(Los Angeles, Calif., July 21, 2008) - West Hollywood mecca The Abbey Food and Bar celebrates the
summer season with the addition of executive chef Michael Brown, an updated menu and a fresh new
look to highlight sizzling summer nights at The Abbey.

The Abbey now offers a number of breakfast favorites with a twist including the Upstream Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon rather than the traditional Canadian bacon, and the Chocolate-Cinnamon French Toast served with toasted hazelnut syrup. Chef Brown's love of Mexican food is also apparent in the morning menu, where the most popular new item is the Scrambled Egg Quesadilla, filled with smoky bacon, Monterey jack cheese and fresh avocado.

Chef Brown's personal favorite new item, featured on the lunch and dinner menus, is the Flights of Salsa served with traditional Mexican flatbread rather than the typical tortilla chips. Known for its all-American comfort food, The Abbey has added a touch of sophistication to longtime favorites including Macaroni & Cheese, which now includes crisp pancetta and truffles, and the traditional burger, which is served as a Trio of Mini Burgers, each topped with a different type of cheese. The updated Turkey Burger boasts an Asian finesse with a Thai glaze topped with pineapple and served with yuzu slaw.

The Chicken Pot Pie, a comfort food favorite, has been added to the entrée menu and features fresh garden vegetables and a flaky pastry crust. Items such as the Roasted Flat Iron Steak, with lemon-thyme potatoes, broccolini and red wine sauce, and the Penne Pasta tossed with baby heirloom tomatoes, white wine, spicy Italian sausage and shaved parmesan, add new depth.

To top off a delicious meal, one cannot resist The Abbey's extensive dessert menu with favorites such as
Red Velvet Cake, Apple Caramel Cheesecake, Godiva Chocolate Cake and Berry Cloud Cake.
Mini Wedding Cakes were recently added to the menu in celebration of the legalization of same-sex marriage in California, and are quickly becoming a new favorite. The Abbey now also serves an assortment of gelato and sorbetto from ever-popular Ciao Bella, adding even more variety to the famous dessert bar and satisfying the craving of any sweet tooth.

A visit to The Abbey is never complete without one of the famous martinis, mojitos and lemonades. In
addition to being known for some of the most generous specialty cocktails in Los Angeles, The Abbey
also features a varied list of wines and champagnes, and premium bottle service. In addition to the
extensive bar menu, The Abbey has introduced bottle service through a personalized experience with a
new tableside mixology program. The Abbey's staff were trained by the mixology experts at sbe's Area
nightclub and will create customized signature cocktails tableside each night in the bar's newly
designed interior lounge.

The redesigned décor highlights the hot summer scene at The Abbey with rich red, brown and teal tones accented with textured leather and patterned fabrics. The back cabanas, a favorite spot for Abbey regulars, have been converted into inset banquettes with new tables decorated with custom stenciled quatrefoil designs, pewter sunburst mirrors and intricate woven birdcage chandeliers. The already vibrant main bar and VIP area now feature all new furniture and Venetian mirrors and sconces hung from gold and red silk-draped walls, adding to The Abbey's Gothic vibe. Beautiful gold stenciling along the room's wood accents adds another layer of sophistication to the space and updated patio furniture and accents freshen up The Abbey's overall environment.

For more information on The Abbey Food and Bar or to view photos of the redesign and the new menu,
please visit www.abbeyfoodandbar.com.

ABOUT THE ABBEY
Having started as a 1,100-square-foot start-up coffeehouse in 1991, The Abbey has since become a veritable West Hollywood icon known throughout the world for its welcoming, lively ambiance. It has grown organically through five expansions into its current 16,000-square-foot space, offering indoor and outdoor space and a variety of seating and dining areas for drinks and meals throughout the day and socializing. Voted "Best Bar of Los Angeles" and "Best Gay Bar" in both Zagat Guide and AOL CityGuide since 2005, sbe will be expanding the popular Abbey concept to select destinations nationwide in coming years. Through a groundbreaking partnership with Suretone Records in 2008, executive producer Manny Lehman has created The Abbey Compilation, Vol.1, the first in a series of sbe CD's that embody the vibe of the brand's most popular hotspots through fresh remixes of today's favorite songs.

ABOUT SBE
Founded in 2002, the Los Angeles-based sbe brings exquisite balance to the worlds of hospitality, real estate development and independent film production. As a privately held company founded and helmed by CEO Sam Nazarian, sbe acquires, develops and manages exceptional projects through its divisions - Hotels, Restaurant and Nightlife, Real Estate, Bolthouse Productions and Element Films. With a mission to redefine standards of excellence and innovation, sbe has harnessed the creativity and innovation of the best minds in the business, including design visionary Philippe Starck, with whom the company has an exclusive agreement for the creation of hotels, restaurants and lounges in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean and Mexico. sbe's Restaurant and Nightlife division constantly stays ahead of the curve, creating and expanding trend-setting restaurant and nightlife concepts, which currently include Katsuya, Foxtail, The Abbey, Hyde Lounge, S Bar and Area. As the cornerstone of its synergistic approach, sbe has also completely rethought and re-imagined the luxury hotel experience. sbe will debut its first luxury hotel brand, SLS Hotels, with the Fall 2008 opening of SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills featuring a Starck design and an innovative culinary program by chef José Andrés. Also in the sbe Hotel collection are Miami's Ritz Plaza hotel, to debut in late 2009, and Las Vegas' Sahara Hotel & Casino, which will undergo a complete redevelopment for completion in early 2011.

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