You can’t get much closer to the ocean than on the outdoor patio at Gladstones in Los Angeles. Your view is the vast Santa Monica Bay and the music is a simple mix of crashing waves, seagulls, and a constant, gentle breeze. Situated right on the coast between Santa Monica, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades, this restaurant and bar is an absolute gem of a venue to enjoy a fresh cocktail and a variety of mouth-watering appetizers.
We started by ordering two fantastic drinks at the recommendation of our amazing waitress, Heidi, who besides knowing the details of every dish on the menu, could tell us everything we wanted to know about the history of Gladstones. She guided us to one Raspberry Cucumber Fresh cocktail, made with hand-pressed cucumber and raspberry, fresh lime juice, and per our request, Patrón Silver, and a Watermelon Margarita using Patrón Silver, hand-pressed watermelon muddled with jalepeños, orange liqueur, and a splash of sweet & sour.
These drinks were the perfect compliments to our incredible meal of shrimp cocktail, crab-stuffed avocados, crab cakes, rock shrimp, and ceviche. Oh, and we cannot forget the loaf of sour dough we devoured halfway through our cocktails, or the fudge sundae we concluded the meal with.
You must visit Gladstones during your next trip to Los Angeles. Bring sunscreen and give yourself a two-hour lunch window. Once you sit down next to that sparkling Pacific, you will not want to get up, and then there’s always the chance that you’ll be inspired to take a post-meal swim. Use your Patrón Summer Map at the Patrón Social Club to find spots like this all summer long.
