With its family-friendly attractions, superb shopping, and fabulous culinary scene, Santa Monica is one of California’s quintessential beach towns. From fresh seafood spots to beloved bakeries, here are some of the best places to eat in Santa Monica.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Lunch & Shopping: The Misfit Bar & Restaurant
Reservations? Yes; phone only
Try this dish: Crispy chicken sandwich
The Misfit is right on the corner of historic Santa Monica Boulevard and the Third Street Promenade, so it’s the perfect pit stop during any shopping excursion. It serves classic comfort food with California twists, sourcing many ingredients from local farmers’ markets. It also boasts one of the best happy hours in town: pop in from 12 to 7 p.m. any day of the week to sample the bacon-wrapped dates and a wide variety of craft cocktails for half off.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for All-Day Dining: Interstellar
Reservations? Yes; online or phone
Try this dish: Chicken Katsu Curry
Situated between the beach and the Third Street Promenade, Interstellar serves food and drinks with Korean-American flair. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended, especially on weekends, but you can often grab a last-minute table if you’re famished after shopping or a day in the sun. Order a tasty fusion dish (or two) like the Chicken Katsu Curry or Korean Bulgogi Burger.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Family Occasions: Rustic Canyon
Reservations? Yes; online or phone
Try this dish: Anything veggie-focused
Rustic Canyon, a longstanding destination for farm-to-table dining, is an upscale and acclaimed neighborhood restaurant that makes a great choice for family birthday or anniversary celebrations. Though the menu changes frequently, quality and flavor are consistent. Try a few dishes with seasonal produce sourced from the nearby Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. Hear more from former Rustic Canyon pastry chef (and current co-owner and chief creative officer of the Rustic Canyon Family restaurant group) Zoe Nathan on the California Now Podcast.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Sandwiches: Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
Reservations? No; counter service and online orders for pick-up
Try this dish: The Godmother
Bay Cities is an easy walk from the Promenade, and it’s well worth it. This little deli is home to one of Los Angeles’ most iconic sandwiches: the Godmother. Stacked with five different types of Italian meats, cheeses, and peppers on crunchy bread, one order is enough to feed two people. Looking for lighter fare? Bay Cities has plenty of other excellent sandwiches and Italian pantry goods, too.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Drinks by the Beach: Big Dean’s Ocean Front Cafe
Reservations? No; first-come, first-serve seating
Try this dish: Double cheeseburger
Of all the Santa Monica Pier restaurants, Big Dean’s Ocean Front Cafe is the one locals gravitate toward. It’s been in business for more than 100 years for good reason: the prices are right and the over-the-water location can’t be beat. The menu is a mix of bar food and snacks, and the drinks are affordable. Whether you’re wrapping up a day at the pier or kicking off an evening out, a double cheeseburger and crinkle-cut fries will do the trick.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Date Night: Crudo e Nudo
Reservations? Yes; online or phone
Try this dish: Crudo Trio
Crudo e Nudo on bustling Main Street is a charming, intimate bistro that makes for an ideal date-night destination. Order at the counter, then take a seat on the patio where you can enjoy some wine and fresh takes on seafood dishes, like tuna tartare on grilled toast or uni taco bites. The menu changes frequently depending on season and availability, but as the name suggests, crudo is the must-try here. Each dish is uniquely flavored—the menu has everything from fennel pollen to yuzu—and beautifully plated. Order the Crudo Trio to get the chef’s favorites.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Bagels: Layla Bagels
Reservations: No; counter service only
Try this dish: The Pre-Jam
Layla Bagels is a welcome addition to the cozy dining scene on Ocean Park, just a mile up the road from shopping on Main Street. This counter-service spot features hand-rolled sourdough bagel sandwiches with ingredients like pickled onions, aged cheddar, and chili oil. The Pre-Jam is a sweeter option topped with fresh seasonal fruit, cream cheese, and honey.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Classic Italian: Vito
Reservations? Yes; online or phone
Try this dish: Spaghetti Della Casa
Just up the street from Layla, you’ll find Vito: an old-school Italian establishment run by a couple from Naples and staffed with tuxedo-clad waiters. The dining room is open for lunch and dinner daily, and there’s a large patio with heaters for alfresco dining. The seafood salad—topped with scampi, calamari, and crabmeat—is perfect for a lighter lunch, but the pastas are truly memorable here. The Spaghetti Della Casa, with shrimp in creamy tomato flamed with cognac sauce, is a fan favorite.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Sushi: The Brothers Sushi Santa Monica
Reservations? Yes; online or phone
Try this dish: Dry-aged tuna belly
The Brothers Sushi location on Montana Avenue delivers some of the best sushi around in a minimalist setting. They have two omakase options and lots of à la carte dishes, many of which feature dry-aged fish. It might sound a little unusual, but it makes for cleaner flavor and firmer texture—try the tuna belly and you’ll see.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Bar Food: Father’s Office
Reservations? No; first-come, first-served seating. 21+
Try this dish: Office Burger
The original location of the Father’s Office restaurants, this tiny gastropub on Montana Avenue has a robust list of craft beers and some of the best burgers in town. The Office Burger is dry aged and piled with caramelized onions, bacon, arugula, and blue cheese. Note that there are no substitutions to any menu items, and you must be 21+ to enter.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Patio Dining: Art’s Table
Reservations? No; first-come, first-served seating
Try this dish: Greek corn salad
Just down the street from Father’s Office you’ll find Art’s Table, a casual American eatery with spacious outdoor seating on the sidewalk patio, which makes for fun people-watching. The Greek corn salad and the short rib pasta and sandwich are popular choices, but they also have plenty of vegan and gluten-free options.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Brunch: Huckleberry Café
Reservations? No; counter service and online orders for pick-up
Try this dish: Fried egg sandwich
If you’re hankering for brunch between activities in Santa Monica, head to Huckleberry. It’s on Wilshire about a mile from the beach, and though there might be a line for pastries, the dining experience here is comforting and low-key. Get a classic fried egg sandwich (which comes piled with bacon, Gruyère, and lemony arugula) and, of course, a pastry. The cinnamon rolls and the kouign-amann are L.A. celebrities in their own right.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Pizza: Milo & Olive
Reservations? Yes; online or phone
Try this dish: Mixed Mushroom Pizza
Milo & Olive on Wilshire serves up wood-fired oven pizzas in a convivial setting. It’s open daily for lunch and dinner and serves brunch on the weekends. No matter what pizza you order, start your meal with the signature garlic knot, made out of homemade dough wrapped around loads of garlic and baked in the wood-fired oven. If you’re here for brunch, try the Breakfast Pizza, which involves baked eggs, pork belly sausage, and roasted potatoes. For lunch or dinner, go for the Mixed Mushroom Pizza, which is topped with locally sourced mushrooms, lemon zest, and lots of fontina cheese.
Best Santa Monica Restaurant for Light Bites: Goodboybob Coffee
Reservations? No; counter service only
Try this dish: Rolex Chapati
This cool coffee shop is situated between commercial buildings and takes a little effort to find, but it’s worth it. In addition to a full drink menu, you’ll discover Goodboybob has noteworthy food options like toasts on local Gjusta bread and Sugarbloom pastries. Their take on Ethiopian chapati, or breakfast wrap, is especially popular.
Between trying out some of the best restaurants in Santa Monica, make sure to explore some of the other hidden gems in this classic beachside town. There are plenty of sites to see off the beaten path, from an iconic guitar shop to a bustling local arts center. With easy access to the Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica is also a great place to kick off a road trip up the California coast.