Suite 700 (Hotel Shangri-La)

My Advice/My Take: The Shangri-La Rooftop Lounge isn’t for me on most nights (I’m somewhere between Lucas and Emma and this is an Adriana place), but the one night I went I had a blast. Shangri-La is a swanky hotel with swankier clientele, but the Rooftop Lounge has one hell of a view of Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean. However, the bar will break your bank account. Need To Know/Insider Info: I went to the Rooftop Lounge at Shangri-La with my friends because we waited for at least a half hour outside of The Bungalow on a Saturday night and grew sick of it. We walked over to Shangri-La and I wasn’t happy with how fancy it was right when I walked in. There was a bouncer/hotel attendant that was guarding the elevator going upstairs to the Rooftop Lounge. After buying a drink at the lobby bar, one of my friends slipped behind a host’s podium and soon convinced the Shangri-La staff that he too worked at the hotel. They were so busy that they played along with it. Soon, my sour mood was changed because my friend convinced the staff to let us all go up the exclusive elevator and up to the Rooftop Lounge. Who’s Hanging Here/What’s the Vibe: The wannabe who’s who of Santa Monica and tourists hang at Shangri-La Rooftop. I saw “wannabe” because it seemed like there were a lot of well-dressed people with money but no substance at this place; people more concerned with snapping a picture and immediately posting it to Facebook than having a good time. It really is gorgeous up at the Rooftop Lounge, though, no arguing that. Half the bar is on the inside, half outside. There are some heat lamps for colder nights, and some great, decorative lights strung up around the perimeter. Cocktails & Cuisine: Since I was there on a Saturday night, I didn’t have the chance to eat there and to be honest, don’t remember seeing a food menu. I know there was a long list of fancy drinks, but they were all out of my price range and I stuck to beer. What To Wear: Nice jeans (or khakis) and a suit coat or slick blazer. Some people were wearing ties. Girls were pretty dressed up too. What Does It Cost: The Rooftop Bar is one of the most expensive places in Santa Monica; perhaps they’re charging for the amazing view. I only went to the bar once and I think I spent around $50 for no more than five or six beers. Luckily we were having a good time after my friend pretended to be an employee. When To Go: If you’re trying to impress a date for a drink. If there is dinner, I wouldn’t buy it here – not because I think the food would be bad, but because it’s probably extremely expensive. If you’re friends with the Adrianas of the world, take them here.