Rihanna Dines Out Alone In California After US Return This Week

23 August 2012, 11:04 | Updated: 23 August 2012, 11:27

The 'You Da One' star is gearing up for an expected appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Rihanna was pictured dining out along on Wednesday evening after arriving back into California this week after her recent travels.

The 'We Found Love' star was accompanied by several security staff while eating at Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica yesterday (22nd August), after landing back into the US on Monday evening fresh from her performance at Tokyo's Summer Sonic Festival last weekend.

Rihanna stepped out in black wedge heels, black harem shorts and a white t-shirt emblazoned with the logo 'Sex Kittens', while wearing her dark hair down and accessorising with several gold rings and bracelets.

Earlier in the day Rihanna had been pictured out at a business meeting in Los Angeles looking calm and relaxed, as she continues to work on preparing her seventh studio album.

Check out a picture of Rihanna out for dinner in Santa Monica in California this week below (Credit: Splash):

Last month the 'Where Have You Been' singer enjoyed a rare break from her hectic music career when she spent several weeks in the Mediterranean taking a cruise around Italy, Turkey and the south of France.

Rihanna wrapped her summer holiday with a brief trip home to Barbados, which was end-capped with an interview with US chatshow host Oprah Winfrey about her life and career, which saw her open up about ex-boyfriend Chris Brown and reveal they are once again "close friends" and that she will always love him.

Rihanna is expected to announce full details about the follow-up to 2011's' Talk That Talk' in the coming months.