The Huntley Hotel Santa Monica hotel: Billowy white curtains, white sofas, and a rectangular fireplace adorn The Penthouse, a pulsating restaurant and lounge that on weekends morphs into a crowded pickup scene for industry insiders and celebrity wannabes — as well as the occasional actual celebrity (Sarah Jessica Parker, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Murray, and Mel Gibson among them). The mirrored, circular bar serves expertly made, pricey cocktails, including a Blackberry Pineapple Sidecar (pressed blackberries, Hennessy, Cointreau, lemon juice, and pineapple juice, $15).
