Restaurants in Santa Monica

Within a whitewashed façade with castle-like turrets, chefs at Le Petit Chateau craft rustic dishes reminiscent of French countryside fare. Traditional sauces such as béarnaise and velouté coat seafood and steak as diners start meals with hors d'oeuvres of foie gras and escargot. Whether couples savor a glass of hand-selected wine at the bar or share a chocolate soufflé for two in a booth, Le Petit Chateau's cultivates a romantic atmosphere without the need to vaporize a box of love letters.

Grilled or chilled, layered or wrapped, the chefs at The Original Sandbag's Gourmet Sandwiches uphold the age-old art of bread bundling as they craft a mélange of classic sandwiches alongside a complement of classic soups, sides, and desserts. Staffers load up the shop’s fluffy rolls or toasty bread slices with spiced cuts of turkey, saucy meatballs, and veggies before pairing each creation with a homemade chocolate-chip cookie, imbuing senses with nostalgia for days at mom’s house or late-night shindigs at Cookie Monster's mansion. Diners can take their bounty to go or linger at the restaurant, which features a lineup of indoor seating and a collection of patio tables soaking in the warm rays of the noonday sun.

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.