We’re walking around in bleak days that it’s easy to succumb to the gray of it all.

Whether you’re suffering from cabin fever or feeling that you’re being spun around in what feels like a hurricane of chaos, you’re not alone. If there’s anything that can be said about these times it’s that you have to find something positive to not only distract you, but to take you away. For me, that escape comes in the form of visiting restaurants. Even if it’s to quickly walk in and grab my food to go or just to sit outdoors for half an hour, it’s the release that I need and the joy that I cling to. That’s what it was like being in Lanea in Santa Monica.

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Dining in Lanea comes with a dual feeling.

Lanea is the kind of restaurant that prior to COVID-19 was a lively and energetic space. It’s the place you go when you want to spend the day at the beach and the evening people watching. During COVID, the pace may have slowed down, but it still feels comforting. The sky blue color throughout the space, the warm blankets across the tables, and the wide windows letting the world pass in and out of the restaurant feels as if you want to linger–and you should.

Taking my own suggestion, I lingered until the cocktail arrived. The Watermelon Sugar High ($9) was a bright red mix of Bacardi Rum, Strega, watermelon juice, and fresh lime. The sweetest cocktail you could order whose sprightly taste made it easy for the day to drift away.

I lingered even longer as the food came to the table. Starting with the Chips & Guacamole ($6) it was nearly impossible to stop eating the gluten free tortilla chips served with a side of guacamole. Once they disappeared the Sopes Taco ($2.60) was the attention getter. A small plate held a gluten free corn tortilla topped with beans, asada, and Mexican cream. Delicious from the start the sopes will be devoured before you realize it’s even gone. Just as easily inhaled were the tacos. Barbacoa Taco ($2.80), Camaron con Mango Taco ($2.80), and Vegetarian Taco ($2) were placed before me and each were as mouthwatering as they looked and smelled. Delightful and bite-sized, the tacos are good to send you off into the evening. Only suggestion – order a lot of them. And if hot sauce is your forte, drizzle the verde or rojo across it for added flavor.

As gray as the days may be, a stop at Lanea can add a little bit of color to them. From the cocktails to the tacos, the drinks and the dishes across the menu are a great departure from everything that’s happening. No it will not eradicate the natural disasters or the pandemic, but every bite will make you forget about what’s going on around you, even if only for a moment.

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Address: 217 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (424) 265-7437
Hours: Monday through Thursday – 12:00pm to 9:00pm, Friday & Saturday – 12:00pm to 11:00pm, and Sunday 11:00 to 1:00am
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