Tar & Roses Closed for Service in Santa Monica Following Weekend Oven Fire

Santa Monica mainstay Tar & Roses may be out of operation for a little while, as a weekend fire forced the popular corner location to unexpectedly close. Thankfully no one was hurt in the small blaze, which the Santa Monica Daily Press says was caused by heat from the restaurant’s wood-fired oven.

The fire reportedly broke out in the ceiling of the restaurant before dinner service on Friday afternoon, which is pretty scary considering the multi-story structure — apparently the flue for the oven actually runs straight up through some offices on the second floor. Thankfully, the flames were quickly extinguished, with a restaurant rep telling the Daily Press that not only were there no injuries, the damage done is also pretty minimal.

Signage at Tar & Roses apologized for any inconvenience to diners displaced by the fire, but could not offer a timetable for the restaurant’s return as chef/owner Andrew Kirschner and his team work to fix the damage done.

As an alternative, the paper sign at Tar & Roses does give guests the suggestion to eat at nearby Santa Monica Yacht Club instead, which is owned by the same restaurant team. It’s certainly not a bad option to consider — Santa Monica Yacht Club is beautiful inside, and is currently one of the hottest restaurants in town.