90292 Eats: SALT Restaurant
Welcome to our new blog series, 90292 Eats, which explores dining in Marina del Rey. The staff of the Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau is more than happy to try out our local restaurants and point you in the right direction of what to order. Bon Appétit!
SALT
The Marina del Rey Hotel was the first, in 1964, to open on the Marina. Locals and visitors alike were excited for the property’s 2015 unveiling of a top-to-bottom renovation. The gussied-up complex has evolved into a Marina hotspot in several ways – its Sunday Funday summer series at the pool draws faces from around the Southland, and the on-site SALT restaurant has become one of the Marina’s premier waterfront dining options.
The Yums
Avocado hummus
During the day, SALT offers a single brunch-style menu, which has yet to fail at satisfying any group we’ve brought. Regardless of the time, a must-do starter is the slightly spicy avocado hummus. The hummus is good in its own right, but what clinches the dish is the secret bread served alongside. We’ve asked Chef a few times, but he won’t reveal the source – except that we know he discovered it from a vendor at the Los Angeles Farmers Market. It’s not pita, not quite Indian fry bread, not a tortilla, but somewhere in the middle of those three. It’s glorious, and you’ll ask for seconds.
Strawberry-basil rickey
For the main course, standbys are the Cobb salad, burger, fish tacos, and the zucchini ravioli served in a brown butter sauce. But at times when SALT offers a special menu (usually for a holiday dinner or brunch), bring a group of friends and share some of the more creative options. That’s when you’ll find several inventive seafood options and other entrées not often served on Marina del Rey tables.
SALT also plays well for the after-hours crowd. The restaurant’s hours end at 10 p.m., but you get a bonus hour of bar service – two bonus hours on Friday and Saturday! SALT serves up a handful of classic cocktails for when you want to feel classy, but let us steer you toward the craft cocktail list. The strawberry-basil rickey is based on Cointreau with a nice berry muddle, and the signature SALT is a unique margarita featuring grapefruit liqueur and orange bitters – a lady at a neighboring table recommended to swap the grapefruit sugar rim for a chile rim for nice kick.
THE details
Find SALT at the Marina del Rey Hotel
13534 Bali Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292
424-289-8223; marinadelreyhotel.com