Best Lunch Restaurants in Santa Monica

270 restaurants available nearby

A photo of Water Grill - Santa Monica restaurant

1. Water Grill - Santa Monica

4.6

Exceptional(5982)

Price: Expensive

• Seafood • Santa Monica

Booked 47 times today

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Water Grill Santa Monica is an iconic seafood destination to enjoy the first catch of the season and a deep variety of fish, lobsters, crabs, oysters and shellfish on a robust menu that changes daily. Located on Ocean Ave. across from the Pacific Ocean and steps away from the Santa Monica Pier, Water Grill Santa Monica is the perfect place to dine, celebrate and host an event for business or pleasure. New product arrives from boat-to-table in a matter of hours from our exclusive seafood distribution company and our chef’s preparations allow the high-quality product to shine. Consistently rated as one of Santa Monica’s top seafood restaurants, Water Grill Santa Monica also offers customizable private dining options for business meetings and special events.

A photo of Loulou Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge restaurant

2. Loulou Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge

4.3

Awesome(835)

Price: Expensive

• French • Santa Monica

Booked 23 times today

Experience the "Joie de Vivre"At LouLou, food, entertainment, fashion, and art converge into a unique, one-of-a-kind destination.LouLou’s carefully crafted menus showcase French Mediterranean flavors with a classic California twist, while honoring the generosity of artisanal and homemade ingredients, as well as local organic produce.A carefully selected wine list offers a tasteful array of wines from both France and CaliforniaNever bowing to the ordinary, whether it’s a legendary brunch, after work cocktails, elegant dinner, or corporate event, LouLou will always deliver an experience to remember.Ample parking is available in the building. We are located on the rooftop level. Suite 300

3. Meat On Ocean

4.7

Exceptional(3410)

Price: Expensive

• Steakhouse • Santa Monica

Booked 23 times today

Meat On Ocean is a meat-centric, modern steakhouse in Santa Monica that offers both a sense of adventure and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Beyond the offerings of a world-class steakhouse, Meat On Ocean features an artisanal charcuterie bar, an exhibition dry-aging room and a variety of prime beef – from dry-aged domestic cuts to Japanese A-5. Integral to the operation is a highly trained crew of servers and butchers, who communicate directly with Guests about the beef, organically farmed chickens, house made sausages, choice seafood and more.Located on the corner of Ocean and Broadway, Meat On Ocean is steps from the action - including the Santa Monica Pier, shopping and hotels.Starting May 2024, Meat On Ocean is also your headquarters for private dining and events, with customizable spaces that are perfect for social events, corporate meetings, birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, wedding receptions and ceremonies, with full audio/visual connectivity.

4. Tar & Roses

4.9

Exceptional(4210)

Price: Expensive

• American • Santa Monica

Booked 34 times today

Tar & Roses is a globally inspired culinary experience. Chef Andrew Kirschner has transformed his kitchen into a local and welcoming home, focused on the element of the wood fired oven to bring out the best flavor in our dishes. Coming straight from the visionary mind of our award winning chef, our menu is created with only the highest quality ingredients and fresh, local products. This attention to detail helps makes our food a perfected craft which will inspire you to be adventurous, in the most approachable and delicious way possible. When you step into Tar & Roses, you'll feel like you are coming home. Our entire staff awaits your arrival with warm smiles and thoughtful service ~ please, come share a meal with us!

5. The Surfing Fox

4.3

Awesome(100)

Price: Moderate

• Californian • Santa Monica

Booked 6 times today

The Surfing Fox is a chilled-out gathering spot serving up coastal California cuisine on a plate (or in a glass!) with a generous side of good times and vibes. Whether you're spending the day hanging ten or hanging out, come take it easy with us from dawn to dusk.

6. Massilia

4.5

Awesome(813)

Price: Expensive

• French • Santa Monica

Booked 11 times today

Massilia is a Marseille-inspired brasserie with culinary influences from the South of France, Italy, Spain & North Africa. SUN – THURS Bar open til 11pm / Kitchen open til 10pm | FRI + SAT Bar open til 12am / Kitchen open til 11pm | MON – FRI Enjoy 50% off all craft cocktails & wines by the glass from 11am – 6pm

A photo of Benihana - Santa Monica, CA restaurant

7. Benihana - Santa Monica, CA

4.1

Excellent(4073)

Price: Moderate

• Japanese • Santa Monica

Booked 59 times today

Welcome to Benihana, a dining experience unlike any other! Our guests are seated at communal tables in groups, where your personal chef will perform the ancient art of Teppanyaki. Watch as we slice and dice, preparing a meal that will dazzle your eyes as well taste buds, whether you choose mouth-watering steak, tender chicken or succulent seafood. You can also enjoy sushi prepared by a talented sushi chef and indulge in a specialty cocktail.

8. Blue Plate Taco

4.5

Awesome(972)

Price: Moderate

• Mexican • Santa Monica

Booked 9 times today

Blue Plate Taco is a coastal Baja-meets-Santa Monica destination on Ocean Ave. We are dedicates to creating all our food from scratch including the agua frescas and margaritas from the bar, the tortillas are made by hand fresh all day, and our salsas are made daily. The entire menu is fresh, light and delicious. We hold most of our tables for walk-ins so if you don't see any reservations, don't fret! We'll get you seated after a short wait while you're admiring the Pacific and taking in the famous Santa Monica pier.Reservations are limited to 90 minutes, we hold reservations for 10 minutes.

A photo of Kappo Miyabi Santa Monica restaurant

9. Kappo Miyabi Santa Monica

4.4

Awesome(65)

Price: Very Expensive

• Japanese • Santa Monica

Booked 4 times today

Kappo (かっぽう / 割烹) means cooking food with knives and fire. In simple Japanese terms, means cutting, chopping and cooking food with knife, and so on. And means boiling, cooking food with fire. So the combination of these two Japanese characters are a different expression of cooking with a knife and fire. Kappo is a dish that is improvised by the customer's order and can be enjoyed at the counter or at the table just in front of the kitchen without much formality. From now on, Kappo will be held in Miyabi restaurant, Santa Monica. Miyabi (雅) is one of the traditional Japanese aesthetic ideals, meaning "elegance," "graceful" and "courtliness". There are a lot of complexities of Japanese cuisine, including not only food, but also visitors, music, and order of food. So, there is a burden because of the needlessly cumbersome, expensive, and unnecessary formalities, and we focus on foods that are only used to show off the cooking skills of the chefs and customers.

10. Orto Santa Monica

4.8

Exceptional(1090)

Price: Expensive

• Italian • Santa Monica

Booked 9 times today

Growing up in Italy, my family cooked at home and had the most extraordinary experiences with ingredients grown in our backyard, paired with the wines my chef/restaurateur stepfather would bring back from regions throughout Italy. I fell in love with food as a child watching my stepfather, once nominated a top chef in Italy, work in restaurant kitchens and floors. Moving to California in 1991 and subsequently to Santa Monica and experiencing the Farmers Market inspired me to start Orto - Italian for “vegetable garden” - where I meld local ingredients and organic herbs grown here at the restaurant to create traditional Italian recipes. At our bar you’ll find a cocktail list created from fresh herbs and premium spirits, and our wine list focuses on sustainable and organic producers. Andrea InioHappy Hour Monday-Thursday 5-7pmValidated parking is available for $7 for 3 hours at 501 Santa Monica Blvd (enter on 5th street, behind the Citibank)

See what locals rave about

From verified diners like you

S
Shelleyvip
Los Angeles •56 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
Yet again, Tar and Roses does not disappoint. From the service to the food to the mock tails everything was wonderful. I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. We were celebrating my daughters 20th birthday and they brought us delicious desserts. I think I would be happy if I could eat here every night, thank you Tar and Roses for another wonderful evening
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Tar & RosesPrice: Expensive• American• Santa Monica
•
4.9
T
Thomas
Las Vegas •4 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
Excellent seafood and great service. Ambience is nice, but as it is across the street from Santa Monica Pier, its vibe is a bit boisterous, but elegant enough experience to justify the visit. For good fresh seafood near the Pacific, the price was reasonable, but be prepared to pay what the food and service are worth. This is NOT fast casual, thank goodness. I had a great time and a great meal. You won’t be disappointed.
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Water Grill - Santa MonicaPrice: Expensive• Seafood• Santa Monica
•
4.6
J
Jerome
Los Angeles •1 review
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
This is an excellent option to the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Since some of my family members are traveling this year, a nice dinner without worrying all the preparation works and the left over from the 14 pound turkey is a great relief for us. Thanks, Jerome
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Loulou Rooftop Restaurant and LoungePrice: Expensive• French• Santa Monica
•
4.3
C
Clairevip
Los Angeles •3 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
My boyfriend and I had an amazing experience celebrating our anniversary together at Meat on Ocean. The staff were so friendly and welcoming and both the hostess and our server was so sweet to wish us a happy anniversary. The food was amazing, the service excellent and we had a WONDERFUL time! We cannot wait to go back!
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Meat On OceanPrice: Expensive• Steakhouse• Santa Monica
•
4.7
N
Nicolavip
Los Angeles •51 reviews
5.0
Dined on Nov 22, 2024
Server was remarkably knowledgeable about the food, where it comes from, ingredients, how prepared, etc. very interesting cocktails. Great ambiance and setting. Was very impressed as I generally don’t like hotel restaurants.
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The Surfing FoxPrice: Moderate• Californian• Santa Monica
•
4.3

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Santa Monica

Best Lunch Restaurants in Santa Monica

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270 restaurants available nearby

1. Water Grill - Santa Monica

2. Loulou Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge

3. Meat On Ocean

4. Tar & Roses

5. The Surfing Fox

6. Massilia

7. Benihana - Santa Monica, CA

8. Blue Plate Taco

9. Kappo Miyabi Santa Monica

10. Orto Santa Monica

See what locals rave about

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