an establishment a mere hundred meters from Huntley. They used their familiarity with my name and face to say hello and to sit next to me at a crowded bar. They then used this proximity to steal my belongings when I stepped away. I didn‘t believe it until the police told me what was on the CCTV. To be clear, i did not suspect the employees nor wish to call police- it‘s simply a matter of policy that I can‘t personally view it or learn its contents without a police report. I was totally shocked that these kids would use my good nature to get near my belongings and take them. Then- The managers and GM of the Huntley expressed absolutely no reasonable sentiment of regret-which further shocked me after this total violation. They insisted that these kids were my „friends“ who were guarding my items by taking them. Given that they lied about possessing my items until I threatened legal action 4 days later; how does that make any sense? „Hey, i mailed your car keys to mars for safekeeping“ makes more sense. The items were also damaged and lost, irreplaceable. I could not be more disappointed by this gaslighting and callous regard for a longtime customer. I don‘t know that they have any obligation to care, despite the employees being dressed in their Huntley attire but I was shocked that there was not even any standard issue politeness. People who eat an entire steak and then complain (purposefully to get free steak) that it was cooked badly-are lavished with care and concern and nothing of the sort happened regarding this outrageous breach of decency. I am just so disappointed in the Huntley which I have truly enjoyed over the...