The postcard strip above the sand, where 1920s seafood houses and hotel bars face the pier and the sunset.
The Georgian Room, in the 1933 Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, pairs Tuscan chophouse cooking with live jazz around a Steinway grand.
Order: New York strip, then the spumoni-style baked Alaska
Tip: Friday and Saturday it runs to 02:00 with live music; Spaghetti Sunday closes the week with a set menu.
Water Grill Santa Monica works a daily-changing seafood list on Ocean Avenue, live Alaskan king crab tanks, shucked-to-order oysters and wild local fish.
Order: Live spot prawns in season, plus a dozen cold-water oysters
Tip: Ask what came off the boats that day; Santa Barbara spot prawns are charcoal-grilled when the traps are running.
The Lobster has watched the Santa Monica Pier from its Ocean Avenue perch since 1923, grilling Maine and spiny lobster above the beach crowds.
Order: Grilled lobster or the lobster roll with truffle parmesan fries
Tip: Book Resy for a window at golden hour; the lobster roll at the bar is the affordable route.
Ivy at the Shore keeps its bougainvillea-draped pink facade on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, an American menu served on the same florid patio since 1985.
Order: Crab cakes and the fried chicken, plus a gimlet on the patio
Tip: Brunch runs to 13:00 weekdays and 14:00 weekends; the patio people-watching is the real product.
1 Pico is the oceanfront dining room at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, coastal Californian cooking with Southern Italian leanings above the sand.
Order: Whatever the seasonal coastal tasting plates are, with a Route 66 centennial cocktail
Tip: Ask for a window table at sunset; the Coast cafe downstairs covers the casual all-day beach service instead.
FIG at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica cooks off weekly farmers market runs, wood-blistered pizzas and lemon ricotta pancakes on a garden terrace.
Order: Lemon ricotta pancakes or the breakfast burrito
Tip: The sun-trap garden terrace and the Potting Shed private room book out for weekend brunch; go on a weekday morning.
Capo is Bruce Marder's almond-wood-fired Italian room on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, open since 1998 with a cellar of more than 2,500 wine selections.
Order: Rigatoni with white truffle meat sauce and something off the wood fire
Tip: The wine list has held Wine Spectator's Grand Award every year since 2015; budget accordingly.
Fitoor grills contemporary Indian food near the Santa Monica Pier, kebabs, kulchas and seafood from the ROOH team's fire-led Ocean Avenue kitchen.
Order: Kebabs and kulchas from the tandoor, plus the seafood plates
Tip: Founders Anu and Vikram Bhambri staff the kitchen almost entirely with chefs trained in India; the halal menu suits groups.
Capo is Bruce Marder's almond-wood-fired Italian room on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, open since 1998 with a cellar of more than 2,500 wine selections.
Order: Rigatoni with white truffle meat sauce and something off the wood fire
Tip: The wine list has held Wine Spectator's Grand Award every year since 2015; budget accordingly.
The Georgian Room, in the 1933 Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, pairs Tuscan chophouse cooking with live jazz around a Steinway grand.
Order: New York strip, then the spumoni-style baked Alaska
Tip: Friday and Saturday it runs to 02:00 with live music; Spaghetti Sunday closes the week with a set menu.
Water Grill Santa Monica works a daily-changing seafood list on Ocean Avenue, live Alaskan king crab tanks, shucked-to-order oysters and wild local fish.
Order: Live spot prawns in season, plus a dozen cold-water oysters
Tip: Ask what came off the boats that day; Santa Barbara spot prawns are charcoal-grilled when the traps are running.
1 Pico is the oceanfront dining room at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, coastal Californian cooking with Southern Italian leanings above the sand.
Order: Whatever the seasonal coastal tasting plates are, with a Route 66 centennial cocktail
Tip: Ask for a window table at sunset; the Coast cafe downstairs covers the casual all-day beach service instead.
Ivy at the Shore keeps its bougainvillea-draped pink facade on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, an American menu served on the same florid patio since 1985.
Order: Crab cakes and the fried chicken, plus a gimlet on the patio
Tip: Brunch runs to 13:00 weekdays and 14:00 weekends; the patio people-watching is the real product.
Cha Cha Chicken has smoked jerk chicken under the palms on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica since 1996, a family-run Caribbean shack steps from the beach.
Order: Jerk chicken plate with fried plantains
Tip: It runs one of the most lenient BYOB policies in town; bring a bottle and eat coconut fried chicken outside.
Big Dean's Ocean Front Cafe has anchored the boardwalk below the Santa Monica Pier since 1902 as Loring's Lunchroom, burgers and buckets on two patios.
Order: The famous burger with a bucket of beers
Tip: It became Big Dean's in the 1970s; grab a patio rail seat, order the burger and watch the boardwalk crowds.
Chez Jay has kept its nautical dive-bar dining room on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica since 1959, a city Historic Landmark of steaks, peanuts and lore.
Signature drink: Martini with free peanuts
Food: Bar menu
Tip: The sandy-floored front room is the landmark bit, designated by the city in 2012; the Backyard patio opened in 2019.
Big Dean's Ocean Front Cafe has anchored the boardwalk below the Santa Monica Pier since 1902 as Loring's Lunchroom, burgers and buckets on two patios.
Signature drink: Bucket of beers on the boardwalk
Food: Bar menu
Tip: It became Big Dean's in the 1970s; grab a patio rail seat, order the burger and watch the boardwalk crowds.
The Bungalow sprawls through a beach-house maze at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, cocktails, DJs and pool tables with ocean air off the bluff.
Signature drink: Spicy margarita
Food: Bar menu
Tip: Dress code loosens early; go at 17:00 for a patio sofa because the queue after 21:00 on weekends is real.
The Georgian Room, in the 1933 Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, pairs Tuscan chophouse cooking with live jazz around a Steinway grand.
Signature drink: Martini beside the Steinway
Food: Bar menu
Tip: Friday and Saturday it runs to 02:00 with live music; Spaghetti Sunday closes the week with a set menu.
Hot Dog on a Stick still hand-dips corn dogs at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, where Dave Barham began hand-dipping them at his 1946 lemonade stand.
Try: Original corn dog
Tip: The rebuilt stand pounds its lemonade by hand the way it did in 1946; corn dog and lemonade is the whole menu you need.
Pier 360 fills the Santa Monica Pier each June with beach-sports finals, a beer garden and food vendors from Hot Dog on a Stick to local stands.
Tip: Admission is free; the Saturday session runs to 19:00 and the beer garden needs ID even for the queue.
Hot Dog on a Stick still hand-dips corn dogs at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, where Dave Barham began hand-dipping them at his 1946 lemonade stand.
Try: Corn dog and lemonade
Tip: The rebuilt stand pounds its lemonade by hand the way it did in 1946; corn dog and lemonade is the whole menu you need.
Cha Cha Chicken has smoked jerk chicken under the palms on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica since 1996, a family-run Caribbean shack steps from the beach.
Try: Jerk chicken plates
Tip: It runs one of the most lenient BYOB policies in town; bring a bottle and eat coconut fried chicken outside.
Big Dean's Ocean Front Cafe has anchored the boardwalk below the Santa Monica Pier since 1902 as Loring's Lunchroom, burgers and buckets on two patios.
Try: Burgers and beer buckets
Tip: It became Big Dean's in the 1970s; grab a patio rail seat, order the burger and watch the boardwalk crowds.
FIG at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica cooks off weekly farmers market runs, wood-blistered pizzas and lemon ricotta pancakes on a garden terrace.
Order: Lemon ricotta pancakes or the breakfast burrito
Tip: The sun-trap garden terrace and the Potting Shed private room book out for weekend brunch; go on a weekday morning.
1 Pico is the oceanfront dining room at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, coastal Californian cooking with Southern Italian leanings above the sand.
Order: Whatever the seasonal coastal tasting plates are, with a Route 66 centennial cocktail
Tip: Ask for a window table at sunset; the Coast cafe downstairs covers the casual all-day beach service instead.
Chez Jay has kept its nautical dive-bar dining room on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica since 1959, a city Historic Landmark of steaks, peanuts and lore.
Try: Late steaks and martinis
Order: Steak and a martini, peanut shells on the floor
Tip: The sandy-floored front room is the landmark bit, designated by the city in 2012; the Backyard patio opened in 2019.
The Georgian Room, in the 1933 Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, pairs Tuscan chophouse cooking with live jazz around a Steinway grand.
Try: Late-night jazz and chops
Order: New York strip, then the spumoni-style baked Alaska
Tip: Friday and Saturday it runs to 02:00 with live music; Spaghetti Sunday closes the week with a set menu.
The Bungalow sprawls through a beach-house maze at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, cocktails, DJs and pool tables with ocean air off the bluff.
Try: Cocktails and DJ sets
Order: A spicy margarita on the patio before the DJ starts
Tip: Dress code loosens early; go at 17:00 for a patio sofa because the queue after 21:00 on weekends is real.
The Bungalow sprawls through a beach-house maze at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, cocktails, DJs and pool tables with ocean air off the bluff.
Tip: Dress code loosens early; go at 17:00 for a patio sofa because the queue after 21:00 on weekends is real.
The Georgian Room, in the 1933 Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, pairs Tuscan chophouse cooking with live jazz around a Steinway grand.
Tip: Friday and Saturday it runs to 02:00 with live music; Spaghetti Sunday closes the week with a set menu.
Chez Jay has kept its nautical dive-bar dining room on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica since 1959, a city Historic Landmark of steaks, peanuts and lore.
Tip: The sandy-floored front room is the landmark bit, designated by the city in 2012; the Backyard patio opened in 2019.