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Tar and Roses: Restaurant Reviews

602 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA
310-587-0700
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Ranked #1 of 375 restaurants in Santa Monica
Cuisines: Contemporary
Dining options: Reservations, Late Night
29 visitor photos
Restaurant details
Dining options: Reservations, Late Night
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72 reviews from our community

91% Recommend
    53
    13
    6
    0
    0
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
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Los Angeles, California, United States
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
11 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“Pleasantly Surprised”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 3, 2013 via mobile

I had heard T and R was good and was looking forward to going. The name still eludes me, (hints of tar and roses in certain wines?!?)
It was busy and we were walking over to see a show at the Broad Theater.
Our waitress was friendly and knowledgable and the food was absolutely stunning. The whole Red Snapper is perfect, lightly battered and fried; you can pull the flesh off the fish and you dip it in this wonderful sauce. The wood roasted peas, broccoli with chestnuts, and Jerusalem artichokes were delicious and the lamb kebabs with a yogurt "riata" were really good too. I am looking forward to going back.

    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Food
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See 4 more reviews by Hilary S for Santa Monica
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Olney, Maryland
Top Contributor
50 reviews 50 reviews
30 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“Wonderful small plates and interesting wine list”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 1, 2013 via mobile

Stopped in early evening after shopping. I sat at the bar and sampled some small plates. The bartender was very knowledgable about the wine list and menu. I enjoyed the roasted beets and the Jerusalem artichokes. Both were quite tasty. They also have a reasonably priced pick 3, 5, or 7 from on the blackboard that includes various bruschetta, charcuterie, and cheeses. A great atmosphere and the music (at least early evening) was not blaring; you can hold a conversation and actually hear your partner. It is upscale local and sustainable food, so expect to pay accordly. Well worth it!

    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Food
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See 7 more reviews by alliecat2842 for Santa Monica
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atlanta, GA
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“ok food - service was great”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed January 23, 2013

We were early and I was off put by the hostess' offer to move us to a bar but we had to choose either eating on stools or waiting on the hard benches until our reservation. We could not eat a snack at the bar and then move to our table - a bit pretentious for me. We had the snapper - it was ok. I did not think it was great. We also had the salad it was good. the service was outstanding and the dessert was great - their was a woman who was managing the floor of the restaurant and she was fantastic and in fact saved the review for me for this place otherwise eat somewhere else.

  • Visited January 2013
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Food
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“Modern cooking at its best.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 20, 2013 via mobile

If you're sick of modern cuisine that claims to be tapas but charges $13 for a plate of tiny sausages then Tar and Roses is your refuge. They don't claim to be tapas, however they do encourage you to share and that's what this place is all about. Correctly portioned for sharing with a max of 4 people, delicious modern American cuisine that is innovative but unpretentious and a solid wine list.

We enjoyed the duck rillets and charcuterie to stary. The gnocchi was amazing, very delicate. We also have the fried snapper which was not only delicious but had great presentation. For dessert we had the tar bar, a super rich and dense chocolate bar.

Make a reservation a week in advance if you want to eat at a reasonable time. If you dot have a reservation go at 930, order a bottle of wine and hang out. If you don't have reservations prepare for a 2 hour wait. It's the hottest spot in Samo right now so even if you have a Rez you may need to wait 15 mins but if your coming here to eat quick you're in the wrong place. Prepare to dine.

    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Food
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See 2 more reviews by dudeguykid for Santa Monica
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Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
10 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Excellent resto concept”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 18, 2013

Excellent food in an excelling atmosphere! Menu items for sharing and tasting, Italian fushion. A range of foreign beers on tap, wines of all over the world. The bruchetta's are small pieces of art and delicious.

  • Visited November 2012
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Food
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
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