Santa Monica’s Newest Neighborhood Bar Takes Strong Cues From New York City

Santa Monica’s unfussy new bar Gramercy opened last week, and the neighborhood joint comes from Travis Clemens Santos and Troy Donnell, who are also co-owners at West Hollywood’s The Belmont, Bruhaus, and The West End club in Santa Monica. Gramercy takes a lot of inspiration from New York City, from the food and drinks to the overall vibe.

It serves comforting breakfast and lunch dishes every day, though they’ve mixed in some healthier options since this is the Westside. Think mac and cheese carbonara, Maine lobster roll, and chicken wings pizzaiola to represent the east. Gramercy then leans towards healthy with farro salad, poke, or build-your-own flatbread.

It’s easy to figure out what they’re going for with cocktail names like Brooklyn, Soho, Upper East, Battery Park, and Chelsea. But the beachy additions of frosé and a frozen Moscow mule remind people that this is still Santa Monica. Local craft brews grace the tap, along with a simple wine list.

Gramercy is Santos and Donnell’s first venture as dual partners. Both grew up on the East Coast and wanted open a neighborhood tavern. Gramercy isn’t a dark bar though, as they installed six new windows that bring in more light.

If the space seems familiar, that’s because Adam Fleishman’s Tacoteca was the former tenant after The Charleston’s short stint. The revamp took two months, and the partners enlisted Ink & Wood Design + Build to fabricate custom wood, wrought iron, and leather.

Santos and Donnel also hired LA artist Jonas Never to paint a mural of the late Anthony Bourdain on Gramercy’s exterior. Hours are Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m., with brunch and lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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