Ocean Park's low-slung restaurant row: pressed duck, raw bars, omusubi and a speakeasy under a Victorian.
Pasjoli on Main Street is Santa Monica's French bistro benchmark, lately loosened up with a bigger bar menu and its famous tableside pressed duck restored.
Order: Tableside canard a la presse, or the cordon bleu chicken wings at the bar
Tip: The pressed duck is a 350 dollar whole-bird production for the table; order it when you book, not on arrival.
Seline is Dave Beran's Michelin-starred tasting room on Main Street in Santa Monica, a cerebral 295 dollar procession from the Californian landscape.
Order: The seasonal tasting menu; courses change constantly
Tip: Plan around two and a half hours for the full menu; reservations open by the month and the counter seats sell first.
Cobi's cooks Southeast Asian food in a florid Main Street bungalow in Santa Monica, a Bib Gourmand room of curries, dumplings and wood-grilled plates.
Order: Pork dumplings, nasi goreng and a wok-tossed curry
Tip: The Michelin Bib Gourmand crowd books ahead on Resy; the weekend brunch sitting is the calmer way to get a table.
Crudo e Nudo runs a chalkboard of daily raw fish on Main Street in Santa Monica, chef Brian Bornemann dry-aging ikejime catch from Baja up to Monterey.
Order: Daily crudo flight and the tuna tartare with seeded loaves
Tip: Wine director Simona Topuzovska pours biodynamic small growers; the daily happy hour 15:00-17:00 is the value window.
Chinois on Main is Wolfgang Puck's 1983 Santa Monica original, still folding Chinese tradition and French technique into California produce on Main Street.
Order: The whole sizzling catfish and the Chinois chicken salad
Tip: Executive chefs Junuen Saldana and Ramiro Saucedo keep the classics on; book OpenTable or phone the room.
Pasjoli on Main Street is Santa Monica's French bistro benchmark, lately loosened up with a bigger bar menu and its famous tableside pressed duck restored.
Order: Tableside canard a la presse, or the cordon bleu chicken wings at the bar
Tip: The pressed duck is a 350 dollar whole-bird production for the table; order it when you book, not on arrival.
Seline is Dave Beran's Michelin-starred tasting room on Main Street in Santa Monica, a cerebral 295 dollar procession from the Californian landscape.
Order: The seasonal tasting menu; courses change constantly
Tip: Plan around two and a half hours for the full menu; reservations open by the month and the counter seats sell first.
Chinois on Main is Wolfgang Puck's 1983 Santa Monica original, still folding Chinese tradition and French technique into California produce on Main Street.
Order: The whole sizzling catfish and the Chinois chicken salad
Tip: Executive chefs Junuen Saldana and Ramiro Saucedo keep the classics on; book OpenTable or phone the room.
Heavy Handed smashes short-rib-blend patties on Main Street in Santa Monica, beef tallow fries and Straus soft serve from a pandemic pop-up made good.
Order: Double smashburger with beef tallow fries
Tip: Double smash with American cheese, fries in tallow, soft serve after; the line moves faster than it looks.
Sunny Blue wraps made-to-order omusubi on Main Street in Santa Monica, miso beef and curry rice balls pressed warm behind a six-seat counter.
Order: Miso beef omusubi, plus a spicy salmon to go
Tip: Miso mushroom is vegetarian and gluten-free; get one spicy salmon for the walk down to the beach.
Alfalfa packs farmstand plates and breakfast burritos into a friends-founded counter on Main Street in Santa Monica, salads and smoothies with real intent.
Order: Ancho Potato breakfast burrito or a farmstand plate
Tip: The Ancho Potato breakfast burrito is the local order; it travels well for the four blocks to the sand.
The Galley has kept its portholes and rope nets on Main Street since 1934 as Santa Monica's oldest restaurant and bar, steaks, littlenecks and stiff drinks.
Order: East Coast littleneck clams, then the filet
Tip: Sit at the South Seas Bar under the year-round fairy lights; the East Coast littleneck clams are the classic starter.
Library Alehouse has poured independent craft beer on Main Street in Santa Monica since 1995, California gastropub plates and a wood-lined back patio.
Order: Rotating California taps with the house burger
Tip: The back patio hides from the Main Street noise; pair the Mayberry IPA with whatever burger special is running.
Cobi's cooks Southeast Asian food in a florid Main Street bungalow in Santa Monica, a Bib Gourmand room of curries, dumplings and wood-grilled plates.
Order: Pork dumplings, nasi goreng and a wok-tossed curry
Tip: The Michelin Bib Gourmand crowd books ahead on Resy; the weekend brunch sitting is the calmer way to get a table.
Dogtown Coffee brews organic micro-roasted coffee in the old Zephyr surf shop on Main Street in Santa Monica, breakfast burritos for the dawn patrol.
Signature drink: Cold brew
Tip: The building birthed the Z-Boys skate team; get the breakfast burrito before the surf crowd clears the batch.
Dogtown Coffee brews organic micro-roasted coffee in the old Zephyr surf shop on Main Street in Santa Monica, breakfast burritos for the dawn patrol.
Tip: The building birthed the Z-Boys skate team; get the breakfast burrito before the surf crowd clears the batch.
Sources from: Organic lots, locally micro-roasted
How they serve: Espresso, Cold brew, Whole bean retail
Crudo e Nudo runs a chalkboard of daily raw fish on Main Street in Santa Monica, chef Brian Bornemann dry-aging ikejime catch from Baja up to Monterey.
Signature pour: Chilled biodynamic white with the crudo flight
Wine focus: Biodynamic small producers for raw fish
Food: Daily crudo and sustainable seafood
Tip: Wine director Simona Topuzovska pours biodynamic small growers; the daily happy hour 15:00-17:00 is the value window.
The Galley has kept its portholes and rope nets on Main Street since 1934 as Santa Monica's oldest restaurant and bar, steaks, littlenecks and stiff drinks.
Signature drink: Mai tai under the fairy lights
Food: Bar menu
Tip: Sit at the South Seas Bar under the year-round fairy lights; the East Coast littleneck clams are the classic starter.
Basement Tavern hides under the 1890s Victorian on Main Street in Santa Monica, a candlelit whiskey bar with live bands packed in most nights.
Signature drink: Old fashioned
Food: Bar menu
Tip: Enter down the side stairs of the Victorian; it gets shoulder-to-shoulder after 21:00 when the band starts.
Not No Bar plays throwback Euro disco over wood-fired pizza on Main Street in Santa Monica, bar director Kent Thompson's cocktails until 01:00.
Signature drink: Soy Del Rancho
Food: Bar menu
Tip: Friday and Saturday are fully walk-in; the patio never takes bookings and the room goes 21-plus after 22:00.
Library Alehouse has poured independent craft beer on Main Street in Santa Monica since 1995, California gastropub plates and a wood-lined back patio.
Signature drink: Black Manhattan or a Mayberry IPA
Food: Bar menu
Tip: The back patio hides from the Main Street noise; pair the Mayberry IPA with whatever burger special is running.
Sunny Blue wraps made-to-order omusubi on Main Street in Santa Monica, miso beef and curry rice balls pressed warm behind a six-seat counter.
Try: Made-to-order omusubi
Tip: Miso mushroom is vegetarian and gluten-free; get one spicy salmon for the walk down to the beach.
Heavy Handed smashes short-rib-blend patties on Main Street in Santa Monica, beef tallow fries and Straus soft serve from a pandemic pop-up made good.
Try: Short-rib smashburger
Tip: Double smash with American cheese, fries in tallow, soft serve after; the line moves faster than it looks.
Library Alehouse has poured independent craft beer on Main Street in Santa Monica since 1995, California gastropub plates and a wood-lined back patio.
Tip: The back patio hides from the Main Street noise; pair the Mayberry IPA with whatever burger special is running.
The Main Street Farmers Market turns the Victorian's block in Santa Monica into a Sunday ritual, 40 farms plus prepared food, music and kids' rides.
Tip: This is the one with breakfast: come hungry, graze the prepared-food stalls and let the kids at the activity corner.
Summer SOULstice closes Santa Monica's Main Street each June for a free festival of local food, beer gardens and two live-music stages by the beach.
Tip: The 2026 edition ran June 20 with Santa Monica Brew Works pouring; arrive before noon to park anywhere useful.
The Main Street Block Party shuts Santa Monica's Main Street each October for hundreds of vendors, a beer and wine garden and the Day of the Dog.
Tip: It pairs with Day of the Dog, so expect half the crowd on four legs; the beer garden wristband line moves fastest early.
Sunny Blue wraps made-to-order omusubi on Main Street in Santa Monica, miso beef and curry rice balls pressed warm behind a six-seat counter.
Try: Omusubi
Tip: Miso mushroom is vegetarian and gluten-free; get one spicy salmon for the walk down to the beach.
Dogtown Coffee brews organic micro-roasted coffee in the old Zephyr surf shop on Main Street in Santa Monica, breakfast burritos for the dawn patrol.
Try: Breakfast burritos
Tip: The building birthed the Z-Boys skate team; get the breakfast burrito before the surf crowd clears the batch.
Cobi's cooks Southeast Asian food in a florid Main Street bungalow in Santa Monica, a Bib Gourmand room of curries, dumplings and wood-grilled plates.
Order: Pork dumplings, nasi goreng and a wok-tossed curry
Tip: The Michelin Bib Gourmand crowd books ahead on Resy; the weekend brunch sitting is the calmer way to get a table.
Dogtown Coffee brews organic micro-roasted coffee in the old Zephyr surf shop on Main Street in Santa Monica, breakfast burritos for the dawn patrol.
Order: The Morning Bowl breakfast burrito and a cold brew
Tip: The building birthed the Z-Boys skate team; get the breakfast burrito before the surf crowd clears the batch.
Not No Bar plays throwback Euro disco over wood-fired pizza on Main Street in Santa Monica, bar director Kent Thompson's cocktails until 01:00.
Try: Wood-fired pizza and disco
Order: The Soy Del Rancho and a wood-fired pizza
Tip: Friday and Saturday are fully walk-in; the patio never takes bookings and the room goes 21-plus after 22:00.
Basement Tavern hides under the 1890s Victorian on Main Street in Santa Monica, a candlelit whiskey bar with live bands packed in most nights.
Tip: Enter down the side stairs of the Victorian; it gets shoulder-to-shoulder after 21:00 when the band starts.