The workaday Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevard corridors, holding the brewery, wood-oven bakeries and Thai and taco counters.
Fia fills a big garden dining room on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica with coastal Italian cooking, burrata with prosciutto and figs, raw fish and steaks.
Order: Burrata with prosciutto and figs, then the Wellington steak
Tip: The garden brunch with pastries and bottomless pours is the weekend play; book OpenTable for patio seats.
Holy Basil brought its Bangkok street-food kitchen west to Santa Monica Boulevard in late 2025, crab fried rice and pad kee mao with natural wine and sake.
Order: Bangkok crab fried rice and pad kee mao moo krob
Tip: Owners Deau Arpapornnopparat and Joy Yuon plan seven-day service and brunch in 2026; until then dinner books out.
Fia Steak is the wood-panelled chophouse next to its sister garden room on Wilshire in Santa Monica, built on dry-aged cuts and old-school table service.
Order: 14-ounce New York strip with grilled Castelvetrano olives
Tip: Time Out rates it among the city's best; start with the ahi tuna cigar before the 14-ounce New York strip.
Milo & Olive runs its wood oven from dawn bakery to late pizzeria on Wilshire in Santa Monica, garlic knots, breads and pies from the Rustic Canyon family.
Order: Garlic knot, then the mushroom pizza
Tip: The garlic knot with sea salt is non-negotiable; breakfast service turns into pizza service at 11:00 without pause.
Tacos Por Favor has fed Santa Monica's Olympic Boulevard workshops since the nineties, a no-frills counter of hard-shell tacos and chile relleno burritos.
Order: Chicken tacos and a chile relleno burrito
Tip: The lunch rush peaks at noon sharp; order the chicken taco plate and grab salsa from the bar before sitting.
Goodboybob Coffee Roasters runs its Santa Monica cafe and retail room on Broadway, an ex-art-project brand pulling shots of its own award-listed roasts.
Signature drink: House blend espresso
Tip: Bags of the House Blend and Marine Layer dark roast sell at the counter; the espresso bar closes at 17:00 sharp.
10 Speed Coffee opened its first standalone bar on Santa Monica Boulevard in 2017, a cycling-born roaster brand pouring next to Saint John's hospital.
Signature drink: Flat white
Tip: It opens at 06:00 every day, one of the earliest specialty pours in Santa Monica; big windows make it a good work stop.
Tartine Santa Monica proofs its country loaves in a converted church off Arizona Avenue, the San Francisco bakery's Westside room with a full cafe.
Signature drink: Coffee bar pour-over
Tip: Morning buns and ham and Gruyere croissants go first; the bread rack restocks around midday if you miss the open.
Milo & Olive runs its wood oven from dawn bakery to late pizzeria on Wilshire in Santa Monica, garlic knots, breads and pies from the Rustic Canyon family.
Tip: The garlic knot with sea salt is non-negotiable; breakfast service turns into pizza service at 11:00 without pause.
Worth the queue: Garlic knot
Tartine Santa Monica proofs its country loaves in a converted church off Arizona Avenue, the San Francisco bakery's Westside room with a full cafe.
Tip: Morning buns and ham and Gruyere croissants go first; the bread rack restocks around midday if you miss the open.
Worth the queue: Country loaf
Goodboybob Coffee Roasters runs its Santa Monica cafe and retail room on Broadway, an ex-art-project brand pulling shots of its own award-listed roasts.
Tip: Bags of the House Blend and Marine Layer dark roast sell at the counter; the espresso bar closes at 17:00 sharp.
Sources from: Rotating single origins
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
10 Speed Coffee opened its first standalone bar on Santa Monica Boulevard in 2017, a cycling-born roaster brand pouring next to Saint John's hospital.
Tip: It opens at 06:00 every day, one of the earliest specialty pours in Santa Monica; big windows make it a good work stop.
Sources from: House roasts
How they serve: Espresso, Filter
Offhand Wine Bar gives the Westside Winos crew a Santa Monica Boulevard room of their own, low-fuss pours and plates from lunch to midnight pours.
Signature pour: Rotating by-the-glass chalkboard
Wine focus: Low-intervention pours from the Westside Winos crew
Food: Lunch and dinner plates
Tip: Friday and Saturday it holds the corner till midnight, rare for this stretch; lunch service makes it a day-drinking sleeper.
The Gaslite has held its Wilshire Boulevard corner in Santa Monica since 1962, a come-as-you-are karaoke dive open 06:00 to 02:00 with free popcorn.
Signature drink: Well drink with free popcorn
Food: Bar menu
Tip: It bills itself as Southern California's longest-running karaoke; sign up early because the nightly list fills by 21:00.
Santa Monica Brew Works pours ten house taps in its Colorado Avenue taproom, 310 Blonde to PCH Porter, with Emmy Squared pizza serving till late.
Signature drink: 310 Blonde Ale
Food: Bar menu
Tip: Monday is all-day happy hour; the Emmy Squared after-hours menu runs Friday and Saturday from 21:00.
Tacos Por Favor has fed Santa Monica's Olympic Boulevard workshops since the nineties, a no-frills counter of hard-shell tacos and chile relleno burritos.
Try: Hard-shell tacos and burritos
Tip: The lunch rush peaks at noon sharp; order the chicken taco plate and grab salsa from the bar before sitting.
Santa Monica Brew Works pours ten house taps in its Colorado Avenue taproom, 310 Blonde to PCH Porter, with Emmy Squared pizza serving till late.
Tip: Monday is all-day happy hour; the Emmy Squared after-hours menu runs Friday and Saturday from 21:00.
Co-opportunity Market is LA County's only organic food co-op, a member-owned Santa Monica grocery on Broadway open to everyone from 07:00 daily.
Tip: You do not need a membership to shop; the deli case and bulk aisles are the practical picnic supply run.
Tacos Por Favor has fed Santa Monica's Olympic Boulevard workshops since the nineties, a no-frills counter of hard-shell tacos and chile relleno burritos.
Try: Taco plates
Tip: The lunch rush peaks at noon sharp; order the chicken taco plate and grab salsa from the bar before sitting.
Fia fills a big garden dining room on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica with coastal Italian cooking, burrata with prosciutto and figs, raw fish and steaks.
Order: Burrata with prosciutto and figs, then the Wellington steak
Tip: The garden brunch with pastries and bottomless pours is the weekend play; book OpenTable for patio seats.
Milo & Olive runs its wood oven from dawn bakery to late pizzeria on Wilshire in Santa Monica, garlic knots, breads and pies from the Rustic Canyon family.
Order: Garlic knot, then the mushroom pizza
Tip: The garlic knot with sea salt is non-negotiable; breakfast service turns into pizza service at 11:00 without pause.
The Gaslite has held its Wilshire Boulevard corner in Santa Monica since 1962, a come-as-you-are karaoke dive open 06:00 to 02:00 with free popcorn.
Try: Well drinks, popcorn and karaoke
Order: Cheap well drinks and a turn on the karaoke list
Tip: It bills itself as Southern California's longest-running karaoke; sign up early because the nightly list fills by 21:00.
Santa Monica Brew Works pours ten house taps in its Colorado Avenue taproom, 310 Blonde to PCH Porter, with Emmy Squared pizza serving till late.
Try: House beers and after-hours pizza
Order: 310 Blonde Ale with a Detroit-style Emmy Squared square
Tip: Monday is all-day happy hour; the Emmy Squared after-hours menu runs Friday and Saturday from 21:00.
The Gaslite has held its Wilshire Boulevard corner in Santa Monica since 1962, a come-as-you-are karaoke dive open 06:00 to 02:00 with free popcorn.
Tip: It bills itself as Southern California's longest-running karaoke; sign up early because the nightly list fills by 21:00.