On weekends at Terranea, the evening starts at five. The light over the Pacific begins to change, the Terrace fills, and caviar arrives at the table alongside the first pour of Champagne. By the second glass, the week is well behind you.
Caviar Hour runs Friday through Sunday, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Lobby Bar and Terrace, and no reservation is needed. For guests staying at Terranea, it's a short walk from the room and an easy way to begin a weekend evening. For those who live nearby, it's reason enough to take Palos Verdes Drive South on a Friday instead of heading straight home.
The Caviar Hour Service
The centerpiece is Umai Kaluga Caviar by N25, presented in the classic manner with blini, eggs, chives and crème fraîche. The one departure from tradition is a bowl of spiced lardo potato chips. It's a quietly irreverent pairing, and regulars now consider it essential.
For a lighter first course, three Umai caviar bites:
- Puffed potato crisp with crème fraîche and chives
- Charred avocado with harissa aioli
- Coconut tartelette with coconut cream and lime
For the Seasoned and the Curious
Caviar Hour is built for both the devoted and the newly interested.
Those who know caviar well will find the full service exactly as it should be, and a proper bottle of Champagne to go with it. Some return every weekend. Others plan an anniversary or a birthday around it.
Those coming to caviar for the first time are well served by the bites. The potato crisp is the classic pairing, reduced to a single bite. The avocado and the tartelette show how caviar holds up against smoke, heat and citrus. It's an easy way in, and most tables move on to the full service before the first glass is finished.
What to Pour
The Champagne and sparkling list changes with the seasons. It draws on established Champagne houses and California producers with decades of experience in the traditional method. Bottles are offered at 20% off with caviar service.
The still wine list rotates through whites, rosés and reds from Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles and Bordeaux, and it's offered at 25% off the listed bottle price during Caviar Hour.
The Setting
The Lobby Bar and Terrace works in two registers. Outside, the Terrace sits over the water, and the evening unfolds in real time. Inside, the fireside lounge gives the cooler nights somewhere to settle. Live music plays most evenings. Small plates and craft cocktails continue well past eight for the tables that stay, and many do.
Five o'clock brings the full stretch of light on the water. Seven brings the fire.
A Weekend Built Around It
For guests staying the weekend, Caviar Hour gives each evening its rhythm. The afternoon might go to The Spa, a round at The Links or a few hours at the pool. Then comes the walk to the Terrace at five. From there, dinner is a short stroll away:
- Mar'sel, set into the hillside above the water
- Bashi, for sushi and a considered sake list
- Nelson's, on the bluff
However the weekend begins, it tends to end the same way: with a plan to come back for the next one.
Caviar Hour selections and pricing are subject to change.