Satdha Plant Based Thai Kitchen has cooked gourmet vegan Thai food on Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica since 2013, no fake meats, just vegetable craft.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: Khao soi and the lion's mane mushroom fried chicken
Why locals love it: A pioneering vegan Thai kitchen on a traffic stretch of Lincoln; chef Gunn Pankum has cooked here since 2013.
Tip: Chef Gunn Pankum's lion's mane mushroom fried chicken converts sceptics; the khao soi is the quiet best dish.
Address: 2218 Lincoln Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Jyan Isaac Bread bakes deeply fermented sourdough on Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, bagel sandwiches and brunch beside the Ghisallo pizza kitchen.
Order: A sourdough loaf and the tuna melt at lunch
Why locals love it: A bread-first bakery on residential Ocean Park Boulevard; the sourdough sells out before visitors find it.
Tip: Loaves sell down by early afternoon; weekend brunch adds duck confit hash and cereal milk french toast.
Jyan Isaac Bread bakes deeply fermented sourdough on Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, bagel sandwiches and brunch beside the Ghisallo pizza kitchen.
Order: A sourdough loaf and the tuna melt at lunch
Why locals love it: A bread-first bakery on residential Ocean Park Boulevard; the sourdough sells out before visitors find it.
Tip: Loaves sell down by early afternoon; weekend brunch adds duck confit hash and cereal milk french toast.
Sunny Blue wraps made-to-order omusubi on Main Street in Santa Monica, miso beef and curry rice balls pressed warm behind a six-seat counter.
Order: Miso beef omusubi, plus a spicy salmon to go
Why locals love it: A six-seat omusubi counter most beach crowds walk straight past; regulars queue quietly for miso beef rice balls.
Tip: Miso mushroom is vegetarian and gluten-free; get one spicy salmon for the walk down to the beach.
La Purepecha hand-presses corn tortillas on Broadway in Santa Monica, a Michoacan-style counter of asada tacos and machaca burritos without the fuss.
Order: Asada tacos on handmade corn tortillas
Why locals love it: A Michoacan family counter hiding a block off the Promenade; tortillas pressed by hand while tourists eat elsewhere.
Tip: Tacos on handmade tortillas with cilantro and onions are the order; parking sits right beside the shop.
The Gaslite has held its Wilshire Boulevard corner in Santa Monica since 1962, a come-as-you-are karaoke dive open 06:00 to 02:00 with free popcorn.
Order: Cheap well drinks and a turn on the karaoke list
Why locals love it: A 1962 karaoke dive on a corporate stretch of Wilshire; locals guard it, opening at 06:00 for the graveyard-shift crowd.
Tip: It bills itself as Southern California's longest-running karaoke; sign up early because the nightly list fills by 21:00.
The Daily Pint stocks more than 500 whiskies behind a Pico Boulevard dive-bar front in Santa Monica, with sharp rotating taps, pool and shuffleboard.
Order: A rare pour from the 500-bottle whisky wall
Why locals love it: From the street it reads as a sports dive; inside is one of LA's deepest whisky walls, 500 bottles strong.
Tip: Ask the bartender to steer a whisky flight; the beer list turns over constantly and skews serious.
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.
Order: Steak and a martini, peanut shells on the floor
Why locals love it: A sandy-floored 1959 landmark wedged between hotel towers; celebrities and old-timers share the same red booths.
Tip: The sandy-floored front room is the landmark bit, designated by the city in 2012; the Backyard patio opened in 2019.
