Maré, the year-old outdoor seafood restaurant on Melrose Avenue, takes inspiration from “a European city by the coast,” chef Eric Greenspan states on its website. 

So perhaps it's fitting that the restaurant's second location, slated to open next week, is located just blocks from the Pacific Coast, on a stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica. And unlike the original Maré, you won't have to traipse through Greenspan's grilled cheese shop in order to find it. 

Midcourse Hospitality Group, which includes Greenspan and partners Jim Hustead and James Moon, described the new place in its press materials as a coastal European restaurant — the kind of whimsical, light and airy dining hall you might find off the coast of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. The space, designed by Hustead (who also oversaw the design of the original garden party–like Maré on Melrose), features plenty of natural stone and white oak. Candles, pottery and linen curtains add to the hip, meditative beach vibe.

Shrimp in a broth of vadouvan curry and green apple; Credit: Photo: Anne Fishbein

Shrimp in a broth of vadouvan curry and green apple; Credit: Photo: Anne Fishbein

While much of the simple, fish-focused menu will remain the same, the Santa Monica outpost will expand on its wine and cocktails list and serve lunch in addition to dinner. That means you can stop by midafternoon for Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as egg shakshuka (orange puttanesca, tomato, baby carrot, crispy bread and crème fraîche), charred and raw chopped salad (endive, romaine, currant, pine nut, pickled onion, red pepper, crispy garlic, garbanzo) and a radish roasted and shaved sandwich (braised radish greens, Échiré butter and smoked Maldon salt, served open-faced). 

New additions to the dinner menu — known for staples such as shellfish, skirt steak and a whole branzino — include crispy octopus (lemon mostarda, chili, leeks, fennel), potato gnocchi (mushroom daube, kale, orange puttanesca, olives) and Moorish chicken (chickpea pancake, warm kale salad, dates, lemon and pistachio). 

Greenspan and his team hope to open Maré on the Westside for dinner by the middle of next week, and for dinner and lunch service in the weeks to follow. 

Maré, 502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica; marerestaurant.com .

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