The Georgian Hotel

"This hotel lobby bar in Santa Monica channels its Art Deco roots with live jazz, ice cold martinis, and bartenders in waistcoats. It sits inside the oceanfront Georgian Hotel (which dates back to the 1930’s) and works especially well for pre-dinner drinks. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, the horseshoe bar is lined with nicely dressed Westsiders  sipping cocktails and judging tourists as a saxophonist plays classics. For a more intimate date night experience, book a leather booth at the candlelit piano bar in the basement. " - brant cox, sylvio martins

"You got through the awkward first date unscathed. Time to go to the Georgian Room and assess how serious it could get. This upscale Italian steakhouse in Santa Monica, hidden in the basement of The Georgian Hotel, looks like a dark, 1930s dinner parlor where bankers would take secret girlfriends for a rendezvous. A crooner sings big band covers in the corner, martinis land on every table, and hulking cuts of meat arrive spot-on medium-rare. Every table is filled with martinis. You’ll have to find a mysterious doorbell and place a privacy sticker over your phone camera to get in, which is a little much, but tonight is high stakes, so the extra effort is warranted. " - brant cox, sylvio martins

"Sirena, the Italian restaurant at the Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica, is now serving afternoon tea on select Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. for $85 per person. The menu, created by chefs David Almany and Thessa Diadem, includes tea, savories like cheese and onion biscuits, a trio of scones (plain, blueberry, and coffee date) with accouterments, and desserts." - Cathy Chaplin

"LOS ANGELES This Italian steakhouse in LA exudes Old Hollywood glamor, down to its secrecy. Located in the basement of The Georgian Hotel, you’ll have to buzz a mysterious doorbell and put a privacy sticker over your phone camera before you’re seated. And the moody space with red walls and black leather booths feels like you might bump into someone preparing for their audition in a Damien Chazelle movie. The menu is full of solid Italian food, with dishes like hazelnut-crusted lamb rack and oxtail ragu, and a buttery New York strip steak. Start with one of the house martinis, and don’t leave until you hear the jazz singer crooning slowed-down renditions of Brittney Spears songs next to a vintage Steinway." - anne cruz

"Before you enter The Georgian Room, you’ll have to buzz a mysterious doorbell, waddle into a closet-sized waiting room, and put a privacy sticker over your phone camera. Let that be your first indication that this Italian steakhouse is only partially about the food. Mostly, you come to this revitalized Old Hollywood dining room underneath The Georgian Hotel for the experience. It’s the kind of martini-soaked nostalgia den that makes people-watching at other "speakeasies" seem like a waste of time. Start with calamari in a deep green booth, and don’t leave until you hear the jazz singer crooning slowed renditions of Brittney Spears songs next to a vintage Steinway. " - nikko duren, brant cox, sylvio martins