Restaurants in Santa Monica

The bartender receives an order selected from the chalkboard menu and turns toward the sky-blue backsplash of the wood-framed bar, grabbing the desired vintage from a selection of international wines that includes New and Old World-style bottles from both hemispheres. Above the bar, angled mirrors reflect the crimson walls that give The Red Room Food and Wine Bar its name, revealing dark wood tables where diners clink glasses of robust and jammy reds that can stand up to entrees of seared lamb chops and braised short ribs. Bubbly fermentations from France and Napa Valley accent crisp arugula or kale salads, and delicate, airy whites from Oregon and Argentina pair perfectly with edible bubble wrap. In the kitchen, chefs forge Mediterranean and continental small plates to accompany the bacchanalian pours with cured meats, roasted vegetables, and herb-crusted flatbreads.

At L'Scorpion Tequila Bar, sommeliers pour nearly 200 varieties of tequila, including a premium collection of blancos, reposados, anejos, and mezcals. The vast, expertly curated selection earned it a spot on the Huffington Post's list of LA's Best Tequila Bars.

Fittingly, the focal point of L'Tequila is the bar, where dark stone arches frame row after row of tequila bottles illuminated by the nearby wrought-iron candelabras. Brick walls envelop plush leather booths, which serve as private enclaves for sipping margaritas or spelling out social-security numbers in limes. To complement libations, L'Scorpion also serves a menu of tapas and tacos.

Oceana Bistro Cafe's floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor patios unveil sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean. Located just down the street form the neighborhood eatery, the sea provides more than just idyllic scenery—it yields fresh scallops, shrimp, and crab for gastro-pub-inspired fare. Chefs tailor their cooking style to suit the time of day. At lunchtime, they layer casual, deli-style sandwiches with Boar's Head meats, leaf lettuces, and seasoned mayo. At dinner, they take a more gourmet approach, grilling fine meats (among them, filet mignon and ahi tuna) until they achieve a supple texture and jail stripes. Chefs pair the dishes with locally produced wines and craft brews.

When Ronn Teitelbaum opened the first Johnny Rockets location in 1986, his goal was to create a restaurant where people could escape the postmodern blues of everyday life and experience a taste of time-honored Americana. The name itself is a nod to this ideal. It combines the star of a classic American fable, Johnny Appleseed, and a classic car, Oldsmobile’s beefy Rocket 88.

That explains why during dinners at the famous burger joints, you’ll see signs of simpler times, starting with the cooks and servers—dressed head to toe in white, including white paper hats, they look like they’ve fallen out of a wormhole from the 1950s ready to sling shakes and cook up some eats. Behind a stainless-steel bar lined with red leather stools they tend to their traditional diner fare, including burgers and melts with sides such as chili-cheese fries and onion rings. Riding sidecar to each meal is a collection of hand-dipped and hand-spun floats, shakes, and malts topped with whipped cream.

When Ronn Teitelbaum opened the first Johnny Rockets location in 1986, his goal was to create a restaurant where people could escape the postmodern blues of everyday life and experience a taste of time-honored Americana. The name itself is a nod to this ideal. It combines the star of a classic American fable, Johnny Appleseed, and a classic car, Oldsmobile’s beefy Rocket 88.

That explains why during dinners at the famous burger joints, you’ll see signs of simpler times, starting with the cooks and servers—dressed head to toe in white, including white paper hats, they look like they’ve fallen out of a wormhole from the 1950s ready to sling shakes and cook up some eats. Behind a stainless-steel bar lined with red leather stools they tend to their traditional diner fare, including burgers and melts with sides such as chili-cheese fries and onion rings. Riding sidecar to each meal is a collection of hand-dipped and hand-spun floats, shakes, and malts topped with whipped cream.

At Char Fasl, chefs camouflage their light, healthy Persian fare behind flavorful veggies instead of heavy oils and sauces. They accommodate all diets with menu items that vacillate between vegetarian and meat-centric. Cooks skewer juicy chunks of meat for boneless-chicken kebabs, a favorite among customers and T. rexes recently off juice cleanses, and grill them with matching skewers of tomatoes. The Four Seasons dish replaces poultry with beans and rice crowned with eggplant and hummus nestled beside a spear of sizzling veggies.

This wide variety of cuisine is served in the restaurant's European atmosphere, which emulates the dishes' international origins, tinted with warm colors that flare to life in front of huge windows. Outside, diners feast and shadows hide from their owners beneath the shade of a tree. Another of the eatery's most enticing aspects unfolds on Fridays and Saturdays, when live music influences the movements of a belly dancer.