19 editor picks in Santa Monica.
19 californian places in Santa Monica we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Santa Monica | Californian across every city.
Rustic Canyon is Santa Monica's farmers-market dining room on Wilshire, now cooking seasonal Mexican-Californian food a few blocks from the Wednesday market.
OrderThe vegetable plates that change weekly with the market
TipLast seating is 21:00 most nights; the menu shifts weekly with the Arizona Avenue market haul.
Citrin is Josiah Citrin's modern Californian flagship on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, a Michelin-starred dining room built on market produce.
OrderThe prix fixe, built around Santa Monica farmers market produce
TipBook the a la carte room; the 14-seat Melisse counter behind it is a separate, pricier reservation.
Melisse is the 14-seat tasting counter hidden behind Citrin in Santa Monica, a two-Michelin-star room from Josiah Citrin and chef partner Ken Takayama.
OrderThe full tasting menu; the kitchen builds it around the week's market
TipAround 800 dollars for two before wine, with a strict no-cancellation policy; book two to three weeks out.
Seline is Dave Beran's Michelin-starred tasting room on Main Street in Santa Monica, a cerebral 295 dollar procession from the Californian landscape.
OrderThe seasonal tasting menu; courses change constantly
TipPlan around two and a half hours for the full menu; reservations open by the month and the counter seats sell first.
Michael's Santa Monica has run since 1979, Michael McCarty's garden dining room on 3rd Street where a long line of famous chefs cooked market-first food.
OrderWhatever the market plates are that week; the garden room is the point
TipAlumni include Jonathan Waxman and Nancy Silverton; chef Job Carder now runs the hyper-seasonal menu. Book on Resy.
Tar & Roses has held its downtown Santa Monica corner since 2012, a wood-fire kitchen of oxtail dumplings and whole fried snapper that improves with age.
OrderOxtail dumplings, then the whole fried snapper with soba
TipThe whole fried snapper with cold soba is built for two; smaller plates share better than they look.
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.
OrderWhatever the seasonal coastal tasting plates are, with a Route 66 centennial cocktail
TipAsk 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.
OrderLemon ricotta pancakes or the breakfast burrito
TipThe sun-trap garden terrace and the Potting Shed private room book out for weekend brunch; go on a weekday morning.
Alfalfa packs farmstand plates and breakfast burritos into a friends-founded counter on Main Street in Santa Monica, salads and smoothies with real intent.
OrderAncho Potato breakfast burrito or a farmstand plate
TipThe Ancho Potato breakfast burrito is the local order; it travels well for the four blocks to the sand.
Citrin is Josiah Citrin's modern Californian flagship on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, a Michelin-starred dining room built on market produce.
OrderThe prix fixe, built around Santa Monica farmers market produce
TipBook the a la carte room; the 14-seat Melisse counter behind it is a separate, pricier reservation.
Melisse is the 14-seat tasting counter hidden behind Citrin in Santa Monica, a two-Michelin-star room from Josiah Citrin and chef partner Ken Takayama.
OrderThe full tasting menu; the kitchen builds it around the week's market
TipAround 800 dollars for two before wine, with a strict no-cancellation policy; book two to three weeks out.
Seline is Dave Beran's Michelin-starred tasting room on Main Street in Santa Monica, a cerebral 295 dollar procession from the Californian landscape.
OrderThe seasonal tasting menu; courses change constantly
TipPlan around two and a half hours for the full menu; reservations open by the month and the counter seats sell first.
Michael's Santa Monica has run since 1979, Michael McCarty's garden dining room on 3rd Street where a long line of famous chefs cooked market-first food.
OrderWhatever the market plates are that week; the garden room is the point
TipAlumni include Jonathan Waxman and Nancy Silverton; chef Job Carder now runs the hyper-seasonal menu. Book on Resy.
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.
OrderWhatever the seasonal coastal tasting plates are, with a Route 66 centennial cocktail
TipAsk for a window table at sunset; the Coast cafe downstairs covers the casual all-day beach service instead.
Farmshop pairs a Californian brunch room with an artisan market in the Brentwood Country Mart on 26th Street in Santa Monica, bakery counter from 07:00.
TipThe market side sells the bakery bread, cheese and prepared food to go when the brunch wait runs long.
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.
OrderLemon ricotta pancakes or the breakfast burrito
TipThe sun-trap garden terrace and the Potting Shed private room book out for weekend brunch; go on a weekday morning.
Farmshop pairs a Californian brunch room with an artisan market in the Brentwood Country Mart on 26th Street in Santa Monica, bakery counter from 07:00.
OrderCoddled eggs with brioche, then raid the market shelves
TipThe market side sells the bakery bread, cheese and prepared food to go when the brunch wait runs long.
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.
OrderWhatever the seasonal coastal tasting plates are, with a Route 66 centennial cocktail
TipAsk for a window table at sunset; the Coast cafe downstairs covers the casual all-day beach service instead.
Farmshop pairs a Californian brunch room with an artisan market in the Brentwood Country Mart on 26th Street in Santa Monica, bakery counter from 07:00.
TipThe market side sells the bakery bread, cheese and prepared food to go when the brunch wait runs long.
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