Tapas Restaurants near Santa Monica, CA

“My wife and I had a delicious and memorable dining experience at Xuntos!
We are locals and have been hoping to find a quality Spanish restaurant in town; we've found our tapas bar at Xuntos!
Elegant, tasteful and understated, everything about the place - the interiors, soundtrack, service and food - exudes Spain.
Complements to the Chef, et al.
We've seen so many Santa Monica restaurants come and go; I sure hope Xuntos endures and thrives. Looking forward to many more exceptional meals of gazpacho, seafood, olives, Galician empanadas, ensaladas.and all!“

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

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

“Hands down, one of my favorite restaurants in LA. My husband and I visit here 2-4 times a month. All the locations are beautiful and unique, but our favorite is Sherman Oaks. It's our home local restaurant, and the entire staff knows us and takes great care of us. It was just our 17th anniversary, and the staff made us feel so special. But then again, they always make us feel special, so we just love everything about this place. Our go-to must-haves are the chicken sliders, fries, and the little gem. And to end the meal, we order vanilla lattes, the best cake and ice cream. It's simply the best!“

“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.“

“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“

“Saltie Girl is still top 5 in LA. Always relaxed, very inviting, the courses were served timely. Oysters were delicious, love their mignonette, crudo full of flavor with a hint of spice, and caviar service unmatched. Love coming here for a mid-day wkd Spritz. Our server was very kind, friendly, and checked in on us attentively. I know every time I come here is always a positive experience.“

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

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

“This review is long over due. Honestly this place is nothing without Stephen. We have over the last almost three years been coming here for the wine. The monthly wine events are nothing short of a mini vacation with the journey through the region Stephen takes you on. He is brilliant in his craft, very knowledgeable and welcomes everyone with a warm smile. Someone we look forward to seeing along side a glass of wine we always know we will want to take home. Ask for Stephen and enjoy a glass of wine. Get the burger ❤“

“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.“

“We showed up with three young children and no reservation on a Friday night — no restaurant’s favorite situation! But Brett, the host (or manager?) was incredibly accommodating and kind about it and the rest of the staff was lovely as well. The watermelon ceviche was absolutely to die for, and we had such a wonderful evening from start to finish. We’ll definitely be back!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“We were seated on the patio on a beautiful cool evening and it was lovely. I can recommend the Godfather cocktail and the special burata pizza. Others enjoyed the calamari, the gnocchi, and the mezzi paccheri. Our server was friendly and attentive. I would go back!“

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

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

“I cannot say enough of the five star service Ernesto provided. We were waiting for the shuttle to take us to the airport. It was 10 mins late, then 15 mins late. I asked the gentleman at the front desk to inquire but he was not helpful at all. Just said he will be there. I expressed my concern that we had an international flight to catch. I was so frustrated by this front desk man's customer service I told my husband we should call an Uber. Meanwhile we already paid for the hotel shuttle. Ernesto overheard my frustration. Called the bus to find out it wouldn't be coming there was an issue. He refunded us for our shuttle we paid for and also paid for our Uber. It was Four Seasons customer service, over and beyond exceeded our expectations! You should be so lucky to have a person like Ernesto. The other gentleman needs to go back to learning customer service skills and hospitality! Go Ernesto!“

“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.“

“心の居酒屋です🏮 モツなべなど　博多メニュー充実“

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

“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.“

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

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

“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!“

“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!“

“we got:
chips + guac
Baja tacos w/ tempura rock cod
Baja tacos w/ tamarind-glazed grilled shrimp
OG street tacos w/ mesquite carne asada
classic duck burrito

everything was SO good 😭 the duck burrito and the seafood tacos were the best on the menu“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“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.“

“My family and I had such a wonderful experience here! The food was delicious, but what truly made our visit special was our server, Zeeshan. From the moment we arrived, he made us feel welcomed and valued. He was incredibly kind, attentive, patient, and professional throughout the entire meal.

We accidentally had a mix-up with part of our order, and Zeeshan handled it with such a positive attitude and genuine care. He quickly helped resolve everything and made sure we were completely satisfied. It’s rare to come across customer service this exceptional.

Thank you, Zeeshan, for making our night so enjoyable. Your kindness and dedication did not go unnoticed. The food was fantastic, but Zeeshan outstanding service is what will bring us back. Thank you for making our night so special!“

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

“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.“

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