Orla contains multitudes. This beachside Middle Eastern spot inside the Regent Santa Monica hotel is, well, a hotel restaurant, smack-dab in the middle of the lobby. It's also a flashy dinner destination with caviar flatbreads and 24k gold baklava sundaes, and a pleasant, not-too-loud place to snack on mezze near the ocean. That last element is the main reason we'd send you here, however, as the best items at Orla tend to be simpler, more traditional dishes like greek salad capped with a block of squeaky feta and glammed-up hummus with pomegranate seeds and crushed pistachios. The grilled entrees are great to split with a group, including lamb chops you swirl into herby fava bean dip and a crispy branzino with a slick of chimichurri. Given that you’re at a five-star hotel, Orla can get pricey, so it’s best to maximize your meal by requesting an oceanview table on the outdoor patio. It’s far better than eating roast chickens in the quiet, glaringly bright hotel lobby with close-ups of the elevators.