Santa Monica, California - Brunch at the Penthouse at The Huntley Hotel

Pass the fish-lined lobby wall to reach the glass elevator, and watch all of Santa Monica Beach unfold before you, as you ascend 18 floors to The Penthouse at the Huntley Hotel, one of Santa Monica's chicest Sunday brunch spots.

The all-white interior with dark stained wood floors, beautiful in its own right, is a mere backdrop to the 360 degree views of Santa Monica, Malibu and the Hollywood hills.

Its hard to imagine a better sunny day spot than this ...

The menu offers everything from pastries, eggs, omeletes, pancakes and french toast to sinful baked macaroni & cheese, sandwiches, salads and burgers. The hardest decision of the morning was choosing only one thing on the menu. This is what we landed on:

Bacon Waffle Batter,
Topped With Two Eggs Any Style,
Maple Syrup (bacon is added to the waffle batter before cooking!)

Smoked Salmon Flatbread: Scrambled Eggs, Potatoes, Chive, Crème Fraîche & Capers
The service was impeccable, and I can imagine that this place really heats up for cocktails in the evening once the sun goes down, the music gets louder, and the beautiful people come out ...