The Pier House - Venice

Excellent all around! I will return soon. The flavors were fresh and unexpected in the best possible way.

Bait switch online menu looks great, but none of those items are available when you get there. New management.

We're not fans of the recent renovations but others might be. They've made it a little more upscale replacing wooden stools with padded seats and wooden tables with marbleized tops. On the plus side I like that they kept the raw bar and added some tapas that look interesting. Also on the plus side opening up the full length wall between inside and the patio is a plus. But on the minus side: 1. it's a little too fancy including the uniformed wait staff for the Venice beach vibe. leave Santa Monica in Santa Monica, 2. switching out the high tops for low tables under the tent was criminal, and 3. not enough bartenders (one on Sat afternoon) for all the seating you have now.

It was a very good experience at the Pier House. The service was supurb and the food was very good. My only advice is don't order the crab claws as they were expensive and so tiny, we sent them back. Despite that one issue, we will go back for more.

Great brunch with a lot of variety. Excellent and friendly service.