Chez Jay Chez Jay
1657 Ocean Ave. (Pico Blvd.)
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-395-1741
Map
Cuisine: American
A dark, atmospheric and friendly maritime dive serving decent retro fare like steak au poivre and sand dabs.
Openings: Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly, Brunch Sat.-Sun.

Features

Chez Jay, Santa Monica, CA


Chez Jay Restaurant Review:


Salty yarns have been spun for ages at this dark seaside haunt. The décor is mostly maritime dive, with red-and-white-checked table coverings and sawdust on the floor. There's a feeling of camaraderie among the many hard-drinking regulars, but newcomers are welcomed into the fold with a basket of peanuts and a friendly greeting. The barstools are usually full, so settle into a vinyl booth and dig into the rough-and-ready fare (a slight cut above greasy pub food), including steak au poivre, shrimp curry and sand dabs, with iceberg lettuce salads on the side. You can barely see your plate in the dark (the place is dimly illuminated by red-glass candles), but the grub served here isn't the sort anyone would gaze at in admiration anyway. For weekend breakfast, the featured fare is seafood omelets, steak and eggs, and so on. The jukebox spins a classic parade of mostly 1930s and 1940s hits. And though it's an extremely low-key joint, Chez Jay hosted Old Blue Eyes in his day and has had Malibu locals like Sean Penn stop by.