At Regent Hotels & Resorts, dining has long been considered a craft, with Michelin-starred masters and rising stars pushing the boundaries of bold gastronomic experiences across the portfolio.
Hosting culinary residencies with some of the world’s most innovative talent, Regent Bali Canggu’s ongoing Michelin Master Series features bespoke menus spanning Japanese, French, modern British cuisine and more. Innovation continues with Regent Taste Studio, where exceptional cuisine is paired with art, music and live performance for one-off events, most recently in Vietnam.
On the shores of the Pacific at Regent Santa Monica Beach, dining sings an ode to seasonal Californian produce. Ingredients are grown in the Californian sunshine or sourced from the Santa Monica Farmers Market, where the region’s growers bring together the season’s bounty.
At Orla, the hotel’s signature restaurant, award-winning chef and restaurateur Michael Mina uses this local produce to channel the inventiveness of the Mediterranean and the aromatic spices of North Africa. Drawing on his Egyptian heritage and West Coast ingredients, Mina has created a restaurant that stands as a destination in its own right.
Gastronomy grown on sunshine
At Orla, Mama Mina’s Baked Macaroni puts a spin on the traditional dish.
Courtesy of Regent Hotels & Resorts
For Mina, opening a restaurant in Santa Monica was a homecoming. Born in Cairo on the banks of the Nile, he embarked on his culinary career fresh out of school, with an early stint as a pastry chef in Los Angeles.
Decades later, after launching acclaimed restaurants across the globe, from Honolulu to Riyadh, Mina has returned to where it all began, opening Orla at Regent Santa Monica Beach. Inspired by the flavors of his childhood and set against a spectacular beachfront backdrop in the very neighborhood where he once lived, the restaurant takes diners on an epicurean expedition.
Creative flourishes from Mina and executive chef Fernando Darin reimagine traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Dishes such as grilled halloumi with pear, falafel topped with tuna crudo, and Wagyu short rib served alongside Egypt’s national dish, koshary, allow the ingredients to shine. Beach Club Brunch and starlit supper clubs add a sense of celebration to weekend gatherings.
Fresh produce stars in the cocktails at Orla.
Courtesy of Regent Hotels & Resorts
For aperitifs, cocktails, and nightcaps that set the scene for late-night conversations, Orla Bar serves enticing small plates alongside an imaginative drinks menu. Cocktails draw inspiration from Greek and Egyptian mythology, while an extensive wine collection of more than 800 bottles offers a sip for every occasion.
Poolside sips and private dining
Every moment in California feels cinematic. With the sun hanging above the Pacific, a soundtrack of rolling waves sets the pace for long lunches and unhurried dinners, while effortless coastal style and attentive tableside service fill every get-together with joy.
Orla’s understated interiors allow the ever-changing light to shine. Floor-to-ceiling windows cast sunbeams across a kaleidoscopic mosaic floor, featuring a striking octopus handcrafted by Italian artisans from 300,000 ceramic tiles. Milled brass accents complement the curved pale-stone bar, casting a warm golden glow throughout.
Special occasions bring parties together in the Octo Private Dining Room, an intimate hideaway tucked behind the Azure Pool, where evenings begin with the clink of glasses and gentle conversation. A chef-led dining experience follows in surroundings inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, complete with driftwood sculptures, rich emerald and cobalt tones, and an epic sense of escapism.
A love letter to local ingredients
For a sweet fix, Ayesha Curry’s Sweet July Café opens daily. Following the success of her beloved Bay Area concept, the café brings a Caribbean-inspired, wellness-minded menu to Regent Santa Monica Beach, serving smoothies, salads, and snacks, alongside refreshing drinks and indulgent pastries, with options for all dietary requirements. Guests can grab something to go or settle in for a leisurely pause between beach walks and city adventures.
Many of the café’s ingredients are sourced directly from the Santa Monica Farmers Market. To dig deeper into the region’s culinary culture, guests can enjoy expert-led or self-guided tours of the market, meeting local producers such as Garcia Organic Farm, AntipastiLA, and Wild Local Seafood Co., and discovering seasonal ingredients at one of the area’s great foodie destinations.
From the first bite to the last, this is gastronomy grown in sunshine, plucked when it’s ripe and ready: fresh, colorful, and unmistakably Californian. The experience comes full circle when carefully selected market finds inspire farm-to-fork dishes later enjoyed back at the resort.
Follow the flavor across the globe
A dish in Regent Bali Canggu’s Michelin Master Series by chef Louis Tam of the one-Michelin-star restaurant Chowa
Courtesy of Regent Hotels & Resorts
At Regent, exceptional dining matters at every destination, where good food takes center stage, conversation flows naturally, and every moment is designed to taste a little sweeter. Regent Bali Canggu’s Michelin Master Series has welcomed chefs such as Takeshi Araki, formerly of Singapore’s Esora, and Lucas Garigliano of TRB Hutong in Beijing for intimate dining experiences. This summer, Daniel Birk of Row on 45 in Dubai will present an ingredient-led tasting menu celebrating contemporary British cuisine.
Pastry chef Andy Yeung’s astonishingly inventive dessert program at Regent Hong Kong produces creations almost too beautiful to eat. His celebrated Signature Honey Cake has become a hotel guest favorite, and a chocolate replica of the iconic Goddess Trophy was displayed at Qura Bar to commemorate the city’s 44th film awards earlier this year.
Regent Taste Studio unites world-renowned culinary talent with visionary artists, musicians, and cultural creatives for unforgettable multisensory experiences. Most recently, A Spectrum of Contrasts at Regent Phu Quoc in Vietnam transformed the hotel into a living canvas where guests moved through a celebration of artistry in all its forms, paired with a series of imaginative dishes.
Across the globe, savor a world of flavor with Regent. From California’s Pacific coast and Hong Kong’s glittering skyline to the tropical shores of Bali and Vietnam, every destination has a story to tell. Pull up a chair, sit a little longer at the table, and meet the world through its most universal language: exceptional food.
