Tapas Restaurants near Gardena, CA

“Their recipes are undefeated“

“Go to place in Gardena for the lunch and the dinner.“

“What a fantastic dining experience! We were so well taken care of, and the food was amazeballs! Definitely top of my list as my new favorite seafood restaurant. Elijah, the bartender was awesome and Katie went out of the way to make sure we had a lovely time. What an evening… I highly recommend this place.“

“I LOVE this place. The food the atmosphere, both amazing. Of the small plates please try the sweet potato chaat and the cauliflower dish. Of the large plates, I’ve tried 3-4 and all were really good. Great for dates, casual hangouts, and to get a bit drunk with delicious bites.“

“You went in for lunch on a Tuesday and it was not too crowded. The weather was beautiful and the food was absolutely delicious. Our server was very informed and knowledgeable about the menu and the drinks. He recommended some fantastic Items, including the tuna tartar, which was fabulous!! We also shared a couple of tacos that were delicious- grilled fish tacos and the carnitas. We loved everything. The margaritas were outstanding. The decor/ vibe is very cute too. Tulum meets Miami- very colorful and tropical. I would highly recommend this restaurant.“

“My experience was very good and the food was delicious. I would defiently eat there again.“

“Authentic food imported from Spain, by Spaniards, and with a great staff of people helping run the place. We loved our visit and loaded up on baguettes, ham, wine, candy, and more! The paella is made fresh and we took home some portions, this place is a favorite and a gem!“

“5-star alert! My wife surprised me with this delicious Tunisian restaurant on Father’s Day! It was like an exotic trip to Mediterranean North Africa. The servers were good and the owner was super friendly and helpful! We had prawns, fish, lamb, cauliflowers, and the infamous Hand of Fatima. Everything was delicious, with unique flavors and beautifully presented. The sauces were so unique and flavorful, we had 3 orders of bread as we want to enjoy more of the flavors in every dish!“

“Overall a nice stay: friendly staff, nice updated facilities, free ♿️ valet👌-3 to 4 blocks from beach. Very expensive at $500 per night, used the 2 $10 free tickets at bar for 2 drinks and still owed $8.36. This was the host hotel and stayed 2 nights Fri/Sat July 22-23, 2022, with hamburger & soup in room, total $1100. T.“

“Great food and service (Amanda did a great job), I love their double r 20 oz cowboy’s rib eye and I like the ambiance it is very cozy.“

“We enjoyed everything about our meal from start to finish.“

“This restaurant is seriously slept on. There should be a line out the door (not that I wanna wait to eat all the delicious food). They're serving up elevated comfort food with a carefully curated sake list. We often imbibe a bit too much of said carefully curated sake list, so I don't have photos for every item we've had. We love both the sushi and izakaya items

Yellowtail carpaccio: fresh melt-in-your-mouth fish, lightly dressed with olive oil so that the true flavors shine through. There are salt and spice on the side of you want a little more zing (though the jalapenos provide enough zing for most palates).

Ankimo sashimi: so smooth and silky, perfectly dressed to highlight the flavors without overpowering it.

Summer roll: balanced combination of delicate blue crab, piquant spicy tuna and creamy avocado wrapped in radish (perfect for those trying to stay away from carbs).

Kurobata corn dogs: arrived at our table, still piping hot. Just perfectly fried. Batter light and crispy and the meat juicy and succulent.

Lobster hush puppies: their timing on their fried items is amazing. These, too, arrived at our table fresh out of the fryer. The batter is well-seasoned, light (but not too airy and unsubstantial) with enough density and chew to create the best texture, and the sweetness of corn and langoustine sprinkled throughout.

Grilled black cod: buttery fish with a hint of miso, served with mushrooms on top.

Miso eggplant: I don't know what magical incantations and techniques are used on this dish, but people who actively don't like eggplant love this dish. It's caramelized deliciousness. Straight-up witchcraft I tell you.

Pork gyoza: juicy pork encased in thin wrappers, left long enough on the pan to create a crispy layer on the bottom (Maillard reaction, boys and girls), with thinly sliced scallions on top for freshness and zest.

Bacon mochi: blistered (but, magically, not burnt) and bubbly mochi wrapped in crispy, salty, fatty bacon. You bite into the mochi and it has the most ridiculous stretch, like mozzarella! The mochi provides the perfect blank canvas for the bacon.

Fish tacos: light, crispy batter on the flaky fish with fresh veggies on top. I daresay I felt healthy eating these tacos.

Sauteed scallops with ponzu: scallops cooked (not overcooked, not undercooked) to a perfect texture that retains the natural sweetness of scallops, which contrasts beautifully with the savory-tangy-umami elixir created by ponzu and butter. The sauce is so delicious that we always order a side of rice to get every last drop.“

“My experience with District Wine was top tier! the staff and i think that was the owner, they were really nice and humble makes me wanna support the business more you know, i dont know what to get tbh and they provide recommendation and explaining it in detail to make sure that the drink that i will order will match my pallet, and it did! I'm super happy on how it played out and i enjoyed the time there, interior design was cool it was very cozy and kinda welcoming in a sense. Will make sure to recommend this to my friends and family!“

“This was a nice and natural experience you are surrounded by lots of greenery and you feel like you are having an outdoor experience with the stoned shaped table the ivy walls and the delightful trees. The food was very good and I enjoyed a few French 75 cocktails. I found the staff to be very attentive especially Jess and Isaiah. They both made excellent recommendations which we enjoyed. I would return there again and I hope that the same bartender and server would be available to greet me!“

“Fantastic spot with a nice array of food and drink options. For food we had the wings (delicious), Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich (very tasty) and the chicharron pizza with green sauce (super cheesy on a thin crust). Their house ranch was tasty too.“

“Awesome place to hang out with friends and family draft beer and food are good combination 😋“

“I have been enjoying meals at Okane Umi since 2016. They have always been excellent in every category of service. The restaurant has had its share of ups and downs but I am happy with how strongly Okane Umi has powered up its menu and added some wonderfully flavorful genuine Japanese dishes. Im pleased they have reinforced their sushi, sashimi, chirashi offerings - I love this restaurant.“

“It is such a cozy and friendly environment. A great well maintained space. An easy laid back atmosphere.“

“Nice place for breakfast. Not to busy and service was great. A little pricey.“

“Every bite is super tasty. Not a traditional sushi spot, even though their sushi and sashimi is terrific. Sample everything and see what you like best. The skewers are delicious as are their other fried delicacies. Fun and cozy place, great food and great service.“

“The meats tastes very clean and flavored, not gamey. Great portion amazing pricing. Large bowl can hold you down for 2 small meals. Very pleased. Whatever they're doing, I hope they don't change it. I'm definitely coming back.“

“I've been eating this restaurant A 15+ year Torrance staple! Japanese-owned with authentic Chuka Ryori (rice dishes), they still serve all the original classics, and the ramen is better than ever.

While the wok dishes are nearly as good as they were historically, everything is still great and worth ordering.
Our family's top dishes:
* Mabo Yakisoba / Mabo Rice (Yakisoba is the clear winner!)
* Kanitama Chahan (crab omelet over fried rice with sweet and sour glaze)
* Gomoku Rice
* Ramen & Wok-Fried Rice Combo
* Mabo Ramen
* Classic Shoyu, Miso, & Shio Ramen (upgraded!)
* Pan-Fried Gyoza

Highly recommended for both newcomers and returning regulars. The crowd is a great mix of local Japanese regulars and people of every background, which speaks to how universally approachable and comforting the menu is. It remains our family's opinion that this is the best Japanese restaurant in Torrance and Carson!

This place is a treat.

Seats roughly 45-55 people.“

“It’s in the Hampton Inn just south of LAX. As of March 2026 they are open from 4 PM to 11 PM daily. There’s a happy hour from 4 PM to 6 PM which gets you $2 or $3 off food and drinks. It’s on the pricey side, but this is in an airport hotel, and restaurants in airport hotels are normally not cheap.“

“Excellent service. Incredible food. We were a party of four, order all different types of dishes. We even got a complimentary item, which was really sweet of them. It’s a hidden gem in Culver City. Easy access to the 90 Freeway. Close distance to the beach. Highly Recommend. If you are visiting, LAX airport is 20 mins.“

“Loved the vibe and modern decor! Service was amazing, food was spectacular and drinks were delicious!“

“Dan Modern is our first choice
For light Chinese in a great environment.. The food is seasoned at a reasonable level and it is consistent. We love the fresh string beans- for a minute they changed their source and the beans were stringy but they are back to the crisp tasty beans without the annoying strings. Love the Dan noodles and the chicken dishes are well cooked and seasoned at the right level without being annoyingly
Sauces. The environment is great, upscale, easy parking and centrally located on the west side of town. It gets crowded and there’s a lot of takeout pick up - The only area for improvement is managing the takeout process along with properly greeting guests, who are going to dine in - All of that is done in one central location, sometimes the pick up drivers are pushy because they have a time crunch while dine in guests just want a leisurely meal. Other than that, Dan Modern is highly recommended as a family favor for us“

“So happy to see this location at 1509 Hawthorne Blvd is finally open again! We’ve missed having them in the neighborhood, and they definitely came back swinging.
​The crew here—Mari, Liana, and Daniel—are incredible. They have such high energy and made us feel so welcome the second we walked in. A massive shoutout to Enrique, too—he’s the one behind those legendary fresh salsas! You can tell everything is made fresh daily. The tomatillo salsa is a must-try, and the chipotle salsa is perfectly seasoned with just the right kick.
​What really sets them apart is the meat. They season it while it’s cooking, which makes a huge difference in flavor. The steak was perfectly seasoned and so juicy. It’s a totally different experience from your average taco spot. If you’re looking for fresh, authentic, and perfectly spiced food, this is the place“

“I went here for lunch today and it was great. I didn't know it was a fast casual, assembly line setup. I had a bowl with the asada and toppins of my choosing. Loved it. Meat had a great flavor, the pickled red onion was the MVP topping, and the guacamole had great texture and flavor. My colleagues had the carnitas and chicken options and they enjoyed their meal as well. I would definitely go back and recommend this spot to anyone.“

“Great wine different flights to sample. You can even buy bottles“

“Good service and quality food.“

“Tasty chicken wrap. Limited beer selection, but nice quiet location in the terminal to enjoy it. Excellent service.“