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Ian Sturgess enjoys sun, sand and seeing superstars in super-cool Santa Monica, which is frequented by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Britney Spears, and previously Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe
The LA street is quite beautiful come sunset (Image: Getty Images)
Celebrity spotting isn’t exactly top of my holiday activity wishlist, but I guessed there would be an above average chance of seeing a famous face on a visit to starry Santa Monica in California.
Despite this, it was a surprise to tick that particular box at breakfast on the very first morning in town when Arnold Schwarzenegger strolled in and sat at a table just across the way.
Apparently, Arnie drives down from the hills, parks his SUV on the drive of the elegant Fairmont Miramar Hotel, and goes for a cycle ride beside the ocean before returning to eat in the hotel’s Fig restaurant â€" and he does this most days. But such occurrences are just part of regular life here and nobody bothered him as he chatted with his biking pals.
Fronting the Pacific, Santa Monica styles itself as the premier beach city in the greater Los Angeles area and it’s easy to see why. There’s three and a half miles of beautiful palm tree-lined coastline, diverse shopping options from vintage outlets to high-end boutiques on Montana Avenue, great places to eat, a farmers’ market that attracts top chefs from far and wide, and an historic pier.
3rd Street is bustling come the evening (Image:
Getty Images)Everywhere is within walking, or cycling, distance and the city’s air of sophistication is tempered by the omnipresent Californian laid-back vibe that comes from having more than 280 days of glorious sunshine per year. Downtown LA is just 40 minutes away by metro rail and the Pacific Coast Highway runs beside the beach for the ultimate road trip to Monterey and San Francisco.
The five-acre Fairmont itself has an illustrious history steeped in Hollywood glamour dating back more than a century. Greta Garbo checked in one day and didn’t leave for four years. Clark Gable was a frequent guest and Jackie Onassis loved Suite 609 in the Palisades Tower so much it ended up being named after her.
With a spa, gym, outdoor pool and multiple dining options, the hotel is the perfect base to explore the city, all crowned by a stunning fig tree, planted more than 100 years ago, which graces the entrance. Apparently, Britney Spears is the tree’s most devoted fan and comes by once a year to have her picture taken beneath it. Santa Monica is also a hub of creative activity and has a vibrant arts scene with more than 90 galleries, museums and cultural centres, and most top end hotels have curated collections on display.
The 18th Street Arts Center on Airport Avenue is home to 60 radical resident artists, live jazz and workshops, while the Bergamot Station Center is the largest gallery complex on the west coast. Entry is free and it’s an interesting way to while away an afternoon before taking in a show at The Crow comedy store, or eating at Le Great Outdoor, which offers tasty locally-sourced dishes, all on the same site.
We happened to be in town at the same time as the huge Frieze art fair. Preview day drew the full array of LA’s achingly cool hipsters in their finery and people-watching turned out to be more fun than some of the art. Faced with a table of half a dozen strategically placed plastic bottles I kept my cheque book well trousered.
After a couple of hours we emerged blinking into the Californian sunshine narrowly missing Leo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Sly Stallone and many other celebs who all arrived later. Naturally there are a multitude of tasty eating options across town. We had a memorable breakfast at Coast, the restaurant at the delightful Shutters On The Beach.
Bright and breezy with a huge island bar and views across to the ocean, the weatherboarded pastel and white hotel mixes Cape Cod charm with Californian chic. I went for Eggs Benedict with crab while my colleagues couldn’t resist the two-inch-thick French toast with blueberries and mascarpone, and a side of lemon ricotta pancakes.
For a panoramic view of the beach from Malibu to Venice, I’d recommend the Penthouse restaurant at the Huntley Hotel, where we also stayed. You can even see the skyscrapers of downtown LA in the distance and it’s a wonderful spot for an evening cocktail while watching the sun sink slowly into the Pacific.
Dining options cover all budgets and there are more than 400 restaurants to choose from. Nearer the top end is Michelin-starred Citrin on Wilshire Boulevard. Chef Josiah Citrin creates modern Californian edible works of art with incredible attention to detail. His signature lobster bolognese with brown butter truffle froth looked so good it was a shame to break into it.
The service was immaculate without being stuffy and I doubt there are many Michelin restaurants with an in-house playlist featuring Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and Sly Stone.
For me, though, the outstanding Cassia on 7th Street knocked it out of the park. Don’t miss it. A buzzing, lively space set in a former Art Deco telephone exchange, you can feast here on fantastic South-East Asian dishes such as wood-grilled satay, Hainanese chicken confit, lamb frites and seafood galore. The beef rendang coconut curry melted in your mouth and was one of the best things I’ve eaten anywhere in my life.
Co-owner Kim Luu-Ng is a captivating force of nature â€" she’s a lawyer by day â€" and let slip that Steven Spielberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Harrison Ford, Stevie Wonder and Larry David (always has the sea bass) all eat there, but this down-to-earth venue is favoured by families and locals alike.
Countering all those calories just seems so much easier in California than rainy Britain. Throw open the curtains to palm trees and blazing sunshine and you just want to get out among the joggers, cyclists, roller-bladers, yoga fanatics and surfers who are up early doing their thing. It’s an enviable lifestyle. I borrowed a hotel bike and cruised blissfully for miles beside the ocean on a wide cycle path, the largely deserted sandy beach stretching into the distance broken only by the famous Santa Monica Pier.
An historic local landmark, it attracts 14 million visitors a year, dates from 1916 and features the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel. It too has its Hollywood tales. Marilyn Monroe would often sit, disguised, watching the carousel. One day the attendant said to her, “You’re a young lady, why don’t you find yourself a job?†Marilyn removed her hat and face-covering scarf and replied, “Actually, I do have a job.â€
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The pier claims to be the endpoint of legendary Route 66 â€" from the days when cars could drive down it â€" although that’s actually at the junction of Olympic and Lincoln Boulevards nearby. With the 2026 football World Cup being held in the US â€" and the 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympics both coming to LA â€" Santa Monica will no doubt soon be welcoming even greater numbers of visitors.
And in the words of the Terminator himself, with a bit of luck, I’ll be back.
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