I'm not actually reviewing the hotel, but the restaurant, which is located at the Shore Hotel on Ocean in Santa Monica.

Blue Plate Taco opened in October 2012 and is owned by the same person who owns the Blue Plate Oysterette. It's not a taco stand, but rather a more of a high-end bistro.

There were four of us eating lunch, and it was fabulous! The waitstaff was attentive and helpful. The scene and scenery was fun, being right on Ocean. And the food...loved it, from the flight of salsas to the Dulce de Leche milkshake! I had a seared ahi, which was prepared perfectly and practically melted in my mouth. The aguas frescas were amazing (we had ours without alcohol), flavorful mixtures that were well-balanced and refreshing, not cloying.

All in all, a memorable meal. Pricey, but worth the splurge! Go there, even if you're not staying at the Shore Hotel.

The Shore Hotel was truly a lovely surprise. I booked the hotel through their receptionist and was prepared to leave after a day in the event we were disappointed. Well, our 7 night stay was extended to 10 (which is something my husband and I never do!), but the hotel was perfect. From the moment we arrived until our departure we were treated the same...respectfully and as if we were the only guests. In addition, the location was ideal. We parked our car in their garage and used it only twice to visit museums. Otherwise, we walked everywhere. Restaurants and shops for everyone. The Blue Plate restaurant in the hotel was such fun and the food was so good, we returned for a second dinner. It was the only repeat of our entire trip.
Obviously, you can see it was a delight to stay at the Shore (love the name!).
Northern California older couple!

Our first night on our American holiday so a comfy bed and shower were sooooooo important great beds very comfy and good room size we had a pier view and were very happy. Very close to the pier and the yummiest onion rings at Rusty's on the pier too.

The location of The Shore is perfect, close to 3rd St promenade and the mall, close to the beach and lots of good restaurants, and right by the road if you're driving down to Venice or into the city, or onto the Pacific Highway.

Really nice fresh rooms, tastefully decorated. The shower was great, and I liked the overall design of the room, utilizing the small-ish space really well. A little gift of some chocolate and pretzels brought to the room after I arrived was a really nice touch.

Shame there were no breakfast options, it would be good if even the taco place next door accommodated this. Seems a shame not to have options. We were told on check in that the staff could order in from local restaurants for us for dinner, but there were no menus in the room or instructions to do this. A few extra touches like having some menus available would be great.

I didn't use the pool but it seemed like a good size and got sun most of the day. A little weird being right by the sidewalk but it was hidden enough not to worry.

Overall, great hotel with friendly staff. I will stay here again.