This past week, my friend Brooke invited me to dinner for my birthday at Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, CA. Terranea is a destination that sits right on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The resort evokes the feeling of being somewhere else (such as Hawaii) and not just twenty minutes from the bustling LA streets.  As a native South Bay/Palos Verdes resident, Brooke has been frequenting the resort for dinners and drinks and kept telling me I had to check it out. As it turned out, it worked perfectly for last week and I think now it’s going to be on my frequent destination list!

The entrance to Terranea: as you walk in you feel as if you’ve been transplanted to Hawaii, yet this is a local Southern California resort.

The main lobby has a tropical, beachy vibe.

Straight through the main lobby are doors that lead to a terrace with a dramatic back drop of the Pacific Ocean (and in the distance, Catalina Island). Unfortunately, we have been experiencing a bit of our typical “June Gloom” weather but even so, the views were amazing and I am looking forward to returning on a warm summer evening.

The outdoor terrace (which overlooks the view above) and it’s outdoor fireplace, Spanish tile floors, and oversize potted plants.

We had dinner at Catalina Kitchen (it was SO good!) AND if you go on your birthday, they offer a complimentary surf & turf dinner (can’t pass that up!).

The interior side of the restaurant at Catalina Kitchen.

We dined outside under the outdoor heaters, with this view from our table.

This picture is a little blurry but I loved these hanging lanterns, a blended mix of colors which looked so pretty as they glowed when it got dark.

View of the cliffside resort with the lower pool and pool bar overlooking the beach (above photo by Brooke).

And if you come and stay for a weekend – there are more than a few pools to lounge by!