Bar Pintxo is a hip tapas bar tucked in a long, narrow space on Santa Monica Boulevard, a half-block from Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. Make no mistake - this is a laid-back, casual place, not your typical restaurant. But it's great for grazing if you don't mind the chaos and confusion at prime dining time.

The brainchild of Joe Miller of Joe's Restaurant in Venice, the atmosphere is reminiscent of tapas bars in Barcelona, Spain. There are only 30 seats (all wooden stools without backs) - about 10 at the bar near the front and the rest at six high-top tables at the back of the restaurant.

On a recent Friday night, there was a 45-minute wait, even though we arrived before 6:30 p.m. in hopes of beating the crowd. No reservations are taken; diners are seated at either the bar or tables in waiting-list order. It's cramped, standing room only while waiting, but you can hijack one of the three busy waitresses to get a glass of wine while waiting or take a stroll around the neighborhood to pass the time.

Seats landed at the bar turned out to be some of the best in the house - in front of the cooks and open kitchen, an ideal spot to view the cooking action.

The 17 cold tapas options - each atop a small bread slice (grilled in some instances) - offer a wonderful array of little taste combinations to tease the palate. Even foie gras is available in one concoction. Pick and choose according to personal taste.

Those sampled one night - all keepers - included grilled shrimp with roasted red pepper pieces, tomato yogurt and topped with a little caviar ($6); endive, Roquefort cream, anchovy & walnut ($4), Dungeness crab pieces wrapped with smoked salmon ($6), fennel and a mirepoix of vegetables stuffed inside a roasted, skinned red piquillo pepper ($5); and Russian salad with St. Loup ($3).

Standouts were the Russian salad (a mixture of small peas and chopped potatoes in a mayo mixture on the bread slice and topped with a slice of St. Loup cheese), the vegetable-stuffed red pepper and the endive with Roquefort cream. Keep in mind if you order two of the same, you get a price break ($5 for two instead of $3 each; or $9 for two instead of $5 each).

The platos (larger plates) were the clear menu winners. They were cooked to order and served hot. The spinach ($5) was fabulous - the fresh vegetable sauteed with a little olive oil, a splash of sherry wine vinegar (which made for terrific, intriguing flavor) and sprinkled with lots of golden raisins and pine nuts. A generous wedge of the puffy frittata-like tortilla española ($6), sporting a golden brown top, was light and airy with eggs, chopped potatoes and onions - among the best versions sampled. Don't miss the marvelous large seared shrimp ($6 for three), somewhat blackened and dripping with olive oil, lemon and garlic. The chorizo and chicken paella ($10), a blackboard special, was amazing and full-flavored. Made with short grain rice (Valencia), it arrived piping hot in a mini paella pan. Also worth ordering is the tasty 18-month jamon redondo iglesias (ham) ($9 a plate).

The deep-fried croquetas de pollo y jamon (chicken croquettes, $5) arrived beautifully golden but pasty and not cooked through.

Even though simple and straightforward, desserts are worth a splurge. The crema de chocolate ($5), a chocolate pot de creme, was cool, dense, rich, smooth and creamy and came embellished with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Crema catalana ($5), another good choice, was creamy, light and creme brulee-like with subtle citrusy overtones and a torched brittle golden top.

With the interesting menu selections, this is the place to share tastes, so you can make a dent and dazzle the palate.

Service lacks, but you don't expect much in such a tight, crowded environment. Initially the server, knowledgeable about the menu choices, was gracious (and patient) and spent time answering questions and translating some items. After that, service was spotty (we had to ask for water), a sign of too many diners and too few servers. Diners help themselves to paper napkins from retro dispensers.

Fans of grazing will welcome this informal, casual, energizing establishment - a fun change of pace from other options.

At its best: When you're in the mood for some delicious grazing, snag a seat at the bar before the crowds descend.

Could be better: Service. Also, the amount of wine served by the glass was inconsistent (our glasses seemed to be more chintzy than those of others spotted). Baguettes underneath some of the cold tapas might have been better if lightly toasted or grilled.

Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692

natalie.haughton@dailynews.com

review > BAR PINTXO

>Rating:

>Details: 109 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. Open noon to midnight daily. (310) 458-2012; www.barpintxo.com.

>Cost: Tapas $2 to $6, platos $2 to $10, postres (desserts) $5 to $6.

>Noteworthy: A 30-seat establishment serving 17 choices of cold tapas on small bread (baguette) slices, plus hot plates, Spanish ham and cheeses, wine and beer. No reservations accepted. Same menu served continuously from noon to midnight; go during the lull between lunch and dinner to avoid a wait. One-hour validated parking in lot just east of restaurant. Public parking lot a block away.