Best view: The Strand House
Photo by Chelsea Schreiber.
It seems almost unfair to award best view to the Strand House. It’s like watching Meryl Streep win her 18th Oscar. But, as is the case with Meryl, when you got it, you got it.
The Strand House took over the Beaches property at the corner of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and the strand in 2011 and immediately became a hotspot for drinks and fine dining with a view. The restaurant makes great use of its prime real estate with glass-lined walls, outdoor patios, and little balconies with fire pits. In fact, it’s hard to find a spot in the Strand House where you cannot see the ocean.
Owner Michael Zislis and Chef Neal Fraser outdid themselves with the ambition and grandiose of the Strand House, both architecturally and in cuisine. The eclectic, locally-sourced menu is executed well, and while entrees will run you between $30-50, it seems like few patrons leave the restaurant anything less than happy. Luckily, for those of us on a stricter budget, you can enjoy a specialty cocktail and a pizza for under $30. And it still comes with the view.
117 Manhattan Beach Blvd, MB. 310-545-7470. www.thestrandhousemb.com
Runner-up: Trump National Golf Course: 1 Trump National Dr, Rancho Palos Verdes. (310) 265-5000