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    Tar & Roses

    4.5 (2.8k reviews)
    Closed Closed

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    TAR & ROSES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Loud
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Tar & Roses

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    Reviews With Photos

    Whole Fried Snapper for Two
    Beatrice V.

    We came here for dinner with a group. Dim date night ambiance inside. We had to wait about 15-20 or so minutes until our table was ready which was mildly annoying since we had made a reservation. Our waiter was great and timed out all our dishes nicely. We ordered quite a lot! -The oxtail dumplings are a must get. Such a delicious bite. Highlight of the meal honestly. -Singaporean crab cake was just okay. -Wood roasted bone marrow was also just okay, it's your standard bone marrow dish. -Maitake mushrooms were tasty -Charred baby broccoli was tasty -Whole fried snapper for two: Quiiiite the presentation, we're talking a whole fried fish served standing up on the table. Make sure the eyes aren't facing anyone who is vegetarian lol. It was good but a little tricky at times to take apart and eat. But it was good and definitely a showstopper when it comes to the presentation. Great for sharing as a group. -Shellfish pot was pretty good. Nice selection of seafood. -Lamb Shank: I loved this. Rich and tender meat. Especially loved the pairing of the pomegranates with it. Great meal!

    Menu
    Sarah S.

    The service at Tar & Roses is beyond amazing. They are so incredibly attentive and pleasant. And the food is pretty spectacular too. The waiter was so accomodating --we were a large group of 8 and he laid out the options of either ordering family style or personal mains (but sharing the rest) -- we opted fully for family style which was nice because we got to try most of the dishes! All of the veggie dishes were delish. The only shocking moment was when they brought out the snapper -- the full fish, head, eyes, teeth and all -- it was very delicious however and it came with this delicious chimichurri. The cheesy mashed potatoes were a standout for me -- very very cheezy!! They do not have cocktails but have an extensive wine menu -- we got three bottles, two rose's (the Santa Barbara wine was soo good) and one skin contact (orange) -- they were all very good!! Dessert was limited to three items so we got them all, sticky toffee pudding, strawberry galette and a dark chocolate mousse with ice cream. The sticky toffee pudding, which would have been my last choice was actually the best out of all of them!! Soooo good I could have eaten a whole vat of it!! LOL. Overall was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and the service -- I will definitely be coming back.

    Grilled corn with coconut cream, fish sauce, cheese, cilantro and peanutes.
    Nikki T.

    On are recent trip to LA, I met my friend C at Tar & Roses. It was a short Uber ride from the Fairmont Miramar where I was staying for a work conference to the restaurant. On a nice day, it's probably a 20 minute walk. We sat at the bar which by the way only serves wine and beer. No cocktails. There are lots of interesting items on the menu. On the recommendation of our server, we ordered a few different appetizers and side dishes and one main to split. Appetizers: Oxtail Dumplings x 2 (because they were so delish!) Spaghetti Carbonara Yellowtail Crudo Sides: Cheesy Whipped Potatoes Grilled Corn Main: Hanger Steak Desserts: Sticky Toffee Pudding Chocolate "Tar" Bar My favorite of the appetizers were the oxtail dumplings. They were so good that halfway thru the appetizers, C asked our waiter for a second order of the dumplings. The spaghetti carbonara is really rich with a soft egg and parmesan. Ours had a little kick to it as there was quite a bit of black pepper. Both C and I were big fans of the side dishes. Total comfort food. The cheesy in the whipped potatoes is gruyere. The grilled corn is an Asian take on Mexican corn/elote. At Tar & Roses it's made with coconut crème, fish sauce, cheese, cilantro and peanuts. For the main course, we split the hanger steak which was served at a perfect medium rare. Delicious! We managed to leave room for dessert and decided to try both the Sticky Toffee Pudding and the Chocolate "Tar" Bar. The "Tar" bar is a dark chocolate ganache bar served with hazelnuts and salted caramel ice cream. After both desserts we were officially stuffed. I will definitely come back the next time I'm in town to try the other items on the menu. The couple next to us ordered the whole fried snapper for two. It looked amazing and they told us that they come into T&R all the time for the snapper.

    Maxine K.

    My mom and I had a fantastic dinner at Tar & Roses. Everything we ordered was delicious, and we loved the small plates because it allowed us to try so many different dishes. Great food, great atmosphere, and a wonderful dining experience from start to finish. We can't wait to come back!

    this was so good
    Dominique D.

    The food here was genuinely excellent. every dish we ordered was flavorful, fresh, and honestly worth the hype. I really wanted to leave a glowing review because the kitchen absolutely delivered. That said, the service was incredibly frustrating. I understand it was Valentine's Day, and as someone who also works in the service industry, I tried to be patient and empathetic all night. I know holidays are chaotic. But our server was inattentive, dismissive, and overall made the experience way more annoying than it needed to be. I won't say where we were sitting because I don't want this server to get in trouble. Could've been a bad night for him. But you gotta lock in. At one point, he verballed the dessert options so quickly and with such an irritated tone that we just decided to cancel dessert altogether because he genuinely sounded fed up with us being there. It completely changed the vibe of the night. Ironically, the food runner was the one keeping everything together. He was kind, attentive, and actually seemed to care, so I ended up tipping him cash separately because I wanted to make sure he got something for his effort. I'd still come back for the food, but I really hope the service experience improves because it took away from what could've been a great night.

    Strawberry Crostada
    James S.

    Delicious, rebellious yet polished, and relaxing. I've been to T & R twice within the past 12 months and both times found it refreshing and even surprising. I hadn't thought of this as a Wine Bar, though they definitely have a solid variety here. There are plenty of dishes to choose from, and in my experience, it's best to go with a few other people so there's more to sample. Party of 3 worked wonderfully with just enough for everyone to explore. Party of 4 was a bit complicated and harder to sufficiently share each particular dish (especially the small plates). Both times enjoyed the Chicken Liver Mousse and the Oxtail Dumplings. Wildly different and fun. If I had to choose one, I'd go for the Dumplings because they are such a complete and savory bite to behold. The Mousse is good -- I think I liked more the first time. The spaghetti carbonara is a bounty of flavors - and super creamy, like you'd expect. A great dish to pass around especially because it's so rich. The wood-roasted bone marrow is rich in fatty goodness and worth a try. The cheesy mashed potatoes are impossible not to like, though the veggie star really is the brussel sprouts. Crisp pancetta, chestnuts, and mustard vinaigrette gently scorched to bring out the flavors. There were three dessert options when I last visited a few weeks ago: We went for the strawberry crostata (x2). Very similar to galette, this was a wonderful way to send us off.

    Shellfish Pot, Whole Fried Snapper for Two, Dry Aged Ribeye for Two, Brussels Sprouts
    Stephanie C.

    Second time at Tar & Roses for my birthday dinner and I was excited to dive deeper into the menu after only trying the pre order Singaporean chili crab and a few lighter apps on my first visit. We started with the oxtail dumplings since they seem to be one of the most hyped dishes here, but honestly... they were just mid for me. Not bad, just didn't really live up to the hype. The whole fried snapper was easily the star of the night though. Perfectly crispy outside, flaky inside, and the dipping sauce absolutely makes the dish. The shellfish pot was also excellent -- rich, flavorful, and great for sharing, but I do wish they gave a little more grilled toast with it because you'll want every last drop of the broth. The ribeye was solid and cooked perfectly, but nothing particularly memorable compared to other steak spots around LA. For dessert, definitely get the strawberry galette. The crust was buttery and delicious, and it was the perfect ending to the meal.

    View from inside
    Rob C.

    Food - menu divide to four types, snacks, small, veggies, and Large. Ordered the yellowtail crudo and the dry aged ribeye for 2. Service - dine in so service is good. We sat at the bar since there was no availability and our reservation was late but we got hungry so we settled for the bar. Ambiance - this place is at the corner of Santa Monica and 6th. Unassuming from the outside but it's quite good inside. Kinda French meets rustic? But cozy and good settings! Overall, i would recommend to try at least once. And been told that they change their menu often. Not sure how often. Verdict - twas a good dining experience. Get your reservation on.

    Wood Roasted English Peas
    Eliza C.

    Make reservations on OpenTable and try this place. Plenty of meters Street parking. Food was so creative- especially the English peas!! we sat in the patio and the ambiance was lovely. It was a bit chilly but they had heating lamps. Service was friendly.

    Oxtail Dumplings and Chicken Liver Mousse
    Lucia C.

    A friend and I come here just for their what we feel is their 5 STAR Dish: Whole Fried Snapper w/ Cold Soba Noodles w/ Dipping Sauce. This fish is made for 2-4 depending on how many other things you order and how much you/ your group eats. We ordered two "Snacks" w/ this and we had leftovers which I took home. My go to here is the Oxtail Dumplings with San Bai Su, Chili and Green Onion. They had more of a kick than usual but still delicious. Their Chicken Liver Mousse with Pickled Blackberry, Arugula w/ Honeycomb and Toast was a nice surprise! I liked the combination of the blackberry and honeycomb for sure. It was good but not The Spotted Pig in NYC good. RIP. For dessert, there were 3 choices. It was a verbal menu so I apologize if I don't have the dessert right but it was some sort of chocolate ganache? on a coconut crust with hazelnuts with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream. The combination of all made this yummy. I wished the coconut crust was a bit more coconutty! I washed that down w/ an iced Americano which was perfect! It was good but I wouldn't need to order that again. If you like seafood, go for the snapper! Other notes: There is metered street parking. My friend got a ticket as she forgot to run out and put more money in it. There is also pay for parking at the Santa Monica Public Library which is less than a block away. It only cost me $2.00 for about 2 hours. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible. Bathroom is on the same floor. My only complaint which is why I took one star off is that we were seated right by the entrance and the sun was shining bright in my eyes for awhile. There was no shade to pull down and make this easier. I didn't bring sunglasses so I got stuck wearing my friend's for awhile which helped a little but made the dining experience a little uncomfortable.

    Duck Breast
    Danni L.

    The ambiance is nice for date night with a romantic lighting in the dining room and seating outside on a spacious patio situated along the side walk. The service was good with the right amount of attentiveness. Our waiter indicated what the popular items were on the menu which is helpful. The food was good and wine was excellent!

    Oxtail dumplings.
    Eugene O.

    This is my favorite restaurant. I would give this place 10 stars if I could. It's the place my wife and I go to for our anniversaries and for good reason. It's really that good. The following is a review from our visit on a recent Saturday night, but references previous visits. The service here is top notch. The servers are attentive and the bus boys come by and replace plates and cutlery between courses. The place has a nice romantic vibe to it. Great place for a date. The food is unbelievably good. I would strongly recommend the oxtail dumplings, balsamic glazed ribs (so tender and delicious), octopus skewers (didn't think octopus could taste so good), and the yellowtail crudo (love the citrus sauce). The dry aged ribeye for two is perfectly cooked to a medium rare just the way we like it with a nice crust on top. Even the accompanying arugula salad is tasty. The desserts here never change which is great. We always get the chocolate tar bar and strawberry crostrata. Love them. The ONLY thing we were hoping for but didn't get was the honeycomb ice cream with the crostrata. We were served vanilla ice cream instead, which was good, but not great like the honeycomb ice cream. Final thoughts. My wife wants the restaurant to bring back the charcuterie plate from the pre-pandemic era. With that said, if you're ever in the Santa Monica area, I would highly recommend this restaurant. Just make sure to secure reservations, before coming here. It's gets busy pretty fast.

    Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi
    Bryan R.

    Came to this place for our anniversary because we heard such great things about it. The ambience was very chill dark with mellow, red and yellow mood lighting. The service is great the server really sold us on the bottle of wine. The whole fried snapper was my favorite dish and the oxtail came as a close second. Everything was delicious and there wasn't a single thing I didn't enjoy. I would rank this place in 9/10 for sure. Perfect for a date night or Business dinner because it's not terribly expensive if you don't add a bottle of wine.

    Whole Fried Snapper for Two

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    good small tapas type dishes. service is off and on.overall solid dinner entrees. nice ambience overall. fun vibe and atmosphere

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    Tar & Roses Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Tar & Roses

    What oil is used on the fried snapper?

    What's up with the name of this place? Tar and roses reminds me of the description of Nebbiolo wine -- which I love. Is it related?

    BINGO, you got it!

    What happened to the bruschetta board? Tar & Roses, by far, had the best selections for their board!

    Tar & Roses changes their menu regularly based on what is in session

    What time does the kitchen close? My reservation's at 9:15, don't wanna go there just for drinks

    The kitchen closes when they have finished everyone’s meals. We only take reservations for dinner, so rest assured if you come on time we will be here for you! We seat for dinner until 10pm Friday and Saturday and 9pm Monday-Thursday

    Do you have gluten free options?

    There are many items on our menu that don’t have gluten, or can be modified as such, but we do not create dishes specifically to be gluten free or have alternatives such as pasta etc that aren’t gluten.

    Are you open for Thanksgiving Dinner? Is the menu available yet?

    Thanks for asking, we are closed on Thanksgiving.

    Is outdoor seating available?

    ABSOLUTELY!!!!

    How much is corkage now and do you still honor your policy if you buy one off the list, corkage is waived for one bottle?

    Thanks for asking! Our corkage is $40/ bottle, with a 2 bottle limit per table. We will waive corkage with bottle purchase still as well, 1 for 1!

    Are the meat and cheese platters back? I love the choices !

    Thank you, but we are not bringing them back quite yet.

    Can dogs sit with patrons in the patio area?

    Yes, from what I recall

    Do you still serve the venison loin?

    Hi Phil, thank you for asking! We are not serving Venison currently, as we generally add that to the menu in the fall/winter. Come try our new lamb loin dish though!!

    How's parking? What are the options for self park?

    The restaurant has valet parking. Additionally, street parking is on every street, depending upon availability.

    No more pig tails?

    I have been there a few times lately and do not recall seeing pigtails on their menu. This is still one of my favorite restaurants because I love the large platters for appetizers and the whole deep fried fish.

    Is there a dress code?

    Hi Toya, The community is correct, we do not have a dress code. You are welcome to wear whatever… Read more

    Can two people eat at the bar without reservations?

    Certainly! We offer our full dining experience at the counter.

    Do you allow dogs in the outdoor seating area?

    We love dogs, however only ADA approved service dogs are allowed anywhere in the restaurant.

    Can this restaurant accomodate a group of 40 on a Sunday afternoon?

    Hi Jo, We can accommodate parties of that size, however we are a dinner only restaurant starting… Read more

    Do they have high chairs for an infant?

    M S, We do not have high chairs, however you can bring whatever accommodations you need. If you… Read more

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    Bodega Wine Bar

    Bodega Wine Bar

    4.1
    (1.3k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$
    Free WiFi
    Happy hour specials

    Bodega Wine Bar is a neighborhood coffee house, restaurant and bar located in Santa Monica. It has…read moreexcellent ambiance (open, airy, modern while warm), and good energy. I stopped by recently on a weekday to grab lunch and get some work done. The place was 90% full on a weekday lunch time filled with people and their laptops. I barely found us a table. The Forager Salad with baby arugula, butternut squash, apple, roasted pecans, dried cranberries, goat cheese & cinnamon date vinaigrette was so delicious! It was flavorful and refreshing. I added chicken for extra protein. I love this salad more than the last one (Miso Cesar) I got. Miso Cesar is a bit more salty even though that salad is also creative in terms of flavor, and very good as well. The Forager is lighter and has a hint of sweetness with the sliced apples.I will be back again! Parking can be a challenge depending on the time of the week and day. There is metered street parking and you can also park at Vons across the street for 90 minutes for free if you do some shopping there. The vibe is like an open work space, with food and drinks, lots of mostly good-looking people and their pets. Good energy throughout.

    Coffee: Maple and Salt: alright, nothing special Seating:…read moreplenty of seating inside and outside, both high top tables and seated tables Outlets: During the morning and early afternoon, plenty of outlets near the bar and lounging areas Wifi: Not great, especially as more patrons enter, Wifi gets spotty and slow Parking: Metered street parking only and a small lot that fills up quick, read the street signs carefully!

    Photos
    Bodega Wine Bar
    Sightglass Coffee Roasters Owl's Howl Espresso Blend
    Sightglass Coffee Roasters Owl's Howl Espresso Blend
    The Paseo - Breakfast Croissant Sandwich.

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    The Paseo - Breakfast Croissant Sandwich.
    Cosetta

    Cosetta

    4.2
    (205 reviews)
    2.3 mi

    Great atmosphere and kind waitstaff. The fennel crusted pork chop was amazing, and the guanciale…read morepizza was perfectly made. Definitely a must-try in Santa Monica

    First of all, if you know about the Westside, it's hard to find parking. No problem, here; you get…read morevalidation if you come and park in the lot where the restaurant is located. The ambience is calm and breezy; waitstaff are very attentive and friendly. Hubby and I shared the broad beans with fennel and fried shallots. My first time trying it and even if you hate lima beans (these are similar in shape but so much nicer), you will crave this creamy, savory dish. I'm still salivating over the Caesar salad with white anchovies; don't be discouraged just because anchovies have a bad rap for being fishy. The white ones are vinegar-y and fresh and they use bread crumbs instead of croutons. I love the addition of the slightly bitter but crunchy radicchio. For the main, we shared the guanciale white pizza (no tomato sauce) and the crust is thin and bubbly like you would get in Naples. And for dessert, we chose the Basque-like cheesecake with sour cherry compote. Hubby and I don't drink alcohol anymore so there are three mocktail choices along with a zero-proof IPA that's very hoppy. I chose the hibiscus mocktail and it was perfectly icey, tart and fragrant. Honestly the best meal I've had in a long while and the prices are affordable and ideal for a first date or a business meeting.

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    Cosetta inside.
    Cosetta inside.
    Caesar salad 10/10
    Caesar salad 10/10
    Half stuffed lobster

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    Half stuffed lobster
    Dudley Market

    Dudley Market

    4.1
    (378 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    Long time visitor, first time reviewing. I love Dudley Market. It's such a perfect spot in Venice,…read moreslightly hidden off the boardwalk. The restaurant is always consistent, always packed. They don't take reservations, so be prepared to wait. There's a few bars nearby if you're waiting. Once you're able to sit down, you'll find a cute wine bar with amazing food that doesn't disappoint. Don't skip the fries. They're some of the best things I've eaten. I dream about those fries. The Peruvian scallops are dreamy. Very light, very refreshing. The same can be said about the cucumber salad. The standout of the evening was by far the burger. I've been to Dudley Market a handful of times, and I'd yet to try it. I'm so glad that I did. It was probably one of the best burgers I've ever had before. I highly recommend ordering this. Overall, Dudley Market is a fantastic restaurant in Venice Beach and I hope it stays our neighborhood spot for a long time.

    DO NOT GO HERE! THEY ARE NOT ETHICAL! Dudley Market Sold…read moreIllegal Seafood While Promising Sustainable Sourcing. CDFW said the seafood was then marketed to customers as sustainable, traceable, and legally sourced despite those violations. Dudley Market unlawfully purchased, possessed, and sold sport-caught fish. California law prohibits the commercial sale of fish caught under sport fishing rules. Commercial fishing activity conducted without required licenses, failures to properly document federally managed fish brought to shore, and illegal harvesting of fish inside restricted conservation areas and state marine protected areas. Anyone defending this place should be ashamed of themselves as commercial fishing laws exist to protect our oceans and preserve marine ecosystems

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    Dudley Market
    Whine bar!!
    Whine bar!!
    Dudley Market

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    Tar & Roses - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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