Imagine if you took the retro-glam decor of AMC’s "
Mad Men" and combined it with the Hollywood edge and intimacy of
Winston's, then packed it with an impeccably dressed crowd of mostly girls. You'd have the perfect lounge, right? That’s what
Chloe is, and lucky for Westsiders, it’s just by the ocean in Santa Monica.
Why open such a place in an area best known for margarita happy hours and no dress codes? "There are cool, edgy people in Santa Monica that don't go out because there’s nowhere to go," says owner Laurie Mulstay, who's also behind
Magnolia and
the Bar.
Located in the spot that used to house the Russian-inspired bar Voda, the venue has been transformed into a plush, cozy living room blanketed in a white, red, green and gold color scheme. There are zebra-print benches, green velvet armchairs, antique mirrors, French chandeliers and a long white marble bar tended by bartenders in crisp white shirts and black vests. The leggy cocktail waitresses are just as chic in gray dresses cinched with red bows—the kind of number stylist Rachel Zoe would dress her celebrity clients in. Mulstay, for her part, used to be a stylist at Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, hence all the fashionable elements.
If Chloe were in Hollywood, you'd expect a discerning doorman only granting entrance to the super fabulous. Those same rules don't apply in Santa Monica, and the bar is
still packed with a desirable crowd of young professionals, tastemakers and artists. So, what will happen when the flip-flop and swim-trunk kids find out about Chloe? The doorman will probably let them in, but they won't stay. This is a new kind of Santa Monica bar for a niche of Westsiders who finally have a place to go out.
Cocktails: Chloe's drinks are like works of art. There are lavender gimlets, whiskey cobblers, apricot champagne cocktails and my favorite, the "Lemony Sippet"—made with Ketel One Citron vodka, fresh lemon juice, sugar and a dash of milk. As in the days of classic cocktail culture, drinks are served in 5-ounce glasses, not in the enormous 10-ouncers so common today. Modern-day prices, however, still apply.
Food: Although there's no dining room, you can eat dinner here. There are salads, crab cakes and a burger, but I say you go for the bar snacks, such as the bacon-wrapped, cheese-filled dates or the eggplant-topped crostini, which inspired this statement: "I don't even like eggplant, and I love this."
Music: The soundtrack includes the Dandy Warhols, Jimi Hendrix and the Velvet Underground. I'm telling you, this bar is flawless.
Know before you go: I drove around the block four times until I spotted the narrow bar with no sign. It's next door to Hotel Carmel.
Click here for Chloe’s address, phone number and website.
Alexandra Le Tellier is Bars & Clubs editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
