New American Restaurants in Santa Monica, CA

“Easily my wife and I favorite restaurant. We come here about 2-4 times a year anytime we have an excuse to celebrate something. Literally everything in the menu is top notch and won't disappoint. Owner is very kind and present, staff offers amazing service, and the restaurant strikes a perfect balance of high end without feeling snooty.“

“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.“

“Went here for Easter brunch and was surprised I hadn’t heard of this place before. The food was great! I ordered the steak and eggs and while my steak wasn’t a perfect medium rare, the flavor and portion size made up for that immensely. The cocktails were delightful as well! Pricing was as expected for the area and quality. We were seated outside in a makeshift patio in the parking lot, but it was well done and the service was quick and attentive. Next time I would probably try to eat inside or in the smaller patio by the entrance, where the vibes and decor are beautifully done. There is ample free parking in the back as well. I will be back!“

“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!“

“Great place for delicious breakfast, after a good brisk morning walk.
I had a fresh omelet, with mushrooms, onions and cheese. I added fresh toasted slices of sourdough bread and a cup of Americano coffee (stronger than regular coffee). Not a long wait, comfortable seating, attentive server, made it a complete pleasant meal.“

“Had the Thai bowl... YUM!“

“Food & service was over the top amazing !“

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

“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!“

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

“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“

“This restaurant is absolutely adorable, but the service wasn't great. Our waitress didn't refill our waters and didn't come around much so we could ask to have them refilled. The good news is that the delicious food and good company outweighed the service situation. We had the fish and chips and they were absolutely delicious. A bit pricey for fish and chips, but Santa Monica overall was pricey for food so this isn't necessarily a negative against the restaurant.“

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

“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!“

“Delicious food and drinks“

“The food, the atmosphere, and especially the service made this a memorable visit.
If it wasn't for Isaac, I probably wouldn't have felt confident ordering the aguachile. He assured me it was worth trying, and he wasn't exaggerating, it was everything I could have asked for. (With more shrimp than agua & chile combined) As someone who loves lime, this dish exceeded all of my expectations.
I came in alone on a Sunday evening just looking to satisfy my appetite, but I left feeling like I had experienced much more than a great meal. Isaac made me feel at home, even bringing extra spices so my Hispanic side would be fully satisfied.
My Spanish (and even my English 😅) isn't always the best, but Isaac is perfectly bilingual and made sure he understood exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you to the Brixton management for building such a welcoming team. These days, it's about more than just good food. People want to feel comfortable and cared for as if they're enjoying Mom's cooking with Dad's warm presence. That's exactly how this experience felt.... I'll definitely be back for more! 🍽“

“Great place and a fun place to be“

“Alex gives the best service at Palma!“

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

“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.“

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

“Great food and even better service.“

“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 huge servings.“

“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.“

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

“We were going to go there the other day but we left. There's no parking. There's just no parking so we had to leave. It's not their fault. It's Santa Monica. I mean they could build a parking lot in the back because we left we couldn't go in. There's no parking“

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

“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 :)“

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

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

“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.“

“Loved the happy vegan bowl.“

“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!“

“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 come here every so often and it’s always consistently good and the staff is always nice.
My favorite thing to get is the tahini bowl with chicken or falafel - both are great!
Always a nice chill atmosphere, good food, and nice beer selection. Really can’t get any better than that!“