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

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?

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.

31 Ten

3110 Main StSanta Monica, CA 90405

(310) 450-5522