One Pico used to be a dull, expensive restaurant “with a killer view,” said S. Irene Virbila in the Los Angeles Times. Now the food is as good as the scenery. The restaurant, located in Santa Monica’s Shutters on the Beach hotel, recently was given a much-needed makeover. The stylishly laid-back décor rivals the waterfront views of stunning sunsets and the kaleidoscopically colored new Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier. Prices are surprisingly moderate “for such a high-end hotel,” the mostly California-Italian cuisine is “uncomplicated and delicious,” and the service is outstanding. A good way to start the meal is to order fritti misti—“a bouquet of beautifully fried calamari, clams, asparagus, artichoke, and other vegetables”—for the table. Seafood specialties include grilled or spit-roasted Mediterranean sea bass and snapper, Alaska halibut, John Dory, and sole—all prepared simply and straightforwardly, like those dishes “you’d get at a seaside resort” in northern Tuscany. “My favorite” among the desserts was a walnut meringue layered like a cake. 1 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 587-1717
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