New American Restaurants in Santa Monica, CA

“Food is always excellent here. Taste amazing, high quality ingredients, beautiful presentation. One thing about this experience is that when the staff was closing up.. I don't know if they turned off the AC or closed the doors but it got really HOT. And it kind of made me feel like they did it on purpose so that people can leave. I declined dessert, which is my fave, only because it was so friggin hot. But otherwise, dinner was great.“

“I keep going back to this place, and usually try something new. Every single dish is delicious. This place is owned and run by people who love to eat fresh, nutritious, delicious food. And it shows. 100% recommend“

“Stopped by for dinner to check out the place. We are having an event there in a few weeks. AWESOME EXPERIENCE. Food was wonderful, service was perfect, management went out of their way to be gracious and welcoming. Can't wait to return in a few weeks.“

“Absolutely loved my experience at Lunetta! The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service was friendly and attentive. Everything came together perfectly for a wonderful dining experience. Definitely a 5-star spot in Santa Monica—I’d happily come back again!“

“Delicious food, eclectic menu, reasonable prices, friendly waiters, bar, nice ambiance.“

“The chef's restaurant is upscale but cozy, with only 5 tables, all across from the open air kitchen. The chef and waiter collaborate to serve you each dish, telling you the ingredients that go into each dish... like little stories. Such a special experience!“

“It was fabulous. We had a lovely table overlooking the beautiful courtyard and pool. Our server, Kitty, was wonderful in every way. We started with a margarita pizza for the table, which was hot and delicious.Then I had the meatballs as an appetizer and they were SO GOOD! I had the pasta pomodoro, and it was delicious. You could tell the noodles were fresh and made in-house. My husband had the scallops and gave them a 10/10. Out friends had the burrata, short ribs and salmon, and had zero complaints. They both were very well pleased. We had the Apple galette and the pineapple cake and both were decadent and worth the calories. All in all, a wonderful evening!“

“Love that Michael’s has a new front patio bar. Great food and drinks. A classic!“

“Had the Thai bowl... YUM!“

“Food & service was over the top amazing !“

“The best aperitive in LA, with Salvo at 12-12 a wonderful location. Thanks a lot“

“Delicious food and drinks“

“Sat down in an outdoor patio for a quick glass of wine and bruschetta Saturday afternoon. Pleasant and helpful wait staff, relaxing environment, definitely recommend!“

“10/10 Recommend. When I’m in the area, I always gravitate to this spot. I love everything on the menu.“

“Try the short rib poutine if you're craving comfort food! Plenty of gravy and meat. Everything was good, portions good, service excellent, kitchen was fast but it wasn't super busy Sunday afternoon. They also do a great hamburger!“

“Great place and a fun place to be“

“Best steak and service . Say hi to Hillary she is the best !!!“

“The food was exceptional, and the service was just as great! Everything we ordered was delicious, and the staff made us feel very welcome. The best part was how dog-friendly they were—Maui absolutely loved his “Good Boy Bowl.” 🐾 It was such a nice touch and made the experience even more enjoyable for us. We’ll definitely be back!“

“Fantastic meal! As good or better than the old days.“

“I love it here because it’s old fashion great table service because management excels in traffic patterns with cross trained wait staff and bidders. No server leaves the kitchen empty handed and the vibe is to make their customers happy with continuous even flow table service. Disney please take note! I am not of of millennial restaurants where stand at a cash register and pay the tip upfront then assigned a number & number holder then fend & elbow for a table. This is old school service upgraded with innovative traffic management to expedite cuisines & cocktails. I love the intimacy of the raised railroad car booths where I can actually hear my guest’s conversation and speak to wait staff at eye level. And the bathrooms are so modern and spotless! The observation window to see the cooking staff hard at work is as much fun as a cooking show! Chocolate chip cookies are warm but melt in your mouth! Gavin Glynn Productions FOX Walt Disney International“

“Nice place 😋😎 fast service 👌“

“Excellent food!! SO good and such great selections on the menu! Service was over the top! Wish there was one in the OC. We will be back!“

“the service was spectacular. really fun group of servers... food = excellent - exception: chicken appetizer a little greasy/ excessively fried but everything else: salmon, hamachi, avocado fries, duck tacos, etc. was great. a little too loud at first due to boisterous group in the bar right next to our table. acoustics are not great for conversation when the bar is hopping. this is my second time and I will come back.“

“Thank you so much farmshop!!! Please know your kindness meant a lot to all of us after the palisades fire. We we're waiting in line to receive an escort back into the Pacific palisades following the fire! This line was at least 300 cars long. People had been waiting in it since early yesterday, desperately hoping to see if they still had a home following the mandatory evacuation. There was a lot of collective heartache going around, but also two gentleman from Farmshop, carrying baskets full of banana bread. They stopped by every car, giving each occupant a hearty slice of freshly baked banana bread. My family just inhaled this stuff! Taking a bite, all of us commented how much it tasted like the banana bread grandma use to make. I don't know if you were using the same recipe or you both baked that bread with love, but talk about soul food! It didn't just feed our bellies, it fed our hearts. A person doesn't easily forget the grace and goodness they're given when engulfed in grief, and Ill never forget the first time i took a bite of Farmshop's banana bread!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!“

“Loved this place, glad we could stop by here for some lovely food and drinks…. We were a bigger group of 8 and they do have sitting in the back for big groups but guess 8 was the upper limit…
I tried BEYOND BURGER and it was good, not great but liked it overall. My friends tried protein plate, fish and taco etc and everyone loved the food
I also had tequila based cocktail which was nice
The server was very kind and the vibe of the place was good
Overall would surely recommend visiting them if you are in the area“

“The experience was amazing at Sugar Palm. The server, Alfred, was so sweet and gave us great recommendations! The steak frites were to die for but if you like more of a lighter meal, definitely try the seared ahi tuna. It was so fresh and the sauce was incredible. Their pineapple margarita was also VERY delicious! You won’t go wrong with anything on the menu.“

“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“

“Great food and even better service.“

“Came here on a Saturday night to have some food and drinks with friends. They don't make reservations, instead, they put your name on the list so you still have to wait for a table. We only had to wait 20-25 minutes for a table on a busy Saturday night. The service was great, as it didn't take too long for the waitress to notice us and get our drinks order. Ingo's Tasty Diner is Great place to meet up with friends. Quiet without getting silent and the food is amazing. The drinks menu was extensive. Portions were good and I didn't feel like going into a food coma after leaving. Try their Brussel sprouts, it's delicious! Get ready to spend some $$$, as this place is pretty pricey but worth the price in my opinion. There is no parking, expect the metered parking on Wilshire.“

“great food and huge servings.“

“Fun ambiance, good drink selection and it's easy to meet nice people as they host lots of events here.“

“This was my first time trying the Father’s Office, and honestly the food was pretty good. The only thing I didn’t like was, you cannot modify anything on the menu, even if it’s for a food allergy. However overall the place was decent.“

“Alex gives the best service at Palma!“

“Great food! Beautiful view. We will definitely be back.“

“Love the Truffle Caesar Salad and the Spicy Salami pizza 🍕“

“Service,drinks.food,ambiance.staff,etc.“

“Loved the happy vegan bowl.“

“I will like to give a shout out to the chef. I think his name is Shawn or Sean. When we got to Santa Monica, we looked up restaurants to go have our 26 year anniversary dinner, we stayed at Hotel Delmar right across the street. We googled the restaurant menu, and decided what we were going to have. when we got there, and they brought out the menus, all what we decided to have was not on there. I was crushed. Because I had my mind set on the Halibut. I said it's ok I will just have the Ribeye, mind you I had a ribeye steak the night before. When the waiter came back, my wife asked if it's possible to get the Halibut and he said let me check with the chef. He came back later and said the chef said it's no problem. I was blown away. That was the best Halibut ( besides mine) that I have ever had. Thank you chef Shawn. From one chef to another, thank you. you made my night.“

“Edit to add: Hired Marmalade for my wedding catering and everyone raved about the food!! The staff was also so great with prep, setup, timing, transitions and serving/bartending!

Love Marmalade even when I used to go to the original location! Their variety menu, portions, food quality and now ambiance is amazing! Have been here for their speciality holiday menus but also a regular dinner 5x a year and they’re consistently delicious! But the new location is very accessible in downtown SM and instead of the cafe experience is more of the sit down bar restaurant ambiance!“

“REALLY delicious food. Menu is cozy brunchy with a few Turkish influenced dishes via Ebru, the owner. My favorites are the menemen (vegan - tofu) and the chilber. Wonderful outdoor dining patio under a big tree :)“

“Despite my pessimistic optimism that the future of the restaurant industry is a sinking ship, it is still floating. This place ATM has a 3.7 out of 5..? Free cold lemon water, high airy ceilings, outdoor seating, phenomenal music, and a women behind the counter recommending a delicious breakfast burrito… Definitely worth a second visit!! MRKT/Coastline Cafe - whatever name you want: thank you!“

“I had never been to this restaurant but walked by and decided to check out the menu. Looked really, really good. So I came back with two friends. We all had different salads for lunch and each was delicious and the side order of sweet potato fries which we shared was to die for. The vibe of the place is very chill and the food selection was great. Next time I go, I will order a blonde beer too - they looked really frothy and everyone was getting them. Plus they have a happy hour. I really liked this place! And consider it a new Santa Monica discovery.“

“What an exceptional experience; food was amazing, ambiance phenomenal and the staff were attentive. Being greeted with sincerity and warmth set the tone for the entire evening. So blessed to have a great company coupled with delicious food. Will more definitely come back!“

“the service is phenomenal lovely atmosphere, very clean, cleanliness is the next thing to Godliness. the staff is friendly, the waitresses are really nice just all around lovely place the view is off the chain thank you penthouse for a lovely breakfast and God bless yours truly Michael and Jeannie.“