A Place for the Worldly

Hieroglyphics adorn the walls and ceilings, accented with neon lights. Primitive animals are painted on the restaurant’s Mediterranean facade. On the patio, computer junkies surf the Internet under a wooden Mexican umbrella as patrons sip drinks in a bar that with its darkness, abundance of mirrors and quirky pictures is best described as Alice in Wonderland meets the Phantom of the Opera.

In a town where trends are outlived as quickly as they are born, the World Cafe has created a timeless image that lends itself to the past, present and future. Located on the chic boutique and cafe-lined strip of Main Street in Santa Monica, the restaurant attracts shoppers by day and jet-setters by night and combines the hip of Los Angeles with the endless opportunities of the world.

When David Teck opened the establishment six years ago, he set out to create an atmosphere that was artistic, yet functional. He wanted a menu that was foreign flavored, but of no place in particular, and he wanted an ambience that felt familiar but not specific to one place.

“The world was the concept, which made it kind of easy,” said Teck about the outcome of his restaurant.

And the concept has worked. Each of the cafe’s three rooms has a distinct image. On the patio, patrons enjoy al fresco dining while bar rats gather in the adjoining garden where they sit on wooden benches or on the grass amid plants and flowers lit by white Christmas lights.

In the main dining room, diners join Captain Nemo under the sea. The underwater atmosphere features a painted wave that travels the ceiling, an abstract sea mural and cracked mirror that hangs at an angle to reflect the room.

The jungle patio is the newest creation. Adjacent to the bar area, where patrons groove to the dance music, interactive socializing has gripped the room. Six computers around a circular console connect the cafe to the world. The kiosk under the umbrella is arranged to be close and informal, making it easy to look over at a neighbor’s screen and start up a conversation.

On weekends the cafe features live rhythm and blues and jazz piano courtesy of Ray Johnson with Teck on the conga drums. On a recent Friday night, Arthur Bergran stopped by and joined the band for a blues jam session that caused a couple of waves in the dining room.

The crowd that flocks to this cafe is, simply put, worldly. They sample the spinach pancakes with caviar and sour cream and are intrigued with the exotic drinks, such as the World Cafe Hula, the restaurant’s version of a mai tai.

Tony Greblo frequents the bar on most weekends and says he continues to come back, because it’s not like most bars. “The crowd that comes here is much more upscale than the typical bar crowd,” Greblo, of Hermosa Beach, said. “There are a lot of Hollywood parties and different faces each week. It’s different.”

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What: The World Cafe, 2820 Main St., Santa Monica. (310 392-1661. www.worldcafela.com.

When: Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight; Friday, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-midnight.

Cost: Cosmopolitan (vodka, fresh lime juice, cranberry juice), $5; the World Cafe Hula (rum with pineapple, cranberry and lime juices), $5; spinach pancakes, $7.