1 Pico is a californian fine-dining restaurant in Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must 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.
Address: 1 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90405
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.
Elephante stacks a coastal Italian kitchen onto a 2nd Street rooftop in Santa Monica, whipped eggplant, pizzas and pasta with the ocean over the rail.
Order: Whipped eggplant dip with flatbread, then a pizza as the sun drops
Tip: Go before sunset for the light and stay for the DJ; weekend mornings it runs ricotta pancakes from 09:00.
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.
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.
Citrin is Josiah Citrin's modern Californian flagship on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, a Michelin-starred dining room built on market produce.
Order: The prix fixe, built around Santa Monica farmers market produce
Tip: Book 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.
Order: The full tasting menu; the kitchen builds it around the week's market
Tip: Around 800 dollars for two before wine, with a strict no-cancellation policy; book two to three weeks out.
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.
