Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
In these neighborhoods, choose from a diverse collection of eateries—from sandwich shops to upscale seafood houses—that cater to the healthy and active lifestyle of locals. But beware of overpriced eateries betting that an ocean view will help you forget about substandard value and quality. Fortunately, they're easy to avoid by sticking to our list here. As for budget eats, there are plenty of cafés, burger shacks, and casual chains that won't raise an eyebrow when you walk in with your sandy flip-flops.
The chicest and buzziest nighttime spot in the neighborhood, Baltaire attracts both well-heeled Brentwood denizens on dressed-up dates and single sippers looking for late-night rendezvous. The meat-heavy menu features giant slabs of porterhouse steaks as well as special A5 Wagyu straight from Japan. Rounding out the treats is a full raw bar, caviar selection, and a one-of-a-kind cocktail program. There's lunch on weekdays only, and live music on Thursday and Friday.
It's a gem tucked within a treasure box: hidden within Citrin, a one-Michelin-star restaurant, is Mélisse, a two-Michelin-star restaurant. Chef-owner Josiah Citrin entrusts chef/partner Ken Takayama to blend his modern French cooking with seasonal California produce at this Santa Monica institution. On any given night, the rotating,18-course tasting menu might feature Santa Barbara uni cromesquis, Kagoshima A5 Wagyu beef or a hojicha macaron. The cheese cart is packed with domestic and European selections, and the dining room is contemporary yet elegant, with well-spaced tables and fine china. The tasting menu can be made vegetarian.
Certainly (and deservedly) on any short list for the best pizzaiolo in Los Angeles, chef Daniele Uditi's secret is his family's 65-plus-year-old sourdough starter, which he transported from Italy and still keeps alive. The sizzling pies here will remind you of Naples, with their crackling crusts and inventive toppings. The restaurant was co-founded by the creators of Sprinkles Cupcakes (no strangers to buzzy food trends) and actor Chris O'Donnell. In addition to the perfect pizzas, the shop offers weekly sandwich specials and a bevy of healthier salad-loving sides. Devotees order Pizzana pizzas online to have shipped to their homes in other states, so keep that in mind as you chow down.
This small and dimly lit, romantic spot in Santa Monica is full of adventurously global options, like Singaporean chili crab cake or black cod with a fermented black bean marinade. The new American cuisine, which is centered on the restaurant's wood-fired oven, also features standouts like braised lamb shank with sweet potato, pomegranate, labneh, zhough (spicy cilantro sauce), and flatbread. Another option for groups of four or more: the restaurant will craft a custom T&R Supper family-style menu with off-menu dishes like wood-fired goat with Moroccan accompaniments or a dry-aged standing rib rack. Book T&R Suppers at least seven days in advance.
Escape busy Santa Monica State Beach to dine at this casual café and bar within the unfussy oceanfront hotel Shutters on the Beach. Head here at sunset for sophisticated, fruity cocktails and fresh seafood, like oysters, Dungeness crab, or a lobster roll, just one block from the Santa Monica Pier.
Distinguished by its vintage neon sign, this gastropub is famous for handcrafted beers and a brilliant signature burger (along with a substantial and excellent menu). Topped with Gruyère and Maytag blue cheeses, arugula, caramelized onions, and applewood-smoked bacon compote, the Office Burger is a guilty pleasure worth waiting in line for, which is usually required. Get a side order of the addictive sweet-potato fries served in a miniature fryer basket with aioli. Don't even think of asking for ketchup—FO enforces a strict no-substitutions policy.
Pasta is served here dalla forma, meaning it's cooked, then dipped into a cheese wheel and stirred up until it's coated with melted cheese before serving. Catering to a higher-end crowd, Forma specializes in cheeses, pastas, and pizzas. It also serves small plates like fresh mozzarella knots, arancini balls, and crispy artichokes prepared Roman style. A generous happy hour from 3 to 6 lets you discover many of the specialties without breaking the bank.
Founded by Santa Monica natives, Huckleberry brings together the best ingredients from local farmers and growers to craft diner-style comfort food with a chic twist. Nearly everything is made on-site, even the hot sauce and almond milk. The light, bright space is perfect for a quick brunch. Choose from savories like huevos rancheros with black bean puree or a Niman Ranch ham and Gruyère sandwich. Breakfast is served all day. Baked goods rotate frequently according to the seasonal whims of the pastry chef; the kouign amann is always a standout. Bonito Coffee Roasters coffee tempts from the extensive drink menu.
Michael’s, a Santa Monica institution, was one of the first to introduce "California cuisine" to a then-skeptical public more than four decades ago. Its rotating menu runs the gamut from 30-day dry-aged Wagyu Bolognese with pappardelle to charred octopus with ibérico chorizo. The expansive space features a stunning plant-lined patio with a retractable roof, which attracts a well-heeled crowd without being stuffy. The happy hour menu is a steal.
As the rooftop dinosaur and Lady Liberty statues suggest, this leprechaun-green roadhouse, tucked into the hillside of Pacific Palisades, is a maximalist ode to the past crammed with memorabilia ranging from British railway signs to cheeky bronze statuettes. An Old World portrait of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in epaulets lords over the proceedings, along with Arnold's throne, which you can request to be seated in. Solid breakfast options include the chilaquiles with a generous topping of sliced avocado or the beyond-immense breakfast burrito. For lunch or dinner, come for the just-right fish and chips or the Pot of Gold burger, and try to resist adding the house-made potato chips and banana cream pie. Waitstaff are brisk and friendly and big band and Great American Songbook tunes keep the atmosphere lively.
A Santa Monica mainstay, the seasonally changing menu at this farm-to-table wine bar and seasonal kitchen consistently upends norms and has even earned a Michelin nod. The homey, minimalist space offers sweeping views of Wilshire Boulevard. On any given night, the menu of California cuisine may include bay scallops with Weiser Farms sunchokes or a heritage bone-in pork chop with apple butter. Everything is made in-house, down to the sea salt. Ask the knowledgeable staff for suggested pairings from the never-ending wine list.
A Southern California favorite that seems like a tourist trap at first blush but decidedly isn't, this Italian seafood haven has been serving up fresh fish since 1939. This freshness comes from its pedigree as the largest seafood distributor in the Southwest. Come for lunch or dinner, but make sure to take time to stroll around the market, read up on the history, and enjoy free tastings of the specials. The simple menu lets the freshness speak for itself, with options including pan-roasted branzino with butternut squash curry, as well as sandwiches (try the gorgeous Maine lobster roll on butter-toasted brioche), soups, plates for kids, and an oyster bar.
Sweet Rose Creamery is the next-best thing you'll find to homemade ice cream—only with a much posher atmosphere in the Brentwood Country Mart. From-scratch offerings feature local farmers' fare and are all-natural. Come for the salted caramel and stay for seasonal specialties like the Santa Teresa lemon buttermilk sherbet. There are even heavenly options for the lactose-intolerant.
Highly regarded sushi chef Katsuya Uechi turns out spicy tuna atop crispy rice, whimsical wonton cones filled with scoops of silky crab and tuna tartare, and larger plates like miso-marinated black cod. Don't neglect the plates from the robata bar, where skewers of meats are grilled over hot coals. Trend-conscious patrons sit in a seductive space designed by Philippe Starck. Glossy lips kiss the room's clientele from one wall, while kohl-rimmed eyes peer out from behind the sushi bar.
