Andrew Kirschner has done it again! Monkey King and I were on our date night and stopped by Tar and Roses, which was usually a grand slam. However, I felt like oyster with a glass of sauvignon blanc at that particular moment, and was prepared to hike all the way to Ocean Blvd to fulfill that craving. Not so fast! The hostess at Tar and Roses helpfully suggested that we try out their sister restaurant which opened recently. It was right down the street, in the former La Botte space. And boy, were we glad that we listened to her!
Eats: Santa Monica Yacht Club (SMYC)
The ambience was light and airy, with the feel of a modern yacht that offered both indoor and outdoor seating space. We had no reservation, but because it was still early in the evening, we had the choice of the bar or the communal table. We chose the bar. With small plates format and globally influenced flavor, we took advantage of the extensive menu and savored every dish!
The staff were friendly and extremely knowledgeble. Everyone — starting from the host that seated us, the bartender who helped compose our dinner menu, the oyster bar shucker (is that how you call them?), the staff who brought out the dishes, the bus boys — went above and beyond to make sure our dining experience was phenomenal. It wasn’t that they were bending backwards or anything, they were just so cheerful and thoughtful that the care they took just showed throughout.
Today’s Oyster (from Oregon) in Yuzu mignonette: what a wonderful use of yuzu!
Green Papaya and Cabbage Slaw: Vietnamese influenced crunchy and refreshing yum!
Oyster shucking station: watching our chef/shucker work was pretty amazing.
Mussels in Green curry and Thai basil: accompanied by a slice of freshly grilled country bread to sop up all that brothy goodness!
Key Lime S’more: tart and sweet with gooey marshmallow on top. Yes, can we have some more please?
We inhaled the dessert in no time!
Attention to detail: even the check kept the nautical theme!
My verdict: we will definitely come back. Make it your next dine out destination!
Santa Monica Yacht Club (SMYC)
620 Santa Monica Blvd, 90401
Disclosure: none. This post is not sponsored by any financial group.
sugarplumfairyblog 
This is so helpful. I was wondering what was now in La Botte space. And I love Tar and Roses.
Yay! It’s really nicely renovated and the food is super yummy! Oh yeah, and they have a great wine and cocktail selection too. Enjoy!