Elegant but beachy feeling restaurant for Engagement party

[ttehenry]

Does anyone have any recommendations of a restaurant that serves either Italian, American or Meditteranean cuisine in one of the local beach areas (Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu....) or even inland if the place has good food and the right feeling. A friend got engaged in Santa Barbara and would like to have their engagement party reflect their time there.
Looking for somewhere that can host a party of anywhere from 16-30 people. They'd be willing to keep it on the lower end if they found a place they liked. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any information!!!

[tastycakes]

it's not on the beach, but providence is very elegant and has a beachy decor and excellent seafood.

[Adsvino]

bad rec. Beachy decor? No. And not only is it "not on" the beach, but it's not within 10 miles of one.

[westsidegal]

must disagree with the providence recommendation.
there is nothing about providence that even faintly brings 'beach' to mind.
providence is an elegant seafood restaurant that also seems to be enamoured with foie gras. They serve what i would call 'precious' upscale food. the decor of the restaurant has no suggestion of 'beach.'

[tastycakes]

so sorry, the seashells, foam, and driftwood motif must have come from someplace other than the beach

[westsidegal]

i didn't mean to offend you.

those decorative elements, for some reason, did not carry enough visual weight to make my impression of the restaurant at all 'beachy.'
obviously they did have that effect on you.

maybe my 'beach' sensors were not in gear because of the inland location of the restaurant.

at any rate, my apologies.

[New Trial]

Perhaps Ocean & Vine or one of the cabanas around the pool area at the Viceroy--not my first choices for food but good enough and great beachy feel. Ocean & Vine offers a view of the Ocean and the Pier and has outside firepits which can be fun.

-----
Viceroy Santa Monica
1819 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Ocean and Vine
1700 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401

[JBC]

Beau Rivage - Mediterranean - Malibu (on Pacific Coast Highway).
Private Room(s) 2nd Floor with view of the Pacific.

http://www.beaurivagerestaurant.com/c...

[MarlaPR]

Sorry, I think Beau Rivage is past it's prime, a little smelly and food not up to par.

[perk]

Terra in Malibu might fit the bill. It doesn't have ocean views, but it's on PCH and has a nice beach vibe. It's also a pretty space, with nice people and good food.

[ttehenry]

Thank you all for the tips! I'll look into those :-)

[MarlaPR]

You might want to check out Sunset. It's right on the beach and I know they do a lot of weddings. It's also a Malibu Happy Hour hot spot.

[MarlaPR]

I agree Terra is special and might fit the bill.

[parmamom]

I haven't tried it yet, but the photos look great at Malibu Beach Inn. The property has just reopened after a full renovation. Looks like American style foods in a beachy-elegant location. If she is still there, ask for Jill Jennings to assist you.

[noshie]

Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica has restaraunt(s). Casa Del Mar had a fish restarurant (many years ago) that had a prvate room, but I thought the food was quite poor (not sure what its like now)

[yogachik]

Catch at Casa del Mar sprang to mind first. It's great, I eat there all the time and love it. The restaurant at Shutters is also a great idea.

[rednyellow]

Geoffrey's in Malibu might do the job

[westsidegal]

not exactly what you want, but thought i'd throw cafe del rey in marina del rey into the ring.

they have a private room that will fit this party
they have VIEWS of the boats in the marina
the room is pretty
they have good food, but it is asian fusion (not the type you requested)
they have an extremely good wine list.
i've always had good service there