31 TEN Bar and Lounge — a new sophistcated spot in Santa Monica

the bar at 31 Ten. photo credit: Eater LA

After a renovation, the huge space that used to house Hidden and Cache, both ventures that never seemed to really take off, the gentlemen behind one of our favorite Venice restaurants, Ado, opened 31 Ten last month. We weren’t sure what to expect as we hadn’t heard any buzz about it and it is such an enormous property that always seems to struggle no matter who is at the helm.

However, on a busy Thursday night, we were happy to be able to walk right in with a few friends and choose from several seating areas — we chose the couches right by the fire pit. All of the seating is lounge style couches and tables with dim lighting, hard wood floors and exposed brick walls. The waitresses outfits are highly unfortunate and hopefully will be rethought– tight, micro-mini spandex red dresses wind up looking cheap and trashy and not sexy and upscale. It seems the owners might be a little confused as to what they’ve just birthed– is it a cozy lounge/bar or are they after a nightclub? They need to commit one way or the other and frankly, on Main St. in Santa Monica, go for the lounge/bar– there is a mega void of anywhere sophisticated to go for drinks in the area. Sure there is the Basement Bar which now has a line wrapped around the block (seriously?) and Venice Beach Wines on Rose which is also too packed to consider most evenings, and then there are the dive bars. Do you hear us?

photo credit: Eater LA

Happily, 31 Ten also serves food and it was delicious. The warm lobster salad with truffle oil was one of the best salads we’ve had in awhile and with a $12 price tag, extremely reasonable. The pizzas are also good- thin crust and light. The service was attentive and the wine list is compelling with affordable choices. The Beatles cover band playing in the back bar area was perhaps a mis-step, but was inoffensive as the place is so big, if you’re not in the mood, sit elsewhere.

All in all, give 31 Ten a try. They are still finding themselves, but we have confidence. After all they took another cursed space that had been home to previous failure upon failure and turned it into Ado, so maybe they’ve got the knack.

photo credit: Eater LA

31 Ten

3110 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405

(310) 450-5522

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ABH

I tried out 31 Ten after reading your review. You girls are usually spot on when it comes to restaurant reccs (or any recc for that matter)… but this place turned out to be a huge disapointment!
My girlfriend & I arrived smack dab in the middle of the torrential downpour on Saturday night. I was tempted to give our waitress (who was so inappropriately dressed I couldn’t look her in the eye) my jacket. The heat lamps located at front of the bar didn’t seem to help warm up the space & most of the waitresses looked uncomfortably cold.
I was appalled by the dining area. We were shown to our seats – two la-z-boy recliner type chairs & a worn out looking wicker coffee table.
We scanned the menu and opted to take off after seeing the party next to us had barely gotten through half of their meal. We called Gjelina in Venice and were able to score a last minute reservation. The service, ambiance & food did not disappoint. 31 Ten might want to take a page from their book. A redesign of their seating area is an absolute MUST.
MD

myself and 3 friends decided to try out 31 ten this past saturday night, also during the downpour outside. our reservation was for 815 and we were seated out near the front on the sofas and wicker tables. the tent roof above our table was leaking so we requested to be moved to another table nearby and were given a hard time. our server had on a skimpy red dress with so much cleavage and ass hanging out she might as well have been standing outside working the corner. the food was so-so. my biggest complaint is the uncomfortable way you are forced to eat your entree….the wicker tables are way too far away from the sofa and too low. if you’re just there for drinks and apps, no problem. but i had to set my entree plate in my lap to eat, which was very uncomfortable. we also requested for our server to split the check three ways at the end of the night. she said she spoke to the owner and wasn’t allowed to split the check. this was obviously a lie and she was very rude about it. definitely will not be going back to this place.
admin

We hear you! For us we gave it a pretty mixed review– we totally agree on the tacky, skimpy waitress outfits and it is a big open space. We should change the title and edit out “sophisticated.” Better for drinks and snacks when other places are too busy. Thanks for writing!! We love Gjelina too! xo