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The Albright

Fun Family Date

By Courtney Lewis February 25, 2015

The Albright, on the Santa Monica Pier is a fabulous fun spot for family dining. We were invited to come try out the relatively new (they just celebrated their one-year anniversary) spot, and love everything about it. 

The restaurant has a clean, cool California vibe; it is relaxed, but chic. We went on a rainy evening so we sat inside but they have an amazing outdoor eating area with hanging lights and a fabulous view of the ocean and the Santa Monica Pier.  They have large tables with bench seats which I think makes it an ideal set up for going with another family or two. Everyone can sit together and move around easily as needed. 

When you walk into the Albright you are greeted by a huge tank of lobsters and crabs - that alone kept our kids occupied for a good 20 minutes. The Albright specializes in fresh locally sourced seafood and modernizing the classic seafood restaurant items to make them their own...and so delicious. Every dish we had was outstanding and we would order again.  Vince, the manger who we wanted to talk to all night, hooked us up with a great selection of menu options. We got to try the New England Clam Chowder, The Calamari, Oyster Shooters, The Chopped Salad, The Seared Salmon and, of course, a Lobster.
The kids ate lots of the food above but also got Fish and Chips and a Cheese Quesadilla. All the food was cooked and seasoned to perfection. The lobster and oysters melted in your mouth but my favorite, along with my 7 year old was the seared salmon with brown rice, tomatoes, runner beans and arugula pasta. We definitely broke the calorie record for the night (totally worth it) but there are lots of ways to be healthy here. 

Besides the perfect food we really enjoyed the drinks too. I had both the white and red sangria (you know, for the sake of reporting) and my husband tried a few of their craft beers. He was really impressed with the selection and the recommendations the servers had. We had a fabulous family date night. The kids loved their food, and the staff was so nice to them, talking with them and letting them pick out lobsters and crabs. The Albright is that rare find of a cool family-friendly restaurant where everyone is happy. We can’t wait to go back. For more information check out their website at http://thealbright.com

Full disclosure- We were treated to dinner at The Albright in order to write the review but all opinions are our own.