Tar & Roses - Santa Monica (CA)

5 /5 Christopher Ma: Food was lovely, I supposed I would describe it as Italian with an slight Asian flare. The black cod was buttery, the curry was a bit too spicy, the duck was decent, and layered potatoes from hanger steak was yum. The food wasnt perfect, but then nothing ever is. So Ill leave it 5 out of 5. The manager was lovely, our waiter was a bit of a fast talker, borderline annoying, but was courteous nonetheless. We had a lovely evening, I would recommend it.

5 /5 Brian Palmer: One of the better meals in Santa Monica! Definitely recommend coming here for a nice date night or slightly upscale casual meal. I really enjoyed the crab cakes (5/5) and the oxtail (4/5). The lamb was good as well. Definitely coming again to try other items in the menu like the duck and the blackened cod. Service was really good. Felt waiters were friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend this restaurant.

4 /5 Sahar Meshksar: Tar & Roses in Santa Monica is where creativity meets craft. The Whole Fried Snapper was beautifully plated and delicious, and the steak was rich and high quality, But fair warning: the service wasnt as polished. A simple asking about sourdough bread was met with a rude response, which was disappointing amid all the culinary excellence.

4 /5 Shahram Mehraban: Cute little restaurant in Santa Monica. California cuisine with a bit of Asia fusion. Party of 8 for a birthday party. We tried multiple small plates including eggplant (3/5), ribs (5/5), dumpling (4/5), bone marrow (4/5), crudo yellow tail (4/5) and the purple dip (4/5). I have the shellfish pot which was in a Thai curry broth and served with two pieces of bread. It was very tasty but felt like it needed to come with rice or a couple more slices of bread as at the end a ton on yummy broth was left over. My son has the skirt steak which was flavorful but just a bit too small. Son had the duck and liked it and wife the lamb who didn’t finish it. It is really lamby. We tried all three desserts. Nothing to write home about. The ambiance is romantic. Only server beer and wine so no cocktails on the menu.

3 /5 Dani Savinon: Popped in for a late night dinner and the place was busy! Definitely recommend making a reservation on weekends. We ordered the Chicken Liver Mousse, Whole Fried Snapper for two, and the Mushrooms. The mousse was served with sourdough bread, blackberries, and arugula. Its rich and flavorful, perfect if you’re a fan of liver mousse. The snapper was definitely worth it, crispy, well.cooked, and paired great with the refreshing cold noodles. The mushrooms were a creative surprise, served with gigante white beans and a chimichurri like sauce, yum. The service was okay, they served our meal on cracked plates and we felt a bit rushed, but the food is solid though!