1
Google
Seafood•Santa Monica•moderate
1212 Santa Monica
1212 Santa Monica suits a night out in Santa Monica when you want seafood that feels grown-up without getting stiff.
beachdinnerdate night
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9.0
Based on 3308 reviews
Best Restaurants in Santa Monica, Los Angeles: 14 Picks for 2026
Restaurants in Santa Monica, Los Angeles — sorted by rating and curated by TastyPals.
Dining in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
14 restaurantsAvg rating 5.4Updated July 2026
Google
2
Google
American•Santa Monica•$$$$
Mélisse Restaurant
Melisse is Josiah Citrin's long-running tasting-menu room in Santa Monica, and its reputation — built over two decades of LA fine dining — rests on a specific and sustained premise: classical French technique applied to California's seas…
hidden gemdate night
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9.0
Based on 400 reviews
3
Seafood•Santa Monica•moderate
Fia Restaurant
Fia Restaurant is a seafood pick in Santa Monica in Los Angeles when you want dinner to feel a little more planned.
beachdinnerdate night
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8.8
Based on 643 reviews
4
Californian•Santa Monica•moderate
Tar & Roses
Tar & Roses is the kind of californian room in Santa Monica you reach for when the evening is meant to matter a little more.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightcoastal
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4.7
Based on 1093 reviews
5
Google
American•Santa Monica•moderate
The Curious Palate
The Curious Palate occupies a specific lane in the Santa Monica dining landscape and commits to it fully: a farm-sourced, scratch-made contemporary kitchen on the third-floor dining deck of Santa Monica Place, steps from where the old Ar…
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
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4.7
Based on 818 reviews
6
Google
Japanese•Santa Monica•splurge
KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar
KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar suits a night out in Santa Monica when you want japanese that feels grown-up without getting stiff.
Omakasedate nightspecial occasion
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4.6
Based on 1694 reviews
7
Google
Seafood•Santa Monica•moderate
Water Grill
Water Grill is a seafood pick in Santa Monica in Los Angeles when you want dinner to feel a little more planned.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
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4.4
Based on 2802 reviews
8
Google
Steakhouse•Santa Monica•moderate
Meat On Ocean
Meat On Ocean is a steakhouse pick in Santa Monica in Los Angeles when you want dinner to feel a little more planned.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
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4.4
Based on 2619 reviews
9
Californian•Santa Monica•moderate
The Penthouse
The Penthouse suits a night out in Santa Monica when you want californian that feels grown-up without getting stiff.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
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4.4
Based on 997 reviews
10
American•Santa Monica•moderate
FIG RESTAURANT
FIG RESTAURANT suits a night out in Santa Monica when you want american that feels grown-up without getting stiff.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
Read restaurant page
4.4
Based on 585 reviews
11
Californian•Santa Monica•moderate
The Surfing Fox
The Surfing Fox suits a night out in Santa Monica when you want californian that feels grown-up without getting stiff.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
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4.4
Based on 452 reviews
12
Google
Italian•Santa Monica•moderate
Élephante
Élephante is the kind of italian room in Santa Monica you reach for when the evening is meant to matter a little more.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
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4.3
Based on 3186 reviews
13
Google
Seafood•Santa Monica•moderate
The Lobster
The Lobster is a seafood pick in Santa Monica in Los Angeles when you want dinner to feel a little more planned.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
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4.3
Based on 2883 reviews
14
Google
French•Santa Monica•moderate
LouLou Santa Monica
LouLou Santa Monica is the kind of french room in Santa Monica you reach for when the evening is meant to matter a little more.
Santa Monica dinnerdate nightbrunch
Read restaurant page
4.3
Based on 927 reviews
Common questions about dining in Santa Monica
What are the best restaurants in Santa Monica, Los Angeles?
The top restaurants in Santa Monica include 1212 Santa Monica, Mélisse Restaurant, Fia Restaurant. TastyPals curates these picks based on Google ratings and editorial judgment.
What is the highest-rated restaurant in Santa Monica?
1212 Santa Monica is among the highest-rated restaurants in Santa Monica with a 9.0 Google rating across 3,308 reviews.
TastyPals curates picks based on Google ratings, community reviews, and editorial judgment. Learn how we choose →
Explore by cuisine in Santa Monica
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