Tapas Restaurants near Santa Monica, CA

“Great food and service. This place never disappoints.“

“My wife and I had a fully immersive experience at Xuntos. The food was some our go to favorites, but prepared so differently, it was like we never had it before. The sauce the shrimp was prepared in was savory, buttery, and had a little spice. They used a Spanish pepper we never heard of. Fantastic! The pork chop was prepared in a sherry glaze. We could tell it was sherry, yet it was not sweet, just incredible. All delivered in a beautiful space, by a team of knowledgeable and friendly staff obviously dedicated to providing an experience, not just food. We heard Evan, one of the servers/team member describe one of the dishes. It was so detailed in ingredients and preparation, he could have been the chef. George the mixologist/team member was poetry in motion. Creating amazing cocktails! We sat at the bar, my wife is a Gold metal chef and owned her own cafe. She feels you can really see the operation from there. It was like a ballet, dishes and drinks being delivered and plates and glasses being removed by every teammate. Sorry to be so wordy, but Xuntos is a special experience.“

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

“I’ve been to Bacari a bunch of times, but brought a friend yesterday for her first visit and it was easily our best experience yet. Our server Sara was awesome—super attentive, a great listener, and just made the whole night special.
The food was totally on point. The crispy schnitzel and the shawarma tacos (perfect meat-to-slaw ratio) were highlights, and the Asian pear pizza 😋 was amazing. The only tiny thing was the pistachio sfoglia was a little bit overdressed with the sweet cream, but still good.
My friend loved her cocktails, and as a mocktail drinker, kudos to the bartender. The mocktail dirty martini (Salt n Solace) was PERFECT. The Botanica was good too, just a bit too sweet for me (next time I'll just ask to swap the tonic for club soda).
Bacari is always a great spot to hang out, but yesterday was exceptional. Thank you Sara for taking such good care of us!“

“This is a very popular place as it gets crowded even before normal dinner time. The semi-indoor/outdoor seating area is clean and relaxing.“

“The food is phenomenal!! Everything is amazing“

“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.“

“Love Saltie Girl, ambience is warm staff welcoming and all the seafood is so creative - ive had the clam Chowder which comes with marbled potatoes crispy bacon on top and atleast 3 clams in the shell some of the best ive ever had. The fish & chips is divine with perfectly crispy fish and crispy and pillowy soft fries. Oysters were fresh and the bone in dover sole sublime - great drinks too my mom loved her totos straight up martini. All in all bit expensive but worth every cent while fining there or ordering in“

“Oh what a night, great food, great service….“

“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.“

“Rosetta is a gem! The crudo and raw seafood menu was absolutely delicious. But what really made our visit special was John behind the bar. He’s a fantastic mixologist, whipping up creative, delicious cocktails with impressive speed and a wicked sense of humor. The banter was hilarious! John made our entire experience so much fun. We can’t wait to come back!“

“Everything that I oder was tested good. And nice servers.“

“Awesome fun place with music good food, and fun. ❤️“

“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.“

“We loved the authentic noodles and warm hospitality. Our lovely server also recommended me to drink the Tenth degree ginjo instead of regular sake, which I liked a lot.“

“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.“

“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.“

“心の居酒屋です🏮 モツなべなど　博多メニュー充実“

“I’m afraid I’d have to keep coming back because wdym a wine bar serves 10 out 10 food???

Branzino with sweet corn puree is surprisingly amazing! Plus the skin’s so crispy and it stayed crispy til we finished it.

Hen inasal’s really good too! Smoky and savory, paired with java rice, with some citrus flavor. I’ll order this again for sure.

Can’t wait to go back!“

“I love this place! The food is fantastic! And I’m a regular for a reason 😉“

“Traditional Japanese izekaya. Daily specials. A definite must try.“

“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!“

“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.“

“The food and overall atmosphere was spectacular here. We ordered the patatas bravas, pan con tomate and croquetas for starters. Then the carne and branzino. The chimichurri that came with the carne was some of the best I have ever had. The house sangria was also a nice addition to our meal. Service was slow but the food and atmosphere made up for that.“

“this place has great drinks, good food and an awesome vibe! I just love how it's hidden too. So clean and the staff is so nice. I will definitely be back!“

“The drinks are good and friendly people. Great vibes!“

“Great meal !!! There were so many unique menu options, including Asian fusion options-- like ahi and Korean bulgogi ! We enjoyed our meal & it's such a convenient location with plenty of street parking ! Plus, there are seats outdoors to enjoy your meal ! Definitely worth checking out. Close to ucla and in such a nice area of town. Our meal was prepped in a timely manner & the meal looked so beautiful too !“

“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“

“While the ramen is quite good, try their other non-ramen offerings. Katsu curry rice is very good here (katsu pork was prepared perfectly and curry flavorful) as well as their gyudon (beef over rice). Service as fast, friendly and attentive and the dining area was very clean. Value for the meal is excellent especially for West LA! Cannot recommend enough!“

“Phenomenal food, drinks, and service. I came for the USA/Australia World Cup game on Friday afternoon with my husband and toddler. The service was warm, drinks and food were very high quality, and it was a great experience. We are moving to the neighborhood, and I have a feeling this will be a repeat local spot. Highly recommend!“

“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.“

“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.“

“This is my second birthday celebrated here and it was even better the second time. So easy to work with and the food and service was amazing.“

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

“Beautiful view, great service and nice selection of drinks“

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

“These Burgers are bomb, the service is great, drinks a ++, and the icing on the cake is the gentleman playing all genres of music, on his guitar, AMAZING talent! Live music makes a whole bunch of difference!“