The Gilded Bellini at The Penthouse at The Huntley Hotel

I am an absolute sucker for rooftops.  Am I the only one who feels like everything is just better when it’s on a rooftop? For my Sunday brunch, I wanted somewhere dramatic…a place that was luxe, yet trendy and very ‘in.’ Somewhere that you want to be seen at. Come on, we all plan our future geo-tags on Instagram! I was lucky to have discovered The Penthouse at The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, which boasts unparalleled pacific panoramas from the 18th floor of the hotel. 360 views of both the city and the ocean? Done. My friend Marisa was visiting me from New Jersey, and as another avid brunch connoisseur, I knew this was the perfect place to take her… and hopefully convince her to move out here too!

We got to the hotel and entered its glamorous lobby that doubled as a lounge area was decked in mod décor. Caramel colored leather loveseats topped with plush white Mongolian-inspired pillows welcomed guests to stay a while, and arrays of chic votive candles lined each conversation table. Taking a right turn, we were graced by the gorgeous black and gold elevators. Definitely stopping back at The Huntley for future style inspo! I was impressed already. 

The elevator was probably one of the best parts of the overall Penthouse experience. From the ground floor to the 18th floor, we rode to the top in a glass-paneled elevator that gave us a taste of the amazing view that was to come. The ride was fast enough to get there in about a minute or so, but slow enough to rise and see the ocean and all the palm trees. You’re basically on the outside of the hotel, which is really cool! And if you’re afraid of heights I promise you’ll survive the elevator. What you see completely makes up for it.

Once the elevator doors open, we walked immediately walk into The Penthouse.  Giant glass windows surrounded the entire restaurant with sunlight streaming in. Lining each side and corner of the room are gorgeous all-white contemporary cabanas. There’s white and black leather couches, and exquisite geometric detail on the walls.  The bar area was in the center of the restaurant and featured crisp white leather bar stools and a granite-style countertop. It just exudes an exclusive, elegant vibe. Mental note: coming here for drinks at night.  

Marisa and I got to sit at a table near the ocean side.  I heard The Penthouse makes an amazing bellini, so that’s exactly what we ordered.  Luckily for us, they were served in rather large flutes, which put big smiles on our faces. And, they were top-notch bellinis, just FYI. We ordered Fresh Baked Pastries to start, which included a seasonal scone, an apple turnover with maple butter and a blueberry muffin.

They were warm, sweet smelling and nothing less than delectable. Worth the calories? 100%.  Trying to remain somewhat on the healthy side despite my sugary splurge, I ordered the Spa Omelet – an eggwhite omelet with mushrooms, tomato, and spinach with avocado on the side. Marisa ordered the Chilaquiles, which looked incredible: two eggs, guac, queso, salsa verde pico de gallo, and crushed tortilla chips. So yummy, but next time I am totally getting their lemon ricotta pancakes that I was eyeing at the table next to ours. The envy was real!

Before we left, we took a few photos at the photo booth near the elevator, which was fun and gave us a few laughs. Any place that has a free photo booth gets a big win in my book. Just a bonus to the already insta-worthy space!

If you’re looking for a brunch spot that’s all about ambiance with that total “WOW” factor, The Penthouse is your new go-to. Its ultra-luxe atmosphere with breathtaking views over Santa Monica is incomparable, and takes rooftop dining to another sky-high level. It’s hard not to admit; the view from the top is always the best.

Stumped on what to wear to your next visit to The Penthouse? Don’t forget to check out my outfit details in the “Brunch Attire" Section for a little inspiration! 

The Penthouse at The Huntley Hotel

1111 2nd Street

Santa Monica, CA 90403

(310)-394-5454

Welcome to The Gilded Bellini!

Creating a blog is something that I have really wanted to do for quite some time now. About a year ago, I honed in on what I wanted my focus to be - brunch and cocktails, but it was just a “maybe someday” kind of thing.

It stemmed from my background in public relations. One of the perks of any PR job is finding out about the newest and coolest things first, whether they’re beauty products, nightclubs, restaurants, or the latest trendy cocktail. Brunches happened to be included in that bunch as well. Through living, going to school, and then working in New York City for about five years, I became obsessed with discovering unique weekend brunches – casual, upscale, trendy, local... It is so exciting to me how every place offers a completely different dining experience that you get to share with your group of friends. And who doesn’t love a good excuse to drink a cocktail at 11 am? It became a weekend requirement for me, and was something my friends and I looked forward to after a long, stressful week.

Over time, I became a go-to amongst friends and friends of friends to give my best weekend brunch recommendations. Which restaurants have the craziest brunches? Which have serious cocktails? Which have bottomless mimosas? Which place has the best ambiance? What do I wear to brunch? These were just some of the frequent questions I was asked all the time.

It wasn’t until I moved to California that my blog transformed from just a well-thought out idea to reality. 

With this blog, I hope to take my readers along with me as I unveil unsurpassed brunch spots both visually and through words. I’ll be reviewing my detailed personal experiences in posts, and will have a video to accompany them for a full on preview of the place I went to.

Additionally, I have a section called “Brunch Attire” that culminates the outfits I wore to each brunch for readers to get an idea of the dress code if they're planning on trying out the spot as well.

I have 2 other sections of the blog: one that is dedicated to a few non-brunch related things I've done, and another that's for posts related to future collaborations, or any other random things I want to share.

Lastly, I have a section called “Cocktail Spotlight.” This is a part of my blog that I wanted to make interactive for my audience. No matter if you’re located in LA, New York City, New Jersey, Italy, Croatia…wherever in the world and you discover an amazing cocktail that you feel deserves recognition, I want YOU to tell ME about it! Write your own short post about the details of what makes the cocktail so special, along with its name, a photo of it, and the place where you drank it. Email it to me at thegildedbellini@gmail.com or by using the contact form to get in touch with me, and I’ll feature it on my page. Feel free to also hashtag #thegildedbellini on Instagram for anything brunch or cocktail relating that you want to be seen! :) 

Over the past several months, I’ve spent a ton of time trying to perfect this blog as much as possible, all while having very little experience in website development and video editing to begin with. All I really had in the very beginning was a passion for writing, an eagerness to interact with people both visually and through prose, and a genuine love for having fun at brunch. The videos, the site… is all self-taught, so please forgive me if some video quality might not be the best :) I am totally open to suggestions, thoughts, and comments on the blog and am more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

I am ecstatic to finally have my site go live. It has been a long time coming. And I am even more excited to be able to bring you along for this new project! I can’t wait for your feedback, your submissions, and to be your go-to for the best brunch spots I know you’ll love.