Ivy at the Shore is an american fine-dining restaurant in Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must 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.
Address: 1535 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401
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.
Seline is Dave Beran's Michelin-starred tasting room on Main Street in Santa Monica, a cerebral 295 dollar procession from the Californian landscape.
Order: The seasonal tasting menu; courses change constantly
Tip: Plan around two and a half hours for the full menu; reservations open by the month and the counter seats sell first.
Shunji on Ocean Park Boulevard is Santa Monica's serious omakase counter, a chef-led 295 dollar procession of aged and marinated fish booked via Tock.
Order: Omakase only; the aged marinated tuna nigiri is the anchor
Tip: The room is tiny and reservations go through Tock; aged marinated tuna nigiri is the signature move.
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.
Order: Whatever the market plates are that week; the garden room is the point
Tip: Alumni include Jonathan Waxman and Nancy Silverton; chef Job Carder now runs the hyper-seasonal menu. Book on Resy.
