Here’s my secret for finding the new restaurant eats: I subscribe to Eater and Infatuation and I regularly receive emails of openings and reviews. However, and no offense to my fellow foodies, but I have a different standard, and I don’t always agree with their recos. On the Xuntos front, I’m 100% “aligned” which by the way is ad agency/marketing speak, now that I’m professionally back in that sphere.

Xuntos is located in Downtown Santa Monica which, in my teens and 20s, was one of my favorite hangouts. Now part of the area has been surrendered to and relegated to the homeless encampments while the oceanside still caters to the elite. Walking to Xuntos with my Lady Dior from the public parking garage on 4th made me reevaluate my luxury bag choice for the night. However, upon arriving at the restaurant, I was very pleasantly surprised at the upscale environment.

My husband was already seated as I dropped him off to locate parking.

When I arrived, my husband’s wine choice for me was promptly served. It was their driest white wine offering which had a bit of zest and grapefruit tartness.

The complimentary olive starter served with the drinks had a bit of kick with a peppercini flavor.

We started off with the ham and grilled cheese sandwich. The “bikini jamon” was phenomenal! Cheesy, gooey, slightly sweet, with shaved sweet slices of jamon in the center. We ended up ordering two because it was that good!

Next up was the gazpacho which was delicious, refreshing, creamy, tart, a bit sour with hints of the freshness of cucumber, truly unique and perfect for a hot summer day.

Our first main dish was the garlic shrimp which was beautifully presented, steaming hot with sliced baguette on the side. The shrimp had a bit of heat and the oil from the pan served as a nice dipping sauce for the bread. The shrimp was small but plump and tender.

Next up was the squid ink pasta which was creamy, tart from the lemon juice and tomato purée.

The patatas bravas were served piping hot, crispy with a drizzle of sour cream, chives and tomato purée.

The finale was the steak which was lightly salted, tender and juicy, with a bit of chimichurri herbs, caper sauce and rock salt on top.

All the menu items from start to finish were exceptional. It’s been a while since all the notes, from the service to the quality of the food, hit all the right marks. As my childhood piano teacher would say after an excellent performance, three gold stars to Xuntos!