25 Best Cafes in Santa Monica

“Extremely clean, well presented, and delicious homemade Oaxacan fare. You can tell they take pride in what they do. Great spread of juices/coffees/healthy beverage options as well. Feels family run. Everyone is kind and knowledgeable, and they are happy to tweak dishes at your request. Small place so best for groups of 4 or less. Probably seats 30 people total, with two outdoor tables (2 and 4-top)“

“Great new neighborhood spot! The food is healthy and delicious. Lots of variety on the menu so everyone should have a few excellent choices!“

“My wife and I went to the Grove in Los Angeles last night and we had dinner at "Sogno Toscana," an it was outstanding. It was perfect in every way; great food, great drinks, outstanding and friendly staff, beautiful location, etc. I love Italian food but I can't think of one Italian restaurant that I like, until "Sogno Toscano." The food was outstanding, and there was so much more we saw go by that we can't wait to go back and try. And the drinks were outstanding. I love martini's and they served the best martini I've ever had. Giacomo was our server and took great care of us. He's from Italy and "Sogno Toscana" brought him to America when they opened their New York restaurant, and now he's in LA for this new restaurant. Although very busy, the entire staff were very fun to be around, and most of them are Italian which is also great.“

“The experience I had in this cafe was fabulous. I ordered eggs on bread and yogurt bowl, they stand out from those in other cafes. The bread was soft and with perfectly balanced moisture. You can have your eggs poached if you like and they were amazing. Coffee was of high quality with amazing flavour. The staff was welcoming and dining in was the most divine and cozy thing in the morning. A wise choice if you are visiting Santa Monica as a tourist!“

“Fabulous hyper-farm-to-table food by a creative chef, on Main St in Santa Monica. I’ve tried the Gazpacho, the many Danish Rye toasts with what is fresh that day: eggs, salmon roe, avocado or ....? They also have baristas that make all type of drinks. My fab place to indulge healthy and fresh“

“Coffee is amazing, specifically the hojicha and the lattees. Pastries are delicious as well. Some are vegan and ask for some butter with your order.

The staff is super awesome, they remember your name and are super friendly.

For lunch the steak bah mi is my go to and it doesn't disappoint. It comes with a small broth to dip in and its delicious.

Highly recommend this spot.

Special shout out to Eli, dulce, Arlan!!“

“Oh my gosh, is this my favorite place to get coffee in SM? Yes! So cute, great coffee and smoothies, great avacado and egg salad toasts. Great dog watching and people watching too. Easy to park, but pay the meter, the meter people make a sweep in the morning. Lovely place to sit, lots of shaded places.“

“Best Sunday Brunch- we were first timers and when other customers rave about the food while waiting for a table you know it’s gonna be great! And it was - not to mention the fresh orange juice mimosas! Awesome service … I’ll be back!!“

“Muy rico!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“

“Great food & treats! Saw on Somebody Feed Phil & had to give it a try“

“excellent salad. thank you ben“

“I have been looking for the best gluten free bagels for years. Finally found it! Thank you Modern Bagel!“

“Such a great place to stop for breakfast during our first morning in Santa Monica. My avocado toast was a bit light on the avocado, but the eggs were fantastic quality and cooked perfectly. I ate every bite! Service is a bit slower but the ambiance is great and once you place your order you can take a seat at a table and watch everything happening on the beach.“

“I write for a music and coffee blog called Crooners In Coffeeshops, in which I interview local musicians at local coffeeshops. My writeup reflects the positive experience that I encountered at Primo Passo Coffee on our interview date. Family-owned Primo Passo Coffee is located in the cutest part of Santa Monica, where it’s just close enough to get your tan on at the beach or get your shop on at the Third Street Promenade. Fun sized coffee and teas, an assortment of pastries and sandwiches, and a relaxingly pleasant overall atmosphere are all you need to choose Primo over the Starbucks across the street. My little Carmelo was the daintiest and perfect post-hangover pick me up, and even just sitting in the shop uplifted my mood in an instant. And if you’re a fan of Instagram-ing your coffee sesh, their baristas will do latte art for every order! Right when you walk into Primo Passo Coffee, you will be greeted with friendly smiles, the aroma of fresh roasted coffee, and warm sun shining through large, perfectly placed windows. Seating options ranging from bistro style tables to barstools to plush benches along the wall, any sized party can come in and enjoy a quick (or long) caffeine pick-me-up. I especially noticed that a lot of people come here to read or write (even on a collaboration aspect), so maybe one day we’ll learn that the next great novelist or screenwriter came here to work on their passion project.“

“Friendly atmosphere and excellent food!“

“Always amazing service and highest quality products!“

“Great pricy place for breakfast, fancy coffee, pastries. Lines out the door but was doable at 9am this morning on Labor Day Monday. Pricy, food was pretty, but taste was so so. Carrot teff cupcake (small) was very cold and hard-but again pretty! $48“

“I ordered my Thanksgiving dinner from the Thyme Cafe and it was amazing the directions on cooking and reheating everything g was spot on and everything was delicious. Thank you for making our small gathering a very memorable one.“

“The food is better than the pier. Super hot and fresh. I ordered a chicken sandwich with fries.

It was still hot when I reached my car 15 minutes later.

Staff could be a little friendlier, but they get the job done.“

“Nice spot, anticipate friendly staff and a nice pitch outside. A nice meet and greet spot to sit briefly. If you prefer a walk and talk with your clients or friends, you can stroll up the neighborhood street. Clean safe lovely quiet neighborhood, to enjoy your good coffee and walk a block or two in fresh ocean air before getting back into your car or office. Chill vibes except on weekend mornings, which is to be expected at this location.“

“A small but tasty boba shop in a sleepier part of Santa Monica. They don’t have as large of a menu as Boba Time nor do they have as many tea flavors as Sunright but overall they do have some good options and also some good optional drink additions. Inside is very small and there was only one attendant working when we arrived Sunday night for a sweet treat after dinner. They don’t have a parking lot but street parking is easy to find in this part of town. The menu is not very large, but everything that we ordered was made pretty quickly, and the attendant was very polite, and I feel that she was also welcoming.

For my first time I chose the Brown Sugar Crème Brûlée Black Tea with boba and added egg pudding, which is one of my favorite flavor combinations. The flavors were very good, not the best I’ve had in town, but still really hit the spot. They only have two drink sizes available, but I wish they would offer a slightly larger size than the one that they currently offer. Overall I would recommend and I plan to try again next time I am close by.

Parking: metered street parking only“

“New Orleans Cold Brew is Where it’s at!“

“I didn’t expect much since the overall ratings are average, but this place is right across the street from the Tesla chargers, so it was very convenient when I needed to charge the car and get my toddler out to walk around for a bit. I was happy to see that they had lavender lattes on the menu cuz those are my favorite. I was even happier with how it tasted—not overly sweet, and perfect velvety foam. I was also very pleased that they had a savory pastry option. The caramelized onion scone looked suspiciously dry, but it wasn’t. It was quite moist and delicious, which was another wonderful surprise. But the best part for me (which is very parent-specific, so probably not relevant to most people), was the fact that the kids steamed milk I got for my 1.5yr old was actually perfect temperature, with a nice amount of foam. As a parent, it’s rare that a barista has the awareness or experience to recognize a good temperature for younger babies. Most of the time at other cafes, the milk is still too hot for kids younger than 5. But this barista was pretty awesome and skilled, and I soooooo appreciate that attention to such a seemingly benign detail. I didn’t get their name, but I was overall very impressed.“