Din Tai Fung Santa Monica is a taiwanese restaurant in Downtown, Santa Monica.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: Pork xiao long bao, spicy wontons and garlicky string beans
Tip: Join the waitlist before you shop; the third-floor patio tables catch the ocean air and clear fastest at lunch.
Address: 395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401
KazuNori runs its original-format hand roll bar on Broadway in downtown Santa Monica, crisp nori and warm rice sets rolled the second you sit down.
Order: The five-roll set, toro and blue crab included
Tip: No reservations at the bar; the Friday-Saturday private bar for 7 to 12 was added for the 10th anniversary.
Sugarfish serves the Nozawa-school Trust Me on 2nd Street in Santa Monica, warm loose rice and cool fish in a set menu that rarely misses a beat.
Order: The Trust Me set, finished with the hand roll
Tip: No reservations; go at 11:30 sharp or mid-afternoon to dodge the wait, and default to the Trust Me.
HiHo Cheeseburger griddles 100 percent grass-fed wagyu from First Light Farm on 2nd Street in Santa Monica, a classic double for fast-casual money.
Order: Double cheeseburger, mustard-grilled, with fries
Tip: The mustard-grilled double with onions is the order; it is counter service, so grab a booth before you order.
KazuNori runs its original-format hand roll bar on Broadway in downtown Santa Monica, crisp nori and warm rice sets rolled the second you sit down.
Order: The five-roll set, toro and blue crab included
Tip: No reservations at the bar; the Friday-Saturday private bar for 7 to 12 was added for the 10th anniversary.
Sugarfish serves the Nozawa-school Trust Me on 2nd Street in Santa Monica, warm loose rice and cool fish in a set menu that rarely misses a beat.
Order: The Trust Me set, finished with the hand roll
Tip: No reservations; go at 11:30 sharp or mid-afternoon to dodge the wait, and default to the Trust Me.
HiHo Cheeseburger griddles 100 percent grass-fed wagyu from First Light Farm on 2nd Street in Santa Monica, a classic double for fast-casual money.
Order: Double cheeseburger, mustard-grilled, with fries
Tip: The mustard-grilled double with onions is the order; it is counter service, so grab a booth before you order.
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.
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.
Ghisallo blisters Neapolitan-and-New-York-style pies on Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, with arancini, radicchio salads and a semi-hidden back patio.
Order: Squash blossom pizza in season, the diavola year-round
Tip: The back patio is the seat; squash blossom pizza when it is on, diavola otherwise. Wine list stays well priced.
