Top Things to See, Do and Eat in Santa Monica, California: A Frequent Visitor’s Guide

By Jim Byers, Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)

SANTA MONICA – Elegant. Beachy. Classy. And sometimes even cheesy.

This is a California city that has a little bit of everything. You can relax at a renowned hotel and dine 17 floors in the sky, with fabulous cuisine, craft cocktails and a view of the Pacific Ocean, but you can also take advantage of happy hour at a casual Mexican place. You can go for a $200 treatment in a hushed, luxurious spa, but you can also stroll the beach for free or pose for photos at the western end of Route 66, hard in the shadow of a rollicking roller coaster.

I spent five years living in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles when I was studying at UCLA. I’ve always loved the beach here, which offers great views of the Santa Monica Mountains stretching out to the north and west and a brilliant orange sun setting in the sea.

My wife and I drifted into town for a day and-a-half in September and managed to check out a number of places we hadn’t been to before. With that (and several previous visits) in mind, here are some suggestions for how to spend a great couple of days in a city that Canadians have been flocking to for decades.

DOING

The Santa Monica Pier is a delight; with a carnival atmosphere and terrific views of the coast, all the way from Malibu to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The pier dates back to 1909 and is a National Historic Landmark. The pier also is the western terminus of Route 66, and there’s a popular marker that’s probably featured in 5,183 Instagram posts every day. The pier also has a couple of restaurants, including Bubba Gump’s and Seaside on the Pier, which has a nice rooftop area with good views. Mariasol is a Mexican place at the end of the pier, with inside and outside tables and more fine views. I haven’t had a meal there, but I did enjoy some terrific chips and salsa on our latest visit. The pier also is home to shops selling t-shirts and caps, and you’ll probably find several street entertainers. There’s a fun, old-time arcade and they have several rides, including a nice Ferris Wheel, a Scrambler, and the West Coaster roller coaster, which is fairly tame as today’s coasters go, but lots of fun. You’ll also find a small aquarium called Heal The Bay.

Annenberg Community Beach House: If you want to enjoy the beach, this is a great option just a few minutes north of downtown. You’ll find a fun, casual café with tables right on the sand (and inside) and a swimming pool that dates back to when the land was owned by actress and philanthropist Marion Davies. The pool is open from Memorial Day Weekend through Labour Day, and then on weekends through September. They also have occasional “pop-up” swim days when the weather is right. You can tour Davies’ former home, a lovely, white house on the edge of the beach. There’s also an art gallery and a small playground and splash pad for the kids. They also offer yoga, stand-up paddleboard lessons, and paddleboard rentals. There’s a small parking lot on the south end of the property.

Palisades Park: The bluffs above Santa Monica Beach and the Pacific Coast Highway are lined with a linear park that marches along Ocean Avenue for a dozen blocks or so, encompassing 26 acres. The park is lined with towering palm trees, deep green grass, and flower gardens, with plenty of benches and places to admire the view down to the beach and out to the ocean. There’s also a jogging/cycling path. This is a great place to watch the sunset.

Tongva Park: This is a lovely open space just across the road from the Santa Monica Pier. It carries the name of the indigenous people who have lived in the area for centuries and features art sculptures, sustainable plants, a kids’ playground, shady nooks and a pretty fountain. There’s also a splash pad, picnic tables, and restrooms. It’s a great spot to chill on those rare days when it’s extra hot on the coast.

Shopping: The 3rd Street Promenade is a lovely, car-free zone that stretches on for several blocks. Look for colourful surfboard art, fountains, graceful palm trees and just about every name brand shop you can think of, including Urban Outfitters, Hollister, Rip Curl and Victoria’s Secret. Santa Monica Place is a splashy, high-end, outdoor shopping complex at the south end of the promenade. Look for stores such as Rolex, Nordstrom, Nike, Louis Vuitton and Uniqlo. There’s a DJ on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Artsy Santa Monica: Bergamot Station is a collection of funky galleries in old industrial buildings in the eastern part of the city. The last time I was there I found a contraption that was a re-enactment of then New York Yankee star Dave Winfield hitting and killing a seagull at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium in 1983. Bergamot Station is only a few km’s from the beach, so it’s a short drive or an easy bike ride. The station also is on the Expo line, which is part the extensive (and growing) light rail transit system in the Los Angeles area.

Murals: Santa Monica prides itself on its lively murals, with more than 150 scattered around town.

DINING

The Penthouse: This is stylish rooftop restaurant at the Huntley Hotel (see below). The views of the beach and the Santa Monica Mountains are terrific, and there are also great city views. Try to get there for the sunset. There’s a large, oval bar that’s quite nice and big windows to enjoy the view. There’s lots of white and gold, and the booths have gauzy, white curtains for privacy. The spicy margarita was outstanding, and we also sampled a nice “Thyme and Cucumber” Amnesia with Bombay Sapphire Gin. We had yellowtail crudo as an appetizer, followed by perfectly seared scallops with ricotta agnolotti, braised celery root casserole, black sesame and baby turnips. We also enjoyed a marvelous cacio y pepe pasta with a mound of fresh truffle shavings. Be sure to take the penthouse elevator at the front of the hotel, not the side-by-side ones near the front desk. Most of the ride is outside, and you’ll get nice views of the beach and the coast. Our waiter told us there’s a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights, but that they keep the noise down during dinner.

La La Land Kind Café: This is a small chain of coffee/juice places that actually began in Texas. But they’ve expanded into the city that gave them their name, and they have a bright, sunny shop on Montana Avenue, the trendy shopping area of Santa Monica where two out of three women (and many of the men) stroll about in workout gear. (Oh, to have the Lulu Lemon franchise in Santa Monica.) The coffee is excellent. I had a “regular” latte, while my wife had the La La Latte, which is iced and served with a dollop of honey. Her avocado toast came with buffalo mozzarella (they love it here) and a sprinkle of red chili flakes. I had toast with almond butter and a generous application of bananas, blueberries and strawberries. One of the coolest things about La La Land shops is that they hire a number of kids who have grown up in foster homes. It’s a wonderful program. Naturally, the store also sells cool La La Land t-shirts and caps, with slogans such as “Don’t Be a Dick,” and “Make America Kind Again.” There’s indoor dining for the two days a year it rains in Santa Monica, but try a seat out on the shady, tree-lined sidewalk and watch the Lulu Lemon parade go by. 1426 Montana Ave.

Wally’s: This is a combination wine shop, cheese store and restaurant in the heart of downtown. There are racks and racks and racks and racks of wine bottles that go from the floor to the ceiling; thousands of wines from California, Europe, Australia and all points in between. The extensive cheese shop is at the back, along with a pizza over. Up front there’s a fine restaurant that was buzzing on a recent weekday night. We ordered a glass of French rose and a French Cotes du Rhone (sorry, California) and a pizza with buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto and arugula. There was tons of arugula, plenty of cheese and thick slabs of meaty prosciutto on a pizza that came sliced in odd angles. In a word, delicious. 214 Wilshire Blvd.

True Food Kitchen: This is modern spot with a nice patio in the heart of downtown (Santa Monica Place; see below). We enjoyed the hibiscus limeade and had a terrific poke bowl with “forbidden rice,” avocado, cucumber, jalapeno peppers, scallion, citrus ponzu, edamame, and umami powder. I can also recommend the Korean Noodle Bowl, with sweet potato glass noodle, pickled shiitake mushrooms, organic spinach, carrots, bean sprouts and toasted sesame seeds. It’s excellent food, but fairly expensive. 395 Santa Monica Place.

Casa Martin: This is a low-key neighborhood place a 90-second walk south of the Santa Monica Pier. You won’t find much in the way of décor, but they serve good tacos and margaritas. Great deals for happy hour help offset the low Canadian dollar. 1654 Ocean Ave.

Socalo: On the visit prior to this one, we had a wonderful lunch at this Mexican-with-a-California-twist spot. It’s a casual, sunny restaurant run by well-known Los Angeles chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. Try the Vampiro Tacos or the Mexicali Ceviche. 1920 Santa Monica Blvd.

Father’s Office: Another great place from a prior visit. They have beers from around the world (sometimes even from Quebec) and are famous for the Office Burger, which comes with caramelized onions, bacon, Gruyere cheese, Maytag blue cheese and arugula. In true Soup Nazi fashion, there are no substitutions/alterations allowed. They won a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2021. 1018 Montana Ave.

Citrin: This is a fine dining spot run by chef Josiah Citrin, who runs Melisse (two Michelin stars) next door. We were there a couple years ago and enjoyed a great meal and tremendous cocktails. 1104 Wilshire Blvd.

Other options: Water Grill is a fine-dining spot on Ocean Avenue with great seafood. Just down the street, next to the Shore Hotel, Blue Plate Taco has a fine patio and good Mexican food. They serve up six types of salsa.

DOZING

The Huntley Hotel: This is a modern and stylish property. It’s just a block north of Wilshire Blvd., but it abuts a residential area and is very quiet. You’re also just a block from Palisades Park, which overlooks the beach. Our room (1601) was quite good-sized and had a nice view of the city and a partial view of Santa Monica Beach. The bed was terrific, and we had a 60-inch TV, an espresso coffee maker, lots of storage space, a big desk for working and a gleaming, bright bathroom with a big shower and Bulgari toiletries. The room was done up in several shades of grey, with blingy, chandelier-like lights and a deep yellow blanket on the bed for a splash of colour. hanging lights were pretty bling. The lobby is both sleek and comfortable; be sure to check out the giant wall of white fish. There’s an on-site gym and they have several bikes that can be taken out for a few hours for free. The bikes are quite popular and might not always be available. If you don’t see any and want to use one, ask the front desk to jot your name down on a waiting list.

Other great choices I’ve enjoyed in the past include the luxurious, Spanish-styled Casa Del Mar, which is right on the beach, and the trendy Shore Hotel, which is directly across from Palisades Park and a just frisbee throw north of the pier. The Fairmont Miramar is a lovely, charming property that also has bungalows. There are plenty of low-cost, family friendly options, including Comfort Inn, Courtyard by Marriott and Hampton Inn and Suites.

GETTING AROUND:

Circuit is a company that runs free, electricity-driven shuttles around downtown Santa Monica (and other cities). There’s also a convenient bus line in the city. The aforementioned Expo LRT line runs from downtown Santa Monica (4th Avenue and Colorado Avenue) to downtown Los Angeles and costs just $1.75. A full-day pass is just $3.50 and a seven-day pass $12.50. The pass prices are set to double in the new year. There are six light rail lines in the L.A. Metro system, so you don’t have to have a car. Santa Monica is a 20-25 minute drive from Los Angeles International Airport.

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Santa Monica Travel and Tourism paid for my visit. They did not see or review this story prior to publication.